Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1902-02-14
FRIDAY EVENING. FEB. IA 1902.
AN OLD ALEXANDRIA, now residing

AN OLD ALExANDRIAN now residing
elsewhere 10 Virginia sends us some
facts relating to the retrocession oil the
city and county In 1857 which Will
be interesting to sll cur people who
wore not born, or old enough ct that
time to remember the circumstances
under which it took place. He says
"The population had been for long
time stationary, If not diminishing.
Our young men we're going out West
to seek their fortunes. Baltimore had
been allowed to cut off the trade OF the
Valley by constructing a branch OF the
BIO. r. r. to Winchester and rug
ming that road through Virginia and
we had no hope OF recovering our lost
trade except through the @. q U.
Canal and its branch. the Alexandria
Canal. Long before that time we had
been plundered by the British and our
merchant, thus ruined, because Fort
Washington, as 1t is now called, was
blown up and the President had ac-
cused US of pusillsDimity for making
no resistance to q British squadron
which was anchored of our port, when
all our men OF military age we're
marching up and down 10 Maryland
trying to intercept the British attack
on Washington, and we had no pos
slble way of keeping our town from be-
ing shelled aud destroyed by the
enemy, even had they been at home.
Congress had put no public building
here, and not even the navy yard,
shough we had far greater facilities for
IL than Washington. We paid no
direct taxes, it is trne, but those we
imposed upon ourselves. aud Congress
paid for the whole District its Holland
loans, contracted for paying a subscrip-
ton OF its tree cities to the @. & o.
Canal, and gave us 100000 towards
building the squeduot and loaned us
$500, 900 (Which we then regarded as
gift but which afterwards cost US our
own csnsl) and built Us and the county
a jAil and courthouse. Such was the
state of affairs when a renewal OF their
charters was refused to ell the banks
10 the District, which refusal threat
ened to force many of their
DEBTORS into bankruptcy and made
us look to Virginia for relief.
There was then no railroad whatever
terminating 10. or even passing through,
Alexandris; the inspection OF -four had
fallen from 100000 barrels a year to
about 10000; tae canals were not yet
finished to the coal fields, and our pros
poets were gloomy indeed. The circuit
court judges, one or more of whom had
long resided 10 Alexandria, had re.
moved to Washington, and upon the
early death of the first Judge OF the new
criminal court, Georgetown man sue
ceeded him. and Alexandria was left
without a judge, and writs OF habeas
corpus and other things judge only
could grant, could be had-wheu court
was not 10 session-in Washington and
Georgetown only. Alexandria asked
law requiring Judge of the circuit
court to reside here, but upon the rep
rssentation Of It's judges that they were
too old to change their residence, will.
ingly agreed to be content with a re-
quirement that the next Judge sp-
pointed should live in Alexandria. |
There was soon a vacancy and the
Judge Of the criminal court was appoint.
ed to fill it, but be did not want to
come and was actually able to procure
a repeal OF the Law against all our re-
That was the last straw
on our backs aud retrocession was
asked for and granted"
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AT THE presentation OF the free ION
of tho citv NJ Landau m Nv Insanh