Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1835-01-21
ALEXANDRIA:
WEDNESDAY MORNING, JAN'Y 81, 1sas

DIsrRIcr OF CoLuMBlA-ALExANDRIA- Com.
menting on the affairs of the District, We are ma.
turalIy taken back to the olden time, the DAYS Of
our grandfathers, the days of its conception,
birth, infancy and youth the days of its man.
hood and strength are yet to come and come
we hope they will.
/ At that time the embryo City ofWashington
contained very few buildings, as the future in.
habitants were to be drawn from the world al
large. They were invited by the publications
of the day, and certainty was held out that
the land which the owners surrendered, would
free the residents from those taxes which al.
ways bore hard on proprietors viz:-paving,
lighting, watering, ornamenting the City, &C.
How far these hopes have been realized, adven.
turers in city lots and residents can best tell.
Alexandria and Georgetown, at that time,
contained respectable population and lucra.
tive commerce. In return for the surrender of
their elective franchise, they were to be govern
ed by the representatives of the people of the
/ Union. From them they had reason to expect
to be nurtured and kindly treated, until they
gained strength and ability to take care ofthem.
selves Few in numbers and weak in financial
resources, no one could anticipate that they
would be called upon to bear the burdens which
usually belong to state sovereignty. George.
town, it was expected, would grow by its com.
merce and its contiguity to the public Offices
Alexandria by its commerce and the Navy
Yard, then contemplated to be located at Alex.
andria.
This, too, was at period when the chord of
Liberty was struck by the French people,
Equal laws, peace and friendship" through all
the world! How glorious the theme! To us it
is a wonder how the good people, during such
an excitement, could have consented to part
with their own birth right. 1t was, and assured.
ly could only have been for the general good,
that their personal liberty would be secure under
the general laws ofthe land, and that they would
be free from taxation without representations
They could not have expected single person
in the United States would grudge his mite
which the wants ofthe District would draw upon
them-on the contrary, they hoped that every
one would exceed, rather than fall short Of the
implied and enacted obligations of the Nation.
Under the peculiar circumstances under which
the people of the District were placed, they un-
dertook work which they well knew could not
be finished without the liberal aid of Congress;
and the proceedings Of that body gave such
pledge as induced them to adventure their dear.
est interests in the undertaking They had the
example Of the State Of New York before their
eyes. The bold undertaking of their Canal was
in much danger Of proving abortive by the strife
Of ignorance and party feeling. During the ex-
ecu.ion of the Water Works at Philadelphs,
and Of the Schuylkil Canal, how many errors
were committed and how much public excite.
ment! Need we now ask the question, would New
York, Philadelphia, or Pennsylvania forego the
advantages which their enterprise has gained
them? Success has given them fame and profit
If they had stopped when the foundations Of
these works were laid, disgrace and injury
would have been their portion.
We do not hesitate to say, that if the original
plan of the great work in which we are engag
ed had been persevered in, we too should
have been reaping the fame and the profit OF
our enterprise. Two or three years burden in
the payment Of the interest on our stock,
could, and has been borne without inconve
nience. With the revenue from It We should
have been at ease. If the work should be for
the present discontinued, VIC shall at least have
the consolation Of knowing that in the design
and in the execution OF the main stem and our
branch Of it, we have not disgraced ourselves.
On the contrary, both will bear comparison with
any other works of the kind. We have contri.
butte our individual and our general means as
far as our circumstances would admit, and have
thus far continued with our flag up under all
and the motto streaming
" Don't give up the ship, boys!!
FIRE!-About O'Clock yesterday morning a
fire broke out in one Of the buildings attached
to the residence ofMcssrs Franklin & Armfield,
at the upper end Of Duke street The building,
in which the fire originated, was consumed, but