New-York tribune., 1902-06-08
WASHINGTON AND ROGER NORRIS
EDNEss OF THE STATE OF NEw-YoRx
TO THE FORMER KINGS OFFICER.


TO THE FORMER KINGS OFFICER
To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: The purchase of the mansion rniscalIsa
"JumeP' by the city Of New-York for public
uses-a transaction meriting my warmest en-
comium-recalls another transaction. which to
my mind. leaves lasting stain on your history.
Truth is too often unpalatable. and gone ugly
facts can be conveniently hushed up. yet In the
long run, somehow. they are apt to crop to the
surface. Enough of preamble.
The JurneI mansion was erected about 1T6O By
Roger Morris He and Washington had been
present at the disastrous affair Of Monongahela.
both as aides-de-camp to that buckram gen-
eraI, Braddock. Morris being wounded there. as
also at the siege Of Quebec Both fell In love
with beautiful Mary Fhilipse. AS the elder
Lytton sang:
The wind and the beam loved the rose,
And the rose loved one.
That one did not happen TO be the futurs
architect of the American Republic. but the
English, or rather Welsh, colonel Of redcnats.
No doubt on your side you dub Mary a fool
She might have been the uncrowned queen. the
cynosure of a hemisphere. What she became
I will relate.
Candidly, if of the rival lovers Washington
exceIled in grandeur of manhood, Morris en-
joyed the advantage of personal beauty Mary
did not select the gay colonel for his dollars; he
was younger son. and you know all that the
phrase means in England. 1t was her money
that built the Morris. alias Jumel. mansion.
Under it's roof the happy pair lived the best
years of their lives. The colonel had given up
soldering He took prominent part in civic
matters and-mark this-when the thunder
clouds gathered. and the storm was about to
burst, he espoused so far as sentiment went,
the cause Of the citizens. But a man who had
worn the kings uniform could not bring himself
to rebel. He detested the policy OF Farmer
George and Lord North His sympathy lay
wholly with the land of his adoption Never
theless, he held it point Of honor to preserve
a condition of neutrality. and this entailed his
going home to England, leaving wife and FAM
lily behind him. You may assert that he should
have followed his convictions, and thrown In his
lot with the army Of the republic; but would
that have been consonant with the military oath
he had taken? Washington was denied a COM
mission in the regulars, and was free to take
action; Morris was not.
When the republican army occupied New
York Washington selected for his headquarters
the Morris mansion and his former IDOL Mary,
nee Philipse. had perforce to seek refuge In her
mothers home. quite believe that there were
paramount military reasons for this. inasrnuch
as Washington was before all things. gentle
man. and, by a curious paradox. descendant
of the Cavalier and Catholic Reads. Of Fac
coInbe Haunts Moreover, he wrote a courteous
letter to Mrs Philpse. with a kindly postscript
to Mrs. Morris. Do not accredit me with Ringing
mud at the noblest of Americans mention the
episode because il was the commencement or the
Iady's misfortunes-
When peace was concluded Roger Morris re-
turned to New-York from his temporary exile IN
England fully expecting that his abstinence
from taking either side would have been ap-
preciated and indulging hope that he might
revert to his old home and his useful ne as q
prominent citizen of New-York- Alas! instead
of that he found himself ranked with the
enemies OF the republic. guiltless though ne was
of republican blood. Besides the Morris mansion
he owned estates In and around New-fork
whose present value can only be calculated IN
millions All confscated- The comnls-
sioners turned deaf ear to his plea OF neutral
ity and doubtless imagined that by crushing
Washinston's rival with Mary Palhpsg InsS
would curry favor with the great man deem
1t probable that Washington never Was appTlsed
of the hostility of the commissioners unit! 100
late, for cannot conceive man Of his chiyaL-
rous sentiments having acquesced in a sentences
which reduced a generous rival and the 4aaI
he once had loved to the level OF poverty
Sick at heart Roger Morris quilted America,
and settling under the shadow OF York Came
dral in the mother country, shortly after died
suddenly. heart broken His widow, the oeauu-
full Mary Philipse, survived him more than
thirty years. and in straitened circumstances
contrived to rear family respectaoly. VI neE
sons was gallant English admiral, ana MS
son will forever be honored as the most learned
of England's naturalists, the author OF
''Norrs's British Birds
The family is represented by very oid
MagdaIen friend of mine What would De tns
reception accorded him were he to petition the
State Of New-York for some sort Of eompensa-
ton for the loss sustained by the connscation
of the property of his great-g grandfather, Roger
Morris? I remember how the Alabama claims
were paid-shan 1 put il, much more than IN
full?-by the British taxpayer. AS matter OF
equity DR.. Morris's claim on New-York Is Iar
stronger. But don't for a second suppose ne
ha ard
know, the slightest intention Of asserting nlit-
self Notwithstanding which, as L read my MS MS
tory 7 feel convinced that IL Colonel Morris mad
not won Mary Phlipse, he at the same uIhe
having been conspicuously neutral ms ssSAtS9
would have remained to this day in the AolIIS
nightiest Of your TniIliouaires- IL was not us
loyalty to the republic; it was not what you
historians style Toryism-a misnomer-Dut tns
fngratitude of New-York, that ruined SatahS
Morris and in effect his unpardonaole SIN coll-
sisted in having carried on Mary EhlHpsS-
There are those here who fling the blame OF ms ms
transaction on Washington. and accuse hILn %
tnduIging in an ignoble revenge 1 do not snaEe
their view. When peace was declared the Pas,
sions aroused by the most deplorable OF an ~
wars had not had time to Subside, ana they
found vent in furnishing Tories Morris. as !
have shown was Tory, but ready 20 ecn1
the noble words of Edmund Burke. yet me-
stripped him bare Am l wrong in styling tnis
a blot on your escutcheon? Chivalry would Ioas
ago have made at least the minimum or COM
Densation by way Of acknowledgement OF Roger
Morris's sympathy with the republic But ehls
airy draws the line at doIlars-at all events Oh
one S'de oi 'He COMPTON READE.
Kenchester. Hereford. May p. 1902