Evening star., 1916-04-30

for the army of Maximilian. Mr.. Mot
ley is informed that he cannot make his
protest against any act of this kind on
the part of the Austrian government
too emphatic. and is instructed to rep
being carried on hereafter in Mexico by
Austrian subjects. under the command
or with the sanction of the govern
ment of Vienna, the United States will
feel at liberty to regard these hostili-
ties as constituting a state OF war by
Austria against the republic of Mexi-
co. and in regard to such war waged at
stances the United States could not en-
gage to remain silent or neutral"
The Virginia section Of the District
before the civil war.
Retrocession and after the close Of
TO v;rp;n;a the struggle move
'1S AAAo' ment was begun to
cancel the retrocession and to restore
the District to it's original proportions.
This, of course, raised objections in
Virginia. In The Star of April 27, 1866,
is the following on the subject:
The proposed repeal Of the act retro
ceding Alexandria county to the state
of Virginia. thus again making it part
of the District Of Columbia. seems to
have excited the ire of some of our
neighbors across the river. who, it
seems, would rather be Virginians than
Columbians. The Alexandra Gazette is
fighting the proposition tooth and nail,
but the Incorporate declamatory arti-
cles in that paper are well calculated,
II they have any effect. to insure the
adoption of measure which it char
acterizes as an outrage as great as his
tory has ever recorded. in the dismem-
berment Of states and the arbitrary op-
GRAFTON Of despotic authority 1t may
require considerable 'enrontery' to
make public willingness to .disfran-
chise an entire community and it may
be very hard on the 'disfranchised' 1--WE
have got used to 1t here): but the
gloomy days when the safety of this
metropolis was menaced by our neigh
bors across the river. and when the
heights of Arlington were occupied by
those commanding hills to make this a
very uncomfortable place Of residence;
those days are yet so fresh in the
memory of our citizens that they can
not sympathize with the malcontents
in our sister city who deprecate a
union with US. We have heard 1t sug-
gested that the retrocession of Alex
andria to Virginia was one of the pre-
liminary steps to the dismemberment
OF the Union Of states, and a. part Of
the plan already being matured at that
time by the rebel leaders. This being
SO. 1t should be wiped out with other
traces Of the great rebellion. II we
thought with the Gazette, however that
Alexandria would be ruined by the
measure, we would not speak in its ia
vor, but we cannot see how anv such
result will follow"
Yesterday crowd of persons were
attracted to the Old CAPITOL" says The
Star of April ~, 1866,
Old Capitol by the, announcement
~ Await that the building and
~ nuctlon. grounds would b. of.
pm. Most of the assemblage were anx-
ious for an opportunity to examine this
famous prison. and as soon as the
door was opened the crowd poured into
the building to crafty their curiosity
The charcoal sketches on the walls
and the numerous autographs of pris-
oners in the cells and corridors were
objects of peculiar interest to these
sightseers. The room where Wirz was
confined and that where the notorious
Belle Boyd had her receptions received
especial attention. A few old iron bed
steads. a ball and chain and one or two
other scattered articles are all that re-
main of the old prison appurtenances.
except the wood and iron bars to the
front windows. The Old Capitol never
was government property. When the
British destroyed the Capitol in 1914
a number of wealthy gentlemen who
owned land in the vicinity. fearing that
Congress might be induced to change
the location of the new Capitol, Joined
together and erected the building In
1915, and 1t was rented by the United
States. James Madison was inaugural
ed President for his second term In
front of the Old Capitol After it had
been used for while by the govern
ment and other quarters had been pro-
vided for Congress the building was
vacated and was subsequently, convert
ed into a hotel. was conducted first by
a Mr.. Pannecliff and subsequently by
p. d. Stelle, at which time it was con-
sidered the hotel of Washington.
Since then it has been occupied by va
rious persons as boarding house.
where many of the leading men of the
Congress. John C. Calhoun died in this
Mrs. Hill then occupying ii
as boarding house.
The crowd having gratified their
Mr.. MCGUIRE. the auctioneer.
offered the entire premises, with the
ooiio'iSS S'S|SSu oS Nho So"CI hiiehe'
for sale. reserving one bid for the
trustees. The only offer made was
$4,000. After calling a short time and
no bid over that sum being offered. the
bid of the trustees. $4,000, was put in
and the property withdrawn"
Il x
The Star of April 80. 1886. contained
the recommendations Of the joint COM
mittee of fifteen on
Reconstruction the plans for recon
struction, which hal
Report. been in session for
five months, taking testimony in re-
gard to the condition of the states
lately in rebellion. The Star said re-
this report:
THE propositions, though not radi-
cal enough to suit some few ardent re-
publicans. go yet further than the con-
stitutional amendment proposed by
Senator Wilson, even to the extent OF
excluding all. until 1870. from voting
for President and congressman who
adhered to or aided the
rebellion and proposing laws by which
none of the states involved in the re-
bellion can be represented until they
adopt the constitutional amendment
which disfranchises the great mass OF
their white population. thus aiming to
negro suffrage: measures which