The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-12-12


OF President wAsHIagton's He-es
Rave AIready Been AccompIished.
District Commissioner Henry 3. F.
MacfarIand delivered the second address
Of the Centennial Day exercises at the
White House this morning his subject
being Development Of the District Of Co
lumbia During the Century 1soO-1S00. Mr.
Macfarlana said:
4one hundred years ago the District OF
Columbia became the permanent seat OF
the Government CT the United States. For
the first tine tie young nation had Cap
ital. after t9enty-four years OF wandering
from one State to another Moved BY the
attack Of the mob Of soldiers on Congress
IN Philadelphia in 1888. the makers Of the
ReW Government had written il tss Fed
eTal Constitution that the nation shq I'd
have its own Capital. IN Federal district
TO be ceded 10 the exclusive control OF
Congress Il IS the only provision for an
independent capital ever made By any na-
ton. The then North and South had eon-
tended FOR tie honor OF providing this
Federal district until threats Of secession
we're occasionally heard, and It seemed 70
some that there might soon come to be no
need for National Capital. States offered
cities and even capitals, and their Repre-
sentatiyes in Congress fought over these
offers. At last, with characteristic ccm-
promise. the fathers provided that the
Federal district should be given to the
South, while the North should be giye1 its
desire IN the assumption by The nation OF
the Revolutionary Indebtedness Of the
States Nothing could have been more for
tunate than this decision. Unless il be the
determination TO leave 20 George Wash
ington the selection Of the site for the new
Capital, and the direction OF its prepaEs-
tion
"Ais own State OF Virginia had offered
ten miles square The State Of Maryland
had done the same, and under the aEthor-
ity Of Congress Washington had 100 miles
OF the Potomac, from WIllIamsport N sfa-
ryIaad to the Eastern Branch, where 20
n surveyor the best site available under
the circumstances, and then laid It eut
with the eye OF q seer. All that he saw
could not come true. The Federal District
could not contain the greatest CONNER
ciaI emporium OF the United States,
which he hoped Tor here, believing bat the
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, which he had
promoted, would, as its nane suggested
with the Potomac connect the then Eass
and West by the most practicable route to
the sea Nor could It contain the national
uaiyerssty. which vas SO dear 20 Washing
tons heart that be richly remembered II
IN his viii, though Il vas 70 become
roodess university But vasR5svssu
c1s1~1Ss sazE Few other men 4coGi.-.zseS,
tllat The young and small but not feeble
nation would grow and expand Until It be-
tame the greatest OF ali nations While
men we're Still doubling whether II would
last long as a nation George Washington
vas planning with the assistance OF
Thomas Jefferson and LsEafazt and Eli
eett, q National Capital for all time, city
of magnificent proportions. greater and
better IN design than any other IN the
world Nc other city has ever been laid
out on such q scale or IN such style Even
WasningtoH's Teputa ton for common sense
did not save II from being called 3 vision
aTy scheme Fer more thar hslf cen
tury home and foreign wits jested at II as
it lay undeyeloped, half village, half capi-
faI. through neglect Of the General Coy
ernment-
selection Of the site.
although It was south Of Mason and
Dixoa's line, it was almost IN the centre Of
tho narrow UnIon Of 1900. as it stretched
aIcng the atlantic coast. but after the ex-
pansioH OF It's domains begun under Wash
ington, three years later, under Jefferson,
crossed the Mississippi, suggestions Of the
removal Of the Capital west OF the Ale
ghenies began. and continued ii what
seemed an entirely natural way TO the
statesmen meeting IN the then Washing
ton. until railroad and telegraph making
communication so much quicker. deprived
the advocates OF renewal OF Their chief ar
gument
The Federal City. as Washington called
it. the City Of Washington, as the Con-
rnfssiGaers and Congress inevitably called
1t. is Washington's prediction that the
natIen would live for centuries and would
grow TO the full need Of such a capital
Il is rsost appropriate that We begin
this celebration almost under the shadow
OF the washington Monument, that
unique structure which practically marks
the centre OF the original District OF Co
iuInbia. and in the Presidents House,
which SO interested Washington and IS
the only public building completed IN
fsCa that is still standing. For while
Cougress. in the preliminary legislation,
provided only Ter Z Federal District.
/ Though il afterward ratified the prepa-
rations for Federal City made by
Washington. the city. named for him,
has always been more prominent than
shs District N the worlds eye. and nos
that they are so nearly eotermiaoaS, me
capital viii &c more ana more Known Dy
its great founders name; not, however,
IS washington city, but as the City Of
Washington.
ut IS interesting to read, IN the official
and unofficial documents. Of the part
which washington took, with his custom
ary energy, thoroughness and patience,
in all the details Of the founding Of the
Federal District and of the Federal City
1t was he, personally. who made the tar
gain with the nineteen original propr8e-
tors. aLiyaHtsg geous TO themS but much
more so 10 the Government. and who
sinalIy brought even the refractory David
Burns to terms. It was he personally,
who directed the Commissioners and the
surveycrs, as they laid cat the streets
and built buildings, and who msdiated
between them when they QuaTreled. It
was the GROWING work Of his life, and
perhaps nothing that he did, except the
Jersey canpaizu that saved the ReFeisl-
ton. and the making Of the CsBstitu-
ton thai saved the nation. interested or
pIeased him moro. It must have gFieveG
him that he could not i've TO see the
actual establishment Of The National Gov
ernment in the city that had been named
for him. He died IN December. and, uH-
der the act Of Congress passed tea years
before, the National Government began
its removal from Philadelphia IN May. By
July the six esecatiYe departments of
that day we're all in full working order
here. By November President Adaess,
after q visit OF inspection IN June. was
occupying this house. and Congress was
IN session preparatory TO the regular
session IN December The supreme Court