Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1874-04-25
IJOMMU SfC.iTED.

the propositions pfcStutel anu discussed were |
the results of close though aud stuy aud are
ful!y born ont by intelligent writer's in all parts
of the country, who have invest gated lhl-
sulisct thoroughly, so ;hat they have passed
into automatic truths, which need ouly clear
presentation to b. recognized as sucl,, by any
one laying claim TO Intelligence, or who is not
ipcapacitated by prejudice to see their force.
We we're assaulted aud our motives impugued
for thus daring to cnlighten the pubic, by
giving to them what kn ,wcdge We possessed
on one of The great subj let's that directly inter-
csts them
Il is said III The wi tier he not unirlendly
| to the schools or the Board, IL Is dlthcutt to
Conceive why such All article was published
| after the conclusion Ut the purchase, d. DC.
| We have to say that we are not unirlcnuly To
| the Schools for We seUd our children TO them,
| nor TO the Board. for We have always stccmcd
them as gentlemen, nor Is there anylhlng III
our articles that eau, IN the most remote de-
gree. be construed TO reflect upon the one or
the other; we are Incapable OF the tr'ck:ry or
uuibliug or personalities So transparent III
the article Of Viudex
We shall defend ourselves from all aspcrSlons
and iu doug 50 will use the keen, treuciiaut
blade of Truth, whose tllrustS no shield vi error
can Withstand, but which will DC fatal alIk;
both TO themselves aud it. Oue would have
supposed that the astuteness Uf flndcX would
have led him to see lst, the great Improperly
of our thrustlng, thus prcmaturcly and uuaskrd,
our upluiuus lu the face OF gcntelncu who We're
presumed to be fully competen; to comprehend
and deal with this subject, aud yet he asks why
we did not do 80. Ii would have b"cr, 10 say
the least, Il graf Vii Jus, dl>courcOu-, aud thank
less task ~, il wpuld nave been tprcStailing
and Influencing their action, and hence pre-
sumptluuS 10 any, 10 otject To said action uutll
it had bceu performed ; 81, because the acts of
the Board we've not puulc property, until per-
formed aud cDmpcted, nor were they justly
open to criticism until they were thus cousum-
mated aud before lhe pubIi;
1t is too late 10 this advanced age Of enilght
eminent to ignore aud bIluk truths, which arc
: the very tramc- wolk aud basis Of Constitutional
liberty, aud as such are universally asserted
aud rccu gnz d. There Is hot more sacred
night ape, talulug 10 the pc0pie than thai OF re-
viewing the acts Of their officers, nor shJuId
they feel asrlcved at this, for III taking upon
themselves The duties CT 40 office they there
by assume all the responsibilities ap"ranng
thereto.
|
groove of symetfy proportion" &c, ii Is
proper to say that grooves Of this kiuu are III
valuable aids to Il Ist appreciation Of all that
is "loyeIy. pure, aud vi good rcpor;.' We do
not envy Eiudcx large liberty to roam uuob-
srructcd by the rules oil p,ltcn"ss, the vlrgan
cics and cIvilies OF lite. Tue flng at L. I.
Wiuthrop's sprach, which produced our re-
marks as ! 'trulsln, Is very uulortuuac, ior
We haye yet to learn that truths 50 beautifully
expressed have lost their application aud force
by being old, true, or off repeated; besides how
Is it possible to stale u subject fully unlcss
clothed iu its true habllilnvuis. Those five
rules OF ours winch, uDtorI uuatcly, are 50 u,uch
in Vludcx's way, We would state for his iutvr
nation, contain, in condensed form, all
the main requisites for schools, which the
united research aud cxierle1oc OF Others as
also Ot ourselves, havc c:.ab!cd us 10 compile Oh
this subject. Aud thcu this exclamation OF
Vlndrx, "Oh, most Wise aud lmpotent couclu-
sion, the punishment for utteriGg which
should be to parse aud make good Eigllsh OF 1t.
We think the punishment W'u:d be capital.
We call Vlndrx attention To that "masnili-
cent stairway he 50 graphically mentious We
pow say that its hlrhly dangerous features
should be eliminated before it l. suitable Tor
school purposes We Deg to correct the state
meUt that We think it Indispensable &c. We
J did not say 50, but said that ''wheucVcr posi-
be school buildings should stand alone, Isolated
FROM all Others" We say SO still, aud also re-
assert the desirabilty Tor play grounds, DC.
We did not say that "scE9ol rooms sh0uld be
34x36 feet aud "A feet high, no more, 10 less, "
but we gave these figures as u relative proper
tionaI, established by formula known to all
architects, and OF which Fludcx is profoundly
, ignorant.
In regard 10 the statement that the Bradley
building meets all the main requirements Of
our FIVE rules" we would simply condemn
Vindex 10 read our second article on this sub
jet before mixing such reckless assertions.
We pass without reply his other remarks 10
this cOnnection they emcnatc from such uls-
conceptions OF the sub :ct that it would be al
together useless to nutlce them, as reckless
assertions are best contntei by their own gIar
ipg Inconsistencies We would be much obliged
to see those estimates Of Niudcx "iron compc
tent builders" who say that it Won cost $780,.
UUO 10 reproduce the Bradley building We
will guarantee to duplicate the same Tor so 900.
As TO the statement that the 'bulldlug has not
settled quarter of al inch;'' We blush at
such deporabe INSTRUMENTATION and its reck-
less parade 1t is We'll established fact thar
all large buildings have heavy settlements from
one inch aud more, and often very heavy, aud
yet if the foundation strata of earth is uniform,
the settlement is not Injurious to the building,
for it is all alike, but if the strata Of earth be
otherwise, then the settlement is unequal; the
building subject 10 great straln, aud rupture
results at various places.
We now close by saying hat we have co.
deavored to defend ourselves, aud vlndicate the
principles We have advanced aud think we have
succeeded 10 both Our advice to VlndeX and
others is, understand we'll your subject before
you rush into print aud attack propositions and
principles of which you have no adqnate COP
ceptlon, for ynu may, by doing 50, rush upon
he thick ''bo$s,s Of truth buckIer' and be
slain. fIGNOLA.
p. S. We are rry the ahtu>cne.s Of No.
should have mldc It Decessary FIR us to lll,fm
him that the expression "siuccrc friend If free
government aud Republican liberty too, Is
| not ours but Hon. Robert &. Winthrop's, Is
.~.n |, fh,. NJ x ri