The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1862-03-14
OUR NATIONS CAPITAL.
AS SEEN THROUGH A LADY'S SPECTACLES.

AS SEEN THROUGH A LADYs sPECTACLEs.
From the Springfield Republican.
WASHINGTON, February %, 1862.
We have had many pleasant walks togeth-
er through Broadway, haven't We, Republi-
can? How much we saw that was sons;e,
sightful, splendid, and sorrowful, didn't We ?
Broadway is the beau ideal of a magnificent
street, only it might be little broader, rath-
er it ought to be a little broader to be per-
feet. Its rival palaces hold their matchless
faces little too near together, for complete,
distinctive effect, yet it is one Of earth's Won
derful streets. Now you see that Pennsylva-
MIA Avenue is wondrously broad. Is it per-
feet? Is it splendid? Is it decent? Oh
Republican. Its originators intended that
it should be perfectly regal, one of the impe-
rial streets of the world. But you see that
their intentions never reached the beauty of
consummation. Major L'Enfantthe engineer
of the "past revolutionary era,' determined
that its width should be proportionate with
the other sublime distances of the national
capital. He laid out the whole city as if he
had boundless space to make it of, and the
golcondas of earth at his command, where
with to make that space splendid. Thus be-
hold the avenue. President Jefferson, in his
A., 'vw OH each sl0e, two IN the middle, to imi.
tate the superb drive in the city of Berlin
! known as the Inter den Linden. Alas, the
poplars did not glow. In 1886 they were
torn up root and branch. To-day, 1862
Pennsylvania Avenue, street of most mag
nlfcent proportions, stretches its Sahara-like
length from the capitol to the treasury, void
of fine shade trees, lined, not with palaces o.
the departments, or the mansions of diplo
matists, but with third rate shabby shops
which would do no credit to the New York
Bowery, over-topped at rare intervals by sen
tinel hotels, by far more staring than splen
did.
The avenue is the type of the whole city
Washington is magnificent disappointment
Washington is sublime suggestion. Il
hints of splendor, grandeur, completeness
that exist not. They may be, they may nev
er be. A city of much humber pretensions
which hal made the most of itself, might
charm and satisfy. Just as person of small
opportunities, who cultivates them to the ut
most, weaving strength and beauty from ;
brain of naturally feeble fibre, wins our ad
miration, rather than the creature of splen
did gifts too indolent to fulfill the promise o
its powers. A city has an individuality, al
atmosphere, as vital as that of a person.
New York quickens me to love, inspires mt
with devotion. New York is grand fulfill
ment, concrete, electric, real. 1t is create
than its promise. Every inch of its narrow
stony soil is used to purpose. Its palace
of industry, trade, benevolence, art, religion
press close upon each other, and cut high in
to its ether. Its great magnetic hear: draw
to itself the eager, the aspiring, the gifted o
every race. There are manifold reasons VIII,
Washington cannot be New York. But
can find no satisfactory one, why it shoult
have promised so much, and have fulfilled 81
little.
Perhaps you know that Washington i
laid out on the magnificent plan originated
by Sir Christopher Wren, for the rebuldin!
of London after the great fire. 1t was rejec
ted by the corporation of the British metrop
oils as entirely too grand and all-embracinI
for the area of land which could be given t.
it. Of course its proportions were not to-
grand for the western continent. The Brit
ish isle had not room for such ditfusive gran
deur, America had room and to spare. S
great leaders began to plan city whic
should out-vie Babylon of old for splendor.-
They have been planning ever since, and tn
result is an exceedingly shabby, third rat
city, with here and there suggestion Q
magnificent completeness in the shape of
grand, unfinished, public building. The cit
is planned on national scale far too exten
sive to be improved by municipal powe
alone In the beginning, Congress promise
large appropriations to be expended in build
ing and decorating public buildings, in tn
laying of public squares, gardens, the erectio
of statues and monuments. One party say
that Congress has not been sufficiently munit
cent; has never appropriated funds equal t
a tax upon the government property by tn
city. Another, that Congress has mad
abundant appropriations which have bee