Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1863-01-13
al, StanSarb,
For The Standard.
rur peRdANENr, CAPITAL.

a.i SSsehee that attention requisite IN mat
~ sstsat eeneeTs 10 having the rlgf It thing In
,.SsSasSt place. The Provisional go ternmeut To-
~ fhe capital at Montgomery, With refer
80 hit With no view to permar ency Contrary
.stSs views Of eminent men, 10 revolution, in q
SSnrt snace Of time, assumed Ich huge proportions
,.n, rave such earnest of rotracted conflict that
,ths srisences of the servic demanded the removal
,SfsAs seat of government to some place where bet
ter facilities could be afforded for the successful
s,rosecution Of the war. Richmond was according
Nv fixed upon BIT it is an error to suppose that
4 was the inten zion of the Provisional Congress,
even had it power to do so, to make Richmond the
permanent capital. Like Montgomery, it was Sc
ected with reference alone to the existing order OF
.hings pending the war.
The war still RACES not only with undated but
with increasing fury, and the wheels of revolution
are moving with increased momentum. But South
ern Independence being only question of time
certain in sVent-may we not properly inquire,
where shall the capitohne City be locatedf In To-
eating the capital of nation respect should De mad
xe the following considerations: /. CsntraHty q
position. .. Aeeessi6ilty. 8. HeatthtuInes'. 4.
Dyeasi6ility. IT,
ANY one place that combines, or that can, with
IN reasonable time be made to combine these ad-
Ssntages of position certain1y las high Fetens ons
orclaiIns to the honor of becoming the capital OF
tAeConfederacy. Is there such place to be found
TheTeScertainly is-and that place is tee town OF
Asheville, Buncombe county, n. c. We invite the
attention of the reader to good map OF North Gar
DINA while we discuss the foregoing considerations.
1. GENERALITY OF POSITION.
A simple examination Of the map will show that
AsheSie occupies quite as central position as
could be desired in this age of steam and telegraph
ic communication. We are not prepared to say
precisely where the geographical centre OF the Con-
federacy is-but We venture to affirm that neither
pIa fharaf0 Than ASh6-
Vile is half as well adapted to become the site OF
our future capital ,Asheville is sufficiently near
the geographical centre for all practical purposes
2. ACCESSIBILITY.
1t is very important that the capital should be
accessible with ease and reached with dispatch from
the different States and Congressional districts
The capital of the old government although remote
from the geographical centre Of the Union, was new
ertheless quite accessible from the various parts,
owing to the numerous Railroads and nayigable
waters by which, partially, altogether, 1t could
be approached. IL is true, that at one time the
question was discussed whether the capital should
not be removed from Washington. But the idea
was altogether abandoned and had the Union been
rendered perpetual, Washington would still have
remained the seat Of government. A>heTille is now
equi-distant very nearly so, from five different
railroads.&c. distance being about sixty miles
all of them pointing to this place. and were IN pro-
gress of construction at the commencement of the
on these roads will no doubt be resumed Should
the capital be located at Asheville enterprise would
be stimulated and money would seek these roads
for profitable investment And thus, before the
necessary buildings could be constructed, these
roads will have been completed. Ashevile will
then be Railroad centre, commanding the different
points of the compass and with the telegraphic
facilities which would run Pdri pdssu with the
Railroads, AsheYille would be all that could be de-
sired in point of accessibility, or as afordng easy
communication with the different parts Of the Con-
federacy.
8. HEALTHFULSEss.
The trans-montane Counties of North Carolina
have become proverbial for their healthfulnesS and
freedom from epidemics. For many years Asheville
and its surroundings have been the resort of the
health and pleasure seekers of South Carolina and
other Southern States, notwithstanding the difficult
ties in the way Of reaching here The altitude of
Asheve above ti6e-water is 2, 10 feet, and the
temperature of its climate seldom reaches higher
degree than SO in midsummer There is pecu-
liar exemption from the extremes either Of heat or
cold. The country around Asheville abounds with
mineral waters, which have effected remarkable
cures. In one word there is no place on The
American continent more heaIthful or desirable to
live in, in point OF climate, than AshevIle. We
might were it necessary, advance the highest n.y.
gienic testimony to sustain this proposition. We
will only add, on this point that longevity is the
sureSt test of health, and that these western coun
ties contain more old men, in proportion to the
population, according to the United States census
OF 1860 than any other portion of the Confederacy.
4. DEFESsBLITT.
The writer makes no pretensons to a knowledge
of military engineering, whether offensive or defen-
slVe, but be is willng-nay, anxious-to have the
matter referred to scientific arbitrament whether
there is defensible territory in the Confede-
racy than the section Of country of which Ashevie
Is the centre; entirely surrounded as it is by the
lima .koHze r
(the Black mountain,) being only about 30 miles
distant 1t is only approachabe through narrow
and difficult mountain defileS or pasSes-so many
natural ThermopylaeS-which very small number
comparatively can successfully defend against hosts
The capital of nation always to be the prin-
cipa object fattack by an invading army, las Rich
mond has been from the commencement of this war)
and the reduction of which is usually regarded as
sine qua non to successful invasion. Were Ashe-
vile now the capital the fear of its fall might at
once be dismissed 1t does not seem to be good
policy IN nation to have its capital near tide-water
so Is to be at all times obnoxious to attack OF
course the national pride will demand the protection
OF the capital, thus requiring large force, that
might otherwise be profitably employed, to defend
place perhaps in strictly military point of view
OF no strategic importance. AsheVeis too remote
from tde-water or navigable rivers ever to be an
noyed by gunboats or sudden menaces of any kind
We will state, in this connection, that the U. s
Congress located the capital of the United States
at Washington ten years before the seat of govern
ment was permanently removed to that place, thus
giving ample time for the erection of suitable build
iugs for governmental purposes. As the best build
ing material in the world abounds in the vicinity of
Asheyille shorter time than ten years would suf.
hce for the completion of necessary buildings.
In conclusion, we would suggest to our Legisla.
ture now in session, the proprety of ceding to the
Confederate government large district of terri
tory may be required for the future seat of gov
ernment Two years hence may be too late, as mean
while Congress may pass act locating the captal.
and unless North Carolina shall manifest desire tn
have the capital in her borders, Congress would
no doubt, feel delicacy in locating it. then sub
jet to future cession of the necessary territory
which, it might justly be feared would not be done
or it would have been done IN anticipation
Maryland ceded what now contitutes the District