USA > New Jersey > New Jersey as a colony and as a state; one of the original thirteen > Part 2
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CHAPTER XXIV
NEW JERSEY AND THE FEDERAL CONSTITU- TION
383-405
The Annapolis Convention of 1786 and the Causes that led to its Being Called-New Jersey's Attitude was one that Leaned Strongly toward Federal Control of Trade- The Commissioners-The Call for a Convention to Revise the Articles of Confederation and what Came of the Call -" Nestor's " Observations-New Jersey leads in Advo- cacy of Certain Phases of the Federal Movement The Revolutionary Attitude of the State upon the Economic Questions of the Day-A National University-Instruc- tions to Delegates and who these Delegates Were-
20
NEW JERSEY AS A COL
Paterson and the "New Jersey Plan "-Its Distinguish- ing Features The Famous Debate and why the " Plan " Failed-The First of the Famous " Compromises "-Du- ties of the New Jersey Members of the Constitutional Convention and the Public Services Rendered by Them- New Jersey Adopts the Constitution of the United States Without a Dissenting Voice.
CHAPTER XXV
THE STATE CONSTITUTION OF 1776. 407-421
The Continental Congress advises each Colony to adopt Self-Government-The New Jersey Provincial Congress passes " A Set of Charter Rights," which remained as the Declaration of the State's Organic Law until 1844- Petitions from Perth Amboy praying that the Colonial Government be Suppressed-First Official Action for Constitution-Making-A Committee appointed to Draft a Constitution-The Rev. Jacob Green and Others-The Arrival of General Howe throws Congress into Confusion -Existence of a Sentiment in New Jersey in favor of a possible Adjustment of the Difficulties with the Crown- The New Constitution Proclaimed-Reading of the Declaration of Independence at Bridgeton-Resumé of the Constitution's Principles-The Council, the Assem-, bly, and the Courts-Religious Freedom Assured-The Word " State " substituted for " Colony " on the Great Seal-The Constitution a Power in Developing feelings of State Loyalty.
CHAPTER XXVI
WASHINGTON'S TRIUMPHAL TOUR. 423-432
The President-elect Leaves Virginia and, Proceeding North, is Entertained in Philadelphia-His Progress to Trenton and His Reception at the Assanpink Bridge- The Triumphal Arch-Flowers, Symbolical Figures, and Song-Washington's Letter to the White-Robed Choir- He Proceeds to Princeton and Woodbridge-Elizabeth- town Extends a Glorious Welcome-The Naval Display in New York Harbor-The Centennial Anniversary of the Event-The late President Harrison Received by the
ONY AND AS A STATE
21
late Governor Robert S. Green-Action of the New Jer- sey Historical Society.
CHAPTER XXVII
NEW JERSEY IN THE PENNSYLVANIA INSURREC- TION OF 1794 .. 433-444
The Cause of the "War " in Western Pennsylvania- Opposition to Federalism-The Call for Effective Militia and President Washington's Proclamation-New Jersey Responds to the Call for Troops-Where the Men were Rendezvoused-The Line of March-Commissioners Ar- range Details of Submission with the Pennsylvanians- Governor Richard Howell Personally assumes Command -The Counties furnishing Men and Prominent Officers of the Regiments-The Count d'Anterroches and Some heretofore Unpublished Letters Describing the Life on the March and in Camp-An earlier Expedition Against the Miami Indians of Ohio.
CHAPTER XXVIII
SOCIAL CONDITIONS AT THE CLOSE OF THE
CENTURY
. 445-456
Changes Wrought by the War for Independence-Family Characteristics The Society of Friends as a Landed Aristocracy-Social Life-The Society of the Cincinnati and the Masonic Order-Political Feeling-The Taverns as Centers of Intercourse-Women and their Employ- ments- The Standard of Living-Domestic Affairs-Life in the Open Air-Hunting and Fishing-Horse Breeding and Racing-Contests of Physical Strength-Prize Fighting-Morbid Desire to Attend Funerals-Rigidity of Church Discipline.
ILLUSTRATIONS
William S. Stryker. Frontispiece
Arnold Tavern, Morristown. Facing p. 210
Bivouac at Monmouth Facing p. 210
Hopkinson, Francis. .Facing p. 114
Livingston, William ...
Facing p. 278
Map of the vicinity of Philadelphia Facing p. 178
Monument at Summit. .Facing p. 324
Paulus Hook ...
Facing p. 324
Washington, George
.Facing p. 426
PAGE
Alexander, Mrs. James
70
Alexander, William
171
American
peace
commis-
Cocked hat.
48
Colonial currency
347, 421
Colonial furniture
448
Continental Soldier
65
Cornwallis, General
152
Crown
369
Currency: ten pounds
421
Currency: twelve cents.
347
Dayton, Jonathan.
401
De Lancey arms.
95
Declaration of Independence,
New Jersey, signatures to. 114
Declaration of Independence
table and chairs.
117
D'Estaing, Count, autograph
of
211
Departure
of
the
British
troops
381
Desk on which Jefferson
Brant, Joseph.
222
British officers, uniforms of.
85
British troops, departure of. 381
Carleton, Sir Guy
250
Clark, Abraham.
395
Clinton arms.
232
Clinton, George, autograph
and arms
265
PAGH
Clinton, James.
235
Clinton, Sir Henry
178
Clinton's bullet dispatch.
227
sioners, the.
340
André, Major
177
Arms of New Jersey
119
Arnold, Benedict
331
Barracks erected at Trenton in 1759. 147
Battleground at Monmouth. 206 Battleground of Trenton and Princeton (map) 141
Bergen
County
in
1709-10
(map)
61
Billop house on Staten Is-
land
337
Birth and baptismal certifi-
cate
304
Bloomfield, Joseph
440
Board of War, seal of.
105
Boudinot, Elias.
360
Brandywine,
Washington's
headquarters at.
172
wrote the Declaration of
Independence
181
Dragoon officer
73
Early Village scene.
182
Federal constitution, signa-
tures to.
390
Fight in Congress.
443
Foot stove ..
453
Ford mansion, the
231
24
NEW JERSEY AS A COL
PAGE
Form of passport issued to
travellers by order of the
council of safety.
121
Fort George, New York.
89
Fort Lee in 1776.
133
Fort Mercer, plan of.
193
Franklin, Benjamin.
252
Fraunce, Samuel, receipt of. 350
Freneau, Philip.
287
Linn, William
389
Furniture, colonial.
448
Livingston arms.
293
Gage, General Thomas
57
Gallatin, Albert.
438
George II.
267
George III, scepter and seal
of
106
" Grange," Hamilton's resi-
dence
405
Great Bridge, the, on Eliza-
beth River.
204
Greene, Christopher
199
Grenadier officer
82
Hamilton's residence,
" The
Grange "
405
Hamilton's tomb in Trinity
churchyard
435
Hanging a Tory.
30
Harlem, Washington's head-
quarters at
128, 334
Hart, John.
113
Hessian boot.
145
Hessian hut.
137
Hessian hut, sectional plan
of
196
Highlander, a.
160
Hoboken in the Revolution-
ary period.
310
House in which
the
first
United States flag is said
to have been made.
273
Howe, Willian
130
Inglis, Charles
97
council of safety
121
Jay, John, autograph
279
Jay, Sarah.
261
Jefferson's desk.
181
Jersey prison ship.
123
"Join or Die," Franklin's
device
33
Kingsbridge, view of.
127
PAGE
Lafayette, Marquis de.
237
Lawrence, James
100
Lear, Tobias.
426
Lee, Charles.
142
Lee, Henry ("Light Horse'
Lexington, the news from .. 44
Liberty bell.
111
Liberty Hall, Elizabeth.
258
Livingston, Robert.
328
Lord North.
38
Lord North medal.
283
Loyalists,
reception
of,
in
England
91
Madison, James, autograph. 399
Medal, Lord North.
283
Mercer, General Hugh.
190
Molly Pitcher at Monmouth. 208
Monmouth, battleground at. 206
Morris, Gouverneur.
248
Morris, Robert
357
Morristown,
Washington's
headquarters at.
231
Nassau Hall.
415
Neilson, John.
393
New Jersey arms.
119
New York City in the Revo-
lutionary period.
52
New York in 1776.
29
New York, seal of, in 1777.
92
News from Lexington
44
North, Frederick.
38
Odell, Jonathan, A.M.
301
On the march.
221
Original
thirteen
colonies
(map)
26
Paine, Thomas
291
Passport, form of, issued to
travellers by order of the
Patterson, William.
403
Peace commissioners,
the
American
340
Peace commissioners, signa-
tures of.
344
Philadelphia from the New
Jersey shore in 1754 ...... 41
Knox, Henry.
162
Pitcher, Molly, at Monmouth. 208
ONY AND AS A STATE
25
PAGE
PAGE
Pitt, William. 186
Princeton and Trenton bat- tleground (map) 141
Prison house in New York ... 51 Putnam, General Israel .. 150
Rall's headquarters at Tren- ton 149
Reception of Loyalists in
England
91
Reed, Joseph
.79,
335
Revolutionary prison house. 320 Rhinelander sugar house,
New York
138
Ross, Betsey, house of ... 273
Scene at the Great Bridge (Elizabeth River). 204
Scepter and seal of George III 106
Schuyler, General Philip.
67
Seal of New York in 1777 ..
92
Seal of the Board of War.
105
Signatures of the American
peace commissioners .. 344
Signatures of the New Jer- sey delegates to the Decla-
ration of Independence .... 114 Signatures of the New Jer- sey delegates to the fed- eral Constitution. 390
Stirling, Lord.
171
Stockton, Richard
108
Table on which the Declara- tion of Independence was signed, and chairs of the president and members of Congress 117
Thirteen colonies, map of the
original thirteen.
26
Trenton and Princeton bat-
tleground (map).
141
Trenton barracks.
147
Trenton, Rall's headquarters
at
149
Trinity Church, New York,
after the great fire in 1776. 134
Uniforms of British officers, 1776-79 85
Valley Forge, Washington's
headquarters at.
175
Van Cortlandt Arms.
99
Varick, Richard.
431
Vergennes, Count de.
253
Views.
244, 366, 378, 410
Wallace house at Somerville. 217
Washington
between
the
two armies at Princeton .. 155
Washington chair.
456
Washington, George (Stuart portrait) 76
Washington, Martha.
218
Washington medal.
268
Washington taking the oath as President 432
Washington reconnoitering .. 228
Washington's book-plate.
285
Washington's desk.
437
Washington's headquarters at the Brandywine. 172
Washington's
headquarters
at Harlem ..
334
Washington's
headquarters
at Morristown
231
Washington's
headquarters
at Valley Forge.
175
Washington's
headquarters
at White Plains.
215
Washington's inaugural
chair
425
Washington's
reception
at
Trenton
428
Washington's writing table. 451
Wayne, Anthony.
317
Wayne's note to Washing-
ton
on
the capture
of
Stony Point.
311
White Plains, Washington's
headquarters at.
215
William IV.
333
Witherspoon, John.
281
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THE ORIGINAL THIRTEEN COLONIES.
CHAPTER I
WHIG OR TORY-WHICH?
A CAREFUL and candid examination of the true status of public senti- ment prevalent in the colony of New Jersey before 1776 fails to dis- close that intense opposition to the crown which prevailed in Massachusetts and Virginia. Although the spirit of the men of New Jersey had been restive since the days of Corn- bury, the complaints of Assembly, as more close- ly representing the people, were of an economic rather than a political character. Her attitude in the French and Indian War had been but an exhibition of loyalty. While New Jersey had raised her recruits for the expedition against Canada, and had taken part in the siege of Ha- vana, the war itself and its results possessed little more than a direct personal interest for the people of the colony. Unlike Pennsylvania, her frontier had not been deluged in blood and strewn with ashes. So long as New York stood as a barrier New Jersey had no fear of being swept out of ex- istence should France attempt to regain her lost power.
Later, while she had taken part in the various phases of constitutional agitation that agitated the Atlantic seaboard, her protests, with the one exception of the Greenwich tea party, were firm but ever made in the hopeful spirit of com- promise. Even the crowning act of statehood-
-1
NEW YORK IN 1776.
30
NEW JERSEY AS A COL
the constitution of 1776-left wide open the door for future reconciliation.
It is with extreme difficulty that the lines of demarcation may be drawn among the varying grades of opinion. Certain it is, however, that by the opening of the year 1776 there were in New Jersey two distinct parties-if such a term may be used-with a third element whose posi- tion remained somewhat in doubt.
Necessarily the Tory party was the most close- ly bound in a common interest, if not the most carefully organized. Its leader was Governor Franklin, who influenced a majority of the crown officers, the members of his council, and in civil life most if not all of the Episcopalians, who were active social forces in Burlington and Perth Amboy and to a somewhat less degree in Trenton and Elizabeth. Allied thereto were a portion of the descendants of the Holland set- tlers of the Hackensack and Passaic Valleys. Many of the leading lawyers of the State, trained in the formalities of English precedent, also had Tory sympathies.
Opposed to the crown party were the Whigs, whose call for freedom was first sounded in the meetings of the "committees." Following the boundaries of Calvinistic settlement in East Jer- sey, the cause of independence had its earliest development wherever the town meting was a
HANGING A TORY.
31
ONY AND AS A STATE
source of local political strength. Starting along the north shore of Monmouth County, it spread over Elizabethtown, Newark, along the valley of the Raritan, and over the hills of Morris County. Touching Burlington, the reactionary policy leaped to Cumberland County, where Cal- vinism was a power, and spread by degrees through Salem and Gloucester Counties. It drew into its ranks men of affairs, merchants, particularly those with a dash of Scotch-Irish blood in their veins, caught from the narrow confines of the meeting houses of the Society of Friends young Quakers, who preferred a wide field of action, and who were later to be led by Timothy Matlack, the "Fighting Quaker" of Pennsylvania, himself a Jerseyman born. It fired the ambitions of the yeomen, small farmers, redemptioners, indentured servants, and labor- ing men, many of whom had grievances against those in authority, and whom they desired to punish as much as they wished to wreak their vengeance upon the crown.
Between these two elements stood a large and respectable body of citizens who, if they leaned toward Whig or Tory, inclined toward the main- tenance of conservatism. Of these inhabitants of the colony the members of the Society of Friends occupied a foremost position. The Society had practical control of the southern portion of the
32
NEW JERSEY AS A COL
State, and was strong in the eastern part of the County of Monmouth as well as in Trenton and in scattered localities. Possessing large landed ' and commercial interests, the Society as a body had avoided political discussion, and had held close to the doctrine of " non-resistance." Con- sequently they were "non-combatants." This was a part of their cherished faith, too sacred to be disturbed. Furthermore they were in the peaceable possession of lands from which they might be ousted should the Revolution be suc- cessful. To them, the various parliamentary taxes were not burthensome, particularly as the Society took the view that such impositions were laid upon them by constituted authority, to which it was necessary for a Christian to submit with- out rushing to arms. Thus it possessed a degree of moral courage to withstand the pressure brought to bear by the advocates of liberty. It has been elsewhere shown that this fact was rec- ognized by the leaders of the patriotic move- ment in New Jersey, who were loath to send Quakers to jail, except for treasonable practices, until after due trial and strict examination into the merits of the case. It is not to be denied that there were members of the Society of Friends who gave aid and comfort to the British just as there were those who rendered assistance to the patriots, yet in each case it was simply an
33
ONY AND AS A STATE
expression of personal zeal overriding the teach- ings of the fathers of the faith. Sincerity, at least, marked the acts of the members of the Society, although vastly misconstrued by later writers.
To the Quakers were added some of the Cal- vinistic element, as well as the palatinate Ger- mans of the northwestern portion of the colony. Nor were the descendants of the French Hugue- nots yet ready to take the side of independence.
Through these two great divisions of Tory and Whig and the accompanying neutral element may be found the ugly trail of the political dem- agogue. The uncertain state of the public mind gave to the unscrupulous and the vicious an excellent chance to advance their personal interests. Buried in a justly deserved oblivion it is but rarely that a record may be found of these creatures and their acts. Indeed it was not until somewhat later that these " children of chance " appear distinctively as identified with Whig or Tory interests. Men could be hired by either party to perform any required service, from murder to plundering of farms, and well- founded tradition has it that most of these people possessed double sets of protection papers. Later they were paid by the English government to aid in the distribution of counterfeit paper money, made in imitation of State or colonial [Vol. 2]
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.5.S
CN
7
M
NC
NY.
xanb
NJ
JOIN or DIE FRANKLIN'S FAMOUS DEVICE. ( Designed by him in May, 1754. )
34
NEW JERSEY AS A COLONY
issues, or were hired by the Whigs to watch men suspected of harboring crown spies. They fol- lowed either army, ready to do the work of the " hanger on," and could only be trusted so long as they were rewarded. As the war progressed and it became more and more evident that the cause of liberty would be successful this drift- wood lodged in the safe harbor of patriotism, and much to the disgust of those who knew them best became blatant advocates of popular rights. To such charlatans New Jersey offered an excellent field for operations. The rapid pass- ing of troops and constant recruitings, the pano- rama of Tory and Whig proclamations, the con- veniency of the State to Philadelphia and New York were all factors in contributing to the advancement of those whose only interest in the cause was the hope of illegitimate reward.
The victories of Trenton and Princeton drew the final lines, when the gallows was esteemed the reward for lack of patriotic success. All the differences of opinion among the Whigs became merged into the demand that the contest for lib- erty should be waged until the bitter end.
" If you are not with us you are against us," was the political cry of the leaders of the pa- triotic movement. By the close of the long winter spent at Morristown the people of the State had made their final choice-a choice ultimately crowned with victory.
CHAPTER II
THE GREENWICH TEA PARTY
1214059
Rouse, every generous, thoughtful mind, The rising danger flee ; If you would lasting freedom find Now, then, abandon tea !
T HUS sung a New Hampshire rhym- ster, at a time when, filled with en- thusiasm and longing for a consti- tutional redress for grievances, the colonists threw upon "the fated plant of India's shore " not only all their spite, but all their hopes for reconciliation.
In that long and bitter decade of controversy, whose culmination was the American Revolution, a single prosaic article played an important part. From the calmer view of later years the hated tea injected into the discussion of the day bore no real relation to any merit in the contest. Yet it was tea which, as a modern writer says, was the " political intoxicant " of the hour, thus given a "grotesque prominence," that made the meet- ing of the first Continental Congress in 1774 a possibility.
The spirit of the colonists ere tea became the paramount issue may be reviewed, but reviewed briefly. With the close of the French and Indian War the imperial power of England in America dominated the continent from the Gulf of Mexico to the icy shores of Hudson's Bay, from the At- lantic to the partially explored Mississippi.
38
NEW JERSEY AS A COL
Claiming that the struggle to drive the French from the continent had been as much for the bene- fit of the colonies as for her own aggrandizement, England contended that America should contrib- ute toward paying the debt incurred. To this policy there was but little opposition, the colo- nies simply claiming that requisitions for the ex- penses of the crown should be raised through the act and operation of local Legislatures. But through blundering the American revenue act of 1764 provided that money should be raised by Parliament, and a plan mutually agreed upon failed because of the methods used to make it effective. Added to this came the hated stamps, as if from mistake the ministry drove itself into fatal error. Stupidly asserting a right to take their kinsmen's patrimony under any circum- stances, the revenue act of 1767 placed duties upon six most conspicuous imports-glass, red and white lead, paper, painters' colors, and tea. The family contest lasted for three years, when to relieve the situation the ministry eliminated all tax except that upon tea. For three more years the war of words raged, until in 1773 Lord North proposed that a rebate be allowed, permit- ting Americans to buy English tea at a lower price than it was sold in England, yet retaining the tax of three pence per pound.
The contest was one for the preservation of a
Frederick North, Earl of Guilford ; b. in England, April 13, 1733; supported the American stamp act 1765 ; prime minister 1770-83 ; author of the tea duty and Boston port bilis ; d. in London, Aug. 5, 1792.
39
ONY AND AS A STATE
principle-upon the one side the right to tax colo- nies, by acts of Parliament, whether such right be exercised or not; upon the other the demand that there should be no taxation without repre- sentation. For local self-government local and general associations had resolved not to buy or sell, or drink tea, retaining the right to fulmi- nate against it at all times and in all places. Then came the action of Massachusetts in Boston Har- bor, the closing of a great port, the cry for aid, the making of a common cause, the days of agitation, and finally the meeting of the first Continental Congress.
In England far-sighted men of affairs saw the maelstrom toward which all were drifting. As early as 1769 Junius in his first letter, and Ed- mund Burke, in 1774, realized that the colonies were being driven apart from the mother country by the policy of the English ministry. It was a London newspaper which presented the gist of the situation in a few trenchant lines:
Rudely forced to drink tea, Massachusetts in anger Spills the tea on John Bull-John falls on to bang her ; Massachusetts, enraged, calls her neighbors to aid, And gives Master John a severe bastinade ! Now, good men of the law, pray who is at fault ? The one who begins or resists an assault ?
In the mass of literature which was produced at the time of the tea controversy, most of which is to be found in the columns of contemporaneous
40
NEW JERSEY AS A COL
newspapers and pamphlets, there appeared, dur- ing the latter part of 1774 and the early portion of 1775, " The First Book of the American Chron- icles of the Times," which, uncompleted, is strong- ly satirical and amusing. The authorship is in- directly accredited to Francis Hopkinson, of New Jersey. As the name indicates " The First Book of the American Chronicles of the Times " is a parody upon the literary form of the Old Testa- ment, and gives briefly the passage of events in 1773-74. The Tea Chest-a heathen god,-being set up by the King that the American people may worship, is cast down by them.
Throughout the colonies the protests against the use of tea took various forms. In New Jer- sey a demonstration in the County of Cumberland early drew attention to a fine display of Whig spirit in that portion of West Jersey where Cal- vinistic influence was strongest.
Throughout the colonial period the chief town along the Cohansey was Greenwich, which indeed was a place of considerable trade and noted throughout the region. Here from an excellent harbor a West India trade of no meagre propor- tions was conducted, while good wharves, a well- kept ferry, and passable roads made Greenwich and her open market square a large commercial center.
In the summer of 1774 a certain tea ship, the
1
ONY AND AS A STATE
41
" Greyhound," bound for Philadelphia, entered between the Capes of the Delaware. But fear- ful of the state of public opinion in Philadelphia the captain of the " Greyhound " tied his vessel to the Greenwich wharves and, unloading his cargo, stored it in a nearby cellar. There the tea lay until the night of November 22, 1774, when, in emulation of the Bostonians, a party of nearly for- ty men in the guise of Indians entered with force into the cellar, and, seizing the tea chests, made in a nearby field a bonfire of the cargo.
This assemblage had been organized under the advice and direction of the local committee of safety. Instantly the entire colony was aroused. New Jersey had followed the example of Massa- chusetts, it was said, and the detested tea was banished forever from our midst. Rumors flew thick and fast. There were many young men of prominence implicated. Jonathan Elmer, the crown's high sheriff of the County of Cumberland, as a member of the committee of safety knew of these high-handed proceedings. Young Dr. Ebenezer Elmer, who was to follow the fortunes of the Revolution as surgeon in the army and later to sit in Congress, had been among the ma- rauders. Richard Howell, the law student, but twenty years of age, had joined the party and at the close of the century, when governor of New Jersey, delighted to tell of the night's events,
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