North Park union., 1901-05-17
WASHINGTON GOSSIP.

The history Of the United States
properiy began on the 18th OF May.
1907, when Captain John Smiths par
" Of adventures landed at Jamestown
island, near the mouth Of James river.
Virginia, and there established the
first permanent settlement In America.
The 3O0th anniversary Of that event
will occur six years hense and Presi-
dent Tyler OF william and Mary Col
leSe and other citizens OF that portion
of the state have Interested themselves
In organizing a movement for an ap-
propriate national cOmmemoration.
They hive secured the passage OF a
resolution by the General Assembly OF
Virginia asking the President and Con-
gress of the United States to make
such arrangements rs are worthy OF
this great nation.
The commission. consisting Of Mr..
Burnhnm OF Chicago, Charles NJ. NC
Kim OF New York and Fred Law Olm-
stead of Boston. who are now design
ing plan for the improvement and
Identification OF the District Of Column
bin, propose. among other things, an
nrboretum. or museum of plants ana
trees for the promotion of the science
OF forestry. There IN no complete ar
boretum in the United States. 1t is
comparatively new idea. The most
extensive and satisfactory work IN
this direction has been done at Boston
by Professor Sargent OF Harvard Uni
versity and by George vanderbilt AT
Biltmore, North Carolina. There are
also arboretums more or less complete
mt the botanical gardens In st. Louis,
the Golden Gate park of San Francisco
nnd the Bronx park, New York City,
but they are only the beginnings OF
great things.
Fred Law Olmstend of the arboretum
commission snys thnt n complete ar-
boretum Will cost from $2,0OO,OOO to
$500, 600 In u climate like that OF
Washington. 1t will be necessary to
assemble specimens of all the Varle-
ties of trees thnt will grow In this
zone, and tropical plants can be shield
ed by glass roofs and the ordinary con-
servntOry arrangements. Mr.. Olmstend
says there are 1000 species of trees
native to the climate Of Washington,
not counting plants and flowers, nor
the dIfferept varieties Of these various
species. For example, there are forty
two species Of oak alone, at least twen-
ty-five OF which will thrive In this eli
mate. The pine family Is also very
large and the palm family still larger.
At Biltmore, In Mr.. Nanderbilts ar
boretum, there are over 1000 different
species of trees. That climate is ia
vorable to the growth of many that
would not thrive in Washington. for 1t
lies at nm elevation OF $500 feet above
the sea, midway between the North
and the South. neither too hot for the
northern varieties and not too cold for
the more delicate plants of the South.
There Is no doubt that Secretary o.
War Root and the Cuban Commission
reached an understanding satisfactory
to both Sides but out OF courtesy to
the constitutional convention Mt Ha'
vana the details will be reserved rs
confidential until the commission has
an opportunity to make Its report.
This much is known, however, says
William Il. Curtis In the Chicago Rec
ord-Hernld, that the President, through
the secretary Of war, gave the delega-
tion distinct and positive assurances
that there il no Intention on the part
OF the present administration to annex
the island of Cuba unless the rejection
OF the Plat resolutions should make
new policy necessary. They We're told
that the subject had never been con-
templAted and that II 1t ever was con-
sidered the proposition must come from
the Cubans. who would find 1t difficult
to break into the Union. They were
also assured that the object Of main
tanning naval stations was as much
for the protection OF Cuba us the Unit
ed States, and that the privilege OF In
tervention to preserve the peace Of
the island would be found very useful
by the people down there In case Of
internal dissension.
Professor II. II. Roberts Of the Uni
versity Of Wyoming calls attention to
the fact that Northern In his Manual
Of Civil Government" says that mo
person has ever been convicted OF trea-
son in the United States" and asks IL
1t Is true. A. +. G. Griffin. chief bib
liographer of the library of Congress,
declares that the statement Is not true,
and says: In 1863 Ridgeley Great
house and others We're indicted In the
Circuit Court OF California for engag-
ing in md giving aid ard comfort to
the then existing rebelliO1 against the
government of the United States The
Indictment charges the commission Of
acts which, In the Judgment of the
court amount to treason within the
meaning Of the constitution The de-
PENDANTS We're fo,Sld guilty, and Saw
yers' Reports of Gases, vol. iv, p. 4SI,
states that sentence imposing both fine
and Imprisonment was pronounced up
on them Rubery was subsequently
pardoned by President Lincoln, mt the
request of our friend John Bright Of
England. The other defendants were
subsequently, during the attendance of
Justice Field upon the Supreme Court
mt Washington, brought before District
Judge Hoffman, sitting in the Circuit
Court, on habeas corpus, and released
from Imprisonment upon taking the
oath prescribed in the proclamation of
President Lincoln. issued after their
sentence. and upon giving bond for
their future good behavior"
In reply to question, William q.
Curtis, In the Chicago Record, says 1t
Is not true that Ii Hung Chang or
WI Ting Fang, the Chinese minister
at Washington, are opposed to Chris
tian missions In China. Both have Of
ten expressed confidence In and ap-
proval OF many missionaries, although
they have criticised and denounced
others. Their objections were TO the
men, however, and not to the cause
they represent. Both have publicly
and privately acknowledged the good
that missionaries have done In their
country and have shown practical evil
dences of approval and encourage
L,r~. .,.l,, IL