CHRONOLOGY : THE RECONSTRUCTION PERIOD : 1783-1812    1J45
 

1812         Mra. Fulton givea a "splendid entertalnraent" on board  the

May steamboat "Paragon," at which Col. Barclay and the coraraander
29 of H. M. S. "Bramble" are gueata. "The fineness of the day in¬
duced them to take an excursion up the East River as far as the
city eitends, back through Butter Milk Channd, down to Staten
Island and back to the city. . . . When the Paragon was passing
the Bramble a salute of 18 guns was fired from the latter. During
the excurrion, the company was entertained by a band of rausic,
whicb, with a profusion of good things, rendered the whole truly
convivial."—Com. Adv; My 30, 1812. The "Paragon" ia ahown in
Afai. Com. Coun. {1852), 438; it ia deacribed by Lieut. Hall In hia
Travels in Canada and the- U. S. In 1816 and 1817 (London, 1818),

Sum-         Charles Redheffer cauaes mucb eicitement in Philadelphia by

mer    announcing that he has invented a machine for perpetual raotion.

The city council and the state legislature became rauch interested

in the reputed discovery, but the raachine was finaUy proved to

be a fraud.—Scharf & Westcott, H/it, of Pkila;!:  561-62,

June         Thomas M'Kean writes to John Adams from Philadelphia:

^- "Our venerable friend Clinton has gone before us [see Ap 20].
So has the illustrious Washington, eleven years ago. I remain
the only surviving raeraber of the first Araerican [Starap Act] Con¬
gress, hdd in the City of New York in October 1765; and but three
raore, of whom you are one, reraain alive of the second, hdd In this
city in September, 1774." The two others were Jefferson, and Charles
CatroU of Annapolis.—Trevdyan, The Am. Revolution, Part III,
,5 (footnote).

—         There were tour arsenals in the city at this time:  (1) the state

arsenal, a three-storey brick buUding, erected In 1808, at the corner
ot Ekn and Franklin Sta,; (2) the U. S. arsenal on Bridge St.
back of the governroent house near South Battery, authorised
to be built by the laws of 1808 (chap. 9); (3) tbe U. S. magazine
and arsenal al the foot ot West Twdfth St.; and (4) the U. S.
arsenal on the Parade (now Madison Sq.), at the junction of the
Old Boston Road and the Middle Road.—Guernsey, N. Y. City
& its Vicinity during the War of iSi2-i^, 66-67; Wilson, Mem.
Hisl. ofN. Y; IU: 254.
I         Pres. Madison aenda a confidential war message to congress,

in which he aaya in part: "British cruisers have been in tbe con¬
tinued practice of violating tbe American flag on the great high¬
way of nations, and of seizing . . , persons sailing under it. . . ,
"Againat this crying enormity, which Great Britain would be
so prompt to avenge if coraraitted against herself, the United
States  have  in  vain  eihausted   remonatrances  aod   eipoatula-

"British cruiaera have been In the practice also ot violating
the rights and the peace of our coasts. They hover over and
harass our entering and departing coraraerce. To the raost insult¬
ing pretentions they have added the raost lawless proceedings in
our very harbors; and bave wantonly apllt Araerican blood within
the sanctuary ot our territorial juriadictlon.  .  .  .

"Under pretended blockadea, without the presence ot an ade¬
quate force, and aoraetimes without the practicabUity of applying
one, our commerce haa been plundered in every sea; the great
staples of our country have been cut off frora their legitimate
markets; and a destructive blow aimed at our agricultural and
maritime interests.  .  .  .

"Not content with these occasional eipedienta for laying waste
our neutral trade, the Cabinet of Britain resorted, at length,
to the sweeping aystem of blockades, under the narae ot Orders
in CouncU; which has been moulded and managed, as raight best
suit its poUtical views, its coraraerclal jedouries, or the avidity
of British cruizers. .  .   .

"Aniious to make every eiperiment short of the last resort
ot injured nations, the United States bave withhdd from Great
Britain, under aucceaaive modifications, the benefits of a free
intercourse with her market, the loss of which could not but
outweigh the profits accruing froro her restrictions of our com¬
merce with other nations. And lo entitle these experiments to
the more favorable consideration, tbey were so framed as to
enable her to place her adversary under the eidusive operation
ot them. To these appeals her Government has been equally
inflexible, as if wUlIng to make sacrifices of every sort, rather
than yidd to the claims of justice, or renounce the errora of a
false pride. , . .
"          "In reviewing the conduct of Great Britain toward the United
 

Statea our attention is necessarily drawn to the warfare, just June
renewed by the savages, on one of our eitensive frontiers; a i
warfare which Is known to spare neither age nor sei, and to be
distinguished by features peculiarly shocking to humanity. It
is difficult to account for the activity and combinations which
have been for some time developing theraadves araong tribes in
constant intercourse with Britlsb traders and garrisons, without
comiecting their hostility with that influence.  ...

"Such is the spectade of injuries and indignities which bave
been heaped on our country; and such the crisis which its un-
eiampled forbearance and conciliatory efforts have not been able
to avert. .   ,   .

"We behold, In fine, on the side of Great Britain, a state of
war against the United States; and on the side of the United Statea,
a atate ot peace towards Great Britain.

"Whether the United States shall continue passive under these
progressive usurpations, and tbese accumulating wrongs, or,
opposing force to force in defence of their national rights, shall
commit a just cauae into the handa of the Almighty Disposer of
events, avoiding all conneiions which might entangle it In the
contests or views of other Powers, and preserving a constant
readiness to concur In an honorable re-establishment ot peace
and friendship. Is a solemn question, which the Constitution wisely
confides to the Legislative Departraent of the Government. ..."
—Macdonald, Select Docs, illustrative of the Hist, of the U. S.,
1776-1861, 183-91. The U. S. declared war on Great Britam
onJunei8(7.r,.).

The common council agrees that the new market which ia to "
take the place of the Hudson Market (see F 10) be erected on the
square bounded by Washington, West, Partition, and Vesey Sts.
—Af. C, C. (1784-1831), VU: 163-64. The new market becarae
Waahington Market.—De Voe, Market Book, 327, 407. See also
Af. C. C. {1784-1831), VII: 358, 366-67.

The Bank of Araerica is incorporated by act of the legislature. 2
—Laws ofN. Y. (1812), chap. 78. "The charter of the Bank of
America, in 1812, was an occasion of bribery and corruption. John
Martin, a preacher and sub-agent of the bank, was convicted
of attempting to bribe members ot the Legislature - and was sen¬
tenced to confinement in the State prison. There was a Legislative
investigation and a great political scandal."—Sumner, Hist, af
Banking In U. S; 43. The bank began business in this year at
the n. w. corner of WaU and William Sts.—L. M. R. K., Ill:
924.  See also Mr 27 and Je 29.

The "New York Ckcus," just completed, "on the lot where "
the Boston Panerama was latdy exhibited" (Merc. Adv., My 28,
1812), at the corner ot Broadway and White St., nearly oppoaite
405 Broadway, givea its opening performance.—Co/Hmtifln,
Je 2 and 3, 1812. The proprietors are Cayetano, Codet, Menial
& Redon.—Aferc. Adv; op. cit. See also Greenwood, Tke Circus
(1909), 106.

"The town is Ukdy to be the spectator ot ingenioua rivalahips 5
between the managers ot the Old Park Theatre and ot the New
Olympic Theatre [see My 22! . . . One carries on the war with
an 'Elephant at great expense;' the other. In addition to Its "real
horses,' with a 'whale' that dances a hornpipe. . . ."—Co¬
lumbian, Je5, 1812.

The legislature passes an act prohibiting on Sunday all wilful     8
disturbance, plays, shows, horse-racing, gambling, and the sale
ot liquor within one mile of any place of pubbc worship.—Laws of
N. Y. (1812), chap. 84.  See Mr 18.

Brig.-Gen. Bloomfidd is placed in command of aU the troops    "
in the city and barbour of New York.—Com. Adv., Je 24, 1812.
This was Brig-Gen. Joseph Bloomfield, of New Jersey.

The legislature authorises the governor to eraploy a guard 12
ot artillery "to guard the fortifications and other public works
at the Narrowa, near the city of New-York," to eatabliah "a tele¬
graph, observatory and signal poles on the said public ground, as
he may deem most conducive to the interests of this atate, and to
the safety of the city and harbor of New-York," and to equip
at state expense "a boat or barge, in the harbor of New-York,
tor the use of the state." It also approriates $25,000 tor com¬
pleting the fortifications on Staten Island.—laiuj ofN. Y. (1812),
chap. 139.

While the bill for the dedaration of war against Great Britain   15
is being considered hy the senate, a petition is presented to that
body, signed hy most of the large mercantile houses of New York