The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-01-22
CURSES PRONOUNCED
AGAINST OLDCASTLFS

and entered Its portals as corpse. his
funeral taking place from thence. His
only son having died some months
previously, the property went to his
son-in law, the lnto Sir William Ogilvy.
Dalgleish. philanthropist baronct of
modern creation. but OF ancient line
age. and who virtually controlled the
jutc industry of Scotland. He too has
been gathered to his fathers. without
leaving son, and 1t remains to be
seen who will next have tho courage to
acquire this beautiful hut so fateful
estate
The only way. according to Scotch
ideas. OF lifting the curse from Enroll
seems to be its restoration to the Earl
OF Erroll Unfortunately he is not u
rich man. and IL Is wholly beyond his
power to spend the near million OF
dollars. at which 1t is valued. in order
to recover possession of the ancestral
home OF his ancient house.
The legal proceedings instituted by
the State of Virginia against J. Pier
ront Morgan for the recovery of the
Will of Martha Washington, which dis
appeared from the files Of the court
house OF Fairfax at the time Of the
war or the Union. and has been pre-
served for some thirty or forty years
among the Morgan treasures. should be
welcomed by every private collector
and public museum. 1t may be hoped
that this question OF the ownership
of the Martha Washington will Will in
due course be carried up TO the highest
tribunal in the land, namely. the SUI
preme Court Of the United States so
that u definite ruling may be obtained.
ut any ratio so far MS tho United States Is
concerned. as to the rights to relics
OF art history, literature. etc, and
concerning the ethics OF loot
In England and in many Continental
countries Of Europe, the undisturbed
and undisputed possession of land dur
inG certain term of years Is con-
sidered as giving TO the possessor n
legal tito to the property, no matter
how illegally II may have been acquired
In the first place. and the original own
ers or their heirs lose all their rights
thereto. Some similar rule should be
established with regard to nrt and
historical treasures. Not until this Is
done Will public museums and private
collectors be able to feel that their title
to such property in their possession is
absolutely secure and complete.
AZ present, what may be described as
the ethics of loot, are very vague and
Indefinite, and few will be willing TO
accept as n precedent the high-mind-
ed and generous action of the late j.
Pierpont Morgan in restoring to the
Cathedral OF Ascol the cope which
had disappeared some years previously
from Its sacristy, and had been ac-
ouired by him In a perfectly leglti-
mate way, by purchase, from rcpu-
table art dealers: nor yet the restor-
alton by tho late Lord Ashburnham
OF n large quantity Of immensely valu.
ablo manuscripts and ancient volumes
which ho found In the library at Ash
burnham Place on succeeding to the
title and estates, and which were as
ccrtained to have been originally stolen
from the national library of Paris by
its librarian, the notorious Libri, but
which had been purchased by tho earrs
father in perfect good faith from Eng
lish dealers.
Then. too, there was the case OF Ed
ward VII. His librarian at Windsor,
the Hon. John Fortescue. having dis
covered in the royal library at Windsor
Castle the ten missing pages of the celc-
brated French translation of Flayius
Josephus's II story OF Jewish Antiqul
ties" which Is one Of the gems OF the
National Library of France. caused
them to be returned t. the French gov
eminent. although they had been cut
from the volume as far back as In the
reign of Louis XII, tho King Louis of
Sir Walter Scotts Quentin Durward."
and had been laid away for two or
three hundred years in the library II
Windsor Castle. If ever statute of
limitations had existed concerning
such propertv, it surely would have
been applicable IN this case. Unless
the courts. both here and In Europe
establish the rule that undisputed pos
session Of art AID historic treasures
for certain number of years consti-
tutes good title, not only may =
Pierpoht Morgan be compelled to sur
render the Martha Washington will
and many other objects OF great value