Chapter IV: Part 4

"It has been objected in some quarters that the ancient obelisks
were all monolithic--massive single stones, cut whole from the
quarry; but our country has been proud to give examples of both
political and material structures which owe their strength to union;
and this Monument to Washington will not be the less significant or
stately from embodying the idea of our national motto, '_E pluribus
unum_.'

* * * * *

"Something more original and more ornate might have been conceived
at the outset or might now be designed, but there are abundant
fields for the exhibition of advanced art in other parts of the
country, if not here. This Monument and its design will date back to
the time of its inception, and will make no pretensions to
illustrate the arts of 1880. It was not undertaken to illustrate the
fine arts of any period, but to commemorate the foremost man of all
ages. Indeed, it will date back in its form and in its proportions
to a remote antiquity. It is a most interesting fact communicated to
us in the letters, hereto appended, of our accomplished American
minister at Rome, the Hon. George P. Marsh, as the result of his own
researches, that the proportions of this Monument, as now designed,
are precisely those of all the best-known Egyptian obelisks. The
height of those monuments is ascertained by him to have been
uniformly and almost precisely ten times the dimensions of the base,
and _this proportion_ has now been decided on for our own Monument
to Washington, the measurements of the base being fifty-five feet,
and projected elevation five hundred and fifty feet. * * * It seems
to the undersigned sufficient respectfully to suggest that the
question before Congress at this moment is not whether the original
plans might not have been improved to advantage, but whether this
long-delayed work shall be finished within any reasonable period or
be left still longer as a subject for competition among designers
and constructors.

* * * * *

"By the adoption of the recommendations of the Commissioners and
Engineer the work may be completed within the next four years. * * *
While the structure would make no appeal to a close and critical
inspection as a mere work of art, it would give a crowning finish to
the grand public buildings of the Capital, would add a unique
feature to the surrounding landscape, and would attract the admiring
gaze of the most distant observers in the wide range over which it
would be visible. It would be eminently a monument for the
appreciation of the many, if not of the few, and would thus verify
the designation originally given it, of 'The People's Monument to
their most illustrious Benefactor.'"

In a letter to the chairman of the committee of the Society by Colonel Casey, dated April 19, 1887, he stated:

"The base of the Monument is 55 feet square, the top will be 34 feet
6 inches square, and it will be crowned with a pyramidion, or roof,
50 feet in height. The proportions of the parts of this obelisk are
in exact accordance with the classic proportions of parts of this
style of architecture, as determined after careful research by the
Hon. George P. Marsh, American Minister at Rome."

The recommendations of the Joint Commission, of the Engineer, Colonel Casey, and of the Society, as to plan and proportions of the shaft, were happily sustained.

The prediction in the Society's last memorial to Congress was fully realized in the completed Monument, which has ever since attracted "the admiring gaze of the most distant observers in the wide range over which it is visible." None are found to regret the form of the Monument, which was firmly adhered to as most fitting to perpetuate the name and fame of Washington.

Congress making the required annual appropriation for the purpose, the work proceeded and the Monument was finally completed on the 6th of December, 1884, on which day its capstone was set in place.

By joint resolution of Congress, approved May 13, 1884, a commission was created, consisting of five Senators, eight Representatives, and three members of the Washington National Monument Society to make arrangements for the dedication of the Monument. The following persons composed the Commission:

Hon. JOHN SHERMAN,
Hon. JUSTIN S. MORRILL,
Hon. WILLIAM B. ALLISON,
Hon. THOMAS F. BAYARD,
Hon. LUCIUS Q. C. LAMAR,
Hon. WILLIAM DORSHEIMER,
Hon. JOHN RANDOLPH TUCKER,
Hon. JOHN H. REGAN,
Hon. PATRICK COLLINS,
Hon. NATHANIEL B. ELDREDGE,
Hon. HENRY H. BINGHAM,
Hon. JOSEPH G. CANNON,
Hon. JAMES LAIRD, AND
Hon. W. W. CORCORAN,
President JAMES C. WELLING,
Dr. JOSEPH M. TONER.

Pursuant to the order of proceedings adopted by the Commission the Monument was dedicated on the 21st of February, 1885. The ceremonies, began at the base of the Monument at 11 o'clock, Hon. John Sherman, Chairman of the Commission, presided. After music, prayer by the Rev. Mr. Suter, of Christ Church, Alexandria, Va.; an address prepared by W. W. Corcoran, the First Vice-President of the Washington National Monument Society, read by Dr. James C. Welling, Mr. Corcoran being unable to attend; Masonic ceremonies by the Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia, Grand Master Myron M. Parker; remarks by Col. Thomas L. Casey, the Engineer of the Joint Commission, delivering the Monument to the President of the United States, the Monument was dedicated by the President of the United States, Chester A. Arthur, in the following words:

"FELLOW COUNTRYMEN: Before the dawn of the century whose eventful
years will soon have faded into the past--when death had but lately
robbed this Republic of its most beloved and illustrious
citizen--the Congress of the United States pledged the faith of the
Nation that in this city, bearing his honored name, and then, as
now, the seat of the General Government, a monument should be
erected to commemorate the great events of his military and
political life.

"The stately column that stretches heavenward front the plain
whereon we stand bears witness to all who behold it that the
covenant which our fathers made, their children have fulfilled.

"In the completion of this great work of patriotic endeavor there is
abundant cause for national rejoicing; for while this structure
shall endure it shall be to all mankind a steadfast token of the
affectionate and reverent regard in which this people continue to
hold the memory of Washington. Well may he ever keep the foremost
place in the hearts of his countrymen.

"The faith that never faltered; the wisdom that was broader and
deeper than any learning taught in schools; the courage that shrank
from no peril and was dismayed by no defeat; the loyalty that kept
all selfish purpose subordinate to the demands of patriotism and
honor; the sagacity that displayed itself in camp and cabinet alike;
and, above all, that harmonious union of moral and intellectual
qualities which has never found its parallel among men--these are
the attributes of character which the intelligent thought of this
century ascribes to the grandest figure of the last.

"But other and more eloquent lips than mine will to-day rehearse to
you the story of his noble life and its glorious achievements.

"To myself has been assigned a simpler and more formal duty, in
fulfillment of which I do now, as President of the United States and
in behalf of the people, receive this Monument from the hands of its
builder, and declare it dedicated from this time forth to the
immortal name and memory of George Washington."

The proceedings occurred in the presence of a great concourse of citizens and visitors from all parts of the country. The day was clear and cold, and a light fall of snow covered the earth.

The procession to the Capitol, comprising a military escort, embracing the regular forces of the Army and Navy and visiting military bodies and a civic division, under command of Lieut.-Gen. P. H. Sheridan, marshal of the day, was imposing.

The proceedings arranged in the hall of the House of Representatives occurred in the presence of the President of the United States and his Cabinet, the assembled Congress, the Judges of the Supreme Court of the United States, Governors of States, Foreign Ambassadors and Ministers, official heads in the Departments of the Government, municipal officers of Washington, judges, distinguished officers of the Army and Navy, the Marine Corps, and the Militia, scientists, journalists, scholars of distinction, and many other invited guests of prominence. Among those present were descendants of the family of Washington, and of his friends and neighbors.

Prayer was offered by the Rev. S. A. Wallis, of Pohick Church, near Mount Vernon, Va. An oration by Hon. Robert C. Winthrop, of Massachusetts, was read by Hon. John D. Long, a Representative from Massachusetts. Music by the United States marine band was followed by an eloquent oration by the Hon, John W. Daniel, of Virginia.

The benediction was pronounced by the Rev. John A. Lindsay, Chaplain of the House of Representatives.

The resolution of Congress of 1799 was at last fulfilled. The efforts of the Washington National Monument Society were realized, and the American people beheld the consummation of their desire--a great National Monument erected at the seat of the Federal Government to the name and memory of George Washington.

A provision in the sundry civil bill, approved October 2, 1888, dissolved the Joint Commission, and placed the Monument "in the custody, care, and protection" of the Secretary of War, and "continued" the Washington National Monument Society "with the same powers as provided in the act of August 2, 1876, creating the Joint Commission."

APPENDIX.

ROLL OF THE Washington National Monument Society.

Chief Justice John Marshall.
Ex-President James Madison.
Hon. Roger C. Weightman.
Com. John Rodgers.
Gen. Thomas S. Jessup.
Col. George Bomford.
Matthew St. Claire Clarke.
Samuel Harrison Smith.
John McClelland.
Judge William Cranch.
Hon. William Brent.
George Watterston.
Col. Nathan Towson.
Gen. Archibald Henderson.
Thomas Munroe.
Hon. Thomas Carbery.
Hom. Peter Force.
Hon. John P. Van Ness.
William Ingle.
William L. Brent.
Gen. Alexander McComb.
John J. Abert.
Philip R. Fendall.
Maj.-Gen. Winfield Scott.
John Carter.
Gen. Walter Jones.
Hon. Walter Lenox.
T. Hartley Crawford.
Com. M. F. Maury.
Benj. Ogle Tayloe.
Thomas Blagden.
John Carroll Brent.
Col. James Kearney.
Hon. Elisha Whittlesey.
Hon. W. W. Seaton.
J. Bayard H. Smith.
Hon. W. W. Corcoran.
John P. Ingle.
James Mandeville Carlisle.
Dr. John B. Blake.
Dr. William Jones.
William L. Hodge.
Dr. James C. Hall.
William B. Todd.
Hon. James Dunlop.
Gen. U. S. Grant.
George W. Riggs.
Hon. Henry D. Cooke.
Hon. Peter G. Washington.
William J. McDonald.
Hon. John M. Broadhead.
Gen. William T. Sherman.
Dr. Charles H. Nicols.
David A. Watterston.
Hon. Alexander R. Shepherd.
Fitzhugh Coyle.
Hon. James G. Berret.
J. C. Kennedy.
Hon. William A. Richardson.
Gen. O. E. Babcock.
Edward Clark.
Hon. Walter S. Cox.
Rear-Admiral Levin M. Powell.
Dr. Charles F. Stansbury.
Fred D. Stuart.
Hon. Robert C. Winthrop.
Professor Joseph Henry.
Gen. William McKee Dunn.
John C. Harkness.
Hon. Horatio King.
Dr. Daniel B. Clarke.
Hon. George W. McCrary.
Dr. Joseph M. Toner.
President James C. Welling.
Hon. George Bancroft.
Rear-Adm'l C. R. P. Rodgers.
Hon. Hugh McCulloch.
Hon. John Sherman.
Hon. William Strong.
Hon. Arthur McArthur.
Brig.-Gen. Thos. Lincoln Casey.
Hon. A. R. Spofford.
Hon. J. C. Bancroft Davis.
Gen. C. C. Augur.
Professor Asaph Hall.
Rear-Adm'l S. R. Franklin.
Dr. Francis M. Gunnell.
Professor E. M. Gallaudet.
Hon. Martin F. Morris.
Hon. George S. Boutwell.
Samuel H. Kauffmann.
Maj.-Gen. John M. Schofield.
Rev. John F. Hurst, D. D.
Rt. Rev. John J. Keane.
Hon. Henry B. Brown.
Hon. William A. Maury.
Henry A. Willard.
Charles C. Glover.
Professor S. D. Langley.
Frederick L. Harvey.
R. Ross Perry.

GENERAL AGENTS.

Elisha Whittlesey, 1848.
Lieut. J. C. Ives, 1859 to 1860.
John S. Benson, 1870.
Frederick L. Harvey, 1874 to 1876.

INSCRIPTION ON COPPER PLATE COVERING DEPOSIT-RECESS IN THE CORNER-STONE OF MONUMENT.

4th JULY, 1776.

DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE OF THE UNITED STATES OF
AMERICA.

4th JULY, 1848.

THIS CORNER-STONE LAID OF A MONUMENT,
BY THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES, TO THE
MEMORY OF GEORGE WASHINGTON.

JAMES K. POLK,
_President of the United States and Ex-officio President of the Board
of Managers._

WILLIAM BRENT, _1st Vice-President_.

WILLIAM W. SEATON, _Mayor of Washington, 2d Vice-President_.

GEN'L A. HENDERSON, _3d Vice-President_.

J. B. H. SMITH, _Treasurer_.

GEORGE WATTERSTON, _Secretary_.

BOARD OF MANAGERS.

MAJOR-GEN'L WINFIELD SCOTT.
GEN'L N. TOWSON.
COL. J. J. ABERT.
COL. J. KEARNEY.
GEN'L WALTER JONES.
THOMAS CARBERY.
PETER FORCE.
WM. A. BRADLEY.
P. R. FENDALL.
THOMAS MUNROE.
WALTER LENOX.
M. F. MAURY.
THOMAS BLAGDEN.
ELISHA WHITTLESEY, _General Agent_.

BUILDING COMMITTEE.

THOMAS CARBERY.
WILLIAM A. BRADLEY.
GEORGE WATTERSTON.
COL. J. J. ABERT.

COMMITTEE OF ARRANGEMENTS.

GEN'L A. HENDERSON.
WALTER LENOX.
LIEUT. M. F. MAURY.
JOSEPH H. BRADLEY, _Chief Marshal_.
ROBERT MILLS, _Architect_.

LIST OF MEMBERS OF THE JOINT COMMISSION, COMPLETION OF THE WASHINGTON MONUMENT.

ACT OF AUGUST 2, 1876.

(Commission Dissolved October 2, 1888.)

_Presidents._

ULYSSES S. GRANT. JAS. A. GARFIELD.
R. B. HAYES. CHESTER A. ARTHUR.
GROVER CLEVELAND.

_Chiefs of Corps of Engineers, U. S. A._

Brig.-Gen. A. A. HUMPHREYS. Brig.-Gen. HORATIO WRIGHT.
Brig.-Gen. JOHN NEWTON. Brig.-Gen. THOS. L. CASEY (1888).

_Architect of the Capitol._

EDWARD CLARK.

_Architects of the Treasury._

JAS. G. HILL. JOHN FRASER, Acting. M. E. BELL.

_First Vice-President of Washington National Monument Society._

W. W. CORCORAN.

_Secretary._

F. L. HARVEY.

_Engineers in Charge Under Joint Commission._

Col. THOS. LINCOLN CASEY, Col. JOHN M. WILSON (1888),
Corps of Engineers.

_Assistants._

Capt. GEO. W. DAVIS, BERNARD R. GREEN,
14th Inft., U. S. A. Civil Engineer.

_Master Mechanic_--P. H. MCLAUGHLIN.

_Chief Clerk_--JAMES B. DUTTON.

_Draftsman_--GUSTAV FRIEBUS.

INSCRIPTIONS ON THE FOUR FACES OF THE ALUMINUM POINT CROWNING APEX OF MONUMENT.

(NORTH FACE.)

JOINT COMMISSION AT SETTING OF CAP-STONE.

CHESTER A. ARTHUR.
W. W. CORCORAN, _Chairman_.
M. E. BELL.
EDWARD CLARK.
JOHN NEWTON.
_Act of August 2nd, 1876._

(WEST FACE.)

CORNER-STONE LAID ON BED OF FOUNDATION
JULY 4, 1848.

FIRST STONE AT HEIGHT OF 152 FEET
LAID
AUGUST 7, 1880.

CAP-STONE SET DECEMBER 6, 1884.

(SOUTH FACE.)

CHIEF ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT,
THOS. LINCOLN CASEY,
COLONEL CORPS OF ENGINEERS.

_Assistants:_
GEORGE W. DAVIS,
CAPTAIN 14TH INFANTRY.

BERNARD R. GREEN,
CIVIL ENGINEER.

_Master Mechanic._
P. H. MCLAUGHLIN.

(EAST FACE.)

LAUS DEO.

ENGINEER OFFICE WASHINGTON MONUMENT,
CORNER SEVENTEENTH AND F STREETS,
WASHINGTON, D. C., _April 19, 1880_.

Hon. ROBERT C. WINTHROP,
_Chairman of Committee of Washington Monument society_.

DEAR SIR: Agreeably to your request that a succinct account of the project for the completion and the condition of the work upon the Washington National Monument should be given your committee, I have the honor, with the sanction of the Joint Commission for the completion of the Monument, to report as follows.

ADMINISTRATION.

Under the authority of the act of Congress of August 2, 1876, and joint resolutions of June 14, 1878, and June 27, 1879, the Monument is being constructed under the direction and supervision of a Joint Commission, consisting of the President of the United States, the Supervising Architect of the Treasury Department, the Architect of the Capitol, the Chief of Engineers of the United States Army, and the First Vice-President of the Washington National Monument Society.

PROJECT.

The project or design of the work is an obelisk 550 feet in height, faced with white marble mid hacked with dressed granite rock. Of this structure 156 feet is already finished.

The base of the Monument is 55 feet square, the top will be 34 feet 6 inches square, and it will be crowned with a pyramidion, or roof, 50 feet in height.

The proportions of the parts of this obelisk are in exact accordance with the classic proportions of parts of this style of architecture, as determined after careful research by the Hon. George P. Marsh, American Minister at Rome.

The shaft, as proportioned, both in dimensions and weight, will be entirely stable as against winds that could exert a pressure of one hundred pounds or more per square foot upon any face of the structure.

The project includes the preparation of the foundation so as to enable it to carry this structure. This preparation, or strengthening, consists in making the existing foundation wider and deeper, in order to distribute the weight over a greater area, and in bringing upon each square foot of the earth pressed no greater weight then it is known to be able to sustain.

CONDITION OF THE WORK.

1. _Preparation of foundation._--This consisted in placing a mass of Portland cement concrete beneath the existing foundation, extending downwards 131/2 feet; underneath and within the outer edge of the old foundation 18 feet; and without this edge 23 feet; then, of taking out the old foundation from beneath the shaft, for a sufficient distance back to obtain a good bearing upon the new masonry which is built out upon the slab first mentioned.

This work is so far advanced that it will be entirely completed by the 15th of June.

2. _Preparation for the shaft._--The other operations have consisted in the erection of the interior frame-work for the staircases and elevator within the shaft, which frame-work will be used in the construction of the masonry; the collection of granite and marble for continuing the shaft; and the preparation of the machinery for raising the stones to the top of the shaft, and setting them in place on the walls.

APPROPRIATIONS.

The only appropriation for this work as yet made by Congress is two hundred thousand dollars, contained in the act of August 2, 1876, which sum will be exhausted by the end of August, 1880.

The estimate for completing this work is $667,000, and the time required will be four working seasons.

Very respectfully, your ob't servant,
THOS. LINCOLN CASEY,
_Lieutenant-Colonel Engineers, U.S.A.,
Engineer in Charge._

UNITED STATES SENATE CHAMBER,
WASHINGTON, D. C., _March 31, 1879_.

DEAR SIR: I inclose, as possibly of interest, extracts from a letter I have just received from Hon. George P. Marsh, our Minister at Rome.

These extracts refer to the Washington Monument question. Mr. Marsh is among the most learned and accomplished of those in any country who have given the subject of architecture and monumental art attention.

Very truly yours,
GEO. F. EDMUNDS.
Gen. T. L. CASEY,
_Corps of Engineers_.

[Extracts.]

ROME, _February 9, 1879_.

DEAR MR. EDMUNDS: By a letter from the sculptor Mead to Mrs. Marsh, I understand that the main feature of the Washington Monument is to be an obelisk of great height, surmounted by a colossal statue, and with _bas-reliefs_ at a suitable height from the base. I believe I have not only seen but sketched every existing genuine--that is, Egyptian--obelisk, for no other can fairly said to be genuine. The obelisk is not an arbitrary structure which every one is free to erect with such form and proportions as suit his taste and convenience, but its objects, form, and proportions were fixed by the usage of thousands of years; they satisfy every cultivated eye, and I hold it an esthetical crime to depart from them.

In its objects the obelisk is monumental, its inscriptions having reference to and indicating what or whom it commemorates. I do of think _bas-reliefs_ too great a departure from the primitive character the inscriptions, because we can come no nearer an alphabet answering the purpose.

The most important point is the form and proportions of the structure, as to which the modern builder of obelisks transgresses greatly. The Egyptian obelisks do not, indeed, all conform with mathematical exactness to their own normal proportions, but (probably from defects in the stone) frequently vary somewhat from them. When truly fashioned, however, they are more pleasing to the eye than when deviating from the regular shape.

The obelisk consists: First, of a naked shaft, with or without inscription, the height of which is ten times the width of its base, so that if the base of the shaft is fifty feet square, then the height of the shaft must be five hundred feet. For optical reasons (which cannot be considered in the Washington Monument, it being too late) the faces of the shaft are slightly convex.

The dimensions of the shaft are reduced as it rises, and in this point the ancient obelisks vary more than any other, the top of the shaft varying from two-thirds to three-quarters of the linear measurement of the base. Hence, if the base of the shaft (I do mot mean of the pedestal or plinth, if there is one) is fifty feet square, its summit may be anywhere between thirty-three and one-third and thirty-seven and one-half feet square. The obelisks much reduced are the most graceful, but in this case the great height will of itself reduce the apparent measurement, so that perhaps thirty-five would not be too much. But the shaft has already gone up so far as to have settled those questions of form irrevocably. Second, of a pyramidion or apex, the form and proportions of which are constant. The base of the pyramidion is of exactly the same dimensions as the summit of the shaft, and unites with it directly without any break (except, of course, one angle), and with no ledge, molding, or other disfigurement. The height of the pyramidion is equal to the length of a side of the base of the shaft, and therefore greater than the side of its own base.

There are cases where the hyeroglyphics run up one or more faces of the pyramidion, but in general these faces are perfectly plain.

The Egyptians often covered the whole pyramidion with a closely fitted gilt bronze cap, the effect of which most have been magnificent.

It has been said that it was sometimes surmounted by a gilt star, but I doubt this, for the casing of the pyramidion would of itself have much the same effect.

The notion of spitting an the sharp point of the pyramidion is supremely absurd. Not less so is the substitution of a low hipped roof for am acute pyramidion, or the making of a window in the face of the pyramidion or of the shaft, both which atrocities were committed in the Bunker Hill Monument. There will no doubt be people who will be foolish enough to insist on a peep-hole somewhere; and if they must be gratified the window should be of the exact form and size of one of the stones,and provided with a close-fitting shutter colored exactly like the stone, so that when shut it would be nearly or quite imperceptible from below.

* * * * *

Yours truly,
GEO. P. MARSH.

Hon. GEO. F. EDMUNDS.

WASHINGTON, D. C., _May 12, 1879_.

MY DEAR GENERAL: I have received from Mr. Marsh a letter on the subject of the Monument, a copy of which I herewith forward to you, thinking it may interest you.

Yours truly,
GEORGE F. EDMUNDS.

General T. L. CASEY,
_Corps of Engineers, Washington, D. C._

ROME, _April 25, 1879_.

DEAR MR. EDMUNDS: I am much obliged to you for yours of April 8, with General Casey's letter and the two Congressional documents. I am agreeably surprised to learn from General Casey's interesting letter that the normal proportions have been so early observed hitherto in the construction of the obelisk. In fact, it being difficult to obtain such vast masses of granite rock, even in the quarries of Syene, entirely free from flaws, the Egyptians were very often obliged to depart more or less from the proportions most satisfactory to the eye, and the Washington obelisk conforms so nearly to those proportions, except in two points, that it is hardly subject to criticism. These points are, the batter, which is more rapid than in any obelisk known to me, and the pyramidion. Perhaps the designer adopted the proportions from considerations of stability, as a summit considerably less than the base would give greater security, and when the dimensions are all so great, differences of proportion are less appreciable.

As to the form and proportion of the pyramidion, the existing obelisks are more uniform than in the measurements of the shaft, and I think that, not merely on the ground of precedent but on that of taste, it would be by all means advisable to give to the pyramidion of the Washington obelisk a height of not less than fifty feet. In any case, if the height of the pyramidion is not greater than the side of its base, the summit will have a truncated shape quite out of harmony with the _soaring_ character of the structure.

I infer from General Casey's drawings, accompanying Mr. Corcoran's letter, that the plan of a sort of temple-like excrescence from the base--a highly objectionable feature--is abandoned. It is curious that we do not know precisely what the Egyptian form of the base was. Some authorities state it was a die of larger dimensions than the shaft, and with sides battering at the same rate as the shaft, but I do not find satisfactory evidence that this was by any means universal, though it would certainly be an appropriate and harmonious form. Of course any desirable base can be constructed around the shaft. There are obelisks the surface of which indicates that they were stuccoed, and this suggests that if the shaft of the Washington obelisk shall from time or difference of material be found parti-colored, surface uniformity of tone may be obtained by the same process.

We have no knowledge of any Egyptian obelisk much exceeding one hundred feet in height, though some writers speak of such monuments of considerably greater dimensions. The extreme difficulty of obtaining monoliths exceeding one hundred feet renders it probable that the measurements of the authorities referred to were mere vague estimates rather than ascertained dimensions.

* * * * *

Yours truly,
GEO. P. MARSH.

BROOKLINE, MASS., _August 1, 1878_.

MY DEAR SIR: Your favor of the 20th ultimo reached me yesterday. I thank you for sending me the copy of Mr. Story's letter, which I have read with great interest. I am only a second vice-president of the Monument Association, and am not included in the commission for completing the work. I had no part or lot in the original design of the Monument. * * * As an original question, I might have desired a different design; and I had no small part in inducing the building committee, many years ago, to omit the pantheon at the base, and to confine the design to a simple obelisk. After that was arranged, and when the Monument had reached so considerable a height, I was very averse to changing the plan. A whole generation of men, women, and children had contributed, in larger or smaller sums, to this particular Monument; and States, cities, and foreign nations had sent stones for its completion.

To tear it all down, with a view to improve the design, was abhorrent to me. Story called to see me when he was in Boston, and I told him that, so far as I was concerned, my first wish was to finish the Monument as a simple obelisk; but that, if a change was unavoidable, owing to any insecurity of the foundations, his idea of turning it into an ornamental Lombard Tower was the best plan I had seen suggested. * * *

I am aware that what is called "advanced art" looks with scorn on anything so simple and bald as an obelisk, more especially when it is made up of a thousand pieces, instead of being a monolith shaft. Yet the Bunker Hill Monument, of which the design was furnished by one of our earliest and best artists, Horatio Greenough, is one of these complete obelisks, and Webster was proud to apostrophize it as "the true orator of the day," when he was pronouncing his own incomparable oration.

I recall other obelisks, at home and abroad, which tell their story most impressively; and when I look around to see what "advanced art" has done for us and done for itself to the myriad soldiers' monuments which have been recently erected, I fall back on the simple shaft as at least not inferior to any one of them in effect and as free from anything tinsel or tawdry.

A grand arch, which I believe you once proposed, would be a noble monument of our Union, and might well be the subject of independent consideration in season for the centennial of the organization of the Government in 1889. I have repeatedly urged such an arch as commemorative of our Constitutional Union, in Boston. But it would have still greater propriety in Washington. I cannot help hoping, however, that it will be erected with new stones, and without any disturbance of the Washington obelisk.

Pardon me for so long a letter and for so frank an expression of my views.

I have heard nothing on the subject of late from any of the Commissioners or of the Association, but have taken it for granted that the whole matter was decided.

If, however, it is to be reopened, I shall be very glad to see Mr. Story's designs, and to consult with you agreeably to your friendly invitation.

Believe me, dear Mr. Morrill, respectfully and truly,

ROBERT C. WINTHROP.

Hon. JUSTIN S. MORRILL,
_United States Senator_.

ACTS OF CONGRESS RELATING TO THE COMPLETION OF THE WASHINGTON MONUMENT.

Act of August 2, 1876, 19 Statutes, p. 123. Joint Resolution, June 14, 1878, 20 " p. 254. Joint Resolution, June 27, 1879, 21 " p. 54. Sundry Civil Act, June 16, 1880, 21 " p. 268. Sundry Civil Act, March 3, 1881, 21 " p. 444. Sundry Civil Act, March 3, 1883, 22 " p. 615. Sundry Civil Act, August 9, 1886, 24 " p. 245. Sundry Civil Act, February 28, 1887, 24 " p. 424. Sundry Civil Act, March 3, 1887, 24 " p. 509. Sundry Civil Act, October 2, 1888, 25 " p. 553.

LIST OF BLOCKS

CONTRIBUTED FOR INSERTION IN THE INTERIOR WALLS OF THE MONUMENT.

Maine.
New Hampshire.
Vermont.
Massachusetts.
Connecticut.
Rhode Island.
New York.
Pennsylvania.
New Jersey.
Delaware.
Maryland.
Virginia.
West Virginia.
North Carolina.
South Carolina.
Georgia.
Florida.
Alabama.
Mississippi.
Louisiana.
Texas.
Arkansas.
Tennessee.
Missouri.
Kentucky.
Ohio.
Indiana.
Illinois.
Michigan.
Iowa.
Wisconsin.
Minnesota.
Kansas.
Nebraska.
Wyoming.
Dakota.
Montana.
Utah.
Nevada.
California.
Oregon.

Turkey.
Greece.
Japan.
China.
Siam.
Brazil.
Paros and Naxos, in Grecian Archipelago.
Bremen.
Switzerland.
Cherokee Nation.
Wales.

CITIES AND TOWNS.

New York City.
Philadelphia, Pa.
Warren, R. I.
Boston, Mass.
Baltimore, Md.
Richmond, Va.
Washington City.
Alexandria, Va.
Frederick, Md.
Charlestown, Mass.
Little Rock, Ark.
Durham, N. H.
Stockton, Cal.
New Bedford, Mass.
Lowell, Mass.
Nashville, Tenn.
Newark, N. J.
Salem, Mass.
City of Roxbury, Mass.

F. A. A. M.

Patmos Lodge, Maryland.
Grand Lodge of Maryland.
" " Ohio.
" " Mississippi.
" " Kentucky.
" " New York.
" " Virginia.
" " Alabama.
" " Tennessee.
" " Florida.
" " Pennsylvania.
" " Arkansas.
" " Georgia.
" " Dist. of Colum.
Subordinate Lodges, Philadelphia.
Roxbury Lodge, Mass.
St. John's Lodge, Richmond, Va.
Washington Naval Lodge, No. 4.
Arthenia Lodge, Troy, N. Y.
Lafayette Lodge, 64, New York.

I. O. O. F.

Grand Lodge of Massachusetts.
" " Mississippi.
" " Kentucky.
" " Indiana.
" " Iowa.
" " Virginia.
" " New Jersey.
" " Ohio.
" " United States.
" " Maryland.
Philadelphia, Penna.
Eureka Lodge 117, New York City.
Troy, N. Y.
Germantown, Penna.

SONS OF TEMPERANCE.

Grand Division of North Carolina.
" " Connecticut.
" " Illinois.
" " New Jersey.
" " Ohio.
" " Rhode Isl'nd.
Philadelphia, Penna.

Mount Lebanon Lodge, B. B. B.
Washington Naval, A. Y. M.
Addisonian Literary Society.
"Cincinnati Commercial, 1850."
United Sons America, Penna.
American Whig Society.
Hibernian Society, Baltimore, Md.
Independent United Order of Brothers.
Uni'd Amer'n Mechanics, Phila'a.

Fire Department, New York City.
Invincible Fire Co., Cincinnati, O.
Washington Light Inft., D. C.
Fire Depart't., Philadelphia, Pa.
Co. I, 4th U. S. Infantry. 1851.
National Greys, Washington, D. C.
Continental Guards of New Orleans.
First Regiment, Light Infantry, Massachusetts Volunteers.
Westmoreland County, Va., Birthplace of Washington.
"Braddock's Field."
"Battlefield of Long Island." Kings County, 1776.
Association of Journeymen Stonecutters, Philadelphia, Penna.
"From the Home of Knox--Citizens of Thomaston, Maine."
Hawkins County, Tenn.
"From Otter's Summit--Virginia's loftiest peak."
Oakland College, Miss.
General Assembly of Presbyterian Church, Washington, May, 1852.
American Institute, New York.
"Maryland Pilgrims."
German Benevolent Society, Washington, D. C.
Columbia Typographical Society, Washington, D. C.
"Postmasters and Assistant Postmasters, Indiana, 1852."
"Pupils of the Public Schools, Baltimore, Md."
Cliosophic Society, Nassau Hall, N. J.
Wilmington, North Carolina, Thalian Association.
Tuscarora Tribe, District of Columbia, I. O. R. M.
Anacostia Tribe, No. 3, I. O. R. M.
Oldest Inhabitant's Association, Washington, D. C.
Young Men's Mercantile Library Association, Cincinnati, Ohio.
Mosaic Block--ruins of ancient Carthage.
From Chapel of William Tell, Luzerne, Switzerland.
Americans residing in Foo-Chow-Foo, China, 1857.
"From the Temple of AEsculapius, Island of Paros. Presented by Officers
of U. S. S. Saranac."
American Medical Society.
Jefferson Society, University of Virginia.
Lava--Vesuvius. Geo. Wm. Terrell.
Pupils Buffalo Public Schools.
Honesdale, Wayne County, Penna., 1853.
Citizens of Stockton, San Joaquin County, Cal.
"From two Disciples of Daguerre," of Philadelphia.
Children of Sunday Schools, M. E. Church, City of New York.
Ladies and Gentlemen--Dramatic Profession of America.
Erina Guard, Newark, N. J.
Sons of New England in Canada.
"From Alexandrian Library in Egypt."
"From Tomb of Napoleon, St. Helena."
Western Military Institute, Ky.
Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia.

TRANSLATIONS OF THE INSCRIPTIONS ON FOREIGN BLOCKS.

TURKEY.

"So as to strengthen the friendship between the two countries, Abdul-Majid Kahn has also had his name written on the Monument to Washington."

These words form a chronogram--"1269-1779 of the Hegira." Above the inscription is a monogram signifying "Abdul-Majid, son of Mahomet Kahn." Upon a lower corner, "Written by the court poet, Mustapha Izyt."

Block is of white marble, highly polished, and ornamental.

BREMEN.

"Washington dem Grossen und Gerechten das befreundete Bremen."

(Friendly Bremen to the great and good Washington.)

JAPAN.

"Exported from the harbor of Simoda, in the Province of Isu, the fifth month of the year Ansey Tora." [April, 1853.]

GREECE.

Block of white marble from ruins of the Parthenon:

"George Washington, the hero, the citizen of the new and illustrious liberty: The land of Solon, Themistocles, and Pericles--the mother of ancient liberty--sends this ancient stone as a testimony of honor and admiration from the Parthenon."

CHINA.

"Su-Ki-Yu, by imperial appointment, Lieutenant Governor of the Province of Fuh Kun, in his Universal Geography, says:

"'It is evident that Washington was a remarkable man. In devising plans he was more decided than Chin-Sing, or Wu-Kang,[A] in winning a country, he was braver than Tsau-Tsau or Lin Pi.[B] Wielding his four-footed falchion, he extended the frontiers thousands of miles, and then refused to usurp the regal dignity or transmit it to his posterity, but first established rules for an elective administration. Where in the world can be found such a public spirit? Truly, the sentiments of three dynasties have all at once unexpectedly appeared in our day! In ruling the State he promoted and fostered good customs, and did not depend on military merit. In this he differed from all other nations. I have seen his portrait; his air and form are grand and imposing in a remarkable degree. Ah! who would not call him a hero?

"'The United States of America regard it promotive of national virtue generally and extensively neither to establish titles of nobility and royalty nor to conform to the age, as respects customs and public influence, but instead deliver over their own public deliberations and inventions, so that the like of such a nation--one so remarkable--does not exist in ancient or modern times. Among the people of the Great West, can any man, in ancient or modern times, fail to pronounce Washington peerless?'

"This stone is presented by a company of Christians and engraved at Ningpo, in the Province of Che Heang, China, this third year of the reign of the Emperor He-en Fung, sixth month and seventh day." [July 12, 1853.]

ARTICLES DEPOSITED IN RECESS IN THE CORNER-STONE OF THE MONUMENT ON JULY 4, 1848.

Constitution of the United States and Declaration of Independence; presented by Mr. Hickey.

American Constitutions; by W. Patton.

Large design of the Washington National Monument, with the _fac simile_ of the names of the Presidents of the United States and others. Lithographed.

Large design of the Washington National Monument. Lithographed.

Historical sketch of the Washington National Monument since its origin, in MS.

Portrait of Washington, from Stuart's painting, Faneuil Hall.

Plate engraved with the names of the officers and members of the Board of Managers.

The Statesman's Manual, containing President's Messages from Washington to Polk, from 1789 to 1846, vols. 1 and 2.

Copy of the grant for the site of the Monument under the joint resolution of Congress.

Constitutions of the Washington National Monument Society, addresses, circulars, commissions, instructions, form of bond, from 1835 to 1848.

Small design of Monument and likeness of Washington, with blank certificates for contributors.

Watterston's New Guide to Washington; by G. Watterston.

Map of the City of Washington; by Joseph Ratcliffe.

Laws of the Corporation of Washington; by A. Rothwell.

J. B. Varnum, Jr., on the Seat of Government; by J. B. Varnum, Jr.

Statistics by John Sessford of the number of dwellings, value of improvements, assessments of the real and personal tax, &c., in the City of Washington, from 1824 to 1848, print and manuscript; by John Sessford.

Census of the United States, 1840; Force's Guide to Washington and vicinity, 1848; by W. Q. Force.

Drake's Poems; Catalogue of the Library of Congress, printed 1839; Catalogue from 1840 to 1847, both inclusive; by Joint Committee on the Library of Congress.

Memoir of a Tour to Northern Mexico, 1846-'47; by R. P. Anderson.

All the coins of the United States, from the eagle to the half-dime, inclusive.

Census of the United States from 1790 to 1848, inclusive.

A list of the Judges of the Supreme Court of the United States, its Officers, with the dates of their respective appointments; by W. J. Carroll, Clerk Supreme Court of the United States.

Proceedings of the General Society of the Cincinnati, with the original institution of the order and _fac simile_ of the signatures of the original members of the State Society of Pennsylvania; by Charles L. Coltman.

Constitution and General Laws of the Great Council of the Improved Order of Red Men of the District of Columbia.

By-Laws of Powhatan Tribe, No. 1, and General Laws of the Great Council of the same Order.

American Silk Flag; presented by Joseph K. Boyd, citizen of Washington, District of Columbia, on the 4th of July, 1848.

The Temple of Liberty, two copies, one ornamented and lettered with red. The letters are so arranged in each that the name of Washington may be spelled more than one thousand times in connection; by John Kilbourn.

Design of the Monument, small plate, produced by a process called electrotype; by Chas. Fenderich, Washington.

A copy of the Constitution of the first organized Temperance Society in America; by L. H. Sprague, July 4, 1848.

Sons of Temperance in the District of Columbia.

Report on the Organization of the Smithsonian Institution; by Professor Henry.

Coat of Arms of the Washington family; by Mrs. Jane Charlotte Washington, July 4, 1848.

The Blue Book for 1847; Congressional Directory; by J. & G. S. Gideon.

Thirty-first Annual Report of the American Colonization Society.

Message of the President of the United States and accompanying documents, 1847.

Navy Register, 1848; by C. Alexander.

Coast Survey Document; Army Register for 1848.

The Washington Monument; Shall It Be Built? by J. S. Lyon.

Holy Bible; presented by the Bible Society; instituted 1816.

Vail's Description of the Magnetic Telegraph; by A. Vail.

Report of the Joint Committee on the Library, May 4, 1848, and an engraving; by M. Vattemare.

Morse's North American Atlas.

African Repository and Colonial Journal, 1848.

Military Laws of the United States, 1846; by G. Templeman.

Appleton's Railroad and Steamboat Companion.

Daguerreotype likeness of General and Mrs. Mary Washington, with a description of the Daguerreotype process; by John S. Grubb, Alexandria, Va.

True Republican; the likeness of all the Presidents to 1846, and inaugural addresses; by G. Templeman.

Silver Medal, representing General Washington and the National Monument; by Jacob Seeger.

Copies of the Union Magazine, National Magazine, Godey's Lady's Book, Graham's Magazine, and Columbian Magazine, for July, 1848; by Brooke & Shillington.

Constitution of the Smithsonian Association, on the Island, instituted November 9, 1847.

Harper's Illustrated Catalogue; by S. Colman.

Smithsonian Institution--Report of the Commissioners on its organization; Reports from the Board of Regents; by W. W. Seaton.

American Archives; A Documentary History of the American Colonies to the present time; fourth series, vol. 5; by Peter Force.

Guide to the Capitol; by R. Mills.

An American Dollar; by Miss Sarah Smith, Stafford, N. J.

American State Papers, 1832; National Intelligencer for 1846 (bound); by Gales & Seaton.

Abstract Log for the use of American Navigators; by Lieut. M. F. Maury, U. S. N.; by M. F. Manry.

Report of Prof. Bache, Superintendent of the Coast Survey; by Coast Survey Office.

_Fac simile_ of Washington's Accounts; by Michael Nourse.

Claypole's American Daily Advertiser, December 25, 1799, and the Philadelphia Gazette, December 27, 1799, containing a full account of the death and funeral ceremony of General Washington, the official proceedings of Congress, Executive, &c.; by G. M. Grouard.

Publication No. 1, Boston, 1833.

A cent of 1783 of the United States of America; by W. G. Paine.

United States Fiscal Department, vols. 1 and 2; by R. Mayo, M. D.

Maps and Charts of the Coast Survey; by Survey Office.

Letters of John Quincy Adams to W. L. Stone, and introduction; letters of J. Q. Adams to Edward Livingston, Grand High Priest, &c.; Vindication of General Washington, &c., by Joseph Ritner, Governor of Pennsylvania, with a letter to Daniel Webster and his reply, printed in 1841; American Antimason, No. 1, vol. 1, Hartford, Connecticut, 1839, Maine Free Press; Correspondence Committee of York, Pennsylvania, to Richard Rush, April, 1831; his answer, May 4, 1841; Credentials of a Delegate from Jefferson County, Missouri, and proceedings of a meeting of citizens to make the appointment of a delegate; by Henry Gassitt, Boston, Massachusetts.

Annual Report of the Comptroller of the State of New York, January 5, 1848; Tolls, Trade, and Tonnage of the New York Canals, 1847; State of New York--first report of the Commissioner, Practice and Pleadings; by Hon. Washington Hunt.

Specimens of Continental Money, 1776; by Thos. Adams.

Report of the Commissioner of Patents, 1847; by Edmund Burke.

Walton's Vermont Register and Farmers' Almanac, 1848; by Hon. Mr. Henry.

Maury's Wind and Current Charts of the North Atlantic; by M. F. Maury.

Astronomical Observations for 1845, made under M. F. Maury, at the Washington Observatory; by M. F. Maury.

Casts from the seals of the S. of T. and I. O. R. M.; by J. W. Eckloff.

Journals of the Senate and House of Representatives of the Thirtieth Congress and Documents; by R. P. Anderson.

NEWSPAPERS Deposited in Corner-Stone.

MASSACHUSETTS.

Worcester Palladium Worcester.
Salem Oracle Salem.
The Telegraph Gloucester.
Cape Ann Light "
Boston Daily Atlas Boston.

CONNECTICUT.

New England Weekly Gazette Hartford.

NEW YORK.

Irving Democrat Irving.
Long Island Farmer Jamaica.
Cayuga New Era Auburn.
Troy Daily Post Troy.
Troy Daily Whig "
Journal and Advertiser Auburn.
Auburn Daily Advertiser "
Star of Temperance "
New York Day Book New York.
Mercantile Times "
Northern Christian Advocate Auburn.
New York Daily Sun New York.
New York Weekly Sun "

PENNSYLVANIA.

American Democrat Carlisle.
Pennsylvania Democrat Uniontown.
Lycoming Gazette Williamsport.
American Press Republican Lancaster.
Daily Morning Post Pittsburg.
Lancaster County Farmer Lancaster.
Bradford Argus Towanda.
Pittsburg Daily Gazette Pittsburg.
Daily Morning Telegraph "
Pennsylvania Republican York.
North American U. S. Gazette Philadelphia.
Public Ledger "

MARYLAND.

Somerset Herald Somerset.
Der Somerset Republican "
Marlboro Gazette Upper Marlboro.
Baltimore Daily Sun Baltimore.
Baltimore American "

VIRGINIA.

Spirit of Jefferson Charlestown.
Valley Whig Fincastle.
Martinsburg Gazette Martinsburg.
Weston Sentinel Weston.

NORTH CAROLINA.

North Carolinian Fayetteville.
Old North State Elizabeth City.

GEORGIA.

Federal Union Milledgeville.
Southern Recorder "

ALABAMA.

Mobile Register and Journal Mobile.
Mobile Daily Advertiser "
Alabama Tribune "
Hannibal Journal Hannibal.

MISSISSIPPI.

Weekly Jacksonian Holly Springs.
Vicksburg Weekly Whig Vicksburg.
Mississippi Telegraph Louisville.

OHIO.

Daily Cincinnati Gazette Cincinnati.
Western Reserve Chronicle Warren.
Greenville Banner Greenville.
Buckeye Eagle Marion.
Defiance Democrat Defiance.
Democratic Herald Greenville.
Claremount Courier Batavia.
Massillon Telegraph Massillon.
Mahoning Index Canfield.
Troy Weekly Times Troy.
Daily Cleveland Times Cleveland.
Cleveland Plain Dealer "
Democratic Inquirer Portsmouth.

KENTUCKY.

Western Citizen Paris.
Kentucky Flag Mazeville.

FLORIDA.

Quincy Times Quincy.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

National Intelligencer Washington.
Union "
National Era "
Saturday Evening News "

NOTE.--The papers above all contained articles relative to General Washington or the erection of the proposed National Monument to his memory.

FOOTNOTES:

[A] Chin Shing and Wu-Kwang, two Chinese patriots, who commenced the overthrow of the Tsin dynasty (B. C. 209), remarkable for their vigor of character.

[B] Tsau-Tsau destroyed the Han dynasty A. D. 220, and Ling Pi, having survived all his own efforts to uphold it, founded the Shuh State, which had a short duration.

TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES:

Text in italics is surrounded by underscores: _italics_.

Punctuation has been corrected without note.

Obvious typographical errors have been corrected as follows:
Page 21: pannels changed to panels
Page 72: Amercan changed to American
Page 76: consituting changed to constituting
Page 85: memoralized changed to memorialized
Page 115: Rorert changed to Robert
Page 118: missing word feet added
Page 123: apostophize changed to apostrophize

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