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Show TRAVELS TIIROUGII NORTII AMERICA: laturc of Maryt1nci can be fo inatl:ive, and not take fome flcps to repan· this, whi( h I·S one oftl 1 e pn·n c1·p a1 1· o n d s 1·1 1 th e {b· .te , thl! t11~ re1t roa.d frorn north to iouth, and the high road to the City of vVallungton, IS moH. wondc1 ful! ----------·-------------- L ET TER IV. J 'owulattfJil rf the City qf lVajl.,ington.-N:;t n:aJ!Iy agreed t:; by di.ffi:rcllf St~ztcs.-C/J;ice qf tbt• Grouud left to General ff/;lj/.,ington.-Circum-· )lances to be co71jidt•rcd in ch1ffing tb~.· Ground.-Tbe Spot )ixed upon central to all tbe States.-A!Jo 1"t'markably advanttLgeOtijly )ituated ) or Trade.-Mtture if the: Back Country Trarle.-Summary View of tut! principal Trading Torzvns in ti.Je United States .- Their P rofperity jberze'n to depend on the Back Country Trade.-Dejcription of the Pato7ollu.zc Rivcr.-lts Connection 'With otht!r Rivers pointed out.-Prodigious Extent of tbe Wr1tcr Com;mmicationfrol}t fYa.fot·ngton City in all DirccLions.- Coun!Jy liJ.:cly to trade immediately wit/.; ftVtrjhington.-Situatio,z o;· WfljlJlilgton.-Plan of tbe City.-Public Buildings.-So!J/1! brg11n, others J~rrjcCfcd.-Capital Pre.fi'dcnt' s lfo1ffe .-llotd.-Stone and otbt'r building ]V[attrials jound iu the Neighbourbood.-Privizte Iloujcs and Inhabitants at prcfont in the City.-1)///erent Opinions njpecltizg the .future Greatmfs qf t!Je City.-ImjJedimcnts thro7r.'1z in the Way qf it.J Improvement .-If/bat /.1as given r!Je to this. MY DEAR SJR, Wnfl1ingtor, J•1ovcmbcr. THE City of Wa!hington, or the Federal City, as it i~. indifc1imi.., nately called, was bid out in the year r 792, and is cxprcf~ly defigned for being the Inc ropolis of the United States, and the feat of the federal govLrnmcnt. In the year 1 8oo the congrefs is to n1cet there for the firfr time, A s the foundation of this city has attraCted the attention C I T Y 0 F Vv A S II I N G T 0 N. attention of {o tnany people in huropc, and as fu ch very ditTercnt opinions are cntertain~d about it, I Dull, in the following pages, gjve you a brief account of its rife and pro,f_r, refs. Shortly aftl r the clo{(; of the American war, confidcr;l h ie numbers of the Pennfylvanian lin\;, or of the r.nilitia, with arms in their h,lnds, furroundcd the l1all in \vhich the congrcfs was aflen1hlc i at PhiL1ddphi~, and with vehement 111enaccs inii(le 1 upon inunediatc appropriations of 111oncy b ·ing tnaJe to di(charge the Ltrgc arrears Juc to thern for their pafl: fcrv ccs. The n1cmber", al.1rmcc.l at fuch an outrage, refolved to quit a !late in which they rnet wlCh infult infl:cad of protection, and quickly adjo ur11cd to l'~ew Yodc, where the feL11on was terminated. A lhort time afterw<1 rds, the prop1 icty was ilrongly urged in congreia, of fixing upon fome pl. ce for the n1eeting of the lcgifiature, and for the feat of the general goven1n1ent, which ihould be fubj ctl: to the laws ~nd regulations of the congref-> alone, in ord ·r that the 1nembers, in futu re, might not have to d" pcnd for their pcrfonal fafety, and for their frcedon1 of dt.:libcration, upon the good or bacl police of any individuJl :flate. rfhjs idea of 111aking the j )ace, which fh ould be chofen for the n1eet!ng of the lcgiOature, independent of the ptlrticular .fl:ate to which it n1ight belong, was further corroborated by the following argument: That as the fcvcral fiates in the univn were in fomc m ~.tfurc rival::; to calh other, although conncCl:eu together by certain ties, if any one of then1 was fixed upon for the feat of the general g overnment in preference, and thus raifld to a fiatc of pr -crninence, it 1night p(rLaps be the occaGon of grc~1t j ca1oufy amongft the others. Every pcrfon was convinced of the expediency of prefervjng the union of the fiatcs entire ; ic was apparent, tlkrcforc, that the greatcft precautions ought to be taken to ren1ove every fource of J·ealou[y f1 0111 arnon(rfl: then1 whi h mi(rht tend 0 , t:> ' though remotely, to produce a fcparation. In fiiK', it was abfolutdy necei1ary that the {(~at of government fbou!d be made pennancnt, as the removal of the public of11ces and the archives fron1 place to place coulJ not but be attended with tnany and very great inconveniences. Ifowcver, notwithfl:anding this tncafurc appeared to be beneficial to the intereft of the union at large, it w::~.s not until after the revolution.,. by |