National Republican., 1876-02-22

man. On the I'd cf'FebYuary, 1855, Mr.. May.
eloquent reporr, in which, sfter q careful exam
In alton Of the whole subject, the proceedings OF
sO sRSUS% rs :"
"on behalf Of the United States, to aid the funds
OF the society" We copy the following extracts
Congress. second session:5 = at may we'll
be questioned If any society, executing plan for
equal success IN justifying the integrity Of its
aEsn; and u is pleasing 70 state that mot one
tine been lost By invsSsnsnI, TO or other SthefWise. :
The Mork, so far as 1t mas Ueen perIUruued, has
been faithfully done. IL appears to be pIsis, yet
il viii be- enduiiDg Tbe Are datiss Sf tbts
society have demanded the constant attention OF
mites po an9 very gratifying to the com
presidentf, treasurer, secretsry nor any Of the
managers or members have. from its Institution,
Their services have been, and will continue to be-
wholly gratuitous.
9ment and ot the WORK that has Deem already
done, and We bear cheerful testimony to the
eIergy, integrity, economy and patriotic love
| wnicn nave animated and governed the trsnsac-
tions Of this society, and especially we commend
J the design Of building this monument by the VOL
Sntary contributions ofthe people of the United
I'VE do not intend to disturb this happy ar.
ufisdiction and eo1tSo OF so 3a,b1 HG sNGsys cios
the completion Of work we'll begun and pros
ecuted; we trust, and we douo: not that it will
/
the board Of managers and Of the people Of the
| whole country.
al, "But, at the same time, your committee think
| sress. BY the faith of obligations which we have
before recited, lhaying reference TO the act Of
! li.s,l by the fact that his commission as com
| mander.in.c chief was bestowed on Washington by
| Congress, and all his
| GEoRToUS MILITARY SERVICES
performed under their orders and authority and
| by further consideration that a sum erbscribed
| by Congress will probably be the only node by
| which each and all Of the people OF the United
states can be said TO add their share to this
| grateful memorial, your committee recommend
| that the sum Of two hundred thousand dollars
should be subscribed by Congress, on behalf G. the
| the society. This was the sum devoted to the
| monument ordered by the resolutions OF I7gY and
voted py the House Of Representatives on the lss
The report Of the select committee was m ado
under favoriDg circumstances, and doubtless
would have been concerned In judging from the
generally favorable opinions expressed oy Con-
gress at the time. But on the very DAY of its
pIesentment the managers OF the society were
Unexpectedly superseded IN their places BY a re-
markable election. The custom OF the society
had been that the payment OF one dollar consti.
managers. The 22i day of February being the
day tor the annual election, number of nersons
taking advantage of this custom, paid 10 a large
amount of money and elected a board of their
own choosing. This fact having come to the
knowledge Of Congress while the report OF the
committee was before that body, and there SEEM
ing to be something unlawful In the trausaction
the matter went ever. 1t is not. our purpose 10
comment on that proceeding and its consel aences
except TO remark that . national monument
eaInot be constructed by party or sect. After
tnls experiment had been abandontd d by its pro-
Jectors who had added four feet to the height of
the shaft the enterprise passed into the hands of
gentlemen who, after making suitable arrange.
ments for the construction Of the monument and
protection OF the grounds and other property con-
nected with II, on the Goth OF October ls5S sur
rendered them to the board which was elected
1855. VI f'OfuafS -
these gentlemen, admonished by that truusae.
on and lis results OF the legal difficulties in the
members residing In all parts Cf the Uaiop an.
pjled Congress fer charter, which was granted
iebrusry =, ls59, and approved by the President |
on the 10Th, Incorporating the "Washiagton M. |
uonsl Monument Society"
The society Immediately organized under their |
charter, and again appealed for aid more espe. |
cislly through the postmasters OF the county,
requesting them 10 provide boxes in some conye,
nient places where contributions could be dspos.
ited and the amount transmitted at the end of |
each month. The Legislature of the State of |
California at once passed an act contributing one |
should be completed, and the individual cItilens
OF that State, following the patriotic example of
the Legislature, contributed at one single cleo
this great work seemed to be revived, but the DO.
litical excitements of that year, andths war com.
than the amounts contributed through boxes
placed ct the Patent Otice, Smithsonian and az
the Monument grounds.
AFTER THE WAR
many plans were suggested for the completion of
the monument, but none Of seemed to be COM
mended TO popular favor. In 1871 the Legislatures
were Appealed to, and some Of them responded.
some were not In session, and others, on account
OF the bankrupt condition Of their treasury, could
not appropriate.
The society again in the Forty. second Congress
memorlaiiZed that body, and bill appropriatfng |
500, 600 was introduced and referred 70 the Com |
mittee on the District of Columbia. Mr. VII.
Iemak 81 TsRp5tsd wS back the bill With the
press the belief that every citizen who loves his
country and reveres the name OF George Wash
ington weuld hail with pride any effort which
Congress might make to complete the only monu.
ment attempted to be erected to his memory by |
bill, having for its object so noble q work as the
completion OF the Washington national monu-
mtnt, they cannot regard It as coming properly
before committee whose duties are somewhat
local. They therefore report back the bill, with
the recommendation that it DO referred TO the
Committee on Appropriations, and that this re.
No further action was had during that Congress
During the first session OF the Forty third Con-
to special committee, OF which Mr.. Chapman
was chairman. The committee made a lengthy
report, which was referred to the COMMITTEES or |
the WhCle House, where 1t died,
Congress having adjourned without the fayorc- |
Die action hoped for, and the society unwilling to
abandon an undertaking TO which they had given |
so much tine and effort, to which the na:ioaal |
faith had been so often ard SO solemnly pledged |
and in which country had secured the en-.
throughout the world, determined to make apnaI
effort to obtain the means to
COMPLETE THE MONUMENT.
This appeal was more directly addressed to tho |
associated bodies Of the country, and has been
nobly responded TO from all sections of the laEd |
with subscrip tons ranging from IS to 81 900 each
Secret and beneficial, military, civic and religious
,rg anlZstioDs, banking, insurance and other |
nonsyed institutions, so that the available assets
pcludinE cash on hand and responsible subsSrip-
lions, amount to between SJO,Oo5 and $50, 900. Z
aAa . fhaN Fk
ions would not support the weight to be put |
IIon them. Several times most thorough exami.
iter corps, U. S. A, and their reports are that
he foundations will support the heaviest Of
Il: uCtures.
The plan OF the monument as originally de-
'gned has been modified from a shaft 600 feet
nigh. surrounded at the base by q q pantheon to |
plain ooelisk is5 feet high with stone terrace
It will cost $780, 900 to finish it. In reducing the
height, the idea 10 still preserved Of masking this
# Cheops, the highest ever completed, being 4SO
eet.
All interests are solicited to aid in the finishing
nuRicipal, associated and Individual We add
he names OF the members of the society; the r
mere mention OF them is sufficient guarantee
hat moneys contributed will be faithfully ap-
,lied.-
We have given the history of the monument
Let 1t be finished LOOK at the soldiers at Valley
Forge, with the srow crimsoned by their bloody I
eet limbs trembling for want Of sufficient cloth
ng, and cheeks gaunt with hunger! Would they =
laye so suffered TO give us our liberties had they
hought that for over three quarters of century !
his nation would not fulfill a solemn obligation 9
o honor their chief?
Did Poland owe larger debt to Kusciusko than \
America to Washington? And viii America 7
manifest less patriotism and veneration for her Q
yreat and illustrious son than Poland has shown N
o her illustrtous chief? The monument erected
o this noble Pole is a mound 276 feet in diameter
md 800 feet high, and Is said TO be the largest |
ver formed by human hands.
At this mound old and young Senators and !
itiZens. mobiles and peasants, even the magis- d
rates Of the realm and the most delicate females
abored with their own hands. The expense was | c
lefrayed by contributions not only Of the most v
families, but also Of peasants arti-
ans and private soldiers. Count Arthur Potocki a
Ilone gave ten thousand guilaers. His example b
s worthy Of imitation. b
Let there be q revival Of that old-fashIoned Q
,atriotism which once worshiped at the shrine Of Q
he Revolution and let all sections Of our coun- 8
~ come together again in this glad year of h
American jubilee, fraternizng around the name
4 Washington, and all hearts and all hands be
nitsd in at once completing this proud monu-
pent, which will not only tell to after ages that
Washington was great, but that his countrymen Il
ere grateful. q
PRRsEN CFF;Cl Rs AND MEMBERS. Il
U. S. Grant, President of tho United States,
L c9fcio president; General William =. Sher-