Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-02-21

try, and appeals were made to the generosity of
the public.
Adams, and Mrs. Alexander Hamilton at the
request of the Monument Society effected an
through the women of the country.
In November, 1S47, the Monument Society
adopted resolution that the cornerstone be
laid on the 22d of February, 1S4S, provided a
suitable site could be obtained.
In January, 1S4S. Congress passed a resolu-
tion granting a site on any of the unoccupied
public grounds of the city of Washington, TO be
selected by the President of the United States
and the Washington Monument Society. The
site on Reservation was accordingly selected,
and title to the land was conveyed to the Soci-
ETY.. On the 29th of January ii was decided Ia
postpone the laying of the cornerstone until
the 4th of July, iS4S Objections in the mean
time having been made to the plan for the
monument as proposed by Mr.. Mills, the Soci-
ETY., pursuant to a report from its committee, in
the month of April of that year, fixed upon
height of 500 feet for the shaft, leaving in
The cornerstone was laid In accordance with
this decision of the Society, on the fourth of
.by July, ISIS, IN the presence OF the members OF
branches of the Government, Foreign Ministers
and Officers, and a vast concourse of citizens
from all sections of the Union. The ceremo-
nies-Masonic in character-were conducted
under the direction of the Hon. B. B. French,
Grand Master of the Masonic Fraternity for the
District of Columbia, and We're as interesting as
they were impressive; the cornerstone being
rested at the northeast angle of the foundation.
The gavel used In this ceremony was the one
| used by General Washington in laying the cor
ner-stone of the Capitol, and Is now In the pos
session of Potomac Lodge. No 5, of Free and
Accepted MaSons, of the District of Columbia
The prayer of conservation was offered by the
Rev. Mr. McJilton, and the Grafton OF the day
was pronounced by the Hon. Robert G. Win
| thOp, then Speaker of the House of Represen-
tatives. Profoundly regretting, as we all do,
that TINS distinguished citizen cannot be with
us to-day, because of recent Illness, we still sim
cerely rejoice that he has sent to us the garland
of his commanding eloquence, TO be laid on the
capStone of the monument, amid the shoutings
it." UNIV
Among the guests on the stand at the LAYING
of the cornerstone We're Mrs. Alexander Ham
| ilton, then ninety-one years old; Mrs. Dolly
Paine Madison, Mrs. John Quincy Adams,
George Washington Parlle Gusts, Chief Justice
Taney, Lewis Cass. Martin Van Buren,, Mllard
Fillmo-n. and many others distinguished
well for taeir social eminence as for their public
| renown.
The work. when once begun, progressed
steadily, until in S54 the shaft had reached a
height one hundred and fifty-two feet above the
Subsequently, an addition Of four feet was
! put upon the shaft, making its total height one
| hundred and fifty-siX feet, the whole executed
| at a cost OF about S3O0,O00.
. Under the auspices of the Society. as we'll in
| for insertion in the interior walls OF the monu-
| ment, and bearing appropriate inscriptions.
| have been contributed by nearly every State
and Territory, and by many foreign govern
| ments.
| The treasury of the Society having now been
exhausted, and all efforts to obtain further
sums having proved unavaiing, the Society
| presented a memorial To Congress, representing
that they Were unable to devise any plan likely
to succeed, and, under the circumS tances. ask
| ing that Congress should take such action as il
might deem proper. The memorial was le-
| ferred IN the House Of Representatives 10 a
| select committee of thirteen, of which Mr..
| Henry May, Of Maryland, was chairman, and
| this committee, on the 22d OF February, 1888,
| made To the House an eloquent and able re-
| port, in which, after a careful examination of
| the whole subject, the proceedings of the
Society in the past were reviewed and
| -ad ar1l ri.a-f of
| was recommended to be made by Congress ION
behalf of the people OF the United States to aid
the funds of the Society; but at this time COM
| p1cations of political nature arose in the
management of the society, the appropriation
recommended was not made, and, for the same
| reason, stop was put to the active prosecution
| OF the work on the monument for a number of
| years.
on the 26th of February, 1850, the Congress
gave TO the Washington National Monument
Society formal charter Ct incorporation the
| :ncorporators being winfield Scott Walter
Carberry, Peter Force, William \: Bradley,
Philip r. Fendall. Walter Lennox. Matthew f..
seaton, Elisha W6ittiesey, Il. 0gle Tayloe,
Thomas I'll. Crawford, w. W.Corcoran and John
| Carroll Brent.
| in the City Hall, March Do, 1859. at which
meeting President Buchanan presided. The
Society again went vigorously to work, issuing
public appeals, making collections at the polls,
and employing every means to secure funds
for the completion of She Monument. But the
condition OF the country during the decade
from 1860 to 1870 rendered their efforts futile.
1t was not until The year 1878 that the Society
again presented a memorial to Congress, recon-
mending the Ionurnent to its favorable consid-
Grafton. In the meantime, the Society con-
,nued their appeals 10 The country for aid ac-
colding 10 a plan which contemplated the rails
ing, by subscriptions from all chartered organiz
ationS, OF a certain gross sum deemed sufficient
to complete the Monument, the payment OF the
subscriptions in TO the hands OF the Treasurer of
the Society being contingent upon the pledging
of the entire sum. A measurable success met
nf1 n fhA Caas sla
very considerable sum having been promised
by responsible bodies, and the Society de-
sisted from these efforts only when,
the I'd of August, 1876, an Act of Congress, APP
propriatng S2O0,000 TO continue the construc-
ton of the Monument, mad become a law OF the
land. This measure was introduced in the Senate
by the Hon. John Sherman, of Ohio, who prop
erly resides at the high festival we hold this
day at the base OF the finished Monument. On
the 5 IN of July, 1876 (the date is Significantly
he moved the adoption of a joint resolution de-
claring, after an appropriate preamble, that
the Senate and House OF Representatives in
Congress assembled, lin the name of the people
of the United States, at the beginning OF the
second century of the national existence, do as
sumo and direct the completion OF the Wash
ington Monument, in the city of Washington"
A bill in pursuance of this joint resolution was
passed unanimously in the Senate on the 22d
of July, in the House Of Representatives with
out opposition on the 27th of July, and was
signed by President Grant on the I'd OF August,
1876.
BY this act which gave a Congressional ex-
preston to the national gratitude, joint COM
mission was created TO consist of the President
of the United States, the Supervising Architect
of the Treasury Department. the Architect of the
Capitol the Chief OF Engineers OF the United
States Army. and the first Vice President OF the
Washington National Monument society under
whose direction and supervision the eOnStruc-
tion of the Monument was placed.
According to a provision OF the same act, the
Washington National Monument Society trans
ferred and conveyed to the United States in due
form all the property rights and easements be-
longing to it in the Monument, the conveyance
being legally recorded in the proper court regis
ter.
By further clause Of this same act IT was
provided: That nothing therein should be SO
construed as to prohibit said Society from con-
tinuing its organization "for the purpose of So
liciting and collecting money and material
from the States associations and the people in
acting in an advisory and cooperative capac-
ity'' with the commission named in the said
act until the completion and dedication of the
work.
Upon the death of President Madison in 1886,
the constitution Of the Society had been SO
the United States should be ep-o1tcto President
Of the Society. Andrew jackson was the first
e1-oticio President. The Mayors OF Washing
ton, and, at a later day, the Governors of the
several States were made e1-o1icio Vice Presi-
dents.
The Mayors of Washington thus connected
with the work were John 2. Van Ness, William
A. Bradley, Peter Force, w. w. Seaton, Walter
Lennox, John w. Maury, John 7. Towers, VIM
B. Magruder, Richard Wallach, Sayles j. Bowen
and Matthew @. Emery.
In the roll of the Society's membership, the
following names are recorded:
Chief J'e Jno. Marshall, James NJ. Carlisle,
Roger G.. Weightman, DR.. John b. Blake,
Comd're John Rodgers, DIR. William Jones,
Gen. Thos. S. Jesup, William L: Hodge,