The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-12-13
NATION IN IT'S new HOME
Hon. ]. d. Richardson on the Trans
fer TO the Capital.
President Adams Journey to WASH
iagtOH-0pe hundred and Twenty
six Clerks Employed Icy The Gov
crnment-PoEuIation Of the City Mt
That Time About Three Thousand.

Representative Richardson, in his adj
dress On The Transfer Of the National
Capital from Philadelphia during the
Centennial ceremonies at the Capitol yes
terday, said:
Mr.. President: 1t is matter of the
sincerest congratulation to us all on this
auEplcious occasion. that there is assem-
blcd in this historic Chamber. the official
home of the representatives of the people,
this splendid audience comprising in part
the Governors of the States the Lieu;en-
ant General Of the Army, the Admiral of
the Navy. detachments of the Army Navy,
the Marine Corps, and National State
Guards; the Commissioners of the District
OF Columbia. the Diplomatic Corps, resi-
cent with us: the members of the several
courts of the District of Columbia, the
Chief Justice and Associate Justices of the
Supreme Court, the Senate, and, with his
Cabinet of constitutional advisers, the
Chief Magistrate of our beloved country.
The occasion for bringing together SO
large a number of illustrious public men
and officials cannot be without great ma
tioual significance. AS nation We have
just emerged from fierce contest between
Inc SugiSAi.a-
cy, which was characterized in most quar-
tiers by manly warfare. This political
struggle ended as similar contests have
heretofore had their sequel in bringing I'M
happy regrets and 6isappointments 10
May, while it brought content;nsnt and
joy to others Ii is 4 source of pride 10
every patriotic American who loves his
country and her Institutions that when
these periodical battles come around. al
h,.- era1 Wit
desperation while the heat OF the strug-
gle was on, yet. when the victory is won
liberty has not lost but gained in
strength and every man from the high
est 10 the humtlest in the land dutifully
accepts the result and loyalty upholds the
verdict reached But the cause of our
coming together is wholly apart from our
recent contest. We are here TO take part
in highly interesting ceremony-'the
celebration of the centennial anniversary
of the establishment of the seat of Gov
eminent in the District OF Columbia
The first Congress under the Constitu-
ton assembled in the city of New York
liz ;.S9. One OF the first questions which
ensrossed the attention of the Congress
and the country was, Where shall the
seat Of Government be located? This ques-
ton was debated with acrimony and bit
terness, and in the minds of some of the
participants therein much sectional feel
ing was engendered. Such subjects al
ways excite warmth in debate and more
or less of irritation. 1t has been charged
that the location of the Capital was the
result of a bargain between the contend
ing sides in the Congress. If it were not
an express bargain il was the direct result
of compromise between the factions. The
plan of compromising for a result SO
early instituted in our history has never
been abandoned. and ! fear is too often
resorted to by those who are looking out
for special objects. Alexander Hamilton,
in his full manhood. with all his ability,
was then endeavoring to have Congress
sessiIme The si-a.s "f the several States of
the Union. which had come to them o.
legacies of the great Revolution. He elo-
Quently maintained that the public debt
was the price of liberty His plan Of
assumption was rejected by Congress. The
excitement resulting therefrom ran SO
high and The public feeling was SO great
ly embittered il seemed that the expert
ment of general government had failed.
1t was said that Congress assembled
thereafter every morning as usual but
only to adjourn at once, as the two sides
were too much out of temper to do bust
ness together The question was large
ly the North versus the South; centraliza-
ti0n against the rights and dignity of
the State governments. Hamilton refused
to submit to the verdict reached, and
kept up his fight, while Madison and those
who stood with him resolutely resisted
him. Late in his life Mr.. Madison, in
giving his version of this parting of
company with Hamilton. said: That the
purpose Of the latter was to commit the
Government to policy totally different
from that which he and both knew per-
fectly we'll had been understood and in
tended by the convention which framed
the Constitution and by the people in |
adopting it
WrightsvilIe's Brief Triumph.
In the emergency upon them a COM |
promise was effected, the details of which |
I will omit. but the result was that Ham |
ilton and his friends carried assumption, |
and the Capital was located on the Poto- |
mac. Prior to this action measure had |
almost gone through Congress to fix the |
seat of Government at Wrights Ferry, on |
the Susquehanna. This place is within |
the State Of Pennsylvania and within the |
district represented by Mr.. |
Ziegler. 1t is now known as Wrightsville |
By a census of this town which / remem-
Der to have seen not very many years ago, 4
II contained two sawIniils and 1910 in
habitants.'
We learn that the members from New