National Republican., 1880-05-29

British, the Deserted Village" tho CITY OF
Shreds and Patches, the City of Magnificent
Distances, the City Of Magnificent Intentions,
the City of Hungry Boarding Houses, the City
of OlliceSeelers and Claim Agents. the City of
the Central Slave Pen, the Rebel City Held |
by General Scott, the City of Earthworks, tho |
City Under Siege, the City Of Army Con-
tractors, the City of Army Wagons and Hos.
pitfalls, the Dirty City, the City of Mire aud |
Mud.Hoes, the City of Dust and Ashes, the |
City Of "Contrabands" the City of yankees
aud Free Niggcrs," the City Of Boss Shepherd |
and his Ring, the City of Assessments and |
Taxes, the TornUp City, the City of Malaria
the Bankrupt City, the Beggar City and the
City Of Beggars, the City OF the Penny Lunch, |
the City of Wonderful improvements, the
City of Parks and Fountains, the City of
Asphalt Pavcments, the City Of the SOLITARY
Horseman," and the Beautiful City.
To the reader in the least degree conversant
with the leading events in the history of the
country since the year 1900, this catalogue Of
historical distinctions applied to Washington
Will serve to mark the stages of its slow prog
ress under king cotton" the exhausting
pangs Of its deliverauce, aud the causes OF its
new life and its great changes from rags aud
decrepitude TO strength and beauty. And
now, as Henry Clay would express 1t, with the
"fxation" of the government here. the city
will continue to grow, and the Washington
monument, towering 500 feet into the sky.
will be completed.
1t was the cynical John Randolph, of Roam
oke, who gave to Washington its alias of
1.-THE CITY OF MAGNIFICENT DISTANCES"
and it was so in his day TO the citizen and the
stranger. A skeleton city Of some 1900 pop
ulation in 1920 and of 1S000n 1880, city of
half n dozen struggling hamlets widely sepa-
rated from each other, without pavcmcns Of
any kind, excepting n few of the principal
avenues in the Inhabited districts, and with
no other means of rapid transit through miles
of dust in summer aud of mud-holes
in winter than a horse or hack, these
distances were indeed magnificent to the
stranger and somewhat costly wthal.
Under tho cheap administration of John
Quincy Adams (some thirteen millions year
for the expenditures of the national
government all told), when there were no
steam cars or horse cars, no omnibuses, no side
walks, no gas, no street lamps nothing but
dust or mud over tho unoccupied wastes of the
city, it was the best of our southern markets
for u good saddle horse strong hackney
coach and n stout waterproof pair of boots or
brogans. 1t was the delight of the half Indian
and half English Randolph, OH blooded horse,
with his faithful slave Juba by his side and
with pack of fox hounds at his heels, to 60
splashing at q full gallop when practicable
through the mud of these magnificent dis
tances."
That world.rcnowned little cockney, the
facetious Dickens in his braided black velvet
cutaway and embroidered black velvet waist
coat, satin stock and ponderous watch chain,
found Washington, in 1S41, only
'CITY OF MAGNIFICENT INTENTIONS"
and so 1t was at that time with its widely
scattered population Of less than $4,000, and
with most of its imperial squares and avenues
a lauk in its extensive tracts of old fields and
'slashes." Nor could the fiippant writer of
these American Notes" believe that the mag
nificent intentions which were so vastly anus.
ing" would ever come to anything. How
could they, when there were no such inten-
tions thought of in our "backwoods congress"
On his return here, however, some few years
ago, with fortune in his pocket from his read
ings from Dickens to the enlightened Ameri-
cans, Mr.. Martin Chuzzlewit it is said, mag.
unanimously admitted that Washington had
grown from group Of primitive hamlets to a
really promising city, and that he was happy
to believe that it had entered upon long ca
reer of prosperity.
To that trenchant anti.slavcry senator "Old
Ben Wade," for example, Washington, under
| the ancient regime, was only the city Of the
| central slave-peu. That calaboose stood near
the Smithsonian institution, which was estab-
| lished for the increase and diffusion of
knowledge among men," and the removal of
| that mocking slave-pen was one of Clay's COM
promise measures of 1850 rs concession to
| the north and as an equivalent for the fugitive
| slave law. Each of those measures, however,
was none the less an entering wedge to the
| fifteenth amendment and tn e emancipation of
Washington.
Our distinguished military chieftain, the
| ex-presdent, who has made the voyage a
tour monde" will tell you that in 1860
Washington was only II city of shreds aud
patches; that he. is proud of the work of re-
construction in which he was an active as
sistant, and that, from his return here in 1870,
he is free to say that oven now this is
THE MOST BEAUTIFUL CITY IN THE WORLD.
Situated as Washington is, in an amphi-
theatre Of lofty hills, near the head of naviga-
tion, and with an opening to the sou til winds
up the trough of tho broad Potomac, the city
| is favored with a comparatively mild winter
climate, while through the summer it has the
reputation of the hottest hole in the United
States" No better plan, therefore, for met.
ropolitan city, in its situation, than that of
Major L. could have been adopted, in view of
the health, comfort and recreatons of its in
habitants, together with the reservations in
view OF the amplest metropolitan attractions
to the stranger. With its right-angcd system
of streets, crossed in every direction by its
broad avenues thus forming its numerous
squares and open spaces in addition to its
seventeen park reservations, 1t is from the sun
the best lighted and from the winds tho best
ventilated national capital in either hemi-
sphere. But these wide streets aud broad
avenues would only intensity the exhaustn &
heats of summer If left open to the
broiling sun on those glaring asphalt
pavemcnts. Here, however, we have in its
aboundng groves and fountains and its miles
upon miles of shade trees in double and quad
ruple lines the distinguishing summer charms
of Washington. OF these shade trees over
60,000 have been planted since 1870, and chiefly
by Governor Shepherd in his comprehensive
work of transformation. Among these trees
we have all the varities of naples, elms lin
deus. aspens, cOtton-woods and poplars with
the ash oak beech, tulip, horse chestnut, ca
talpa and many other kinds. They are already
giving grateful shade to these broad side
walks, aud, together with its older parks, en-,
title Washington to the distinction of the for
est city of America.
Washington may also be styled
THE CITY or THE SOLITARY HoRsENAN,
in honor of "tle solitary horseman, who, IN
the declining twilight ofa lovely day in June
, might have been seen descending the tortuoui
road in the forest" and thus made famous In
the novels of tho lamented G. p. X. James fol
, have we not that horscrnan here in each o
half dozen squares aud circles? We find
him first in Lafayette square, across Pennsyl
vania avenue from the White House, repre-
I..aI Ill