Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1900-12-07

by the House, with, however, a
seemingly innocent proviso that the
laws of Pennsylvania should remain
IN force in the district selected until
Congress should otherwise direct-an
altogether needless proviso; and in
this shape the bill was again sent to
the Senate, where its consideration
was postponed until the next session.
just there is the point where the
fatal legislative slip was made and the
golden opportunity was lost by
Pennsylvania. Although German
town was actually agreed upon by
both houses, yet on account OF the
trifling amendment by the House, the
whole bill failed.
Now, during that constructive era
the early fathers were in sore straits.
Alexander Hamilton, Secretary of the
Treasury, insisted that it was neces-
sary for the perfection of his system
OF finance and for the life of the
young republic that the Federal Gov.
ernment should assume the war in.
debtedness OF the several States. The
Southern members, particularly those
from Virginia and South Carolina
States that were well able to liqudate
their own war debts-violently op-
posed it, and, as Jefferson tells us in
his letters, even threatened secession
and dissolution. In the House the
proposition was lost by small margin
and Hamilton was in despair. In the
emergency he sought the aid of JEFF.
ferson, his bitter rival, who was then
Secretary of State, and the two to-
gether, with the help of Washington,
succeeded in Strengthening out the
difficulty.
The transaction was brilliant
compromise, brilliant mutual
triumph of the two opposing types
OF Hamiltonian and JefFersonian
diplomacy. Jeffersonian, on his part,
undertook to exert all his influence
on the Virginia recalcitrants and
have them change their votes in
favor of assumption, while Hamilton,
perceiving with the shrewdness OF
genius the good use that could now
be made of the capital site project, as
sumed the task of persuading the
Eastern members to vote for the
Potomac sight. At his instance the
Germantown bill that had been put
to sleep was revived and amended by
dropping out " Germantown" and in
sorting Potomac" the language
reading "on the Potomac, at some
place between the mouth of the East
ern branch and the Conococheague."
With the cooperation of Robert
Morris, then Senator from Pennsyl-
vania, Hamilton performed his share
OF the agreement by having this bill
successfully carried through both
houses in July, 1870. The Virginians,
in their turn, reconsidered their pre-
vious adverse action and cast their
votes in favor OF assumption of the
State war debts.
Thus assumption was carried and
the Potomac got the capital. BY the
terms of the Potomac act Philadelphia
was made the temporary seat of gov
ernment until the year 1900, and after
that, as Representative Roger Wolcott
expressed it, the capital "was to go
permanently to the Indian place, with
the long name on the Potomac" The
ten-year concession to Philadelphia
was intended, as Jefferson tells us, to
serve "as an anodyne," to "calm in
some degree the ferment excited by
the other measure alone"-that re-
lating to the Potomac and Como
cocheague. This picturesque and
formidable-looking Indian name was
pronounced Conny-go-chig, rhyming
with big, jig and pig. The creek
Conococheague was and still is an
obscure stream rising in Franklin
county, Pa, and flowing south to
Williamsport, in Washington county,
Nd, where it joins the Potomac.
Congress at that time was estab-
lished in New York, and the metro
politan newspapers OF the day abound
ell in quaint quips. quirks and jibes
and in homemade doggerel rhymes at
the expense OF the unfortunate creek.
In one Of these latter performances a
Gotham housemaid Ga literary one to
be sure,) is represented as announcing
to an out of-town friend in a letter
that
Since you writ us
The Congress and court have determined
to quit u.s."
and then, referring to her masters
feelings on the subject
He hopes and he prays they may die
in stall
If they leave US in debt for federal hall /;
In fact, he would rather saw timber or
dig
Than see them removing to Conoco-
cheague,
Where the houses and kitchens are yet
to be framed,
The trees to be felled and the streets to
be named"
Luckily the country was not des.
tined to be inflicted with Conogo-
cheague as perpetual joke, for some-
how it dropped completely out Of