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ton in a civil dress as President, and another of Ham- 

 ilton on account of his signal services on that occa- 

 sion. Madison and Jay should accompany the latter 

 on either sidv^ ; and after them should come the 

 active friends and supporters of the constitution 

 throughout the country ; — the cloudy care-worn coun- 

 tenance of Parsons, the radiant visage of Ames, and 

 the fine manly features of Rufus King. With this 

 group the list should close, for it would scarcely he 

 expedient to make Mount Vernon a Westminster 

 Abbey, or general mausoleum of the illustrious dead, 

 but rather to devote it specifically to the honor of 

 the revolutionary worthies and the founders of the 

 government. The merit of these, as respects the 

 country, will always remain of a singular kind, 

 whatever titles of honor may hereafter be won by 

 others. In some more private apartment should be 

 collected the portraits of the family of Washington. 

 This interesting collection would at once furnish the 

 house in a manner suitable to its destination, and 

 concur in promoting the general object. The na- 

 tional flag should be displayed above the building, to 

 mark it as public property, and the estate might, for 

 purposes of jurisdiction, be considered as an appen- 

 dage to the District of Columbia. 



The access to Mount Vernon, under this arrange- 

 ment, should be perfectly free to every one, at all 

 times and seasons, — effectual measures having been 

 taken to prevent disorder and injury to the property. 

 Under these circumstances, the resort to the place 

 would probably be much greater than it liad ever 

 been before ; and it would gradually come to be 



