The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-12-13

/
the National Capital was the topic Of
he address by Senator McComas of Mary
land at the Capitol yesterday. The sena-
tor said:
mr.. President: One hundred years ago
President Adams first visited Capitol HILL
From this emnence how different then
the scene. Around him stood the primeval
forest. Here and there we're naked fields.
Through the thick oak woods had been
cleared the streets and avenues.
"On this hill stood the north wing of the
Capitol. Near by was a tavern. On the
Eastern Branch OF the Potomac. then nav
igable, and near the arsenal. was the ham
let Of Carrollsburg. Nearer this hill in
The same forest was Laws famous man
sion. at Greenleaf's Point on the river.
west Of Tiber Creek. were some struggling
houses.
|. About the new Presidents house clus-
tered few buildings: behind these. wide
| marshes stretched away to the river.
Across Rock Creek lay the Maryland viii
lage Of Georgetown.
AT these four points. widely separated
were about 600 houses. All else was marsh
and field and forest. Such was
The young city round whose virgin zone
The rivers like two mighty thrown.
said Rochefoucauld, VINO visited 1t
then:
It is in. fact the grandeur and maynifcence OF
the plan which renders the conception no better
| than dream.
The bureau officials and the members
Of the Sixth Congress missed the comforts
Of Philadelphia. They discussed afresh
| the wisdom Of moving the capital away
from this village in the woods.
| Seven years before President Washing
| ton had laid the cornerstone OF this edi-
| fee. His new-made grave was on the
west bank of the beautiful river. nearly
opposite the Federal City which bore his
name The magic of that name now held
! the capital in the village which bore 1t.
| Fourteen years after. on an August even
| ing, President Madison stood on this hill
THE British invader having set on fire
| the city had hurried away 10 The fleet.
Yonder Madison saw the black smoking
ruins of the ar and Treasury offices and
| CT his own home. the Executive Mansion
At the navy yard the dying fires lighted
up the smoking hulls of the Argus and
the new Essex. Here were the charred
and biackened walls of the two wings
of the new capitol.
Again the cry arose to remove the Cap
itaL Ctngress borrowed a half million
dollars to restore this unfinished struc-
ture and the town slowly rose from its
ashes.
Faster grew the nation. The Fed
eral City seemed asleep. The chief cities
of the South advanced. The Eastern
cities grew great. On the prairies. by
the Western rivers. new cities sprang out
Of the ground, while the nation was fast
spreading westward over the continent.
Still the Federal City slept
Its seat was healthful, the climate
was mild and agreeable the year round
The city was &C, essibIe The great edi-
fees of the departments CT Government
were worthy of the EatiCn. worthy of the
magnificent plan Of the city. Unhappily
Washington was on the border between
the free and the slave States. The long
cont.st over slavery rendered The fate OF
the Union unsafe and made the future OF
the Federal City uncertain.
'-Uurns a seEcIatiCn the spectre Of
disunion was a shadow upon the young
city. Its growth was confined to the river
basin, and did not extend east of the
Capitol. where the founders designed the
principal growth to be. Sky years ag,
w Washington was a large. Struggling viii
lage reared in a drained swamp
"Fifty-four years ago the wide boun-
daries marked by the men OF the Revolu-
tion were contracted By the petty econo-
mists of the day. The lands west of the
Potomac were retroceded to Virginia.
President Polk and Congress lacked the
historic foresight OF the founders and for
got tie future.
Forty years ago 1900 people lived here
Municipal improvements Jagged. The
grounds and public buildings were neg
lscted by Congress, absorbed In discussing
slavery and the fate OF the Union. Dark
seemed the future Of the Union and darker
still the future of Washington.
THE cloud CT civil war was fast
ering and it broke over the unfin bah
dome CT this Capitol. Instantly Was ina
ton became the focus CT the world in
terest. the Object CT our peoples
tude. the centre of our national
These streets thronged with civilia 'l-
volunteer soldiers. These ayenue
sounded with the tramp of marchir feg.-
ments, the changer of cavalry hoFts I'd
sabers, the rumtling CT artillery.
echoed the shrii martial music or the
funeral dirge. Schoolhouses and church,
sr became hospitals. Army wagons were
parked in the vacant squares. Barracks
md camps filed the public parks. Forts
md breastwerks S. rang out OF the ada
cent fields and crowned the hills on either
side of the Potomac.
Here President Lincoln reviewed arm
es OF the Unicn and later saw the Capital
fortress assailed by an invading army.
soon after there came two beautiful May
lays when the national flag was flying
rom every housetop and window. when
rom this Capitol to the Treasury.
marching along the Avenue in columns
" companies there passed in grand re-
;iew the brave armies of Sherman and
irant. Taking their horses with them, as
irant had told them they should, the gal
ant soldiers of Johnson and Lee had gone
ZONE for the spring blowing. to put out
crop in the wasted fields OF war.
And the harvest was peace.
when the battleilags were furled in
when the forts around it
.ere RACED. the streets Of the city were
eep in mud or clouded with dust. The
acant lands were morasseS. Beyond IT,
err Creek and the bed. of the abandoned
anal out AMID the marshes. stood a mar
lie monument half built. Beyond II was
he river On whose farther banks still re-
osed the ashes of the founder OF this city
his unfinished column Of marble. its com
purpose seemingly forgot,
TODD there a pathetic reminder that
resident WashiIgtons design of a Fed
raj city was yet unfulilled.
The day of its fuliillment had dawned
t once the restored Union began 20 move
witty forward to it's foremost place
ncng nations. Tho shadows vanished
'om Washington. The growth of its Cap
al kept step with the rapid growth OF
ne Republic.
Governor Shepherd ard the Commits
toner's and Congress look from the wall
lie dusty map of L'Enfant and Ellicott.
impressed its outlines on marsh. on hill.
n woodland. and. under the cIoudless sky.
ut of the fresh earth the new Washing
On rose as from the stroke OF the en-
hanter's wand
I'VE cherish 1t. not for the beauty OF
he nov populous city alone. but by
4hy-t hat al