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A SOUTHERN SUGAR PLUM. 567
" There was much division of sentiment as to the relative advantages of Philadelphia
and Germantown, in Pennsylvania; Hayre-de-Grace and a place called Wrights' Ferry,
on the Susquehanna; Baltimore, on the Patapsco, and Conecocheaque, on the Potomac.
The two last were about equally balanced for some time in the number of supporters. It
was remarked, by one of the members of Maryland, that the people of that State were in
the situation of Tantalus, uncertain which to prefer, the Susquehanna or the Potomac.
Mr. J. Smith set forth the advantages of Baltimore, and the fact that its citizens had subscribed $40,000 for public buildings. The South Carolinians offered an apparently
whimsical objection to Philadelphia, to wit: the number of Quakers, who they said, were
eternally dogging the Southern members with their schemes of emancipation. Others
ridiculed the idea of building palaces in the woods. Mr. Gerry, of Massachusetts, thought
it highly unreasonable to fix the Seat of Government in such a position as to have nine
States out of the thirteen to the northward of the place, and adverted to the sacrifices
the Northern States were ready to make in being willing to go so far south as Baltimore.
Mr. Page said New York was superior to any place-he knew for the orderly and decent
behavior of its inhabitants. The motion to insert Baltimore instead of the Potomac was
negatived by a vote of thirty-seven to twrenty-three." 1
The Act " establishing the temporary and permanent seat of Government of
the United States,"2 was finally passed on the 16th of July, 1790, by a vote of
thirty-two to tAventy-nine. The first section of this Act provides " that a district of territory not exceeding ten miles square, to be located, as hereafter
directed, on the river Potomac, at some place between the mouth of the
Eastern Branch and Conecocheague, be, and the same is hereby accepted for
the permanent seat of Government of the United States."
Thus it Avas that this " sugar-plum" was given to the South for their
adoption of the " assumption bill," which Mr. Jefferson says was " a bitter
pill" to the Southern States, and it was necessary that " some concomitant
measure should be adopted to SAveeten it a little to them."3 Incompliance
Avith the Act of Congress, President Washington, in 1790, visited Williamsport,4 in Washington County, but not liking the situation, he finally selected
the present site as the future capital of the country. As the Act passed by
Congress required the district to be located above the mouth of the Eastern
Branch, he procured on the 3d of March, 1791, the passage of an amendatory
and seventeen miles north of Baltimore. In ary War, by General Otho H. Williams, and
1800, it was in Carroll County, seven miles called after his own name. The following an-
south of the Pennsylvania Line and nine miles ecdote is related of Washington's visit to this
northeast of Westminster. In 1810, it was place for the selection of a site for the capitol.
Adams County, Pennsylvania. In 1820, it was When standing with a group, at the fountain on
Morgan County, Virginia. In 1830, Hampshire " Springfield Farm," adjoining the village of
County, Virginia; and in 1840, in Marion Williamsport, Washington observed to Colonel
County, Virginia. Elie Williams, the brother of General Otho H.
1 Seat of Government, p. 11. Williams, that it was " upwards of thirty years
2 The word "temporary," referring to Phila- since I visited this spot, which was then an en-
delphia, where the congress were to hold their tire wilderness during Braddock's war, and the
sessions until 1800, when, as Mr. Wolcott ex- only improvement to be seen in the face of the
pressed it, " they were to go to the Indian place country was the hut of Colonel Cresap, who
with the long name, on the Potomac," referring, had his quarters here," pointing with his whip
no doubt, to Conecocheague (now Williamsport, to an old shed a few hundred yards off, and con-
Washington County, Maryland), tinued—"that, sir, is the remains of Cresap's
3 Jefferson's Works, iv., p. 448. habitation."—Maryland Gazette, July 10, 1828.
4 It was laid out shortly after the Revolution-
Object Description
| Title | History of Maryland - 2 |
| Creator | Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas) |
| Publisher | J. B. Piet |
| Place of Publication | Baltimore |
| Date | 1879 |
| Language | eng |
| Type | Books/Pamphlets |
Description
| Title | 00000610 |
| Type | Books/Pamphlets |
| Transcript | A SOUTHERN SUGAR PLUM. 567 " There was much division of sentiment as to the relative advantages of Philadelphia and Germantown, in Pennsylvania; Hayre-de-Grace and a place called Wrights' Ferry, on the Susquehanna; Baltimore, on the Patapsco, and Conecocheaque, on the Potomac. The two last were about equally balanced for some time in the number of supporters. It was remarked, by one of the members of Maryland, that the people of that State were in the situation of Tantalus, uncertain which to prefer, the Susquehanna or the Potomac. Mr. J. Smith set forth the advantages of Baltimore, and the fact that its citizens had subscribed $40,000 for public buildings. The South Carolinians offered an apparently whimsical objection to Philadelphia, to wit: the number of Quakers, who they said, were eternally dogging the Southern members with their schemes of emancipation. Others ridiculed the idea of building palaces in the woods. Mr. Gerry, of Massachusetts, thought it highly unreasonable to fix the Seat of Government in such a position as to have nine States out of the thirteen to the northward of the place, and adverted to the sacrifices the Northern States were ready to make in being willing to go so far south as Baltimore. Mr. Page said New York was superior to any place-he knew for the orderly and decent behavior of its inhabitants. The motion to insert Baltimore instead of the Potomac was negatived by a vote of thirty-seven to twrenty-three." 1 The Act " establishing the temporary and permanent seat of Government of the United States,"2 was finally passed on the 16th of July, 1790, by a vote of thirty-two to tAventy-nine. The first section of this Act provides " that a district of territory not exceeding ten miles square, to be located, as hereafter directed, on the river Potomac, at some place between the mouth of the Eastern Branch and Conecocheague, be, and the same is hereby accepted for the permanent seat of Government of the United States." Thus it Avas that this " sugar-plum" was given to the South for their adoption of the " assumption bill," which Mr. Jefferson says was " a bitter pill" to the Southern States, and it was necessary that " some concomitant measure should be adopted to SAveeten it a little to them."3 Incompliance Avith the Act of Congress, President Washington, in 1790, visited Williamsport,4 in Washington County, but not liking the situation, he finally selected the present site as the future capital of the country. As the Act passed by Congress required the district to be located above the mouth of the Eastern Branch, he procured on the 3d of March, 1791, the passage of an amendatory and seventeen miles north of Baltimore. In ary War, by General Otho H. Williams, and 1800, it was in Carroll County, seven miles called after his own name. The following an- south of the Pennsylvania Line and nine miles ecdote is related of Washington's visit to this northeast of Westminster. In 1810, it was place for the selection of a site for the capitol. Adams County, Pennsylvania. In 1820, it was When standing with a group, at the fountain on Morgan County, Virginia. In 1830, Hampshire " Springfield Farm," adjoining the village of County, Virginia; and in 1840, in Marion Williamsport, Washington observed to Colonel County, Virginia. Elie Williams, the brother of General Otho H. 1 Seat of Government, p. 11. Williams, that it was " upwards of thirty years 2 The word "temporary," referring to Phila- since I visited this spot, which was then an en- delphia, where the congress were to hold their tire wilderness during Braddock's war, and the sessions until 1800, when, as Mr. Wolcott ex- only improvement to be seen in the face of the pressed it, " they were to go to the Indian place country was the hut of Colonel Cresap, who with the long name, on the Potomac," referring, had his quarters here," pointing with his whip no doubt, to Conecocheague (now Williamsport, to an old shed a few hundred yards off, and con- Washington County, Maryland), tinued—"that, sir, is the remains of Cresap's 3 Jefferson's Works, iv., p. 448. habitation."—Maryland Gazette, July 10, 1828. 4 It was laid out shortly after the Revolution- |
