Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1876-09-27
ALEXANDRIA, Va.
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 1s76.
TIE CENTENNIAL WoRK.-lt has been be

TIE CENTENNIAL WoRK.-lt has been be.
fore remarked 10 this journal that the Centen-
NAL would best be put TO account, aud It's cele-
braton be made practically the most ethclent
By retrospect OF the progress or dec'y OF the
past century, aud the garnerlug OF the eXperl.
euce of our fathers for use 10 our ewn time
Congress, 10 a full recognition Of TINS made:
during its recent ses>i5n "a formal recommeo-
datiou that all tie cities and counties VI the
country should take advaDtag" IT the tune TO
examine their records and compile ther1irom
such facts .s may be>t subserVe the Interests
nj the present enrlrion. La many localities
the Centennial of July was devoted to this
purpose There are few Iowns IN the country
that can offer century OF lown lte Tor exam
nation; aad there j. none which can present
like mutations o! political conuexlon, equal
participation 10 the stirring scenes OF the ecu
turv. or closer counec,lou with the great names
and grand events that have marked the past
hundred years than Al xandra. From
the COLONY to the ommonWeathi from
Virginia TO the District OF Columbia, ana
then back to the mother State; from
ROYAL governments to free republican 10
etitutiops and then Into Territorial State,
aud thence back tor S:a ioslitutous-Vir
ginia in the Uuiou, Virginia our Of the Uuioo.
civil government, military government aud
mixed overnmeut-Aexaudrla has, within
the century, had experience OF all. Ia all the
wars the town has been sufferer. In the od
French war it was the base of operations. In
the Revolution it bull ships and took care OF
the sick. Iu the Fre.cu war OF 1898 it, COM
mercc was nearly destroy d. In the late war
with Great Blitain it was captured. Ii tur
nished Cors. aud his gaaoi volunteers to the
Mexican war. 1t opened the war between the
States, aud duriGg the struggle occupied a
most notable position. Ii las tried all the
varied schemes of municipal government, from
a board of trustees to a mayor and CITY c2unc!.
II has had experience 10 all forms OF suffrage,
from freehold qualification, though pot boil
ers'' ADD "lot add SCOT voters, to tn: most
Unlimited form Of male outrage. Ii has tried
every variety of Internal improvements. Nearly
all the religious which prevail in the clVlllz d
world, from Moses TO Huxley, have had repre-
sentation here. Ouf history is associated as Is
that of no other town 10 the world. with the
lives of Washington and Lee aud here, too,
the abilities of series of eminent soldiers,
from Braddock to Grant, have found lI.uStra-
ton. Certainly Town with experiences Ike
this must be well worth study the more espe.
cially as it has not grown out OF sight OF Its
varied experiences Graut has been enter-
taiued in the same house that entertained
Braddock. b. material evidences of our
often varied conditions are still seen on our
streets. Surely there must be means to trace
more impor,ant, if less tangible, relations with
the centurys movements, aud to draw there
from lessons for our ADVANTAGE. Where we
have failed, we have failed for reasons hat are
Within human ken; when We bave succeeded,
the causes lie not without the range of close
observation. Thus may our experience be
utilized, and the munim ants Of the past be ex-
plored for our profit, aud be made not the
mere searching among dry boaes FROM idle
curiosity, but the classification Of facts to serve
a scientific discernment OF the causes of our
failures, and Of the chances that will promote
our future progress.