Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-04-23
Views on Both Sides of an Interest
ing Question.
PROVISIONS OF TEE CONSTITUTION
How the Federal District Came to
Be Set Apart.
T II E s ECR ECY RIDER

received a number of communications on
the subject. One writer, j. v. K, discusses
the constitutional and historical aspect of
the case. He says:
1.-The Articles of Confederation, which
preceded the Federal Constitution, con-
tanned no provision for a permanent seat
of the confederated government. The dele
gates to the Congress of the confederation,
who were to be annually appointed in such
manner as the legislature of each state
should direct, were empowered to adjourn
to any time within the year. and to any
place within the states; provided, that no
period of adjournment be for longer
duration than the space of six months
In the convention which formulated the
Federal Constitution this lack of fixed
rational capital became a subject of espe-
cial discussion. Concerning the propriety
OF permanent capital there was no d.
vision Of sentiment. Mr.. Gerry, a delegate
from Massachusetts, conceived 1t to be the
general sense of America that neither the
seat OF state government, nor any large
commercial city, should be the seat of the
general government Mr.. Mason of Vir-
ginia thought that there were in particular
two objections against choosing for the
seat of the general government the city or
place at which the seat of any state gov
eminent might be fixed The first of these
objections he thought to be that it tended
to produce disputes concerning Jurisdiction
TIE second and principal objection he
thought to be that the intermixture of the
two legislatures tended to give a provincial
tincture to the national deliberations In
the brief debate that followed there was
general concurrence in these views of the
subject. The result was finally the incor-
roration in the Constitution of the follow
ing grant Of power to Congress:
:" To exercise exclusive legislation, in all
cases whatsoever. over such district mot
exceeding ten miles squared, as may by
oession of particular states. and the ac-
ceptance of Congress, become the seat of
government Of the United States; and to
exercise like authority over all places pur-
chased. by the consent of the legislature of
the state in which the same shall be, for
the erection of forts. magazines, arsenals.
deck yards and other needful buildings
Under this provision of the Constitution
the District of Columbia acquired its exist
ence, and Washingtone became the capital
OF the nation.
Mr.. Madison's Explanation.
"Mr. Madison, the Father of the Consti-
tuition speaking of this provision, In the
.Federalist,' says:
" The indispensable necessity of complete
authority at the seat of government car
rtes its own evidence with it. 1t is a power
exercised by every legislature of the Union,
I might say Of the world, by virtue of its
general supremacy. Without 1t, not only
the public authority might be insulted and
Its proceedings interrupted with impunity;
but dependence Of the members of the
general government on the state compre-
hending the seat Of government, for pro-
lection In the exercise of their duty, might
bring on the national councils an imputa-
ton OF awe or influence, equally dishonor-
able to the government and Unsatisfactory
to the other members of the confederacy.
This consideration has the more weight as
the gradual accumulation of public i'm
provements at the stationary residence of
the government would be both too great a
public pledge to be left in the hands Of a
single state and would create so many OBJ
a nj
still further to abridge its necessary indie
pendence. The extent of this federal dis
trict Is sufficiently circumscribed to salts
~ every Jealousy Of an opposite nature
1.-The necessity of like authority over
forts. magazines, etc, established by the
general government, Is not less evident.
The public money expended on such places.
and the public property deposited in them,
require that they should be exempt from
the authority of the particular state Nor
would 1t be proper for the places on which
the security Of the entire Union may de-
pend to be in any degree dependent on a
particular member Of it.
Impracticability of Statehood.
District would-be suffragists who cry
aloud for statehood, with two Senators to
represent them in the senatorial branch of
the national legislature, will here see the
impracticability Of their desires very ex-
plicitly set forth. If we cry like children
for the moon,' says Burke, like children
we must cry on
"Other like suffragists who would impose
an educational test of fitness for voters,
are little less impracticable. The test they
seem to think infallible is contrarywise
fallacious. For example, my distinguished
legal friend, Counsellor l., would en-
franchise every man who can read a clause
. in his countrys Constitution in English
and sign his name Now, certainly the
counsellor knows, as we all know, lots of
persons without MISSING or
ping to spell a word, read the Bible clear
through from the first word in Genesis to
the last word in Revelations; yet never
open the Bible nor habitually conform to
single precept in 1t. In fact many of them
are among the most unregenerate of sin
ners. What reason have we to believe that
eral clauses) in his country's Constitution
In English will read, mark, learn, and in
wardly digest the contents of that greatly
venerated instrument; or that he is at
tached to the principles thereof, or Is well
disposed to the good order and happiness
of the United States. or Is of good moral
character; severally Indispensable requis-
ties for American citizenship enumerated
in certificates Of naturalization? Then too,
ability to sign ones name commonly In
cludes ability to sign other folks names;
an ability which sometimes entails depri-
walton of that 'unalienable' right to liberty
with which all men are endowed, so T. JEFF
ferson tells US. by their Creator. Evidently
ability to read and write are not infaIlibIe
CTlteTicIS Ol ulutSS LOT voters. moreover.
shouldn't would-be suffragists, especially
such as live at the seat of the national gov
eminent, possess sufficient Intelligence to
know not only that constitutionally the Dis
trict of Columbia cannot be transformed
into q state, but also that Senators repre-
sent states in their residuary independence
and sovereignty. not the people; that only
states have Representatives in Congress
that territories are represented by Dele
gates; and that constitutionally, by virtue
of exclusive supremacy, the national gov
eminent cannot be subjected to local taxa
ton anywhere in the Union? Additionally,
shouldn't they know that taxation without
representation about which so much ado
is locally made, has no relevancy whatever
to non-suffrage in the District of Columbia;
that in fact, opponent OF District
suffrage truly says. Washington is purely
federal city. and the right to object to tax
alton without representation must be con-
sidered waived by them who come to it,
But it is not true that the District Is I'M
represented in Congress. A District COM
mittee in each house Of Congress freely
gives audience to all citizens of the District
who choose to appear before it. Petitions
to Congress- from citizens of the District,
are always in order. Members of the Dis
Sr;n Nd of hot