olph, the impress of whose genius has been indelibly
left upon the Federal Constitution. Vermont and Kentucky, as
sovereign States--coequal with the original thirteen--had been
admitted into the Union. The Supreme Court, consisting of six
members, had been constituted, with the learned jurist John Jay
as its Chief Justice. The popular branch of the Congress consisted
of but one hundred and five members. Thirty members constituted
the Senate, over whose deliberations presided the patriot statesman,
John Adams. The population of the entire country was less than
four millions. The village of Washington, the capital--and I trust
for all coming ages the capital--contained but a few hundred
inhabitants.

"After peace had been concluded with Great Britain, and while we
were yet under the Articles of Confederation, the sessions of
the Congress were held successively at Princeton, Annapolis, Trenton,
and New York. In the presence of both houses of Congress, on
the thirtieth day of April, 1789, in the city of New York, Washington
had been inaugurated President. From that hour--the beginning
of our Government under the Constitution--the Congress was held in
New York, until 1790, then in Philadelphia until 1800, when, on
November 17, it first convened in Washington. The necessity of
selecting a suitable and central place for the permanent location of
the seat of Government early engaged the thoughtful consideration of
our fathers. It cannot be supposed that the question reached a
final determination without great embarrassment, earnest discussion,
and the manifestation of sectional jealousies. But, as has been
well said, the good genius of our system finally prevailed, 'and
a district of territory on the River Potomac, at some place between
the mouths of the Eastern branch and the Conococheague,' was, by
Act of Congress of June 28, 1790, 'accepted for the permanent seat
of the Government of the United States.' From the seventeenth day
of November, 1800, this city has been the capital. When that
day came, Washington had gone to his grave, John Adams was President,
and Jefferson the presiding officer of the Senate. It may be well
to recall that upon the occasion of the assembling for the first
time of the Congress in the Capitol, President Adams appeared before
the Senate and the House, in joint session, and said:

"'It would be unbecoming the representatives of this nation to
assemble for the first time in this sole