History of Westchester county : New York, including Morrisania, Kings Bridge, and West Farms, which have been annexed to New York City, Vol. I, Part 54

Author: Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas), 1843-1898, ed
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Philadelphia : L.E. Preston & Co.
Number of Pages: 1354

USA > New York > Westchester County > History of Westchester county : New York, including Morrisania, Kings Bridge, and West Farms, which have been annexed to New York City, Vol. I > Part 54

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" This is an amiable example of stability, which, " may Americans imitate. May they join corre- " sponding actions to fervent prayers, that they may be " enabled to maintain their rights and liberties ! That " the British arms may never be employed but in a " just cause,-to protect the weak and innocent from " wrong, and to be the terror of oppressors and evil " doers. That the illustrious house of Hanover may " continue to be the defenders of true religion and " virtue, the faithful guardians of our freedom and " property ! That our sovereign, George the third, " may discover every wicked design, that any of his " Ministers, or others, have conceived against him, or " any of his people! That he may be endowed with " wisdom and virtue to become a blessing to his peo- ple, and a terror only to his enemies! That his " days may be prosperous and many, and his end peaceful and happy ! And may all the subjects of " him and his successors, be ever watchful und reso- " lute to prevent the least eneroachment upon their " rights and liberties, on the preservation of which, " the happiness of both King and people depends !

" And as a powerful means of preserving the bless- " ings of freedom, mny we be all duly sensible of the

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HISTORY OF WESTCHESTER COUNTY.

" importance of choosing proper persons to represent " us in our legislative assembly, and of being ex- " tremely careful in our choice. - All which are the " fervent wishes of A WEAVER, in Harrison's Pur- " chase, West Chester County."

About the same time that this letter appeared, there was a movement, in the vicinity of the White Plains, to obtain a nominal approval, if no more, of the action, the revolutionary action, of the Committee of the City of New York; but if what was said of the result of the effort by those who were opposed to the movement, without contradiction, may be believed, only " three or four persons in the White Plains " participated in it ; and, practically, it was a failure.

Very soon after the end of the movement referred to, however, there was a counter-movement, in the same vieinity, in which a Declaration was circulated and signed by the Freeholders and principal Inhabit- auts, in which the conservatism of those who signed it was distinetly asserted. As a part of the earlier literature of the Revolution, in Westchester-county, we have thought that Declaration possesses sufficient of interest to entitle it to a place in this narrative. It was in these words, very carefully copied from the original publication, in Rivington's New- York Gazet- teer, No. 91, NEW-YORK, Thursday, January 12, 1775 :

"To the PRINTER.

“ Sir, W E the subscribers, freeholders and inhabit- " ants in the White Plains, in the county " of Westchester, think it our duty to our King and "country, to declare, that we have never given our " eonsent to any Resolves touching the disputes with " the mother country, nor are we any ways concerned " in any measures entered iuto relative to them. We " are rather induced to do this, because we under- " stand, that three or four persons in the White " Plains, have taken upon them to declare to the "Committee at New-York, the consent of the "inhabitants of the White Plains to the resolutions "entered into, in New-York, and their acquiescenee "with the measures taken there; when the major " part of the few people who attended the meeting, " did not choose to be eoneerned in the matter. We "also testify our disapprobation of many hot and " furious proceedings against the measures taken by " the mother country, as, in our opinion, they will " rather tend to ruin this once happy continent, than " remove grievances. We also declare that we desirc " to live and die peaceable subjeets to our gracious " Sovereign King GEORGE the Third and his laws. " This is to inform the public, that the above deelara- "tion was signed by forty-five freeholders and in- " habitants, in the small precinct of the White " Plains, against the proceedings of the New-York " Committee, besides Miles Oakley."

A few weeks afterwards, Miles Oakley, one of those who had signed it, undoubtedly, for good and sufficient

reasons,1 retracted what he had uttered in the above- recited Declaration; and we have carefully copied from Holt's New- York Journal, No. 1681, NEW- YORK, Thursday, March 23, 1775, what he said on that latter occasion. It was in these words :

" Westchester County, White Plains.

W HEREAS, there was a petitiou published in "Rivington's paper, some time past, that "forty five of the freeholders and inhabitants, be- " sides Miles Oakley, did sign a petition-I did sign " a petition, something like it, by being misled ; and " afterwards being informed into the right state of " the matter, I got the petition, and struek my name "out, and forwarned the Esq. A. H-not to return "my name aud he swore by God he would; and " many others that signed it, has told me, they was " sorry they had any concern in signing the petition. " MILES OAKLEY, and " DANIEL HORTON."

There was uo portion of the County of West- chester, in which the conservatism of the inhabitants was so general and so decided in its character, as in the Manor of Cortlandt; 2 and, during the Winter

1 On the 8th of May, 1775, Miles Oakley was appointed a member of the County Committee, (ride page -, post ; ) soon afterwards, he received a Warrant for Second Lieutenant in Captain Mills's Company ; (ride page -, post ; ) and lie served in that office. muider Colonel Holmes, in the bloodless Campaign of 1775; leaving the service, when the Campaign closed .- (Historical Manuscripts, etc. : Military Committee, xxv., 94.)

Daniel Horton, whose name accompanied that of Miles Oakley, on the disclaimer now under notice, was a resident of Rye; and in the re-or- ganization of the Militia of the County, he was made Second Lieutenant of the Rye and Mamaroneck Company, commanded by Captain Robert Bloomer.

2 Illustrative of the statement made in the text, is the following, taken from the Upcott Clippings, iv .. 297, in the Library of the New York Historical Society : " It is said that at least three-fourths of the people "in Cortlandt's Manor, New York, have declared their unwillingness to "enter into the ('ongressional measures : that a great number of the " people in general in Westchester County are preparing to do the like ; "and that the Association against the Continental Congress has been " signed by three hundred persons in the neighborhood of Poughkeepsie "only. Many lists are sent ahont Dutchess County, on which also "many hundreds have subscribed."

As far as it related to Westchester-county, the above was copied from Gaine's New-York Gazette : and the Weekly Mercury, No. 1220, NEW- YORK, Monday, February 27, 1775.

It must not be supposed, however, that the farmers in Westchester- county supported the Home Government, in its Colonial policy : on the contrary, neither in the well-known Declaration and Protest, hor else- where, as far as we have knowledge, was there the slightest leaning in that direction-they did no more, at any time, than to prefer and accept that opposition to the Home Government which had been made by the General Assembly of the Colony of New York, instead of that which was made by the Continental Congress of 1774; and, at no time, as the reader will bereafter learn, was the great body of them inclined to snp. port the Royal Canse, with their persons and their properties. There were sonie who were smarting under the outrages which had been in- flicted on them or on their friends, by local and other despots, of high or low degree ; and these were, sometimes, compelled to find refuge and protection within the lines of the Royal Army ; and there was a float ing, vicious class, within the County, which the lawlessness of the revo- lutionary faction and the succeeding War had produced-ready to enlist on that side which offered the greater inducements-but the great body of the farmers was patient, law-abiding, peacefully inclined, stayers at home, industrious, and severely conservative.

219

THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, 1774-1783.

of 1774-75 and early in the Spring of the latter year, there was considerable activity, among the farmers on that particular Manor, in opposition to the revolu- tionary spirit which was sceking to force itself on them. An Association, referred to in the Note 2, on page 42, ante, had been prepared and numerously signed in Duchess-county ; and copies of it had been also circulated and signed within Westchester- county, especially within the Manor of Cortlandt. which adjoined the Duchess-county of that period ; 1 and, about the same time, an Address, accompanied with an Association adapted to that particular local- ity, was prepared and widely circulated ; and the Association was numerously signed. That very inter- esting and very important Address and the Association which accompanied it,-the latter, generally known, among those who favored the revolutionary faction; as " The Loyalist's Test"-because they form very important specimens of the literature of revolutionary Westchester-county, and because of their importance as reliable authorities for the guidance of the student of the history of that County, during that eventful period, may properly find a place in this narrative ; and we have carefully copied them from Rivington's New-York Gazetteer, No. 96, NEW-YORK, Thursday, February 16, 1775. They were in the following words :

1 The following is a copy of those notable " RESOLVES," as that Axsocia- tion was frequently called, carefully mado from Gaine's New- York Gu- cette : and the Weekly Mercury, No. 1218, NEW. YORK, Monday February 13, 1775, where they were printed among the current news of the day :

E the subscribers being desirons to convince mankind that " we are firmly attached to our most happy constitution, " and are disposed to support and maintain peace and good order under "his Majesty's government, do therefore declare, that our sovereign lord "king George the third, is the only sovereign to whom British America " may, can, or ought to owe and bear true and faithful allegiance, and "that there is no legal power or authority therein but what is duly " derived from him ; that our representatives in General Assembly con- "vened, are the only guardians of our rights and liberties ; that without " them no laws can here be made to bind us, and that they only are the " channel through which our grievances can properly be represented for "redress, and that to support their right and anthority, we do hereby "associate and mutnally covenant and engage to and with each other " as follows, namely :

" First, That we will upon all occasions stand by and assist each other "in the defence of his life, liberty and property, when ever the same " shall be attacked or endangered by any bodies of men riotously assen- " bled, upon any pretenee or any authority whatsoever, not warranted " by the laws of the land.

" Second. That we will upon all occasions mutually support each "other in the freo exercise and enjoyment of our undoubted right to " liberty, in cating, drinking, buying, selling, communing and acting " what, with whom, and as we please, consistent with the laws of God, " and the laws of the land, notwithstanding the association entered into " by the Continental Congress to the contrary.

" Lastly. That we will endeavour to promote, encourage, and when " called to, enforce obedianee to the rightful authority of our most gra- "cious sovereign king George tho third, and the laws which can, do, or " may constitutionally extend to, or in the British colonies in Americu.

" In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands, this eighteenth "day of January, in the fifteenth year of the reign of our sovereign " lord George the third, by the grace of God of Great-Britain, Franec, " and Ireland, king, defender of the faith, &c., and in the year of our " lord Christ, 1775."

"An Address to the Inhabitants of Cort- " landt's Manor.

am one amongst you, tho' yet a "stranger, an inhabitant of Cort- "landt's manor; I have nothing to dread or fear "from the resentment of any person or persons, as "I mean to give no offence to any individual; "only wishing, that reason and common prudence "may take place of present biekerings, and the "detestable poison of party faction. It is a matter no "longer to be hid under a eloud, whether we are in " reality, his Majesty's loyal subjects or not ; I have "all the reason in the world to believe, that the " worthy people of this Manor are so to all intents "and purposes; I mean as to their private sentiments; "but alas ! my friends, the time is at hand, when " those sentiments alone will not be of sufficient va- "lidity to justify the loyalty of your hearts. It re- " quires no great penetration to assign reasons for your " silence in matters of so great importance; your con- "duct, my friends in this last point, is not to be "blamed ; it rather redounds to your credit in the "eyes of every one that knows the life of a farmer. " The farmer is brought up to peace and tranquility ; " polities, and the designs of erafty men are strangers "to his honest minds; his care and toil, with the " sweat of his brow, is to turn the furrows which give "us subsistence: It is from industry, that worthy " merchants are enabled to extend their commerce,- " commerce ! the vitals of a nation, every country has "its share in different commodities, designed by the " will of an omnipotent Being to depend on each other, "linked in a chain of civil society. I presume it will " not be improper to see what part of this advantage "providence has allotted us; the question may be " easily solved ; we are placed in a fertile land, teem- "ing forth, in abundance, the necessaries of life for " ourselves, and a superfluity, which brings the wealth " of other nations to our own coffers .- Every individ- "ual enjoys his share according to his industry and " situation in life ; he is protected in his possessions, "by what ? "Tis by the paternal care, the penetrating " eye, and the mighty arm of his mother country ; who "like a hen, when the hawk is near, hovers round her " chickens, takes them under her wings, and preserves "them from the enemy. I think I have accounted " for your inattention to political matters, as not being " within the sphere of your occupations, but confined " to the laudable pursuit of your own business ; and, "I sincerely wish it to continne without interruption; " to effect which, there is only one method left .- I " have already observed, that our good intentions, " kept in silence, are not sufficient to distinguish our " loyalty; It may do amongst ourselves; but let us " consider facts which we know to be true; they are "recent in our memories, and need not recapitula- " tion ; it is sufficient that we are informed of the con-

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HISTORY OF WESTCHESTER COUNTY.

" sequences in England, where they are considered as " actions fonnded on rebellions principles, subversive " of all law and government, and abusive, in the high- "est degree, to his Majesty's crown and dignity. I " have said, I am one amongst you, my sitnation has " given me opportunity to form ideas of yonr behav- "iour and sentiments, I believe you, in a general " sense, firmly attached to loyalty and onr admirable " constitution ; that you wish to live and die subjects "only to the British empire; bnt how is this to be " manifested, and that it should be declared, there is " an absolute necessity, without delay, for the follow- "ing reasons: That the colonists of New-York are " under the same dilemma with the other provinces "and the continent throughout, considered as com- " binants in a general plan, which gives so much " offence to the supreme authority, whose dignity " cannot, nor will not, be insulted. Let ns of Cort- " landt's manor, clear ourselves of the general impu- " tation ; we do not deserve it, then, why should we " suffer it? We never consented to congresses nor " committees, we detest the destruction of private " property, we abhor the proceedings of riotons and " disorderly people, and finally, we wish to live and " die the same loyal subjects we have ever been, to his " most sacred Majesty GEORGE the THIRD. Let us " my friends, declare, and acknowledge this, our in- " dispensible duty, by signing our names to the paper " now circulating in this manor, wrote and adapted " for the subscription of none but ROYALISTS. - It is " not enough for a man to say, that I am a loyal sub- "ject, no more than to say I am a pious and trne " christian ; it must be his work, his dependance on, " lis energy, his indefatigable effort ; to promote honor "and glory to the true system of his preservation. As " charity, my friends, is a characteristic of a good man " and a christian, I wish by no means it should be im- " paired, in this our manor of Cortlandt ; permit me, "my neighbours, to instance one point in particular "to which I hope you will pay strict adherence, viz. "If yon should disagreeably find any one, or more " amongst yon who are blind to their own happiness, " let me intreat you to take no advantage of their " weakness, rather use lenient and mild persuasions ; " tell them their truc interest ; use all your endeav- "ours that if possible they may return to their right "senses :- In this you will shine in triple capacity, "you recover the lost man, you draw together the " bands of unity, and are an honor to your King and " country."

"Form of an Association in Cortlandt's ·· Mİanor.

HEN the minds of people "are agitated, some with

"just. and some with false ideas of their rights "and privileges, when anarchy and confusion are "spreading their baneful wings over this once

"happy and flourishing Continent: At this most "interesting period, it is the duty of every indi- "vidnal, for the good of himself and posterity, to " pnrsne that conrsẻ which conscience dictates to be "right. No one, if impartial, can be at a loss for the " elne of direction, the object is plain to every honest, "tho' ever so illiterate capacity : The loyalty we owe "to the best of Kings is the grand magnetic point, " that will infallibly fix us on a solid basis. There are " none amongst ns (if we cooly reflect) bnt what will " find themselves bound by the strongest ties of grati- " tude, to acknowledge that we have been, and still "may be, the happiest people on earth, under the "glorious and unparalelled constitution of Great " Britain! And if prejudice, popular declamations, " and the hateful current of party faction, are not too "strong for truth and matters of fact ; we must allow " that the grand pitch of commerce we have arrived " at, the progress we have made in arts and sciences ; " the amazing repadity in extending, settling and im- "proving our land estates ; the magnificent appear- " ance and flonrishing condition of our towering cit- "ics; the opulence of the inhabitants, and every other "blessing under God which we do, aud still may en- "joy, derived their origin from, and have their exis- "tence in the laws, the lenity, and the unlimited " indulgence of onr parent state; which has hitherto " protected us, is ever able, and would be ready, if we " deserve it, to defend us against all invaders of onr " peace and tranquility, by sending to our support the "terror of the nniverse, the BRITISH ARMS !- For a " proof of this let us revert to the late war, when the "French and Savages with fire and sword, were rav- " aging the country ; when the crics of murder and "scalping were echoed from every quarter of the " woods; the infants brains dashed out before the eyes " of its afflicted parents ; the parents tortured to death " by the horrid and shocking barbarities of the Indi- "ans ; and numbers flying from their habitations, ex- " posed to famine, and every species of distress. Let "us reflect on those direful calamities; Let us be "grateful to the power which preserved us, which sent " forth her INVINCIBLE VETERANS, vanquished our " enemies, and finally reinstated us in quict posses- "sion of our own .- If we have a right to complain of "the British acts of parliament, we have a Governor, "Council and Assembly, to represent our grievances " to the KING, LORDS and COMMONS; we are assured " that we shall be heard : We have no business with " Congresses and Committees. Such methods only serve " to irritate onr best friends. Let us proceed in the "direct line of onr duty : We are contending with a " mighty nation, of great mercy and long forbearance, "ever sparing of the effusion of blood; but when " rouzed to resentment, we may feel the weight of her "indignation .- Therefore we, the subscribers, free- " holders, and inhabitants of Cortlandt's Manor, in "the county of Westchester, being actuated by no "other motives than the dictates of conscience and

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THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, 1774-1783.

" common sense, are led to declare our firm and indis- " soluble attachment to our most gracious Sovereign "GEORGE the THIRD, his erown and dignity; and " with grateful hearts to acknowledge, that we are in- " debted to his paternal eare, for the preservation of "our lives and fortunes : And as we have ever been a " happy aud free people, subject only to the laws and " government of Great-Britain, we will pay no regard " to any resolves, or restrictions, but such as are en- . "joined us by our CONSTITUTIONAL DELEGATES. " Everything to the contrary, we deem ILLEGAL."

An answer to this _Address and this Association was published in Rirington's New- York Gazetteer, No. 99, NEW-YORK, Thursday, March 9, 1775, in these words, which we have carefully copied from the original pub- lieation :

" To every American to whom it is appli- cable ; " But chiefly to

" The ASSOCIATORS of Cortlandt's Manor. " O ye Tame Pigeons !

“ 'E XCUSE, my friends, the manner of addressing " you, for if we advert to a passage in Holy " Writ, we are told, that the professors of our excel- " lent religion, should be as wise as serpents, and " harmless as dores ; I must, ine some measure, think " you a Christian people, as both the above properties " are discovered in Cortlandt's Manor, tho' they " seem not to be properly blended together .- The " framer of the Association, and the elaborate piece " that attended it, in Mr. Rivington's paper of Feb- " ruary 16, has certainly all the subtilty of the ser- " pent; and has as dexterously wormed himself " round your estates, with as much address, and will " probably have the same success, as the first serpent " had, when he attacked our old grandmother .- And " you, my friends. resemble the simple dove, for you " seem to be innocent and secure, although the de- " luder has already eatched you in the snare: Then " be not offended at my calling you pigeons; for " uaturalists assure us, it is the very nature of this bird, " that she seems always calm and secure, and has no " inclination to defend herself, or her young ones, " from the attacks of men, beasts, or vermin, but al- " ways returns to the same hole to make her nest, " notwithstanding the experience she has had, of its " being utter destruction to her family .- Just so it is " with you, ye people of Cortlandt, ye have eyes, but " sce not, and cars, but hear not. The Spectator, in " some of his beautiful lucubrations, mentions a young " Eastern Prince, who being severely reprimanded for " some unguarded folly of youth, immediately fell " down at the feet of his preceptor, and expressed " himself to this effect : - O father, I now perceive,

" that I have two souls, a good soul and a bad, in

" your absence the bad soul predominates ; passion " and pleasure, with their attendant train of delusions, " absorbe muy frame ; reason and virtuc are forced to " quit their seats !- But in your presence, the good " soul assumes the throne ; reason, truth, and virtue " appear in all their native forms, and every vicious. " passion is banished from my heart.

" However this may be with an individual, it is " elearly evident, that the inhabitants of the British " dominions are actuated by two sorts of souls, and " these are of very different kinds : But let us exant- " ine them ; the soul of the virtuous son of Freedom, " is the soul of God ! the soul of nature, and the soul " of the British Constitution ; it is a soul that dares " to think, that dares to speak, that dares to die ! " This soul has animated every kingdom on the face " of the earth, till by their own erimes and their own " folly, they have voluntarily bauished it " their soil: This is the soul that has sup- " ported the British state through various revolu- " tions, and will maintain its empire, either in that, " or some other part of the globe, till Heaven, in its " vengeance, shall extirpate the human race .- Now, " the souls of the other cast, may be divided into two " classes ; and first, those in the island of Britain, " who erroneously call themselves friends to govern- " ment ; and are generally distinguished by the name " of Tories : and these should be ealled despotic " souls, as they well deserve the appellation ; for, by " their alert address, they have had influence enough " to buy all the votes in the Kingdom ; and the min- " istry has had foresight enough to buy all them; so " that, all the laws of that once great uation, are now " framed, passed, and executed by one branch of the " legislature : And the consequences have been cor- " respondent; equity, justice, and reason, with all " the antient props of the state, are banished the sen- " ate: tyranny mounts her throne, and says,-I " WILL ! The other class of souls reside in America, " and must be called souls of the basest mould ; these " wretches, by the God of nature, have been suffered " to receive their being in a land of happiness, and "have been nursed up in a land of liberty and " plenty ; but O monstrous ingratitude ! Without " the least remorse, without any spur to real ambi- " tion, they forsake their country ! in short they are " divested of every trace of human perfection, except " one trifliug gleam of hope, which the devil has ever " made use of to delude his votarics ; and this, will " eventually end in despair. Yet these mens souls, " dare attempt with their Syren songs, to lull even " virtue itself to sleep, in the hopes that she may yet " split on the rocks .- One day we are charmed with " peace, clemeney, and pardon ; riches and plenty " are to be powered into our dwellings; tyrants and " heroes are to drop their crowns and their laurel- at " our feet, that we may partake of the banquet, if we " will only bow the knee to satan. But, if we are " stern enough to deny passive obedience, then ter-

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History of Westchester county : New York, including Morrisania, Kings Bridge, and West Farms, which have been annexed to New York City, Vol. I, Part 54

Author: Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas), 1843-1898, ed Publication date: 1886 Publisher: Philadelphia : L.E. Preston & Co. Number of Pages: 1354

Author: Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas), 1843-1898, ed
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Philadelphia : L.E. Preston & Co.
Number of Pages: 1354