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e　no　political　power；　as　power　is　counted　in　the　States。　　They　vote　for　no　political　officer；　not　even　for　the　President；　and　return　no　member　to　Congress；　either　as　a　senator　or　as　a　Representative。　　Mount　Vernon　was　never　within　the　District　of　Columbia。　When　I　first　made　inquiry　on　the　subject；　I　was　told　that　Mount　Vernon　at　that　time　was　not　to　be　reached；　that　though　it　was　not　in　the　hands　of　the　rebels；　neither　was　it　in　the　hands　of　Northerners；　and　that　therefore　strangers　could　not　go　there；　but　this；　though　it　was　told　to　me　and　others　by　those　who　should　have　known　the　facts；　was　not　the　case。　　I　had　gone　down　the　river　with　a　party　of　ladies；　and　we　were　opposite　to　Mount　Vernon；　but　on　that　occasion　we　were　assured　we　could　not　land。　　The　rebels；　we　were　told；　would　certainly　seize　the　ladies；　and　carry　them　off　into　Secessia。　　On　hearing　which；　the　ladies　were　of　course　doubly　anxious　to　be　landed。　　But　our　stern　commander；　for　we　were　on　a　government　boat；　would　not　listen　to　their　prayers；　but　carried　us　instead　on　board　the　〃Pensacola；〃　a　sloop…of…war　which　was　now　lying　in　the　river；　ready　to　go　to　sea；　and　ready　also　to　run　the　gantlet　of　the　rebel　batteries　which　lined　the　Virginian　shore　of　the　river　for　many　miles　down　below　Alexandria　and　Mount　Vernon。　　A　sloop…of…war　in　these　days　means　a　large　man…of…war；　the　guns　of　which　are　so　big　that　they　only　stand　on　one　deck；　whereas　a　frigate　would　have　them　on　two　decks；　and　a　line…of…battle　ship　on　three。　　Of　line…of…battle　ships　there　will；　I　suppose；　soon　be　none；　as　the　〃Warrior〃　is　only　a　frigate。　　We　went　over　the　〃Pensacola；〃　and　I　must　say　she　was　very　nice；　pretty；　and　clean。　　I　have　always　found　American　sailors　on　their　men…of…war　to　be　clean　and　nice　lookingas　much　so　I　should　say　as　our　own；　but　nothing　can　be　dirtier；　more　untidy；　or　apparently　more　ill　preserved　than　all　the　appurtenances　of　their　soldiers。　We　landed　also　on　this　occasion　at　Alexandria；　and　saw　as　melancholy　and　miserable　a　town　as　the　mind　of　man　can　conceive。　　Its　ordinary　male　population；　counting　by　the　voters；　is　1500；　and　of　these　700　were　in　the　Southern　army。　　The　place　had　been　made　a　hospital　for　Northern　soldiers；　and　no　doubt　the　site　for　that　purpose　had　been　well　chosen。　　But　let　any　woman　imagine　what　would　be　the　feelings　of　her　life　while　living　in　a　town　used　as　a　hospital　for　the　enemies　against　whom　her　absent　husband　was　then　fighting。　　Her　own　man　would　be　awayill；　wounded；　dying；　for　what　she　knew；　without　the　comfort　of　any　hospital　attendance；　without　physic；　with　no　one　to　comfort　him；　but　those　she　hated　with　a　hatred　much　keener　than　his　were　close　to　her　hand；　using　some　friend's　house　that　had　been　forcibly　taken；　crawling　out　into　the　sun　under　her　eyes；　taking　the　bread　from　her　mouth！　　Life　in　Alexandria　at　this　time　must　have　been　sad　enough。　　The　people　were　all　secessionists；　but　the　town　was　held　by　the　Northern　party。　　Through　the　lines；　into　Virginia；　they　could　not　go　at　all。　　Up　to　Washington　they　could　not　go　without　a　military　pass；　not　to　be　obtained　without　some　cause　given。　　All　trade　was　at　an　end。　　In　no　town　at　that　time　was　trade　very　flourishing；　but　here　it　was　killed　altogetherexcept　that　absolutely　necessary　trade　of　bread。　　Who　would　buy　boots　or　coats；　or　want　new　saddles；　or　waste　money　on　books；　in　such　days　as　these；　in　such　a　town　as　Alexandria？　　And　then　out　of　1500　men；　one…half　had　gone　to　fight　the　Southern　battles！　　Among　the　women　of　Alexandria　secession　would　have　found　but　few　opponents。　It　was　here　that　a　hot…brained　young　man；　named　Ellsworth；　was　killed　in　the　early　days　of　the　rebellion。　　He　was　a　colonel　in　the　Northern　volunteer　army；　and　on　entering　Alexandria　found　a　secession　flag　flying　at　the　chief　hotel。　　Instead　of　sending　up　a　corporal's　guard　to　remove　it；　he　rushed　up　and　pulled　it　down　with　his　own　hand。　　As　he　descended；　the　landlord　shot　him　dead；　and　one　of　his　soldier's　shot　the　landlord　dead。　　It　was　a　pity　that　so　brave　a　lad；　who　had　risen　so　high；　should　fall　so　vainly；　but　they　have　made　a　hero　of　him　in　America；　have　inscribed　his　name　on　marble　monuments；　and　counted　him　up　among　their　great　men。　　In　all　this　their　mistake　is　very　great。　　It　is　bad　for　a　country　to　have　no　names　worthy　of　monumental　brass；　but　it　is　worse　for　a　country　to　have　monumental　brasses　covered　with　names　which　have　never　been　made　worthy　of　such　honor。　　Ellsworth　had　shown　himself　to　be　brave　and　foolish。　　Let　his　folly　be　pardoned　on　the　score　of　his　courage；　and　there；　I　think；　should　have　been　an　end　of　it。　I　found　afterward　that　Mount　Vernon　was　accessible；　and　I　rode　thither　with　some　officers　of　the　staff　of　General　Heintzelman；　whose　outside　pickets　were　stationed　beyond　the　old　place。　　I　certainly　should　not　have　been　well　pleased　had　I　been　forced　to　leave　the　country　without　seeing　the　house　in　which　Washington　had　lived　and　died。　　Till　lately　this　place　was　owned　and　inhabited　by　one　of　the　family；　a　Washington；　descended　from　a　brother　of　the　general's；　but　it　has　now　become　the　property　of　the　country；　under　the　auspices　of　Mr。　Everett；　by　whose　exertions　was　raised　the　money　with　which　it　was　purchased。　　It　is　a　long　house；　of　two　stories；　built；　I　think；　chiefly　of　wood；　with　a　veranda；　or　rather　long　portico；　attached　to　the　front；　which　looks　upon　the　river。　　There　are　two　wings；　or　sets　of　outhouses；　containing　the　kitchen　and　servants'　rooms；　which　were　joined　by　open　wooden　verandas　to　the　main　building；　but　one　of　these　verandas　has　gone；　under　the　influence　of　years。　　By　these　a　semicircular　sweep　is　formed　before　the　front　door；　which　opens　away　from　the　river；　and　toward　the　old　prim　gardens；　in　which；　we　were　told；　General　Washington　used　to　take　much　delight。　　There　is　nothing　very　special　about　the　house。　Indeed；　as　a　house；　it　would　now　be　found　comfortless　and　inconvenient。　　But　the　ground　falls　well　down　to　the　river；　and　the　timber；　if　not　fine；　is　plentiful　and　picturesque。　　The　chief　interest　of　the　place；　however；　is　in　the　tomb　of　Washington　and　his　wife。　　It　must　be　understood　that　it　was　a　common　practice　throughout　the　States　to　make　a　family　burying…ground　in　any　secluded　spot　on　the　family　property。　　I　have　not　unfrequently　come　across　these　in　my　rambles；　and　in　Virginia　I　have　encountered　small；　unpretending　gravestones　under　a　shady　elm；　dated　as　lately　as　eight　or　ten　years　back。　　At　Mount　Vernon　there　is　now　a　cemetery　of　the　Washington　family；　and　there；　in　an　open　vaulta　vault　open；　but　guarded　by　iron　gratingis　the　great　man's　tomb；　and　by　his　side　the　tomb　of　Martha　his　wife。　　As　I　stood　there　alone；　with　no　one　by　to　irritate　me　by　assertions　of　the　man's　absolute　supremacy；　I　acknowledged　that　I　had　come　to　the　final　resting…place　of　a　great　and　good　man；of　a　man　whose　patriotism　was；　I　believe；　an　honest　feeling；　untinged　by　any　personal　ambition　of　a　selfish　nature。　　That　he　was　pre…eminently　a　successful　man　may　have　been　due　chiefly　to　the　excellence　of　his　cause；　and　the　blood　and　character　of　the　people　who　put　him　forward　as　their　right　arm　in　their　contest；　but　that　he　did　not　mar　that　success　by　arrogance；　or　destroy　the　brightness　of　his　own　name　by　personal　aggrandizement；　is　due　to　a　noble　nature　and　to　the　calm　individual　excellence　of　the　man。　Considering　the　circumstances　and　history　of　the　place；　the　position　of　Mount　Vernon；　as　I　saw　it；　was　very　remarkable。　　It　lay　exactly　between　the　lines　of　the　two　armies。　　The　pickets　of　the　Northern　army　had　been　extended　beyond　it；　not　improbably　with　the　express　intention　of　keeping　a　spot　so　hallowed　within　the　power　of　the　Northern　government。　　But　since　the　war　began　it　had　been　in　the　hands　of　the　seceders。　　In　fact；　it　stood　there　in　the　middle　of　the　battle…field；　on　the　very　line　of　division　between　loyalism　and　secession。　　And　this　was　the　spot　which　Washington　had　selected　as　the　heart　and　center；　and　safest　rallying　homestead　of　the　united　nation　which　he　left　behind　him。　　But　Washington；　when　he　resolved　to　found　his　capital　on　the　banks　of　the　Potomac；　knew　nothing　of　the　glories　of　the　Mississippi。　　He　did　not　dream　of　the　speedy　addition　to　his　already　gathered　constellations　of　those　Western　starsof　Wisconsin；　Illinois；　Minnesota；　and　Iowa；　nor　did　he　dream　of　Texas　conquered；　Louisiana　purchased；　and　Missouri　and　Kansas　rescued　from　the　wilderness。　I　have　said　that　Washington　was　at　that　timethe　Christmas　of　1861…　62a　melancholy　place。　　This　was　partly　owing　to　the　despondent　tone　in　which　so　many　Americans　then　spoke　of　their　own　affairs。　　It　was　not　that　the　Northern　men　thought　that　they　were　to　be　beaten；　or　that　the　Southern　men　feared　that　things　were　going　bad　with　their　party　across　the　river；　but　that　nobody　seemed　to　have　any　faith　in　anybody。　　McClellan　had　been　put　up　as　the　true　man　exalted　perhaps　too　quickly；　considering　the　limited　opportunities　for　distinguishing　himself　which　fortune　had　thrown　in　his　way；　but　now　belief　in　McClellan　seemed　to　be　slipping　away。　　One　felt　that　it　was　so　from　day　to　day；　though　it　was　impossible　to　define　how　or　whence　the　feeling　came。　　And　then　the　character　of　the　ministry　fared　still　worse　in　public　estimation。　　That　Lincoln；　the　President；