Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1859-01-29
MISCELLANY.
ELOQUENT Address.

Eloquent Address.
nee President breckenridge thus address
cd the Z. S. Senate just before they vacated
their old. hall, in order to take possession of
the new Senate Chamber:
Senators have been charged bv tho com
mittee to whom you confiled tho arrange
ments o. this day. with the duty of express.
ing some of the reflections that naturally oc.
cur IN taking final leave of chamber which
has solong been occupied by the Senate. In
the progress OF cur country and the growth
OF the representation, this room has lecomc
10" contracted Tor the lem escn;utives of the
States now existing and soon to exist; and
accordingly, YOU are about to exchange
IT for hall aff0rding accommodations nde-
quate to the present and the future. The
occasion suggests many interesting rcminis-
cences and it may be agreeable. in the first
place, TO occupy a few minutes with short
account of the various places at which Con-
gress has assembled, of the struggles which
preceded tic permanent location of the scat
OF Government, and of the circumstances un-
der winch 't was finally established on the
banks of the Potomac
The Congress of the Revolution was some
times n fugitive, holding its sessions as the
chances of war required, Mt Philadelphia,
baltimore, Lancaster, Annapolis and York.
la. During the period between the con
ciuslon OF peace and the commencement of
the present Government, it met at Princeton,
Annapolis, Trenton and New York.
After the idea of n permanent Union had
been executed in part by the adoption of the
Articles of Confederation, the question pre-
sentcd itself offxiug seat of Goycrnment
and this immediately called forth intense in
tcrest and rivalry.
That the place should he central, having
regard to the population and territory of the
Contcderacy. was the only point common to
the contending parties. Propositions of all
kinds were offered, debated and rejected.
sometimes with intemperate warmth. AT
length, on the 9TH of October 1888, the Con-
grcss beingat Princeton, whittier they had
been driven from Philadelphia by the insults
OF a body of armed men. it was resolved that
n building for the uso of Congress be erected
near the falls of the Delaware. This was
soon after modified by requiring suitable
buildings to be also erected near the falls of
the Potomac. that the residence of Congress
might alternate between those places But
tue question was not allowed to rest, and at
length, after frequent and warm dn5ates, it
was resolved that the residence If Congress
should continue at one place; and commits
sioners wero appointed with fu Y bower to Inv
out district for N Federal town near the falls
"t the Delaware; and in the mean time Con-
',Sess assembled alternately at Trenton and
annapolis; but the representatives of other
States were unremitting in cxertiuns for their
respective localities.
On the 23d of December. 1884, il was re.
solved 10 ient0yo IL tbs city oi Na;y ynsk. and
to remain there until the building on the
delaware should be cnmplcted and, accord
ingly, on the | lth of January 1885. the Com
gress met at New York. where they cont:n-
ued to hold their sessions until the Gonfcder-
alton gave place to tho Constitution gave
place to the Consultation.
The Commissioners to lay out town on
the Delaware reported their proceedings to
Congress; butno further steps were taken to
carry the resolution into effect.
When the bonds of union were drawn clos
ersby the organization of the new Govern.
mept under the Constitution. OH the Sd of
March, lIS9, the sabject was revived and
discussed with greater warmth than before
1t was conceded on all sides that the resi-.
dence Of Congress should continue at one
place, and the prospect of stability in the
Government invested the question with
deeper interest. Some members pronosed
New York, as being Superior to any place
they knew for the orderly and decent beha.
vior of its inhabitnnts." TO this it was an
swered thatit was not desirable that the no.
litieal capital should be in q commercial nc.
tropolis. Others ridiculed the idea of build
W.
MSssaehusetts. thought it highly unroasoaa-
ble to fix the seat Of Government in such a
position as to have nine States OF the thirteen
tothe nofthward Of the place: while the
South CaroiniaDs objected to Philadelpha
on account Of the nmnberof Quakers, who,
they said, eontinually annoyed the Southern
members with schemes OF emancipation.
In the midst of these disputes, tho House
of Representatives resolved, othat the per-
rsanent seat Of Government ought to be at
some convenient place on the banks of the
Susquebanna," On tho introduction of q bill
togive effect to this resolution, much feeling
was exhibited, especially by the Southern
ceediDg Of thet day had boon forcscen by
Virginia, that State might not have become
aparty to the Consultation. The question
was allowed by every member to be u matter
ofgreat Importance. Mr. Scott said, tho fu-
turetranqaility and well-boing eff the United