The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1869-08-25
REMOVING THE CAPITAL.


clearly set forth the heads upon which the
proposed change Is forbidden by the Consti-
tuition. But a., under "~om d. p,1ms," I
published In the National hstslligsrcsr In
isl6 series of articles, from constitutional
stand point, on the subject Of "the retro
cession Of the city and county Of Alexandria
TO Virginia. subsequently, contaminated by
act Of Congress, think the following, bear
Ing UPON the present question, may be found
useful and Of value, for as with Judge Sar-
gent and the authorities hereinafter quoted,
think, as l then thought aud argued, that
The integrity Of the ten miles square estab-
lished BY the Constitution was vitality AZ
| fected aud wounded by the said retrocessiou,
II that act was wrong aud forbidden-"a
portion"-must another retrocesslou or lop.
ping of the remaining fragment Of the Dis
trlct be wrong and forbiddeni
Therefore, In order 10 show higher au-
thority for the position Of those who now
cali in question the power Of Congress to re-
move the permanent seat Of Government, I,
In the nrst place, furnish copy Of the
original letter which was shown me Ia 1916
| from ex.President Adams, as follows;
caiisas y * css.iy y IissSssasis; "a.
Sin, In sssusS 10 your isiisr Of the ID Inst.
ofUongress rstroeedlng the county Of Aiexsn.
n aui sod in void ao~ he supfsms oours Of he
United States would consider II ! cannot IN.
dsrtske to say, nor how thsy could carry into
act uneonstitutionsl, the Constitution OF the
Unitsd States
| Ian, very respectfully, sir, your obedisnt
! servant, JoHH QuisoY Adams.
Ihaye been Informed, upon good author
| ty, that Daniel Webster expressed the same
opinion as 10 tho unconstitutionality Of the
said act Of Congress, aud hnd that the late
President Lincoln, In his message OF 1861,
held the following language: "The present
instruction shows, think, that the extern
sion Of the District across the Potomac river
al the time Of establishing the capital here
was emlnently wise, and consequently that
the rclinquishment Of the portion Of 1t which
lies within the State Of Virginia was unwise
and dangerous. submit for your consider
alton the restoration Of the original bounds
riss thereof, through negotiations with the
State Of Virginia"
subsequently, doubts having arisei In the
minds Of the members as to the constitution
ality Of the retroeession, which call q re-
moval Of part Of the seat Of government,
aud A. much forbidden as of the whole, Mr..
| Cobb, Of Wisconsin, Introduced December
| is, 1896, . resolution directing the Commit
tee on the Judiciary to inquire whether the
act OF Congress by which so much OF the
tomac was receded TO the State of Virginia
Is not void, 1t being In conflict with the pro-
visions Of the Constitution Of the United
States, and, II so, what legislation Is proper
| or necessary to enable the Government to re-
sumo Its Jurisdiction over that portion Of
said District, and that they report by bill or
otherwise.
On April %, 1866, Mr.. Wade introduced In
the Senate bill TO repeal the act retroceding
the county Of Alexandria to the State Of Vir.
: ginia-referred to the Committee on District
, OF Columbla-and the House Of Representa-
tives, on the eth Of March, 1867, by vote Of
Ill to 80, passed q bill to repeal the law re.
Preceding the county Of Alexandria to Viz
ginia. This was never acted on by the Sen
! ate, and yet 1t Is now seriously proposed
after this so recent movement against the
Idea and attempt Of tampcrlng with and
violating the constitutional guaranty OF the
integrity of the ten miles square by leading
Western members aud the decided expires.
sion OF the popular branch Of Congress, as
above stated, not only TO approve and sane
tlon that retrocession or removal OF part Of
, the seat Of Government, but to remove the
whole. A more barefaced conspiracy coult
) not well be invented.
Again, on the 9th Of June, 1865, the su
/ preme Court Of this District decided, Incl
dentally that the act Of Congress retrocedin,
Alexandria county TO Virginia from tn
District was unconstitutional.
2 Therefore, Mr.. Editor, desiring to ranl
myself among these Presidents, statesmen
4 y--i-.-, i-s'.lstn-. ~-A j.iBos Ia tue opinion
! they expressed on subject which In princl
I pie 10 precisely the same with that now agl
tated 10 the injury Of District property, rights
Q and feelings, l do not hesitate 70 give m
humble name, and In behalf Of my fellow
! citizens thank you and Judge Sargent 70
the stand you and he have taken In defenc
l. Of the integrity OF tho Constitution and til
G. immovabllity OF the seat Of Government.
S. With great respect, am your obeder
"A servant, JoHs CARROLL BRENT.
, ANOTHER COMMUNICATION on THE SAME SUI
I. JHCT-RBPLr TO "AJAI."
/. Mr.. EDITOR: Your correspondent "AJax,
who Justines his name by the vIgor will
which he Yields his battle-aIe, says, allud
ing to me: "Tho commissioner must remem
Der that In these fast times constitutions
scruples must be laid aside, now that tn,
important question has been sprung upo,
the Yankee nation As to whether the interes
: OF the corner lot spectators Of our West
ern cities is not OF greater importance tha
sticking to the old fogy Constitution"
As am not too old to learn, very sir
cerely thank "AJa1" for the lesson he ha
taught me, aud frankly admit that di
l.. labor under the INTERPRETATION, II I mu,
= say so, that the Constitution was able /
~ command some respect, even from "the asp
ring and speculative real estate agents
II the great West" was simple enough /
suppose that the great fact that the "Fet
n eral City," as General Washington called I
!, was located by one George Washington
d sometimes called "the Father Of his Cour
: try"-and that next to the preservation
the Union, the permanent location of N
, seat Of Government OF the United State
here was an object nearest his heart. IL nc
: upon spectators In corner lots"
y Furthermore, lad, In the simplicity c
=. my heaI, fallen into train Of thought II
!, dulged In by Judge Story In delivering Il
/, L.cSinion Of the Supreme Court In the case
y Van Ness and wife VS.. The City OF Washing
Or ton and the United States, as expressed
To- the following language
AZ They might, and, indeed must, have plac
:. a just confidence in the Government that,
ID founding the city, lof Washingtou,l 1T wou
n. do no act which would obstruet Its prospect
~ o, int.,e.t. ro. n,rsr ~ opJs u
"a CongTes pould seek 10 dsifroy phat IL oDH Lsgi
iaii6n had created and foAersd into being. r.
Ia city toas dsiigHed 10 LAT In ptrpsfuhy-esPhC
Nj iaHlobiis sarum."
> But l may be told that Judge stor
though a very respectable gentleman an
judge, belonged to generation that ha
8 passed away and given place to young
4 men with altogether different ideas abol
:, ''Congress destroying what 1t had create
u and fostered into being" Very well, the
let us come down to the times of "Your
y America" and take the testimony of one
10 the progressive sons Of the West. What sa
r. Mr.. John G. Breckenridge, the Democrat
Vice President, on the occasion Of the 7
4 moval of the Senate from the old to the G
70 chamber, January 4, 1850:
L. 1.-THE capital 10 worthy OF the republi
Noble public buildings meet the view on eve
B. hand, Treasures OF science and the arts be K
4 to accumulate. As this nourishing city Q
larges, It testines to the wisdom And forces
N that dictated the plan OF It. Future gener
,d tons will not be disturbed with question
concerning the centre Of population or OF te
or ritory, since the steamboat, the railroad Al
n telegraph have made com munication almo
instAntaneous. The spot 10 sacred by a Mouid
or mem0ries, which are so any pledges that Il
be city OF Wahhington, founded by him and bes
~ Ing his renowned name, with Its beautif
site, bounded BY picturesque emlnences Al
the broad Potomac, and lying within view
his home and his tomb, shaH remain forever 4
:, political capital fhe UAiied Sidies."
This Is the language used by Weste,
es man, Vice President Of the United Stat