Daily national Republican. (Washington City [D.C.]) 1870-1872, 1872-09-12

Lister from an Ola healdent -fubllc schools Z
Parks Buildings nad ~'rrrt'.
Tho following extracts from n lrtlor from q !
gebtleman who has Occupcl high Positions ut /
home and abroad will he read with much In
tsresl
Il thank you for the printed copy oI General
Chipuan's speech on the District 1t tuiulnhla,
which have read with much Interest. ! hal
ucctsion about twenty years ago, III preparing
memorial to the Senate ui the United states In
behalf OF the trustees ct public schools ot NHsh-
ingtun, by whom II was signed, asking for
donation Ol land 10 all OF these s. hgnls, To re.
call everything which had neen written aud
PUBLISH concerning the District Of Columbia.
I was struck with the iullncsS ui the proof
which was hrst nIduccd 10y the tate
Comptroller whittlcsey, while member
Of Congress, Ui the Indebtedness at the
General Government to the city Of Washington;
aud, secondly, the expectation Ut Its founders
including President Washlugton-thtt II would
receive substantial aid from the UOvernmont, aud
that, as the capital NJ the nation, It would be
come In every respect, worthy OF Its name aud
hitting residence at the officers Of tho General
Government and convenient also for the Congress
Ut the UnltcI states II yuu have not Mr.. Whil.
tIegys report you will do we'll u rotor tn II. It
viii he iuuni anong the House rports NJ hrty.
nyc or MY years Az. The school document TO
which have reierrc will be hunh an ing tho
Senate miscellaneous documents, printed ABOUT
twenty W twenty I'VE years ago. was resi-.
dent VI the city iDr nearly thirty years 10 lst5,
amt vas quite unprepArU for the astonishing
changes aud improvements which saw Ia my
visit 10 the city iow weeks ago. puhllc build.
lngs greatly enlarged and increased IN numheT,
and certainly not surpassed II anywhere equaled
by any structures for like purposes In any part
ui the wurld; streets In process Vt Improvement,
to no completed aad planted with trees aud orna.
mentod With green terraces aud grass aud now
or.cUyered lawns, together with tho numerous
SQUARES nd reservation all enclosed and planted
with trees and laid out with walks and embel.
liShed with fountains; with elegant residences,
such as have been hullt 10 all parts Of the city.
Aethese will make Washington unoquAled 10
these respects as we'll as In beauty aud comfort
as a residence by any other city In the world.
lulI
the Franklin, which Is 80 splendid In appear
ance-I did not wonder that the Joint high com.
mission had photographs Of Il taken and sent
To the British Government. No public Tree
school so cummOdiOus and truly magnificent eN-
| lists In Great Britain. When ] saw what YOU
| are now doing tT pu6llc schools 10 the erection
| vi new buildings aud the immense sums you
are CNpeuding tor education, could not hut re-
| cal the opposition Whlrh the friends OF public
education encountered In their early attempts
| 10 intrJduce the Tree schpUl system, ani that
| Ia the Common Council Ut the 81 y less than
quarter 81 u century ago was In u minority OF
two pleading Ia vain Tor the passage VI Jill,
apprupriatiug only hyo nunlrci dollars To es-
IA Iisu tree primary school a. al experiment
t. show what such s'EpUl, ttught by an intel.
iigCnt and 'Eilllul teacher, could accomplish.
"Iho prosperity VI Washington, and the &C
tIvi y witch Ii now exhibits, Is due In part to
the enGrgy aud intsll yrute aroused and dUyel.
uped ny your public school system,
when MIR, Webster, tw1nty.uno years ago
this very month, prepared Tor tho press his
speech, delivered On the cast front OF the Capi.
toll at the laying OF the concessions, he selected
from Horace rs the motor 'Slet Ihpltollum
FulgGns, late num0n In ultimas on
tendAt uras This was considered at the timo
u very happy quotation. Could he have seen
the Capitol ns Il now stands he wUull have felt
That his most sAngulne autlcp1tiuns were more
than realized. Tie prepared tue speenh with hts
mind an iUus AMI disturbed, tearing tho seces.
sion Of south Carolina, anl trouble with the
SIuLh. Elm the urnliun. as YOU remember, he
| made an argument, addressed to Virginia, to
| induce her to stand htm tor tho Union, and
do lar