New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-05-13

SnOulu Dc COnbiueTed anu Scthcu Ooi".o '
expenditures are authorized looking to the ag-
grandzcment of Washington City. For, should
tho Capital be removed all that the Million
just voted by the Senate will buy or produce
could not be sold for 100000 II were imprOv-
idence and prOdigality to disburse Million
for such objects and not know that we are TO
get our moneys worth. "First, be sure you re
fright; then, go ahead" is the true rule.
I'LL. We all know that the United States OF
1870 il very different country than the
United States of 1870. The latter had less
than Four Millions of people; the former has
Forty Millions. The latter was bounded west
ward by the Mississippi and southwark by the
Altamaha, covering an area of less than One
Million square miles. The former extends to
the Gulf of Mexico and the mouth of the Rio
Grande del Norte to tho Pacific, to Pugets
Sound and to Behring's Straits, and is Obvi-
ously destined to still further enlargement at
an early day. If, therefore, it were unques-
toned that Washington City were the best
possible location for our Capital seventy or
eighty years ago, it by no means follows that
it remains so. On the contrary, the presump-
ton is irresistible that accessiOns OF territory
which have at least trebled the area OF our
Union demand a reconsideration of that point.
w. We do not consider the geographical
center of this or any other country necessarily
the fittest location for its capital. 1t 1t WERE
London, Paris, st. Petersburg, Rio Janciro,
and most other great capitals, are deplOrably
misplaced Other things being equal, the &C.
Ographical center has obvious advantages; but
other things are never, or very rarely, equal.
The capital of great nation should be q
great, intelligent, wealthy city. 1t should have
such resources independent of government as
to support an able, independent, powerful
press. 1t should profler ample and attractive
accommodations to visitors and sojourners,
and not require them to pay for three months
use the cost of nine months waiting. 1t should
have ready and cheap access to inexhaustible
supplies of food, building materials, &C., &c.
1t should prOffer cheap and swift transpOrta-
ton to every part of the country. Above all,
it should have Business and Industry so vast
that the patronage of the Government should
be flea-bite in comparison, so as not to train
up its population to the one pursuit OF boring
gimlet-hOles into the Treasury for the supply
of their personal wants, and then seeking to
enlarge them to auger-hOles as rapidly as pos
sible.
V. Capitals arbitrarily located, and thence
often named after their founder, have always
proved Mistakes Witness ConstantinODle, st.
Petersburg Washington. A government should
accept the National Metropolis, and never at
tempt to create one.
vi. Our judgment that NewYOrk is the nat
ural and proper Capital of the Union is based
on general and permanent considerations.
This city is more readily and cheaply reached
from all parts of our country than any other
point on that country's surface. If all the
men likely ever to be sent to Congress were
separately asked, "In case you should
abe required to spend a Winter away from
"home, where would you prefer that it should
"be?" three-fOurths of them would answer,
"In New York" So would nine-tenths of the
ambassadors sent hither from Europe. Every
variety of entertainment is to be had here in
greater abundance and of better average quail
ity than elsewhere on this continent 0nr
theaters, music-halls, parks, drives, clubs, &c,
are better aud amper than any other. Almost
every element of refined, elegant, luxurious
living is to be had here in greater abund-
ance than elsewhere, and at prices generally
cheaper.
VII. Ncw-York does not aspire to be the
Capital. She never put forth exertiOns to that
end. We believe no Congress has met in this
City since 1887. But, since the West has in
itiated an agitation for removal, We suggest
that the whole question is opened, and that it
is very broad one. Let it be thoroughly
considered and defnitively settled. And now
is the accepted time.
VIII. A Grand Committee of Congress should
be constituted by joint action of the two Houses,
to which this subject should be referred, and
ample time given for its careful consideration.
Let every locality have patient hearing, and
let every element that should enter into the cal
culation be accorded its due weight. If National
economy and general convenience may be
subserved by removing the Capital to St. Louis,
or to any other point, thither let it go, on con-
ditiOn that such locality provide the Govern
ment with public grounds and edifices equal in
capacity, utility and value, to those it now
possesses at Washington, taking these in ex-
change for them. But, until the subject of
location shall have been duly considered and
settled, we protest against any further expendi-
ture of public money in the purchase of addi-
tiOnal grounds or the erection of new Govern
ment structures in the city of Washington.
THE THREE ROYAL FAMILIES
The coming election is to be n conflict of