The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1869-07-19

| Every little while our Western exchanges
will advocate q removal Of the national capt.
tai from the seaboard to the interior. There
Is hardly respectable town In the Missis-
slppi Valley, which has not been recon-
| mendcd. Perhaps such q change will be
made sometime, but for the present Il Is
sheer nonsense to talk about IL. The Coy
crnmcnt Is In no condition to incur the OF
pcnse Of such transfer. II would amount
to many millions. CHANGING at our Com
grcssional history we 6nd that changes have
been made In the place Of meeting In times
past, but they were changes mourning but
very little expense. The first session OF the
Continental Congress, In 177i-'75, was held
In Philadelphia, that city being at once the
largest and the most central. That Con-
gross adjourned to meet ut Baltimore In the
year following. Several other cities were
the temporary scat Of Government, Lancas-
ter, York, Princeton, Annapolis, Trenton
and New York. The Continental Congress
adopted the itinerant system Of the Metho.
dist, or the boardlng-around plan OF the
country pcdugoguc. II had no abiding city,
but was pilgrim, q carpet-basger.
The statesmen OF that day fell the evils Of
Congressional vagabondagc, and 10 the Con.
stitution provided that the Federal Congress
should have power "to exercise exclusive
legislation In all cases whatsoever, over such
''-''N' Nhoh NANCCulHp lCH IillCS rs
| may, by cesslon Of particular States, and tic
acceptance ur Congress. become tho seat Of
government Of the United States" II Is
evident that, us Hebrew might say, they
preferred temple to tabernacle. No
time was los, In carrying this design into
effect. rhe 1ry Congress met In New York,
March 8, 1850. II remained there through
two Sessions, when, December 9th, lTqD. the
seat of government, then simply d CANT
stool, was removed to Philadelphia. There.
where Congressional itincracy began, 1t
ended. That was, perhaps, tho most nota-
bic Instance OF swinging round the circle in
American State annals. For ten years the
City Of Brothcrly Love was the capital of
the nation, no longer hts, but tie United
States. tn the meanwhile The present cap
ital was being put In readiness for govern
mental occupation.
When the country is prepared to spend
some flfty millions, more rather than less, 10
the erection of a second Washington ut or
near the geographical centre, II will be time
cnoGgh for the rival nspirauts to urge their
claims. Until then the friends of ST. Louis,
Nauvoo, Omaha, Milwaukee, Peoria, ETC.,
may rs well drop the suffice Chicago Jour
nal, J"'g II.
fRi"nffuL ENCOUNTER WITH A RATTLE
SSAKE.-If the following story appears
little "tough' our readers must hold our In
formnnt aud not us responsible. II appears
that young man who was full Of antido,Iu
poison had strayed away during tho cool
Of the day intd the southsrr SUbcrbs Of the
city, aud finally h"."-, himself to the Gem
ctcry. TIL. lie found inviting shade and
- leat carpet Of grass, upon which he lay
down to rest. lie soon fell asleep, but was
shortly afterward awakened by an ugly
dream. Starting up suddenly he raised his
head, when, oh horror hc was confronted
by hidcous rattlesnako, which had coiled
itself up In his lap, and being disturbed now
raised Its naughty crest, brhndlshed Its
ching attitude. What should be done The
least movement might cause the dreaded
monster to strike his fatal flngs into the
tcrror-strickcn young man.
In the most awful ago y Of mind concciv-
able, he remained for a few moments, until,
being unable to endure the situation any
longer, he leapcd up with shrek that
echoed through the woods, shook OF the
horrid monster, and fell scnIcless to the
earth. But the snake was ready for his vic
tim, who was repeatedly struck In various
parts OF his person, fortunately doing no In
jury, being protected by thick clothing. The
young man soon recovered his senses, and
left his antagonist In full possession Of the
field, but made no mention of the friyhtful
affair until several days after, and then only
In compliance with the opportunities Of his
friends, who observed his detected and agi-
tated state Of mind, and surmiscd that some
thing strange had happened to him. - Bloom
ingtOn (W.) Photograph.