Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-10-25
From the Chicago Tribune.

II The argument OF tne tfdueSiilcu IN
IS property holders of the village
i Washington, for the retention of tn
V capital amongst them, is that this spC
d was "consecrated" by the preferenc
Y of all the patriots. 1t is 50 commo
If for statements of this kind to be made
without authority, and circulate
# through Ignorance, that 1 recent,
1 took opportunity to overhaul the ven
/ erabIe aDebates and Proceedings i
# the Congress of the United States,
h published by Gales & Seaton, as wei
t as the debates of later Congresses
! published by John G. RiVes, to Sc
= upon what foundation stood the war
0 riOr's pride.
q And, as Ianticipated, the fOreiather
g approached this subject with the sam,
= practical sagracity which we are calleC
} | upon TO assume in recOnsidering IL
} They looked for no Onlens nor sacret
f birds to fix their choice. They tool
: Washington City as compromise
f against the wish of n majority of them
3 and particularly against the wish 0
? the Eastern State aud Middle STATE
people and statesmen, They spoke 0
t the Importance Of getting as far west
2 ward as possible, as far back as l169
and they did go as far west as practi
? cable, considering the narrow strand
of population and the condition o
: American highways at that time
= From the moment Washington was
hxed upon the common sense of the
f East reVoited, and a smothered dislike
of the site was manifest till 1914, when
by three several votes il was resolved
to go to a city further north, and this
resolution obtained the vote of thI
Speaker Of the House of Representa-.
tiYes, LangdOn Cheeyes, Of South
J.. Carolina, and the removal was only
prevented by the extraordinary efforts
Of the people of Washington village,
who built, at their own expense, q
new editice for Congress called
the Old Capitol Prison.
After this the discomfort continued,
+ till, in 1915, Alexandria, with more
pride than Washington, demanded to
9 be retrOceded to Virginia, so that she
could have a seli-eXistent anatomy,
and then the call for a movement into
the Valley of the Mississippi became
distinct and decided.
That there may be no mistake in
this matter, append all the material
debate extant at the three periods
referred to. There is not the remotest
1 indication anywhere that Washington
City would have had ghost of a
bchan ee for being the capital site ten
years after its foundation. Virginia
solely kept the seat of Cover mint on
the Potomac. t... .rr .,.f
! WASHINGTON SELECTED IN DEFER
ENCE To THE WEST
On the 9th OF August, I7S9, Con-
gress sitting in New York city, Mr..
| Scott, of Pennsylvania, introduced
the resolution in Congress which pro-
Yided fora permanent capital, in these
words: la
e Resolred, That permanent resi-
dence ought to be fixed for the Gene
raj Government of the United States
at some convenient place, as near the
center of wealth, population and ex-
tent of territory a. may be consistent
with convenience to the navigation of
the Atlantic Ocean, and having due
regard for the particular situation of
the Western country"
The terms of this resolution are
almost exactly applicable 10 the pres.
ent movement for readjusting "the
center Of wealth, population and ter
ritQry."
Among the few debates reeorIed
on this proposition were Scott, Jack
son, OF Georgia, GoOdhue, of Massa-
chusetts, Lee, of Virginia, and the il
lustriOus James Madison, tlic cIa u
GOOdhue Favored the Susquehan-
ma, either at Harrisburg or opposite
Havre de Grace"
jackson said that upon this subject
depended the existence of the Union.
The place of the seat of government
was important in every point of view.
1t might be compared to the heart of
the human body; it was a center from
which the principles OF lite were car
ried TO the extremities, and from
these might return again with precis-
iOn.p
In 1863, Jackson would have found
this heart in the eXtremities, like the
bulb in thermometer. .@IE4
Scott thought " the principles of the
Union were the principles of equal
justice and reciprocity. He conceived
the question now before the House as
grand d link as any in the Federal
chain. The futuYn tranquility of the
United States defended as much on
this as on any otl{rt question that ever
had or could como before Congress. It
was a justice due to the eXtremities Of
the continent to adopt such a meas
ure."
Had Scott so spoken in these days,
he would have Feen accused in the
garbage prints of Washington Of spec
ulating ia st. Lofts corner lots.
Mr.. Lee, of Virginia, Uight Horse
Harry, said: place as nearly CEN
tral as a convenient communication
with the Atlantis ocean and an easy
access to the Nvistern territory will
permit, ought tGrelbe selected and es-
tablished as ther' permanent seat of
the Government bf the United States.
Will gentlemen Ay the center of gov
eminent shOuldhnOt be the center of
the Cnion2 Wit they say our West
ern brethren art 10 be disregarded2
These are momd ltOus considerations
which should lead the House to con-
clusian. II they are disregartied, il
will be an alarming circumstance to
the people of the Southern States,
who have felt their alarms already" }" (
This was the same man who deliv-
cred over Washington the funeral eu-
logy of =" First in war, first in peace,
and first in the hearts of his country
nRn," He was WashingtOn's neigh
Dor, and his argument is directly in
the line of the Mississippi Valley.
The entire argument OF those urging
the Potomac for the site of the capital
was that it was the highway to the
West, and that the West should be
consulted, while the Northern men
pressed the Susguehanna as being the
true route westward.
Perhaps the greatest authority,
however, was the illustrious
JAMES MADISON on A NEW CAPITAL
SITE,
Who said as follows on September 8,
l7s9; 'tAn equal attention to the rights
of the community is tha basis OF repuh-
lies. If we consider, sir. the effects of
legislative power on the aggregate
community, we must feel equal in
ducements to look for the center in or
der to find the present seat of Govern
ment. Those who are most adjacent
TO the seat of legislation will always
possess advantages over others. Ap
earlier knowledge Of the laws, a grtS
er influence in enacting them, better
opportunities for anticipating them,
and a thousand other circumstances,
will give a superiority to those who
are thus situated. IL we consider the
Influence Of the Government in its
Executive department, there is no
less reason 10 conclude that il ought
TO be placed in the center of the Union.
thought to be in a situation to com
mand information from every part of
the Union, TO watch every conjecture,
tpseize every circumstance that can be
improved. The Executive eye ought
70 be placed where it can best see the
dangers which threaten, and the Ex-
ecntive arm whence it may be extend
ed most effectually to the protection
of every part. In the judiciary De-
partment, if it is not equally necessa-
IN, 1t Is highly important that the
Government should be equally access
sible to all. With respect TO the
Western territory we are not now to
expect Il, for il would be an affront to
the understanding of our fellow-citi-
zens on the Western waters that they
will be united with their Atlantic
brethren on any principle than that Of
equality and Justice. We had every
inducement, both of interest and pru-
dence, to fix on the Potomac as most
Satisfactory to our Western brethren.
he defied any gentleman to cast his
eye, IN the most cursory manner, over
map and say that the Potomac is
not much nearer this center than any
part of the Susquehanna. He granted
that fha nraaant eonfar .,f ,,oxS,,la H.,