tion of our beloved confederacy." A favorite writer for De Bow's Review, the most stately and pretentious organ of the slave-holders, pronounced this proposition of Mayor Wood "the most brilliant that these times have given birth to." Wood seems to have been startled by his own

thirds of the expenses of the United States, light and hope for a future reconstrucbecome, also, equally independent? As a free city, with but a nominal duty on imports, her local government could be supported without taxation upon her people. Thus we could live free from taxes, and have cheap goods nearly duty free. In this we should have the whole and united support of the Southern States, proposition, for he immediately added, as well as of all other States, to whose "Yet I am not prepared to recommend interests and rights under the Constitu- the violence implied in these views." The tion she has always been true. . . . New board of aldermen, a majority of whom York, as a free city, may shed the only were Wood's political friends, ordered the

printing of 3,000 copies of this message to begin in July, and caused the appointin document form.

was ordered.

ment in every congressional district of The patriotic action of the New York an enrolling board. This was made the legislature, and the official suggestion of occasion for inaugurating a counter-revoMayor Wood, alarmed the commercial lution in the free-labor States. Organclasses of that emporium, and these and ized resistance to the measure instantly large capitalists hastened to propose con- appeared. The leaders of the peace facciliation by making any concession to the tion denounced the law and all acts under demands of the South. A war would it as despotic and unconstitutional, and sweep thousands of the debtors of New Judge McCunn, of New York, so decided. York merchants into absolute ruin, and He was sustained by three judges of the millions of dollars' worth of bills re- Supreme Court of Pennsylvania-Lowrie, ceivable in the hands of their creditors Woodward, and Thompson-and, supported would be made worthless. On Jan. 12, by these legal decisions, the politicians 1861, a memorial, numerously signed by antagonistic to the administration opposed merchants and capitalists, was sent to Con- the draft with a high hand. The public gress, praying that body to legislate in mind was greatly excited by the harangues the interests of peace, and to give assur- of public speakers and the utterance of ances, “with any required guarantees," the opposition newspapers when the draft to the slave-holders, that their right to The national anniversary regulate slavery within their respective was made the special occasion for these States should be secured; that the fugi- utterances, and distinguished members of tive slave law should be faithfully exe- the peace faction exhorted the people to uted; that personal liberty acts in "pos- stand firmly in opposition to what they sible conflict with that law should be called the "usurpations of the governreadjusted," and that they should have ment." Sneers were uttered on that day half the Territories whereof to organize because Vicksburg had not been taken, slave-labor States. They were assured, and the President had made a midnight the memorialists said, that such measures cry for help" because of Lee's invasion "would restore peace to their agitated in Maryland; when at that very moment country." This was followed by another Vicksburg, with 37,000 prisoners, was in memorial, adopted Jan. 18, at the rooms of the chamber of commerce, similar in tone to the other, and substantially recommending the Crittenden compromise (see CRITTENDEN, JOHN J.) as a basis of pacification. It was taken to Washington early in February, with 40,000 names attached to it. At an immense meeting of citizens at Cooper Institute, Jan. 24, it was resolved to send three commissioners to six of the "seceded States," instructed to confer with "delegates of the people," in convention assembled, in regard to the "best measures calculated to restore the peace and integrity of the Union."

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the possession of General Grant, and Lee and his army, discomfited at Gettysburg, were preparing to retreat to Virginia. A leading opposition journal counselled its readers to provide themselves with a "good rifled musket, a few pounds of powder, and a hundred or so of shot," to resist the draft.

On the evening of July 3 an incendiary handbill, calculated to incite to insurrection, was scattered broadcast over the city; and it is believed that an organized outbreak had been planned, and would have been executed, but for the defeat of Lee at Gettysburg, and Grant's success at Vicksburg. When, on Monday, July The Draft Riots.—A draft of men for 13, the draft began in a building on Third the National army was authorized in Avenue, at Forty-sixth Street, a large April, 1862. The President refrained from crowd (who had cut the telegraph wires resorting to this extreme measure as long leading out of the city) suddenly appearas possible, but, owing to the great dis- ed, attacked the building, drove out the couragement to volunteering produced by clerks, tore up the papers, poured a can the peace faction and the KNIGHTS OF of kerosene over the floor, and very soon THE GOLDEN CIRCLE (q. v.), he issued a that and an adjoining building were in proclamation, May 8, 1863, for a draft, flames. The firemen were not allowed to

extinguish them, and the police who came der became the business of the rioters. were overpowered, and the superintend- The special objects of their wrath were

ent (Kennedy) was severely beaten by the mob. So began a tumult in which thousands of disorderly persons were engaged for full three days and nights, necessitating calling out the militia. The disorders broke out simultaneously at different points, evidently having a central head somewhere. The cry against the draft soon ceased, and those of "Down with the abolitionists!" "Down with the niggers!" "Hurrah for Jeff. Davis!" succeeded. The mob compelled hundreds of citizens-driven out of manufacturing establishments which they had closed, or in the streets-to join them; and, under the influence of strong drink, arson and plun

the innocent colored people. They laid in ashes the Colored Orphan Asylum, and the terrified inmates, who fled in every direction, were pursued and cruelly beaten. Men and women were beaten to death in the streets, and the colored people in the city were hunted as if they were noxious wild beasts. Finally, the police, aided by the military, suppressed the insurrection in the city, but not until 1,000 persons had been killed or wounded, and property to the amount of $2,000,000 destroyed. Over fifty buildings had been destroyed by the mob, and a large number of stores and dwellings, not burned, were sacked and plundered.

NEW YORK, COLONY OF

New York, COLONY OF. The bay of the winter, which they called OnrustNew York and its great tributary from "unrest"-and this was the beginning of the north, with the island of Manhattan, the great commercial mart, the city of upon which part of the city of Greater New York. New York now stands, were discovered by In the spring of 1614 Block sailed HENRY HUDSON (q. v.), in the early au- through the dangerous strait at Hell Gate, tumn of 1609. The Indians called the passed through the East River and Long river Mahiccannick, or "River of the Island Sound, discovered the Housatonic, Mountains." The Dutch called it Mau- Connecticut, and Thames rivers, and that ritius, in compliment to Prince Maurice, the long strip of land on the south was an and the English gave it the name of Hud- island (Long Island); saw and named son River, and sometimes North River, to Block Island, entered Narraganset Bay distinguish it from the Delaware, known and the harbor of Boston, and, returning to as South River. The country drained by Amsterdam, made such a favorable report the Hudson River, with the adjacent un- of the country that commercial enterprise defined territory, was claimed by the was greatly stimulated, and, in 1614, Dutch. The year after the discovery, a the States-General of Holland granted ship, with part of the crew of the Half Moon, was laden with cheap trinkets and other things suitable for traffic with the Indians, sailed from the Texel (1610), and entered the mouth of the Mauritius. The adventurers established a trading-post at Manhattan, where they trafficked in peltries and furs brought by the Indians, from distant regions sometimes. Among the bold navigators who came to Manhattan at that time was Adrian Block, in command of the Tigress. He had gathered a cargo of skins, and was about to depart late in 1613, when fire consumed his ship and cargo. He and his crew built log-cabins at the lower end of Manhattan, and there constructed a rude ship during

special privileges for traffic with the natives by Hollanders. A company was formed, and with a map of the Hudson River region, constructed, probably, under the supervision of Block, they sent deputies to The Hague-the seat of government-to obtain a charter. It was obtained on Oct. 11, 1614, to continue four years. The territory included in this charter of privileges-between the parallels of lat. 40° and 45° N., as "lying between Virginia and New France "-was called NEW NETHERLAND (q. v.). At the expiration of the charter, the privilege of a renewal was denied, for a more extended and important charter was under contemplation. In 1602 Dutch merchants in the India trade

At the same time the traders on the Hudson River had been very enterprising. They built a fort on an island just below the site of Albany, enlarged their storehouse at Manhattan, went over the pine barrens from the Hudson into the Mohawk Valley, and became acquainted with the nations of the IROQUOIS CONFEDERACY (q. v.), and made a treaty with them. The Plymouth Company complained that they were intruders on their domain. King James growled, and Captain Dermer gave them a word of warning. The Dutch West India Company was organized in 1622. Its chief objects were traffic and humbling Spain and Portugal, not colonization.

formed an association with a capital of $1,000,000, under the corporate title of the Dutch East India Company. Their trading privileges extended over all the Indian and Southern oceans between Africa and America. In 1607 they asked for a charter for a Dutch West India Company, to trade along the coast of Africa from the tropics to the Cape of Good Hope, and from Newfoundland to Cape Horn along the continent of America. It was not then granted, for political reasons, but after the discovery of New Netherland the decision was reconsidered, and on June 3, 1620, the States-General chartered the Dutch West India Company, making it not only a great commercial moBut the attention of the comnopoly, but giving it almost regal pow- pany was soon called to the necessity ers to colonize, govern, and defend, not of founding a permanent colony in New only the little domain on the Hudson, Netherland, in accordance with the Engbut the whole unoccupied Atlantic coast lish policy, which declared that the rights of America and the western coasts of Africa.

of eminent domain could only be secured by actual permanent occupation. King James reminded the States-General that Hollanders were unlawfully seated on English territory, but the Hollanders paid

Meanwhile the Dutch had explored Delaware Bay and River, presumably as far as Trenton, and had endeavored to obtain a four years' charter of trading privileges no more attention to his threats than in that region, but it was regarded as a to take measures for founding an agripart of the English province of Virginia. cultural colony.