Daily American organ., 1856-03-15

The Washington Monument.

opportunity to that hypocritical sheet, which
issues under the name of the Washington
Union, again to assail the present Board of
Managers Of the Washington Monument, on
the ground that the contributions thereto, du-
ring the last year, were less than those Of any
former year Indeed this was wonderful, (was
it not p in view of the well-known fact, that
the old Board Of Managers had put forth All
address denying the legality of the election
held in February, 1866, and that this same
Washington Union had aided and assisted in
scattering broadcast over the land, the un-
founded accusation, against the present Board
of fManagers, that they had taken possession of
the Monument unfairly and illegally
But for the fact, that this Misrepresentation
of the conduct of the American party, and Of
the American Board of Managers, was circula-
ted far AMI wide through the country, by
means of such presses as the Washington
Union and New Haven Register, there is but
little doubt, that tens Of thousands of dollars
would have been contributed to the erection of
the Monument during the past year, in the
place Of some seven or eight thousand dollars
And what has become of the prctensions of the
old Board of Managers ? Where now do those
anti-American presses find themselves, who as
serted last year, that the election Of 1855 was
illegal and unfair1 Let it be borne in mind
that the allegation of the old Board of Mana
gers and Of their anti-American presses was,
that the triennial election Of officers and Name
gers of the Washington Monument Society
would, under the constitution, occur in 1865,
instead of 1866, and therefore the election of
1855 was unconstitutional.
This was the position they took in oppssis
ton to the rightfu election of the present
Board. Well, then, on the 22d day Of Febru-
airy last past, the day on which, according to
the position taken by the old Board and tbeir
defenders, an election for officers and managers
ought to be held under the constitution, an
annual meeting of the Washington Monument
Society pas held, pursuant to the usual notice,
at which meeting all who claimed to be mem
bers Of the Society, and who thought proper
to attend did attend, whereupon, in public
meeting of the Society, lnpt a meeting of
officers and managers merely, but Of the con-
stituency Of such officers and managersD
resolution was unanimously passed. declaring
that those officers and managers who were
elected in February, 1856, for three years, were
duly and properly elected--thus ratifying and
confirming the proceedings of the Society had
last year, and oyerthrowing the positions as
sumed by the old Board Of Managers.
Thus, then, at general meeting of the So
ciety, held ON the dag and year upon which
the old Board had assumed that the triennial
election must be made, the pretensions Of the
old Board wore virtually repudiated and the
rightful and constitutional election of the pres
ent officers and managers WAS vigdicated. -
Does any man deny that this last proceeding
of the Society fully and entirely sustains the
construction put upon the constitution of the
Society by the present BoardY Does any man
deny that this last proceeding Of the Society
gives quietus to the controversy between the
former and the present Board of Managers
The Society ITSELF having the right even to
change its constitution--to annul its rules and
regulations-and in fact to abrogate or to rati-
fy, at It's pleasure, whatever either Board had
done, inconsistent with the views Of the Sooi-
ETY., distinctly and unanimously, ia general
annual meeting, held not only pursuant TO
notice, but pursuant to a requirement of the
constitution, the Society 1--WE say has con
Jfrzaed, ratified, and approved the election Of
the present Board Of Officers and Managers,
ani in thus doing, has repudiated, wholly and
entirely, the pretensions Of the former Board 4
of Managers. js not this 10 end the coktro-
rersyP
Not doubling that those gentlemen who com
posed the former Board of Managers win now
refrain from any interference with the action |
Of the present Board, nor doubling that all |
fair-pifnded and honorable conductors Of