The Washington herald., 1909-04-29

familiar 10 him in the region. In Janu-
sry, i79l, II had become certain that the
Federal city would rise one day where
it now rises.
But what sort of a city would Il be-
A residential one for statesmen. legisla-
tors. and judges. OF a commercial one
with the splendid possibilities afforded
By the river. OF q mixture OF both
Would it be planned in view of the pres
ent or the future. and OF what sort OF
future? To plan the city, Washington
selected a French officer. whose qualities
Of character and faults Of temper. he had
for thirteen years many occasions to ap-
preciate; gifted plucky, energetic. but
difficult to handIe-Maj. Pierre Charles
rEnfant
NO wonder that when the new Capital
had % be planned Washington thought
of TEnfant, with his good service. his
valOT, his enthusiasm for America. his
uprightness. and his artistic gifts and
associations. He knew. too. that I'm
fant was willing and that the work would
be for him a work OF love
FOressw City's Greatness.
The major set to his task fmmediat teIy.
on the 18th Of April. 1871. the first bound
airy stone Of the new District was sol
emily set. and before the year was over
Mai. TE-fant produced his plan Of the
city Intended for the permanent seat of
the government OF the United States. A
mere glance al the work showed that the
officer had decided not 10 work for a
nation Of thirteen States but one of
fifty The streets were Of a width unex-
smpled anywhere; gardens. parks. foun-
tains. statues to famous men-aU were
devised IN view OF great and powerful
nation. the nation OF to-day
Explanations were added on the mar
gin, making clear the views Of the au-
thor. who seems 10 have foreseen present
greatness in all its aspects even the last
acquired one. the one Of which the Ameri-
can nation is so Justly proud-her navy.
On the point marked G there shall be
J Enfant had written. a column proposed
10 be erected 10 celebrate the first rise
Of a navy. and 10 stand a ready monu-
ment 20 peTpetuate its progress and
achievements. This part OF FEnfant-s :
plan has no; been fulfilled. though there
IS much now 10 perpetuste- Other points
IN his plan have been discarded but il
turns ont that. greatly 10 his credit. in
more than one case there Is q tendency
ROW 70 go hack 20 what he had pro-
posed.
The plan fitted SO well future times.
and 50 badly present ones. that for many
and E7any years criticisms we're cease
less; Is late as IS5I Jean Jacques Am
pere. visiting Washington. heard Jokes
on that strange city. made Up Of houses
without streets and streets without
houses. Now that the excellence OF the
plan has become obvious. poor TEnfant
has had 10 experience another sort OF
criticism: his no longer ridiculed ideas
have proved so good. 50 great. SO prac-
teal. that some wonder whether they
can really have been his Not that there
is any doubt as 10 the authenticity Of
his plan OF 179l. which still exists. and
where We can All recognize the site OF
our OWn houses.
First Ambassador French.
a Frenchman was not quite a foreigner
then in the United States. and does no,
quite feel one even now: that the in
tuition TEnfant had OF the future Of
his adopted country vas nothing very
all French people had the
same. From the first France thought
that the United States would be. and
should be- q great nation The first diplo-
mat ever sent here cam, from France.
and he brought 10 the struggling colonies
letters Of credence as an ambassador. the
same as I brought myself 10 YOUR pov-
srful republic OF 9o0Gl0dG inhabitants.
when the United States asked for New
Orleans. France offered louisiana: that
Is to say, more territory than vas Gov
cred by the thirteen original States.
When Taieyrand came as an exile in
l7s8 he wrote that ne had decided TO do
90. being anxious 20 know this great
whose history begins
1T would, have been wonder II I'En-
faut had not felt likewise That he act