Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-09-16
TO NO MAN ALONE
IS THE CREDIT DUE
Maj. L'Enfant Not the Sole De-
signer of Washington
City Plan.
DR.. THOMAS NELSON PAGE
DISCUSSES THE SUBJECT
Much Of Great Conception, He De.
clares, Originated With Re-
public's First President.

P0bAAS y = AxSt Z xVSAuC4Ss
Or. Thomas Nelson Page the new am
eassador to Italy. writes an interesting
article called The Romantic Founding
Of Washington in the current number
Of Scribner's Magazine in which he
points out that it is far from true that
| to L'Enfant alone is due the masniti-
cence Of the plan for the capital Of the
United States.
! DR.. Page says, in part:
THE capitals Of most countries are
the especial pride Of their people It Is
not SO with us-at least. 1t has not been
so in the past. Happily. 1t appears as
though this condition were changing 1t
has. indeed. ever appeared to me strange
that Americans know 80 little Of and
care so little for the capital of their own
country. Nature. rrodigal of gracious
slope and curve and tone, has endowed
| it with perhaps more charm than any
other national capital-at least, than any
large European capital, and Its founders
laid 1t off on generous plan which has
left the opportunity of further.ng what
nature presented in a way to appeal 10
the pride OF our people. Yet how large
a proportion of Americans turn their
eyes and their steps, not toward It's ma
jestic buildings, but to some foreign cap
ita1 with its gaudy shops and commercial
ailurements. returning with an alien 5
ideas on many subjects and boasting OF
beauties which are not comparable to
those of our own capital city.
Provincial Visitors View.
| Not long since, in club in our chief
| commercial city. a group of gentlemen
were discussing foreign cities with the
familiarity OF regular habitues, and a
provincial visitor from small territory
on the banks of the Potomac suggested
that In the sprng at least Washington
| m1aht vie with any capital that he haa
| ever seen.
/ 4 have never been to Washington
| said a member of the CLUB who was an
| annual visitor to nearly every European
| capital and had. indeed. familiarity
| Win them second only to his Familiarity
with his native city.
''Ycu mean that you have never Wis.
tied Washington?
mo. 1 have passed through Wash
| ington frequently, gong back and forth
TO FLORIDA or some other southern VIM
ter resort, but / have never spent an
hour there
Come with me tonight, man, and see
the most beautiful city III the world!'
exclaimed his guest gathering courage.
Meant Nothing to Him.
"Washington--with its noble buildings.
It's charming parks, Its sunlit stretches
and shady avenues, it's majestic monu-
ment-the most majestic on earth-now
bathed in the sunshine, now rejecting
the moonlight, now towering amid the
| clouds-meant nothing to him. Washing
! ton. with it's charming society, its cos
| mopolitan flavor, its interesting circles,
| social, political, scientific, artistic. dipio-
| matte, meant nothing to him. Why was
| It?
Washington has unique life; though
| how long il will remain SO no one can
tell. Fresh with the beauty OF youth.
| situated at the pleasant mean between
ing climate which throughout the
| greater portion Of the year admits OF
| the only proper Hfe-life in the open air
with sunshine as sparkling and skies as
blue as Italy's. it presents to those who
! wish them political. scientific and social
life, and soon it will offer a literary and
artistic life, which. second to none in
the new world. may possibly. in no long
time, be equal to that Of any in the
. whole world. In Washington one may,
according to taste, hear discussed the
| most advanced theories of science in
| every field, the political news of eve.y
| country, and enjoy society as simple,
cultured and refined-or, IL one prefers
ins-as In any capital OF the globe.
Madison Introduces Resolution.
by 1887. when the constitutional con-
vention assembled, the idea Of sepa-
| rate seat for the federal government
! had become sufficiently established in
the public mind for Madison to move.
| without opposition, resolution that
among the enumerated powers of Con-
gress should be the right to "exer-
else exclusively Legislative authority at
the seat Of the general government and
over q district not exceeding
| square miles, the consent of the state
! or states comprising the same having
| first been obtained This was present
Congress should exercise exclusive
legislation In all cases whatsoever
| over said district mot to exceed ten
miles square) as may by cession Of
OF Congress become the scat of govern
ment of the United States" On the
! adoption Of this resolution Trenton
and Annapolis were both formally Of
were promptly declined. Congress had
had experience with both and preferred
to fly to ills that they knew not of
rather than to endure the Ills they had.
city or place where a state government
might be fixed should be excluded.
Cession Of Site Proposed.
Maryland and Virginia agreed through
their representatives In Congress to cede
district Of ten miles square. within
their borders, which Congress might oc-
. cupy as a permanent seat OF govern
ment. Virginia requested the 'co-opera-
| ton of Maryland In inducing Congress
to accept the grant. and pledged herself
!, to furnish a sum, not to exceed $l2O.UO,
for the public buildings necessary, pro-
| yided Maryland would raise at least two
fifths OF that sum. Mr.. Monioe, In pur-
suance OF this idea, offered a resolution
that Maryland and Virginia should pay
for the first public buildings, provided
that Georgetown was selected. Pennsyl-
vania and Maryland engaged to guaran-
tee the clear navigation OF the Sus-
quehanna. if district In that region
was selected. Delaware and Maryland
were to agree to open water communi-
cation between the Delaware river and
Chesapeake bay. On the other hand.
New York and Philadelphia offered their
public buildings. should the Congress
make the selection within their borders,
and Baltimore. not to be outdone, OPEN
! ed a subscriDffOn for new public build