Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-02-06
ORIGIN OF PARKING SYSTEM
Theme of Paper by DR., Tindall Before Column
bia Historical Society.
Collection of Rare Letters Embodied
in Paper by Mr. J. Hem
ley Smith.

lumbia Historical Society was held last
evening IN the banquet hall of the Shore
ham. Mr.. John y. Kasson, the president
of the society. who has been spending some
weeks in florida for the benefit of his
health occupied the chair of the presiding
officer and received warm welcome from
the members of the society.
The first paper of the evening read
by DIR. William Tindall. the subject being
The Origin of the Parking System of the
city" This paper proved to be highly
valuable narrative of the development of a
feature of the city which is much ad-
mired-
DR.. Tindall spoke Of the beginning of the
work of planting trees and called atten-
ton To the ordinance of the corporation of
the city of Washington which provided for
the setting aside of portion of the road
way to be used as grass pots. He stated
that under the corporate government. in
the year 1870. parking laid off along
some o. the streets between the curb and
the sidewalk. and that under the plan
adopted by the board of public works the
parking was placed next to the house. DIR.
TindalI also spoke of the parks and the
reservations in and out of the city. and
gave valuable data in regard to their origin
and the system by which these breathing
places are cared for.
In the discussion which followed Mr.
Henry y. Willard, who had charge of the
parking under the mayoralty form of gov
ernment. spoke of the early work that was
done along these lines
Collection of Rare Papers.
The next paper, also highly interesting
and entertaining. was read by Mr. j. Hen
ley Smith. 1t consisted of selections from
remarkable collection of family letters
which are now in his possession. Mr.
Smith is the grandson of Samuel Harrison
Smith. the founder of the National InteIli-
gencer, who was connected by marriage
with the family of General Washington.
The collection consisted of numerous let
tiers written by prominent nlen to members
of his family. and which have never been
published There are about seventy-five
letters from Thomas Jefferson, comprising
the manuscripts of his two inaugural
speeches: twenty-five letters from Wash
iEEton and the correspondence of Edmund
Randolph vindicating himself of the charge
If revealing official secrets. under which
accusation, ii is said. he left the cabinet
Of Washington. Many letters from Mr. and
Mrs John Adams and Mr.. and Mrs. John
Quincy Adams. large number from Presi-
dent Madison and Mrs. Madison. and many
letters from President jackson. Lafayette,
Henry Clay. John c. Calhoun and Mr. Ran
dolph of Roanoke Were referred to.
y letter of great interest was one from
Mrs Samuel Harrison Smith 10 her SON j.
Bayard Smith. then student in Princeton
College. In this letter Mrs. Smith gives a
graphic picture of the distress and gloom
in the city following the inauguration of
President jackson and the carrying out od
the policy of turning out those in public
office She also gave description of Henry
Clay. who was the defeated candidate in
the presidential contest 800
Letter From Thomas Jefferson.
One of the letters in Mr.. Smiths collec-
ton. and a copy of which is given below,
was written by Thomas Jefferson to Mrs.
Monticello. August 6, 1876. 1t is as follows:
Il have received. dear madam. your very
friendly letter of July n, and assure you
that I feel with deep sensibility its kind
expressions toward myself. and the more
as from a person than whom no others
could be more in sympathy with my own
affections / often call to mind the occa-
sIOns Of knowing your worth which the
societies of Washington furnished; and
none more than those derived from your
much valued visit 10 Monticello. l reHog-
nize the same motives of goodness in the
solicitude you express on the rumor sup
posed 70 proceed from a letter OF mine to
Charles Thomson. on the subject of The
Christian religion 1t is true that, in writ
ing To the translator of the Bible and Tes-
lament. that subject was mentioned; but
equally 50 that no adherence TO any par
ticular mode of Christianity was there ex-
pressed; nor any change of opinions Sug
gCSted. y change from what? The priests
indeed have heretofore thought proper to
SSCribe to me religious rather anti-re
Ggious sentiments Of their own fabric, but
such as soOthed their resentments against
the act Of Virginia for establishing re-
ligiOUs freedom. They wish him to be
thought atheist. deist, or devil. who could
advocate freedom from their religious die
tatiOuS. hut ] have ever thought religion n
concern purely between our God and our
c0nsciences for which we were accountable
to Him and not to the priests. I never told
my own religion nor scrutiniZed that of an
II r0EF-A OF rparN~ 1al-d
nor wish 10 change another's creed. l have
ever judged of the religion of others by
their lives; and by this test, my dear
madam, I have been satisfied yours must
be an excellent one. 20 have produced
life Of such exemplary virtue and correct
ness. for ii is in our lives and not from
our words that our religion must be read.
BY the same test. the world must judge
me.
The Priesthood.
But this does not satisfy the priest hood
they must have a positive a declared as
sent to all their interested absurdities. My
opinion is that there would never have
been an infdel, if there had never been a
priest The artificial structure they have
built on the purest of all moral systems
for the purpose of deriving from 1t pence
and power revolts those who think for
themselves and who read in that system
only what Is really there. These, there
fore. they brand with such nicknames as
their enmity chooses gratuitously to i'm
pute- I have left the world in silence to
judge OF causes from their effects; and
am cOusOled in this course, my dear friend
when / perceive the candor with which 1
am judged by your justice and discern
ment; and that, Notwithstanding the
ISLANDERS Of the saints, my fellow citizens
have thought me worthy Of trust. The i'm
putations Of irreligion having spent their
force they think an imputation of change
might now be turned TO account as a boil
ster for their duperies 1 shall leave them
as heretofore to grope on in the dark
Our family, at Monticello, is all in good
health. Ellen speaking of you with af-
fiction and Mrs. Randolph always regret
ting the accident which so far deprived her
OF the happiness of your former visit She
still cherishes the hope Of some future
renewal of that kindness: IN which we All
join her. as an assurance of affectfonote