USA > New York > New York City > New York city and vicinity during the war of 1812-15, being a military, civic and financial local history of that period, Vol. II > Part 30
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It was announced that, in consequence of the celebration, the performance would commence at eight o'clock.
Naval Panorama was brilliantly illuminated and decorated in an appropriate manner. Two bands of music.
Scudder's Museum was also illuminated and had two bands of music.
New York Hospital was fully and very brilliantly illuminated on all sides, from the cupola to the ground windows.
City Hotel. A beautiful figure representing Peace ; in her right hand an olive branch, in her left a scroll with the words, "Glory to God on High ! on Earth Peace and Goodwill to Men !"
Some shown at other taverns and hotels sur- passed that in beauty and extensive design, but none surpassed it in sentiment.
Shakespeare Tavern, kept by Hodgkinson. Co- lumbia and Britannia shaking hands, with the words "Forgive and Forget," the olive branch between.
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NEWSPAPER OFFICES DISPLAY.
The eagle partially covered by the United States shield, the lion by the shield of Great Britain. Above all the names of our commissioners, Adams, Bayard, Gallatin, Clay, Russell. On each side of Columbia and Britannia the flag of each nation -beneath all the word "Peace."
The Shakespeare Tavern was on southwest corner of Fulton and Nassau streets and was quite famous at that time. The veteran corps of artillery usually had their holiday dinners there.
The newspaper offices, as well as the residences of the editors, were illuminated by candles at the windows, while some of them had also special trans- parencies.
The banks and some of the most prominent insur- ance companies had special transparencies as well as candles at the windows. The many special trans- parencies that were shown at the private residences were numerous and costly.
John Jacob Astor's house on Broadway was illu- minated with a variety of elegant transparencies emblematic of the happy return of Peace. The door represented the entrance of a temple ; right and left were two elegant marble pillars decorated with garlands of roses (painted) ; above, the word Peace in large letters (of roses), under which was eighteen stars, representing the States, forming an arch in the centre ; above the pillars two large lamps around which was entwined the United States flag. On each side of the door two oval wreaths of laurel, containing the names of American heroes. Imme- diately over the entrance was the American eagle
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JOIIN JACOB ASTOR'S DISPLAY.
letting fall the sword, viewing with exultation the word Peace which appears in the clouds. On one side the goddess of Peace holding the treaty in one hand, in the other a palm leaf. On the other side the goddess of Plenty. Over the eagle the Ameri- can shield, with the name of the President, "17th February, 1815," the day the treaty was signed, encircled with branches of olive. On one side of this were the names of Bayard, Adams, Gallatin, Clay, Russell, the United States negotiators at Ghent ; on the other the names of many of the American heroes of the day.
Each side of the house was decorated with trans- parencies of various colors.
The whole presented the most brilliant and strik- ing appearance of any private residence in the city. It was designed and arranged by Mr. Alexander Gasselain.
In the gunsmith shop of Mr. Finch, in Green- wich street, the inscriptions displayed by the rows of muskets with lighted candles in their muzzles was as follows :
" At lengthi the clang of arms is o'er, War's dread shout is heard no more ; Our hopes, our fears, our sorrows cease, Each murmur hushed and all is peace ! "
Immediately back of the muskets was the fol- lowing :
" Lo ! War with rage and fury burned, Now Peace so mild is conqueror turned, Her magic wand displays such tricks, E'en muskets changed to candlesticks."
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GREAT COST TO THE CITY.
It was all over by half-past ten o'clock.
An account of the manner of illumination at that time and the cost of it to the city is given in Vol. I., p. 320, note.
The fireworks and decorations of the Government House and the City Hall cost the city ten thousand dollars, said the Advocate reprovingly.
It was stated that there were five thousand stran- gers present in the city to view the display.
The windows of the almshouse and the Bridewell and the debtors' prison were illuminated by candles and showed that all joined in the feeling of glad- ness at the peace.
The Evening Iost said of the celebration :
"Last evening this city, in celebration of the long-desired peace, exhibited with uncommon splen- dor the joyful appearance of an almost general illu- mination. The streets, although extremely wet under foot, were thronged with countless multi- tudes of ladies and gentlemen and all sorts and classes of people, without distinction, to gratify a laudable curiosity to testify their boundless joy at the occasion and join in exclamations of admiration and applause.
"We would fain attempt a description of the most striking emblematic devices which so splen- didly adorned our public buildings, and the more modest but not less beautiful embellishments which here and there were so tastefully displayed in pri- vate windows. But the means are not at hand to enable us to do justice to either, and memory can but supply a partial and imperfect recollection."
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ILL FEELING SIIOWN.
The celebration at Greenwich, that part of the city near Christopher street, which could then only be reached from the lower part of the city by cross- ing a bridge over Canal street at Broadway, took place on the evening of 28th. The Commercial Ad- vertiser said of it :
"The illumination at Greenwich last night was splendid, though not general. Hammond street is considered to have displayed more taste than any other. Several elegant transparencies were exhib- ited. The houses of Mr. Wilkes, Mr. Burral and the Messrs. Gilbert were conspicuous."
It all passed off without giving offence to anyone excepting that by Dr. Mac Neven, who exhibited an elegant transparency in which a Tennessee volun- teer was introduced as a negotiator of peace. He was represented on the glacis of a field work in front of the camp near New Orleans, leaning on his rifle and casting a piercing view over the field, as if to be assured all was safe. At his feet lay two sol- diers in scarlet uniform, supposed to have died with the parole countersign, "Beauty and booty," upon their lips. This gave great offence to the English- men in New York, and they showed their feeling by their grumbling in the city newspapers. Several of the newspapers deprecated Dr. Mac Neven's action and excused it by saying that he was not a native- born American.
The prevailing desire in all was to forgive and forget.
It was without doubt the grandest and most ex- tensive illumination and celebration that has ever occurred in America.
CHAPTER LV.
Terms of the Treaty-Negotiations at Ghent-Congress at Vienna- European Diplomacy-Effect of the Treaty in Europe and America-Origin of Monroe Doctrine-Last Hostile Gun Fired in the War-Last Capture at Sea-President's Address on Dis- banding the Army-Dramatic Part by New York City in the War-Concluding Remarks.
HE treaty of peace and the further papers of the negotiation of the treaty were laid before the Senate on Febru- ary 15th. Up to this time no other official papers relating to the subject had been received from the American commissioners since those that were announced on December 1st, and the contents of them had not yet been made public. The latest negotiations that had been made public were down to date of August 19th, and were publicly an- nounced on October 10th.
The treaty and the negotiations that led to it were considered by the Senate in secret session. When it was ratified by the Senate and announced by the President it was decided that the negotiations that led to it should still be kept secret. They were not made public until several years afterwards.
The terms of the treaty were agreed upon, and it was signed in triplicate by the respective commis-
.
496
TERMS OF TIIE TREATY.
sioners of the two nations, at Ghent, on 24th De- cember, 1814. It was immediately forwarded to London in the hands of Mr. Baker, secretary to Lord Gambier, and Mr. Carroll, one of the secre- taries of the United States commissioners. It was ratified on the 28th December, in London, in the name of the king of England, by the Prince Regent. It was then taken by the same messengers to Ports- mouth, England, and they sailed for New York in the British sloop-of-war Favorite, on the 2d Janu- ary, 1815, and after a passage of forty days arrived in New York, as before stated.
After the publication of the treaty, the Columbian, the Evening Post and the Commercial Advertiser had a series of lengthy articles on the terms of the treaty and the results of the war. The subject was ably and thoroughly handled by them, and show that the causes and results of the war and the treaty were not considered at that time the same as is now usually historically stated and accepted with- out question by popular assent both in America and in Great Britain.
In this connection should be read "An Exposition of the Causes and Character of the War," by A. J. Dallas, Acting Secretary of War, issued on Febru- ary 10, 1815, before any account had been received in the United States of the signing of the treaty of peace at Ghent.
The Evening Post said it was a disgraceful peace. The Advocate observed and commented upon this remark. The editor of the Post replied that " He never did say the peace was a disgraceful peace to
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GREAT BRITAIN DISSATISFIED.
the nation, but he did say it was so to the adminis- tration.
The reception of the treaty in each country at that time shows how the popular feelings prevailed about its terms and effect.
The ratified treaty from the United States arrived at London on 13th March. The king's proclama- mation announcing the peace was dated March 17th.
The peace was announced in Canada by procla- mation by Governor Provost and a day of thanks- giving ordered.
The Montreal Herald, in speaking of the rejoic- ings throughout the United States at the return of peace, observed, "What a contrast is exhibited in this country ; you scarcely meet a cheerful counte- nance from one end of the province to the other when you speak of peace."
Great Britain undoubtedly was very much disap- pointed that the treaty was not more favorable to them. As an example, this may be inferred from the manner in which the peace was officially an- nounced. The usual way the cessation of war was proclaimed, such as the Peace of Amiens and the Treaty at Paris of April 23, 1814, was by heralds in costume starting from St. James' Palace and going into the city of London through the old gate- way, carrying a grand display of armorial ensigns and accompanied by a military escort in gay attire of scarlet, black and gold, and bands of music, stop- ping from time to time on the way at Whitehall, Westminster, Charing Cross, Temple Bar and Guild Hall, to read the king's proclamation of the peace.
,
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RESULT IN THE UNITED STATES.
After this there were firing of cannon and ringing of bells and grand illuminations of public buildings at night.
Not so in announcing this peace with the United States. All that was done was the reading the king's proclamation at the door of the War Office in Whitehall. Even this was noticed by only one newspaper, the Courier. The people scarcely knew of the peace. There was no other ceremony -- no firing of cannon, no ringing of bells, no illumination at night or any other demonstration of joy which were shown when a British victory at sea or land occurred in the war. (See ante, Vol. I., p. 320, note.)
It was in fact and effect a mere withdrawal of hostilities on the part of the United States, and Great Britain was to surrender all the conquered territory, and the contending nations were to be restored as near as possible to the condition they were in at the time of the declaration of war.
The possessions and rights of the Indian tribes in America were to be restored by each party as they existed in 1811, prior to hostilities, and they were to cease hostilities.
On the 22d July, 1814, a treaty of peace between the United States and the several tribes of Indians called the Wyandottes, Delawares, Shawanees, Sen- ecas and Miamis, and on the 9th August, 1814, another with the Creek nation of Indians had been made. These treaties were not ratified by the United States until after the ratification of the treaty of Ghent.
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RESULT IN AMERICA.
. It may be said here, in passing, that the terms of peace as to the restoration of all territory taken by either party during the war could only apply to the territory of the United States which was then in possession of the enemy. The United States did not then have possession of any British territory. No allusion was made in the treaty to maritime matters, hence they stood same as before the war.
This part of the treaty of Ghent was the same rule that was applied to European nations by the settlement by the congress at Vienna. This action of the congress was principally due to the treaty by the allies at Paris, dated April 23, 1814, and the application of this rule to the American continent and to the war was undoubtedly due to Talleyrand in bringing it up, and was backed by Russia and other powers.
Lord Castlereagh, the British representative, could not do otherwise than accept it as to America. The financial condition of England at that time also had much to do with the desire for peace.
The shipping laws of the United States that had been enacted during the war, particularly that of March 3, 1813. relating to the employment of citi- zens of the United States on board of the public or private vessels of the United States (ante, Vol. I., p. 411, 412), were now such, with the naturaliza- tion laws, that would prevent many of the ques- tions of right of search and nationality of a vessel of the United States, which caused so much trouble previous to the war.
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EFFECT IN EUROPE.
The commissioners said in regard to Talleyrand's movement, before referred to :
" We think it does not promise an aspect of imme- diate tranquility to this continent, and that it will disconcert particularly the measures which Great Britain has been taking with regard to the future destination of this country among others, and to which she has attached apparently much impor- tance."
There were many secret alliances, treaties and agreements made between some of the countries represented in the congress at Vienna. The most important one to the United States was that be- tween England, France and Austria to check Rus- sian aggressions and power. . Prussia sided with Russia in the congress.
Russia was the friend of the United States. Great Britain had refused to accept the offer of the United States to allow the Emperor of Russia to act as a mediator to settle the questions between the two countries (ante, p. 94).
Some of the English newspapers gave as a reason for making a peace that as Russia and Prussia ap- peared at the congress at Vienna to be sticklers for maritime rights, it would be advisable and prudent to detach America from joining that contest.
In a news item from London, dated October 28, 1814, it appeared that a select committee was about to be moved for in the British Parliament to inves- tigate the British marine condition and prospects. The despatch stated : "Particularly in the present political state of the world, when, in addition to the
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SYMPATHY IN EUROPE.
rising transatlantic navy, such marked and direct jealousy of our maritime ascendancy is evidently evincing itself in every cabinet of the continent of Europe, and when, under our very eyes, the various maritime powers of the globe are at this moment ardently straining every nerve to re-establish their marine, in order to dispute with us the trident of the ocean, and to force on us their own construction of public maritime ław."
Maritime law as construed by Great Britain gave rise to the armed alliance of the Northern powers of Europe against Great Britain in 1780 and in 1800, and was the same as claimed by the United States against Great Britain as one of the causes of the war of 1812 (Wheaton's History Law of Nations, p. 585).
Some of the smaller kingdoms in Europe and the Swiss and Genoese Republics were not admitted to the conference in the congress at Vienna, but were in attendance at Vienna, and had their interests at- tended to by such of their more successful neighbors as were disposed to support them.
The United States had the sympathy of every cabinet in Europe. While the congress at Vienna may have been mainly instrumental in the result of the war in America, the events in 1814 had much to do in the matter.
Mr. Carroll stated that the negotiations lagged until the news of the great victory of Macdonough, which gave a spur to the ministers of England. Mr. Carroll said that the destruction of Washington was a happy event for this country. It united the
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AMERICAN BATTI.ES.
whole continent in expressing their abhorrence of such savage warfare. A Paris newspaper went so far as to say that each of their capitals had been in turn in possession of an enemy, but all therein was respected ; that Paris was not burnt, because England had not the sole control.
In a speech made by Henry Clay, at Lexington. Ky., on his return to his home, in regard to the treaty, he said : "Had it been made immediately after the treaty of Paris, we should have retired from the contest, believing that we had escaped the severe chastisement with which we were threatened, and that we owed to the generosity and magnanim- ity of the enemy what we were incapable of com- manding by our arms."
When the news of the repulse of the British at Fort Erie and Plattsburg and at Baltimore arrived at Ghent, in October, it had considerable effect upon the negotiations. The British had possession of the district of Maine east of the Penobscot and offered to conclude the treaty on the uti possidetis. All the other demands on the part of the British commis- sioners had been waived, and all the claims on part of the United States had been waived. This was the last and only one upon which the negotiation hung.
The United States commissioners at last stated on 24th October :
"The undersigned can now only repeat those dec- larations and decline treating upon the basis of uti possidetis, or upon any other principle involving a cession of any part of the territory of the United
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UNITED STATES FIRM.
States. As they have uniformly stated, they can only treat upon the principle of mutual restoration of whatever territory may have been taken by either party. From this principle they cannot recede, and the undersigned, after the repeated declarations of the British plenipotentiaries that Great Britain had no view to acquisition of territory in this negotia- tion, deem it necessary to add that the utility of its continuance depends on their adherence to this prin- ciple."
On the 31st October the British commissioners replied, requesting that the commissioners of the United States submit those specific propositions upon which they were empowered to sign a treaty of peace between the two countries. After a few weeks a proposed treaty was submitted and was formally signed.
It was understood that in case this treaty of Ghent was not satisfactory to both parties, and the boundaries could not be agreed upon, that Austria was to be the umpire to decide upon any differences between the two nations.
Much between the two countries was left open to be further negotiated by a treaty of commerce and navigation and our relations with Canada, which was agreed to be negotiated by the same commis- sioners at London. It commenced on April 16, 1815. A detail of the negotiations are summarized by the report of the American commissioners accompany- ing the treaty which was completed and signed by the Prince Regent in London on July 2, 1815, and transmitted to the United States for approval. It
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EFFECT IN EUROPE.
was ratified, and announced by the President's proclamation dated December 22, 1815.
The articles of settlement of European nations was adopted by the congress at Vienna, and is dated June 9, 1813. It was undoubtedly precipitated by the return of Napoleon to France. It was not nec- essary to allude to the American war in them, as it had terminated by the treaty at Ghent and settled the British possessions on the American continent. The British feeling on this subject prominently appears in their negotiations at Ghent, by note dated September 4, 1814, to the American commissioners.
The proceedings in the congress at Vienna were secret, and have never yet been published in Eng- lish. It was the era of secret treaties and secret conclaves, in Europe as well as in America. Much diplomacy that effected its action was done outside of it.
The " balance of power" was in Europe, but the European possessions in America were of enough weight to turn the scale for peace or war in Europe.
Negotiations with Spain as to the disposition and relations of the territory of the Floridas to the United States had been in progress from time to time previous to the treaty of Ghent, and was not fully disposed of in favor of the United States until it was ceded by Spain several years afterwards. During the war Great Britain laid claim to some of it as against the United States, that claimed it under the Louisiana purchase from France.
It was the treaty at Ghent and the congress at Vienna that firmly planted the roots from which
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ROOTS OF " MONROE DOCTRINE."
grew the "Monroe doctrine " as to the limitation of the possessions of European powers upon the Ameri- can continent. [Monroe's Message, December. 2, 1823.]
The Louisiana purchase had rendered such a stand by the United States a possibility. The con- gress at Vienna and the treaty of Ghent assured it.
The question as to the boundary line between Canada and the United States under the treaty can- not properly be considered in that connection.
The international conferences at Vienna continued for more than a year, with hundreds of thousands of soldiers under arms, ready to march at command. Fortunate for Europe that it was so up to the agree- ment of the conference in June, 1815. A few days later they were called upon to fight the last great battle of the wars of the French revolution on the field of Waterloo to enforce the wisdom of that con- ference. The last hostile gun in those wars heard in Europe was on that battlefield. That battle was the result and the termination of the greatest political convulsion that the world has ever seen.
The congress at Vienna, in the conferences of kingdoms, principalities and powers, will have an effect upon civilization that will endure ,as long as the world stands.
After the treaty of Ghent had been ratified and proclamation made, there were ships at sea that had yet to fire the last hostile gun in the American war. The last battle at sea was by the Hornet, that cap- tured the British man-of-war Penguin on 23d March, 1815, and the last hostile gun fired in the war was
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LAST GUN FIRED.
from the Peacock, when the British vessel Nautilus surrendered to her on the 30th June, 1815.
The Tom Boline was used by the Hornet as a cartel to take the prisoners captured on the Penguin into the neutral port of Rio de Janeiro.
These three vessels sailed from New York in January on their last hostile cruise, as stated in a former chapter.
Those who enlisted in United States service dur- ing the war were not formally discharged until June 15, 1815, at which time the officers and men were disbanded under general orders dated May 17, 1815, pursuant to act of Congress of 3d March, 1815, fixing the military peace establishment of the United States. The report of A. J. Dallas, the Acting Secretary of War, to the President of the United States is dated May 12, 1815, relating thereto.
The address to the army by the President of the United States, through the Secretary of War, dated May 17th, concludes as follows :
"The American army of the war of 1812 has hitherto successfully emulated the patriotism and the valor of the army of the war of 1776. The closing scene of the example remains alone to be performed. Having established the independence of their country, the revolutionary warriors cheer- fully returned to the walks of civil life ; many of them became the benefactors and ornaments of society in the prosecution of various arts and pro- fessions, and all of them, as well as the veteran few who survive the lapse of time, have been the
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DRAMATIC INCIDENTS.
objects of grateful recollection and constant regard. It is for the American army, now dissolved, to pur- sue the same honorable course, in order to enjoy the same inestimable reward. The hope may be respectfully indulged, that the beneficence of the legislative authority will beam upon suffering merit ; an admiring nation will unite the civic with the martial honors which adorn its heroes ; and posterity, in its theme of gratitude, will indiscrim- inately praise the protectors and the founders of American independence."
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