Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-06-22
a Ii CTURE IN IRELAND ON 1.-THE
AMERICAN CONGRESS,o

justin Mccarthy, the author, recently de
livered lecture in Ireland on the Americ m
Congress. in which he describes the National
Capital as follows:
gether of recent growth 1t stands i'm a sm III
district, one might say in small state of IFS
own, called the District of Columbia, ii
made by cutting on portions from the corne 5
OF the surrounding state and m king this INFO
a little constituency, pass ng lIws for itseI
SO as to make the capital city of the State in,
S1 Of the
you may imagine, to have the capital city of
the States divided among several dtffsren5
sets OF 1osa ~ sb to the dsren
and called it the district Of Columbia. ' Wash.
tSs c has 81 been mot called
of the world when it is built, bat
as yet il not Completely built Aoi the
several places, exactly where each might be
these h buildings there, go often long
ing sight very euroas fse1 sdeed i0Fm To
comes from the European capitals where
everything has grown up slowly and stead
lily, and drawn generally round the STA e
Centre instead OF spreading out from H.
Now, In washington you have the great pu lie
buildings. the Capitol, or, as we snoud call il
L
patent office, the treasury office. and tn,
White House, where the Presidents live. These
are all very perfect and magnificent building
Tut all the streets connecting them toget her
Lave been left to grow up as chance, cOnye.
liehce, and public enterprise may direct. and
therefore you have in some places blank
spaces and in other places houses in raw
aud unfinished condition, and in few parts
you have absolutely wooden "ShantieS" VIII re
itero BARRIERS and cobberS still reside. Rising
'ver all this city of magnificent distances is
gress holds its meetings. AS in America they
ike to be supreme in everything, so this has
the great distinction of being the grandeSt
mass of white marble brought together /
lelieve on the surface of the earth. America.
as you know, is rich in white marble, and the
Eurest marble they could produce was brought
here to make this State editice. 1t stands
rpon hill. 1t is structure so vast and
Sd lncongru0uS that hardly venture to de-
scribe 1t. You have got there Greek rows of
pillars and colonnades; you have got the vast
medieval Gothic here and there among this
homogeneous collection of styles; but the
whole, if you do not look at it with too
critical eye.-and l confess did MOI examine
it on purely aesthetic principles-the whole
forms superb and magnificent crowning
to the city. The Capitol is building
compelled to recognize it if vou have seen
any drawings of it previously L. stamps It's IF
on the memory, and the recollection of it can
scarcely fade everafter That great superb vast
clear blue atmosphere OF Washington, VIII re
there are no factories, ne mist or fog-Taere
keep 1Gr ora: snort period OF the year, sum ner
mass of marble is almost as Impressive and
peculiar In appearance as Swiss Snow NOUN
tam. The Capitol and the hill it stands on are
at at, one extreme OF Washington, and at the
where the President of the states has his resi-
dence. Nothing could be more plain or un-
pretending than the White house. 1t is sim
l1yr 10 fhn 90
Try gentleman or some such house as yoI
might see in London suburb to accomnD-
CAT family of considerable size. 1t stand,
IN lts simple grounds, with plain approach,
gravel laid, and no pretence about il what
ever OF the dignity, or rather of the oStenta-
ton, OF the residence of the ruler of great
stae. And there, on the days that the Presi-
dent holds his receptions, anybody whatever
may walk in from the street and join the
crowd. and enjoy the pleasure of grasping the
hand OF the American President. Applause. ]
honest farmers and of farmers Iaborers from
different paris of the country, who, having
come there for the first time and seen the
President of the United States, Thought
cent in conversation with them, and who
felt themselves bound to tell him how thin IS
We're gong on in their part of the coun-
'ry, what they thought of his policy.
nd what their uncle and grand aunt thought,
quite regardless all the while of the eagcr
crowd behind, each one Just as anxious to go
A
shaken hands with the President of the United
states. Laughter and appiauSe.l They had
'diely freSldent who Was certainly not in
cllned TO indulge them with too much CONVEX
NatiOn mad the pleasure of KIN Iwiug ooh
IN America and England, the late President of
America, the great soldier, General G an.
nd never knew man who had SO brilliant
talent for silence. His silence, or rather hi
!auclty OF words, often was to his great ad-
vantage. 1t is told of him that when he was
'esleglng Richmond. and it was of the most
imp ,,;1 IN that nothing of his movements
mould De known, very busting Drother-in-
iw OF his Came down from WaShin gton and
spoke to him. He said, Now, Grant, there
t tT some questions which our people up in
and l just want to know how soon YOU are
tolng to make move against Richmond"
S,fant paused FOR while, and then said grave
oon." ILaughter.] The brOther-in law WIS
>omeWhat Disconnected, but he az lin asked.
Well, but now, how many men have You
ma t tnen Grant SstSppsd strYked his
ihen said slowly, We'll, now, guess we have
OF good many" [Laughter.1 From such
man as that the visitors to Washington on
1lan the very briefest word, and something
Ike kindly CLEAN from his eyes as an asSur,
% %VS;, that he was glad of their coming. That
one end of Washington, at the other extreme
end IS the Capitol, and between those
Two lies The great thOroughfare of Washington,
eHLo9 wanna avenue, ana tnat avenue, when
congress is sitting, is really a magnificent
sight: TO imagine it you must discard from
Your thoughts any notion of street in Ireland
or indeed anywhere in Europe There YOU
have got at some places along the street great
Palatlal buildings, public offices, great Shops
or stores, as they are called, some of them as
large as any in London or Paris, some of them
quite as brilliant too You have got there
treat hotels, and near to those magnificent
lulidlngs you have got the little wooden
hahtles In which negro BARRIERS and small
>hOpkeepers reside. You have there the iaces-
INT American street car, with its tinkling
Tell; the car, like time or tide, stopping for
10 man, or woman either, but letting
everyone scramble on or off as best
ihey can, with safety to their shinS and feet.
And at each side of Pennsyly ania avenue
You have trees planted, you have shrubs
and flowers, and as you go further on to-
wards the Capitol, you have pretty, cheer
Unlocking gardens, looking picturesque, pref
", and blooming, and making alto ether
a. SIGHT SO odd, SO brilliant, so fantastic and
picturesque, that an unaccustomed visitor
ift m Europe is sometimes inclined to wonder
whether, IL he were to close his eyes for a mo-
I'ient, The whole scene would not vanish, and
lie would not find himself stan ling once more
IN Cork city or in BandOn town. [Great ap-
Then suppose you enter with me this
splendid Capitol, tliS Parliament house. You
20 up those stairs, the steps of solid white
marble, and you pass through corridors of
Glf1erenJ colOred marble, supported by stately