Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1871-03-02
Our Washington Letter.
WASHINGTON, DC, Feb. 81.
Editor Rutland Herald.

WASHINGTON, DC, Feb. 81.
Editor Rutland Herald
ANOTHER NATIONAL INSTITUTION,
and one long needed for the credit of the
United States, is proposed for Washing
ton. No one can imagine what an "Irish
hoist" my views of the great national GEN.
tire received, when L first beheld Wash.
ingtou Despite all reasoning to the con-
trary, this spot had always stood upon
the very pinnacle of my reverence. Sancti-
fed by the immortal memory of the great
Father, whose name it bears, the theatre
of all the successive actors in the great
play of national existence, and where the
men Of our day, equally eminent, play the
roe which center the eyes of the whole
country, aye, the world, upon this spot
my anticipations of it were rather what
the capitol of great nation ought to be
that what ours is de facto. IT,
My first sight of the edifoe was three
years ago, when alighted from the cars
at the Baltimore depot, about eight o'clock
one night. Before me the capital rose in
the dim, misty moonlight like gigantic
spectre, speaking i'll silent yet awful Ian
guage of all it's associations grea,
and glorious, the good and bad, of the
past, the present, and of the future hopes
of our country, Weary from long jour
ney from the Green Mountains, nothing
else would have diverted me from the
nearest course toe hotel, but taking ar
unfrequented stree. l soon stood beneath
the shadow of this mighty structure. But
what contrast was here presented. The
structure superb and almost faultless, but
such surroundings Everything seemed
unkempt and without method Wash.
ipgton mud, SO marvellous to the stranger
enjoyed oil the liberties of the capitol
save wholesale admission within it's very
walls. Huge boulders lay around loose
excavations, holes and tree stumps within
a stones throw, presented scene which
for carelessness and indifference, seemed
almost to outvie nature herself. A more
thorough investigation of nearly all the
public grounds resulted similarly. I'm
mense outlays upon public buildings, but
comparatively little upon grounds.
Since that time much improvement has
been made in small ways. but still Wash
ington can boast of nothing like adequate
public grounds. Various efforts have
been made in the past to enlist the inter
eat of Congress in the improvement OF
these grounds, but so far, have been only
failures, Gu Friday in the Senate Mr..
morrill, of Vermont. chairman of the Com
uitt"e on PubliorBuildings and Grounds,
delivered lengthy speech upon an amend
ment offered by him to the legislative, ex
excnt'vs and Judicial appropriation bill,
providing for the construction of
A NATIONAL PARK.
The amendment substantially provides
that the entire government reservation be-
tween the capitol grounds and the Wash.
ington monument upon the bank of the
Potomsc-s mile or less--shall, together
with the grounds in rear of the White
House, be constructed into park, which
will furnish a spacious drive of three
miles. This reservation includes, first the
Botanical Gardens, then the Propagating
G"rdens OF the Agricultural Department
and Armory Square. next the Smithssni.
an grounds, which are already somewhat
beautiful, next the Agricultural grounds.
upon which said department has just taken
root, and next is the "white lot upon
which stands the monument Cornsring
upon this, on the other side Of the canal.