In America we see a very different state of
things. Not only is the country many times
larger than France, but every section, not to say
every State, has from the earliest period had
some different city as its centre. New York
is rapidly becoming, if it is not already, the
great pentre of finance and commerce for all ;
but its progress has been viewed with a jealous
eye by the neighboring cities, whose trade it



46 SHOULD THB SBAT OF GOVERNMENT BB

has been gradually taking away. What New
Englander who does not take most of his ideas
along with his newspapers, from Boston ? Will
the inhabitants of Pennsylvania or Delaware
ever cease to enlarge upon the clean streets, the
good butter, and the supremacy in all manufac-
tures of Philadelphia ? The Western man will
dwell in like manner upon the wonderful facil-
ities for continued growth of St. Louis ; and the
Southerners have always felt that Charleston
and New Orleans were destined to take the lead,
with the cotton and rice of the one, and the
outlet of the Mississippi at the other. Does it
need any argument to show how difficult it
would be to reconcile these diflTerent and con-
tending interests to the concentration in any
one of the places named of the immense num-
ber of offices and the enormous patronage of
the Government ?

Some of these considerations apply to State
capitals, which have too frequently been select-
ed with reference rather to centre of territory
than of convenience. The residence of State
officers and of the Legislature at such a town as
Harrisburg or Lansing, is of great advantage to
the place, but would add very little to the in-
fluence of Philadelphia or Detroit, while the
State at large would be benefited by the change.
