The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1867-01-16

nevertheless under paternal government regarCfu of
their rights, mindful OF their wants, and socitous for
their prosperity. 1t evidently contemplate that
all local questions would be left to their decision at
least to extent TIL would not be incompatible with
the OBJECT Tor which Congress granted the excu-
Slve legislation over the seat Of government When
the Constitution was yet under considerations was
assumed by Mr. Madison that its inhabitants would be
allowed municipal legislature, for local purposes
derived lron their own suffrage. When for the first
time Congress in the year 1900 assembled at WASH
nSton President Adams, in bis speech at the opening
reminded the two houses that it was for them to con
slder whether the local powers the District Of
Columbia vested by the Constitution in the Congress
OF tile United States should be Immediately exercised
and he asked them to consider it as the capital Of
great nation advancing with uneXampled rapiditV Ill
the arts, i'll commerce, in wealth and in popusti0n,
and possessing within itself those resources which, if
not thrown away lamentaby misdirected, would
secure to it long course OF prosperity sad segoV-
eminent. Three years had elapsed when Congress
was called upon to determine the yropriety OF retro
cedng to Maryland and Virgina the Jurisdiction Of
this territory which they had respectively relnQushed
to the government of the UIted States. 1t urged
on the one hand, that exclusive Jurisdiction was not
necessary useful the governments; that it denr eo
the inhabitants of the District Of ihe. political rights
that much of the time Of congress was consumed in
legislation pertaips 10 II; that lis government was
axpensve IT. Congress was not competent to iegis-
ate f. the District, because the members were
,-angers to its local community and that it was an
Example OF government without representation an
experiment. dangerous to the liberties of the States
IN the other hand it was held among other reasons
nd successfully, that the Constitution, the act of ces-
ION OF Virginia and Maryland, and the act Of Con
ress accepting the grant, all contemplated the
Use OF exclusive legislation by Congress- and that lis
selulness II not its necessity inferred from the
inconvenience which felt for the Of it by the
congress OF the confederation that the people them
ewes who 1t has been said had been deprived of ther
Official rights, had not complained and did Tot desire
retfocession, that the evil might be reneded by
lV1nS them representation in Congress when the :
district should become sufficiently p0puous, and in :
lie meantime local legisature that il the inhibit
hts had not political rights they had great political
lhuence and that the trouble and expense of egis-
ting for the District would not be great but would I
mInish and might in great measure be avoided by
local legislature; and that Congress could
eGe inhabitants without their consent Continuing i
live substantially under the laws that existed at the 6
me of the cession and such changes only having =
zen made suggested by themselves, the people
the District have not sought by local legislature y
at which has generally been willingly conceded by :,
e Congress of the nation. r
As general rule sound policy requires that the !,
legislature should yield to the wishes of people =
len not inconsistent with the Constitution and the :
VS.. The measures suited to one community might !
IT be well adapted to the condition Of another, ard !
persons best qualified to determine such questions :