Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1911-09-28
WASH|NGTON'S
PRESENTED IN
Authentic Copy Found by
Hepburn In a Second
Hand Book Store.

| II
"HE last will and testament of
George Washington is to be
presented in a senate docu-
ment and will come from I'm
Gle Sans press soon. Just before the
last session of congress closed Senator
Hepburn Of Idaho discovered an au-
thentic copy of the will in a second
hand book store in Washington. So
much interested was the Idaho sena-
tor that he purchased the copy and
then obtained the permission of the
senate to have the document publish
ed at the expense Of Uncle Sam.
In none of the other writings Of the
first president of the country are his
character, his firmness and his fairness
better exemplified than in this same
will and testament, which in the edi-
ton which is to be published by the
senate is quantity entitled "The Last
Will and Testament of George Wash
ington of Mount Vernon"
The original will be kept at the Fair
fax county courthouse in Virginia.
where it was originally filed by Gen
eral Washington himself. The docu-
ment is jealousy guarded by F. D.
Richardson, the clerk Of the court. 1t
is kept in a steel fireproof safe, and
when visitors come to the out Of the
way courthouse the will is taken from
its resting place and proudly exhibit
ed. 1t has been bound in handsome
leather binding and may be scanned
easily by the visitors.
Written In 1893.
The will was written by General
/ Washington himself ut Mount Vernon
July 8, 1899. It was presented for pro-
bate in the Fairfax county courthouse
Jan. 20, 1900, a little over six months
after General Washington had COM
pleted writing the document.
There are forty-two pages Of manu-
script in the will, including the actual
will and notes made by General Wash
ington for the better explanation of
provisions. of the will. At the bottom
Of each page Washington signed his
name, by this means obviating the ne
| cessity Of having the will witnessed.
The first thought Of the Father of His
Country when he made his last will
was that all Of his debts should be
paid, and after the first paragraph. in
which he states his name and that he
was ''lately president of the United
States he says:
"All Of my debts, of which there are
but few and none of any magnitude.
are to be punctually and speedily
paid"
The first item of the will, however,
is as follows:
'To my dearly beloved wife, Martha
Washington, 1 give and bequeath the
use, profit and benefit Of my whole es-
tate. real and personal, for the term Of
her natural life, except such parts
thereof as are especially disposed OF
hereafter"
Views on Slavery.
The very next item in the will shows
beyond p~eradventure that General
Washington was inclined to do away
with slavery in this country. He says:
upon the decease of my wife it is
my will and desire that all the slaves
which l hold in my own right shall
receive their freedom. To emancipate
them during her life would. though
earnestly wished by me, be attended
with such ~insuperable difficulties. on
account Of their intermiXture by mar
riages with the dover negroes. as to
excite the most painful sensations. if
not disagreeable consequences. from
the latter. while both descriptions are
tor, 1T not being in my power under the
tenure by which the dover negroes
are held to manumit item. And.
whereas among those who will receive
freedom according to this devise
there may be some who from old age
or bodily infrmities and others who
on account of their infancy that will
be unable to support themselves, it is
my will and desire that all who come
under the first and second descriptions
shall be comfortably clothed and fed
by my heirs while they live and that
such Of the latter description as have
no parents living. or If living are un-
able or unwilling to provide for them
shall be bound by the court until they
shall arrive at the age Of twenty-five
years, and in cases where no record
can be produced whereby their ages
can be ascertained the judgment of
the court upon it's own view Of the
subject shall be adequate and final.
"The negroes thus bound are (by theil
masters or mistresses) to be taught t.
read and write and to be brought vi
to some useful occupation, agreeably
to the laws of the commonwealth Of