USA > New York > New York City > History of the city of New York, 1609-1909 > Part 24
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At the fortnightly meeting of the Sons of Liberty, on February 2d, a committee was appointed to correspond with the Sons of Liberty in the other colonies, including Messrs. Lamb, Sears, Robinson, Wiley and Mott. Having heard from England on the stamp matter, Governor Moore called the Council together and informed that body of His Majesty's orders to
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put the act in force, but the Council declared against the possibility of doing so under prevailing conditions. The Sons of Liberty had declared their purpose to fight to the death, if necessary, rather than see the Stamp Act put in force.
The New York mercantile firm of Pintard & Williams sent out some Mediterranean passes (which were passes required under the treaty between Great Britain and the Bey of Algiers, for the right of passage through the Straits of Gibraltar) on American stamped paper, and news of the fact was sent by express, from the Sons of Liberty of Philadelphia to the committee in New York. The organization was called together and, headed by Sears, Lamb and Allicocke, marched to the houses of Messrs. Pintard and Williams and made a demonstration. Next day the two mer- chants were seized and carried to the Common, where preparations were made to put them in the pillory, but through the intercession of some clergymen they were let off on confession and pledge to offend no more, making the statement first on the Common, afterward from their own doorsteps, and finally on oath published in Holt's Gazette.
In England the news from the colonies was variously received. In official circles there was much displeasure with the officials of the colony for not enforcing the act. Secretary Conway reprimanded Colden, and told him of His Majesty's displeasure at him for having postponed the enforcement of the act until the arrival of Sir Henry Moore, and Captain Kennedy was relieved from command of H. M. S. Coventry, because he had refused to receive the stamps. Among the things which had been sub- mitted to the home authorities was the question of appeals from jury trials, but the government had decided that there was no appeal, as a jury's verdict was final. This greatly pleased the Sons of Liberty, because it would not have been possible to convict them by a jury for any act done in furtherance of the fight against parliamentary usurpation.
Various demonstrations were made against official persons obnoxious to the Sons of Liberty, Colden being again burned in effigy, on March 3d, and the military and naval authorities were also objects of the resentment of the organization. The nonimportation agreement was in force, and homespun was the popular wear, even the governor appearing in clothes of that fabric, for the purpose of encouragement of American manufac- tures. This and his refusal to issue a press-warrant to General Gage when he could not charter vessels to transfer arms and powder from the fort to the king's ships, because it was "a time of peace," were among the many acts that made Sir Henry Moore popular even in this era of revolt.
Fierce as was the sentiment of New York against the Stamp Act, the city was loyal to the person of the king. The New York Gazette coupled
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loyalty to the monarch with advocacy of the popular cause, in the motto at its head: "The United Voice of all His Majesty's Free and Loyal Subjects in America : Liberty and Prosperity and No Stamps." The resentment of the people was against the Parliament, and more particularly against Gren- ville, the Marquis of Bute, and the other exponents of taxation without rep- resentation. On the other hand Pitt was the idol of the patriots, and a popular proposal of the Sons of Liberty was to erect a statue of that statesman on Bowling Green. Various rumors came in regard to the Stamp Act, including some premature reports of its repeal, but it was finally repealed, the king signing it with great reluctance, on March 17, 1766, in Westminster. London went wild with delight at the news, for the merchants of that city had been crippled by the nonimportation agreement, and merrymaking became general when Bow Bells chimed in concert with the joy of the people. The news was brought to America, very appropriately, by a brig belonging to Mr. John Hancock, of Boston, the gentleman who became famous in American history as perhaps the boldest of American penmen. The brig sailed from Liverpool, and when it arrived in Boston the news was promptly transmitted by express to New York, arriving on May 20, 1766. Bonfires on the Common, and gen- eral illumination, a royal salute from the guns, and a dinner of the Sons of Liberty at the hostelry of William Howard, in the fields, in which toasts were drank in honor of Pitt, "the Guardian of America," were among the features of the celebration.
Great as was the rejoicing over the removal of this chief bone of con- tention, the spirit of patriotism and opposition which had been aroused by the attempts to enforce the Stamp Act had gone far beyond the point where repeal of the act would put the sentiments of the people back to the point of perfect acquiescence in British rule. The act had been repealed, but the assumptions underlying the act had not been recanted. The act of repeal was accompanied by an act declaring that the king and Parliament had "the right to bind the colonies and His Majesty's subjects in them in all cases whatsoever." The New York committee of the Sons of Liberty was in favor of continuing the nonimportation agreement, until the duties upon paper, painters' colors, glass and tea should be removed.
CHAPTER TWENTY - THREE
BRITISH BLOWS AT AMERICAN LIBERTY AND TRADE-THE GROWING MILITARY BURDEN DEATH OF SIR HENRY MOORE
There was great rejoicing in New York on the king's birthday, June 5, 1766. At daylight the bells of all the city churches chimed their sweetest, and soon all citizens were up and about, and from the highest to the lowest, put on their best attire to make the most of the holiday which should show the personal loyalty of the people of New York to George III. Two large oxen were roasted whole on the Common, where the commoner folk had a general rejoicing, feasting, and drinking of toasts to the health of the king. For this occasion there had been provided twenty-five barrels of beer, a hogs- head of rum from which to concoct punch, and other provisions of drink and food. A gun, fired at noon, summoned the provincial and municipal officials and the leading gentlemen of the city to the fort, to drink the king's health. There was also an elaborate dinner provided by a committee of leading citi- zens, at which three hundred and forty plates were laid and forty-one toasts were drank. Guns boomed, colors were displayed, and bonfires and general illuminations kept the loyal demonstrations going until late at night. A "Liberty Tree" (or pole) was set up on the north side of the Common at a location between what is now Warren and Chambers Streets, east of Broadway.
The Assembly, meeting in June at the call of Governor Sir Henry Moore, presented an address full of loyal expressions about the king. The members from the city were John Cruger, Philip Livingston, Leonard Lispenard and William Bayard, and William Nicoll was speaker. A meeting called to meet at the Merchants' Coffee House, on June 23, 1766, prepared a petition asking for a brass statue of Pitt, and James DeLancey, William Watson, John Thur- man, Jr., Isaac Low, Henry White and John Harris Cruger were appointed as a committee to present the petition. The Assembly decided to authorize a statue in brass, of Mr. Pitt, and also an equestrian statue of the king.
Next to the Stamp Act the most serious cause of ill feeling of the colonists toward the home government was its policy of quartering soldiers upon the people. There had been a great increase in the number of soldiers, and at each session of the Assembly the governor had, in pursuance of orders from home, presented the question for desired legislative action, but the Assembly had persistently refused to authorize the billeting of troops upon the people. All they would do was to supply barracks with furniture, for troops marching
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HISTORY OF NEW YORK
through the province. There were frequent collisions between soldiers and citizens in the last half of 1766, and the soldiers, especially when drinking, were in no way hesitant about displaying their ill feeling for civilians. Four officers of the regular troops at the fort created a disturbance on the night of July 2Ist. They had been drinking heavily at one of the taverns on Broad- way, near the Common, and on leaving, started to amuse themselves by break- ing the city lamps in the vicinity of King's College. A tavern-keeper making protest, they drove him into his tavern, prodding him with their sword-points as he ran, and then, accompanied by two orderlies, made their way down Broadway, smashing each city lamp they came to, until thirty-four were broken, and then coming across four of the city watch, engaged in a fight with them, wounding two, but one of the officers was arrested and lodged in the watchhouse. The three officers who escaped summoned a dozen or more sol- diers from the fort, who, armed with muskets and fixed bayonets, returned toward the City Hall, wounded several of the watch on the way, and reaching their destination, released the imprisoned officer. As the latter, who was known, and one of the other three, ventured out of the fort the next day, they were arrested and taken before the mayor and alder- men and held to heavy bail for trial by the Supreme Court.
GOVERNMENT HOUSE, "WHITEHALL" Erected in 1786 on the site of old fort facing Bowling Green, where the Custom House now stands
The Liberty Pole, which had been erected on the Com- mon, was cut down by officers and soldiers from the fort, be- longing to the Twenty-eighth Regiment, on the night of August 10th, and soon the people to the number of three
thousand gathered, headed by Isaac Sears, to demand an explanation of the outrage. In the altercation that ensued, the mob threw brickbats at the sol- diers, who warded off closer attack with bayonets and sent a messenger to General Gage. The general's aide-de-camp, rushing to see what was the mat- ter, was mobbed en route and compelled to use his sword to save himself from harm. The cutting down of the Liberty Pole, emblem of the popular cause, was regarded as an outrage, and on the 12th instant, a new one, dedicated to "King George, Pitt and Liberty," was erected on the same spot. There was much feeling against the soldiery, and the more so as on trial it was proved that the soldiers were the aggressors in the trouble of the 10th of August. Several affrays occurred, of a minor sort, between soldiers and citizens, and
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THE ASSEMBLY DECLINES FURTHER EXPENSE
the military were practically boycotted. General Gage assigned the regular troops to their several districts so that the force at New York was reduced to eighty artillerymen. The second Liberty Pole was cut down on September 23d, at night, but by whom was never known, and the next day a new one was set up.
John Cruger, who had been mayor of the city from 1756, resigned the office September 29, 1766. He was a singularly able and judicious executive, who honored his office and was held in general esteem. Whitehead Hicks was appointed by Governor Moore as his successor.
Trouble with soldiers continued, chiefly assaults on citizens at night, due to intoxication. The magistrates issued an order that no citizen should sell liquors to soldiers between sunset and sunrise, and a tavern-keeper was fined and imprisoned for violating the ordinance a few days later. The Assembly, called into session by Governor Sir Henry Moore, met on November 10th, and on November 18th he transmitted instructions which he had received from England. William Pitt had been made lord privy seal with the title of Earl of Chatham, and Lord Shelburne had been appointed secretary of the Southern Department, in which the British American colonies were included. The instructions were from England and one paragraph in it declared the duty of His Majesty's subjects in America to give due and cheerful obedience to the acts of Parliament, and added: "It cannot be doubted that His Majesty's Province of New York, after the lenity so recently extended to America, will not fail to carry into execution the act of Parliament, passed last session, for quartering His Majesty's troops, in the full extent and meaning of the act, without referring to the usage of other parts of His Majesty's dominions, where the legislature has thought fit to prescribe different regulations." In replying to the governor's address conveying these instructions, the Assembly, on December 15th, declined to incur for the colony the expense of quartering the regiments marching through their territory. The reply also cited the fact that the provision which the Assembly had made at the previous session for quartering two battalions and a company of artillery, was lavish when compared with what had been done in that direction for neighbor colonies, and that they considered it a sufficient evidence of their loyalty. The tone of the address was respectful, but its substance was a determination not to quarter any large force of soldiers. Governor Moore, unlike several of his predecessors, did not threaten or bluster when he received this address, merely declaring his regret at their attitude and that he would convey to the secre- tary of state for the Southern Department a statement of their sentiments on the subject. He prorogued the Assembly, four days later, to March 15, 1767.
It was, indeed, a very poor time to talk about increased appropriations for quartering troops, even in barracks, and still worse those on the march.
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There was a feeling of exasperation against the soldiers, who had, either of their own motion or under inspiration, developed confirmed hostility to the citizenry. In addition to this personally obnoxious attitude, the times were hard and there was a great depression of trade in the colonies.
The first anniversary of the repeal of the Stamp Act was celebrated on Wednesday, March 18, 1767, with general rejoicing, and a large number of the leading people dined at The King's Arms and drank twenty-three toasts, chiefly in honor of America's friends in the British House of Commons. The next night there was a general illumination, but that same night the third Liberty Pole, on which were inscribed the names of the king, Pitt and Liberty, was cut down. The citizens charged the act to soldiers, but as they had no proof they contented themselves with setting up, on the same place on the Common, a larger and stouter mast than any of its predecessors, protecting this one with iron to a considerable height above ground. Attempts were made, without result, to cut or dig it down, and on the 21st there was an attempt, also futile, to destroy it with gunpowder. A watch was then set, and several attempts by soldiers to destroy Liberty Pole No. 4 were frustrated, the soldiers firing several shots on one occasion. The government and city author- ities took the matter up, and the soldier outbreaks were discontinued for a time.
Agents of American merchants in London, and New Yorkers visiting there for business or pleasure, were writing letters advising their principals or friends that things looked gloomy for the American colonies, as there was an evident intention to adopt measures of retaliation for the acts of the New York Assembly in limiting supplies for the troops stationed in or passing through the colony. Pitt, now Earl of Chatham, was ill in the country, so ill that he could neither lead nor advise. Without Pitt the American colonies were practically friendless, so far as any effect of his advocacy or aid in the Parliament was concerned.
When the Assembly met, on May 26, 1767, in the City Hall, the governor's address opening the session was, as always, courteous, but was more insistent than usual as to the necessity for further supply, and against the placing of limitations of the number of troops to be cared for. The house replied by an appropriation which gave £3000 for troops, which was the minimum sum mentioned in the Billeting Act, and did not put in the usual limitation to two regiments. So, although the actual sum voted was £500 less than in the year previous, the chief cause of complaint from the ministry was removed. The Assembly adjourned June 6th, after joining with the citizens in an unusually ceremonious observance of the king's birthday.
Meanwhile things were being enacted in the Parliament of Great Britain which were destined to put new fire into the liberty-loving patriots
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TOWNSHEND WOULD COERCE NEW YORK
of New York. Unfortunately, the Earl of Chatham was disabled by illness from attending to public affairs, or even advising with his associates. It was a Pitt ministry without Pitt. In forming it the Earl of Chatham had been compelled to select from incongruous elements, and, to use the words of Green: "The ministry which his guidance had alone held together at once fell into confusion. The Earl's plans were suffered to drop. His colleagues lost all cohesion, and each acted as he willed. Townshend, a brilliant but shallow rhetorician, whom Pitt had been driven reluctantly to make his chancellor of the Exchequer, after anger- ing the House of Commons by proposals for an increase of the land tax, strove to win back popularity among the squires by undertaking to raise a revenue from America. That a member of a ministry which bore Pitt's name should have proposed to reopen the question of colonial taxation within a year of the repeal of the Stamp Acts was strange enough to the colonists; and they were yet more astonished when, on its neglect to make provision for compensating those who had suffered from the recent outbreak in due conformity to an act of the British Parliament, the Assembly of New York was suspended, and when Townshend redeemed his pledge by laying duties on various objects brought into American ports. But these measures were the result of levity and disorganization rather than of any purpose to reopen the quarrel. Pitt's colleagues had as yet no design to reverse his policy. The one aim of the ministry which bore his name, and which during his retirement looked to the Duke of Grafton as its actual head, was simply to exist."
This paragraph refers to the legislation introduced by Townshend on May 13, 1767, of which date Bancroft says that "a more eventful day for England had not dawned in that century." On that day the order went out denying admission to the House of Commons to every agent of the colonies and every American merchant. Townshend called attention to the action of the New York Assembly in the previous December, limiting the appropriations for quarters for the king's troops to two regiments only, and to those articles provided in other parts of the king's dominions, and moved that until New York complied with the Billeting Act, the gov- ernor should be instructed to withhold his assent to any other legislation of the Assembly.
Besides this special resolution against New York, laws were directed along lines of regulation of all the colonies, duties were established on direct importations of wine, oil and fruit from Spain and Portugal, on imports of paper, painter's colors, glass, lead and tea, and a board of com- missioners was to be stationed in America to compel the payment of these duties. The duties so collected were to become part of the king's revenue
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HISTORY OF NEW YORK
for the payment of the civil list, and fixed salaries were to be paid all gov- ernors and chief justices in the colonies. This legislation was vigorously fought by the few friends of America in the House of Commons, foremost of whom was the brilliant Burke, but the two measures were agreed to May 26, 1767, and the news of their passage reached America in July.
As the Assembly had already complied with the terms of the Billeting Act, the Townshend resolution which was based upon the contingency of noncompliance became nugatory, ipso facto. But the policy it indicated alarmed the colonies. It meant coercion, and the violation of the principle which was rapidly gaining lodgmentin American patriotism, that "gov- ernments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed." Boston, stirred up by the new tax laws, met at Faneuil Hall, in October, and resolved to prevent importations as much as possible, especially of the articles included in the new Townshend tariff.
The Assembly again met November 17th, taking up several matters, one of which was to pay arrears of salary to Lieutenant Governor Colden. That official had been in retirement at his country seat since Governor Moore's arrival, and had attended only one meeting of the Council. With the February following the close of that session, the life of the Assembly, limited by law to seven years, expired. So it was dissolved and a new election was ordered. It was hotly contested, and Philip Livingston, James DeLancey, Jacob Walton and James Jauncey were elected from the city, John Morin Scott receiving the largest vote among the candidates of the opposition.
The third anniversary of the repeal of the Stamp Act was celebrated March 18, 1768, and largely attended dinners at two of the leading taverns included the chief merchants among their guests. On April 8th, an impor- tant meeting was held, at Fraunces' Tavern, corner of Broad and Dock (now Pearl) Streets, at which twenty-four merchants, engaged in foreign commerce, organized the New York Chamber of Commerce, the first officers of which were John Cruger (former mayor), president; Hugh Wallace, vice president; and Elias Desbrosses, treasurer. The evening before that, there had been another meeting at which it had been decided to prepare an agreement, operative if the merchants of Boston and Phila- delphia should, before June Ist, following, adopt similar resolutions, pro- viding that the signers would not sell on their own account or on commission, nor buy nor sell for any person whatever any mer- chandise (except a few articles named) which should be shipped from Great Britain after the first day of the following October, until the act of Parliament (Townshend tariff) should be repealed. A committee of mer-
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A NONIMPORTATION AGREEMENT
chants appointed to circulate this agreement found very few who would not sign it.
Townshend, author of the mischievous legislation, died suddenly, on September 4, 1767; the Earl of Chatham continued to be incapacitated by illness, and a new election was held in 1768. The Earl of Hillsborough was appointed secretary of state for America, and had denounced the attitude of the Massachusetts House of Representatives in issuing a circular letter calling for a union of the colonies to obtain redress of grievances. All advices from England spoke of coercive plans to be enforced by armies and fleets. Strengthening this rumor was the assumption by General Gage, commander in chief at New York, of precedence over Sir Henry
FRAUNCES' TAVERN Built 17 27
Moore, the governor, which assumption was, however, emphatically over- ruled by Lord Hillsborough, who disclaimed any intention on the part of His Majesty to introduce "a military government into his provinces in America upon the ruins of the civil power." Yet he persisted in wrong- headed opposition to the exercise of the right of petition, and in orders to the colonial governors to dismiss legislatures which showed hostility to the British customs plans. The assemblies all passed resolutions hostile to the Townshend tariff, and were prorogued by the governors. The merchants of Boston first, New York afterward, and later Philadelphia, as well as other smaller ports, agreed to import no duty goods, with a few excep- tions, from January 1, 1769, to January 1, 1770, and everywhere the agree- ment was signed with practical unanimity. On October 3d the people of Boston inaugurated their agreement to drink no more tea. English troops poured into Boston and camped on the Common, and later were billeted
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HISTORY OF NEW YORK
in the homes and warehouses of that city. The governor of Massachu- setts, Sir Francis Bernard, declined to convoke the Assembly, and so the colony continued under military rule.
The Sons of Liberty in New York, who had been disbanded during the lull of excitement which had followed the repeal of the Stamp Act, had been reorganized and greatly strengthened, and on November 14th paraded the streets and burned effigies of Sir Francis Bernard and of Greenleaf, sheriff of Boston, in front of the Merchants' Coffee House. The Assembly, meeting soon afterward, discussed various questions, its most notable act being the adoption, December 31, 1768, of resolutions declaring for the principle of an exact equality of rights among all His Majesty's subjects in all parts of the empire ; the right of petition, the right of an internal legislature and the undoubted right of correspondence between the colonies to secure united action for the defense of their rights, liberties, interests and privileges; and a committee of correspondence was organized in accordance with this resolution. As these bold resolutions were identically the ones which Lord Hillsborough's circular had prohibited, Sir Henry Moore, greatly inclined, as he always was, to a peaceful course, summoned the Assembly, on January 4th, and declared that these resolutions had put it out of his power to continue it longer in office; so, while expressing the kindliest feelings for the members, he dissolved the Assembly. A new election, which occurred in January, returned the old mem- bers, with the exception of Philip Livingston, who was replaced by John Cruger. Livingston was, however, elected from Livingston Manor in Feb- ruary, and Robert Livingston for Dutchess County. The Assembly to which these well-known men were elected, the Twenty-fourth, was the last of the colonial assemblies, historically known as the Long Assembly, which had its last sitting April 3, 1775, but was kept alive by adjournment until February I, 1776. It met and organized April 4, 1769, electing John Cruger speaker. The governor's address objected to the manner of appointment of an agent of New York province in England, as being detrimental to colonial interests; and asked for a grant to meet arrearages on account of the troops and their quarters. In their reply they promised compliance with his recommendations as to the king's troops, but declined to alter the method of appointing their agent in London.
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