The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-12-16
LOG-ROLLING BY THE FATHERS.


Two speakers who participated in the
exercises incident to the celebration of the
centennial of the establishment of the gov
eminent in Washington alluded to the bar
gain by which the national capital was
located where it now is. The Northern
States desired to have the capital located
in Pennsylvania, and a bill practically
agreed upon which designated Wright's
Ferry in Pennsylvania, as the spot but it
was delayed for some verbal change be-
tween the two branches until that Congress
ended. The South was for location on the
Potomac. jefferson, among others, advo-
Gated such location, on the ground that it
would strengthen the Union, the life of
which, at that time, was held in grave
doubt by many statesmen.
About this time Alexander Hamilton, sec
rotary of the treasury, backed by Wash
ington, was pushing a measure requiring
the federal government to assume the debts
Of the States incurred in the war for indie
pendence, which Hamilton declared was
1.-The price of liberty" In the Second Con-
gress the conflict over that proposition
was sharp, but on the vote Hamilton's
proposition was defeated; he did not give
up the struggle. as he believed that the
assumption of the State debts. aggregating
$40, 600 900. would bind the States together
as no other measure could. Like Jefferson,
he was fighting for the strengthening of
the Union. Unfortunately, the contest, like
a.
was a sectional one, the Northern States
desiring the assumption of State debts
while the South was opposing.
The keen intellect of Hamilton saw in
this situation an opportunity to carry the
measure upon which he had set his heart.
Why not put the capital on the banks of
the Potomac if the advocates of that propo-
sition would support his debt-assumption
scheme? In his judgment it was of little
consequence where the national capital
should be located compared with the vast
Importance of establishing the policy of
having the federal government pay all war
expenses.
knowing that Jefferson was equally in
tent on having the capital located the
banks of the Potomac, Hamilton APP
preached him with proposition for a
trade, since the transaction cannot properly
it was a matter of quid pro quo. Jefferson
readily acquiesced. What followed is better
told in his own language:
I proposed to him (dr. Hamilton) to dine
with me the next day, and / would invite
l-,t.-
conference together. and 1 thought ii i'm
possible that reasonable men, consulting to-
gether coolly, could fail, by some mutual
sacrifices of opinion, to form a compromise
which would save the Union. The discus
sion took place. II was finally agreed
that, whatever Importance had been at
tached TO the rejection of this proposition,
the preservation of the Union and OF con-
cord among the States was more important.
and that, therefore. it would be better that
the vote OF rejection should be rescinded.
10 effect which some members should
change their votes
But il was observed that this pill would
be peculiarly bitter TO the Southern States.
and that some concomftant measure should
be adopted to sweeten IL a little TO them.
There had before been propositions to fix
the seat of government either at Philadel-
phia or Georgetown, on the Potomac, and
il was thought by giving ii TO Philadelphia
for ten years and TO Georgetown perma-
nently afterwards this might, as an ano-
dyne. calm. in some degree. the ferment
which might be excited by the other meas
ure alone. So two of the Potomac mem
bers white and Lee. but White with a re-
vulsion of stomach almost convulsive)
agreed to change their votes, and Hamii-
ton undertook TO carry the other point. In
doing this the influence he had established
over the Eastern members. with the agency
of Robert Morris with those OF the Middle
States, effected his side of the engagement:
and so the assumption act was passed, and
twenty millions Of stock divided among
favored States and thrown in as a pabulum
10 the stockjobbing herd
The censorious but narrow reformer of
to-day would find in this transaction, which
Jefferson so frankly describes, evidence
| Of the absence OF political morality and
| cause for the charge of corrupt collision.
| Concerning the transaction. such reform
er would write pessimistic editorials aud
caustic philippics regarding the chief ac-