Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1863-01-14
al, Stauasf1.
: For the Standard.
TIE prnNANENT CAPITAL. :

THE RElSAdN6NA SfAA -, -
M. ,nsstian &C tocatipc the permanent seat Of
government wNYn our independence shall nave oeen
eSt.h,,.L.i ma even in the midst OF revolution,
ss.sAssl no little OF the public attentions ans 1t
.v stl chkFlerce that attention requisite IN mat
ts az sreat concern, to having the right ta:ns IN
ne rieSt place. The Provisional government 70.
Gated The capital at Montgomery, Ala, With refer.
Sh to tho order of things at the germ Of the reVo
LUTON. but with no view to permanency.. contrary
20 the views of eminent men, the. revolution, IN
sf6rt space Of tine assumed such huge proportions
and gave such earnest If protracted conflict that
the exigencies Of the service demanded the removal
of the seat Of government to some place where bet
ter facilities could be afforded for the successful
, prosecution Of the war. Richmond was according
! " fixed upon BUTT is an error to suppose that
It vas the intention 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 event-may We not properly inquire,
where shall the captoline City be locatede In 10.
eating the capital of nation respect should be had
position. 9. Accessibility. g. Heahhfuln 4.
Dsfsnsi6ility.
Any one place that combines, or that can, with
in reasonable time be made to combine these ad-
vant&ges of position certainly has high pretensions
or claims to the honor Of becoming the capital of
the Confederacy. Isthere such place to be found
There certainly is-and that place is the town OF
Asheville, Buncombe-county, N. G. We invite the
attention Of the reader to good map of North Car
olins while discuss the foregoing considerations
l. GENERALITY OF POSITION.
A simple examination of the map will show that
Asheville 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
the centre any place nearer thereto than Ashe-
yi!le is half as well adapted to become the site Of
our future capital Ashevie is sufficiently near
the geographical centre for all practical purposes.
2. ACCESSIBILITY.
1t is very important that the capital should be
accessible with 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 nev
ertheless quite accessible from the various parts,
owing to the numerous Railroads and navigable
waters, by which, partially, altogether, it could
be approached 1t 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>heve 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
war. As soon as the war is at an end, the work
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. Aad thus before the
necessary buildings could be constructed, these
roads will have been completed. Asherille will
then be Railroad centre commanding the different
points OF the compass; and with the Geographic
facilities which would run pari passu with the
Railroads, Asheviile would be all that could be de-
sired in point of accessibility, or as aordng easy
communication with the different parts of the Con-
federacy.
8. HEALTHFULNEss.
The trans-montane Counties of North. Carolina
have become proverbial for their heslthfulness and
freedom rom eepnfen1icA For many Ashevills
anu ius 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
Asheville above ti6ewater, is LILO feet, and the
temperature of its climate seldom reaches higher
degree than SO in mid summer. There is pecu-
liar exemption from the extremes either Of heat OF
cold The country around AshevilIe abounds with
mineral waters, which have effected remarkable
cures In one word, there is no place on the
American continent more heathful or desirable to
live in, in point of climate, than Ashcvle. We
might, were it necessary, advance the highest ny.
gienic testimony to sustain this proposition. We
will only add, on this point, that longevity is the
surest test Of health ard 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. DEFENsIBILITY.
The writer makes no pretensiOnS to a knowledge
OF military engineering, whether offensive or deen-
sive, but he is wng-nay, anxious-to have the
matter referred to scientific arbitrament whether
there is more defensibe territory in the Gonfede-
racy than the section of country of which Asheyle
is the centre; entirely surrounded as it is BY the
Appalachian mountains the elimination Of which
Ghe Black mountain,) being only about 90 miles
distant 1t is only approachatle through narrow
and difficult mountain defiles OF passes-so many
natural Thermopylaes-which very small number
comparatively, successfully defend agains hosts
The capital of nation seems always to be the prin-
cipal object of attack by an invading army, las Rich
mond has been from the commencement of this wa:)
and the reduction of which is usually regarded as
sino 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 tde-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 probably employed, to defend
place perhaps in strictly military point of view,
of no strategic importance. Asheyie is too remote
from tidewater 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
ct Washington ten gears before the seat of govern.
ment was permanently removed to that place, thus
giving ample tune for the erection Of suitable build.
ings for governmental purposes. As the best build
ing material in the world abounds in the vicinity of
Asheville, shorter time than ten years would suf
fee for the completion Of necessary buildings.
In conclusion, We would suggest to our Lessla.
ture now in session, the propriety Of ceding to the
Confederate government as largo distrietof terri
tory as may be required for the future seat of gov
eminent. Two years hence may be too late, as mean
while Congress may pass an act locating the capjtal