The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1869-12-27
The site OF the Hssl..sl Capital.

Harper, Monthly for January contains an
Illustrated article upon the site Of the Ma
uonal Capital, In which tho writer reviews
the history Of lts location, giving extracts
from the debates upon The subject, and al.
!udes To the movement looking to Its re-
moval after 1t was burned BY the British in
1874, when the proposition was negatlved
by vote Of SO to "A, and the rebuilding set
vigorously on foot.
In 1916, when the debate was upon the
retrocession Of Alexandria to Virginia, the
question Of constitutional power was hardly
raised. In the Senate, however, the debate
turned largely on that point. Mr.. Haywood,
Of North Carolina, and Mr.. Miller, Of New
Jersey, doubted the power OF Congress In
that particular. Mr.. Calhoun, In particu-
lar, considered the right 70 remove the seat
Of Government incontestable. He, however,
stated that II happened at the Memphis Con.
ventlon, body composed OF six hundred
members, possessed Of great intelligence,
and representing almost exclusively the In
tsrests OF those who lived upon the soil, a
resolution was offered recommending a
change Of tho seat Of the General Govern.
ment. A most extraordinary sensation was
mitted there was one loud. toned overwhclm-
Ing ono" opposed 10 tho solitary voice Of
the giver.
Since then, till now, the question has not
been seriously raised. The "seven large
boxes" which contained the archives are In
creased BY many thousand tons, and the
personnel has become . real army. The
Presidents wife Is not now lost on the high
road from Baltimore, nor 10 II indispensable
to live Ia Georgetown, nor yet do membsrs
generally have to lodge In pairs, or ire-
quently decline election on account OF the
destructive climate. And though the West
or frequent the Youghlogheny, he comes
from California In less time than II took thu
member from Counecticut 70 come In 1871
All Of the old objectlons are removed bu
one. And a. 10 that, vast a. the growth O
population In the West has been, there still
Is force In the old apothsgm that "as the
West Is to the East In point OF territory,
so Is the East TO the West in point Of pop
ulation.
Still, Washington Is a sparse built and In.
different city. The "good people OF this
lnue their improvements here without the
dread Of being sacrificed" Even after 1876
the proverbial timidity Of capital required
something more than cessation Of debate
The returns ofthc Investments were not fat
tering, SO far, and II may be doubted whether
the city would have sold for the amount OK.
pended on II certainly singlo houses could
be bought for less than cost. The account
between the city and the Government stood
somewhat In this wise Tho Government
received from sales Of lots, TO 1884, some
$3.50, 900, besides e200, 900 worth Of lot,
which 1t had given away, or still held In pos
session. Against this, Government at diff
ferent times had granted TO the city, In all
II pays, and which would have amounted Il
several times as much. II the pubic were not
pleased with the city, the city, In Its turn
had little reason TO be grateful to the pub
| lie. The account Of the past was not en-
couraging. For the frat forty years OF its
life the growth Of the city is reckoned at $50
per annum, o rate Of Increase almost un
worthy the capital Of single American
State.
During the ten years following 1910 a gen
eral renewal Of the public buildings was pro
lected and begun upon scale which shut
out from the minds OF most men the ideI
they would ever be abandoned. The Pos
Office, the Treasury, the Patent ONCE, and
above all, the Capitol, were made TO loon
up as the at abode and representatives Of al
enduring government. The result told q
once upon the city. slavery bad brough
the surrounding country 10 comparative de
cay, and represscd at once commerce ant
manufactures. Yet the annual increase
trebled, and after 1850 was increased Ia
2,000. Permanent and costly buildings wor,
the evidence OF faith and Of activity, until
10 1850, Washington had over 90 900 people
Tho war did more for Il than simply double
these Il has brought In freedom and the
universal Yankee.
The place did not fell Of, as was OK