The Belmont chronicle, and farmers, mechanics and manufacturers advocate. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1848-1855, 1853-05-13
To ..,c American peopIe.

! To The American People.
From the great decrease in the receipts OF
contributions to the National Monument du-
ring the last six months, the Board Of Man
ayers Of the Monument Association feel it
~ be their duty to make another appeal TO
the patriotism OF the American Public
Tney are unwilling ~ believe that the pcO-
pie Of this country, under such deep and las
ting obligations as they arc to the founder
Of their liberties, and feeling, as they must
a profound sense Of gratitude for the ines
/ tmable services which he rendered to them,
will suffer monument commenced in his
honor, and 70 aid in perpctuating his name
tJ tie latest age Q! the world, to remain un-
finished for the want Of the means necessa-
ry to complete it. ItMeed scarcely be sug-
gcsted lnat fact Ike this in the history Of
our republic would no. fail to reflect lasting
discredit on the gratitude and patriotism of
its citizens, aud prove 10 the world that re-
publics are Ioy apt to BE- iorgetul of what is
! due - themselves and to the memory of
/ those wh1, under Providence, have made
. them great, prosperous. and happy. 1t is
. often the fate If the most distinguished and
/ ilustrious to BE- nearly forgotten after they
have noulLcred in the tomb for half centu-
Ut the world tho stage oc life is continuously
oc .upied By tn Sc whose acts excite the In
terest Of the living, and exclude the memory
I Of such as have preceded them, though their
reputation may have been more brilliant and
their deeds more glorious. But it was be-
lieved that WAsIINGTJN was one to whom
the American people owed the greatest and
most astnL BIT Of gratitude, and to whose
memory every honor should be paid by his
countrvmen; tlat to honor l. III vas but to
honor themselves, and that they were will
ling aud de5irUus 70 pay a just tribute TO pre-
eminent patriotism aud to uneguaied pub
lie ana private virtue. Under this impress
: sion, a society was established some seven
: teen years agl in the city of Washington,
I i,r the purpose Of erecting a magnificent
: mouumtut 10 til. Father cl lis Country;and
the Board Of Managers OF that society have,
dur that long interval, made grututously
every effort in their power, from pure feel
, inr vi patriotism aAd u desire to honor his
b memory, 10 obtlir the means necessary to
: accomplish the object Of its organization.
e By unccasiug and untring eXertion they
h4y. succeeded in collecting sum sufficient
e only to carly up he proposed structure to
f an elevation Of one hundred and % feet a.
. bgve tn, surtlce, about the one filth of its
,
=, say that, unless the contributions are larger
" ani more frequent than they have been for
0 the past six mouths, it will be impossible to
: continue the work any further. The blocks
e OF stone which have been sent from the diff
= tcrent States. ass JciatIonS, Ne, 10 be plac-
i ed in the monument, have done but little to
a. add tJ its elevation, though they may con-
h tribute to its interest. That the public may
;, understand how expensive such structure
=, must necessarily be-, it may Re proper to
y state that each course of two feet in height
costs upwards of s2,t'U0. though executed
ID with the strictest regard to economy. The
e materials and labor, with a small annual
10 compensation allowed to the superintendent,
j. and Il still smaller to the architect, amounts
K to the expenditure which h.S been mention
n el; aud the Board ol Managers are well sat-
II islied tha', had the work been undertaken by
-. tie Government, it would have cost double
- the amount .! .tie present cost OF the ooe-
lisk SO far.
- From two to three courses can be compile
=, ted in month, which require from four to
~, six thousand dJlars, while the monthly con-
. trbutions have OF averaged, for the past
l" half wear, more than two thousand dollars.
III Itwili, therefore be obvious that the work
mt must stuecessariy be stopped if more ar
Sc mong the peoplc of this country, and a more
es extended aud liberal contribution be not
h. made To sh " with What ease this great
49, object could be effected, il is only necessa-
. ~ to state that five cents a head from each
white nhabl AM of the United States would
1' be sutii ,ieut 10 complete the monument in a
nc fcw years; and yet such appears TO be the a.
x pathy and indifference eXistln. in relation 10
", this noble Undertaking that even that small
ty sum cannot be obtained Tor 30 patriotic and
,r- glorious a purpose.
toI In Norway. the three fOurths of the a.
IN noun. necessary to erect monument in
honor OF Charles the Twelfth vas raised
LATELY By voluntary contributions in two
Ig, davs; W lie in the Republic OF the United
ne 5 .ates, brought mo existence by the valor,
,o- perscv energy & patriotism OF Wash.
nj ingluu; in o nation which now contains a
+ popula ion Of nearly twenty-five millions of
y, souls, enloying a freedom, independence,
- aud pros pertv nowhere else TO be found, one
III fifth only oi thc amount required to complete
no q monument worthy of the man in whose
its honor 1t is now being erected has, after the
cd most unceasing efforts for seventeen years,
been contributed. To the people, the army
and navy, masonic, odd-feiioSs, and other
py associations, tie colleges, acadeMies, and
~ sCnOOlS OF liic y Hlleu St''cS, oahhihB iuSt''
ye, tutions, city and town corporations, &c, ap-
M plicatons, urgently requesting pecuniary ait
be- have been made by circulars addressed tc
in all, and still tie contributions received have
sor been insufficient to raise the monument be-
" vond its. present elevation. This is pain.
"o iil and mari,ying fact. 1t vii. now be,
RAJ come the du OF the different States Of the
nd Union to show the interest they feel in this
in- noble undertaking, and to evince the estima
he lion and respect in which they hold the chsr.
lcter and services Of Washington BY cou'