The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-11-22
LOCATING THE CAPITAL
George Alfred Townsend on Wash
ington's Choice Of a Site.
Address to the Sons of the American
observation-disclosures Exnminn
ton by the First President of
Places Suggested for the Seat of
Government - Congress at York.


AT Rauscher's last evening. after the
close of the business meeting of the Dis
trict of Columbia Society of the Sons OF
the American Revolution. those presen:
were entertained by George Alfred Town
send Gath, who addressed the society
upon the subject of the selection of the
present site for the location of the city
of Washington.
Mr.. Townsend spoke of the fantasy of
the proposition to locate the National
Capital on the Conocochecque. up the Po-
tomac. He quoted the law of 1890, which
left 1t discretionary with Washington to
place the Capital anywhere on the north
! bank OF the Potomac between the Como
cochecque' and the Anacosta, seventy-ive
miles apart.
Washington had the law amended"
said the speaker. that last day of that
| first Congress, SO as to permit him to
draw the ten miles square down to Alex
andria, near his 5000 Mount Vernon
acres. The second Congress might have
| repealed the original law" Mr.. Town
send spoke of the advantages of situating
the Capital up the Monacacy. as might
have been done
President Washington. in October.
$780, continued Mr.. Townsend, went to
Hagerstown perfunctorily to inspect that
place as possible site. and, after a
public dinner. he proceeded to Williams
port. at this latter place petition had
been addressed to the Legislature to pass
an act agreeable to the law of Congress
and the Constitution to appropriate
district ten miles square within this
CWashington) county, wherever 1t might
please the President to make the loca-
ton. The proprietor Of Williamsport was
the collector of the port Of Baltimore, an
offlceholder under Washington. He took
no steps to secure the Capital for his
town, then four years old. Williamsport
never again came to prominence till Pat
teraon's campaign against Winchester was
made from it in 1861. The battle of Bull
Run was determined by Johnson's army,
with the mountain valley for its base, re-
enforcing the broken lines of Beaure-
gard. The upper Potomac let the insur-
gents into Maryland and Pennsylvania.
and prolonged the war till the spring OF
1855.
Washington proceeded in July 1881, to
Philadelphia. from Georgetown to Fred
erick, Hanover. York, and Columbia. and
spent the 4th of July in Lancaster. 1t is
from its consideration to become the scat
of Government, but 1t was named Column
bia before the Constitution was adopted.
1t was the place meant for the Capital
by the Eastern members. York, thirteen
miles west Of Columbia. had been the
seat of Government from the last of Sep
TENDER, HI. to June q, 177S. There the
Journal Of Congress was printed which
contained the Declaration Of Ihdepen
dence. The members of Congress resolv-
ed at Lancaster. after sitting one day,
that the Susquehanna should flow between
them and tie enemy. There they receiv-
ed information of the capture of Bour-
goyne, and OF the French alliance. There
John Hancock resigned the presidency of
Congress, and the admirers OF General
Gates. who lived a few miles below Shep-
herdstown, near General Lee, formed a
Board of War, with Gates. the victorious,
at its head. Lafayette and Steuben ap-
peared before Congress at York. John
Adams, already jealous of Washington,
was sent thence as Minister to France.
Just before Congress met there York was
the seat of a middle State convention to
regulate prices on the antitrust plan, We
have been so lately again RECALLED with. At
York also Congress nominated the PROV
inces or States. to raise money for the Con-
tinental defence, and the Rounding bill,
which was an ofse; thirteen years later
for the Potomackizing of the Presidential
residence. naturally returned TO its sug-
gestor, the Congress assuming the State
debts. While in York. General Arnold. Rob-
ert Morris. and perhaps the generals and
members whose families were routed from
tidewater homes sent their sons to be
on the Antietam. in Maryland. by
Rev Bartholomew Booth. AS Gen. Charles |
Lee beat the British from Charlestown,
while Washington lost New York; as Gen. |
eral Gates bea; Burgoyne, while Howe beat |
at Brandywine; as Gates and |
Lee lived a few miles below the Upper |
Potomac and Washington at Mount YER
non, we may pause to enquire whether the |
Capital might not have gone to the vi |
cinity OF their estates. had fortune adhered |
10 one or both Of them
las a matter of fact, Gates did not re-
move to New York City till the residence
of the Government was settled in 1890,
when he emancipated his slaves nine
years before Washington did.
That country is full of towns From
to Point Lookout there is no
town of 500 people but Solomons Island.
No railroad runs there except one, built
by people from Denver. Col. in the last
two years. Two native promoters built
parallel roadbeds and skipped with the
county money OF broke. The Pope's Creek
Railroad is hung in mdair, upon the Phil
route to Washington. We owe
to Philadelphia the land route to Rich
nond; till the war we went by steam
boat. The SOuthern's system has its Of
Ace in Washington, being owned in New
York. The Potomac is as unknown to
most citizens of the Capital as the ORR
noco.
THE sack Of Washington. in 1864. was
arrested on the Monocacy, in sight of the
spires of Frederick. The wearled enemy
reached the city hills to find the Seventh
Street road first occupied by a corps from
the Appomattox- The enemy retreated
by the west crossing back to Virginia by
the ford near Balls Bluff. The base of
the enemy and finally of the Union was
the mountains; when we broke UP his
base and Sheridan was placed onto
Grants army the Confederacy fell"
Rear Admiral Stewart, Commander of
the Loyal Legion of Honor of the District
Of Columbia Commandery. addressed the
meeting, briefly expressing the deep SYM
pathy and cordial interest of his organi-
,ation with the Sons of the American
revolution.
QUAY's PROSPECTS BRIGHT.