Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1862-04-22

This extract makes It evident that there |
was = strong sectional struggle Tor the seat
oi Government and that the North was al
most triumphant IN this hrBt political strug-
gle with tho South; but aS has generally
been her fate Ia such coHt0sts, she failed,
and there was for the time q drawn battle.
| proceed 10 show that ct the next session the
tables were turned, and the South began her
long career Of success by the location OF the
seat OF Government on Rlsve soil.
Nr, jefferson has given us the history OF
the log-rollinR arrangement by which the
south conceded the assumption Of the State
debts, A question In which the Northern cap
italists were peculiarly interested, as the
condition on which the seat OF Government
of the nation was permanently located on
the banks Of the Potomac. Mr.. Jefferson
denOuncss the assumption In round terms as
q corrupt stock -jObbing business, and yet it
seems, from his own account, that 1t was Oon-
summated Ia his own house. He returned
from his French mission in December, 1889,
and went to New York In March, 1905 and
he complains that be was most ignoranuy
and innocently made to hold the candle to
the intrigue by General Hamilton. Hamil-
ton was deeply exercised about the tate OF
the new government which was about to
perish amid the rlvalries of sections, the
main subjects Of controversy being the State
debts ana the permanent location OF the cap
ital. The assumption had Just failed BY
vote or two. HHAmiltoR vas in despair
As was going to the Presidents one day"
says Jefferson, 81 met him In the street. he
walked me backwards and forwards before
the Presidents door for half an hour. he
painted pathetically the temper into which
the Legislature had been wrought, the dis.
gust Of those who were called the creditor
States, the danger of the secession of their
members" 30. BE made g strong appeal TO
Mr.. Jefferson, and the latter concluded the
conversation by inviting Mr.. Hamilton to his
house for further consultation. He con-
tinues:
HI proposed to him, heyage, = 1iae with me me
the next iav > a Z would invite another friend
~ - o. bring them into conference together and
thought it impossible that reasonable men. con-
Sulting togofher co0lly, could fall, BY some Inu-
tual sScri6css Of opinion, to form Q compromise
which was 70 save the Union"
The result shows that Mr.. Jefferson, for
novice, made q remarkably iudiolOus selec-
ton of friends TO dine In company with Mr..
Hamilton. he proceeds:
1.-THE discussion took place. could take no
part In It but an eXhortatOry one, because was
stranger to the circu instances which should gov
ern 1t. But II was finally agreed, that whatever
Importance has been attached to the rejection of
this proposition, the assumption OF State debts.
the preservation of the Union and Of concord
among the States vas more important and that
therefore It would be better that the vote Of re-
lection should be resciEded. to effect which some
member should change Sheif votes. But it was
observed that this pill would be peculiarly bit
ter TO the southern States, and that some e0soomi
tdHf measure thOd Be ddopted % flOeaea htle 70
hen. There had before been pToposihons TO hX
theseat of Government either at Philadelphia or
at Georgetown, on the 20 omAo and IL was
thought that By giving It to Philadelphia for ten
years, and TO Georgetown permanently after.
wards, this might, as an anodyne, calm. in some
degree, the fernent which might be excited by
the other measure alone. 50 two Of the Pot0-
mac members-White and Lee: but White with
revulsioR OF stomach almost cOnvulsive--agTeed
to change their votes, snd Hamilton undertook to
carry the other point In doing this, the influence
he had established over the eastern members, with
the agency of Robert Morris with those Of the
middle States, effected his side Of the engagement;
and so the assumption was passed and twenty mil
lions Of stock divided among favored States. and
thrown in as pdbttlirn to the Stoek-jobhing
herd"
Mr. Jefferson assures Us that only few
members Of either ssction were parties to
''this corruption" as he styles It. he ex-
plains that the Federalists and anti. Federal
lists being nearly equal In numbers, q few
changes were sufisient to turn the scael. It
seems that his two friends, White and Lee,
the former "With q reTulsion of stomach al
most conVulsiVe," served the purpose of
Hamilton by csasing to oppose assumption.
Probably an equal number of northern votes
- H. Taf -,
bringing the capital to the borders Of Virgin.
ia. So far from the South losing anything
BY this s'corrupt bargain, II, in fact bought
out the northern birthright for very cheap
mess Of pottage.
Those who insist that slavery should be
maintained In this District under Oonstitu-
ton which was expressly designed to secure
The blessings of liberty to the country, and
the founders of which studiously avoided the
use Of Language which could be constructed
into recognition Of the right Of property in
man, must hnd some better ground to stand
upon than the alleged obligation of good faith
and comfy to the States of Virginia and
Maryland. No such Obligation was ever en-.
tered into, directly or by implication. On
the contrary, the Constitution had announced
in advance that Whatever district Of ten miles
square should be cedsd by any State to the
General Government would become subject
to the exclusive legislation Of Congress In
sll cases Whatsoever" have shown that
the presence of the seat of Government was
not forced upon Virginia ard Maryland; but
on the contrary, that they earnestly sought
1t as great advantages that they, through
their Representatives in Congress and public
men, intrigued for II, and at length secured
the prize by corruptly bartering away their
aversion to the faYorite northern measure Of
the day-the assumption Of State debts-and
made q splendid bargain st that
But the opponents Of emancipation would
now have rs believe that in spite of these
conspicuous facts of history, We shall be
guilty of great outrage upon Virginia and
Maryland by the passage of the bill. 1t is
not enough that these petted States were
grati6ed in the first instance by having the
seat Of Government located to suit them, and
by which large portion of their territory
has received an augmentation of value
amounting to miIli0ns. This great benefit
they received at the hands of oul ance stors.
But now we are called upon by their gener-
Gus Northern allies on this floor to surrender
the very condition on which the cession of
the ten miles square was made. We are
called on to surrender the Constitution itself,
and to abdicate our right of exclusive legis-
lation.
But this is not all. If Virginia had re-
mained loyal to the Constitution, and if the
loyalty Of Maryland were aboVs suspicion,
there still would remain some show of rea-
son for the forbearance We are called upon to
exercise toward slavery in this District. The
case, however, Is quite otherwise. All that
portion of Virginia contiguous to the capital
has been in open revolt against the Govern
ment, and il now held in obedience by the
strong hand of military power. To argue