CHARACTERS. 



341 



kleas through all parts of this rising 

 empire, thereby to do away local 

 attachments and stale prejudices as 

 far a« the nature of things would, 

 or indeed ought, to admit from our 

 national councils. Looking anx- 

 iously forward to the accomplish- 

 ment of so desirable an object as 

 this is, (in my estimation,) my mind 

 has not been able to contemplate 

 any plan more likely to effect the 

 measure than to establish an univer- 

 sity in a central part of the United 

 States, to which the youths of for- 

 tune and talents, from all parts 

 thereof, might be sent for the com- 

 pletion of their education in all the 

 branches of polite literature, in arts 

 and sciences, in acquiring know- 

 ledge in the principles of politics 

 and good government, and (as a 

 matter of infinite importance in my 

 judgement,) by associating with 

 each other, and forming friendship 

 in juvenile years, be enabled to free 

 themselves, in a proper degree, 

 from those local prejudices and ha- 

 bitual jealousies which have just 

 been mentioned, and which, when 

 carried to excess, are never-failing 

 sources of disquietude to the public 

 mind, and pregnant with mischie- 

 vous consequences to this country : 

 under these impressions so fully 

 dilated. 



Item. — I give and bequeath, in 

 perpetuity, the 50 shares I hold in 

 the Potomac company (under the 

 aforesaid acts of the legislature of 

 Virginia,) towards the endowment 

 of an university, to be established 

 within the limits of the district of 

 Columbia, under the auspices of 

 the general government, if that 

 government should incline to ex- 

 tend a fostering hand towards it ; 

 and until such seminary is esta- 

 blished and the funds arising in 



those shares shall be required for its 

 support, my farther will and desire ' 

 is, that the profit accruing therefrom 

 shall, whenever the dividends are 

 made, be laid out in purchasing 

 stock in the bank of Columbia, or 

 some other bank, at the discretion 

 of my executors, or by the treasurer 

 of the United States for the time 

 being, under the direction of con- 

 gress, provided that honourable 

 body should patronise the measure ; 

 and the dividends proceeding from 

 the purchase of such a stock are to 

 be vested in more stock, and so on 

 until a sum, adequate to the accom- 

 plishmentof the object, is obtained; 

 of which I have not the smallest 

 doubt before many years pass away, 

 even if no aid or encouragement be 

 given by legislative authority, or 

 from any other source. 



Item. — The hundred shares 

 which I hold in James- River com- 

 pany, I have given, and now con- 

 firm in perpetuity to and for the use 

 of Liberty-Hall academy, in the 

 county of Rockbridge, in the com- 

 monwealth of Virginia. 



Item. — I release, exonerate, and 

 discharge the estate of my deceased 

 brother, Samuel Washington, from 

 the payment of the money which is 

 due to me for the land I sold to 

 P. Pendleton, (lying in the county 

 of Berkeley ,) who assigned the same 

 to him, the said Samuel, and his son 

 Thornton Washington ; the latter 

 became possessed of the aforesaid 

 land withoutany conveyance having 

 passed from me, either to the said 

 Pendleton, the said Samuel, or the 

 said Thornton, and without any 

 consideration having been made, 

 • by which neglect, neither the legal 

 nor equitable title has been alien- 

 ated ; it rests, therefore, with me 

 to declare my intentions concerning 



