St. Paul daily globe., 1894-06-24
MT. VERNON ASSOCIATION.
FOUNDED SOLELY UP0G UySELFiSH
SENTIMENT
HOW IT. CAME TO EXIST.

The Trip OF Miss Cunningham, Of
South Carolina. and what
Game of IE-Her Resolve Co Re-
store Mt. Vernon-The Work or
Mrs. Flandrau and Mrs. ,Sib.s
ley.
Special Correspondence Of the Globe. ~
WASHINGTON. June 21.-The repent
annual meeting OF the regent and Nice
regents Of the Mount Vernon associa-,
tion in this city aud at Mount Vernpna
served to call more attention to ttiaf
organization than has heretofore BEEN
accorded to it. The organization IL not
one OF business or profit, or plea&nre.
1t Is neither social, literary, nor COM
merciai. but Is founded solely upon SEN:
timent, but that sentiment is the no.
biest, the purest. and the most unse4flsh
OF all neutrality-suspicious. remem-
brauce Of the nations mighty dead.
Briefly stated. the Mount. Vernon as
ISOLATION came into existence as follows:
Several years before the war young
lady, descended from an old Revolu-
tionary faiuiiy-a Miss Cunningham
from South Carolina-yfsited Mount
Vernon to place the laurel Of her patri-
otic veneIation upon the tomb Of Wash
ington. At that time the property was
owned by John Augustine Washington,
q descendant Of the brother of
the immortal George. The estate
was in ruins; the land. im-
poverished by century of tobacco
culture. would scarcely produce sus-
tenance for the family Of its owner.
The buildings were falling to pieces,
the ancient furniture growing dilapi-
dated and weather-stafned. aud even
the tomb which contained all that was
earthly of the patriot leader and his
wife was slowly crumbiing to decay. :
Miss Cunningham was shocked at the
apparent neglect of the homo aud tomb
OF Washington by the people Of the re-
public. On this spot modestIy lived
Col. George Washington when the Con-
tlnental congress of the thirteen coll
onies summoned him to take command
of the revolutionary armies. Here he
and his heroic wife had dispensed those
made Virginia hospitality ceie-
brated in Europe and America.
This home the hero had deserted
for seven long years, during which
he bestowed upon his country that
splendid, and gratuitous service which
ended in the establishment of the most
marvellous republic ever constitute In
tho worlds history. And then, after
having well served his fellow citizens
in the most exalted civil and military
positions in their gift-given of his
life and its energies with all the
modesty, rectItude and courags of a
Chevalier Bayard-it was to this spot
he retired. resumings with sober moder-
alton. untainted by personal ambition,
the simple duties of landed propri-
etor and cultlvator of the soil. = ! J
Republics are preyerbially migrate
full. but MISS Cunningham possessed
patriotic sentiments which rebelied
against this monstrous ingratitude. Re.
peated visits to the fong-negiected spot
confirmed in her the resolution to re-
deem The nation from disgrace by The
restoration of Mount Vernon. as nearly
as possible. to the pleasant home wBlch
sheltered the Washington householfEbe-
fore and after the revolutionary period.
She published appeals to the womeng OF
America, and the response was cordial
and immediate. She petitioned congress
for aid, but that eminentlys practical
body closed its digni6ed ears to grant
ing material aid to scheme so fo0IishIy
Utopian and femininely sentimental
But the brave South Carolina woman
would not be defeated. Through dire
distress and a thousand discourage
nlents She persevered. calling to her
assistance other energetic women from
several of the states. The churches and
schouls Of the country were appealed to.
andsresponded-a they always respond
to such calls-with alacrity and gener-
osity.
Finally. in 1859. 200 acres. upon which
stood the buildings and tonbs of the
Washington family. were purchased and
paid for, the price being s200, ,000-$1 900
per acre. Meantime a permanent or
ganization OF the American women en-
gagged in the work had been formed and
chartered by the legislature of tho state
of Virginia. Miss Cunningham had
been selected to fill the position of re-.
gent. which was. and continues to be,
chief executive position in the orga MIA
tion
The association, while national in its
scope. is practically, and from the mau-
ner of its creation. necessarily some-
Uhot aP al t.
years before Miss Cunningham could
secure the cooperation of women In
other states who possessed the rare
combination of qualities necessary to
the peculiar work she had undertaken,
The woman who desired to become
vice regent from any state must
agree to give her services without
money and without price. She must
possess energy, faith. patriotism, INTEL.
iigence, tact and industry. The rule
was early established that the associa-
ton should incur no debt, and that the
ready money should be safely in bank
before any purchase was made or any
improvement undertaken.
The assistance Of Minnesota was se-
cured during the same year in which
the purchase of the grounds was con-
suuamated. Mrs. Henry II. Sibley was
unanimously chosen vice regent for our
state in 1859, and Notwithstanding the
poverty Of our people, nearly all of
whom were then struggling to found
houses in frontier locality. she succeHd-
ed in raising $500. which went to sWeii
the original fund for the purchase, of
the land. Old settlers in Minnesota
well remember the appeals made to the
public by Mrs. SibIey in those hard
times days for aid and eneourazemodt
to the Mt. Vernon association. 1t Was
thirty years from the time MinseL
sofa was honored by the election III
Mrs. Sibley to vice regency in the
association before that honor was agal1
conferred upon the state. Mrs. Charles
F. Flandrau WAS efected In fssRo , nd Hoa