40 THE CONSTITUTION, CYANE AND LEVANT. ordered the British commander to strike his colors in token of peace, if it had been declared, adding that if he did not do it, he should fire into him. The British commander refused to strike his colors, whereupon Warrington nearly destroyed the ship by a broadside, killing 6 and wounding 8 of her crew. The next day the Nautilus was given up, as Warrington was informed that the treaty of peace had been ratified and that the period set for the termination of hostilities had passed." The only other Government ship at sea after peace was signed was the Constitution, which slipped out of Boston on December 17, 1814, under command of Captain Charles Stewart. He began a cruise between Gibraltar and Madeira and, after capturing some prizes in the vicinity of Lisbon, discovered two sail on February 20 about 60 miles from Madeira.† They proved to be the ship-rigged sloops of war Cyane and Levant. The Cyane was 118 feet long and 32 feet broad, carried 33 guns and a complement of 185 men. The Levant was considerably smaller than the Cyane, mounting only 21 guns and having a crew of 135. Both together were much inferior to the Constitution, which, by remaining at long range, could sink Cooper, Naval History, vol. ii., p. 243; Roosevelt, Naval War of 1812, pp. 435-437; Maclay, History of the Navy, vol. ii., pp. 80-81; Adams, United States, vol. ix., p. 73; McMaster, vol. iv., p. 278; Spears, History of Our Navy, vol. iii., pp. 284-286. † Cooper, Naval History, vol. ii., p. 229. them without receiving a shot in return. The Constitution carried 32 long 24-pounders, while both the British ships had only 4 long 9-pounders. The Constitution carried 450 men, over 100 more than the two British ships together.* It was expected that the British ships would attempt to escape, but Captain George Douglass of the Levant resolved, instead, to engage the Constitution in the hope of preventing the capture of two valuable convoys which had set sail from Gibraltar at about the same time as the Levant and Cyane. Though Douglass knew the relative strength of the ships, he attempted to disable the Constitution and made a most spirited and stubborn resistance. At 6 o'clock the Constitution opened with her broadsides on the Cyane, the sternmost, the Levant being a half cable-length ahead. Both ships returned her fire with great spirit for about 15 minutes, when the ships were enveloped in smoke. The Constitution then ceased firing until the smoke could clear away, when she found the Levant dead to leeward on the port beam and the Cyane luffing up to bring * Maclay (History of the Navy, vol. ii., pp. 5354) gives these statistics as follows: Constitution, 31 long 24's and 20 short 32's, throwing 644 pounds to the broadside; Cyane, 22 32's on the main-deck, 8 18's on the quarter-deck, 2 18's and 2 long 9's on the forecastle, throwing altogether 451 pounds; Levant, 18 32's, 2 long 9's, and 1 12, throwing 303 pounds; thus giving the British a total of 754 pounds. Roosevelt (Naval War of 1812, p. 420) gives the Constitution 704 pounds and the two British ships 763 pounds to the broadside. THE CONSTITUTION, CYANE AND LEVANT. her carronades to bear.* But she was already cut to pieces and only made matters worse by closing. The Constitution then poured another broadside into the Levant and dropped. astern abreast of the Cyane, when the Reproduced by permission from Roosevelt's Naval War of 1812 (G, P. Putnam's Sons). action was continued with spirit and considerable effect until 6.35.† The enemy's fire then began to slacken. After receiving two stern raking fires, the Levant bore up at 6.45 and began to repair damages. The Cyane had now become unmanageable and at 6.50 surrendered. The Constitution then went after the Levant, which was in sight to leeward. Instead of running away, the Levant stood directly for the Constitution, and, ranging alongside, fired a broadside into her. As *Roosevelt, Naval War of 1812, pp. 418-419; American State Papers, Naval Affairs, vol. i., p. 407; Cooper, Naval History, vol. ii., p. 230. Maclay, History of the Navy, vol. ii., pp. 50 51. Roosevelt, Naval War of 1812, p. 419; American State Papers, Naval Affairs, vol. i., p. 407; Maclay, p. 52; Lossing, War of 1812, p. 984. 41 the two ships passed on opposite tacks, the Constitution fired a broadside in return, whereupon the Levant attempted to escape, but at 10 o'clock, after a long chase, she was finally compelled to surrender.* The Cyane lost 12 killed and 26 wounded, whereas the Constitution lost 3 killed and 12 wounded. The Levant lost 23 killed and 16 wounded. † The next morning Stewart sailed with his two prizes to the Cape Verde Islands and on the evening of March 10 anchored in the harbor of Porto Praya on the island of Jago. On the morning of the 11th, while lying in port, Stewart descried three British frigates (the Leander, 50, the Newcastle, 50, and the Acasta, 40) off the harbor, and as he had no confidence for British respect for neutral waters, he immediately cut his cables, signalled his prizes to follow, and set sail. As he expected, the three frigates made chase. After a run of a half-hour, Stewart realized that the Cyane could not keep up and was fast dropping astern. As she was to leeward, Stewart signalled her at 1.10 to tack ship in the hope that she might escape, if not pursued, or return to * American State Papers, Naval Affairs, vol. i., p. 407; Maclay, pp. 52-53. † Cooper, Naval History, vol. ii., pp. 230-232. Maclay says there were 4 killed and 10 wounded aboard the Constitution; Roosevelt (p. 420) says the Levant lost 7 killed and 16 wounded. Cooper, Naval History, vol. ii., pp. 232-233; Lossing, War of 1812, pp. 984-985. Effects of the blockade - Speculation in commodities - Madison's messages Enactment of the last Embargo The repeal of the Embargo - Debate on the army bills Struggle with the finances - Convening of the special session of Congress - Purchase of Jefferson's library - Campbell's report on the finances - Debate on the bank schemes - Debate on the conscription bill - Expectations of disunion - Pickering's schemes Action of Massachusetts - Proceedings of the Hartford Convention. Badly as the United States had fared in the campaign of 1813, their situation would have been comparatively comfortable, had not the whole seaboard begun to suffer the consequences of a of a stringent blockade. From the time Admiral Warren issued his blockade proclamation, nothing but swift privateers or occasional fastsailing vessels entered and left the ports, with the exception of those of New England, which were open to neutrals. Toward the end of 1813 *American State Papers, Naval Affairs, vol. i., F. 406; Roosevelt, Naval War of 1812, pp. 424 425. Maclay, History of the Navy, vol. ii., pp. 5659; Cooper, vol. ii., p. 233. Warren extended his blockade eastward, closing Long Island Sound to all vessels of any description. The pressure of the blockade was felt im * American State Papers, Naval Affairs, vol. i., p. 406; Cooper, vol. ii., p. 234; Maclay, pp. 5963; Roosevelt, pp. 425-427. Hollis, The Frigate Constitution, pp. 196-215; Mahan, War of 1812, vol. ii., p. 404 et seq.; Adams, United States, vol. ix., pp. 74-79; McMaster, vol. iv., pp. 278-279; Dawson, Battles of the United States, vol. ii., p. 422; James, Naval History, vol. vi., p. 249; Barnes, Naval Actions of the War of 1812, pp. 231-241; Hill, TwentySix Historic Ships, pp. 170-175, and Romance of the American Navy, pp. 114-117; Bowen, Naval Monument, pp. 174-186; Spears, History of Our Navy, vol. iii., pp. 241-269; Frost, Book of the Navy, chap. xx.; James, Naval Actions, pp. 5156. A facsimile of the medal awarded Stewart is in Lossing, War of 1812, p. 986. EFFECTS OF THE BLOCKADE. mediately. In August of 1813 flour had sold at Boston for $11.87 a barrel, at Baltimore for $6, and at Richmond for $4.50; upland cotton sold at Boston for $.20 a pound and at Charleston for $.09; sugar sold at Boston for $18.75 per hundred-weight and at Baltimore for $26.50; and rice sold at Philadelphia for $12 a hundredweight and in Charleston and Savannah for $3. At the end of the year cotton, which had previously sold for $.21, now sold for $.38 a pound; tea, which could be bought in August for $1.70 per pound, sold in December for $3; and sugar, which sold at New York and Philadelphia at about $21 in August, stood at $40 in December; at Charleston flour rose to $19 a barrel; and at Baltimore coal, which had sold at $.33 a bushel, now brought $.75. At New York the people were deprived of New England fish and were compelled to be content with chub and mackerel obtained in the Sound.* A speculative fever swept the country and all with cash to spare bought merchandise for speculation. This greatly angered most of the people, who were willing to pay high prices if such resulted from the war with England, but resented the use of the Embargo, a measure intended to injure England, to hurt and plunder the people of the United States. The high prices were due partly to the laying of an embargo by the Thirteenth Congress, which had com 43 menced its second session December 6, 1813. The next day in his annual message the President expressed his regret at the failure of the efforts to negotiate a peace by the mediation of Russia; spoke of the recent successes of the navy, of the victories won by Harrison and Johnson, of Jackson's conduct of the Creek War, etc. The Treasury showed $7,000,000 on hand out of the receipts of the preceding year amounting to more than $37,500,000, of which $24,000,000 had come from loans.* The President said that a considerable sum would be needed during the ensuing year and "from the increased capital of the country, from the fidelity with which public engagements have been kept and the public credit maintained, it may be expected, on good expected, on good grounds, that the necessary supplies will not be wanting." The war certainly had not thus far strengthened the Union. Though the elections in the Middle States had shown that the war had a certain degree of popularity, there was a growing feeling in the Eastern States against it. The evidences of discontent in the Eastern States were striking. A month before the President submitted his annual message, the submitted his annual governor of Vermont, by a proclama 44 MADISON'S MESSAGE; THE EMBARGO ACT. tion dated November 10, had recalled the State militia from National service, saying that he could not conscientiously discharge the trust reposed in him by his fellow-citizens and by the State and National constitutions without declaring that the military strength and resources of the State must be reserved exclusively for its own defence and protection, save in cases provided for in the National Constitution. Again, the smuggling across the border from the Eastern States to Canada was notorious, and the Federalist press of Massachusetts, under the stimulus of French reverses and Russian and English successes in Europe, began to discuss the idea of withdrawing the State from all share in the war and making a separate arrangement with England.* On December 9 Madison sent a special message to Congress recommending: “That an effectual embargo on exports be immediately enacted. "That all articles known to be derived, either not at all or in any immaterial degree only, from the production of any other country than Great Britain, and particularly the extensive articles made of wool and cotton materials, and ardent spirits made from the cane, be expressly and absolutely prohibited, from whatever port or place or in whatever vessels the same may be brought into the United States, and that all violations of the non-importation act be subject to adequate penalties. "That among the proofs of the neutral and national character of foreign cargoes it be required that the masters and supercargoes and three-fourths at least of the crews be citizens or subjects of the country under whose flag the vessels sail. "That all persons concerned in collusive captures by the enemy or in ransoming vessels or their cargoes from the enemy be subject to adequate penalties." That such a course could harm England at all was preposterous, for the ports of Russia, Prussia, Denmark, Sweden, Spain, and South America were open to her commerce, and the shutting of the few American ports still unblockaded could not discommode her for a moment. These unblockaded ports were in New England, and the Republicans could not bear the sight of Boston and Salem enjoying a lucrative trade while Philadelphia and Baltimore were entirely shut off from commercial intercourse. Therefore the President recommended the Embargo. Whatever may have been the motives of the President in recommending it, Congress instantly approved the measure. On December 10 the House went into secret session and, after two days of debate, passed an Embargo Act by a vote of 85 to 57. The Senate, though less hasty, also acquiesced in the President's recommendations and by a vote of 20 to 14 on December 17, 1813, passed the act which was signed the same day by the President. † The act laid an embargo on all ships and vessels cleared or not cleared within Richardson, Messages and Papers, vol. i., pp. 540-541; Annals of Congress, 13th Congress, 2d session, pp. 549-550; Benton, Abridgment, vol. v., pp. 78-79. + See Annals of Congress, 13th Congress, 2d session, pp. 551-562, 2032-2059; Benton, Abridgment, vol. v., pp. 79-80. For text see Annals, pp. 2781-2788. |