The native American., 1837-08-19
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NEW PUBLIC BUILDINGS.


/. aIs#a slH p.
NEW PUBLIC BUILDINGS.
Mr.. EDrToR: Is it surprising that monstrosity
in architecture like the Treasury Building, should
have been suffered to show so much of its deformy,
to the blocking up Of our streets and avenues,
and cutting off the view of national mansion and
the beautiful grounds surrounding and not Of
critics and judges in the fine arts, yet Ia
ken the trouble to expose in the public newspapers the
erection of monument that will hand down to pos
ery the ignorance and barbarism ofthe age in which
it erected. 1t cannot be that our Editors are
willing admit into their columns fair and liberal cr
tcsms of wor ks that belong to the whole nation Per-
haps it may be owing to apathy and disgust at seeing
much ignorance and deception take the place Of merit
and truth. There is an Ameican whose heart does
not scken when he walks along street and finds his
view Of the chaste and beautiful mansion of the Pre-
sident and the groups OF fine trees surrounding it, that
he has so often enjoyed, cut off by pile Of bricks,
stones, and mortar without portico indicate
the meaning Of this barrcade-a view too, that the
founders of the metropolis had as they thought Sc
cured to posterty forever by the plan Of the city,
signed by the President and adopted by Congress-
Standing on the noble terrace of the Capitol and d-
recting his eye along the finest in the world,
to be shocked by having his view of the Presidents
House and garden obstructed by the protrusion of
portion of this hdeous monsters. In any other coun-
try architectwho would dare to insult the people by
such work would be made to fly from it, and his bar
barious pile eveed to the ground.
And m drawing nearer to the monster behold it
couched on the side of steep declivity with part of
its body buried in the ground and part elevated in the
air. huge front, facing the Capitol its dsproportioned
three tails turned towards the Presidents House
to witness the vacant look of willy foreigner,
rying to think out" the difference between one order
of architecture and another, and who cudgels his
brains with admirng industry to bring up proper de-
fniton Of the word proportion, to whose vision Glas-
gov factory may be as beautiful as the Temple of Mi
nervato such placed over our citizens whilst
have many Natiue americans capable Of produc-
ing works that would do us honor instead of disgrace
is painful beyond endurance. After ages will undoubt-
edy Judge of the taste and judgment Of the nation by
architectural monuments; therefore, is al-impor
tant for future fame that these monuments should be in
good taste, well proportloned useful, and properly
placed 1t is not yet too late to correct the blunders
that visible to every possessing the least judg
ment. @
What was our Surveyor about when he suffered the
directors of this building place it 50 near the line Of
9Th street that the requisite steps to ascend to the
collonnade rily extaad over the present
pavement It is said that the architect intends to
remedy the evil by narrowing the carriage way and
causing the water to pass UNDER instead Of the
street. hope the Corporation viii never permit this
to be done, for the street is already much
for the travel at this day. What will be the effect
century hence! Again. the building is so placed that
its north end is buried FIVE feet in the ground and of
course will require the same number Of feet of the
street to be removed, in order to expose the basement
of the building What then will become of the bull
dings the east side of the street, and of F. and G..
Streets where they joined 18th street, Surely this de-
structon Of the established graduaons Of streets
will never be allowed!
In regard to the Patent Office, after the architect "a
Native American) who designed the building, but who
was not permitted to execute his plan had staked
1t out the present architect thought proper to bring il
farther forward into F. street, where it intersects with
9th street, and which will partly block itup In this
building is also the ignorance and want Of judg
ment in this foreign superintendent, in the small pro-
lection Of the pilasters which is not than one
third Of the original plans by which interference in
the detail ofhe design, the intended effect Of the Who'll,
will be destroyed.
The walls Of this building are altogether insufficient
and the foundations were not carried low enough, as
will soon be seen the structure rises II is higl
time that our Government should distinguish betweer
the sycophanc ignorant stranger and the Independent
meritorous native and discard the former TO give en-
couragement to the industry and talent Of the latter.
WASHINGTON. +.
As adopted by Congress and the Executive