New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-07-22

sisted to put Pennsylvania in accord with the
wishes of the other colonies, but he was for some
time opposed to the Declaration of Independence
though he finally signed it. During the Revolu-
tionary war he was at once the Salmon p. Chase
and Jay Cooke of the Government, conceiving the
schemes of credit and borrowing money with his
own hand to execute them, and meantime he was a
merchant also. and must have had great advan-
tage over his private contemporaries. Although his
honor remains unquestioned, many of his processes
were subject to investigation and not all the efforts
of his historical executors are able to Obterate the
fact that he finally passed into obscurity in that
City and State of which he had been the first Scna-
tor to tho United States and, there seems to be
no dou BIT. the nominator of Alexander Hamilton for
General Washingtons Cabnet.
A CIR AT DOWNFALL.
1t seldom happens that man with the unlimited
powers of Fiscal Minister IN time of war is able to
conduct his private business at the return of peace
with the frugality and GOODNESS that had marked
him before tho conflict Morris was no exception
to the rule nearly everything he undertook after
the peace seemed to be extravagant and unsuccess-
tul. The immediate cause OF his downfall and i'm
prsonment for debt was his reckless speculation in
the public lands of the different States, which
hastily disposed of under the Government of the
Confederation He possessed the finest tracts of land
both in Western Now York and Western Pennsyl-
vania and. living the scale of his prospects, he
planned an elaborate mansion on Che .tnut-st., Phil
adelphia. taking up the whole square between
Eighth and Nnth-sts., and back to SAMSON and
Walnut-sts. Major L'Enfant then no more than
thirty years of age undertook to build this marble
mansion for Mr.. Morris for the sum of 100000,
though il appears that contracts we're made.
The marveng diary keepers OF the period say that
the cellars under the house three stories
deep" probably an exaggeration of the idea that
good provision made for wine there. Pictures
extant of the house show oblong building alto
gether unlike the houses of that day. but much like
those of the present, with pavilion projections at the
corners. recesses for architectural portcos and the
steep French roof of the present date. Long before
the house was done its owner WAS in Jail. and the
correspondence between him and Major L'Enfant
shows that he had invested the lattcr's salary and
emoluments in the shares of the bank. where they
were lost in the common ruin. At this time how
ever. the young Frenchnan too much engaged
in the gay society of foreign spectators and
American politicians and promoters who thronged
Philadelphia, to exclaim against his loss. In after
years he wrote bitter letters to Robert Norris who
then lying in the public sponging house, har-
aSsed between his hopes of profit and his fears of
the snalipox-which had broken out i'll the Jail
and his letters to the Frenchman show a humble
though polite spirit.
ARCHITECTURE IN OLD NEw-YORK.
When the new Constitution was adopted and
at first selected to be the seat of Governments and
the people resolved to transform their old City Hall
at the head of Broad-St. in Wall-st., then about
ninety years old. into Federal Hall to accommodate
Congress. The occasion required man of quick
eye and executive talent. L'Enfant stepped for
ward Wa-st. had been made important by the
City Hall. which originally was two-story build
ing with a cupola surnOunted by a clock and with
low guard windows in the root. The portal was
IN he or ST nj fhe
pavement and consisted of three arches. which
was an open balcony on which the central window
opened like door. The corridor below extended to
the rear. and ON the LETT, gong in, was tire engine
and dungeon behind it for criminals and on the
right was a stairway and behind 1t the keeper
ROOM The centre of the second story was court
room with jury room above he engine house aud
the Common Council room on the other side The
debtors prison was IN the garrett Right opposite
the front OF the building, across Wall-si., were a
Major L'Enfant took this recessed building and
filled up the centre with portco of two stories and
a pedment, over which was an eagle lie raised
the upper story and gave II the appearance of
attic and heightened the roof and extended 1t back
and also deepened the building, and crowned the
whole with "A more effective cupoa of two stories
II was on the balcony OF this central portico that
General Washington appeared before the crowd
and took the oath IN the presence of such men
John Adams, Oliver Ellsworth, Robert Morris,
Fisher Ames, Daniel Carroll and Charles Carroll
This first capitol Of the United States torn
down about 1872 while the present City Hall was
we're sold for about IS 900 apiece four years later
The corner lot became first the site of a book tore
c"s The Ma%or 1 on n% a wa
Duane wrote most complimentary letter to Major
LEnfant on behalf of the freemen of the city max
ing him a freeman and giving him. as has been said
ten acres of ground on " the commons" At that
time this land was not considered immediately
available. and the young Frenchman did not take
1t up. but seems To have preferred money compen-
saton instead. and there are yarous letters from
Alexander Hamilton. Robert Morris and other men
of note, counsclllng him about hisecompensatlon
1t would appear that he finally got next TO nothing
II anything. Tor his pains.
LENFANT IN THE QUAKER CITY.
The capital was removed from New-York to Phila-
dephia and with 1t New-Yorkers lost their interest
in the architect and sense of gratitude to him. In
Philadelphia. LEnfant the most privileged
guest of Norris who had dcepcned and impro> ed
his acquaintance in New-York when attending the
LIST Congress- The building of the great house
called Morriss Folly the result of this acquaint
ance Its materials finally used to build other
houses and the unfortunate protector never in
example of l. Enfant had considerable influence
upon the public taste of the colonies and brought
pha Library, which still stands on Fourth-st at the
corner of Library-st., designed by William
Thornton, an Englshman and clerk in one of the
tary of state and ambitious to be regarded an
authority in matters of taste and construction.
"ALONG TIE POTOMAC"
The moment ii resolved TO build a capital
on the Potomac River Morris and half dozen
business men who took the "pont" from him.
jumped into the speculation for lots there and they
perhaps relied on Major LEnfant to advise them
to the best grounds to select In the interim
the relations between Morris and L'Enfant had
become extremely intimate. The Society of the
Cincinnati too poor to pay the Frcnchman's
expenses to Paris, and Morris had got him passage
of his packets. The Major had returned April
49, 1884, to York after voyage of forty three
l.. Al