Evening star., 1897-02-18
ITS MANIFEST DESTINY
Washington Fast Becoming in the Fullest
Sense Real Capital.
Growing tn Re the Center OF an Intel
igent and Cultivated Society-Its
Educational Institutions.
From the Chicago Dial.

From the Chicago Dial
There lis something quite anomalous in
the fact that the capital or the United
States is comparatively uninlportant
city. with hardly any prefers to lead
ership in the intellectual concerns of .ac
nation. When We think how much London
or Paris means for English or French art
science and literature. and how little Wash
ington means for anything but American
politics, We touch upon one OF the most
distinctive characteristics OF our rev world
civilization. Historically, OF course, this
popularity is easily accounted Tor. The
national capital was created by law under
Circumstances almost as unfavorahle as
those attending the efforts OF Peter tho
Great TO provide new capital for the
Russian empire. The objects were different
In the two cases. but there was a con-
, siderable similarity in the conditions. Both
st. Petersburg and Washington came into
existence fiat capitals were noi Sery
ravorahly situated for rapid development.
and had to contend with the rivalries OF
old ard jealous centers OF civic and intel
lectual life.
Again. our national capital is the seat OF
a federal government and the federal prin-
ciple is necessarily antagonistic TO the con-
centration OF national energy at any single
focus. But IL may well be questioned
whether the centralizing tendencies every
where SO strongly influencing national
life will not eventually have their way
in the affairs OF the higher culture and
make OF Washington, IN the course of
time, our capital in the true comprehensive
sense. As the foresight of the great Tsar
has been justified by the development OF
ST. Petersburg. and the capital OF the
federal empire of Germany is slowly hut
surely overshadowing the older German
capitals. SO II is not unreasonable to think
that the manifest destiny of which we
hear so much is at work shaping the capi-
tai of this republic into home for the
humanitie.
The time may quite possibly arrive when
the vanishing ascendancy of Boston and
the accomplished ascendancy of New York,
and the hoped-for ascendancy of strug-
Cling Chicago. I'm the world of Americ an
letters and learning shall come TO be view
ed In the larger perspective hut tenn
porary phases OF the historical develop
ment that Will have transformed our nomi-
nal capital into the real center OF ouI
intellectual activities.
While such consummation as this now
ever devoutly to be wished. can only be
matter of the far distant future. II may al
least be said that events slowly shHp.
ing themselves to bring il about. Wash.
ington is becoming more and more tho
center OF an intelligent and cultivated so.
ciety, more and more a city TO which men
of wealth and leisure drawn by tha
various advantages which II has to offer.
The forces of official and diplomatic life
add to its society a color that cannot. in
the Tature of things, be found elsewhere.
and that seems to be one of the necessary
elements of the society of a capital in ths
European sense The completion of tho
new home provided for the Congressional
Library is an incident that helps to
centuate the growing Importance Of Wash
ington in our intellectual life What Will
probably in time become at once the larg-
es: and the most useful of our public IL
braries can hardly fail to act as a magnet
In attracting to Washington people of tha
sort most TO be desired In any great city.
az. i n a n.tl na1 nniN rSif IN la
| supported at the public charge, has long
been in the air." and. Notwithstanding
the grave objections that may be urged.
finds much TO be said in its favor. as thu
eloquent plea recently made in its behalf
by President Jordan sufficiently attests.
Meanwhile. the educational institutions al
ready established to be established i'm
Washington under religious auspices tend.
and will continually tend. to further thu
| evolution Of the capital in the suggested
| direction