Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-03-02
NUMBER 81.
National Monument.

The N. Y. Commercial Advertiser, in CON-
menting upon an article Of the Washington
Eoe'sing Star, says:
If the party who have secretly brought them
selves into the management are anything like as
numerous as they claim to be- the funds for the
completion Of the Monument can be raised In forty
eight hours. Ifeach lodge will adopt similar re-
solve TO that passed by the lodges in Washington,
and the members will obey the order, more than
sufficient funds will be Immediately placed at the
disposal Of the new management. We deem itnot
improbable that such purpose Is entertained.
The completion of the National Monument to the
immortal Washington by dollar subscriptions from
individual members of an association claiming to
hold the "Father of his Country in special revc-
renee and admiration, would be fit and worthy
evidence of such love to his memory and Of ardent
patriotism. But considering how lightly the bur-
den would be upon the pursc--the word Is obso-
lete, by the way; upon the portemonnae--- each
member, and yet what perpetual testimony in the
aggregate 1t would be of the sincerity Of their pro
fessions would think their first care should be
to decline all government aid, and repudiate the
idea broached in the House by Mr.. Sellers, that the
report to that body asking for a grant has their
concurrence.
We say this, in all sincerity and good faith, for,
although this facile coup detdt has removed some
worthy gentlemen from the management, no one
will regret that, If the Monument is speedily and
worthly completed by the free gifts OF the people.
We should never raise an objection to any appro-
priation by Congress for monument or other me-
mortal to George Washngton-"fi first in war first
| in peace and first in the hearts of his country
men"--provided Congress or the government orig-
mated and took the entire management of the erec-
ton. But the people having commenced this Mon
ument and undertaken the completion of the
structure and halted or failed, while, for thou
sand frivolties and amusements, hundreds of thou
sands of dollars are annually expended, we do not
think that the people have any right to hide their
failure under demand upon Congress to make
good their deficiency The American people vol
unteered pledge to the world that, by their own
voluntary contributions, they would raise to Wash
ington monument worthy of him and themselves,
and that pledge cannot be redeemed by dppropria-
| tions from the public treasury The Monument
| may thus be completed but the failure of the peo-
pie to accomplish it by their free will individual
offerings, will be perpetuated by monument thus
erected Strictly speaking, there ought to have
been no solicitation ofsubscriptions. 1t ought
hayebeen erected by the OFFERINGS Of the people
| But to resort to government appropriation would
| be TO admit and to engrave that admission in in
efaceable lines upon the Monument ITSELF that the
love and gratitude Of the people toward Washing
| ton existed in word only, and not in deed And
we shall, indeed, acknowledge that the new party
have done at least one thing worthy of their pro-
fessions, if they take the work in hand and vigor-
ously prosecute it TO successful completion. They
can do this, and do it easily.