New-York daily tribune., 1843-12-21
Notes on the Federal ci,y-oHcc and
PIIlllder.
Editorial Correspondence.


warm sunny day, WASHINGTON WINS upon the
gazer. Her magnificent distances are Paftiy
concealed by the hight Of the houses, when you
are neither among nor far above them, whbe tue
number and imposing character OF the foohc
Edifces, as compared with the whole number oi
structures and the unusual proportion OF spacious
d,yel,;ncs to the mean and squalld tenements
which are ever too plentiful IN CITY, coniohe "
secure favorable impression linen the nope
plsin on which she is situated, rsng gently 10 he
North and East, with the ordly Potomac bound
inc the City on the West, (where rises imposing
~ the Presidents House, mile and half dis
tant, at the opposite extreme of Pennsylvania
Avepue,) and then widening into generous bay
or estuary on the South where hes the Navy
Yard-with Alexandria just visible IN the west
South. West and Georgetown in the West-North
West and the vision bounded by the blue hills
of Virginia, rising gracefully behind both-all
combine to give an aspect of gentle grandeur
and beauty to the prospect. The climate,
moreover, is admirable, the atmosphere usually
pure and serene; the approaches, both by water
and land fautless. l cannot doubt that grant
ing the necessity Of building new City for the
Federal Metropolis, the location could not have
been more happy.
And yet, each days reflection more strongly
impresses me that Washington, like St. Peters,
burgh, was q magnificent mistake on the part
of it's founders. They chose admirably, but they
1nistook sadly in choosing at all. In founding
Washington they imposed on the People of the
United States an intermnable burthen of millions
after millions of dollars, which would have been
wholly savedi if they had simpy marked off mile
square of healthy, commanding ground IN the
neiphborhood Of Philadelphia or Baltimore made
that the District of Columbia, erected the Nation
al Buildings thereon and allowed the subordinate
officers of the Government, aswell as all who had
business with them, to accommodate themselves
in the adjacent City. With this arrangement the
Public Edifces, Offices and Treasures would have
been far safer from the attacks of an enemy In
war than they now can be, (as the events OF the
Last War will testify J living at the Metropolis
would have been far cheaper and more comorta
BILE than it now can be; and every one coming
there for term as Secretary, ambassador, etc.
would not be obliged to furnish his house at an
exorbitant cost and sell out for nothing when he
left, as is now inevitable.
Yet all this is but little Of the evil. The
great central vice OF this location, which over
shadows all others, is the enduring fact that
Washington is and must be a City of Office
Holders and Office Seekers, in which it is every
mans business TO establish private gimlet. hole
into the National Treasury or retain that he has,
and enlarge 1t to an auger-hole if possible. To
be sure, many live and some thrive by catching
and uniting at second. hand the streams thence
Aowing-as merchants, hotel-keepers, tailors, mil
liners, boot blacks, gamblers, &c.-but this does
not touch the heart of the matter: the money
they severally pick up has all just come out Of the
Treasury, or is disbursed by officeseekers on the
same principle that water is poured into pump
in the hope Of making great deal more come
out. None can hive here-not even the Newspa-
pers, of which there are two as able and one as
excellent as any in the Country-without fre-
9uent and coplous drafts from the National Treas
my
The effect Of all this on the Public Economy,
and the Political Morality of the Country is most
pernicioue The personal interest of every man,
woman and child in the District (from whom pro-
ceeds the Public Opinion by which the Members
of Congress are surrounded and impressed de-
mands copous Expenditures from the Treasury
long Sessions of Congress, Extra Sessions II pos
sible, heavy Appropriations, inordnatc Salaries,
sinecure and useless Offices, lavish multiphca-
ton of Public Documents, frequent Extra Allow
ances, &c. &c. If this were great City, strong
in its Commerce and Manufactures, so as to Gre
ate a Tax. paying as well as a Tax-receiving Pub
lie Sentment-if its People were to live other
wise than out Of the Treasury-if even its Press
were above this crippling necessity-these evils
would not be felt, or would be greatly modified.
Now, / am sick at heart when I think how this
broad land might have been chequered with Rail
roads, Canals and River Improvements, bringing
Intelligence to every freside, a market to every
door, and relatives now separated for life within
easy distance of each other, with the National
Treasure which has been virtually wasted by mis-.
appropriation to subserve personal ends and tram
sient purposes And still the mischief goes on,
and will go on. The satellites of Congress are
twice as numerous and four times as costly as
they ought to be. The. City is gigantic beggar,
for whom the Government is obliged to pave
streets, build bridges, and do every thing. AT
this moment bill is before Congress appropriat-
ing money to repair the pavement of Pennsy Viva
mia Avenue, on the mile and half of which the
Government has probably spent Half Million OF
Dollars already. So with the Potomac Bridge
which has been built and rebuilt by the Govern
ment. The three Cities composing the District
undertook to borrow money and help construct
the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal; the work was
ssonned unfinished the Cities stopped payment