New-York tribune., 1905-11-05
SETTLED SITE OF CAPITAL.
Why Washington Vas Chosen IN
stead of Place on the Susquehanna.

General George NdSllnSlolS pei Soioi N-N
tum that Scated the capital on the Potomac
That is a mistake. $50
Rut for the curious 'log-rollng'' bargain, with
which Washington had nothing to do so far as
known the capital, instead OF being iocaleo III
a wild swamp the Potomac, near MS hoine'
Mount Vernon" recently asserted in an Eng
lish publication, would now be WITHIN the ilflls
of Philadelphia. the Susquehanna' near
Columbia or Wrghtsville. Washngton's per-
sonal activity and unconcealed wishes for the
Potomac site had apparently no influence what
ever in determining ultimate action in the mat
ter Despite them, the record shows Con-
gress deliberately voted by a large majority u
both houses in favor of a Pennsylvania location.
The site of the capital was settled by the First
Congress- in 1890. Succinctly, the history Oh lne
measure is as follows The Constitutional con-
vention in 1887 had adopted a provision 1or lhe
removal of the capital from New forh 10 d ioie
central location further south.
From the outset It was generally concedeu
that the ten-r7ile-square district would be either
in Virginia, Maryland or Pennsylvania EacN
of these States had accordingly, before 1t met
already formally proffered for the acceptance Oh
Congress the required district or territory
with exclusive jurisdiction" at such point as
that body should choose.
The New-EngIand and Middle States almost
unanimously favored the selection of a district
either near Philadelphia the Susquehanna
somewhere below Harrisburg; those from the
Southern States mainly supported Congressman
Richard Bland Lees resolution LOOKING u It's
location on the Potomac.
An acrimonious discussion followed the intro
duction of the resolution of Representative ben-
iarnin Goodhue, of Massachusetts, that the per
manent seat of government should be located OH
the east bank of the Susquehanna, in Pennsyl-
vania and that while permanent buildings were
being erected the capital should remain In New
York.
The question Of health. among other thlngs'
was argued against the Potomac Congressman
Theodore Sedgwick, of Massachusetts asserIeu
that it was generally believed in New-hnglaho
that the climate of the Potomac lis not only
unhealthy but destructive 10 Northern constliu-
tfons" Jeremiah Wadsworth, of the Nutmeg
c++ "did not dare to go to the Potomac.
sbould that be the location, he feared that the
whole of New-England would consider the
Union as destroyed.
John Vining, of Delaware, and Michael Jeillier
Stone of Maryland, favored the Potomac %
did James Madison, of Virginia Many OF the
arguments pro and con hinged upon the a' ail-
ability of communication with the growing
West.
Others participated in the debate and hnanS
Nv Toe of Virginia moved to strike out the
east bank of the River Susouehanna, ana m
sert "the north bank of the River Fotoillac'
This brought the question to head. Inc Lee
substitute was lost by a decisive vote Iiio
Goodhue resolution, fixing upon the east oanh OIL
the srsouehaana passed the House by the de-
cisive vote of 81 to II, and was sent 10 the
Senate AS the Southern representation IN 'he
House AGGREGATED thirty, it is evident that thlr-
+aen of them backslid from George Nashing-
Ton or failed to vote
There is no record Of any debate OF the 1oou-
hue resolution by the Senate On SeptefhDe,
os 17So il was sent back to the House. aHlendeu
to read: "A district of ten miles square, pouhoeo
on the south by a line running parallel at one
miles distance from the city of Philadelphia.
II anpeared that there tie vote, and the
sana+es amendment was adopted by the casting
vote of vice-President Adams
But for Mr.. Adams's casting vote as
President therefore, the capital OF the Chlleu
States would now stand somewhere on the Oahh
of the S,1suuehanna, in Pennsylvania "hat It's
name would be is, perhaps, problemaucal' IL
the House had agreed to the Senate amendment
# would perhaps be located at or near Phiia-
delphia
However the House refused to concur in the
Senate amendment, and the whole question went
over The Congress, in fact, adjourned three days
later In the interim before the matter was
taken I'D in the second session, there was an
extraordinary somersault in the Congressional
attitude toward the new site. But the evolution
ence.
II 1erferson,s diary il is learned that it turned
on the assumption by the national government
or the State debts entailed by the Revolutionary
War The House had previously defeated AS
s,,,npt;on as it was called. There much
! bitterness and some threats of dissolution OF
tbe Union The New-England States particu-
| larIy were much disgruntled. The Southern
| States had generally opposed and voted against
! Assumption.
| Eventually through the efforts of Jefferson
! and Hamilton, an agreement was patcheu up py
! which two anti-Assumption Virginia members
r 2 Lee and Alexander White were TO chanSe
! their position favor Assumption while Ger
! tain Eastern members, more interested in AS
sumption than the location or the capital Will
j drew their support from the Pennsylvania capl-
tai proposition and voted for its location on the
! north bank of the Potomac" In other words
/ there deal.
| when the hour of decision arrived. both sides
| delivered the goods" Some $2o,0OO,OOo OF
! State debts were in due course assumed by the
| national government to please the Northern
! States most deeply in debt and the capital
/ which bothered them far less. was transferred
| from New York to the Potomac River, and not
! TO the SusQuehanna, as at first clearly cohteIii-
plated by Congress.
! Some five months after the beginning of the
| second session, the Senate having ascertalnea
! that 'in a certain contingency a majority o.
! the other House would reconsider its action anu
| favor Assumption. passed bill introduced pS
Pierce Butler. OF South Carolina, providing that
/ q district the Potomac. at some place pe
| tween the mouths Of the Eastern prahcn an
! Conococheague be and the same is hereby ac-
! cepted for the permanent seat Of the govern
/ uaent Of the United States" -,
There is no record of any debate OF TINS piii
but Il included a provision that the governiIedinl
! should be at Philadelphia until the year !ooo
/ Strong efforts were made to retain 1t IN New
York until that date but they failed 30 ~. ~
/ the amendment for 1874 and then 1872 Tnls
/ shows there was debate, and probably warm
one over the measure But it passed by a Fo's