The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1838-06-23
COMMUNICATIONS.
FOR THE MACEDONIAN.
THE WASHINGTON MONUMENT, sc.

The editorial Of the Globe of Tuesday in relation
to the offensive remarks of Messrs. Allen and Nor
ris Of Ohio, on the subject of the Monument Asso-
citation, seems to require some notice The editor
or rather the Senators from Ohio assert that the bill
was rejected simply because the Senate did not
wish TO identify the Government with the city Of
Washington in any form, with transaction which,
when fully investigated, might perchance couple
the Monument and its glorious name with shame
rather than honor"
Whatever may be the shame of this transaction,
il will not be found, upon the most rigid invesiga-
ton TO result from any misconduct nattention Of
the Managers Of the Society; for they have done all
that man could do to obtain the funds necessary TO
erect monument TO the memory Of Washington,
commensurate with his greatness. That the people
have failed to contribute to this object is true
il is lamentable. 1t is unjust TO charge the board
with the want of zeal The part of those TO whose
patriotism and gratitude, they made the strongest
and most frequent appeals and twas far from being
their wish, by asking for small portion Of public
ground as site to identify the Government with it,
They wanted the particular spot ground asked for,
because it was the most eligible, for monument in
the city where it was to be erected; and they were
supposed to be the best judges of that eligibility.
The mere conjecture that the collecting agents.
had been unfaithful not sufficient without posi-
tive proof to justify the rejection of the BILL Had
the Ohio Senators taken the trouble to inquire, they
would have found that by all these agents, bonds,
with heavy penalties given, and that they and
their suretes could be sued upon hem If they failed
to make correct returns They could, moreover, have
perceived that though single county in Ohio had
contributed $1,000, the example of that county had
had but very little effect upon the rest of the State,
when but 5000 was the whole amount of the con-
tribution Il made. The amount to be contributed by
each indivl, was unused 10 one ooffaf, putT ot
Of 10 contributed nothing, and many did not give
more than the eighth and fourth of a dollar Some
States have contributed nothing and others next 10
nothing Not accent has been received from Georgia,
Tennessee, Michigan, &C.; and believe that from
of New Hampshire not more than IS were obtained.
The Board has, however, prepared correct state
ment of itsreceipts from all quarters be laid before
the Senate and the people Of the United States from
which it will be seen how very erroneous and pre-
posterous were the bold assertions and coniectured
reasoning of the Ohio Senators. Iagree with the
editor in the opinion that the odium and response
bility Of opposing this noble object are with the Sc
nate as well as with the Ohio Senators; for they
should not have suffered their minds to be swayed
vestigaton of men who know as little about the al
fairs and proceedings of the Association as they
seem 10 have been reckless in what they asserted
The editor and the Ohio Senators may sheer at
the "noble object !" but noble it unquestionably was
to redeem the character of the country from obloquy
and disgrace; and it i'll becomes them, though it
seems now TO be the desire of those who pretend to
revere the memory Of Washington, to denounce
every attempt to honor that memory. The al bor-
ton Of which the editor speaks the fault of the
people and not Of the association and the managers
were too well acquainted with the abortive attempt
of the government in 1898, to erect monument to
Washington, to apply to Congress for any other aid
than that of granting of ground out 227 acres
which had originally cost but trife. Their design
for asking for the ground was to obviate the obec-
ton that the monument would never be commenced;
and then to make another appeal TO the people to
complete 1t. They neitherexpected nor desired any
thing from government that has 40 years neglected
10 honor the memory of the father Of his country
while it has expended millions in an inglorious at
tempt 10 Danish handful poor Indians from their
own lands, and bestowed more than woulderectthree
monuments, on a parcel of Polish emigranis, who
have been according to the language OF the law,
transported" There is great discrepancy between
the language reported to have been employed by the
Ohio Senators, in the Globe of Saturday and that
used by the editor, by authority, in his paper of
Tuesday. In the latter he says that he is autho-
rized " 10 say that not the slightest imputation was
cast upon The Managers Of the Monument Association
much less swindling' as the In,eigencer has it,
Now, what says Senator Allen, according to the re-
porter of the Globe, Of whose accuracy have no
doubt : He throws ont broad insinuations Of pecu-
laion against the managers and officers Of the So
ciety and then remarks, Mr. Norvell, "seemed to
suppose that the observations he made might hurt
somebody's feelings. lie did not care If he did--he
did not care about patching them up" &c. The
two Ohio Senators had justly rendered themselves
obnoxious TO censure, and you we're perfectly justi-
fable as friend TO truth 10 repel their offensive i'm
putations against gentlemen whose integrity was
impeachable, and whose exertions in a noble cause
should have received praise rather than insult.
In conclusion must remark that the corrcspon-
dent of the Baltimore Sun has undertaken with the
same recklessness as the Ohio Senators, to make as
sertons in relation TO the society and It's agents that
are equally absurd and untrue. No agent not ap-
pointed by the board has ever collected cent IL
such thing had been attempted, il would soon have
been communicated TO the board or have been known
TO the commissioned collector, who would imme-
diately have arrested his career The statements
of this correspondent are always characterised by
great recklessness and disregard Of truth.
FRIESp TO THE SOCIETY,".