Evening star., 1869-11-08
ID. p, on Washinxtou.

In late letter, Don Piatt enprcs-ss his views
on Washington, and especially on removing the
Capital nom it, a. follows:
81 am reminded that Washington
is being painfully agitated by the absurd l.rop-
osision mouted West a. move the l,apital. Now.
II the people OF Washington can pat up with
Washington, don't see what business il is Of
people hying elsewhere. As for the agents,
called the Government, sent here, notice that
they are very eager 20 come and loath 20 leave.
Nor can i see why the Capital should be the
center Of population IL this Is To be the rule.
we viii be carting our Capital about for sonc
tmH. But why the center Of population Why
not ihc center OF business or tae center of moral
mfiu, noes, or any other center?
The fact is, the whole project is only huge
speculation. The rise OF real estate has more o.
do with II than aught else. And We have such
energetic and enterprislng spectators that they
would undertake 10 move heaven ~ the center
CT population, and TO disrlace hell, IL thereby
they could realize Handsomely.
Washington city j. unpopular. The conduct
of its citizens during the late war was not hand
some, and their conduct since has been worse.
Having no visible means of support, the inhab-
itants are driven to go for the stranger. It's
principal business is 10 run hacks and boarding
houses, and deal out an indigestion in the {,apc
of steamed oysters. The pocr people here, how
ever. are not 80 much 10 blame for this. The
Government has been hard stepmother to the
city, and has oppressed il NJ all times IL il i'm
possible to get an appropriation through Con,
exclusively for the benefit Of rural city is all
we have here for transportation. and when il
comes to making another, old Garrett sits down
on and sluelchcs IL out.
What the peonle have "a do, a counter
movement, is To give up this mongrel, corrupt,
inefficient government Of the city, and put it en-
tirely i'm the hands Of the Government. I don't
mean to say that the city government is worse
than any other, but il is quite bad and that is
enough.
doubt whether anything could he done going
further toward disturbing the sense of stability
Of our government than to remove the capital to
some other locality. This seems absurd, but IL
is, nevertheless, philosophcally true. As there
is more real history, 10 the popular eye, in an
equestrian statue than in a thousand volumes, so
in the idea Of fixed locality, with the associa-
tons of a century nearly, there is stability.
There was no military significance in Washing
ton during the war, and yet, had Washington
been captured, the hearts of millions would have
been depressed, and the Southern Confederacy
would have been recognized abroad at once.
But the proposition is perfectly absurd. Wash
ingt0n is anchored here by millions of money In
cut stone. To rebuild At this time of heavy taN-
alton and ruined trade would he monstrous. In
il were done, it would require at the hands Of
the Government the purchase OF every house i'm
the city. Washington without the Capitol
would he a desert waste. The Government has
encouraged investment, and to withdraw now
without just compensation would be the mean
est sort of reputation. Let the bond-shriekers
take thought.