Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1853-06-07
Representation.

our representation SnOulQ De brought 10
bear more direcuyin Congress. The idea
has too long prevailed with regard to
Washington that it is nothing buta Gou-
er1,meAt Pauper-receiving great pecuni-
airy benefits from the National Legislature,
but giving back none in return.
Now we reject this idea altogether, as
not " absurd in theory but as false in
fact. 1t is true that large amount of
money is annually appropriated here by
our law -makers in the Capitol, but it is
equally true that only moiety Of the
whole sum is distributed in this city.
Washington gives to the Executive, to
the Departments, to Congress, to the SUI
preme Court Of the United States,
variety of local advantages which could
be obtained in no other city at the same
cost and under the same beneficial con-
siderations. If our seat of government
were in New Orleans, St. Louis, Cincin-
natl, Philadelphia, New York, or Boston.
the expenses incurred by the administra-
ton of the peoples affairs would be very
greatly augmented, without any CORES
ponding advantages.
In addition to this, the sectional and
social disabilities inseparably connected
with the prosecution of government in the
midst of large commercial or manufac-
tering town are many and various.
All these disabilities are avoided in
Washington and must always continue
to be, from the nature Of its location and
the established pursuits of its inhabitants.
This capital can never become an extern
sive shipping or manufacturing place. 1t
can and ought to receive its own supplies
by means of foreign vessels and inland
navigation-such as tropical fruits and
Injuries on the one hand, and coal ores
and necessities on the other. But this
should be the extent of our commercial
intercourse if we would preserve, in true
position, the character of our people, and
exert their influence on the nation at
large, which is becoming the capital city
of Republican nation.
Purely commercial cities have always
tended to aristocracy, and they always
will. The history of the world presents
no exception to this fact. 1t is such cities
that have always exerted corrupt inhu-
ence on legislation, and they always will.
London, and Paris, and St. Petersburg,
and Vienna, are very poor places for the
meeting of national legislatures on this
account, and they always will be.
five could have our way in such mat
tiers, we would assemble Congress around
the tomb of Washington at every opening
session, and then proceed to the Capitol
for the passage of laws as if the spirit of
patriotism were the ever-present guide of
the chosen servants Of the people We
would enter Washington city as sacred
place-as a temple dedicated to liberty
and Justice-set apart to the purest re-
publican freedom and the dearest rights
of man. We would keep aloof all extrane-
Gus control: we would Danish forever. as
the deadliest foes of the Republic, the pee
ulators and jobbers, who gather around
our national treasury only that they may
live by public plumber who have no SYM
pathies for the people, save as they may
make merchandise ofwhat the people paw
into and disburse out of the general funds:
who are alike Indifferent to the honor and
welfare Of the nation at large, except as
they may compass their own selfish ends.
Are there such characters here? Then
the only way of reaching and expelling
them is by the introduction of system
OF capital representation, which shall be
seen and felt on the floors of both Houses
OF Congress
But we must defer further remarks on
this important subject to future occa-