The Washington times., 1923-06-26
OLD FORT
MADE PUBLIC
PARK
G. A. r. Official Appeals to
Congress to Save Civil War
Fertilization.


tonians to make Fort Stevens on
the Seventh street road a National
park through an act of Congress
is being urged by John McElroy,
editor of The National Tribune and
Past Commander, G. A. r. Depart
ment Command. y
1.-THE Government McElroy be-
Iieves, should restore the works
to as near as possible the condition
Of war times. mounting the fort
with old guns of civil war pattern,
clear off the glacis in front. so a.
to give something OF the view that
Lincoln had.
IF this is DONE" he. continues.
Fort Stevens will become the
mecca OF all the automobiles ar.
irving in the city. and Of all tour
lists from abroad"
Following are McElroy's senti.
ments on this patriotic subject:
There has come an unexcelled
opportunity for the city Of Wash
ington to add to its attractiveness>
and interest. This will be by the
restoration and conversion into
National Park, Of old Fort Stevens
on the Seventh street road.
Civil War Land Mark.
To-day, all Christendom resounds
with Lincoln's fame. and every.
thing connected with him has q
genuine, vital interest to every
man and woman in the civilized
world. Fort Stevens marked the
most critical period Of the Civil
War, the most intense hour In
Lincoln's life. As he stood on the
ramparts of the fort, and looked
with those sadly prophetic eyes Of
his across the undulating plain,
swarming with the enemies OF the
Republic, there passed before his
vision vistas of what should happen
from both victory and defeat.
1--WE had then fought with all our
might for three and one-half years
to put down the rebellion. We had
gone in debt billions OF dollars, ana
we had entered upon each year. OF
the war with high hopes Of what
we should do before winter. In spite
of this, midsummer Of July IL,
1864, had seen a powerful Con-
federate army knocking at the very
gates Of Washington. There was q
panic, not only in Washington, but
all through the loyal States. Even
the Secretary of War and the
general commanding the army were
swept away by the panic. No one
seemed to maintain his composure
except Lincoln and General Grant.
1.-THE greenback, which was the
life-blood Of the business Of the
country, sank to the valuation of 35
cents on the dollar. On July IL.
1864, 1885 in greenbacks was paid
for 500 in gold. This meant that
~ at ~
class were holding that the Govern
ment had only one chance in three
to save itself.
1.-THE tide changed when the two
divisions Of the Sixth Corps rushed
out on the Seventh street road, at.
tackled Early force, and drove 1t
back, under the eyes of the Presi.
dent. From the time Of this
emergence through the sally-port
of Fort Stevens, everything went
our way until the browning effort
Of Appomattox. The magnitude Of
that crucial hour becomes over.
whelming on the minds Of all who
stop to study it.
1.-THE people of the whole world
are eager for everything which
serves as a souvenir of the Great
Emancipator, and few things could
be presented to them Of more in
terest than the conversion OF the
old fort, where Lincoln stood, into
national park.
Mecca for Tourists.
"Washington Is continually
thronged with tourists, many Of them
from across the seas, who are
eagerly looking for reminder OF our
past history, and, especially, Of
Lincoln, and their numbers will so
on increasing. The obvious thing to
| do is to have an act of Congress
passed making Fort Stevens into a
national park. The Government
could restore the works to as near
as possible the condition Of war
times, arm the fort with old guns OF
civil war pattern, clear off the
| glacis in front so as to give some
thing of the view that Lincoln had.
Already the spot upon which he
stood by the side Of General Wright
has oeen defined, and huge
boulder placed there to commemorate
| the place. There should be markers
| placed to show every position of the
| Union and Confederate forces on
that highly critical occasion, with
plain inscriptions on the markers.
IF this is done, Fort Stevens will
become the Mecca Of all the auto
mobilists arriving in the city, and
of all tourists from abroad. 1t will
prove immensely more attractive
than any building, statue, or monu-
ment that could be put us, and
would cost comparatively little.
THE thing to do Is for Washing
tonians themselves to take an inter-
est in the project ard bestir them
selves in the initiative. 1t Is likely
| that the Crank Army Of the Repub-
| lie. the Sons of Veterans, United
Spanish War Veterans, American
| Legion and Word War men will, at
their coming national encampments,
pass strong resolutions in favor Of
this object lesson in history. and
that we can have the whole force of
these organizations behind this
movement.
1T will be the greateFt object
lesson in patriotism. that any country
in the world can show.
THE REV. MISS BROWN TO