New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-10-18
ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO.

The event which is 10 be celebrated to-day at
Ncwburg is one of the landmarks OF American
history. The war for the independence of the
Colonies, begun on April 10, l115, and pracu-
cally ended at Yorktown on October 10, ISL
was formally closed on October Is, 1853, when
the proclamation for the disarmament OF the
troops in the field and on furlongh was issued
by the Continental Congress. On that day the
proclamation was read in camp. The actual dis
bandment took place on November ?, i'll accord
ance with general order issued by the Com
mander-in- Chief on the preceding day. New
York, the last post occupied by British galr-
son. was evacuated on November %. On De-
ccmbcr Washington took leave of his officers
in the main room of Frances tavern at the cor
ner of Broad and Pearl sts., and on December
% ne resigned his command Of the army, which
had already been disbaudcd, and retired To his
farm at Mount Vernon.
The interval which elapsed between York
town and the proclamation of di~bandmcnt was
within single day of two years. 1t was
period a. critical as tn" six years and six months
of war had been. The people of the Colonies
had accepted with uncr!inG instinct the suIcn-
der of ColnwalIi> rs the closing military event
of the war, and the downfall Of Lord Norths
Ministry had been virtual acknowledgment
that hoStilitirs were not to DE- prolonged by Eng
land Owing to the death of the Marquis OF
Rockingham, who headed the Ministry opposed
10 the war. and owing also 10 the mt"rmlnablc
DELAYS of European diplomacy, t!ic preliminary
article, OF peace signed on November 30, 1892,
by Adams Franklin, Jay and Laurcns, were not
supplcmcnicd bv the dcliuitiyc treaty Of Yer
IL 'i,. liam
ton Of disbrudmcnt was therefore deferred
until October ls,whcn the Continental Congress
had received definite information that the sovcr-
eighty and independence of the United Col onlcS
had been formally acknowledged. The British
commanders had received orders carly in 1852
to suspend hoStlitics and before the year closed
Savannah Charleston and other cities occupied
by their garrisOns had been evacuated, but Con-
grcss had not considered it prudent to dl>band
the army on the Hudson until peace shouid be
declared This period Of inaction ana suspense
was fIaught with danger to the Colonies. The
country was exhausted; the treasury was bank
rupt; the relations of the Colonies were inchOaic
and undetermined; a Government had yet 10 be
created the future of the people who had won
their independence after an heroic struggle was
without form and void Great Britain, while
unwilling to continue the war, was ,ullcm and
di,mclned to make peace. The chatter of di-
plomacy went on and the creative energies Of the
Colonies meanwhile, were paUlyzcd by delay
and uncertainty.
In this period of exhaustion and suspense
three forces were brought to bear upon the i'm
poycrishcd and loosely joined Colonies. One
was the wl4l of Congress, which had not been
endowed with constitutional powers another
was the caprice of IN army which was clamoring
for arrears Of pay and impatient to be released
from the cncryating inactiOn OF camp lie; ana
the third was the good sense and patriotism OF
the COMMUNICATIVE Chief. The army was con-
scious of its power and cmbttercd by its gricy-
ances. Morris was barely able to feed the rem
nant of the Continental army, and found 1t ut
tcry impossible to settle the arrears of pay.
The Congress, in its hclplcssncsS, seemed to be
thanlllcss and hcartlcsS. The troops were dis
affected the officers dcSpscd the civilian poll
ticians and affected 10 believe that any system
of government which might be- devised would
be inefficient aud doomed to failure; and the
rcplics of Congress TO the military memorials
causcd extreme dissatisfaction and kindled a
feeling of revolt. 1t was under these circum-
stances that Colonel Lewis Nicola, of the Penn
sylvania Line, supported by considerable num-
Der of officers, proposed the establishment Of a
monarchy, with Washington as the American
King George, and that, at later period, Major
John Armstrong scattered through the camp the
Newburg addresses urging the soldiers to take
matters into their own hands, and by intimida-
ton or force to obtain justice for themselves.
II was in this crisis of the history of the victor
Gus Colonies that Washington's patriotism was
subjected to n supreme test. His patriotism and
sagacity prevailed. The royal bride was refused