The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1891-08-21
PETER C. L'ENFANT.
The Frenchman Who Laid Out the
City of Washington.
Ills Wonderful career Wrecked by an I'M
timely Exhibition of Temper-How He
Planned the Greatest Capital
City of the World.
Especial Washington Correspondence1


Between genius and lunacy or mad
ness there is a fragile line of demarka-
ton. In fact, SO eminent a scientist as
Brown Sequard said that genius is a
nervous disease" Certain it is that all
men who attain distinction as soldiers,
orators and writers upon spccialties,
are exceedingly, yes excessively nerv-
GUS people, who mar their achieve
ments with nervous exhibitions of
temper, sudden ebullitions of unreason-
able anger at their best friends; and,
when in power, remorselessly take
human life without seemingly qualm
of conscience. The greatest tactician
developed by the late civil war in Amer
ica-great as tactician, because as a
strategisC he was able both to plan and
execute great military movements
was Gen. Sherman. Yet, in the early
days of the struggle he was denounced
as an incompetent, a crazy man, a
visionary lunatic; all this, forsooth, be-
cause he was afflicted with that nerv-
Gus disease called genius"
Nearly one hundred years ago a
stranger in a strange land impressed
his individuality upon the greatest man
of his age, and left behind him a monu-
ment which will endure forever; yet
never was permitted to see the build
ing, much less the qualification of his
work; and this, solely on account of his
nervous and imperious disposition.
George Washington, first president of
the new republic, which had been
carved out of an immense colony in the
new world by reason of his military
ability, supplemented by the sturdy
patriotism of a people of potent ances-
try and traditional integrity of purpose,
recognized in Mai. L'Enfant the ablest
civil engineer in the new world, and
committed to him the work of prepar-
ing the plans upon which the capital of
the new nation should be builded. The
city, as it is to-day, in all it's wealth of
beauty and constantly developing gran
deur, was evolved from the brain of
that peculiar man of whom so little
is known at the present time.
His plans were the anticipation of all
the wonders which were bound to
emerge from the latent energies and
wisdom of great people. The broad
streets, magnificent avenues, extensive
boulevards, suburban villas, public
buildings, parks, circles, public reserva-
tions by the acre, lawns, rapid transit
Gnes-all these, and more, were as pres
ent fulfillment of prophecies to the re-
markable genius of L'Enfant; and yet,
he was debarred even from participa-
ton in the Inauguration of his plans by
reason of an ebullition of temper. He
disagreed with the commission
ers, to whom he should have
been subordinate, and, as ordinary
men would have been, subservient. Be-
coming angered, after having COM
pleted his original plans, L'Enfant
withdrew from official connection with
the work, and took his plans with
him when he departed after a stormy
scene with his colleagues. They dis
agreed with him, wanted him to make
certain changes in his maps, and, con-
eidering himself insulted by a coterie of.
inferior beings who misunderstood him,
and wanted to narrow and contract his
work, he Indignantly withdrew and left
the commissioners to make plans to suit
themselves. Fortunately for the coun-
try, as well as for this locality, the
plans of L'Enfant had been submitted
to congress during the pre- :eding year,
and hence they were not lost. But
L'Enfant himself died hearted;
and his grave, about five miles from the
splendid capitol building, is a neglected
and almost unmarked spot. Poor fell
low! Who can imagine the thoughts
which embittered his last days? He
knew that he had planned wisely, with
ingenious forethought; knew that the