Chapter XI: The Armistice and Treaty of Peace

About 5 o'clock on the afternoon of the 19th of May, the torpedo boat "Stiletto" was sent down from Yonkers, where the American fleet was lying, with a flag of truce, requesting a cessation of hostilities, pending some fresh negotiations between the two governments. The exact nature of these negotiations was not known to the officers making the request; but their representations were such as to induce the British Admiral to accede to their wishes, (especially as he had already done about all the damage that he could) and an armistice for ten days was agreed upon.

It subsequently transpired that news had been received in Washington that the two other British fleets, which were intended to operate against the New England, and the Southern Atlantic and Gulf seaports, had sailed on the 15th of May for their respective destinations, and might be expected to arrive on our coast about the first week in June. This announcement, coming simultaneously with the demonstration of the utterly defenseless condition of our coast cities, which the bombardment of New York and Brooklyn had so conclusively shown, caused such a universal chorus of indignant protest throughout the whole country, that the senators and congressmen, who had previously opposed all propositions looking to a settlement of the controversy by the payment of a war indemnity, began to fear that a persistence in their course might cost them their official positions; and several announced their willingness to change their votes, in case the question could be again brought up. With these accessions, however, the measure still lacked a majority; and in all probability would have failed of passage, if it had not been for the shrewd and ingenious invention of a Boston journalist, who published a detailed description (said to have been received from a Canadian deserter) of four formidable iron-clad gunboats, which were said to have been conveyed in sections, by rail, from Montreal to a place called Collingwood, on Georgian Bay, with the utmost secrecy, during the preceding summer and autumn; and which were now nearly ready for action, and within two or three weeks, or a month, at the most, would bombard all of our lake cities, from Duluth to Buffalo.

This story subsequently proved to be a complete fabrication; but it served its purpose admirably; for the senators and congressmen from all the States bordering the Great Lakes, hastened to announce themselves as favorable to a compromise, on any reasonable basis. Now that the enemy was knocking at their own doors, and pressure was brought to bear on them by their own constituents, they seemed to view the situation from an entirely different standpoint from the one which they had formerly occupied; and unanimously "flopped" over to the "peace at any price" party, as the advocates of settlement, had been contemptuously christened by their opponents.

An act was rushed through both houses of Congress, authorizing and directing the President to appoint three commissioners to confer with a like number to be appointed by the government of Great Britain, to draft a treaty of peace between the two countries, in substantial accordance with the terms heretofore offered by the representatives of Her Britannic Majesty's government.

A further cessation of hostilities, pending the meeting of these commissioners in Paris, took place, and the two British fleets then on their way to the United States were instructed, by cable, to rendezvous at Halifax, and await further orders. The negotiations were concluded much more promptly than such negotiations usually are. The only serious question of difference grew out of the insistence by the British commissioners, that the United States should assume the indebtedness of the Dominion of Canada.

This was at length agreed to by the American representatives, and a treaty of peace, which was subsequently ratified by both governments, was agreed upon, by which Great Britain ceded to the United States all of its Canadian and West Indian possessions, except the island of Barbadoes, which was to be retained as a military and naval station; and in return for this cession of territory, the United States agreed to assume the indebtedness of Canada, amounting to about $300,000,000; and to pay to Great Britain, as "purchase money," $1,500,000,000. The phrase "purchase money," instead of "penalty" or "war indemnity," was inserted at the urgent request of the American commissioners, without serious objection by their British associates. The latter, doubtless, thought that as long as they got the money, it made no difference what name they gave it.

Thus ended one of the briefest, and at the same time one of the most momentous wars that ever was waged. Its brevity was obvious. Its importance grew out of the fact that it changed the Nationality of half a continent, and totally revolutionized existing methods of Naval warfare. England's triumph, it is true, was complete; and British jubilation was intense, but both were only temporary; and this apparent success was but the commencement of the downfall of the British Empire. That heterogeneous combination of different races and Nationalities, had hitherto "ruled the world" by virtue of its conceded superiority as a naval power; but this American invention of self-destroying torpedo boats, having fully demonstrated the fact that any properly defended harbor was invulnerable to attack even by the heaviest and most formidable iron-clads, British threats ceased to alarm anybody; and thenceforward England exerted only such influence in European councils, as her military strength entitled her to--which was very trifling.

In the great Continental war which made such radical changes in the maps of Europe and Asia, she took practically no part; and while Germany absorbed German Austria, and thus realized the dream of Bismark's life--German unity,--and Vienna became in name, as well as in fact, a German City; and while Russia seized the Danubian provinces and European Turkey and Greece, thus possessing herself of Constantinople, and of her long coveted outlet on the Mediterranean; England was compelled to look idly on, and play the rô1e of a disgusted spectator.

To the loss of prestige as a Naval power, which the Battle of the Swash occasioned, can also be directly attributed England's subsequent loss of India and Australia; the former by Russian conquest, and the latter by declaring itself an independent nation.

Thus do the most momentous historical events often-times hinge upon apparently trivial happenings; and the fate of Nations and peoples yet unborn, may be changed by a skirmish of outposts, or the bombardment of towns on the opposite side of the world.