The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-06-25
Our Baltimore Correspondence.

BALTIMORE, June 10, 1904
The Heather al Baltimore-7he Capital of Mary
iana-A N1c Plan Suggested-Society in Balti-
more-Nfadani Observation-Disclosures in Baiti-
mo,e-1Ne HegaM--Ths Fine Arts-Music-
Family Pride, &c.
We are enjoying in the city Of Baltimore an
earthly paradise at the present moment. A city so
far south as the Monumental ought to be pretty hot
by the last haif of June; but deep green foliage
spreading down the streets that slope from the
monument-copi ALPHABETICALLY zephyrs-alter-
mating with soft breeze from the Chesapeake and
tie sweet fragrance from the hay fields in the
environs, and from now and then magnolia copse
Gas my senses iudge). with clear sky, blue distant
waters, seen from many point in this finely situated
capital, justify the expression / have used. cal,
Baltimore capital. know that Annapolis is the
"seat of government as the school biographies say;
but it is useless for laws to fight against nature and
nature has made Baltimore the real, whatever may
be the nominal or government capital Of Maryland.
What no4sensical idea, by the way, is that which
has taken possession OF all our wise legislators, and
which has induced them, in almost every instance,
to fix upon mere geographical centre for the 60
ve1nment city or capital of each State, instead of
going straight to that which nature has made its
metropolis. The natural and proper place for the
of its greatest activity, commercial, intellectual,
cia POLITICAL religious, literary and that always
in its greatest city, which is therefore great because
all the operations OF human society are concentred
there. How absurd to isolate one Of them and that
the ruling function of the whole State, and carry
it of into some obscure locality. In great city
men think rapidly and decisiyely in large city,
community, they think comprehensiyely here,
where multitude Of cute, practised minds versed
in affairs, are collected public opinion is more en-
lightened and more powerful. That is the place for
lori nfn ha foo1t ho pu1co If fbo
pie. There he is in communication with the organs
which at the time express opinion and form it.
It would be impossible to waste so much time in
CAPITAL were in New York. oidfosydom reigns in
these isolated capitals, these artificial captas-eX
tellent places for legislative culprits to go and med
ate on the stool of repentance but the worst places
in the world for the active, practical work of legis
laton. Let US do. away with our artificial
capitals. Let Philadelphia be the capital
Of Pennsylvania, Baltimore of Maryland, Charles
ton Of South Carolina, Cincinnati Of Ohio, and
New York of the whole Union, of which it is the
natural, the inevitable, and the magnificent metro
polls. You will see what an impulse will be given
to things when that is brought about. In the old
secula, in The same old humdrum way following the
foot tracks of their predecessors, no matter OF what
Inconvenience to themselves; but it is safe to
prophesy that in this country. where things are
managed differently, and very little respect is felt
for useless, inconvenient antiquity, where novelty
is even Recommendation. The time is not far dis
taBt when the American people will no longer put
mp with such an impractical inconyenient, artificial
wastefll anomaly as the present arrangement OF our
seats Of government.
Baltimore is well situated town, as I have said.
The lower part, which lies on the Patapsco, within
sight of the Chesapeake, is well adapted for bust
ness; the fine elevations of the north afford
he most superb sites for private residences
and for public buildings. The Washington
monument, white and massive, looming up at all
times against the sky and bearing aloft the statue
of the Father of his Country the whole with
grace and dignity worthy Of city of the Old World
1t is to be regretted that the .indiscrminate and
tasteless employment of grading, has leyelled all
the elevated points which New York formerly pos
sessed and is to be hoped that this process which
thus carried on ruins both the appearance and the
health Of city, will be prosecuted with more judg-
ment in future.
You are aware that Baltimore possesses highly
refined private society, which retains more of the
old aristocratic grace and more American pride
than any other in the United States. The Ameri.
can feeling unaduterated by foreign admixture, is
stronger here than in any city have visited. The
peope carry me back to the times Of Washington.
This fidelity to old traditions and old sentiment,
gives sort of colonial air, allow to society The
Batmoreans have not forgotten the revolution; the
last war IL recent event: anecdotes respecting it
are yet current in polite. circles as sources Of
anus ement the battle Of Bladensburg affords
matter for iests which have not yet lost
their point. just fancy that in New Yoika dinner
table bon mot should turn on some incident of the
blockade of 1914. Coming into polite society,
with every external sign OF wealth and intelligence,
where such antediluYian topics were discussed felt
myself to have reversed the fable Of Pip Van Win.
kle aud 70 have awakei in time past to find that
had been dreaming of the worlds progress, while
it had been really either going back or standing
still,
al east if not praisng Of past times producesup-
On me 4 coutnsa An fleet OF vast respectabilitY,