The native American., 1838-06-23
THENATIVE AN ERICAN
[coMMUNIcATEp.l
WASHINGTON MONUMENT.


States. in relation TO the bill granting portion
nj public ground as a site for the Monument to
Wasbinotou After the manifestation OF apathy
by the mass of the People OF this country when
called upon TO honor the memory Of the Father OF
American Liberty, il was not to he expected that
such men as the honorable Senators from Ohio
would be actuaed by any other feeling than that
which dictated the language they have employed
and the misrepresentation they have uttered on
the floor of the Senate on this subject. From
minds intrinsically rude and vulgar nothing like
delicacy can be expected The ropy drirel OF
rheumatic brains might be tolerated, but the dc
liberate misrepresentation of malignant heart
deserve censure and condemnation. have long
seen that patriotism is but name, and that a
base and sortd selfshness has taken the place OF
that love of country and its glory which should
characterize all who belong To the councils OF the
Nation. The Senators from Ohio have, | pre-
sumo, undertaken to throw the gauntlet to those
who compose the Monument Society; and l, rs
an humble member of that Society, feel it duty
owe to them and to myself, TO take il up. One
of these Senators, Mr.. Allen, has thought proper
to indulge in insinuations of character that re-
quire some notice. perhaps more from the station
he holds than from any moral or intellectual worth
he may possess. The station he holds, however
will not exempt him from the contempt and scorn
of those whose virtues he is incapable of appre-
ciatinr and whose motives his moral faculties are
too obtuse to enable him to understand He
must, ere this, have learnt from his own exam
pie, that it is no great thing to be Senator, and
that, therefore. his station is no protection to stu
piditv, rndencss, or falsehood. The man should
always honor the place and not the place the man;
for there are some, whom station, however
exalted, can elevate beyond the sphere Of living
darkness and moral putrescunce in which they
delight to wallow. 1t would perhaps have been
well for the honor of Ohio, if her Senators had
obeyed the recent instructions of their consti,i-
ents, and retired from the stations they have dis
honored before this last in their career of folly
and disgrace had been consummaiel The han
orabie Mr.. Allen, with that rudcness which char
acterizes vulgar mind, has asserted that she did
not care whose feelings - iiI,t-lil ne mad no
means Of knowing amy thing about this matter
that it was IN outdoor business altogether-lhat
the p,tblic men Of this country are involved by
having lent the high sanction Of their names to
encourage this undertaking-that it was re-
proaeh to the iberalify Of the ecountry-a reproach
to that deuotion Of feeling which every citizen
frLt for the man who had done 50 much for the
country-that il was difficult TO make the People
believe that only $4,000 had been collected af.
ter perfect crusade through the whole country
that he was opposed to this Indirect mode Of
taxation for the benefit. Of iadiuiduals-that he
wished TO see the facts and figures. the public
press was open, &c. &C." This is the rodomon-
tde OF man who has been made Senator Of the
United States. He has boldly hazaIded all i'm
putation Of a dshonorable nature, against men
who have, from the purest and most laudabe mo-
tives, devoted large portion of their time and
talents gratuitously, to the accomplishment Of an
object which they imagined would be popular
fIrnI nIn p1
man to furnish the proof of his foul charge-to
rive the evidence on which he l&s dared to make
the assertion he has, or stand branded before the
Nation as a reckless and dcspicable calumnitor,
who takes advantage of his station TO make char
ges and throw out imputaions that he must know
are rs unfounded as they are base. Men con
scious of guilt are usually the first to charge
others with the moral offences Of which they are
themselves guilty The imputalions of this hon
orahle Senator extraordinary as they are
false and caumnoms. lie seems to be utterly
ignorant of all that has been done and published
in relation to the Monument. The statement Of
the collections made in the several States, has
been published in the National; Intclligcnccr, in.
detail and in substance repeatedly, though the
Board Of Managers felt deep sense Of mortiti-
cation in being obliged to furnish so striking an
evidence Of the apathy and Indifference of the
American People to an object which should have
inspired every patriot with enthusiasm, and every
American heart with desire to ald in It's accom-
pshment; and whether it he "rcproach' or
not to the ''liberality and "devoon Of feeling"
nf the People that so small contribution should
have been made, it is nevertheless as true as it is
discreditable. The returns of the collectors in
the States where the collections have been COM
pleted are in the possession of the Treasurer Of
the Society, Mr.. 5. II. Smith, together with the
names of all who contributed to this undertaking
These books furnish the evidence of the amounts
collected, and the names of the contributors; and
WILL Of course, furnish the "hcts and figures, y
which the Senator wishes to see. should not
he surprised if his name were among the patriots
who refused to give 25 cents to honor the memo
ry Of one who did SO much for his country, but
whose services seem now to be nearly forgotten.
must, however, do justice to the noble State of
Ohio, by observing that she has contributed
above $4,000 larger sum than has been OBJ
tained from any other State, where collections
have been attempted. In the State represented
by Mr.. Hubbard, believe, 81, and in Rhode
Island about $50 have been collected. The
whole amount collected in the United States, ii
is proper again to repeat, does not exceed $40 900
4 a..