The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-11-12
THE MARTHA WASHINGTON
WILL.
Statement Concerning Mr.. MOrgan's
Attitude and Intentions,


To THE EDITOR or THE SuN-Sir: In
the Neto York Times Magazine of Sun
day. November z. 1915, under the cap
ton of Martha Washington VIII,
Stolen in War. Returned" a fac
smile photograph Of the front page
Of the will Of Martha Washington Is
reproduced and a history Of the will is
given with the article. The article
contains this statement:
Taken by Union soldiers from the court
house during the civil war. the Will has
been an object of search by the people Of
Fairfax county for more than nifty years.
Discovery Of the relic among the effects
Of the late J. Pisrpont Morgan. two years
ago. led 10 a controversy between tho
State Of Virginia and J. p. Morgan. Jr.
who refused to surrender Il.
The article goes on to say:
What price Mr.. Morgan paid for the
relic 10 not known. but that he priced II
as one OF the mos, valuable papers In his
collection OF historic documents 10 shown
by the fact that he kept the secret of
his possession Of II up to the time OF his
death. and not once permitted a r~ubiica-
ton Of Its text.
Had Mr.. Morgan not bought tho Will.
1t possibly would have been sold to
some foreigner and lost to America.
I have Just come from Virginia,
where I have found prevailing a most
un warranted ignorance and distorted
feeling in regard to the facts relative
to the late J. =. Morgan's position with
regard TO the Martha Washington
will, which the article in the Times
hoes not help. I knew the late MIR.
J. l.. Morgan for a great many years,
and I wish distinctly to state that a
number Of years before Mr.. Morgan's
death Mr.. Morgan told me Of his pos
session OF the will and showed tho
same to me on several occasions and
discussed the use to which II might
finally be put, in reference to safe
guarding the will OF General Wash
!ngton. which for SO many years has
been in an old "%fretrap" like Fairfax
Court House. which at any hour
might have been burned to the ground
without the possibility of saving Cen
eral Wsshington's will.
Mr.. Morgan discussed with me the
matter alluded to because I happened
TO be a OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES Of
Martha Washington. 1t was most nat
ural for Mr.. Morgan TO talk to me on
this subject. and there was never the
slightest suggestion Of secrecy i'm
posed upon me in Mr.. Morgan's talks
with me regarding Martha Washing
toms Will. mentioned to people from
both the North and South the fact OF
Mr.. Morgan having the will in his Ii
hrary. and the fact of IT'S being there
was we'll known for years.
1t seems TO me that IL Is my duty.
as a man and as n friend Of the late
j. l.. Morgan n as an American c!tl-
zen. to write this letter. Mr.. Morgan
was one OF the greatest Americans
that ever lived. and his great overmas-
tering thought was for the good OF
America. as Is known to his countless
friends and will be shown more and
more as tim goes on. Ii was most
natural for his son. the present j.
p%ierpont Morgan, tn try to carry out
the wishes Of his father.
As "A ~Southerrer. 7 feel that the
South should be instructed In regard
10 this matter. az the South is the
most "~touChy" part Of America in re-
gard 10 a subject Of this kind and
most loyal To its historic associations.
The thought of the late Mr.. ]. Pier
pont Morgan in reference to the Mar
tina Washington will and the thought
Of his son and his desire | personally
know 70 have been simply the safe
guarding of General Washington's will.
that IL could he preserved for the
nation. His idea VAS to have the two
wills in a safe repository IN the Com
gressional Library. or, II not there. in
Il steel safe at Mount Vernon. sur
rounded by all the hallowed ~associa-
tons which belonged tn General Wash
ington and his wife, and which now
belong 10 the nation.
| trust this letter may be widely
read in the South and any injustice
done Mr.. Morgan In regard to the
Martha Washington will nay be re-
moved from the minds Of those who
read II. GEORGE l.. tpsHvR.
New YORK, November II.