The Washington times., 1902-04-07
Book Issued by State De-
partment Tells Secrets.
MANY ODD APPLICATIONS
Petition From L'Enfant as Government
Engineer-Another, Troubled With
Gout, Wanted Collectoiship on Rap
pahanEock River.

The State Department has just issued
book about the officeseekers who applied
for positions under Washington. and an
interesting volume it is. The titlepage
reads Calendar CT Applications and Rec
concentrations for Office During the Pres
idency of George Washington" 1t was
prepared by GaiIlard Hunt.
The contents show ccnclusively that
Washington did not have altogether an
easy time of ii in deciding upon appoint
ments to Offices under his jurisdiction.
They also show that times have changed
since his day. and that the qualifications
considered necessary for appointment by
the applicants have likewise changed.
Party service practically does not figure
in these applications. Most Of the candi-
dates desire Office en- account of wat they
consider their peculiar fitness for the
place desired. Then. even more than Eow,
diplomatic appointments were the plums
of official life. Civil offices were few, and
in the diplomatic life of the period man
came to more or less honor and saw mere
or less of the world of society.
Tells Of HIS Worth.
One typical letter, from James Bowdoin,
who applied fer the pest CT Minister to
England, is quoted in the introduction as
follows:
THE Regard, | am persuaded, your Ex-
cellency entertained for my late Father;
the Respect, which his private, as well
as public Character induced. whilst it
should inspire feneral Desire. 20 emu
late his Virtues. ought in a peculiar
Manner, to create in me. Disposition,
to trend in his Footsteps.
After having partaken of the Hono-s
of Harvard College in Massachusetts, i
passed to Great Britain, and received
the Remainder of my Education at
Christchurch College in oxford. where. /
was personally, and particularly. ac-
quaiEted with the honble MIR. George
Grenville, now the Marquis OF backing
ham, and others. some of whom, are re-
spectacle characters in the present Ad-
ministration in that country: ! after
wards took ye usual Tour OF the Conti-
nent OF Europe which gave me further
Introduction to many distinguished Per
sons OF the English Naticn. Since my
Return to my own country. ] have been
for number of years, a Member of the
General Court OF Massachusetts, and have
been qualifying myself for public Life.
Upon these Grounds. ] have presumed
upon making an Offer of my Services to
your Excellency, not with View 10 ye
Emoluments Of aUch an Appointment. hav-
ing a competent Fortune to support my
self, either in England, or my own Couh-
try, in the Character of Gentleman.
Attached TO your Person, and devoted
to your Interest: you'll permit me. with
Sentiments OF the most profound Respect.
to subscribe myself.
"Sir, Your most obedient and very
humble servant"
L'Enfant's Letter.
The letter of LEnfant asking for the
position cf engineer to the United States
is of particular interest, as showing the
character Of the writer, and also that of
the man to whom he addressed himself
Part Of it is as follows:
New York. Sept II. 1888
Sir: The late determination of Cen
gress to lay the foundations of a city
which is TO become the Capital of this
vast Empire offer so great an occasion
CT acquiring reputation, to whoever may
be appointed to conduct the execution Of
the business; that your Excellency will MT
be surprised that my Ambition and the
desire have of becoming useful Citizen
should lead me to wish share in the
undertaking.
No nation perhaps had ever before the
opportunity offered them of deliberately
deciding on the spot where their Capital
City should be fixed, or of combining
every necessary consideration in the
choice of situation-and altho' the means
now in the power of the country are not
such as to pursue the design to any great
extent, ii will be obvious that the plan
should be drawn on such a scale as TO
leave room for that aggrandiZement and
establishment, which the increase OF the
wealth NJ the will N
pursue at any period however remote.
Viewing the matter in this light ] am
fully sensible of the extent of the un-
dertaking and under the hope OF a con-
tinuation of the indulgence you have hith-
erto honored me with, / now presume to
solicit the favor Of being employed in
this business.
To Protect Seacoast
And now that ! am addressing your
Excellency l will avail myself of the oc-
casion to call to your attention an OBJ
feet of at least equal Importance to the
dignity of the nation. and in which her
quiet and prosperity is Intimately con-
nected, ! mean the protection of the Sea
Coast of the United States-this has hith-
erto been left to the Individual States,
and has been so totally neglected as to
endanger the peace of the Union. for it
is certain that any insult offered on that
side, and there is nothing to prevent it,
however immaterial It might be in its
local effect, would degrade the nation and
do more injury to its political interests
than a much greater depreciation on her
inland frontiers.
From these considerations ! should
argue the necessity of the different Ways
and sea ports being fortified at the ex-
pense of the Union, in order that one gem
eraI and uniform system may prevail
throughout, that being as necessary as a
uniformity in the discipline of the
Troupes to whom they are to be fntrust-
ed"
Il fatter myself your Excellency will
excuse the freedom with which ! impart
10 you my ideas on this subject; indeed
my Confidence in this business arises in
great measure from a persuasion that
the subject has already engaged your at
tontion.
Having had the honor to belong to the
Corps of Engineers acting under your or
ders during the late war, and being the
cnly officers Of that Corps remaining on
the Continent ] must confess have long !
fattered myself with the hope of a re-
appointment, q hope which was encour-
aged By several individuals OF the former
Congress-and now when the establish
nent OF a truly Federal Government rem
ters every post under 1t more desirable.
II view the appointment Of Engineer to
b., y kgr,1, a