THE NATIONAL CAPITAL 325 



or supposed menace came the decision,' thoughtfully and reso- 

 lutely taken, that the seat of government of the United States 

 must he where only those United States have exclusive jurisdic- 

 tion and control. This new created State, this then small star 

 in the galaxy of nations, was designed to be and its founders 

 believed it was to become a great nation. So believing, they 

 deliberated and determined that it should have a permanent 

 home of its own, where its laws could be made, interpreted, and 

 executed without improper interferences or influence of any kind 

 or from any source. The conclusion was to select a tract and 

 build a permanent home as the seat of government. Most cap- 

 itals have been established or have grown up in towns or cities 

 already existing. Not so the city of Washington. When, in 

 April, 1789, President Washington first entered upon his high 

 office, there was no city of Washington. Yet there was to be a 

 '' Federal City." The Constitution, framed and signed in 1787, 

 provided that Congress might " exercise exclusive legislation 

 . . . . over such District (not exceeding ten Miles square) as 

 may, by Cession of particular States and Acceptance of Congress, 

 become the Seat of the Government of the United States." 



Under this authority Congress, by a law enacted on January 

 16, 1790, and amended July 16 following, selected the present 

 locality on the banks of the Potomac. 



Down to 25 years ago there was talk from time to time of 

 moving the capital to a more central location. The discussers 

 rarely or never, however, gave evidence of any acquaintance 

 with the labor involved or' the traditions of the compromise 

 which resulted in the selection of the present site. Whoever 

 will take the trouble to learn what it cost to do this will be 

 either a very bold or a very foolish man to hope or expect that 

 a removal of the capital is possible. 



The original grant by Virginia and Maryland, accepted by 

 Congress in 1790 as the permanent seat. of Government, con- 

 sisted of a tract of 100 square miles, lying on both sides of the 

 Potomac river. Under the direction of three Commissioners, 

 appointed by Washington, this tract was surveyed by Major 

 Andrew Ellicott in 1791. The boundary was traversed, chained, 

 and cleared of timber and a topographic map prepared of the 

 100 square miles comprised within these boundary lines. As 

 the survey approached completion in the autumn of 1791, Elli- 

 cott asked the Commissioners for the title or name to go on the 

 map; whereupon the Commissioners formally passed on the 



