The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1911-09-07
WASH|NGTON'S WILL IS To Be
PRESENTED IN SENATE DOCUMENT
Character of the Father
Of His Country Plainly
Shown In Contents.

tidewater to the mountains, and also
law for opening the navigation of
the Potomac river from tideWater to
Fort Cumberland.
Virginia presented to General Wash
1ngton 100 shares in the company
which was to develop the James river
and fifty shares in the company which
was to develop the Potomac river as a
token Of the esteem Of the common
wealth. But General Washington. as
he declared in his will, refused to &C.
fept these shares for his own use, but
agreed to take them and use their pro-
ceeds for the public benefit. He says:
Stock Was Refused.
1.-THE acceptance of these shares of
stock was refused as inconsistent
with principle which I had adopted
and had never departed from-namely,
not to receive pecuniary compensation
for any services I could render my
country in its arduous struggle with
Great Britain for its rights and be-
cause I had evaded similar PROPOSE
tons from other states in the Union"
General Washington then launches
into a pet hobby, the establishment
OF great national university at the
seat Of government, the District of
Columbia, and declared that he would
leave the fifty shares in the Potomac
river company to aid in establishing
that university. He says:
"That as it has always been a source
OF serious regret with me to see the
youth Of these United States sent to
foreign countries for the purpose Of
education, often before their minds
were formed or they had imbibed any
adequate ideas Of the happiness of
their own, contracting too frequently
not only habits of dissipation and ex-
travagance, but principles unfriendly
to republican government and to the
true and genuine liberties of mankind,
which thereafter are rarely overcome.
"For these reasons it has been my
ardent wish to see plan devised on a
liberal scale which would have a
tendency to spread systematic ideas
through all parts of this rising en-
pire, thereby to do away local attach
ments and state prejudices as far as
the nature Of things would or indeed
ought to admit from our national
councils.
Favored Great University.
Looking anxiously forward to the
accomplishment Of so desirable an OBJ
ject as this Gin my estimation), my
mind has not been able to contem-
plate any plan more likely to effect
the measure than the establishment Of
university in central part Of the
United States, to which the youth Of
fortune and talent from all parts there
OF might be sent for the completion of
their education in all the branches of
polite literature, in arts and sciences
in acquiring knowledge in the prin-
c1ples Of politics and good govern
ment-and (as a matter of infinite i'm
portance in my judgment) by associat-
Ing with each other and forming
friendships in juvenile years, be en-
abled to free themselves in a proper
degree from those local prejudices and
habitual jealousies which have just
been mentioned and which, when car
ried to excess, are never failing sources
of disquietude to the public mind and
pregnant of mischievous consequences
to this country"
The present George Washington uni
vers1ty in Washington, named after
the first president, is designed to car
ry out bis wishes d regard to great
central university.
General Washington, as shown by
his will, was wealthy man as wealth
went at the time Of his death. He
gives partial list Of his holdings,
which were scheduled to be sold to
pay various legacies and which
amounted to $4,000 in value. His
property was located in many places,
including Washington, Charles county
and Montgomery county, Nd; Lou
doun, Fauquier, Berkeley, Frederick,
Hampshire, Gloucester and Nanse-
mond counties, Va; the great Dismal
swamp, the Ohio river valley, New
York, Pennsylvania, northwest terri
tory and Kentucky.
The executors named in the will
were Mrs. Washington, William Au-
gustine Washington, Bushrod Wash
ington, George Steptoe Washington,
Samuel Washington and Lawrence
Lewis, all nephews Of General Wash
ington, and his ward, George Wash
| ington Parke GUSTS.