The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-11-19
make the 11nited State what II is NOW.

make the United States what 1t is now.
President MeKinley's speech~iR Atlanta
last spring, when he took occasion to say
that the time had come when the North
might with propriety share with the South
the care of Confederate graves, pointed
the way to an even larger scope for the
memorial, and made 1t easy for North
ern members of, congress to suggest that
the bridge across the Potomac at Wash
ington should memorabilia, SO far as the
Civil war was concerned, not only the
men who wore the blue, but also those
who, while wearing the gray, died fight
ing valiantly for what they believed to
be right The president particularly was
in favor of the plan which included the
heroes Of "the lost cause
A FITTING SITE.
There seems to be no place in America
more fitting tor such memorial of pa
triotism than the site chosen by con-
gress. A bridge from Washington across
the Potomac to the National cemetery at
Arlington should, by it's very location,
awaken memories and inspire hope of
the most healthful character. For the
first seventy years of our national his
tory the Potomac river was the line
which divided the two great nations from
one another. During several decades of
unhappy sectional friction, the Potomac
was 1.-The unbridged gulf which seemed
the natural boundary for both sections,
and it was not until both the North and
the South had passed through the hot
conflict of the Civil war that the imagin-
airy line was wiped out
How fitting, therefore, it is pointed out,
that thirty-fives years after the end of
that war the people, true to the better
angels of their nature, should unite in
erecting so beautiful a memorial across
so historic a stream, from almost the
back door of the White house to the front
gate of the cemetery where lie buried the
men who died that the nation might
live!
According to the survey made in 1897,
the bridge will start from the south end
of Observatory hill, near the foot of New
York avenue 1t will cross Water street
and Potomac park, and strike the POto-
mac river at a point directly opposite Ar
lington. 1t will span Analostan island
and Little river and touch the Virginia
shore on the Georgetown and Alexandria
road, about two hundred yards north of
the Sheridan gate of the National ceme-
terry.
MEMORIAL ROAD.
In addition to the memorial bridge, it
is also expected that a memorial road
will be built from the Virginia side of
the bridge direct to Mount Vernon, the
house and grave of Washington, a dis
lance of fourteen or sixteen miles, &C
Cording to the route taken. 1t is probable
that congress will act favorably on the
bill appropriating money to build this
road. When 1t is finished it will be the
finest boulevard on the continent. The
preliminary report of the house bill in
regard to this subject said:
What, then, is the object? 1t is to COM
memorate the virtues of the grandest
character in American history. 1t Is to
satisfy the cravings of a patriotic senti-
ment that fills the hearts of the Amer
lean people with desire to honor the
name of Washington. The road built from
the capital of nation to the tomb of its
founder would not be such as built for
ordinary traffic. 1t should have the
character of a monumental structure,
such as would comport with the dignity
of this great nation in such an undertake
ing and with the grandeur of the charac-
ter of the man to whom 1t is Dedicated
The estimated cost of this road, four
teen or sixteen miles long, is 81 100000 to
$2,OOO,QOO, according to the route, width
and road covering of the boulevard.
According to the present plans, the
bridge and the boulevard are to be unique
in at least one respect. No steam cars
are to be allowed on either. Whether or
not trolley cars will be permitted has
not yet been decided Liberal driveways,
bicycle paths and pedestrian promenades
will be included in the designs.
When the bridge is finished it will be
Washington, and one of the most mag
the world.