Weekly American. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1858-1858, 1858-02-27

declaring ID 20 Do, it foliows that 1862 and 1865
were the proper years for triennal elections.
None was held in 1852, but in ls55-six years
from ls49--a regular election" was held, which
was clearly constitutional"
And here may add, that at Irregular annual
meeting" of the Society, on the 22d Of February,
1866, the proceedings Of the election Of 1865
ratified and approved, and thus made doubly ''con-
stitutional." The minutes Of the proceedings Of
the Society, held on the 22d day of February, 1855,
ratifying what had been done in February 1855,
have been torn out and distracted by some evil
minded genius, but unfortunately for the objects
and aims of this evi-doer, the same were duly
published at large in the American Organ of
March Sd, 1861
The resolution adopted by the Society on Mon
day last declaring that the late Board had vacated
their offices by neglect to meet for six months last
past, very materially aided the purposes of the
new Board, which seems to have been, to persist
in making blunders. An omission, through mad
vertence on the part of the Secretary pro tenn. to
transcribe into the book Of minutes, the proceed
ings Of the several meetings Of the Board prior to
that of the Goth instant furnished opportunity,
which was eagerly embraced, to assume that va
cancies existed in the late Board, which were the
result of negligence to hold meetings of the
Board
If this omission, however, Of the Secretary pro
tenn. of the late Board to transcribe the proceed
ings Of meetings held since last May, and prior to
the goth instant can in any way be made to bene-
fit the present Board, or to result in advantage to
the objects Of the Society, the omission will not
be regretted by the members of the late Board
And now, having sufficiently commented upon
the assumptions Of Messrs. Carberry and Brent
and upon the positions taken by the Second Vice
President, and approved by the Society on Mon
day last, have simply to reaffrm the points
have made, to wit: first, that if the elections of
l849 and 1855 were not constitutional, there
has been no constitutional election held by the
Society since the 22d day of February, l835-but,
second, maintain that as the powers of the So
ciey are original, and not dervative, its proceed
ings at any regular annual meeting are binding
upon the Board of Officers and Managers of the
Society.
1t results, therefore, in my Judgment, that what
ever Irregularities may appear upon the face of
the proceedil gs of the SOCIETY," ITSELF, when con-
trasted with the provisions Of the constitution,
nominaly called the acts of the Society, at it's
regular meetings, are binding, and supersede the
nominal constitution, if in conflict Herewith. The
election, therefore, on the 22d instant is valid
election, for one gear, on the ground that the So
Getty ITsELT in its primary capacity, declared that
| it should be so. The blunders Of Messrs. Car
berry, Brent, Magruder and Company are thus
cured or remedied by the legitimate act of the
| Society.
| | now propose to add few remarks touching
the motives of the American party of Washing
ton city, in obtaining control of the Monument in
February 1855 -the origin of the movement then
made-and the causes which prevented the sue
cess of the undertaking. 1t is due to the "Ameri-
cans" of Washington that these points should nop
be fully explained not because the pensioned jour-
nalists and hired scrbblers of the late and present
administrations have expended their impotent
Billingsgate upon the American party here, but
because there are thousands of honest men who
have been made TO believe, by the official publ
cations of the Board which was superseded in
| 1855, that the action of the American party, in
busting that Board, in February 1855, was wanton,
aimless, and even reckless.
The facts which shall present are matters of
record, of history, and are undeniable. Though
not hitherto made public, for reasons which all
candid men will appreciate, they are nevertheless
facts and they will not fail to yindicate the Ameri-
can party Of Washington from all the imputations
which have been cast upon them. No men were
ever influenced by higher motives of patriotism,
1 on any occasion, than were the Americans" of
Washington, on the 22d day of February, 1855,
in electing an american" Board of Officers and
Managers of the Monument. None but partisan
of the deepest magnity of feeling will ever again
assail the motives Of their action, when those,
motives are made known
Before presenting in detail the especial facts
here adverted to- it is proper to premise follows:
lst. That the Washington National Monument
Society was started in the year 1888, and that on
the 22d Of February, 1885 they had become duly
organic d, and had commenced operations.
| I'd. That down to the fall of 1854, period q
twenty-one years, the Board had co lected and ex.
pended only two hundred and thirty thousand
dollars upon the Monument or less than eleven
hundred dollars per year,
Sd. That in the fall Of 1854 the Board memoir.
allied Congress for aid, and stated in their memo
rial as follows, viz:
"That in the year 1888 an association Of in.
dividusls WIS formed in this city for the purpose
Of raising funds by appeals to the patriotism
| the people, for the erection Of monument in the
national metropolis to the memory of the Father
Of his Country.
"That your memorialsts and their predecessors,
elected managers Of the Association, have gratu-
itously given their services at great personal
rifce, to the promotion Of its objects; that they
have been enabled TO raise the proposed monument
to the height Of one hundred seventy feet; that
three hundred and forty-seven feet remain yet to
be erected; that the funds Of the Association arc
entirely exhausted, and all recent efforts on the
part OF your memorialists to obtain means for COM
pletng the work have proven abortive and that
your memorialists are unable to devise any plan
more likely TO succeed.
i "Under these circumstances, they feel il to be
their duty 10 bring 10 the notice Of the Represen-
tatives Of the States and people Of the Union these
facts, in order that such action may be had on
them as to the assembled wisdom and patriotism
Of the nation may seem meet"
4th. That Committee Of Congress reported In
favor Of granting two hundred thousand dollars
towards the completion Of the shaft, adding TO
their recommendation the following disclaimer,