The Alexandria herald. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1811-1826, 1823-06-30
MONDAY MORNING, JUNE 80, 1928

II
the objects which we're essential to sucb
an establishment, and the Potomac was
found TO De the only great river which
afforded all the requisites.
! A vacant space of ground on IFS north
bank, Of variesated beauty and uncom
mon salubrity, at the head of ship pav;.
gation, affording water for the larpes,
vessels three hundred miles from the q.
cean' and by land or boat navigation one
hundred and seventy from Pittsburr. on
the Ohio, was judiciously chosen by
washington, being within the limits nre-
scribed by congress. BY choosing a No.
Siuon' therefore, for the new city. still
unoccupied and rnbriIt on as iown Nh.
acquisition OF lots in it became open to
every citizen OF the United States. ON G.
quail terms, Gas bargain might be made
with the propfie,ors Of the land. such as
was made), which secureSfo the Upiteo
states such portion OF ground as has
enabled the government Almost wi,bou,
drawing on their other resources, to e..
rect all "the needful buildings" and 9th.
er establishments, necessary for its con
venient and safe accommodation.
Congress, too, hath, as yet, steadias.ly
maintained the faith pledged in the year
1870, in the face of the people of the U.
states and of the world. They did re.
main al Philadelphia, the temporary
seat OF governments for ten years thew
then did as faithfully remove TO Wash.
lngton, the permanent seat of the govern.
ment, and have continued at il twenty.
Two years, though two attempts were
made to remove from it, and to violats
the national pledge. These attempts
S &sfs Raaa nor the o45er bu, mar the
taAA and Justice Of the nation, were pledg-
ed 10 continuance. The last attempt
was, too, made a. time when all the
ediiices and establishments for the &C
comodation and safety of the government
had been ruthlessiy destroyed by an enc
my. In both attempts, /, appeared thai
there was majority of congress disposed
TO remove the seat of government, but
not such majority as would have been
able to overcome the veto oil the Pres
dent, which, il was we'll understood,
would have been interposed to prevent
so fragrant breach Of The public faith.
SO that congress seems never 10 have
entertained any scruples as TO the extent
of their power ever ne seat Of goUern~
nFcnt ; but a great proportion OF the
members always, and a large majority
ior the las! eight years. have manifested
determination honorably 10 maintsin
the faith Of the nation, SO solemDiy
pledged on this subject, and have, there
fore, INTERESTINGLY, not only restored all
the puollc buildings, and other establish.
ments, bu, is annually charging them,
and identifying the public grounds, by
liberal appropriations from the treasury
so that now it may be boldly asked, where
could they find accommodations so am.
pie, so convenient, in pace SO salu
brious, SO remote, and yet, SO accessible
to the Ocean, and to the more distant re-
gions of the west and the south!
The continuance of the government ii
Washington rests, then, solely on TIT
good faith of the nation; aud it has beef
already satisfactorily established tina
that faith cannot (because there can b.
no motive to do iD be violated as long q
the inhabitants shall be true to themselve
and their own interests, BY exhibiting
moral and decorous department toward
their rulers. Whenever, by difrerer
conduct, they shall render themselye
unworthy of the presence Of the govern
ment, they will deserve to be abandoned
But it has been already shewn that tn
possession of freedom, and the remoyi
Of It's present vassaIage, must have tel
dency to render Washington every da,
1 u1Dre Fl In he tho eeat ,,C tho ,,o,,crnr,,e,