The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-12-11
LOCATING THE SITE.
Choice of Washington as Capital
Was Due to a "Deai."
council Bluffs Nonpareil.l

9tSiS W dSiiilS Ion personal ulCIun
that located the capital on the Poto-
mac. That is a mistake. But for a
curious 'log-roliing'' bargain, with
which Washington had nothing 10 do.
so TAR as known. the capital, instead
OF being located "in a wild swamp on
the Potomac river. near his home.
Mount Vernon" as recently asserted
IN an English publication. would now
be within the limits of Philadelphia or
on the Susquehanna near Columbia or
Nrightsville. Washington's personal
activity and unconcealed wishes for
the Potomac site had apparently no
influence whatever in determining ulti-
mate action on the matter. Despite
them, as the record shows, says the
Washington Star congress delibeRat ely
voted in the first instance by a large
majority Of both houses in favor of
Pennsylvania location.
The site of the capital was settled by
the first congress in 1890. By the first
census, taken that year, population
ives distributed as follows in the thir-
teen states and four territories or dis
tricts in their order: Virginia, 747 1910;
Pennsylvania. 454S7S North Carolina,
S9S, Isl: Massachusetts. S7S.IS7; New
York. $40, 100; Maryland. $40, 72S; South
Carolina, 1870 Connecticut, 237,o46;
1885; Maine. $3.50: Vermont, So. 425;
Georgia. s2,54S; Kentucky, 1857;
! Rhode Island. 63,S25; Delaware, 5S,096;
Tennessee, 81, 691 total. 1929 PA.
Virginia was clearly the state OF
paramount influence. both by reason
of its population and social and p0lit-
zeal prestige. Including Kentucky.
which was still practically part of
the old state. Virginia had nearly dou-
BILE the population of Pennsylvania,
which came next after her. and consid-
erabiy more tf.<1 double the population
of either New York or Massachusetts,
the other two leading northern states.
She was the center Of the new COM
monwealth. 1t VIII be observed that
the population of the so-ealled SOUTH
ern states was 1,961174; that OF the
states and districts north of Maryland
and Delaware, 1868, 04O
Potomac the Logical Location.
These facts in themselves pointed to
a. spot somewhere on the Potomac as
the natural site Tor the capital, with
out taking into account Washington s
desires or personal claims. But even
these geographical influences had but
small part in the final determination
OF the matter.
Succinctly, the history OF the meas
ure creating the city of Washington
is as follows: The constitutional con-
vention Of 1887 had adopted provision
for the removal OF the capital from
/ New York to a more central location
farther south. so tacitly understood.
From the outset it was generally con-
| ceded that the ten-mile square district
sought for the purpose would be chos-
Ell either within the limits of Virginia,
L d. ,esx~Tx- -,y.i. g,Fr
| the congress met, each of these three
states had already formally prOfered
| for IT'S acceptance the required dis
trict" or territory required, with eX-
elusive jurisdiction" at whatever
point II should settle upon as most
available for the new capital.
Virginia and Maryland and the states
south unanimously favored a district
on the Potomac, Virginia conceding the
north bank as a sort of compromise
probably. General Washington favored
the locality exactly where the capital
CITY now stands. The New England
and middle states lined up in favor Of
a location at or near Philadelphia. or
on the Susquehanna below Harrisburg.
At the first session of the first con-
gress in 1889 quite an acrimonious dis
cussion in the house followed the in
PRODUCTION by Representative Benjamin
C4oodhue OF Massachusetts, of reso-
luton that the permanent seat Of gov
ernr-ent should be located on the east
bank of the Susquehanna. IN PennsNI-
yania. and that while permanent build
ings were being erected the capital
should remain In New York.
Hard on Northern Constitution.
The question Of health. among other
things. was absurdly argued against
the Potomac. Representative Theodore
Sedewick of Massachusetts asserted
that IL was generally believed in New
! England that the climate of the Poto-
mac 'is not only unhealthy but de-
structive 70 northern constitutions
/ This point was pressed TO grotesque
! lengths Mr.. Jeremiah NadsWorth OF
the Nutmeg state did not dare 10 go
10 the Potomac" Should that be the
! location. he feared that the whole OF
New England would consider the
Union as destroyed"
AIR John Vining OF Delaware and
Mr.. Michael Jenifer Stone of Maryland
favored the Potomac. SO ala MI
lanes Madison of Virginia. Many OF
the arguments pro and con hlngeu
unon the availability of communication
: with the growing west. others par
+icinated in the debate, and finally MT.
! Richard Bland Lee of Virginia moved
I 10 strike out the east bank OF the
River Susquehanna' and insert me
north bank of the River Potomac,
/ This brought the question 10 mead
+ Put the Lee substitute was lost Dy
/ decisive vote. e. 49,,
/ the cast bank of the Susquehanha
PASSED the house by a decisive vote OF
+ n IN Il. and was sent TO the senate.
Ks the southern representation IN the
/ house aggregated thirty. 1t Is evident
! that thirteen of them Dackslid from
/ George Washington or failed TO vote.
( There is no record OF any debate OF Inc
! Gondhue resolution By the Inlted
/ States senate. On Sept. 70. 4'S9- II Vas
sent back to the house amended TO
/ read. "a district of ten miles square,
{ bounded on the south bv Il me run
| ming parallel at one miles distance
/ from the city of Philadelphia. 1t
| trauspired that there was tie vote.
| and the senate's amendment was
| adopted by the casting vote OF Vice
| President Adams.
/ But for Mr.. Adams casting a vote as
| vice president, therefore, the capital OF
| the United States would now Stana
somewhere on the bank OF the Susque-
/ hanna. in PENNSYLVANIA. What its name
| would be is perhaps problematical. If
/ the house had agreed to the senate
| amendment It would perhaps be located
/ at or near Philadelphia.
| However. the house refused TO con-
| cur. in the senate amendment, ana the
| whole question went over. The con-
| gress, in fact. adjourned three days
] later. In the interim, before the mat
! ter was taken up in the second session.
there was an extraordinary somersault
| i'm the congressional attitude toward
| the new site. But the evolution was
not wrought through Washington's in
| fiuence.