The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1891-08-21

cient nations of the world, and posterity
will gaze with wonder upon these cvi,
dences of the scholarship, engineering
skill and genius of the eighteenth CEN
fury; and they will read with interest
the history of the founding of politi-
cal metropolis. However true it seems
to be that the gardener, Adam, and his
wife, smile at the claims of long
descent, it is equally true that there is
trace of the love of antiquity in our
family, state and national histories.
Already we celebrate Bunker Hill, Sar-
atoga, Yorktown, and are proud of our
years of stability as a model republic
Why George Washington selected this
place as the site of the new city has
never been explained. A great portion
of it was marshy, low ground, slug
gish creek, then called the Tiber,
flowed, or it might almost be said oozed,
through the center of the ten miles
square. Indeed there were men in
those days so irrevercnt as to intimate
that Washington was influenced in his
choice by personal considerations be-
cause his own homo, Mount Vernon,
was so near the spot selected. Others,
probably with equal approximation to
truth. have said that better sites farther
down the river were rejected by Wash
ington because he feared that some
criticism might attach to him for lOcat-
ing the capital too near his own home.
Whatever motives prompted him, how
were available along the banks of the
Potomac. Nevertheless, by virtue of
the difficulties surrounding him, the
genius of L'Enfant shines the brighter,
for he surmounted all obstacles. His
plans included wharves along the river
front, bridges across the eastern branch,
as well as over the main stream, to Ar
lington, the reclamation of flats,
marshes and quagmires the Enclosure
of the Tiber, making a culvert of it,
and in fact all the improvements which
have latterly been made.
One thing which he desired and in
tended has not been accomplished. and
will not be for another half century or
more, if ever. L'Enfant intended that
the city should lie upon the plateau
known as Capitol hill. But the proper
ty owners held their lots at such fabu-
lous figures that the population driftcd
westward, on out to Georgetown, leav-
ing the magnificent east front of the
capitol bcreft of that magnificence
which the genius had anticipated, so
that the Goddess of Liberty, from her
perch upon the dome, gazes at the ris-
ing sun over n sparsely settled section.
The same condition exists to-day, in
that property is held at more than
double its actual value there. All sub
urban improvements extend westward
and northwcstward, instead of east
ward, and all OF our statesmen, legis-
lators, justices and diplomats enter
the capitol by the back door because of
this unfortunate condition of affairs.
Congress wisely selected two squares of
ground, directly east of the capitol
grounds, for the site of the Congression-
al library, and that magnificent struc-
ture is now mounting sliywards. II
other public buildings are located upon
the hill in the future the development
of that section will be more rapid.
My attention was drawn to this sub
ject of L'Enfant and his plans by a gen
tleman high in official authority in our
local government, who, after exhibiting
the maps, said: SIS it not time for the
people to know something of L'Enfant,
become acquainted with his merits and
authorize their representatives to erect
a monument to his memory? We have
statues of men of lesser intellectually,
and who have been by far less service
able to their country. It is common
for all peoples to recognize merit too
late to bring pleasure to genius; and
yet, it seems to me, this country has
been exceedingly. dilatory in giving
recognition to the merits of the man
who planned the greatest capital city
on earth" SMITH d. FRY.
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