Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-03-12
VIEWS OF L'ENFANT
THE IDEAS OF A CENTURY OR
MORE AGO.
Identification of Washington Long a
Study of Those Interested in
the District.

out under the direction of Major l. Enfant,
a French engineer, who was at that time
a major of engineers in the American army,
but few people know that the office of SUI
perintendent of public buildings and
grounds is the perpetuation of the part
played by Major l. E,nfant in the laying out
of the city. From the records of the Office
it seems to have been the intention of
Washington to place the Identification of
the city under the charge of an engineer
officer of the army who should have entire
responsibility for systematic work of i'm
provement that was designed to raise the
city from the mud in which 1t was first
planted to the beautiful seat of government
the father of his country had pictured in
his mind.
A gentleman who is familiar with the
history of the city and has been in touch
with every movement that made for its
Improvement took the trouble a short time
ago to make examination of the records
of Colonel SymonS office and his views will
doubtless be of interest, especially as the
question of the purchase of the buildings to
the south of Pennsylvania avenue is a
theme of such discussion in Congress.
Desultory Efforts.
1.-The desultory efforts which have been
much in vogue, in very recent years, with
respect to the Identification of the nations
capital, experience has demonstrated in APP
plication as Unfortunately costly and without
feasible results he said in discussing the
matter with Star reporter. During the
past quarter of a century Washington has
become one of the most beautiful capitals in
the world, in it's architectural and eSthetic
features. without the aid of non-governmen-
tai dictation or supervision.
when the convention of 1887 considered
the question of a seat of government it
10 f he 6icfin tive foofr nf ho
new Constitution the creation of a federal
territory entirely and absolutely independ-
ent of state authority or individual mon
Officially interference. The states admitted
since the adoption of that instrument are
simple creatures of legislation by Congress.
The organic act of the federal territory
afterward named Columbia is the Consti-
tuition of the United States. the President
of the United States its supreme municipal
executive; Congress, it's 'city council and
the national judiciary, its court of justice.
With this view President Washington es-
tablshed the precedent of placing the en-
cheering features of the yet unborn city in
the hands of a military engineer There
they have remained without disturbance
ever since
Entered Army Early.
Major L'Enfant whom he engaged to
draw "a plan of federal city from lieu
tenant in the French provincial service, en-
tered the American continental army in 1777
as engineer, and the following year was
made captain in that branch of the service.
The attention of Washington having been
attracted by his superior skill he served for
the rest of the war under the immediate
command of that great entertain. 1t was
natural for a general of Washngtons pre-
eminent judgment of men and official inter-
est in the proposed federal territory to
select l. Enfant to make the draft, but the
attention given by him in correspondence
and personal conferences with his army en-
gineer in every matter of detail was suffi-
Gent TO stamp the policy of all Presidents
since.
I'm the original plan certain squares
were set apart for establishment by the
respective states, in order to preserve the
idea of seat of government representa-
tive of the Union, but all such Improve
ments were to conform to the national plan
drawn by his army engineer and approved
by himself. All the writings and recorded
acts of the first President established this.
Wherever outside or civilian assistance
was required it was under the engineer in
charge. If it should be urged that there
was no corps of engineers at that time.
it may be answered that the regular tcon-
tinentaD army of the United States after
the peace of 1888 was reduced to eighty
three men. and l. Enfant was apparently
much the whole thing in his line; in fact,
the ranking engineer officer of the United
States army, for in May of the same year
Washington appointed him major of en-
gineers, and in 1894, after he had drawn
the plan of the city, assigned him as en-
gineer in the construction of Fort Miffiin.
In 1912 Madison, the fourth President, APP
pointed him professor of engineering at
the United States Military Academy at
West Point, which, however, he declined.
This point is made clear, in order to
show that Washingtons idea was To keep
this branch of the city's interests entirely
within the scope of national jurisdiction
and the immediate and exclusive authority
of the Department of War. The first in
war, first in peace and first in the hearts OF
his countrymen was a federallSt per Sc
and proposed to keep the federal territory
apart from politics or interference from
non-executive lines. He regarded the fed
eral territory in the same light as federal
fortress. where all authority is vested in
the President and should be corresponding.
" executed 1t was clear to his mind that
uniformity of design and harmony of ac-
were concerned, which included the es-
thetic was only to be maintained through
that branch of the army.
The Engineer Corps.
CAS- a consequence, from that time to this,
as far as not modified in specific cases by
snecifc legislation this work has been uader
the corps of eng neers of the army. These
officers have consistently followed the lines
upon which the city was planned. Tie Ell
/ feet of each of the few spasmodic cases OF
/ interference has been demorallZing and bad
There should be, there always has
! been the organic division of the citys in
! terests under the Office of the engineer OF
J public buildings and grounds, the legti-
! mate successor to the system establ shed
J by President Washington. at the head of
/ which. by assignment. is Col. Thomas W.
| Symons. Engineer Corps. United States
| army, who added to his expert skill, has
! the practical experience of long previous
service as Engineer Commissioner of the
! District government.
| And the Commissioners of the District
| the present form of municipal adm nistra-
| ton, charged with all that pertains to the
| government and regulations of a city in
| the security. comfort and happineSs OF it's
| inhabitants.
| City Much Mixed
| "A mixed board, even to include reprssen-
| tation of these divisions. besides be ng I'M
| necessary, would soon find the affairs OF
| the city mixed, indeed. beyond peradvea-
| ture. The precedent established by Wash
| ington should be continued. No complaints
have ever been m de, with reason again't
| the present system, the efficiency and
| economy of its work nor the integrity of its
/ financial transactions involving the eX-
/ penditure of hundreds of thousands of dol :
| lars.
THE present personnel and equipment or