Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-06-28
"a L'ENFANT MEMORIAL,
Who Planned the City OF Washington

To the Editor Of The EVENING STAR:
In the New York Herald Of the cath and In
the Washington STAR of the 3lst of May there
appeared very similar articles on the subject OF
monument to major L'Enfant who laid out
this city," In the effort to accomplish any OBJ
Ject. however worthy. it is quite as unjustifiable
to suppress matter of fact materially affecting
impressions to be created as it would be to make
a false statement, the aim and result of each
being similar All history should be guided by
the strictest truth. and worthy actions require
nothing more. OF deceased public men it is
better for the promotion OF good morals to state
nolnlng out aritdt IS true than to be influenced
by the idea that record and expression is to be
made as to that only which is good. None for
sufficient reasons. when that to Washington
shall have been completed. will object to mon
ument by Congress or by Mr.. COrcoran. whose
benetactiOnS have been so conspicuous which
Will lend attraction to Oak Hill cemetery SO
much his debtor. while but few. il any. will
commend the employment of Misrepresentation
to divert public funds to the erection Of testi-
monals of even undoubted proprety. In the
| communications referred to the Justice of pub
| lie appropriation is urged on the ground that
this patriotic Frenchman refused to accept
money rendered him in appreciation of his char
acter and services for the reason that 1.-The work
of beauty was to him work of love" In proof
of this the writer of the articles introduces a
letter from Major L'Enfant. OF March Is. 1892
declining acceptance of five hundred gui-
meas and lot in the city"-a letter des-
from intimation that the tender was es-
/ teemed any more "a work glove" than had been
his services. Had the spirit of candor con-
trolled. the writer would have communicated
the letter Of 'the Commissioners of the l4th
March, 1892. to which that of L. Enfapt was in
fharn
ceptlon as to his dsinterestedness as must sue
coed this partial rose colOred exhibit. The alb
sence OF that letter is, however, rendered nuga-
tory when we consider the letter of l. Enfant in
the light OF communication from Jefferson,
Secretary OF State, to the Commissioners of
March 8. 1872, which supplies all the common
tary requisite. Thus. Mr.. jefferson wrote: SIT
having been found impracticable to employ
Major l. Enfant about the Federal CITY in that
degree OF subordination which was lawful and
proper he has been notified that his services are
at an end. 1t is now proper that he should re-
celve the reward of his past services, and that
he should have no just cause of discomfort sug-
gests that it should be liberal. The President
thinks u, 300 or $4,000, but leaves the determi-
nation to you. Eilicott is to go on and finish
the laying oifthe plan on the ground and sur
veying and plating the District" We find no
! recognition here Of Jefferson's high epprecia-
ton OF the man or Of l. Enfant's having .'exe-
cuted the plan" of or laid out the city. In the
Instructed L'Enfant: You are directed to pro-
coed to Georgetown, where you will find Mr.
Eiiicott employed in making a survey and
map OF the Federal territory" While there
can exist no reasonable doubt that as drafts
man, L'Enfant prepared general outline on
paper of the plan probably determined when
"General Washington. Major Eilicott. Major
l. Enfant and Others viewed the ground on horse
back in the spring Of 1871" and while the gen.
eral outline of this city, as committed by EN-
ia RI b. I,
stracted, doubtless. whether the conception of
him. or OF him and Others became the basis Of
future operations, although in detail widely
departed from in the plan prepared by Elicott.
approved by Washington, and. in 1852 engraved
by Thackara s. Valance In Philadelphia and by
Samuel Hill. in Boston. The authorized plan"
as stated by Breckenridge. Attorney General
U. s., April 5. 1906. was drawn by Mr. Eli
colt, engraved by order of the President and
declared by his successive acts to be the plan of
the city which he would not depart from"
Richard King, U. S. surveyor in a communica-
ton to the President. September 25 1903. states
that. lin January. 1892. Major Ellicott was in
structed by the President to prepare plan for
publication. using such materials as lie pos
sessed. and the information he had acquired
while acting as surveyor Major L'Enfaut hav-
Ing refused to give up the original plan. IA plan
was drawn by Elcott and brother without
Major L'Eniant's aid, and ready for engraving
by March IA, 1852 1t differed from the other
pan IN some instances. but vas better adapted
to the nature Of the ground
The Philadelphia aud Boston maps bear record
of their execution by Eiiicott. There ruerer-
ettsted. In my opinion, a complete map
of the city until sometime after the
dismissal of Major LEniant. and there never
was engraved or printed map purporting to be
the work Of LEnfant In letter from Wash
in.ton Of November 90, 1871, there occur severe
reprehensions OF Major L'Enfant. See Sparks,
vol. 10, p. 2O4. He speaks of EllIcott as "a man
of uncommon talents and of more placid tenn
per-" In letter to Jefferson. 3lst March, 1871,
PRESIDENT Washington. expressing his opinion
as to the ACCESSIBILITY of including Bladensburg.
says: ''Of this am convinced. as well by nv
own observation as by Mr.. EllicOtts opinion
Sparks x. lat. The article In THE STAR repre-
sents 1!Enfant "joining our Revolutionary
forces about the year 1777" have supposed
him French soldier, serving as such in the
French contingent under the Count D'Estaing,
and under him wounded. and as French officer
exchanged after capture; but this is small
matter. brother Of Eliicott, was his
assistant. not 1.-The negro almanac-maker,
Banneker" as stated; the latter was in his en-
pioy, and much esteemed by Major Ellicott who
had aided him in acquiring a knowledge of
astronomy and mathematics. Amable senti-
ments originating in youth toward seniors in.
sensihly Increase with the years of the kind
hearted to something like devotion. and it is not
surprising that Mr.. Corcoran considers Ma
TIoNAL monument due to the memory OF Len
FAINT. NATIONAL monuments, however, have
seldom. il ever. been erected to men whose
lives had not been devoted to science, arms or
benencence. Such was not that of Len
FAINT. Employed but a comparatively brief
period In the service, he proved, while
SO engaged, an irritable, cratic and
insubordinate officer. while in his individual
capacity as engineer he was unfortunate and I'M
successful. Cultivated. polite, socially agreea-
BILE. he was conspicuous as relying more on the
hospitality OF others than in the exercise of his
abilities 10 earn livelihood. Several profess
naliailures and contentious with his employers
attended his career. He committed to paper
nothing to advance science, and many biograph-
iCal works may be studied without finding his
name. He elected TO live and die out of the Dis
trict. and would doubtless have preferred his
ashes to remain where his body was placed. tho
u,altonored by his friends with any mark, than
made the plea for public expenditure. While no
one will object to the construction of the most
costly monument the munifcence of individuals
can devise. in memory of ''L'Enfant, the patri-
otto Frenchman. there should not be inscribed
thereon such Misrepresentation as have been
referred to. while the conceded merits of so
many much more talented, useful, conspicuous
and patriotic native Americans of his day are
unrecorded on any ''stOried urn or animated
bust" Let Congress erect il needs be- mOnu-
ment dedicated "TO THE MEMORY OF THE MEN
WHO CONCEIVED AND EXECUTED THE PLAN OF
THE CITY," and let history determine Them
The city itself is their nObest testmona-one
more durable than brass or marble 1t is incum-
bent on Congress to provide for the publication
Of all official records relating to the establish
ment of this capital. The cause of truth and hsto-
ry demands this while the materials are available
and. effected, 1t will be better appreciated that
A. tIx,L T,- rxr..-