Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1889-03-04
WASHINGTON.
COULD WASHINGTON BUT
SEE WHAT WOULD HE SAY7
Tho Struggle for the Location of the
Capital Between the North and the
South---The Compromise he
tween Two Sections.

If George Washington could have but |
arisen from his entombment at Mt. YER
non this morning and ffom the top OF the
capitol dome have looked out over the
city that he was instrums ntal in found
ing,and could he but have looked down
on the busy bustling see! on Pennsyl- |
vania avenue, 1t might well be supposed
that he could return TO his musty rest
and II possible have enjoyed the remain
der OF eternity in q happier and more ex-
alted state Of being. The Republic OF the
people, the greatest nation upon the face
of the earth to-day enjoyed sight that Is
never seen at the crowning OF EmperoIs
and Kinge.
The peoples ruler, plaiu Benjamin Har-
risoD, was to-day exalted to the head Of
the nation, not by the her, ditary right of
Kings, not by divine lineage, but by the
votes of a free people. History nowhere
records such triumph Of government
of the people, by the people and for the
people. In the great moving thIoDg are
the wealthy and the poor, all conditions
of life, all creeds, all colors, Of all nations,
the merchant, the manu- 'aeturer, the
banker, the ploughmsn aud the laborer,
- aristocrat and proletariat, sovereiRns,
all equal, all as ciizens doug honor TO
the p ope's ruler the choice OF thirteen
millions of voters. r tire noble Wash
ingtop, the Republic lives
But there was some trouble in locating
this capital of q great ration. Perhaps
brief relation Of thoss troubles would
be intert sting to the readers Of the RE
PUBLICAN.
The Continental Congress opened It's
| first session In Philadelphia, September
hth 1z74 hI1t nj tho advanpa
made by the British Army and other
causes later on it was compelled to keep
up peripa.etic existence, moving from
Philadelphia to York, to Baltimore, to
Annapolis, to Trenton, to Princeton, and
| finally to New York, where II remained
until the adoption of the Constitution in
I7sS.
The struggle for the location of the
Capital began In the Continental Con-
gress, and was only abandoned because
graver matters required its attention. In
the first Federal Congress, the matter WAS
again made the subject of serious debate.
New York was determined to hold on to
what she then had in her possession.
Pennsylvania was extremely desirous of
having the scat of government within her
territory, and New jersey, Maryland and
Virginia each were anxious for the much
desired prize.
No less than twenty-four different sites
were proposed, and number of cities
offered inducements by agreeing to trans
fer their pubic buildings, while the citi-
zens of Washington subscribed thirty
thousand pourds for the erection ol
necessary buildings there. Finally bill
passed the House September %, 1889, Sc
lecting Peunsylvauia as the Place for the
location of a permanent capital. Thif
I led TO bitter opposition on the part Of the
Southern members, led by Mr.. Madison
who was supposed TO express the views o
: President Washington, and the bill
I suffered defeat on coming into the Senat'
by having its consideration postponed.
At the next session OF Congress tn,
> fight became hotter than ever, and many
: thought that the existence of the Unior
: depended upon the subject. Finally oil
I the 9th OF June, 1890, this vexed question
was unexpectedly and amicably settled
and Congress recommended the selection
OF the present site on the eastern o.
northeastern bank of the Potomac, Til,
: settlement was brought about by a com
promise between funding the public deb
s and the location of the capital.
( The Government wss engaged in the
effort to fund Its debts, and among tn,
8 troublesome propositions introduced wal
; one providing that the general Govern
ment should assume the debs incurred
by the several States In carrying on thi
Revolutionary War, amounting to $50,
900, 600. This measure was urged by th,
Northern States, which had furnished thi
} greater portion Of the men and means, oil
4 the ground that the expenditure had beer
: for the benefit of the country as whole
while 1t was unpopular at the South be
cause It would increase their proportion
Hamilton found that to carry the mea
sure would require some Southern votes
and In connection with JEFF, rson, who
was greatly interested In having til,
. Capital located In Virginia, or as near II
| 1t as possible, II was arranged that th'
: latter should induce the Virginia delega
tion to vote for the debt assumption, ,whil'
: Hamilton was TO induce the New Yorl
f delegation to give up their preference 70
| the location of the Capital at the North
The result was that the bill locating tn
9 Capital on the Potomac passed on th
1 10th OF July, and that for the assumption
f OF the Revolutionary War debt on the 4tl
OF August, 1870. Washington is nov
said to be the handsomest city on tn
globe, but the thousands who were ther
last night without lodging places mus
have thought that it was very uncom
4 L.. .fR