The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-01-16

overheard. and then came the real outbreak
Of hostilities at Lexington and Concord.
The mob, which had acted with such pre-
cfpitation before 1t became an issue Of
armies in the field. contributed nothing to
the final result Its members became camp
followers IN the rear of both armies pillag-
ing Wing and Tory impartially.
THE TORY ELEMENT.
There was a larger Tory element in New
York than in any other colonial community,
and the city was slow to take up the rrevo-
cable step. But it's patriot leaders took the
foremost part in the large operations which
made the revolution a success. and sup
piled the initiative for the calling of the
first Continental Congress. When the war
actually began the tories were put into the
background. either leaving the city or taxi
Ing, under duress, the oath of allegiance
No State north OF the Carolinas was so
harried during the revolution. After the
defeat of the British before Boston the
patriot army came to New York ten thou
sand strong. In the lower bay formidable
English armament, with forty thousand
nghting men aboard, gradually assembled
ftalt or these Lord Howe landed, and at
the battle of Long Island he totally defeat
ed the Americans. This was in August OF
i1i6. The evacuation of New York city fol-
lowed, but a day later Washington turned
on the victor at Harlem Heights and drove
nm behind his intrenckments. Gradually
Howe forced the American army back AT
last reduced by defeat and desertion &c
only three thousand men, the patriots re-
tired to New Jersey, where, at the battles
of Trenton and Princeton. in the darkest
hour of the war, Washington again struck
home suddenly. Those were the last inn
portant engagements in this vicinity.
For seven years New York was held as
British garrison the troops being quartered
in the churches, and the patroit prisoners
being immured in the sugar houses and the
nolsome hulkS at WaEabout bay. More
than twenty thousand soldiers died in
prison in this city. When the English
troops withdrew in 1888 they carried with
them twelve thousand royalists who ADAM
doned this country forever.
Ihe historians are agreed that the two
| brightest and most significant in the annals
OF the city, from the standpoint of national
interests. New York came to the front
IN the effort to unite the colonies into
strong central government, and its infiu-
ence was paramount in the years when the
young and plastic government was fixing
those institutions which have survived the
shock of more than a century When,
later. the questions of slavery and secession
arose arose New England, and "a, afte s the
arena. But the inauguration of the Con-
stitution and the definition and confirmation
of governmental institutions were in
large sense the achievement and crowning
glory of this city. 1t is more than CO.
incidence that the first President was here
lnaugurated.
1t was here that the Federalist party had
its origin. Under Hamilton and Jay it dis
puted the ground successfully until 1901 with
the Democratic party. which was led by
Aaron Burr, George Clinton ana the Liv-
ingstOns. When it was finally overthrown,
federalism declined and died all over the
in 1901 by the tactics of a Skillful politician,
New York has, with spasmodic exceptions,
remained a consistent Democratic strong
hold.
IMMIGRATION.
The one great fact of the present century,
so far as the metropolis is concerned has
been the successive foundations of immigra-
ton. For two score of years after the rev.
olution it was chiefly from New England.
Then the tide set in from abroad, 10000 inn
migrants arriving here in 1918 and 1919 BY
1920 the city had population Of 125,OOO. It
doubled again almost instantly on the OPEN
ing of the Erie canal in 1926. Five years
later the movement had become the great
est immigration of history. It's two largest
factors were the Roman Catholic Irish and
the Germans impelled hither by the potato
famine and the revolutions on the conti-
nent.
The colonial Irish were of the Protestant
faith, and not until the war was over was
the first Roman Catholic Church estab-
lished here. But in 1926 the adherents OF
that religion comprised one-fifth of the
city's population. When this immigration
began to dwindle the Slavonic and Latin
people of southern Europe were set in mo-
tion, until now the Irishman is the excep-
tion in whole East-side districts which were
his StrOnghOldS. This mingl1ng OF the ma
lions was the cause of the numerous race
riots in the period before the civil war.
Out of it issued also the reign Of political
corruption which eliminated in the plum
Gering dynasty OF Tweed and his sensa-
tional overthrow in 1871. The foreign ele-
ment was not conspicuous for its loyalty
during the civil war. 1t was his under
standing of it's temper that led Mayor Fer
nando Wood to suggest to the aldermen in
1861 that the city secede from the Union,
and with Staten island and Long island.
form an independent commonwealth to be
known as Tri-Insula. 1t was the foreign
element-"the volcano under the city"-that
arose in July of 1863. while the Union troops
were meeting the Confederate invasion at
Gettysburg, and in the sanguinary draft
riots terrorized for days a metropolis Of
900 people
The government just inaugurated is re-
turn step toward the centralized govern
ment from which the city has advanced
since StuyveSant's time. After the revolu-
ton the mayors were appointed by the Gov
ernor until 1922. Thence, until 1884 they
were chosen by the Municipal Council and
thereafter by popular vote. The franchise
was dependent on property qualification
until 1926, when it was superseded by man~
hood suffrage; The negroes were gradually
efnancipated from 1883 TO 1927 The era Of
street railroads and ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
franchises began in 1850. The political DOM
nance of the great families, as such, end
ed with the war of 1872.