The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-12-02
REMOVAL OF THE CAPITOL.

REMOVAL OF THE CAPITOL
The Buffalo Express has long article in
favor of removal of the Capitol from Wash
ington. The chief argument presented Is the
great disadvantages and cOrruptlng influence
of a community brought together purely tor
political purposes The editor contends that
the expenses of the Government are much
greater than they would be if the Capitol were
a city, having something else TO employ Its IN
habitants than serving the Government. he
is in favor of New York, as the largest city
but thinks that St Louis would be the most
central. There is very great prOprlety IN this
plan, of using large city as the Capital, and
the reasons for it are well set forth in the fol
lowing paragraph Sentinel.
There is at Washington no healthy public
sentiment. The place lives out OF the Govern
ment. 1t has no commerce, no manufactures,
no trade with belt of agricultural country
about it. The population is made up OF the
Executive officers Of Government its clerks
and employees, with their several families--ot
mechanics and artists, to whom the transac-
lions of the two Houses of Congress furnish
employment-and of people whose business is
to minister to the pleasures or vices of gentle
men during the sessions. All these literally
liue out of the Government and particularly
out of the Legislative branch of it. The social
influence of Congress, and the Executive De-
partments, is therefore overwhelming.
The Congressman arrived at Washington,
soon magnities himself into superior and an
Independent being, under the adulation and
seryility of which he suddenly finds himself
the object. He gets insolent He over-rates
himself He forgets that he is hired servant
literally so-and carries his inflated head lofti-
ly. Finding all sentiment about him made to
yield like lndia-rubber to his impulses and
wishes, he soon becomes forgetfu of his duties,
and careless of opinions. He is in the most
unfavorable position in the world to feel the
restraints Of that code which requires men to
be honest sober, chsste, and Industrious.
The misfortune of this condition is aggra-
waited by the want Of an independent local
Press. For the Journals at Washington, like
its citizens live out of the National politics
Wanting the pecuniary independence of such
papers as the Herald, the Tribune, and the
Courier and Enquirer, none of them dares chas-
tIse the errors and shortcomings of the Peoples
agents or expose the dishonesties of our public
men. Sensible and honorable men, endowed
with selfcontrol, 90 to Washington, and fill
their terms in Congress with credit. But these
are minority Of the whole. The history of
the last session, in both Houses too abundantly
proves that there is not legislative body on
the face of this earth, in which there is so little
work, so much talk, 50 much drunkenness, and
so much fighting, as the American Congress-
The poverty and dependence of Washington,
az city, is again in q measure responsible for
this result
The prices of living there are 90 high, that
the Congressman's per diem will not pay the
expenses of a family The hotels and boarding
houses have to establish prices that will give
them a whole years business out of the three
months or six months Congress sits. So with
all others who feed, clothe, or smuse the public
They have to charge 1.-TWO prices for after
Congress adjourns, there is nothing for them
TO do. If members of Congress possessed such
cheap hotel facilities as do the lawyers of
Philadelphia, Boston, or Buffalo, the very great
evil resulting from herding them away from
their wives and children would cease The
legislation of the country would be accom-
plished with vastly less expense, and with more
purity and far more dignity than at present
Abuse of Washington is quite fashionable
among those who know nothing about it, or
who are in the habit of passing small portion
of their time here, annually, in the prosecution
of some temporary interest. The former take
their impressions from the latter and these
from the huctuating life at hotels and board
ing houses and from intercourse with mere ad-
venturers like themselves. Intent upon Office,
upon claims or upon politics, their associations
are with oifce-holders with jobbers, with poll.
ticians and they imagine that they constitute
the population of Washington-that the world
they revolve in is the only world here
They know nothing of life in Washington
except the corrupt life which they contribute
to generate and which would be still more
rank in great commercial or manufacturing
city 1. is true that Washington has little CON-
merce, little manufacturing, little trade and
we are glad of it. 1t has none of that sordd
spirit which prevails where Trade is the first
element in the community Men in the large
cities of the East are tried by the money stand-
ard here the question is never asked " How
much is man WORTH" Intelligence, good
manners and responsibility, are the sole pass
ports to the highest circles
A portion of the population is made up of
the Executive officers of the Government its
attaches and employees, with their several fam
lilies, and of mechanics and artists, to whom
the transactions of the two Houses of Congress
furnish employment" They constitute a very
respectable class of people. We do not sup
pose the Executive Government of the United
States has monopolled all the rascality of the
country. Our high Executive officers, as a
general rule are known to be exemplary in pri-
vate life. OF the cicrks and employees, mey
say they are quite as honest and well-behaved
as clerks in other places. Why should they
not be Of the mechanics and artists we know
good deal and it were well if the mechanics
and artists Of ali cities were as steady, as
obliging, and as law-abiding.
But these constitute but portion of the
population ln the square on which we live,
four.hfth of the residents are permanent citi.
zens, engaged in useful independent callings
or living genteelly on their incomes, having no
connection and seeking none with the Gov.
ernment And this is common in Washington
Into such society your mere adventures find
no admttance. They know nothing about it
Nocorruptng influences are brought to bear
upon Congress by the citizens proper of Wash
ington Such influences emanste from the
hordes of agents, claimants Office seekers, and
professional politicians who gather here during
the session for spolistion. 1t is they who thronl