USA > New York > A history of New York, for schools. Vol. I > Part 3
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Wm. And now we have papers almost as big as tablecloths, and twenty of them every day.
Un. It must be difficult for you, my children, to keep in mind what New York was at the time of which we are speaking, because you are accustomed to see it in its present improved and enlarged state. But I would have you remember, that at the peace of Ryswick, of which we have just spoken, that is, in 1697, the city only contained about 4300 inhabit- ants, and now 300,000; that of these 4300, a third perhaps were slaves, and could not read, as was likewise the case with many who thought them- selves free; and that now scarce a person can be found, born in America, but can and does read. You must remember that we are now speaking of a little town that was all within a palisaded fence,
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built to keep off Indians, and extended only from the Battery to Wall street; and that then there were three or four places of worship, and now one hun- dred and fifty.
Wm. But what did the poor people who could read do for newspapers and books, sir ?
Un. They depended for them, and every thing else, almost, upon Europe. The Dutch inhabitants got their books, and their bricks to build houses, from Holland; and the English looked to England for the same.
John. I should like to know, sir, something more about the first printing presses and printers.
Un. There is a book, called Thomas's History of Printing, which you must have ; but, in the mean time, I will mention a few circumstances respect- ing these engines of mighty power, these protectors of all we hold dear ! for it gives me pleasure, my boy, that you should be interested in the subject. The first printing press sent out to North America, ar- rived in Massachusetts, in 1638.
John. Who was so good as to send it, sir.
Un. I am pleased by the question. It was sent by Mr. J. Glover-I wish I knew whether his name was John, Jacob, or Jonathan; but it was Glover, and he was an English dissenting clergyman. This important machine was set in operation the next year after it arrived, by Stephen Day. A printer had come to Cambridge eight years before ; this was Samuel Greene, and he became the successor of Mr. Day. It was in 1667 that John Forbes estab- lished a printing press in Boston, and in 1687 Wil- luum Bradford set up the first press in Pennsylva- n.a ; and the first sheet printed by him was an alma- nack. It is worth remembering, that his press was situated in Kensington, and near the tree called the " Treaty tree," where William Penn made his pur-
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chase of soil from the Indians. In 1689, Bradford printed a pamphlet, which was the first book printed in Pennsylvania ; and, unhappily, it was an offensive controversial affair, written by George Keith, teacher of the first school established in the province; and as Keith undertook to teach the Quakers, who had employed him to teach their children, it caused a quarrel, in which Bradford was involved, and, as we have seen, forced to fly to New York.
Wm! And then the New York people had news- papers !
Un. O no. There was yet no newspaper printed anywhere in the colonies. But in 1704, Bartholo- mew Greene, the son of the Samuel Greene we have scen printing at Cambridge, established a weekly paper in Boston, and called it the " News Letter."
John. I should like to see the first newspaper printed in America.
Wm. So should I.
Un. You may see one impression by applying to Mr. Forbes, the librarian of the City Library. We will all go and look at it.
John. Yes, sir. On what day of the year was it printed, sir ?
Un. Mr. Thomas says the 24th of April ; but you will sce that the first number was printed on the 17th of April, 1704. It is on a half sheet of what Mr. Thomas calls " pot paper," a little affair, of two pages; but it grew larger, like you, as it grew old- er, and it lived till 1776. In 1719, another news. paper was printed in Boston, called the " Boston Ga- zette ;" and about the same time, Andrew Bradford, the son of William, established the first newspaper in Philadelphia, and called it the " American Week- ly Mercury."
Wm. And none vet in New York ?
Un. Not yet. The next newspaper was estab.
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lished in Boston, in 1721-three, before our folks had one -- this was called the " New England Cour- ant," and was printed by Franklin.
Wm. Yes! Benjamin !
Un. No; his elder brother, James, to whom Ben- jamin was an apprentice. Four years after, this Wil- liam Bradford, our old friend, began to publish a newspaper in New York, in 1725.
Wm. At last. Well, I don't care, we have enough of them now.
Un. Perhaps too many. And yet that can hardly be, if conducted by honest men.
Wm. Was this New York paper printed every day, sir ?
Un. No ; only once a week. It was called " The New York Gazette." As to a daily paper, there was not one printed in New York until after the Revolution-and that reminds me, children, that it is about the revolutionary war that I was to tell you, and we are lagging sadly by the way.
John. Not sadly, sir. And I am sure I shall un- derstand the better what you are going to tell us, for what you have been so good as to say to us. Shall I proceed with my recollections and memorandums of the history of our city, sir ?
Un. Let us now walk to the Library, and look at the first newspaper printed in our country. It is al- ways best to examine a subject at the time when our minds are interested in it. To-morrow we will re- sume our history.
CHAPTER IV.
Un. Now go on, John. Who succeeded Gov- ernor Fletcher ? 4
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John. Lord Bellamont. Richard, Earl of Bella- mont.
Un. Did any remarkable person come with him ?
John. Yes; he brought out his lieutenant-govern- or. I suppose, sir, he was afraid to trust a provin- cial.
Un. I see, boy, you understand me. He brought out John Nanfan as his lieutenant-governor, doubt- less that his Majesty's Council might be the more loyal, subservient, and profitable. What do you remember of Lord Bellamont ?
John. He apprehended Kidd, the pirate.
Un. Before we go into the story of Kidd, I will mention some things that appertain to this time and to New York. When the city had grown so great as to burst the bounds of the palisaded wall, (which was situated where Wall street is now built,) the houses began to be erected over a marsh, on the East river side, from the Half Moon, a little fort at the termina- tion of the palisades, to the site of the present Fulton market. This marsh was bounded on the west by the high ground of Golden Hill, and was called the Vly, being an abbreviation of valley ; and from its owner it was denominated Smees Vly, soon changed by the English into "Smith's Fly." Now, during Lord Bellamont's government, the Magde Padje, or " Maiden Lane," which commenced on the high ground, or "at the Broadway," was continued through the Vly, and a "slip" formed, which was called the "Countess's Slip," in compliment to the governor's lady, the Countess of Bellamont. At this slip, was afterward placed the Fly Market. We must remember, too, in connexion with this period of our history, some circumstances which influ- enced the feelings and opinions of the people then, and for years before, and after. Our highly distin- guished fellow-citizen, Gulian Cromline Verplanck
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(a name that appears in the early records of New York with honour) has truly remarked, that it was between 1682 and 1688 that William Penn estab- lished a refuge for the oppressed in Pennsylvania, and Louis the Fourteenth (Penn's contrast in all things) drove 300,000 protestant families from France, many of whom took refuge in New York, "and brought with them a most valuable accession of intelligence, knowledge, and enterprise."
John. We cannot wonder that the people of that time had a dread of the influence of popery.
Wm. Where was Golden Hill, sir ?
Un. The Gouden Bergh, as the Dutch called it, is now only remembered by Gold street ; but "Cliff street" retains the name of Dirk Van der Cliff ; and "John street," a part of which was called " Golden Hill," has still its original denomination, derived from John Harpendingh, who gave to the Dutch congregation the ground on which the North church is built, and whose escutcheon is there preserved. Now, John, what of Kidd the pirate ?
John. Lord Bellamont with certain others fitted out a vessel in England to take the pirates of New York, and they ordered Captain Kidd to do it.
Un. The intention of equipping this vessel was not to seek pirates in New York alone, but to suppress piracy in the East Indies and elsewhere; and Col. Livingston, of New York, being in Eng- land, recommended William Kidd, as a good and bold seaman ; consequently, a fine ship was fitted out in England, and Kidd came here to get his full complement of men. He then sailed to the Red Sea and Indian Ocean, and instead of put- ting down the sea robbers, turned pirate himself. He returned to America, was supposed to be very rich, and was seized at Boston by Lord Bellamont, and sent with seven of his crew to England, where they
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were tried, condemned, and hanged. As he did not use his treasures to save his life, it was supposed that he buried them in America, and the whole coast, with the islands, and even many parts of the interior, have been dug for Kidd's money, by those who were too idle to dig for potatoes.
John. But they found none, sir.
Un. It is strange that men should rather labour .
in hope of hidden treasure, than with the certainty of the reward which agricultural industry ensures. Yet it is said that a pot containing 1800 dollars, in Spanish pieces of eight, was found upon the place called Martha's Vineyard, not two years ago, by a person who was ploughing his cornfield. Kidd is supposed to have frequented all the coast and bays as you enter Long Island Sound from the east. Tra- dition says, that "Sachem's head" and the Thimble islands were his favourite haunts; places at that time little known.
Wm. Where is Sachem's head, sir ? I suppose it was called by that name in memory of some In- dian king.
Un. It was; and perhaps from some fanciful re- semblance to the head of an Indian chief. It is a rocky peninsula, jutting from Long Island into the Sound, near the town of Guilford. Stories of Kidd, his piracies, murders, and treasures, abound in this region; and many believe that " lots of gold" have been found, and may yet be found, about Sachem's head and the Thimble islands. These rocky islets are in the Sound, and near the above named penin- sula. One of them is called Kidd's Island; this is the largest of the group ; and here is a cave, where, it is said, the pirates used to sleep. This place is now visited by the curious, who look upon the ini- tials, R. K., which are cut on the face of the rock within the cave, as undoubted testimonials that this
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was the private hiding place, and the letters the sign manual of Robert Kidd.
John. But, sir, this pirate's name was William.
Un. Ah, that's unfortunate: for I think it would be hard to make R stand for William. However, there are two ways of getting over that difficulty : one is by asserting that there were two brothers, and both pirates; and the other, that the noted Kidd some- times called himself William and sometimes Rob- ert-that he lived Robert, and was hanged at Exe- cution Dock as William. But there are other testimonials in this wonderful cave, proving that it was the resort of this famous robber. A hole in the rocky floor of the place is supposed to have been chiselled out with great labour by him and his men. It is capable of containing a barrel of liquid; and this is "Kidd's punch bowl;" a flat stone is called his table; and, doubtless, his bedstead and easy chair may be seen. Another of these little islets is called " Money Island." This has been dug up most industriously, but I never heard of any har- vest resulting from the labour.
John. There must have been several piratical vessels committing robberies along the American coast, sir; for I have read of Blackbeard, and the people called bucaniers.
Un. Yes, piracies were very frequent at this pe- riod; and those miscreants who prowled along the coast of South America, and swept our shores, from the gulf of St. Lawrence to that of Mexico, occa- sionally ran into the ports of Boston, Newport, and New York. In the latter place, it is said, they had sometimes appeared openly, and there is good rea- son to believe that they were countenanced by Gov- ernor Fletcher.
John. A governor of New York encourage pi- rates !
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Un. A king's governor, not a governor chosen by the people; and at a period when New York was a very insignificant place, and the colonists only valued for the profit to be made from them. Ni- chols, one of Fletcher's Council, (called his Ma- jesty's Council,) has the honour of being handed down to us, by tradition, as the agent for the pirates ; paid by them to further their views, and occasion- ally to stand between them and those they had in- jured. The English government tardily gave ear to the complaints made of the piratical depredations both in America and the East Indies, and when Lord Bellamont was appointed governor, he was in- structed to remedy the evil. It happened that Col. Livingston, of New York, saw Bellamont in Lon- don, where Kidd then was, who had previously dis- tinguished himself, as a privateer's man against the French inthe West Indies. Livingston recommended him as a fit man to cruise against the pirates of the east and west. A number of noblemen and gentle- men subscribed to fit out a gallant vessel, and called her the Adventure Gallev. Bellamont and Living- ston were partners, and Kidd had five shares. He came to New York and shipped men for his cruise, being commissioned against the French, and against pirates ; but, as we have seen, he turned pirate him- self. We have no certain knowledge of his rob- beries on the American coast, but he was convicted of many acts of piracy, and of aiding other pirates, in the east. On his return to America, he is said to have plundered along the Spanish coast, and pass- ing New York, he ran into the Sound, and landed on Gardiner's Island ; where he buried a portion of his wealth, making Mr. Gardiner a confidant of the place of deposite, with promises of reward for the safe keeping, and threats of vengeance if unfaithful. It is to be presumed that Gardiner supposed the
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treasure to be the legal spoils of successful warfare. It appears that Kidd then went to Boston, and Bel- lamont there met him in the dress of a landsman and gentleman. As he could give no good account of the Adventure Galley, of which Bellamont was part owner, and moreover Kidd having been heard of as a pirate, the governor made him prisoner, and pro- cured as much of his plunder as he could. The deposite on Gardiner's Island was discovered, and surrendered to Bellamont. A schedule of the gold and jewels is in the hands of the heirs of Mr. Gardi- ner to this day. Now, go on with our history.
John. Lord Bellamont died, and left Nanfan gov- ernor ; but another soon came.
Un. Yes ; there was always some poor nobleman, or minister's tool, ready to catch the office; and now King William sent Lord Cornbury (who couldn't pay his creditors in London) to fatten upon the peo- ple of New York, because he was son to Lord Clarendon. When Queen Anne succeeded to the throne, she continued him, and gave him likewise the government of New Jersey. His conduct was so unjust, and his rapacity so great, that the assem- bly of New Jersey sent a complaint to the queen against him.
John. Yes, sir; and she took the government of loth provinces from him, and then the people of New York put him in jail, to make him pay his debts. And then out comes another lord, as I re- member, to be governor, and his name was a fine one for a lord-Lord Lovelace-but he died very soon, and left Mr. Ingoldsby, who once before was governor for a little while, to be the ruler; and by this time there was war again. I can't think why the people of New York had so many wars!
U'n. Truly, boy, the surprise is natural. But these were not wars on their own account, or quar-
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rels entered into by them ; but as they were subjects of England, whenever the government that was so kind as to send them governors, and other officers, to live upon and despise them-whenever the king, or the queen, or the ministry, declared war against any nation, that nation was ready to rob the colo- nists. So, the people of England thought they might rob the colonies by taxing them without their consent, because they belonged to England, and were called "his majesty's plantations;" and the enemies of England robbed and murdered them for the same reason-because they belonged to the English. The French being the government that was generally in quarrel with England, on such oc- easions, vexed the people of New York, from their possessions in Canada; and now, as at other times, the colonies wished to take that country from the French : but all their efforts failed, until, as you re- member-
Phil. O yes ! General Wolfe took Quebec !
John. Mr. Ingoldsby was superseded, long before Wolfe's victory, by Col. Hunter; and during his time Queen Anne sent out forces to conquer Canada, and they were joined by troops from New York and New Jersey; and Col. Peter Schuyler, (who had been to England, and carried some of his Indians to show there,) he, too, was ready ; but the fleet from England was wrecked in the river St. Lawrence, and all this preparation went for nothing.
Phil. Uncle Philip said worse than nothing ; and I think so, too.
Un. Well, peace being again made between the European powers, the poor colonists who had noth- ing to do with their quarrels, but every thing to suf- fer, were left for a while at rest. This peace of 1713 was made at Utrecht, and called by that name. Soon after, Queen Anne died, and the Elector of Han.
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over was called from Germany to be king over a people whose language he could scarcely speak or understand. 1
Wm. Uncle, why, if the English would have a king, did they not make a good Englishman king ?
Un. My boy, if I was to attempt to give the rea- sons assigned, I should fatigue myself and you, without, perhaps, making myself understood ; there- fore we will wait some years for such questions, and push on.
Wm. Ay. Go ahead, John
John. Governor Hunter left New York, and left many friends; and Col. Schuyler ruled until Gov- ernor Burnet came out. He, Uncle Philip said, was one of the best of the governors, and did much to secure New York from the French of Canada. In his time, Oswego was begun, and a fort built; but then the French built another at Niagara, and the people were not satisfied, I think.
Un. No. The governor contended for a salary independent of the assembly, and the assembly very wisely chose to keep the strings of their own purse in their own hands; and so, as John says, Governor Burnet went to rule in Massachusetts, and there the same difficulties occurred. Do you remember any event of great consequence to America that happen- ed before Governor Burnet left New York.
John. No, sir.
Un. Well, then, I will tell you. The second American Congress met at Albany.
Phil. O, you mistake, Uncle, we had no con- gress then.
I'n. These early congresses were gentlemen sent from the different provinces, to meet and consult upon measures for the benefit of the whole. The first took place so long ago as 1643, to contrive means of defence against the Indians; but in 1722
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a more general congress met at Albany, not in op- position to the king, (for many of the gentlemen were the king's governors,) but what made these meetings of great importance, was, that the colonists learned how to unite in council, for their own good, by sending deputies to some one place for delibera- tion ; and we shall see that, by and by, this practice caused that union of the colonies, under the recom- mendations of the Continental Congress, which en- abled them to. resist the power of England, when she attempted to enforce her unjust laws on the coun- try. I only mention this, children, now, that you may see how easily the people fell into that way of governing themselves when it became necessary to throw off the authority of the king's governors. Well, John, what king's-governor succeeded Mr. Burnet ?
John. Mr. John Montgomerie, sir. He came in 1728, and died two years after; and Mr. Van Dam, who was president of the council, became the ruler of the colony. About this time the French govern- or of Canada built a fort at Crown Point. See, Mary, on the map; here, at Lake Champlain.
Un. The French were gradually extending a line, or chain, of forts, from the river St. Lawrence to the Mississippi; and if they had not been broken up by the success of the English, assisted by the peo- ple of the provinces, all that part of the United States, which you see there on the map, (the greater part of the states of New York, Pennsylvania, and Vir- ginia,) with all the western states to the great South Sea, would have belonged to the French, for any thing we can now know. This fort at Crown Point was one link in the chain. Go on, John.
John. Mr. William Crosby came out as governor and that ended Mr. Van Dam's rule.
Un. Cosby, not Crosby.
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John. Uncle Philip said Crosby.
Un. He made a mistake. This man, whose name is infamous in our history, had no connexion with the name of Crosby, by which many of our respectable citizens are designated. Cosby not only caused tur- moils during his administration, but, at his death, in 1736, left a fruitful cause of mischief. For although the government properly devolved on Mr. Van Dam, (the man whom the people wished to rule over them,) Cosby, as if on purpose to do evil, even after death, arbitrarily suspended, or removed, Mr. Van Dam from the council, and left as the president of that body an Englishman like himself, of the name of Clarke.
John. Yes, sir ; but Mr. Van Dam, the American, did not give it up so !
Un. No. He considered the act of Cosby, in sus- pending him, as illegal ; and he would not submit to Clarke, who was supported by the aristocratick or English party.
Phil. But the old Dutch and Americans were on Van Dam's side.
Un. Yes; and they would have supported him, al- though Clarke threatened to resort to arms. How- ever, they did not get so far as in Leisler's time, for despatches came from their master, King George the Second, which decided the affair in favour of the Englishman, and Van Dam and the people sub- raitted. But before we leave Mr. Cosby, I will tell you one story about him and his wife.
Mary. I wish, Uncle, you would tell us more stories.
Phil. About Indians.
Wm. About war.
Un. By and by. But this is about a wedding. In the year 1732, a lord arrived at New York; and our people, even the democrats, seemed to have a
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wonderful propensity to worship the lords of this earth. This was a young man with a fine name, such as we read of in novels ; he was called the Lord Augustus Fitzroy, and was son to his grace, the Duke of Grafton. What does the mayor, and re- corder, and common council, on being told that the Lord Augustus Fitzroy had come, and was with Governor Cosby at the fort, but they all waited upon the lord, " in a full body," and the recorder made him a speech, and thanked him for the honour of his presence, and presented him with the freedom of the city in a gold box.
Phil. What good did that do him ?
John. Then he was free to trade with the Indians, or to make shoes and sell them.
Un. Even you, children as you are, laugh at this now; but then, the grave men of our city played such fantastick tricks; and they were honoured by a gracious speech from the Lord Augustus Fitzroy, who in secret laughed at them.
Mary. But, Uncle, tell us of the wedding.
Un. You must know, Mrs. Cosby, the governor's wife, had some young lady daughters; and she find- ing that the Lord Augustus was a foolish young man, not much more than a great lubberly boy, con- ' trived to make up a match between him and Miss . Cosby. Cosby, who was in the plot, knew it would be offensive to the boy's family, and pretended igno- rance of the scheme. So, it was contrived, that a parson was introduced over the fort walls, and the managing mother had the young folks married as if by stealth. Such were the great folks sent by King George to govern the good people of New York. Cosby died, as we have seen, and Mrs. Cosby with her lady daughter went home, where the lord's father, his grace the duke, and all his family, disowned the daughter from New York,
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and, as is generally the case, the reward of duplicity was disgrace. But although Cosby's rule was evil, some good came out of it. The first free school in New York was established during his reign. Only think, my children, now we have so many in the city, and all over the state.
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