Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1877-10-13
SOME CAPITAL CONSIDERATIONS.
L l.,

physical dlversitieS in orr own, that we
cannot yet draw q typical American, there
must indeed be a multiplication o. C Iutrs
diciiOns in the capital. One result, ~ q
confluence of so many currents OF su n IA
character, would naturally be great activity
of some kind; but another result mISi be
less detiniteness, less precision, less stability
than might characterize the same blood Else
where.
One who listens TO all that is said Of Wa h
ington, so heterO yeueOu- is her society, IS re
minded of The sX bind men who went 20 ee
the elephant, and whose verJIcts S1te as
SO pleasantly set before US. Those HIudo ~
were not IA, wrong, yet II Que puts together
what they all found, or thought they found,
lie VIII have an elephant Tn 4. would
be unsatisfactory TO Il naturalist. one
finds here 10 end of unpleasant disapppint-
ments, aud JUS a. many pleasant sUrpr So.
one sees uncommon gen raj iEte!I,se 60
NBtlSh win "a common general luc3p tcttY.
one sees a place having iittle business ne
You'd retail groceries add drug stores, while
aspiring IL ever! JIi"g else, owing the gre,4l-
ert acLIeV elneGJ IN her history 10 her Ou>l-
IA s. element Oae comes >Dalh OF Mason
Dixon line 20 So. The negro first receive
Judicial co"Sldel att0n--srJtustIa IL lag a
"a university OF swinging rom Salb|S
mo heaven. On. ait uds wDat pu-pJrtS u
he a literary &>strIbiIGe All m6ssS men dis
tIuyuiSGcd he every tLi except letters. "A
the P"Uthj1l E- 3el.JdJcS 10 ii S-ttuP, the
writer woo regards t,rI'ure a an art, and
Gle cine aut al yeft isemcIt except - Il the
uif Ell n iTeAlHe4t oil 20 suit .cJ chosen for
itself happens 10 involve. tle thin <ar yuO
has what Mr.. Ha'ueft0u calls the chief VIZ
iUe "a The BGOTai basis OF tn iu.eli 90 sUai
Ite-d:SiH' ere II iuess--Hl!l nowhere Tec-i sc
more ready and geLuIue appreciate III from
individuals or more perSis,iag neglect from
The pubic. y cnariatau IL likely 10 iD8t
longer ara WIZ more success If chaclataury
can eNeT be called successful, than anywhere
else.
NE iGck Of community in education. this is
" a. hiugtnns weakGe anu eX 'cilenCa, the
fact that explains uer, the answer TO most OF
her social ODuUdTumS.
That the rapid accession OF new blood
means ebuilitIOu IS seen ia the unsuspected
energy that SlTang into actiOn under the late
local government. Toe feWneSS OF the man
who really inspired what was done, and the
amount of feeling that was openly or coverily
against them. show that the phenomena were
not due TO the strength Of the icOnOclasts
much more than to the communal weakness
Of their opponents. We see that q public
project which affects all classes of this COM
munity must he eX cuted first and discus sed
afteTWard If executed at all. The peculiar
immigration brings activity and increased
diversity Of thought: great activity with
great diversity of thought results in nothing
or else In tyranny. Great service to the pub
lie here will bring hardships or disSatisfac-
ton 10 many individuals. The impractical
bllity of the town meeting method does not
make the method of acting first AMI cOnsid-
eIicg afterward more palatabie, but serves
TO explain il.
The moral of the late local government is,
that IL the parties Interested DO not want au.
other such CONFUSION by and bv, they mnSt
not neglect the wants hat caused this one
Washington wants, from some quarter,
prompt ani certain attention to her real
needs. She has shown Inc result OF SlOwneSS
and uncertainty. She cares little for the SEN
timental aspect of the matter, and appreci-
ates her frt edOm f.Om political expense and
respOns lbIlity. She hopes that this freedom
will MAKE it easier for her TO substitute the
heal IN stone Tor the sta tute book. Superior
and sensitive men shOpid here he The fra
|, rnal guides OF Their interiors without dan
ger OF having their motives miSl ldeYstOod,
or OF being driven into retirement and ~ ale
morbid critics by democracy that cannot
comp rehend them. The venerable idea IN IL
but three professions and the gOvernm 9nt
service ere compatible with gentlema nho pd
is practically Thing of the past While the
commercial spirit does not directly favOt
the kind OF supremacy 10 which the capital
aSpires. il is not easy to see what else @ IN
impart The cohesion necessary 70 prepare the
sOll for any distinctive fruit. Across the
walnuts ara the wine The old Washington
gentleman wins ones affection. He takes u
fCndiy hack into past which we ara glad Is
gone. What is 10 take the place o. IL? We
all agree with him perfectly IN the destiny
he desires tor the capital bat mis- simple
confidence takes no account OF certain means
that TO others seem Indispensable. AS was
said las: week, the government which brings
an abundance OF raw material, serves lis
own purpose, and its purpose is not to pro-
mote the intellectual lie as Mr.. Hamertnn
| defines 1t, but To- attend TO the public BUSH
| ness. The next ebullitiOn here would appear
10 be for immaterial ends. The mental aud
moral life here, conscious of inadequate ex-
preston, is feeling uneasily for forms
| Through the dreams OF the city has ever
| doated misty vision OF the university OF
| America, II Will not come like Athena from
The head OF love. the forms that are wanted
grow. They must grow, IL at all from IN
digenOus forces. Community OF lower e iu-
cation must precede them. Community of
wealth producing interests must precede
that. The endowment OF aesthetic lnstitu-
tons at The summit of the social pyramid is
| no more needed, nay not SO much, as the fu
sion OF bomely interests al the base.
one of the greatest blessings of the late
local government, whOSe general merits aud
dement's are not here under discussion, was
Tue community OF thought ana feeling II
com PEELED among many vino never before
or since--tbought and felt together on any
subject. It was something, IN fact ii was
great deal, for such city as This was 10 sec
all the people in a block, In a long street OF
any blocks. have the same X nd of door
yards. On the subject OF dooryards, at least,
lhey were bound 10 mink and feel and see
very much like each oher. IL was really au
important Thing TO witness the community
OF education in the matter of doDryar1s. To
a social scientist it was FOO and drink. the
unity of sentiment which those dooryards
wrought. People who would pull ia opposite
directions in everything else under the sun
had 10 pull together on the common ground
Of dOOry ards. Tax bills, 100.
But the most important thing just now for
preparing a community here which In due
the public school. Let tie children who are
educated at our expense for the purpose of
leaving us, preserve their idiosyncracies if
they please, but let those who are to live here
De made as much alike as possible. IL il is
bad for them individually 1t will be good for
mem collectively. So when a great public
work is TO be done in the future, which at
fects them ALL it will not be necessary for
TWO or three OF the strongest 10 do it, whether
or no, and dit cuSs it after yards; and when
they come TO organize labor exchange for
the future paupers that q beneficent govern.
Inent saddles upon them, they will not begin
like Kilkenny cats.
Athwart what may be called the perma-
nent social plain hereto drop q little into
geolosy-a composite stratum is uplifted by
foreign forces, for q time Is ruled by them
and during this time is comparatively fruit
less of local good. 1t may present in the
aggregate an impressive show of flower and
foliage, but the observer sees rather too
many scraggy shrubs perched on lm posing
heights. a wearying mOnOtOny OF form. an
fncOmpleieness aud thnness In the yerdure
with which ii would clOthe its barrenuess
knowing the Influences that ara at work he
sees also that the most fertilizing elements
are constantly becoming their own masters,
fOrsaking the hard combinations in which