1580
 

THE ICONOGRAPHY OF MANHATTAN ISLAND
 

intelligibly, 'Peace! Peace!' Tbe gentlemen lost their breath
as fast as the pilot gained bis. Directly the pilot waa able to say,
'An Engliah sloop-of-war is bdow, with newa ot a Treaty of Peace.'
They say that Mr. Lang exdaimed in greater words than he ever
used before or after. Al! hands rushed into Hanover-aquare,
crying, 'Peacel peace! peace!' The windows flew up, tor faraiUes
lived there then. No sooner were the inraates sure of the sweet
sounds of Peace, than the windows began to glow with briUiant
iUuroinalions.

"The cry of 'Peace! Peace! Peace!' spread through tbe City
at the lop of all voices. No one stopped to inquire ahout 'Free
trade and sailors' rights.' No one enquired whether even the na¬
tional honor had been preserved. The raatter by which politicians
had irritated the nation into the War, had lost all their irapor¬
tance. It waa enough that tbe ruinous War was over. An old
man on Broadway, attracted to bis door hy the noise, was seen
to pull down immediatdy, a placard 'To Let,' wluch had been
long pasted up. Never was there such joy in the City. A few
evenings after, there was a general illuraination; and, dthough
the snow was a toot deep and soaked with rain, yet the streets
were crowded with men and woraen, eager to see and partake
of everything which had in it the sight or taste of Peace."—Hist.
Mag., 2nd ser., V: 207-8.

Congress appropriates $500,000 for repairing or rebuilding,
on their present sites, "the President's House, Capitol and Public
Offices," in the city ot Washington.-,^c/j of Cong; 3d aesa. of
13th cong., chap. 41.

The coraraon council initiates measures tor a public demonstra¬
tion of rejoicing over the condusion of peace with Great Britain.

The following address to the people is ordered printed in the
"several gazettes of the City:"

"The Common Coundl, in common with their fdlow Citi¬
zens, appreciating the iraportant blessings which wiU result to
our country trora the restoration ot peace and sincerdy con¬
gratulating thera on the auspicious intdligence which has been
recrived on that subject [see F 11], inforra them, that arrange¬
ments have been made tor suitable deraonstrations of joy whenever
intdligence of the ratification ot the Treaty shall be recdved;
and particularly that due notice of a time for a general Illumina¬
tion of the City wlU be given. They also suggest that any partial
exhibitions ot joy are incompatible with the solemnity of the
occasion, k raay produce irregularities & disorders. They further
inform their fellow Citizens that a Coramittee of the Board have
been appointed to superintend the requisite arrangements."—
flf. C. C. (1784-1831), VIU: 142-43; Diary ofDe Wilt Clinton
(MS.), in N. Y. H. S.

"The Treaty with England is unanimously approved by the
Senate," writes Senator Rufus King to Comptroller Mercein.—
Original letter in city clerk's record-room.

"A letter was recdved this morning frora Secretary Monroe,
to our Commander in Chief, saying that the Treaty [aee D 24,

1814,  and F 11, 1815] would be ratified—and requeated that flag
vessels might be immediatdy despatched to the squadrons on
our coast, to cease their hostilities. Instantly, the Revenue Cutter,
Capt. Brewster was sent down by Gen. Boyd, commander of this
Diatrict, to offer to the Britiah aquadron all the civilities due frora
one friendly nation to another."—A', r. Eve Posl, F 17, 1815.
The treaty waa ratified by the aenate on this day and the ratifica¬
tion proclaimed by Pres. Madison on Feb. 18.—Laws of U. S.,
13th cong., 3rd aesa., 194-202.

"In commemoration ot tbe Treaty of Peace, The inaide of the
IPark] Theatre will, this Evening, be decorated with the Flags ot
various Nations. The tront ot the House will be Brilliantly IUurai¬
nated, And an Emblematic Transparency eihibited, representing
the meeting of Colurabia k Britannia."—A^. Y. Eve. Post, F 18,

1815.   SeeN 14.

Not having heard of the Treaty of Ghent (see D 24, 1814),
Capt. Charles Stewart in the U. S. frigate "Constitution" engages
the British sloops of war "Cyane" and "Levant" off Madeira
and forces thera to surrender.—McMaster, fl'/il. afthe People of
lheU.S;IV:   278-79; i>?. r. £w.Poi(j, My 22, 1815.  Seejes.

The coraraon coundl approves the coramittee's plans for cele¬
brating peace on Feb. 22.

The city hall Is to be illuminated and appropriate Iransparendes
are to be displayed.

A handsorae exhibit ot fireworks is to be shown in front ot tbe
 

government bouse. It is directed that neither horaes nor car¬
riages appear in any part of the streeta of the city south of Charaber
St. trora seven to ten o'dock

At seven o'clock, three guns are to be fired in succession at the
Battery and at the arsenal, and three rockets are to be shown.
These are the signals for a general illuraination in each house.
The lights are lo be extinguished at ten.

It Is recommended that flags be displayed during the day from
the forts and from vessds in the harbour. That a salute be fired
at noon and at that tirae, the bdla of the city be rung for an hour.

It is also recommended that the citizena aasemble in thdr
respective churches in the morning at the usual hour of service,
"there to offer up to the great Ruler of Nationa their sincere
thankaglvings for the restoration of peace to our Country, and
hurably to implore his blessings upon it."—M. C. C. {1784-1831),
'VUl: 148-50. Because of unfavourable weather on the 22d, the
cdebration was postponed until Feb. 27 (q.v.).—N. Y. Eve. Post,
F 22, 1815. On March 20, Joseph Delacroix was paid $i,5oofor
the fireworks.—Ji/i/., VIII:  173.

Salutes are fired at noon and at i o'dock "from the heavy can¬
non of the torts in this harbor, 00 the return ot peace."—Columbian,
F21, 1815. See also Grand Opening of the New Armory ofthe Sth
Reg't {1890), 12.

The foUowing general order is issued by Gov. Tompkins: "The
Commander in Chief announces, with the raost heartfdt satisfac¬
tion, lo the Militia of the State of New York, the ratification of a
treaty of peace between the United States and Great Britain. In
congratulating them on tbis auspicious event, he cannot withhold
an eipression of his praise and gratitude for the promptitude and
fiddity with which they have on aU occasions obeyed those various
caUs ot serrice in ddence of the Slate, which its safety corapdled
 


 


 

'The Comraander In Chief is especially charged hy the Preri¬
dent of the United States to convey to the Mllltla of this State his
thanks tor the patriotism, zed and perseverance so eminentiy dis¬
played by them in defence of the rights of their country."—Pub.
Papers of Daniel D. Tompkins, I:  519-20.

Robert Fulton dies at No. I State St.—N. Y. Eve Past, F 24;
jV. Y. Spectator, F 25, 1815; Dickinson, Roben Fulton, Engineer
and Artist, 266. The legislature, the common council, and the
aocietlea to which Fulton belonged, paased resolutions ot regret at
hia loaa and voted to wear mourning for him. His funeral, which
took place on Feb. 24, was attended by officers ot the nationd,
state, and dty governments, hy members ot learned societies, and
by a great number ot private dtizens. All business in the city was
suspended as a sign of respect, and rainute guns were fired from the
"Deraologos" and the West Battery frora the tirae the procesrion
started till it reached Trinity Church. The body was interred in
the faraily vault of the Livingstons.—N. Y. Eve. Post, F 25, 1815;
Dickinson, op. cit; 166; Diary ofDe Will Clinton (MS.) in N. Y.
H. S.

In accordance with the plans of the common council (see F 20),
a general illumination ot the city takes place in honour ot peace
between the United States and Gt. Britain. For detailed descrip¬
tions of the transparencies and the fireworka, sceN, Y. Eve. Past,
F28, Mr 1 and 2, 1815. See alao JVfan. Com. Coun. {1868), 854; and
Diary ofDe Will Clinton (MS.) in N. Y. H  S.

Napoleon, having eacaped from Elba, lands at Cannes with
1,200 men.—Hazen, Modern European Hist., 242-43. See Mr 13

"Comraerce this day, hastens to shew 'its white feather on the
ocean': this being the I2tb day after the ratification of the treaty
[see F 17], & which, in the second article is fiied upon as the day,
after which vessels, shaU not be captured on the American coasts
from the lat. 24 degrees aouth to the lat. of 50 north, and aa far
eastward In the Atlantic ocean as the 36th degree of Weat longitude,
trora the raeridian of Greenwich, or if captured to be restored."—
N. Y. Eve Post, Mr 2, 1815.

John Fergueon is appointed mayor of New York, repladng
De Witt CUnton (see F 6, 1811).—flf. C. C. {1784-1831), VIU:
163. WUaon saya: "Tbe influential poUtical opponenta of De Witt
CUnton succeeded, in 1815, in displacing him as mayor and haring
John Ferguson, who was grand sachera of the Tammany Society,
appointed in his place. This was done with the understanding that
Ferguson was shortly to rerign, be raade surveyor ot the port, aod
tbat Jacob Radcliff was to be naraed as raayor. Accordingly Fergu-