The Literary echo, and Pawcatuck advertiser. [volume] (Westerly, R.I.) 1851-1854, 1851-09-25
New York, Sept %, 1851

ming to feel another relapse of the Wash
ington Monument fever, which is kind OF
spasmodic complaint to which New Workers
are subject once in about four or five years,
Some four or five years ago they had a
very serious attack which continued to
I" get no better" till one very hot day they
got up very large procession-about as
large as ever witnessed in the city-march-
ed some distance out Of town, and with all
due pomp and ceremony laid a corner
stone. The fever Immediately subsided
and there has not been a stroke struck on it
since; and there probably will not be
until some speculator commences breaking
up the foundation for the purpose of erect
ing tenements" on the spot, which you
may be assured will go up with a rapidity
which would astonish any body but the
natives" Such is the difference in the
results produced by patriotism and money
making. But as it has been decided,
after great deal of wrangling, that the
Battery shall be enlarged, and as this en-
largement will render Castle Garden rather
an unsightly object, the present is consid-
cred a goo time to get up an excitement
on the monument question. The Com
mittee on the subject of enlarging the
Battery have, therefore, sent into the
Common Council a long Report embodying,
in their opinion, many potent reasons why
a Washington Monument should be erected
on the present site of Castle Garden.
Among them are the following -
"The site of Castle Garden is appro-
pirate, as being the scene of the early
struggles and the closing act of the Rev
olutionary drama. 1t was near this spot
where the patriots of our Colonial history
were wont to assemble where the statue
of George iii fell by the hands of the
Revolutionary actors where Washington
and Putnam dwelt !; where the Commander
in Chief took his farewell of the Army !;
where, on the close of the war, the flag
of our country was first raised where the
first President of the United States took
his inaugural oath; and where the first
Congress of the Independent Thirteen
United States assembled"
They recommend that in the base of it
there be large rooms for drill rooms for
military companies, and for armories; and
also that there be rooms set apart for a
cabinet of trophies and military curiosities,
for a library, and for a gallery of paintings
and statuary representing scenes in our
National History; besides many other
purposes, both useful and ornamental, to
which it might be made subservient But
the man who lives to see that monument
will probably live to see the day when
there will not be quite so much humbug
about Washington Monument Associations
as there has been heretofore.
Apropos of the statue of George ILL.,,
some short time ago l saw part Of that
same statue. The statue, which was COM
posed of lead, stood in the small park now
called Bowling Green; and the part which
1 saw was about one quarter of the body,
the body being divided down the centre of
the front, and down under the arm. 1t
was curiosity as relict of those times
which tried mems patriOtism.' The other
part of the statue was sent to King Georges
subjects, by the " Yankee Rebels" in the
shape of bullets, which doubtless proved
eternal billets" to some of the recipients.
The Fair of the American Institute
opens at Castle Garden, week from next
Wednesday. There promises to be great
display in the mechanical department.
The legality of a law to prohibit the use
of explosive burning fluids is under con-
sideration by our Common Council; but
whether they will do anything more than
consider the subject is very doubtful.