The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1869-10-28
.Nnionai Capitol Convention.

inst, and was called to order by Mr..
Z. z. Schryock, when, after prayer by
Rev. Mr.. Brank, the Mayor, in a short
address, welcomed the delegates to St.
Louis. ~ temporary organization
was effected by the selection of Judge
Lowe, Of Iowa, as President, who
spoke briefly of the importance of the
Convention, and announced himself
in full sympathy with the movement
for the removal CT the seat of the Ma
tionaI Government to the Mississippi
Valley. -''
The Organization was perfected by
the election Of Hon. John ID. Cation,
of Illinois, as Permanent President,
with Vice Presidents from fifteen
States 1.-THE number representedl.
The Committee on Resolutions re-
ported the following, which were
unanimously adopted:
|, /; WHEREAS: The, present site of the
National Capital was selected as the
most central point when the people Of
this republic, only'a few millions in
number, only a narrow strip
of country along &he Atlantic coast,
and,
Whereas, The population Of this
republic has increased thirteen fold
since, and spread over a vast conti-
I-nent Of which the. States in existence
when the seat government was To-
Gated form the eastern edge; and
Whereas, The present location of
the national capital is notoriously i'll
| convenient in times of peace, and as
the darkest pages of our national his
| tory demonstrated, in times of war OF
domestic disturbance is so danger
Fously exposed as to require vast arm
aments and untold millions of money
for its special defense; and, ,.
Whereas, All the reasons which
caused the location Of the seat of gov
ernment where it now is, have, by the
enormous development of the coun-
Try and corresponding change in the
wants Of the people, become utterly
| obsolete; therefore,
p ResoEred, That it is absurd to suo-
pose that the handful of inhabitants
in 0I7o9, just emerging from colonial
vassallage, before steamboats,, rail
ways, telegraphs or power presses
were dreamed of, or mile of turn
pike OIL. canal constructed, possessed
the authority, or desired to exercise
the power, of fixing the site of the
capital forever on the banks of the
Potomac, against the will and interest
of the hundreds of Millions who
might come after them. -s.
Res0lred, That the people have en-
.dured the present lily located capitol
! for. three-quarters of a century, pa
Ptiently waiting for the vast territory
EofltlEe Union to9be peopled and or.
ganized into States and until the GEN.
ter, OF, population, area and wealth
could be determined, when a perma
nent place of residence for the Gov.
4 ernment could be selected. That time
has come. 2 All sectional issues are
settled, all dangerous domestic vari
ances are disposed of, a new era ha;
been entered upon, and a new depar
tufe taken. a o. Ge
~ ReSolred, That in the language O
James Madison, in the Congress o
l7S9, "an equal attention to the right
OF the community is the basis of re
Epublics!" If we consider the effect
z of legislative power on the aggregat,
community, we must feel eqnal in
dqcements to lock to, the center in OF
der to find the proper seat of govern
3ment, and this equal attention has no
been, and cannot be given to the in
'terests and rightsdof the people, 81
; long as the, capitol is located in all in
convenient section of the nation.
Resotced, That. the vast and fertil
region known as the Mississippi Val
Hey must for all time be the seal o
Empire of this continen.., and exert
controlling. influence in the nation
4 because it is homogeneous in its i'll
y terests, and too powerful to permi
the outlying States to sever their con
nection with the Union. This vas
plain will always be the surplus food
producing portion of the continent
and the great market for the fine fab
( RIGS and tropical productions of othe
! sections, of the republic. This i'm
:, mense basin must lave numerous out
lets and swift and cheap communica
tion by water and rail to the seaboard
for the egress of its products and in
: gfess of its exchange Therefore
whatever policy the government, ma,
pursue that tends TO multiply, i'm
prove or enbance those articles o
commerce, mustresult in common ad
: yantages to the whole Union, to tn
tseaboard equally with those at tn
. center.
Resozeed, That the natural, conve
nient and inevitable place for the cap
ital of the republic is i'll the heart o
this valley, where the center of popu
, lation,. wealth and power is irresisti
!, bly, graVitating; where the govern
ment, surrounded by numerous mill
, ions lof2 brave aud union-loving cit
! zens,; would be- forever safe agains
: foreign foes or sectional seditions, an
where it would need neither arma
ments nor standing armies for its pro
lection. 40. ai'sdc ~ s1 '.a
Il Resolced, That while. advocatin.
: the removal of the seat of fgovernmen
/. to the Mississippi valley, we do no
: MEAN to serve the interests of an
t particular locality, but that we urg
: Congress to appoint a commission TO
the purpose OF selecting q convenien
site for the national capital in tht
: great valley of the Mississippi.
: ResolUed, That in urging the remov
t al of,tlle national capital from its pres
s ent ineonYenient ont-ef=the=way an
;, exposed locality on, the extreme boz
3 der Of the Union, we are in earnes
7 and we shall not cease in our effort
until that end is accomplished, tirml
| believing that the necessity of the re
J, moyal will become more apparen
! every. day, and the majority of tn
American people win not long pei
t nit their interests and convenience t
f be disregarded.9 isg -.-I =
s. At the evening session the Presi
. dent announced the following Ma
f tional Executive Committee, who's
0 functions are to keep up the agitatio
: of the question of removal of the cap
7 iital, and to put such measures in or
: Grafton as will effect this object: Joh
: PFishback ofIndiana; John Ii. Bircl
of Missouri; Garrett Davis, of Ker
. . tucky; Ed. Russell, of Kansas; j. "
+ Sterreli, of Illinois.