The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1840-08-20
NUMBER II.

0ens DeIOnSlnp 10 the 1IOWu ~ IupIdhu'-
II is supposed by these persons that tho
Presidents grounds would present more
complete and finished appearance BY erect.
lug Parlan marble balusliades on either side
of the main gravel walks by building some
twenty or thirty miniature temples and PIT.
vIllons at regular intervals along and adJi.
cent to the southern outerwall; by con.
strucling five or SIX artificial lakes and iouh.
,ains TO pour their silver waters through
the mouths Of "huge river gods and seq.
horses" with double the number Of JETS
d'eau to fill the atmosphere with spray and
sapor. To these improvements might well
/ be added two or three hundred pieces Of thu
first class of Italian slutuary-such, for III.
stance, as Saturn, Jupiter Juno, Mcrcury,
Diana, Neptunus, Eous, Apollo, Venus &c
/ Medicis, the Loves aud Graces, the Mai.
AIDES and Dryades, jolly Racchus, aud the
4 Bacchantes, Vulcan aud his Cyclops, Her.
cules, Pan, Plutus, Midas. aud the Dragon
that guarded the GoIIya apples IN the gar
den of the Eesperides.
There is only ore other ornament which
may with great propriety be procured, %
asmuch as it would serve 10 illustrate and
perpe,uate iD suitable form the truth Of It
very Important historical event, and that
ornament should be bronze colossal eqeS.
trian statue of AndreW JuckSoH Nth Ike
little hiaderhook magician mounted on
behind him. This statue would have
conspicuously placed upon the stone balns-
trade which crowns the palace. Before
the administration of j. z. Adams, tie
appropriations for improving the Presidents
grounds had been very trilIng. During
his term, however, two considerable sums
we're voted by Congress for that purpose.
The tirst Of these grants was five thousand
dollars by the act Of the 25th Of February,
ls25, for lepelling, grading and importing
the Presidents square. The second gran:
vas five thousand eight hundred and sixty
five dollars by the act Of the 22d May 1896
for finishing the fences, graduating and in.
proring the public grounds. Prior 10 the
disbursement Of these appropriations, the
grounds presented rude, uneven, and shape.
less appearance not few Of the pristine
sandy knobs and small holoWs still remain.
ed. The fencing, too, was quite imperfect
but, by the exercise OF commendable econ.
omy IN the expenditure of the sums Just
mentioned, aud by the application Of the
+ money in the most beneficial manner TO &c.
compiish the objects contemplated By the
! lars, the grounds of the President were
t, brought into fine condition, the fences were
= put IN excellent order, the "high" hills
were made plain, and the " deep " vallsys
were made smooth, and the eutire grounds,
| by the close of Mr.. Adams's Presidency,
wore a style and finish quite acceptable 10
the taste and Judgment, of our plain, repub.
llcau farmers. But new order of things
was soon destined to take place. You, sir,
and l. aud large majority Of the American
people, about the time whereof have been
speaking, were incautiously led TO believe
that MIR. Adams was lavish spendthrit,
and that his administration was not only
wastefuIly extravagant, but that it was rap.
idly verglng the very confines OF monarchy,
in the magnificent decorations Of the Prest.
dental palace, and by the studied introduc.
ton Of court ceremonials. lou doubtless
well remember the yolumiuous reports and
the indignant denunclations on the fruitful
/ themes of extravaganza and arlstocracy
I that we're spread before the country by tho
renowned champions of economy IN both
Houses of Congress during tie never to be
forgotten winter of l327-'S. You, sir,
cannot fail, too, to recollect the lugubrous
homiIies which were then addressed TO oil
pious and devout Christians in relation TO
the purchase by President Adams of bill.
lard table, billiard balls, cues and chessmen.
All these solemn exhort1tions we're but the
harblngers Of the memorable era of reform
then about overtaking the Administration
in lis supposed headlong departure from the
pure precepts of the frugal, simple, demo.
cratic days of the fathers of the republic
The pruning hook of retreachmeat, was
abou, beng ushered in to lop off all SUPER
fiuous expenditure as "sklltully as the
same useful implement at this day prunes
tho redundant branches from the trees in the
palace garden. The hickory broom was
also to be introduced in order TO scrub
away the filthy cobyebs of arlstocracy then
believed TO be in the process OF weaving
within the very precincts of the palace IT.
self. The Augean stable was likewise 20
be ceansed by the retormers--a mighty
work-and which in days of yore required
the labors of Hercues-aud no maryel-tor
history informs US that three thousand oxen
had been confined in its stalls many years.
Well, the reformers attained TO the full
enjoyment ofthe powers of the Government
in March, 1899 and here, Mr.. Chairman,
almost feel inclined to resume my chair
for a few moments until we may all con.
template in silent admiration the strange
results of that most unique system OF refor.
nation which had the omnific words ere.
,reuchmeut and Reform" inscribed on its
Haunting banner. A reformation that has
faithfully persevered in encouraging re.
trenchment until il has reduced the annual
expenditures of the Government from the
enormously prodigal amount OF thirteen
millions down to the triilng SUN OF thirty
nina million JOIl,rs 4 reformation which