The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-11-29

Y.
good min dinn SrSS WhiiRei6i .gsfsrsoS f OF 4 oS more
ciltng apparently irreconcllaplo differences:
Around his hospIteblo mahogany these chiefs
manent capital, and Philadelphia. the tenn.
porary one. In consideration OF which " was
s1igSl" TIED d dsst the 4, United ,ss s States g sh %sssn as,
championod by Hamilton. as Secretary Of the
Treasury. which up to that time had III,
81 the Southern delegates. 49,,
The third Commissioner for tho District was
family physician Of tho President, lie had
married. Mrs. Gusts, the widow of Col. John
Parke Gusts, Washington's stcpson, and re,
eided at Hope Park, in the neighborhoou OF
These appointments were CHARACTERISTIC Of
ed for his special ftness. Judge Johnson's
sturdy, character and %spotless integrity gave
N Wss o sns Of Sop abs SSs, Of fd r tas c OF Sis dS ana AZ AZ
Chairman of the Board, the. interests, of the
government were safe In his hands. MT. Car
who were expected 70 give q argo part OF
their lands, upon conditions to be carried out,
hood. whose social entertainments were re-
lied upon to render the infant city agreeable
70 Go members OF SonS,sss ana a. th so o,iiGIals OF the thS
Board. was a connection and confidential friend
OF tho President. to whom he could talk with
municate to the other Commissioners matters
too delicate for official correspondence;
pointmcnt opened negotiations with the pro.
prietors of tho lands selected for, the site OF
the new Capitol. but they found It 9 difficult
matter to reconcile their conflicting interests.
Every land owner waited the Government
buildings located on his own land or in prox.
would ensue. After some time spent In fruit
less Efforts to bring about an agreement the
Pp pam.sSl0 apd ih SvoEe his 'h AID and ,ntiu ina 10 zee.
Washington acted with his usual promntness.
40 notified tho Commissioners TO meet him in
l.anrayRfntVr nm tho C0th NJ n rph md nm TINT
dav held the conference referred to IN tho ex-
tract quoted from his diary. Their report
interview. with the landowners. and on the
next day l find the following entry in his diary:
March 20; Finding the interests OF the land
holders about Georgetown and thohe about Gar
rollsburgh much at variance and that their fears
and tealonsies of each other were. counterfeit
furious to its best interests. whilst II properly
managed, they might be subseryient TO it,
afafernoea at ste nv 10 iod mSet me Which dish they siI acco eris
ingly did,"
It was at Suffers Tavern. therefore. that
Washington met these contentious proprie-
tors, and there he proceeded to enlighten them
on their own interests and those OF the public:
on this occasion. but; as vas his wont In such
cases, he doubtless did some pretty plain talk
ihEES AZ a : any ny rate; he Impressed Sss a9 them SO fore toTo
them. into consideration and sleep oyer them.
The following entry. made the next day. gives
March 3o-The parties to whom I ad-
dressed myself yesterday evening. having Ia
propricty OF my observations. and that while
they were contending for the shadow they
might lose the substance; and therefore mutual
der for public purposes one-half of the land they
severally possessed within bounds which were
This business being thus happily finished. and
some directions given to the Commissioners.
the surveyor, and engineer: With RESPECT to The
grounds for the city, and forming them into
lots. left Georretown. dined in Alexandria,
Thus. after a three days campaign. with
Headquarters at Suffers Tavern. the desired
t ,idp oIgno was captured ,Ss Hr, dG c Of Go1 eSpitu Ia
turned home. we'll satisfied with the bust
ness thus happily finished as he Thought.
communicated his success to Thomas Jeffer-
son. Secretary of State:
the contending interests of Georgetown aid
Carrollsburg. and to unite them in such an
agreement as permits the public purposes to be
carried, into effect on an extensive and proper
scale. ] have the pleasure TO transmit TO you
the enclosed proclamation, which, after an
nexing the seal of the United States and your
counter signature. you will cause TO be pub
lished:" This proclamation. dated March 80.
l!gi. hxed the boundaries as follows;
angle in the outset o. torty-fve degrees west OF
miles for the first line; then be~inning again
at the same Jones's Point, and running another
ulrcSt line ht n right angle with the 1rst across
the Potomac. ten miles for the second Inc;
then from the termination OF the said first and
second lines. running two other direct lines of
Branch aforesaid. and the other the Potomac,
and meeting each other in a point"
A HITCH IN THE NEGOTIATIONS.
Washington left Mount Vernon n few DAYS
after this for his tour throughout the South
ern States. which consumed over two months.
He returned home June u. to fnd that the
business he had thought so happily settled'
was all awry. The old jealousies had broken
out. new. Observation-Disclosures bad arisen, and
the proprietors refused to sign the deeds. The
work must be done over. Again he summoned
the Commissioners TO Georgetown. His
June .27-Left Mount Vernon for George
town before 9 O'Clock. and. according to ap.
place by 0. Then calling together the proprio-
tors or those lands on which the Federal city
cede them on certain conditions. at the last
meeting | had with them at this place. but
flom some misconception with respect to tho
copveyances. and recapitulating the principles
upon which my Commissioners to chem at a
explanations Of tho present state Of matters
and the consequences OF delay in this business.
they, readily waived their objections and ag'd
10 convey 10 the utmost extent OF what was re-
The hand OF tho master was again at the
about this time. We know one argument that lie
must have used effectively mhcn setting forth
tho Contouuenceb OF delay. Inc Sthte OF lenn' |
had recently made an appropriation
for the erection of buildings in Philadelphia
for the use OF The Federal Government. This. IL
carried out. would go far TO make that city the
permanent. instead of the temporary. capital. |
Il these Maryland landowners. wanted the
city TO be located on the Potomac they
must stop haggling. There was no time to be
lost: they. must seize their opportunity now or |
probably prs eabbly lose u forever. They saw tho point.
anu lIicS hEIeeu 70 sign, ms tlmc NhHhlhg-
ton was not, satisfied with n mere agreement. |
He insisted that the deeds should he drawn and |
executed before he left Georgeto an. and his
diary bears the following entry the next day:
June 2s-Whilst the Commissioner were
In preparing Tia deeds to be signed
by tho subscribers this afternoon. / went out
with Majors L'Enfant and Ellicott TO take a
more perfect view of the ground. in order TO
decide finally on tho spots on which to place
Washington never lost time. Riding over
from Georgetown to Ca pitol Hill. with LEN.
rant and Ellicott. he inspected and APPROVE
the site that L'Enfant had selected fer tho
Capitol. II was on "the west end of Jenkins's
Hiil. which" L'Enfant declared, stands as q
waiting for a monument" And
on their way back to Georgetown they chose
as the location for "the Presidents palace
spot near Mr.. Burns's gate THIS was tho
gentleman whose contumacy caused Washing
Ton 70 designate him as the obstinate MIR.
M /