USA > New York > New York City > History of New York city from the discovery to the present day, V.1 > Part 10
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* Resolved, a Christian rame.
' t Philip Carteret, the brother, not the nephew, of Sir George, is the person here meant. He was appointed governor of New Jersey, under the joint proprietorship of Lord Berkeley and Sir George Carteret, in 1604, and of East Jersey in 1674, under the sole grant of Sir George. He resigned in 1682, and died in December of that year, in this country, leaving a widow. the daughter of Richard Smith, Smithtown, on Long Island .- Whitehead's East Jersey under the Proprietors, 36, 84.
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supplying ourselves with peaches, which grew in an orchard along the road. The whole ground was covered with them and with apples, lying upon the new grain with which the orchard was planted. The peaches were the most deli- cious we had yet eaten. We proceeded on our way, and when we were not far from the point of Spyt den duyrel we could see on our left hand the rocky cliffs of the main-land on the other side of the North River, these cliff's standing straight up and down, with the grain, just as if they were antimony. We crossed over the Spyt den duyrel in a canoe, and paid nine stuivers fare for us three, which was very dear. We followed the opposite side of the land, and came to the house of one Valentyn, a great acquaintance with our Gerrit. He had gone to the city, but his wife, though she did not know Gerrit or us, was so much rejoiced to see Hollanders that she hardly knew what to do for us. She set before us what she had. We left after breakfasting there. Her son showed us the way, and we came to a road entirely covered with peaches. We asked the boy why they left them to lie there and they did not let the hogs eat them. He answered, " We do not know what to do with them, there were so many ; the hogs are satiated with them, and will not eat any more." From this we may judge of the quantity of them. We pursued our way now a small distance through the woods and over the hills, then back again along the shore to a point, where one Webblingh, an Englishman, lived, who was standing ready to cross over. He carried us over with him, and refused to take any pay for our passage, offering us at the same time some of his rum, a liquor which is every- where. We were now again at New Harlem, and dined with Gerosolveert, at · whose house we slept the night before, and who made us welcome. It was now two o'clock; and leaving there we crossed over the island, which takes about three-quarters of an hour to do, and came to the North River, which we followed a little within the woods, to Sappokanikke .* Gerrit having a sister and friends there, we rested ourselves, and drank some good beer, which refreshed us. We continued along the shore to the city, where we arrived in an hour in the evening, very much fatigued, having walked this day about forty miles. I must add, in passing through this island we sometimes encoun- tered such a sweet smell in the air that we stood still, because we did not know what it was we were meeting."
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" 14th, Saturday. Being under sail, as I have said, it was so entirely calm that we could only float with the stream until we came to Schutters island, where we obtained the tide again. It was now about four o'clock. In order to pro- tect ourselves from the air, which was very cold and piercing, we crept under the sail, which was very old and full of holes. The tide having run out by daylight we came under sail again, with a good wind, which brought us to the city at about eight o'clock, for which we were glad, and returning thanks to God, betook ourselves to rest.
" 15th, Sunday. We went at 'noon to-day to hear the English minister, whose services took place after the Dutch church was out. There were not above twenty-five or thirty people in the church. The first thing that occurred was the reading of all their prayers and ceremonies out of the prayer-bock, as
* According to Judge Benson this was the Indian name of the point, afterward known as Greenwich, on the north side of the city .- New York Historical Collections, second series, 81.
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is done in all Episcopal churches. A young man then went into the pulpit and commenced preaching, who thought he was performing wonders'; but he had a little book in his hand out of which he read his sermon, which was about a quarter of an hour or half an hour long.t With this the services were con- cluded, at which we could not be sufficiently astonished. This was all that happened with us to-day."
t The only English minister in the whole province at this time was attached to the garri- son at the City of New York. This was the Rev. Charles Wooley, a graduate of Emanuel College, Cambridge, in 1677. He came to New York in August, 1678, and left there for Eng- land in July, 1680. He was the author of a small volume with the title of A Two Years' Jour- nal in New York, etc., published in 1701, and recently republished, with notes by Dr. E. B. O'Callaghan, in Mr. Gowan's interesting series of early works on the colonies.
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CHAPTER II.
The new regime in New York, under Edmund Andross, .as her first Governor, dates from the year 1674. An- dross was a public officer of ability, but well
1674. known for his imperious and despotic disposition. The people immediately petitioned their royal master, the Duke of York, for an Assembly of Representatives; but James, who regarded popular bodies as dangerous, refused their prayer, with the question : " What do they want with Assemblies? They have the Court of Ses- sions presided over by the Governor; or, if this is not enough, they can appeal to me!" Such was the English spirit of oppression a century before it was resisted in blood at Golden and Bunker Hills. Upon learning of this reply of Andross, Sir William Berkley, Governor of Virginia, "thanked God that there were neither free- schools nor printing-presses in the colony," fervently adding, " God keep us from both !"
Governor Andross, however-much as he may in after years have merited from the people of the Eastern Colo- nies the title of the " Tyrant of New England "-governed New York with wisdom and moderation. Desirous of establishing himself on a popular basis with the people, one of his first official acts was to appoint, in 1676, a native Hollander -- Nicholas Meyer-Mayor of the city. The selection was a good one. Meyer was one of the
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most enterprising of traders, and, withal, a most respect- able burgher; and although the duties of his office could not have been particularly onerous at a time when only three hundred and one names were recorded upon the list of tax-payers, yet what little he did was done honestly and well. Nor did Andros strive to be popular alone. Aware that no government can be a stable one unless placed on a basis of sound morality, he at once estab- lished ordinances for regulating the public morals and promoting the welfare of the city. " The city-gates were ordered to. be closed at night at nine o'clock, and to be opened at daylight. The citizens were required to keep watch by turns, and were fined for absence or neglect of duty ; and all profanity and drunkenness were strictly forbidden. Every citizen was ordered to provide himself with a good musket or firelock, with at least six charges of powder and ball, and to appear with good arms before the Captain's colors, at the first beating of the drum."
In 1677 the first native-born Mayor was appointed to the Mayoralty. This was Stephanus Van Cortlandt, a large property-holder, and after whom Cortlandt street is named. Under his administration seven 1677. public wells were placed in different parts of the city, chiefly as a protection against fires.
Meanwhile the necessity of conciliating the Iroquois- the most powerful Indian confederacy, at that time, in America-had received little or no attention from the people of New York or their Government. The first three English Governors of the colony, or rather lieutenants of the Duke of York-viz., Colonels Nicholls, Lovelace, and Major, afterward Sir Edmund Andros ----- bestowed but inconsiderable attention upon the Five Nations, not seeming to appreciate either the importance of their trade or of their friendship. Still, the moral hatred they had borne for the French inclined them rather to prefer the
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friendship of the English. But the Duke of York, in his affection for the Church of Rome, shutting his eyes to what unquestionably should have been the true policy of the English toward the Indians, had conceived the idea of handing the Confederates over to the Holy See, as con- verts to its forms, if not to its faith. Hence the efforts to mediate the peace between the Iroquois and the French of 1667, which were followed by invitations to the Jesuit missionaries from the English, to settle among the Con- federates, and by persuasions to the latter to receive them. The Mohawks were either too wise, or too bitter in spirit toward the French, to listen to the proposal. But not so with the other nations of the alliance; and the Oneidas, Onondagas, Cayugas, and Senecas opened their eyes to the strangers in holy garb, causing infi- nite mischief in after years, as will appear in the sequel.
This peace of 1667 continued several years, during which time both the English and French prosecuted their trade with the Indians to a great and profitable
1667. extent. The French, especially, evinced a degree of energy, and a spirit of enterprise, almost unexampled in the history of colonization-planting their trading- posts, under the lead of the adventurous La Salle, at all the commanding points of the great lakes, and across the country of the Illinois to the Mississippi; and stealing the hearts of the Indians by means of the ministers of the order of Jesus, whom they sprinkled among the principal nations over the whole country of the exploration. By these bold advances deep into the interior, and the energy which everywhere characterized their movements, the French acquired a decided advantage over the English colonists in the fur trade, which it was evidently their design exclusively to engross ; while the direct tendency of the Duke of York's policy, originating in blindness and bigotry, was to produce exactly the same result.
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The error was soon perceived by Governor Dongan, who arrived in the colony as the successor of Major An- dross, in 1683. Though his religious faith was in harmony with that of his royal master, he never- 1683. theless possessed an enlarged understanding, with a dis- position, as a Civil Governor, to look more closely after the interests of the crown than those of the crosier. He had not been long at the head of the colony before he perceived the mistakes of his predecessors in the conduct of its Indian relations. In fighting-men, the Five Nations at that time numbered ten times more than they did half a century afterward ;* and the Governor saw at once their importance as a wall of separation between the English colonies and the French. He saw, also, the importance of their trade, which the Jesuit priests were largely influ- ential in diverting to Canada. He saw that M. de Cour- celles had erected a fort at Cadaraqui, within the territory of the Iroquois, on the north side of Lake Ontario, t and that La Salle had built a bark of ten tons upon that lake, and another of fifty upon Lake Erie, planting also a stock- ade at Niagara. He saw that the French were intercept- ing the trade of the English upon the lakes, and that the priests had succeeded in seducing numbers of the Mohawks and river Indians away from their own country, and plant- ing their colonies upon the banks of the St. Lawrence, in the neighborhood of Montreal, through whose agency an illicit trade had been established with the City of Albany, by reason of which, Montreal, instead of Albany, was be- coming the principal depot of the Indian trade. He saw, in a word, that the followers of Ignatius Loyola were rapidly alienating the affections of the Confederates from the English and transferring them to the French, and
* Memoir of Dr. Colden, concerning the fur trade, presented to Governor Burnet in 1724.
t The site of Kingston, Canada West.
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that unless the policy respecting them were changed, the influence of the English would, at no distant day, be at an end with them. Nor had the priests confined their efforts simply to moral suasion; but, as though aiming to sepa- rate the Confederates from the English at a blow, and by a gulf so wide and deep as to be impassable, they had instigated them to commit positive hostilities upon the frontier settlements of Maryland and Virginia.
Having made himself thoroughly acquainted with these matters, Colonel Dongan lost no time in seeking to countervail the influence of the French, and bring back the Indians to a cordial understanding with his own peo- ple. His instructions from home were to encourage the Jesuit missionaries. These he not only disregarded, but he ordered the missionaries away, and forbade the Five Nations to entertain them. It is true this order was never enforced to the letter, the priests, some of them at least, maintaining a foot-hold at several points of the Con- federacy-dubious at times, certainly-but yet maintain- ing it for three-quarters of a century afterward. Still, the measures of conciliation adopted by Colonel Dongan made a strong and favorable impression upon the Indians.
Availing himself of the difficulty between the Con- federates and Virginia, consequent upon the outrages just adverted to as having been instigated by the priests, Colonel Dongan was instrumental in procuring a conven- tion of the Five Nations, at Albany, in 1684, to 1684. meet Lord Howard, of Effingham, Governor of Vir- ginia; at which he (Dongan) was likewise present. This meeting, or council, was attended by the happiest results. The difficulties with Virginia were adjusted, and a cove- nant made with Lord Howard for preventing further dep- redations .* But what was of yet greater importance,
* Smith's History of New York.
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Colonel. Dongan succeeded in completely gaining the af- fections of the Indians, who conceived for him the warm- est esteem. They even asked that the arms of the Duke of York might be put upon their castles, a request which it need not be said was most readily complied with, since, should it afterward become necessary, the Governor might find it convenient to construe it into an act of at least partial submission to English authority, although it has been asserted that the Indians themselves looked upon the ducal insignia as a sort of charm that might protect them,against the French .*
There was likewise another fortunate occurrence of events just at that time, which revived all the ancient animosity between the Iroquois and the French. While the conferences between Lord Howard and the Indians were yet in progress, a message was received from M. de la Barre, the Governor of Canada, complaining of the con- duct of the Senecas in prosecuting hostilities against the Miamies and other western nations in alliance with the French, and thus interrupting their trade. Colonel Don- gan communicated the message to the Iroquois chiefs, who retorted by charging the French with supplying their enemies with all their munitions of war. " Onontio t calls us children," said they, " and at the same time sends powder to our enemies to kill us!" This collision resulted in open war between the Iroquois and the French, the latter sending to France for powerful reinforcements, with the design of an entire subjugation of the former in the ensuing year. Meantime the French Catholics continued to procure letters from the Duke of York to his lieutenant commanding him to lay no obstacles in the way of the invaders. But these commands were again disregarded.
* Colden's History of the Five Nations.
+ The name by which the Iroquois were wont to speak of the French Gov. ernors of Canada.
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Dongan apprised the Iroquois of the designs of the French, not only to march against them with a strong army, but simultaneously to bring down upon them the western Indians in their interest.
Thus, by the wisdom and strong sense of justice of Colonel Dongan, was the chain of friendship between the
English and the Five Nations brightened and the
1685. most amicable relations re-established. Yet for the course he had taken, he fell under the displeasure of his bigoted master on his accession to the throne in 1685.
· It is not, of course, within the purpose of this history to trace the progress of the long and cruel wars that suc- ceeded the negotiations between Colonel Dongan and the Confederates. Briefly, it may be said, in respect to the expedition of M. de la Barre, that it failed by reason of sickness in his army at Cadaraqui, before crossing the lake. He was succeeded in the government of Canada by the Marquis Denonville, who invaded the Seneca 1687. country in 1687 with a powerful force, gaining, however, such a victory over the Indians in the Genesee Valley as led to an inglorious retreat. This invasion was speedily recompensed by the Confederates, who descended upon the French settlements of the St. Lawrence like a tempest, and struck a blow of terrible vengeance upon Montreal itself.
New York was at this time torn by the intestine commotions incident to the revolution which drove the Stuarts from the English throne and ended the power of the Catholics in the colony. It was a consequence of these divisions that the English could afford the Indians no assistance in their invasion of Canada at that time. else that country would then doubtless have been wrested from the Crown of France. But the achievements of the Indians were, nevertheless, most important for the colony of New York, the subjugation of which was at that pre-
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cise conjuncture meditated by France, and a combined expedition, by land and sea, was undertaken for that pur- pose-Admiral Caffniere commanding the ships which sailed from Rochefort for New York, and the Count de Frontenac, who had succeeded Denonville, being the General of the land forces. On his arrival at Quebec, however, the Count beheld his province reduced to a field of devastation, and he was therefore constrained to aban- don the enterprise.
Nor was .Governor Dongan's administration in the government of the colony itself characterized by less wis- dom than his dealings with the Indians. He was highly respected as Governor-being upright, discreet, and of accomplished manners, added to which his firm and judi- cious policy, and his steadfast integrity, soon won for him " the affections of his people, and made him one of the most popular of the Royal Governors." Two years pre- vious to his arrival, the aldermen of New York, and the justices of the peace of the Court of Assize, in conse- quence of the tyranny of Andros, had petitioned the Duke that the people might be allowed to participate in the affairs of the government by the construction of a General Assembly, in which they might be represented. Through the interposition of William Penn, who enjoyed the favor both of the King and the Duke, the point was yielded, and Colonel Dongan was instructed to allow the people a voice in the government. Greatly, therefore, to the joy of the inhabitants, who had become turbulent, if not disaffected, under the rule of Andros, writs were issued to the sheriffs summoning the freehold- ers to choose representatives to meet the new Gover- nor in Assembly. He thus gave the colony its first legislative Assembly, which, meeting for the
first time in the city of New York, on the 1683. 17th of October, 1683, consisted of the Governor, ten 15
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councilors, and seventeen representatives elected by the people. Henceforth, and up to the period of the Ameri- can Revolution, the history of New York city as the legislative capital of the province, consists, for the most part, in a series of bitter scenes between the Assembly and the Royal Governors. The first act of the Assembly was to give to the province its first "Charter of Liber- ties," by which it was ordained " that supreme legislative power should forever reside in the Governor, Council, and people met in General Assembly; that every free- holder and freeman might vote for representatives with- · out restraint ; that no freeman should suffer but by judg- ment of his peers, and that all trials should be by a jury of twelve men ; that no tax should be assessed on any pretense whatever but by the consent of the Assembly ; that no seaman or soldier should be quartered on the inhabitants against their will; that no martial law should exist ; and that no person professing faith in God, by Jesus Christ, should at any time be in any way dis- quieted or questioned for any difference of opinion in matters of religion." Three assemblies, at least, were to · be held every year; and should any seat become vacant. a new election was to be at once ordered by the Gov- ernor. One of the first acts of the Assembly was to divide the Province into twelve counties-New York, Rich- mond, Kings, Queens, Suffolk, Orange, Ulster, Albany, Westchester, Dutchess, Dukes, and Cornwall-all of which names, with the exception of the last two, still remain at the present day.
The Assembly, also, lost no time in bettering the con- dition of the city itself. "New police regulations were at once established. Sunday laws were enacted ; tavern- keepers were forbidden to sell liquor except to travellers, citizens to work, children to play in the streets, and In- dians and negroes to assemble on the Sabbath. Twenty
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cartmen were licensed by the municipal authorities, on condition that they should repair the highways gratis whenever called on by the Mayor, and cart the dirt from the streets (which the inhabitants were required to sweep together every Saturday afternoon) beyond the precincts of the city. The rate of cartage was fixed at three pence per load to any place within the bounds of the city ; beyond which the price was doubled. The cartmen, however, soon. proved refractory, and a few weeks after the license system was abandoned, and all persons, with the exception of slaves, were allowed to act as cartmen.
" On the Sth of December, 1683, the city was divided into six wards. The First or South Ward, beginning at the river, extended along the west side of Broad to Beaver Street; thence westward along Beaver Street to the Bowling Green; thence southward by the fort to Pearl Street; and thence westward along the river-shore to the place of starting. The Second or Dock Ward, also beginning at the river at the south-east corner of Pearl and Broad street, extended along the shore to Hanover Square; thence northward through William to Beaver Street; thence along Beaver to Broad Street; thence back through Broad Street to the river-shore. The Third or East Ward formed a sort of triangle, begin- ning at the corner of Pearl and Hanover Square, and extending along the shore to the Half-Moon Fort at the foot of Wall Street; thence stretching along Wall to the corner of William, and thence returning along the east side of William to the river. The Fourth or North Ward, beginning at the northwest corner of William and Beaver Streets, extended through the former to the corner of Wall ; thence westerly along the palisades to a line a little beyond Nassau Street; thence southerly to Beaver Street; thence easterly along Beaver to the first-named point. The Fifth or West Ward, beginning at the june-
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tion of the Fourth Ward with Beaver Street, extended northerly along the boundary line of the latter to Wall Street; thence along the palisades to Broadway; thence southerly to Beaver Street; thence easterly to the point of starting. The Sixth or Out Ward comprised all the farms and plantations outside the city walls, including the town of Harlem. Each of these wards was author- ized to elect an alderman and councilman annually to represent them in the city government. The Governor and Council retained the appointment of the Mayor in their own hands; it was not, indeed, until long after the Revolution that this office was made elective by the people. * * " In 1686 the Dongan Charter was granted to the city. This instrument, which still forms the basis of the municipal rights and privileges of New York, con-
IGSG. firmed the franchises before enjoyed by the cor- poration, and placed the city government on a definite footing. The Governor retained the appointment of the mayor, recorder, sheriff, coroner, high-constable, town- clerk, and clerk of the market in his own hands; leaving the aldermen, assistants, and petty constables to be chosen by the people at the annual election on St. Michael's Day. This charter, which was dated April 22, 1686, declared that New York city should thenceforth comprise the entire island of Manhattan, extending to the low-water mark of the bays and rivers surrounding it.
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