New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-07-04
WASHINGTON
A Monumental History of the
Seat of Government.

y HISTORY OF THE NATIONAL CAPITAL.
From It's foundation through the period OF
the adoption Of the Organic Act. by vii
helmu- Bogart Bryan. With maps and
illustrations. Svo. Vol ]. l7sO-lSl4 PIP ~
6t9. The Macmillan Company.
This handsome volume is the first
of series which will, if the present
plan and scope are maintained form
standard if not the definitive history Of
the American capital. Mr.. Bryan has
made painstaking and discriminating
research into apparently every avail
able source of information concerning
his subject, and has accumulated d
mass OF acts and incidents which would
be bewildering if they were not so gen
orally interesting, and if he had not
marshalled them in so orderly and in
telligible a fashion. The result is
history which, while it makes no pre-
tensions to emulate the purple
patches of Macaulay, but on the con-
trary cultivates particularly simple
and unassuming style, is nowhere un
interesting. and which is accurately
Illuminating as to the first quarter
century of the national capital.
We have recently seen, in Australia,
an illustration of the compleXity and
difficulty of the task Of selecting a
national capital for a federation or
union Of formerly separate states. Like
that in kind, but vastly harder in de-
gree. was the problem which con-
fronted the Fathers OF the Republic.
The Constitution had provided for the
establishment of the capital in fed
eral district, but it did not say where
il should be, and rivalries for the
choice were numerous and keen. The
contest was marked by some degree
Of sordidness and .selishness, and in
some respects by strange lack OF
vision. While New York and Phil
adelphia both would have liked TO be
the national capital, the plan Of a
federal district practically debarred
them, for neither was willing to be-
come part Of such q district; and this
made il necessary 70 select either
some much smaller community or 10
create new one from the beginning
A site on the SusOuehanna River was
much favored. but the chief hesitation
was between the Falls Of the Delaware
at Trenton and the Falls OF the
Potomac. For a time the New Jersey
site 'yas the favorite, and 1t was m
deed adopted by Congress, OF winch
Federal City, in the suburbs OF lreh-
ton. ,emained witness for "a century.
a H..
capitals. the national government pc
+ ing divided between two sites, or oc-
cupying them alternately. Then there
was the expectation, cherished by Jei,
/ ferson and others, that the South ana
West would presently secede; where
fore the capital ought TO be so placed
that il would be well within the
borders Of what was left OF the Union
when that secession occurred.
II was Washington himself VINO
finally. under Congressional authorltj,
made the choice. II was Jefferson who,
more than any one else, prescribed me
general plan Of the city At any rate.
the location Of the Capitol, the PrcsI-
dents house and the Mail. and also
the rectangular arrangement Of streets
and their ample width. Writing 70
Washington Of the streets, he SAID:
81 shout propose these 10 be at right
angles, as in Philadelphia, and that no
street be narrower than one hundred
feet. with footways Of fifteen ieet
Where street IL long and level Il
might be one hundred and twenty feet
vide" He objected, however, TO the
"disgusting monotony" Of Philadelphia
cause by requiring all houses to bc
the same distance from the street, and
he wisely favored the Paris system Of
restricting buildings 10 certain
height, proportioned 70 the width oi
the street.
But the genius Of the whole enter
prize was Major BEnfant, albeit he
displayed supcrnuity OF those &C.
centricitics which some foolishly sup
pose 10 be essential %, or at any rae
inseparablc from. genius. lie was
.t.'r. r-d frir~iuatiOn, pcf-