The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1855-07-26
THE WASHINGTON MONUMENT.

There mediterranean of the proscrptonss and bgos
called know nothngs well calculated to emotions
Of patriotic indignation and as their usurpation Of
the management of the monument in course of construction
in the national capital 10 the memory of the immortal
Washington With refinement Of malignity, they
have selected the great object which intended
mposngy perpetuate the gratitude of free people,
hat by erresng its progress and defeating the noble in
tentions Of its founders they might and the
time most keenly acerate the pride and the patriotism Of
the country, and eonsgn themselves immortal ntamy
The process by which they claim have perverted the
control of The work their base shame
70! and reckless illegal and violent be alone
sufficient 10 ihe authors of and the in the
usurpaon with eternal opprobruin In the dark receses
Of their lodges they concocted the plot which has
excited storm Of contempt against them and has already
prodncsd traia of disasters to the ennobing project
which has enlisted much interest among the American
people Without notice save that which was so brief as
70 battle III attempts check-mate their scheme even if
lis full extent had been known these abandoned dema-
gogues proceeded bold Accommodating election for d.
recop u the Washington Monument--an election .by
themselves, at which no votes were polled but those
throwa by the order and ticket supported but that
made up IN their lodges Our citizens who saw this mock
election going could not imagine what it meant till the
result announced amid the endsh rejoicngs of the
socalled vctors In harmonious sympathy with the vii
aues and violence that have marked the reign of this
oahbound conspiracy they had previously secretly
pered with Of the officers Of the regularly constituted
board Of managers of the Washington Monument and
when they denied possession of the premises they
sorted TO @ took possession of the books and drove out
The regular agents of legal organization And not only
werea disadvantages carried into effect
ings managed to induce of the agents Of the regular
board, whom they had ssduced their plot to inser,
false entry upon the records of the board as give
color to the subsequent fraud The result is that the
whole matter has become subject for judicial nvestiea-
ton. How the stands present the following ex-
ract from the exposition Of the managers OF the rightly
constituted board will disclose:
From the foregoing statement, it viii appear to you that
the existing state of things the result Of combination
outside of the society obtain for party ends possession Of
the monument and control of it's affairs that the secret
ISOLATION which planned this revolution though boasting
that their power Is permanent well irresistible yet
sed to wait FOE the time when the revolution could be
effected according to the but FASTENED to their
object IN violation Of that constitution that baying with
the connivance, mt least Of the clerk OF board
ayers, made an election which void its face they
once with only this meckery of right arrogated to them
selves title beyond dispute and denied to this board the
right OF even inspecting the books papers the
result OF their own iabors that this board though satisfied
on careful inquiry that the election of the 22d of February
was nuiIty and that they themselves copsttu
onal managers of the society," vet their inst in
dgnaon and anxious that the trust in their charge
no become subject OF strife, proposed amicable
suit Tor obtaining judicial decision the conflicting claims
th the adversary party rejected this reasonable thus
refusing in country of laws that the should determine
the controversy that by the aid another ithss sub
onac IN the service of this board they obtained the keys
OF buildings on the monument grounds that after the
ad been locked by the superintendent they got
the buildings by breaking locks and that this nos
session still maintained This board would certainly not
question it, II considerations merely could rule
or uer conduct From trust which has been long, toll
some gfatuous and often they are willing TO
DE relieved But they willing to desert it, The ac
ccptance OF that trust pledge their part to be faith
ul IT. and this pledge would be broken by voluntary
their authority to whom they believe
DC usurpers Few imaginable circumstances could Justify
sueh submissions In the present would be left with
out excuse by the proclaimed hostility Of the usurpers the
principles on which the trust created and has hitherto
oeen administered The rejection Of the proposal
SUIT Obliged this board to seek other for obtain
ing Judicial decision of the controversy BY that decision
when given, this board will cheerfully abide"
Nothing shows the profigacy of this usurpation more
concusvey however than the fact that the know
placed upon their ticket managers of the Washington
Monument set OF oath-bound, notorious and noisy adhe
rents OF an order the prescriptions and prosecutions Of
which have spread drust and alarm through every circle
OF society These partisans usurp the places so long
and so honoraby occupied by Of the most eminent
men OF both parties whose connection with the Board OF
Managers Of the Washington Monument been the as
suancc upon which the country has relied that the funds
collected for that noble enterprise would be properly dis
bursed and accounted tor Among these distinguished
names were the following Gen. Winfield Scott Gen
Walter Jones, Hon. Peter Force Lieut. NJ f. Maury Gen
Archibald Henderson, Hon. W. W. Seaton of the National
intelligence, Hon. Elisha WhttIesey, w. W. Corcoran
csq7 &C. &c These gentlemen gave their time and their
to the duties they had been called upon generously
and gratutously and at the very secret con
spracy auduenuy and forcbly usrpcd the places
pied by these well-known czeus the latter after much
labor had procured favorable report rpon their appc
ton Congress for the hundred thousand dol
lars to aid in the rapid completion the
We again quote the words of the exposition OF the mana
gers:
Their abors have been far successful that there on
the fourth July 1s4s in the presence the
ve of the people and the States and of
tude, the cornerstone of the monument laid. The
work. thus auspciousy commenced has been diligently
ecued and at the close of the last season. tho collections
bad amounted TO hundred and thirty thousand dollars
and the shaft of the had reached the height
hundred and seventy feet During the past the
felt it to be their duty the attention
Congress TO the history and prospects Of this pious work
Their memorial referred by the House Of Representa-
tyes to select committee of which the Hon. Henry MAY
OF Maryland, chairman. This committed, after care