Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-02-18
some OF WASHl NGTON,s GRaEv.
ANCES.
A Doleful CRY from the Past.

4
wAsHrS6ToS's woFUL sroRY-ANTx-NArAL GRrHv-
| AScKs-ATTxMPTs CPoN ITS LrFR-BARsH TREAT
NsSr AND NADEQuArK sUPPoRr-rHB NATIONS
| WARD STARVED By IT'S GUARDIAN.
| MOL.
Modern cities, though they never yield to mere
oil age often said to be born. TO grow TO ma
turfty and 70 die like persons They are similarly
| afflicted with the diseases Of infancy. Many q
promising young city succumbs TO punicfpal
collie, 10 the grpngs Of an unwise economy or
"old fogy" stinginess, or 70 municipal lever with
It's nush OF apparent health and vigor, and Its sub
| sequent exhaustion when this fictitious strength
has disappeared It Is the latter disease which
nlls mining regions with the cadasers Of cities
Alter brief and feverish existence their frames
moulder unburied on the mountain sides, cold In
animste, startling 70 the solitary traveller. Mans
vicissatudes OF fortune are not MED to cities
| They are rich, poor, extravagant, industrious
| some are born sucking a 81 yer spoon" blessed
| 10 situation and natural resources. Others ind
life series OF difficulties, sometimes overcome by
the indomitable energy which turns bog into
tue firm found ton OF dwellings, and views vast
destruction by IRE as mere clearing OF the ground
10 make room for edirces handsomer than those de-
stroyed- But more frequently early disadvantages
and misfortunes over ONE the prospective CITY, Just
circumstances OF birth and training often perver.
or destroy the higher capacities OF the thtefs or
'
Almost human. In manner Of development The
mining town natures rapidly. The rumor OF gold
produces maturity as precocious In cities a. that
developed by the heat OF tropical sun among per-
soma Other clues Increase In strength slowly but
surely. Their lives are long, and often In diving
they leave TO the wo i'd another city sprung from
themselves, retaining the ancestral name. Thus
II has been suggested In substance, that Rome Is
the eternal city beeause IL IL series OF homes,
varied shapes to cities TO pc sons, and there s
L. ke va Lefty 10 the resistance offered Mineral
miles away, and Leadviiie dies and goes TO ecay
within year. War, fire and pestilence wound out
do not de troy the commercial city, which nnds 70
mortal stroke In change In the direction OF the
Cities then. in certain aspects of their material
development and decay resemble persons II the
analogy might be carried further, and human
emotions be dscribed to personiiied ctles Wash
ington, finding tongue, could gave utterance TO o
wofui Autobiography
ASrE-NArAL GRIEVANCES
This recital OF grievances would ind q beginning
in events which occurred previous to the citys
BIRTH While. ordinarily, neither indivi iuals nor
municipal corporations can complain OF ili-treat-
ment at a time when they had no existence, the
capital on the Potomac may perhaps be excused
for INDUCING In feeble preliminary wall over the
difficulties which It experienced In being born at
all And this privilege should be granted the more
readily IN view Of the fact that many subsequent
evils be traced 10 their sources In events OF the
ante-natal period.
The location OF the national capital was q sub
Ject OF cont ntlon between North and South and
between several different states OF these sections
The claimants OF the honor OF providing the per-
maneDt seat OF government were made unyieloing
IN their demands by state pride and state Jealousy
and sectional anlmosities added to the bitterness
OF the controversy. The subject was a fruitful
source OF wrang.ing In the Co gress assembled
under the articles Of confederation This body met
m nj h,,lf dor n fYarap nln
cording as convenience suggested or necessity
compelled, and from time to time it named a per-
manent location, only TO reverse It's decision when
the subject was next discussed The proposed site
on the Potomac, supporle by many Southern
members, Was rrjected more than once. In 1888
location on the Delaware was preferred to one on
the Potomac, and In lsS4 o coEmi,s was ap-
pointed To select size upon tue orner river. Tins
selection was lot mdJe, however. and the cOnten-
ton WAS beQueataed TO the FIRST Congress meeting
under tue Constitution. The wrangip soon became
adelphll, Germantown, Havre de CrIce. Wrirht's
Ferry, on The Susquehanna, and a location on the
Potomac were most strongly urged. On september
8, l1ee. the House. by vote OF 81 to 10. passed
resolution fixing the permanent seat or govern
ment on the Susquehanna, an action which aroused
the oitterest feelings among the Southern members
and caused Mr.. Madison to affirm his belier
that II prophet had started up il the
Virginia convention and foretold the proceeding,
Virginia would not have been q party TO the Con-
8 tuition. The Senate inserted Germantown n. in-
stead OF a site on the SusQuehanna, as the seat OF
Government The HOUSE conceded IN the am nd
nent. and the Capitol would perhaps be now stand.
In Germantown nat not an amendment, affecting
tue location Ia no respect Carried the Dial back to the
senate, Where II failed 70 receive consideration
during the rrma nder Of the session. In the next
year this phase Of the wrangie was ended the
persistency OF Mr. Madison and other Southern
members C fried the day. tut bargain W % neces-
sary 10 secure The required votes The bill for the
as umpt0n OF he staee debts by the ma ional v-
ernInsnt. which was also originally supported by q
minority, was pissed In conjunction with biii TO
locate the capital on the PoLOmac by "iog ing"
arrang 'ment between Hamilton ana jefferson In
yuy 1so tGe House ~ "a vote o. * and
OF the Potion &C. After ten years OF PREPARATION for
the event, during which .ertO q size was selecied
commended again-t obstinacy and avartce In 8 me
or the original proprtetors Of the SOIL and work
on several public buildings was begun, Washington
c. adle 1t was surrounded BY enemies eager for It's
life. President Washington was tainted with
sordid mol In causing tie capital to be placed
near his estates on the PotOmac. The barX in by
wnicn the question was settled Was denounced
as fraudulent and corrupt, and eacn disappointed
Legislative lottery awaited chance to Crafty re-
yenge and 10 test the fortune o. II new Drawing by
strangling the succe ssful com oettOr.
The nrst grievance, then. OF Washington, the
C ~ controlled exclusively by Congress- the ward
or the nation, IS tat from It's lende. est years ia
nerves have been unstrung. ITS growth retarded,
founded terror, due 10
THE ATTEMPTS UPON rrs LIFE
and the threa 8 OF sudden and violent destruction
made from time 70 time by It's guardian Like the
hero OF ''Great Expectations" the capital was
brought mp "by hand" and Its guardian was for
ever "on the rampage" From the day In 1900
when the archives Of Government were brought
from Philadelphia In 'seven large boxes ana four
or i've smaller ones" and an army OF cfty-four
ofice-holders s&elled the popuia ion Of the CITY.
there have been periodical attempts to remove the
seet OF Government, and such removal would have
msant, OF course, the death OF Washington An
En.ishman named Weld, who visited the future
capital In 1796, says: "Notwtthstanding all that
has been done at the city and the large sums OF
money which have been expended, there are num-
bers OF people In the Unit q States living To the
north OF the Potomac particularly In Philad lphia
who are still very adverse to the removal OF tine
seat OF Government thither, and are doing All in
their power 10 check the progress OF the build.
ing In the city. and TO prevent the Congress
Tho,e who had thus opposed the removal
To washington were the same who now endeav-
ored 10 effect a second removal and who az parf
OF their policy, sougha TO keep tho city In q con-
dltion which would serv- As an argument In favor
OF the change. AS sample Of the attacks upon
the infant capital hear a new "Crito" In his
"Let ters on the Seat OF Government" published in
1907: ain the mean, lime, be iG known TO the good
people OF the Union, from New Hampshire TO
Georgia Qor may presume, without fear OF con-
tradct.on, that ntnety-uine hundred ,hs of the
youth OF the United States grow up 70 manhood
without ever having seen the CAPITAL OF their
country, that the national bant.ing called the
City or Washington remains, AFTER ten years or
expensive fostering, nckety infant unable TO 90
yNf1 Of ho frrS A MI