New-York tribune., 1905-11-19
LOCATION OF THE FEDERAL CAPITAL
More Light on the Circumstances Which Led
to Selection of the Potomac Site.
To the Editor of The Tribune

To the Editor of The Tribune
Sir: 1 article days ago, copied from
The Tribune, which undertook to explain the deal
by which the federal capital located the
Potomac but the author OF the article had evil
cently failed to consult OF the works which
so to the Of the transaction. II he had ex-
amined Marshall's Life of Washington" Hildreth s
History" Maclay's Journal and Elliott's DE
bates he would have found different explanation
from the he gives.
1t appears from all these writers except Elliot
that Marshall says. 1.-The public debt had great
ly accumulated in the Middle and Northern States,
the spectators having purchased the Certificates"
at one-eghth of their face value. When. therefore.
there proposition that the State debts be
assumed and funded along with the debts created
by the Continental and Confederation Congresses,
it gave rise a very animated debate and when
Mr. Madison urged that, II the measure were
agreed to- seven-eighs oS the face values ought to
go to the original holders the advocates of public
faith' public credit" honor etc, labored to
make Madison ridiculous.
AT length they rsked the question commit
tee of the whole house and carried it, thirty
to twentysix; but there great fears that the
North Carolina members would be in before bill
could be matured, etc. These members arrived in
few days, and when the matter was taken up the
assumption clause recommitted, twenty-nine
votes to twenty-seven. Then followed some very
discreditable proceedings and the danger of dis
rupting the government alarmed even Mr.. Jefer-
son.
Then came the "deal"-the capital went to the
Potomac and large stream Of the money of the
people went to the spectators of "the Middle and
Northern States
MacIay's account of this transaction is discred-
liable TO several of the statesmen of that period
whom we have delighted to honor. After giving
his grounds for suspicion to the conduct OF some
of them, he makes this significant statement
Hawkins of North Carolina, said as he came up
from his home he passed two expresses with very
large sums of money their way to North Caro-
lima for purposes of speculation in certificates
Wadsworth Connecticut n. C3 has sent off two
small vessels for the Southern States on the errand
of buying up certificates. 1 really fear the mem
bers of Congress deeper in this business than
any others
The bill as finally passed did not assume all the
debts the individual States it stopped at 215OO-
900. which was likely the amount In the possesso on
of the specuIators; and this, added to the federal
debt in their hands, amounted to ABOUT S6S,0SVSo,
seven-eighths OF which was free gift out or the
pockets of the taxpayers of the Union-a pretty
heavy load at that time
And all this was done in the face Of what we nd
in Elliot's Debates: Mr. Ivingston's committee
proposed that the Congress should have power p9 10
discharge the State debts well as the tederal
debts; but Mr.. Morris moved to strike out the state
debts, and by unanimous vote this was done
Clinton, N. c., Nov, 13, 1905. B. F. GRADY