The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1848-03-10
CITY AFFAIRS.
For the Union.
City improvements.

DsdPPolnted schemers like frettu children apt to
be- pehsve and peevish when their rbuit paper
tleS are overhIown This is seen in the explosion of a
recent attempt to humbug city authorities by scheme
which, pract lcabe, would render city improve
mens worthless and which, if adopted and found to be
impracticable, would have made them the dupes OF
visionary nd designing The scheme to which we
refer, thai Swallowed forth in the of property
Holder, in he columns of late number of the ntell-
gencer We infer, from the appeal which its author
makes to the help of the people, that has received
q,eus from he council, of its subcommittee.
In property Holders" communication to the Inteli-
gence is stated that "a number of persons have been
purchasing property for almost nothing part of the
city where property is of scarcely any value with
view of getting cut AIDE from the present city canal
reeneas Point to pass by their property and con-
sequenty increase the value of il; though what benefit
that would be to the city at large would be difficult to
determine"
Now while it is trtie that number of respectable
men, anticipating the immense benefits which must result
to the city of Washington from the opening of the Chesa
peake and Ohio canal to Cumberland, and foreseeng the
great value which the completion of that work will
mpart to the property ths city shore of the Eastern
Branch and that bordering both sides of the city
canal leading the river, have ID ade, and are still
makng investments in lots at prese mt prices; it is rs
true that every other allegation, whether direct or i'm
piled, is mere fable and moonshine. The persons
thus referred to ask for nothing which has not
or experimental which has not been approved
by men of science in the past generation, or which
will not be approved by such in the present-nothng
in short, which will not be great public benefit and ad
vance the interests of the city to degree beyond meas
ure Far from it, Looking to the mighty change which
that mighty work will ee ct in the business and pursuits
of the people, the population andweath of the city, and
to the unsurpassed facilities of the south and southeast
ern boundaries as place of commerce and manufac-
lures they wait in mistaken confidence that the period
is not distant when their highest expectations will be
more than realized, and when the opening of the CITY
canal through the low grounds at the foot of Capitol HILL
to the Point originally designed by Enfant atrobe
and Ecott, with the concurrence OF Washington, will
become measure of overruling ssy-one that has
no law and that be defeated 10y private eaousies
or individual chickering's combinations however form
dabe If it be an offence to Property Holder that
recent purchasers of lots in this much neglected portion
of the city have held these views, that they have
acted upon them in the mves tment OF their money,
and that they have endeavored to impress them 9TH
ers they plead guilty But they affirm that they have no
interest in this matter which is not common the whole
population; that they have no schemes of their to
gratifyno "cuts to make which sanctioned BY
law and laid down the city plat and that they have
nterfered with one, further than to demonstrate by the
force of fact and argument that the interests of all class
es will be sacrificed by the neglect TO open the city canal
through the route which nature has marked its proper
course, and which Congress, sages, and scientific men
have approved.
But why is it, that the work thus out and sane
toned should be regarded useless or unprofta-
be. Why it, that, about to reach the point
to which all eyes have been turned for more than thirty
years. we should all at make the discovery that we
have been deceived, and that this outlet should be
abandoned booess' Has time changed the channels
of our water courses? have the designs of our CITY
fathers been rendered nugatoy by the commissions of ma
ture!
We can readily make allowances for past neglect we
can duly appreciate the hesitation which arises from
moneyed endorsements But the folly which would
arrest the completion Of any improvements because the
property through which they pass may become valuable
and somebody should be benefited by the undertaking
exhauss our patience. The reasoning which dictates
procrasnaon although less foolish, is scarcely less
fatal There tide in the affairs OF cities as there is in
those of men, which leads to greatness if taken at the
flood 1t waits for yet il against the dan
gers of delay Let beware of its ebbng surges and
busy ourselves in the preparation suited to the crisis
Trade is not withdrawn from accustomed channels with
out difficulty Capital invested is readily trans
ferred from locality to another Connexions ara
formed and associations entered into that not easily
broken. AS the turf, the advantages are with those
who first get fairly under way Stronger motives for
action addressed themselves to any people Sure
! ly the sacrifices we have made for the advancement
of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, of which our
city improvements the outlet and terminating line
had other end than the display of our disiner-
esteaness. 1t not from love OF giving away
the peoples money desire TO furnish testimonial of
their own generosity that city rulers originally in.
volved in heavy debt, and still recently created
Il large addition to its burden. What then was the OBJ.
ject of these sacrfces Certainly nothing else than pros
pectve beneftthe of ultimate remun Grafton
Has anything occurred to destroy this expectation Not
at all On the contrary everything strengthen
and confirm the long -cherished hope of abundant re-
ward, with the single exception of the ndecson and
suggshness which distinguish the authorities by whom
we governed. The undertaking to connect the
waters of the Ohio with the Potomac-whch has so
far involved in debt and embarrassment, and which,
for enlarged design and usefulness, may be classed
among the wonders of the ageis about to reach point
where millions have been expended in the construc-
ton OF furnaces, foundries, FORCES, and railroads
Another year will scarcely elapse, until the products of
these establishments with those of the coeries and inter-
mediate regions will be foated to our borders seeking
entrance to rivers In such circumstances the
Questions TO be decided are whether these products shall
pass through the heart of city, whether they shall
seek another outlet' And they questions which
the opinions OF those who govern, and seek to govern
u.s. should be understood If we have been deceived in
regard to the value of city improvements, let it be
known, and let them be filled up. If we have not
rated their Importance let take that we not
betrayed and that the views of interested shall not
prevail against the interest of whole community.
Forthe information of those of our fellow-czcns who
A.