National Republican., 1876-02-26
CONE TO PROTEST,

Ifthcye IS any one act more than another
betting the occasion and the time, it is
that the American public should in this
Centennial year take hold of whatever
post mortuary honors they have sought to
pay to the virtues Or name of Washing gton
and with united will finish the offerings
they have begun. 1t is bitter mockery
to our patriotism and CALLING reproach to
our national pride that the twin disgraces,
Washington Monument and Mount Vernon,
should be so conspicuously neglected and
contemptuously ignored, while the world
is making haste TO our country to celebrate
the result which Washington made posi-
bic. Such uufilial neglect suggests con-
trctcmps which cannot but occur to the
foreigner and the visitor from every
country. The fact that repdblicS are un-
grateful could not be more clearly indi-
Gated to him as he stands before these
broken pledges than it would if it were
cngravcn on the face Of the monument or
written over the portals of the patriot s
homestead. Two neglected, forlorn, bar
rem witnesses to the weakness of our pro-
fessionS of patriotism stare the visitor out
of countenance, and even mock Heaven as
an appraised exhibition of mans ingratitude.
Il would have been better, far better, that
the grave Of Washington should have been
left to itself in the waving grass. where
nature never fails in its duty as attendant,
or that the monument should have been
reared in the ''hearts Of his countrymen, ="
which in the light Of events must be con-
cedcd 10 look like cheap clap trap and a
very easy way Of getting out Of the matter,
than that one should he abandoned to stray
charity and the other unfinished, peer
into the Windows OF the Rational Capitol,
a shameless beggar, asking continually for
aims. such spectaclcs as these are dis
grace to Our reputation, ard nothing less
than compendium Of our broken prom
iscs 1t is American patriotism gone to
protest.
But there is another way of looking at
this matter. Perhaps it is unfortunate
that the monument was ever begun. Per-
haps, in this utilitarian age, building ora
cal bercyo!encc. could have been raised in
enduring marble to the honored name of
the " Father Of his Country, and it would
have been better. Many use this as an ar
gument against the prosecution Of the
scheme and as an excuse for not giving to-
wards that end. But the monument is al
ready begun 1t is more than half finished
One more "long pull, strong pull and
pull altogether and it will be done, and
stand for ages grand witness to our honor.
during reproach. Questions of what might
have been best are not in place. Although
nations have always found this an effective
way OF celebrating the deeds Of their he
roes, and those who come 10 see us ia our
home this year will be familiar with fin
ished and perfected mon uments to virtue
or 10 wisdom or to military skill, as embod-
led in their great characters, yet the question
need not be raised. We have begun to
honor the dead. Shall we come away with
the burial service still unread, the laurels
fading in our hands, the song of victory
dying On our lips, the shaft half raised!
Are the great so soon forgotten when they
are gone that patriotism halts in its Office
and sits down in shame with its task un-
done: We pray not. In this time. when
professions Of virtue and love OF country
are so common, We hope that a practical
exhibition Of it may be shown in this one
matter II is 10 be hODcd that the neoDle
will determine that the Washington monu-
ment must and shall bc finished, and, hav-
ing 50 determined, pour in their offerings
Ivy voluntary subscriptions, and demand
national enactment 10 remove the national
disgrace and convert it into lasting honor.