Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1858-06-23
SHINGTON CITY
BY GEO. FIrzaUGU.

Inc town is IS natural rs the countrv. for
Is not good for man to live alone" In the
earliest dawn OF human history, we find men
engaged IN building cities as the first act in
colonlzing and settling new countries So uni-
Iersal with civilized races has been this proce-
aure, that 1t must be a matter of instinct and
necessity, rather than of choice, taste, or judg-
ment- Cities are but human hives and honey
COMBS, and as much the natural residences Of
man as the latter are of bees We have the
most singular, concurrent, and abundant evil
uence OF this theory In the words descriptive of
Town anu country, In many ancient and mod
ern languages Politeness, politics, policy,
Polliy, are all derived from polls" the Greek
Word Tor city Citizen, eivility, and civiliza-
ZION, from the Latin term for city, as, also.
"urbane" and ''urbanity" Indeed. err,
tGS meant as we'll city as a State, showing
tnat the Romans, like the Greeks considered
.ne country as the mere appendage or appur-
tenance OF the metropolitan town, "Metron
oils means the mother city," and is e,activ
equivalent to our "motEe; country;n for Il
was the cltles In ancient times that sent ont
all colonies. Rustic and ru.ticity, terms of
depreciation, come frcm the Latin ''rns,'' the
country.
The Greek philosophers, in their works on
government. treat the city as the State. and
the practices OF the Greeks corresponded with
the doctrines of the philosopher. Phenicia
anu carthage were, also, mere city states and
Tor many ages, no doubt, Babylon constituted
In reading Heroditus and Homer, notbing
excites more surprise and admiration than the
hundreds of little independent nationalities
ABOUT and around the Levant. A highly civil
lied and wealthy metropolis, with a small,
haif-eivilized territory about it, then consti-
tuted a nation.
The vitality of cities has been as remarkable
as their influence on human destiny Athens
Rome, and Jerusalem, are older than the an
nails Of accredited history; and Thebe. and
uneven, though llfeless, are still grand and
b. beautiful corpses, less changed i'm physical ont
lines than the mummies of Egypt, or the coun-
try that surrounds them. Neither the sands
OF the desert, nor the inundation of the Tipris
OF the Nile have efaced their beauty, or di-
mlnlshed the interest which they excite. The
Paiatal towns OF Italy, built of ever during
marble, and peopied thick with innumerable
chaste and lovely specimens of ancient and me-
dleval art, attract many thousands of travel
ers, whose expenditures constitute the chief
means OF subsistence for the present indolent
populations. Taking mere materialistic and
ccOncmlc view OF the subject, those cities and
their costly specimens of art, were, like the
pyramids and hecatombs of Egypt, good pecu-
mary investments; for, throughout all time.
they will constitute the chief wealth of Italy
But great cities, their history and their relics,
nave answered tar nobier purpose in Greece.
They delivered her from the barbarian rule of
the Ottoman, by the interest and sympathy
which they enlisted In her cause. Byron is but
noble type and representative of the allies
and deliverers of modern Greece
1t Is a trite and common remark and COM
plant, that we live in a materialistic ape
1he pursuit of low sensual eDjoyments, money
making and money-spending, have too much
monOpoized human attention. Art in all its
departments, is neglected and declining whilst
physical science and mechanical contriyance
are daily developing new avenues to wealth
Nothing go checks this sensual spirit and these
sensual pursuits, as the daily observation and
contemplation of works Of high art Elevation
OF sentiment, and purity of feeling are culti-
waited and improved by travel amidst even the
crumoiing ruins of antiquity. The objects
when We contemplate, the silence now reign
Ing around them, and the long line of histor-
lcal associations connected with them combine
TO INT the soul above the groyeling alma the
busy hum, and low epheneral eDioyments of
modern marts and cities. The day will arrive
when the citizen, or the visitor. of Washington
VIII be inspired with this eievating influence
by the lovely specimens of art around him
Already many OF her public buildings, by their
grand and beautiful proportions abstract the
behOider from all attention to the everyday
cares and business of life, excite the feelings
of awe and sublimity, and send him spacuJ,
ting on that distant future when the Immortal
marble alone shall remain to tell of the past
Washington has but a small population; she
would be Tar greater metropolis If her popu-
Iatlon and private residences were less her
puelic edlhces more numerous. The marble il
half hidden by the brick for already priyato
buildings conceal or obscure noble Structure,
OF fdrecian or Gothic art and these structures
as they burst into view, excite the idea of in
congTuIty by comparison with the more hum
Die buildings around them. For the future
greatness and glory OF Washington, it is all
important that Government should progress
rapidly and literally with public improve
menls; Tor these Improvements will be sure to
aufacl 10 ner, IN tlme ample population. If
tne eOovernment continue to pursue her present
Pohcy OF liberal expenditure, she will soon
very soon, become the most attractive spot i'm
America-the only city on the continent stud
ded with works OF art, and peoped by men Of
nigh intellect and reputation. Even now un-
less our experiment Of government has failed
she must contain more of intellectual accom-
pishment than any city of equal population in
the world for most of the officers of a govern
ment, over thirty millions of souls are co,ped
up In What-conpared with European capitals
is mere village. The whole machinery of
Government Is hero as much exposed to view
az the works oil an oid-fashioned Y ankee clock
whilst that machinery, in Paris or in London
Is hidden and absorbed by the surrounding
population.
Ii may be well for the public interest that
the working Of our Government machinery
anu the lives and character Of our public
agents are thus exposed to view, and readily
suoJeetet to criticism condemnation; at
Ieasty lt Is peculiarity that should secure to
Washington larger amount of intellectually
tnan Is to be found in any place Of the same
numbers.
The growth OF Washington will, in time cor
respond with the growth of our country judy
Ing from the past, in century to come, our
Population will exceed that of any nation ex-
cePt China: 1t may require more than n CEN
tury Tor this, our capital city, to attain n size
corresponding with that Of the nation, for il i,
much younger than the nation; but no event
In the womb OF time, If We consult historical
experience. Is more certain than that this Me.
trop?iis will eventually attain a growth pro.
Pornonate TO that Of the empire OF which she
IL the capital. The largest cities. irrespective
0f advantages OF commercial position have
been Metropolitan. Havre de Grace at the
mouth Of the Seine, although great CONNER
eial depot, is but village whilst Paris with
out navigation and far in the interior, is the
secOnI city in Europe. Ostea at the nnu th of