Washington sentinel. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1856, 1855-07-19

WIG unhappy PoHCy winch RESTRICTED 10 Pltiiui
limits, the Capitol grounds Of country destined
in few years 10 number one hundred and fifty
millions ofpeople; and there was one act of Gen
eral Jackson which has recommended itself to
universal commentator, to wit: that of enlarg-
ing the Capitol grounds.
| Perhaps no public verdict would be more I'M
animous than that the contemplated buildings
should not be erected on the president 5
square. The space there is already small
! that TO prevent intrusion upon buildings con-
nected with the Presidential mansion, the Treas
ury building was thrown forward some thirty feet
from the site intended, and thus. excluding the
front steps originally intended, and so marring
the general aspect of the front, as TO render the
entire architecture of the building one of very
questionable character. Similar results would
flow from the erection of appropriate buildings
on the sites Of those now Occupied by the War
and Navy Departments. The evils would be ag-
gravated by the addition of two wings 10 the
Treasury building, and surrounding the Presi-
dent's mansion with Gordon of unsavory odors.
Besides which, it is perfectly manifest that very
extensive additions must be made to the White
| House, or an entirely new and greatly enlarged
structure must be erected to meet the augment
ing population of the city, and Of the number of
citizens from every quarter of the Union visiting
Washington. Even the rooms crowded
to suffocation-the very windows being convert
ed into doors Of exit--and the number would be
greatly larger were the reception sufficient
| ly capacous for comfort
| The custom of having music in the President s
grounds may be considered established and
abundant room should be given, and the grounds
rendered accessible from the avenue, as would be
the case when the buildings now dishguring those
beautiful grounds shall have been removed 1t
| is to be hoped that this musical recreation, so
universally acceptable, and SO readily commanded
| by government, will be continued, and with every
| possible Improvement. Government spends NIL
| lions in architectural ornaments, all Of ichich
| united cannot compare with The beauty Of these
| grounds, ichen cleared from the Disagreement Of
| the present buildings. Besides being ornamental
in an eminent degree, these grounds would be no
less healthful. If a building be erected without
ornament, it would equally well fulfil all pur-
poses Of utility would ornate one, and it
could, at amy time, be replaced by one of any de-
sired splendor, and if that should be destroyed,
another can be erected on its site. A building at
the moment Of its completion has reached its
zenith, alike for beauty for use, it is longer
susceptible Of Improvement; it admits of no va
rying beauties, it is ever the same, except that
| the hand of time is busy in increasingly hasten
ing it to decay; its beauty is to the sense of
sight alone. While these gSDnds will outlast
thousand successive gorgeous edfces, and in all
that time, ever varying, changing, ever
beautiful; glorious to the eye in all the varied
| tints of its green drapery, with all garden S
choicest flowers bespangling it, Thus the mil
lions who shall successfully thread the mazes Of
these grounds, will find shelter and cool breezes;
will have sight, scent, and hearing, delighted
amid the grove itself; and from beneath its foil
age, will view in silent satisfaction the gorgeous
silent pile that fronts it with its beauty, as will
the contemplated buildings when reared visa wis
| to these grounds; while buildings on these
grounds will hide more than half their beauties
and prove perpetual nuisance, the regret and
condemnation Of posterty.
| What is the pride of Boston? Every voice
responds, the Common. Does any one regret
its extent? Is there one man in that whole
community would have it shorn of one foot OF
its dimensions? Were it practicable to make
it three hundred acres instead of fifty, would
not its advantages and the qualification of all
its citizens be proportionably increased?
Is not the city Of New York dissatisfied with
the paucity and extent Of her public grounds,
numerous though they be; and she is now
robbing the waters of domain TO enlarge her
| splendid Battery. Has she not for years been
seeking such grounds, as in Washington are,
unhappily, in too small repute? Is she not
now, at the expense of several millions Of dol.
lars, seeking to obtain parks for the health and
pleasure of her citizens and visitors?
These parks are, Of necessity, on the out
skirts Of the city, accessible to- comparatively,
few; but experience has so demonstrated the
| benefits of parks in cities, that these large
sums are readily expended for them in these
remote places the best reparation, however
| to posterity, they can make for the oversight
of our ancestors. What would not New York
pay to enlarge the park to FIVE hundred acres?
Philadelphia, which has so long boosted her
public squares and beautiful grounds around
Fairmount, now, too late almost, finds she has
been niggard and unwise in not securing in
her midst, parks Of suitable dimensions and,
like New York, is seeking to secure the best
she can As for Baltimore-unhappy Balt-
more-she of all her sister cities, who had
the most beautiful Of parks cmbosomed within
her limits park beautifully unduating with
hill and dale, and fringed with a running
stream; Baltimore, luckless Baltimore, shall
we say tasteless Baltimore, preferred the sou
briquet Of "the Monumental City" to the City
OF Parks !" and Baltimore, unwise Baltimore.
like Washington, so jealous Of any rival beauty
to her marble monuments, stoutly and with
fatal success, resisted all efforts to give even
breathing room to the towering monument on
which stands the image of Pater Patrie. Alas
poor Baltmorel she has not an oasis in all the