The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-11-15
THE REMOVAL or THE NATIONAL
CAPITAL

| OF the ultimate removal of the national capi-
tai from Washington to some point more
near the geographical centre Of the continent
have been discussed without any very serious
thought being bestowed upon the subject.
during the past summer, however, St Louis
and other presumably eligible localities, for
want of something more important to agitote
themselves over, have managed to get up on
excitement in small way by discussing the
expediency and proprety of such removal.
AS matter of course, the people of the Mis-
sissippi Valley are all of one mind as to the
proprety of locating the capital somewhere
between the Alleghenies and the Rocky
Mountains, the Lakes and the Gulf of Mexico.
The only trouble is. that each city and town,
every settlement of half-a-dozen shanties, and
every tract of land upon which it is hoped
that city may sometime he built, considers
that it is the one locality that combines ali
the essentials of frst-class position for the
desired purpose.
This subject has excited but little or no
interest east of the Allegheny Mountains,
except in the city of Washington, which has
been thrown into sort of agony of fear at
the very idea of Withdrawing from it the
public patronage by which it lives. The in
eligibility of Washington, on many accounts
as site for the national capital is generally
admitted; and if choice was to be made at
this day, it is very certain that it would not
be the spot selected. The citizens of Wash
ington know this perfectly well, and hence
their tribulation. To the majority of the
nation, however the objections urged against
Washington are not of so much Importance
as to warrant the expense and trouble of a
removal, and the probabilities are that the
dome of the Capitol will overlook the broad
Potomac for many generations to come.
TO make assurance doubly sure. however,
the right of Congress to order a removal of
the seat of government is to be tested. 1t is
argued that the Government having accepted
the District of Columbia from the States of
Maryland and Virginia. under provision of
the Constitution, it cannot cede it back
again to them without an amendment of the
Constitution. But Congress has already
ceded back to Virginia that portion of the
District south of the Potomac, and the
right to do SO has never yet been
questioned. Those opposed, however to the
removal of the capital are going to bring this
up as test case by disputing the right of Mr..
Mackenzie, the lately elected member of Con-
gress from Alexandria, to sit as Representa-
tive from Virginia. We have no doubt that
the unconstitutionality of the retrocession of
the southern section of the District of Colum-
bia will be proved if it is made a test ques-
ton; and we glad that it is likely to come
up. as it will be an easy way of putting a
quetus on the agitation that is going on
about removing the seat of government to
st. Louis or some other place in the far West.
TORPEDOES FOR COAST DEFENSE.
DURING the Rebellion torpedoes were largely
used by the Rebels for river and harbor de-
fense, and, as is we'll known, oftentimes with
terrible effect. These engines of destruction
were much denounced by those who took
more of a humanitarian than a military view
of their performances, but military and naval
men were quick to see their importance for
both offensive and defensive warfare, and
before the close of the Rebellion they were
introduced in our own operations, and their
efficiency sufficiently demonstrated. The
Rebel torpedoes were generally very crude
affairs, although some of them displayed
considerable ingenuity in the arrangements
for exploding them, but owing to their i'm
perfect construction and the want of skill in
those operating them, it is probable that not
one of five hundred ever produced any effect,
and those that did explode often destroyed
friend as we'll as enemy. In our service seve-
raj ingenious machines were invented, and
much attention was given by military and
naval r.en to the consideration of this new
element in warfare-for the torpedo will
practically be a new element, as it has never
been used to any great extent before the Re-
bellion, and it has never been brought to
such a state of perfection as to make it an
object for serious consideration either as an
offensive or defensive weapon.
In the navy regular torpedo corps has
been organized under the orders of the Ord
nance Bureau, and it has been placed under
the command of Lieutenant Commander
Mathews, an intelligent officer, who has be-
slowed much study upon the subject of con-
structing and operating torpedoes. This
corps is now operating in Newport harbor,
and the Navy Department has taken measures
to have all the officers of the navy duly in
structed in torpedo practice. This is an i'm
portant move in the right direction, and there
is very little doubt that high degree of eff
| cheney will be reached in a short time, so that
| the approaches to our harbors can be made
nearly impossible by any hostile force, and
that too at comparatively small expense.
The Secretary of War; it is reported, has