Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-10-24
THE REMOVAL AGITATED IN 1914.

4 some duOlileIt Out lew lIlaSlDt INA
. the councils of the nation will con
tinue here. The confidence and tn
' credit of the nation is identified witt
the security of the public councils an'
! the safety Of the public records p
; Mr.. Lewis, of Virginia. " A tenn
I pOrary removal only Is Contemplated
but once started the capital will neve
! return. For the last ten or tWelv,
: years similar attempts have beer
made"
! Mr.. Fisk, of New York. "On a re
: mOval to any other place the incOnve
/ niences of this would appear by con
trast so strongly that the Government
! could never be induced TO return"
Mr.. GrOsvenor, of New York. "Tht
gentleman from South Carolina con
ceive5 that a removal will be striking
our colOrs. Watt says that gentle
, man, till the enemy comes and chase.
Il you off, That is the very dishOnor
dread from remainiRg-the very dis
grace l wish to avoid. The gentle
man from Tennessee says if his house
was burned he would not move of
T his farm. But suppose a neighboI
would politely offer him 9 clean bed
and excellent food and accommoda.
, tions, would he refuse the use of them
and rather sleep in -his barn? Let
gentlemen ask themselves fairly:
Were they willing TO appropriate the
money Of the people of the United
States to build a Capitol where il
might be destroyed in twenty days.
Let them remove to a place of secu-
rity, where il would not be necessary
to eXpend ten or fifteen millions, oI
any other sum, for the simple defense
of Congress"
Mr.. Oakley, of New York. &" II
was owing TO the forbearance of the
British that Congress had now sin
gle roof TO cover their heads. They
had been told that this place was de-
I fensible up to the moment when the
enemy arrived. Immediately after
ward, another city on the Atlantic
coast had been attacked. Whatever
respect he might feel for the inhabit-
ants of this District their interests
could not for a moment enter into
competition with the interests of the
nation"
Mr.. Hanson, Of Maryland, enter
tained very great contempt for the
people Of Washington"
The Speaker, LangdOn Cheeves, Is.
I c., } said, " This district cannot be de-
Tended except at an immense expense
-an expense, perhaps, half that re-
quired 10 carry on the war"
Richard Stockton, of New Jersey.
made his maiden speech in favor OF
| removal, October ., 1914.
Gentlemen had Onlyto look around
/ to survey the District 10 Judge correct
4 ly. \ permanent seat OF government
| is not required by the constitution. A
power to nix the seat of government f ?
! es-fOreYer-WhO can believe
that the people of the United States
would have invested such a power in
the Congress Of l7S9? A power to fix
/ a permanentseatO Of government, with
out regard to the alterations, improve
ments, revolutions and changes which
would naturally be produced by good
government, an increasing popula-
ton, and The settlement Of tie rGSt re-
QiO7s Of the HeSierR country! No sir.
"The great Washington landlord
was not to be compensated because he
had converted barren land into city
lots and made a fortune out Of his sales.
Was ne to be compensated because lac
was prevented from making more?
The speculatOr, too, must abide by his
loss. The government miniOn was
not 10 be paid for being torn from his
hold! The FeOpleof this District were
entitled to nOmOre than the same kind
of defence afforded to their feiioW-Citi-
Zens.
"The removal Of the capital ought
to be decided on principles exclusively
public. He had made up his mind
with reluctsshce that aremOval was es-
sential to the honor and interest of the
nation. The dispersion and capture
of the members of Congress would
crafty the pride and resentment of the
English nation more than any other
operations their army on the coast
could perform. The Military COM
mittee estimated that twenty thou
sand men, costing SO, 600 day, could
defend the capital. The people of the
country would not stand this one
month, one week, or oneday!"
OTHER VOICES OF 1914.
Mr.. Pearson, Of North Carolina, said
at the same time:
From the first moment we met
here We have found almost every
member north Of Maryland, and a few
of the hardy sons of the West, appar-
emily dissatisfied with their accommo-
datiOns.o
Mr.. Grosvenor, Of New York, aIlu-
ded 10 the disposition ofthe friends of
the district to kill the bill by forcing a
vote upon il in empty session, and
said: Until the permanence of this
site be decided by full vote, there is
not one citizen who Odght to have
confidence in Washington City. Gen
tIemen ought TO deal literally, and let
the business take the usual course;
otherwise, perpetual agitation would
ensue."
Mr.. Fisk, of New York, said that
tive We're now four hundred miles
from tine most important seat Of war,
and the cost OF daily and expeditions
communication with the lake frontier
amounted to a greater sum than the
removal Of the public offices. To have
all these Inconvenience, merely in
consideration Of the interests of the
people OF this district, would be to
perYert the constitutional principle,
which gives Congress exclusive legis-
lation over this district, and, instead
OF that, would be giving the district
control over Congress.
Mr.. Wright, of Maryland, twas not
willing any longer TO suspend the peo-
pie OF this city by the eyelids. He
hoped they would come to speedy
and eternal decision"
Amongst those who voted for remO-
val We're Daniel Webster, Mr.. Aston,
of North Carolina, Ezra Butler, Inger-
soil, of Pennsylvania, Kent, of New
York, Cyrus King, of Massachusetts,
Timothy Pickering, John Reed and
Richard Stockton.
RETRoCEssION OF ALEXANDRIA.
Another strong demonstration of
the state Of feeling on this subject was
exhibited on the Sth of May, 1916,
and at various sessions before and
subsequent 10 that time and the date
ofthe retrocession of Alexandria. 1t
was on this question that the voice of
the West was first heard for removal.
Senator VIM. Allen, on July 2, said:
"The location of the seat of govern
ment on the Eastern seabOard gave
the commercial cities preponderating
influence in the cOunsels OF the United
States FIVE hundred fold to one over
the same number Of people in the vast
interior They had no committees
from the banks of the Missouri, or
even the Ohio, Lobbying" in these
halls to regulate tariff duties. No!
they had no association in those West
ern regions, and delegates 20 the CaPi-
tai with the view of obtaining laws TO
meet the views of individual and sec
tional interests, instead Of the wants
and the wishes of the great men OF the
nation. Fifteen hours before a bill
was introduced in Congress, Wall
street had knowledge of It, and del
egation was on hand to regulate the
details of the bill. Thus had their
tariffs been tOrmed-thus the CONNER
eial interest Overruled all others. The
great men Of the people lived on the
sOil-four-hfths of them-and it was in
the center that the Seat of government
should be located. The AIexandrians
seem to have had no fear of losing the
Capital"
Robert NJ. T. Hunter, of Virginia.
"spoke Of the Importance of the ret
recession to the people of Alexandria,
and depicted, in glowing colors, the
blight that had fallen on that city by
reason of her dependence on the Gem
eral Government: her declining COM
merce; her premature decay; the des-
oIation which had come upon her, not
BY the scourge Of God, but by the
hand of man."
Mr.. Bayley, of Accomac, Virginia,
ssasked Congress 10 decide the question
of retrocessiOn upon its own merits
with reference solely to national con-