Mary Washington

The Mary Washington Monument Assooiation of Fredericksburg, Va., has issued tho following appeal to the poople of America. "It has been one hundrod years sinoe Mary Washington diod and was buried, at her own request, in a beautiful spot in the borders of the town of Fredericksburgh, Va. A good and noble woman sho was. Early in lite a widow, .she stood bravel.v in hor diffi1 lot, and i" ' (l her tamil;,' n principies of patriotism, i n t o g rity and piety, and then livcd to oíd age to illustrate the virtues she taught. It was Jlary Washington who gave her first-born son that magnificent physical foriu, with its extraordinary powers of action and endurance, that self-poised mental force, that power to command, that calm dignity and gentle grace which robed the uncrowned King of the American peoplo vvith a majesty perhaps unoqualled by ar.y charactor the world has ever seen, and who gave ber son a supremo regard for right, and taught him in confessed weakness to look to God for strength and guidance. "We have long looked with sorrow upon her ruined tomb. The unfortunate business failure of a generous and patrlotio citizen of New York, who over fifty years ago undertook to build a beautiful and costly monument at her grave; his earnest desiro that it should not be completed by others so long as he lived and hoped to recover his fortunes; the exposures of the war period; the desoía tions of a battle field, and the long-cherishcd hut disappointed hopes of an appropriation from the United States Congress - all these things have brought us to the present time, with the tomb in its present condition. The reBponsibility of any further neglect will rest upon all the peoplo of this country. At last our hopes are revivcd. A general sentiment is rising, stimulated by the meeting at the Old South MeetingHouse, Boston, and by the action of the Washington Post, and has found a widespread expression that the time has come for action by tho people to rebuild this monument and affectionately preserve it as a grateful memorial of a great American mother. "With confidence in the disinterested and patriotic end at which we aim, we appeal to the people of our great American Republic to all us in our work. Let the 22d of February, 1890, the anniversary of the day when this great woman gave birth to her flrst-born son, be marked and celebrated by contributions all over the land to this piouscause. Let subscriptions be opened by newspapers. Let local associations of ladies beformed with a fee of one hundred dollars per member, and let the money collected be forwarded, from time to time, to the National Bank of Frederioksburg. Va. As the gathering of f unds progresses, public notiflcation will be made; and when the amount contributed shall be deemed adequate we will spare no effort to secure an enduring monument, as appropriate and beautiful as art can make, which shall be guarded and Bpected Ity our children and by theirs to the latest days. The city of Fredericksburg will make it the center of a publio square, with wide avenues of approach, and the American people may come, and all the world look on, and see that república are not ungrateful. And among all the many monuments to the Nation'a hcroes of war and peace, there shall be one to a woman, a wife and a mother, who sought no publicity for herself, but pave the most magniflcent gift this 3ountry has ever received - her son to be its Father. "Let every reader of this appeal leem it a duty and a privilege to coniribute to tSiis long-neglected patriotio york.- Mrs. James. Power Smith, l'resdent; Mrs. James F. Thompson, Secre;ary; National Bank of Fredericksburg, Va,., Treasurer.