Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-11-12

.or more ID an one year past.
These criticisms are 20 be ascrtbed in part 70
political recruitment, partly to harmless sensa-
non ais m, and in much 20 the over-sanguine,
aggressive character of the author of the i'm
ITovement, who is the present governor Of the
District.
The libel suit which Governor Shepherd in
stltuted against Mr.. Dana IL generally regarded
as a serious mistake, but it may be said that the
rssbness OF such a suit scarcely looks like the
work of a dishonest person. The Assistant Dis
tTiCt Attorney, Harrington, told me after the
failure of the suit that Mr.. Shepherds motive
from the beg ginning had been TO force an inves-
tgation, so as to anticipate the assembling of
Congress and have the condition OF the District
iUdicially proved.
WLsRIseroN As AN ANOMALY,
1t is certain that no mEnieiPaity in our &c conn
ington, both as to self government and federal
protection. It's position has always been an
anomaly-made subject TO congress which
never has time nor Inclination to attend 20 il,
and regulated by a couple of committees which
seldom hold a meeting, and on which are gen.
orally some members who are opposed even TO
the continuation of the city, ana want TO carry
the public buildings on to the west. When
the site was chosen by General Washington,
ihe government went into partnership with
The PIoprietors Of the land, and hence the
assumption that the federal treasury Is re-
spCusible ultimately for the debt Of the Dis
jrict has the warrant Of eighty years OccU-
patton TO support it. Certainly no secondary
city could ever have been expected TO pave
and improve such avenues as these, which
were laid out by the eXtravagant l. Enfant
and which absolutely take up tfty-fUur
and one half per cent. of the whole area OF
Washington, whereas the streets Of New York
sre but thiTty-iye per cent. of the city, and
those OF Paris less than twenty-six per cent.
The intersections OF these avenues are often SO
extensive as 20 furnish space for very siZeable
towns. IL was expected that the states OF the
Union which had been honOred by thenaming
OF these avenues would improve these intsrsec
tons, and even take charge Of the sidewalks
and otherwise ornament them. But the whole
business of highway Improvements, drainage,
sewerage, water and gas, paving, and bridging,
has gone by default from the outset. Last year
Congress was stimulated by the present ener
getic city government to vote three millions
and half to the city in part payment of the
work done round government property and
this Is said to have been double the aggregate
amount which preceding Congresses had appro-
distant cities. like Cairo and Utica. were carry
ing off about Sl5,0O0,0Oe for post-ofices, custom
houses, and marine hospitals.
do not propose to make any defence Of the
pTOdigality of enterprise shown in this city
since June !, 1871. The work is TO be defended,
If at all, upon general civic example which had
marked all other American cities, and upon the
desperate urgency OF finishing up Washington
while Congress was III the humor to let t be
done, for if the authorities here had waited at
have lapsed for another quarter of a century
into neglect, and been an eyesore instead of
subject of pride to the people.
When the Evangelical Alliance assembled in
this city, fortnight ago, could not help feel
ing sOlace and satisfaction with the reiuyenased
and monumental city, which has certainly more
work TO show for the outlay and the time than
any public work in our period, scarcely except
ing the renovation OF Paris OF the rebuilding Of
Chicago.
The character of the new government in the
District has been OF such athletic, indomitab ole
vigOr that il could not well avoid giving offence
and encouraging opposition; but all the prOba-
bilities are that in the coming century Governor
Shepherd will he regarded as the greatest citt-
zen produced in the District, and classed above
Peter Force, l. Enfant, Corcoran, and SeatOn.
The sentiment OF local patriotism which he nav
he said to have created here, has not only lifted
the city out OF the mud and nObly embellishcd
1t, but the populace to which the impulse has
been communicated has shown a hOmOgeneity,
CheertUlness, and civic individuality which
might have been thought to be the last point
il could ever reach. Nor is it true that, with
all his excess of vitality and cOmbativeness,
Gov. Shepherd bears the least resemblance to
Boss Tweed, or Bill Mann, or John Wentworth.
any of the political ruffans of other cities
Hei mechanic, an orthodox Presbyterian,
man OF bearing diplomacy, and generosity, and
his social conditions Of the best we have, while
his friends, Ike his enemies, are resOlUte and
steadfast.
The history of the rehabilitation of Washing
ton is almost wholly a mertsl insight of Shep-
herds mind When the war broke out he had
the sagacity and spirit to throw himself against
the current of disloy2l sentiment of the rich
citizens, and, as practical plumber and build
er, he raised, with the same celebrity which he
which adorned this barrack city. In 1862 he
was elected TO the City Council, and whilst
speaker there distinguished himself by an ener-
geuc and successful attack upon the gas COM
pany's operatives, who were in the habit of COL
ODiZiDg and carrying the elections. For nine
years this element has been consequently elimi-
mated from Washington city politics.
Between 1864 aud 1869 Shepherd took the ini-
tiatiye in erecting dwellings tor the accom-
mediation of respectable clerks, and for that
large class of northern visitors who pass the
winter climaTp nf
capital. While he was building rows of brick
houses the rest of the town was stagnant, eN-
cepting the government constructions. Al
though conservative man and moderate re-
publican, Shepherd took the position that the
inhabitants of the District ought to be in ac-
cord with whatever administration is tempo
rarily in possession of the city. He has thus
had the support of the executive even when, as
in 1870, he returned to politics and undertook
the skilful and delicate enterprise of dividing
the negro vote and running out the dema-
gogue Bowen, who had ruled by means Of
it. His next essay was to break up The two
corporate governments which prevailed over
Washington and Georgetown and were incon-
sequential, inharmonious, and impotent. This
was achieved by getting the attention of Con-
gress through its belly, which was the only way
to bring it up TO its duty; and the series of eX-
quisite receptions, steamboat excursions, and
dinners given that winter were as notable for
their liberality as for their influence upon the
territory, with a delegate and lower house to
be elected by a general suffrage, and COVER
nor, upper council, board OF public works to
be appointed by the President and confirmed
by the Senate. Henry ID. Cooke was made
governor, but Shepherd was the vice president
VI the board and its executive officer from the
outset. But for him the whole scheme of i'm.
proyemepts here would have been an impotent
failure, and the new government would have
persisted one year ago under the malevolenee OF
its enemies.
These enemies have uniformly been the old
unenterprising. and slavery class. who are
used TO living in squalor, shaving each Others
notes, and subsisting upon the annual dribble
of government bounty. While these remained
in the background. they put forward to make
the hue and cry few local politicians who had
been left out OF consideration aud consultation
in the new state of affairs. IL is these active
and INSCRIPTIONS runners who have got part
of the press to take an adverse position to the
OF the District, and last year they
started public investigation which cost the
government eight hundred pages OF printing,
and was so contemplate in its results that i've
out of seven members Of the committee reported
that, while mistakes had been made, no corrup-
ton, misconduct, or mismanagement had been
proved. The same is the condition of things az
present, ard the opposition has never been able
to make a respectable showing at the polls, and
at the last election hZZled out altogether. In
fact, the only opposition of any account comes
from distant points, where the redundant health
and force of the District authorities have led
har irato