Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-11-08

Special correspondence Of the Chic-go Times.
From Washington.
Possible Discussion on Changing The CopitaI-
Chance for Chicago 10 become The NeO Wash
ington-Aa Army Of Surgeons
WAsHISeroS, November 9
1t Is said that among the topics which will
probably be attended to IN the Presidents mes
sage, and which will certainly be brought before
Congress at the approaching session, will be the
expectancy OF removing the National Capital TO
some point further north The readers of the
Times will remember that this question is by no
means new one, and that has seen brought up
at periodic intervals under almost every Admin
istraton. and its alleged expedience urged by men
of all political parties | will briefly condense
the arguments pro and con, far as | have
heard them; and in this condensation | omit
many arguments used on both sides, either by
men of no influence. or by men who are evil
IDENTITY urged on by malevolent motives.
1t is argued; on the one hand, that after the re-
bellion Is put down, and the insurgents disbdnded
and the Union restored the mere security of the
city will require not only an immense garrison of
troops to be constantly maintained here. and the
forts around the city TO be kept in constant order
but also the erection at once, now, of many ad
ditonal Notifications. The proper defense of the
city, even under present circumstances, and in
view of possible foreign war, requires even now
the immediate fertilization of the whole of Ches-
apeake Bay and the Potomac and Patapsco rivers,
to extent that will make il impossible for an
enemy's fleet to sail up the two latter. An ex-
animation OF a good map will show why this is
SO. And our experience in 1912. and in the fall
of 1861, will afford lessons Oh the subject which
we would be mad indeed not TO profit by. The
erection of these naval detenses (and they ust
be works combining the strong points Of Fortress
Monroe and the rebel Fort Darling) Will cost,
with suitable ornaments, untold millions; and 10
garrison and defend them and to support their
defenders will require, at the lowest computation
including the forces at Washington, 90, 600 we'll
trained troops lt is necessary 20 keep here now
10000.
The minor arguments on the same side are
quickly enumerated. IL is said, with truth. that
there is no place in the Union so unpleasant TO
live in as Washington always has been and al
ways will be. The dOOrous complaints of Mrs.
Madison have become historical aud they are as
well founded now a. then. The streets are al
ways either covered with mud or dust; their ar
rangemeut is the most ridiculous, inconvenieut
and wasteful of space that could be devised; and
their nomenclature (which might easily be chang
ed i the height OF abSurdty. There is no city
in the Union where il is difficult To obtain any
article YOU want, either tor use or ornament or
i
An excellent city government Is hampered and
thwarted IN all theli efforts TO provide for the
proper municipal welfare of the city, even in the
items of CLEANLINESS and comfort of the streets.
by the neglect and caprice OK successive sessions
of Congress The nation IS vet in It's infancy
We have vet probably many centuries ofnalonai
/ glory and power before w.. If can afford to
spend 5000 900 day. or 5000 900 600 year,
| in conducting this war il will be easy TO appro-
4
/ Tor the removal of the capital.
IL is said that Philadelphia. or New York, or
Chicago, or Detroit. or Buffalo. will either one
afford far more eligible site for permanent
national capital than Washington. Neither OF
these cities have any such thing as the Arlington
Nights frowning upon it, and inviting the cree
ton of hostile batteries. Either of them posses
ses such advantages for defense that it can be
made impregnable (Which neither New \ Ork or
Philadelphia now isl The proximity of these
two cities to the seaboard and their exposure to
the terrible assaults of steel-mailed vessels "a
danger to which this city is most culpably left ex-
pOsed,) objections which do not exist in the
case the lake cities. Canada will one day land
that speedily after the rebellion is over( be
And even if it should not be, there are means at
our disposal now of preventing any hostile feet
from entering Lake Ontario; while our ability
prevent the passage into Lake Erie, Lake Huron,
and Lake Michigan is doubled. trebled and quad
rupled.
Il is argued, on the other hand. that any
change of the capital, either now or after the
war, will be an acknowl Judgment of our inability
10 hold it. That we are abundantly able to de
fend il, not only against the rebels, but also
when the contemplated works on the Chesa-
peake, the Potomac, and the Patapsco shall have
been completely against any foreign attack; that
as it was made point of honor in 1914 to retain
the capital here and rebuild the public buildings,
which had been burned by the British so it ought
10 be point OF honor to retain il now; that the
public buildings, at least the Capitol and the
Treasury. have now reached such IA stupendous
magnitude, and cost so much money, that it
would bankrupt us TO abandon them Though it is
admitted that no such objections exist in the case
OF the Presidents House, or the State Depart
ment, or the War Department, or the Navy De-
partment) The officers of the War Department
wese driven out of their building like drowned
rats few days ago in rain storm of moderate
fury
An official publication of army surgeons is
made to-day, from which it appears that of the
green s'tshed gentry (not counting either medical
cadets hospital stewards, and assistant surgeons
there are tour thousand As we have not four
thousand regiments in the service, indeed GER
tainly not more than one thousand (even that
would make million of mem, it follows that
there are Il great many more than one surgeon 20
a regiment. Ii we suppose that effective
force is 100000 men, and it no doubt reach
e that hgure, that would give regular surgeon
TO every 200 men. Surely the men ought to bs
well taken care Of. v