Evening star., 1932-04-17

corner stone mariing the boundary o.
- the District of Columbia. Coincidentiy
the date fell on the same day of the
week
1t was said to be "a singular fact, but not
generally known. that the seat of Government
of the United States was located by Alexan-
der Hamilton and Thomas jefferson while
sipping a bottle of wine" The fallaey Of this
statement is evident when one considers that
the power to establish the seat Of government
belonged to the Congress. and furthermore
tine dispute lasted several years.
During the long controversy the Continental
Congress moved hither and yon, as convent
eace suggested or the vicissitudes of al
lowed. going from Philadelphia to Baltimore
and back again, then to Lancaster, York
Princeton. Annapolis, Trenton, and finally New
York where the first Congress under the
Constitution convened March 4, 1889. Prem
the very beginning the question of locating the
permanent seat of government was of para
mount interest to every one. 1t was discussed
in the Congress at the State Legislatures
at the dinner table, well as at street corners
and the general store Likewise all foreign
countries were interested.
Naturally the Southerner wished the capital
city to be in the South, while the Northerner
insisted that it should be in his midst. Each
State was intensely interested, and took sides
in the controversy. Practically every city of
Importance was considered well various
tracts of unsettled land. Many amusing
speeches were made. Sherman of Connecticut
thought the country too poor to start a Fed
eral town
Fitzsimons of Pennsylvania declared that "as
to expense, that was an after consideration"
Ames of Massachusetts, one of the leading
orators of the day, said, My opinion is that
the center Of government ought to be cen
ter of convE nienoe and utility; that the heart
should be SO placed as to prnpel the blood to
the eKtremities with the most equable and
gentle motion, I would place the Government
where it might most effectuaLy guard the ex-
tremes and protect the weak parts. The Sus-
quehanla is the center Of common convenience
=. West of the Ohio is almost an immeasur-
able Wilderness. Gentlemen, you viii pardon
me if 1 think it perfectly romantic to make
this decision ~
Vining of Delaware humorist, said, II am
yet to learn wi1st1er Congress to tickle the
trout on the stream Of the Codorus. to build
their Sumptuous palaces on the banks of the
Potomac or to admire commerce with her ex
panded wings on the waters of the Delaware.
1 confess to the world, that viewing the sub
ject with all its circumstances, am in favor
of the Potomac. because 1 think the interest
the honor and the greatness of the country
require it. / declare that look ON the Western
Territory in an awful and striking point of
view. To that region the unpublished sons of
the earth flowing from all quarters I
conclude that the banks of the Potomac the
proper station
Then Hartley of Pennsylvania said IF hon.
orable gentlemen are disposing to pay much
attention to a dish of fish, 1 can assure them
that their table might be furnished with fine
and good fish from the waters Of the Susque
hanna, perhaps not in such variety as in this
city CNew York; but the deficiency is well
made up in the abundance which liberal ma
ture presented of her various products D.. :"
when was finally agreed that the site
ma1st be accessible to the Atlatnic Ocean and
be in the center of wealth and population
then the question narrowed down to the Po-
tomAc and the SaseuehannA Pennsylvania
tine most obstinate OF the States was deter
mined that the capital should he located ON
the Salsquehanna, If mot the Delaware The
SouthernerS contended that even if the Po-
tomac were selected. 1t would only give them
four States to the south while there would be
nine States to the north. Secession was feared
for a time
Advocates of the Potomac site saw mach in
the future of Georgetown. II was then n busy
little village q half century old, with tanneries
saw mills. .four mills and iron furnaces the
glare of which fairly lit the skies at night.
What prospects of having the Federal city as
its suburb! Negroes formed appreciable
part Of the population but the ties Of sympathy
bound master to servant though there were
but few slaves thereabouts.
Those unfriendiy to the Potomac site de-
clared that the region was -malaricus Nh
healthy and destructive to Northern constitu
uOnx, as Eastern adventurers going into this
country had only met untimely graves On
tho other hand. those friendly to the Potomac
site vowed that the salubrity Of the climate
and the fertility Of the soil gave the location
every advantage over the SusqueAanna.
HOWEVER bitter and amusing tine con-
troversie5 were, after being discussed pro
and con. the Permanent Residence Bill"
passed July 16. 1899. and at the same tirae pro-
vision LiaGe tn eaaait