time Hamilton was urging the passage of his bill to have the Federal Government assume the State debts, amounting to $20,000,000. The measure was defeated in the House, and Hamilton invoked Jefferson's aid to secure a reconsideration, stating that the creditor States of the East threatened secession if their claims were not considered.
"I proposed to him," says Jefferson, "to dine with me
the next day, and I would invite another friend or two
and bring them into conference together, and I thought
it impossible that reasonable men, consulting together
coolly, could fail by some mutual sacrifices of opinion,
to form a compromise which was to save the Union.
The discussion took place. It was finally agreed that
whatever importance had been attached to the rejection
of the proposition, the preservation of the Union and of
concord among the States was more important, and that,
therefore, it would be better that the vote of rejection
should be rescinded, to effect which some members
should change their votes. But it was observed that
this pill would be peculiarly bitter to the Southern States,
and that some concomitant measure should be adopted
to sweeten it a little to them. There had been propositions
to fix the seat of government either at Philadelphia
or at Georgetown, on the Potomac; and it was thought
by giving it to Philadelphia for ten years and to Georgetown
permanently afterwards, this might calm in some
degree the ferment which might be occasioned by the
other measure alone. So two of the Potomac members,
