USA > New York > New York City > Old New York : a journal relating to the history and antiquities of New York City, Vol. II > Part 14
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COLT'S SUBMARINE BATTERY .- At the New York Battery there was an exhib- ition on Tuesday, September 18th, 1842, of Colt's Submarine Battery. A rational estimate of the number of eager witnesses of this fete would not be very much from 50,000. A brig of 300 tons burden was placed about equidistant between Castle Garden and the North Carolina ; under it was placed the battery ; Mr. Colt was three-fourths of a mile off, on Governor's Island, ready, with his electro-magnetic telegraph, to apply the electric spark at the concerted signal ; the first signal gun announced the hour, and at the second the spark was sent -instantaneously the quiet brig was dashed to atoms.
The first notice of destruction the spectator has is a tremendous upheaval of a large volume of water fifty feet in height, bearing with it the fated craft with such resistless force that it seemed to drop into fragments like the dirt of a rotten log. The destruction is truly complete, and the fragments so scattered they are scarcely neighbors. This is a terrible missile to all floating batteries of a hostile foe, and as this and other trials of its power indicate, Mr. Colt has won immortality to his name, and is worthy of the patronage he has received and much more -Daily Times.
MOVEMENTS IN REAL ESTATE .- The Tremont Temperance House, in Broad- way, has lately been sold for $105,000, and is to be remodeled. Messrs. Bulkley & Coffin have purchased the New England Hotel, on the corner of Broadway and Thames street, and design crecting a large store on the lot. They paid $130,000 for the premises. The property on the corner of Park place and Church street, running through to Murray street, has lately changed hands, the purchaser paying a large amount for the property. It has belonged to the Hoyt family for many years. Four houses in Warren street have lately been purchased, with the design of turning them into stores. Among the four are the residences of Mr. Hoffman and Simeon Draper. The large building on the corner of Bond street and Broadway, known as the Stuyvesant Institute, and occupied as the Medical Department of the University, has recently been sold, and a larger and more imposing edifice is to be immediately erected on Fourteenth street, near Irving place. Its dimensions will be about 80 by 100 feet. We understand that it is to be built of granite, in the massive Egyptian style, and will form one of the most magnificent and imposing structures in the city. The plans are now in preparation, and will soon be matured. A few days since a sale was effected of ninety six lots of the Boerum property in Brooklyn, adjoining the Williamsburgh line, which brought $115.000. This tract embraces some four or five hundred lots, and is probably the largest un- improved tract lying within two miles of the City Hall. Several smaller parcels of the same farm have been purchased for immediate improvement .-- Tribune, February 14, 1851.
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OLD NEW YORK.
APRIL, 1890.
ORIGINAL LETTER OF DOMINE JOHANNES MEGA- POLENSIS, OF ALBANY AND NEW YORK.
COMMUNICATED BY CHAPLAIN ROSWELL RANDALL HOES, U. S. N.
I send for publication in your historical magazine a translation of an interesting manuscript, the original of which is now lying before me. It is the earliest known letter, in this country, of Domine Johannes Megapolensis, one of the most distinguished of the Dutch ministers to the New Netherlands. He was pastor of the Dutch Church of Albany from 1642 to 1649, and of the Dutch Church of New York from 1649 until the 24th of Janu- ary, 1670, when he died. His original family name was Van Mekelenburg, which was Hellenized into Megapolensis when his father came into Holland, becoming minister at Egmont on the sea, and subsequently at Koedyck and Pancras, in North Holland. He came to this country under the patronage of the Patroon of Rensselaerwyck, engaging himself for six years. His expenses to America were to be paid, and he was to receive a salary of one thousand guilders ($400). It was also stipulated that he should befriend the Patroon in every possible way. The call was approved by the Classis of Amsterdam, and he arrived with a number of immigrants in August, 1642. He soon exerted a visible influence in restraining the immoralities of frontier life. He was instrumental in saving Father Jogues, a Jesuit missionary, from the extremity of torture and probable death at the hands of
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the Mohawk Indians. Father Jogues had been captured while ascending the St. Lawrence. The Dutch at once sought to ran- som him, but were unsuccessful. At first the Indians despised his zeal, but after some months they began to listen to his teach- ings, and some were baptized. They took him with them to Fort Orange, now Albany. While there a report was received that the French had defeated the Mohawks, and the Dutch commander advised the missionary not to risk their vengeance by returning, but now to effect his escape. He remained in close concealment for six weeks. Domine Megapolensis was his constant friend, and saw him safely embarked for New Amsterdam, whence he proceeded to Europe. Hle subsequently returned to Canada and visited the Mohawks, by whom he was now put to deathi.
Megapolensis learned the heavy language of the Mohawks. so as to be able to preach to them fluently. A number of them united with his church in Albany. He was the first Protestant missionary to the Indians, preceding by several years John Eliot, in New England. Stopping at New Amsterdam, now New York, on his way back to Europe, he was prevailed upon by Governor Stuyvesant to remain there, that that colony might not be left destitute of ministerial service, Domine Backerus having but just left. While here he exhibited an intolerant spirit towards the Lutherans and Independents. The West India Company enjoined him not to be too precise on indifferent matters, which rather tended to create schism than to edify the flock. In 1658 he was visited by Father Le Moyne, a Jesuit, who spent the Winter in New Netherland, and a warm friendship grew up between them. He afterwards carried on a correspondence with Le Moyne on controversial topics, when the latter returned to Canada. In 1664, when the English demanded the surrender of New Amsterdam, Domine Megapolensis strongly advised Governor Stuyvesant to yield in order to prevent effusion of blood, as they had no adequate means of defense. He was a man of thorough scholarship, energetic character, and devoted piety. He saw the infancy of the Dutch Province, watched its growth, and witnessed its surrender.
The following epitaph was written by Domine Henricus Selyns, pastor of the Dutch churches of Brooklyn, Bushwick, and
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Gravesend, on Long Island, from 1660 to 1664, and of the Dutch church of New York from 1682 to 1701 :-
Nieuw Nederlander, schreyt, En spaert geen tranen, want
New Netherlander, weep, Check not the gushing tear.
Megapolensis leyt (Zuyl van Nieuw Nederlandt)
In perfect shape doth sleep
Hier uyt syn volle leden. Syn onvermoeyde werck
Megapolensis here- New Netherland's great treasure. His never-tiring work
Was bidden dag en nacht, En yv'ren in Godts kerck. Nu rust hy, en belacht
Was, day and night, to pray,
And zeal in th' Church exert.
· Des weerelts ydelheden.
Now let him rest, where may He scorn all worldly pleasure.
The letter of Domine Megapolensis is addressed to the Classis of Amsterdam in Holland, and is as follows :
Reverend, Godly, Learned Fathers and Brothers in Christ, may the Grace of God be multiplied unto you :
After the Lord God had been pleased to cut short the thread of life of Domine Bogardus, late preacher at the Manhattan [New York], in New Netherland by shipwreck, his widow came to reside here at Fort Orange [Albany], in the Colony of Rens- selaerswyck, and to make a living here. She has nine living children, as well from her former husband as from Domine Bogardus, and besides this she is burdened with considerable debt, to pay which and for her subsistence she has no means nor remedy, unless money be paid to her by the West India Company, that is, such sums as are still due for the salary of her late husband, Domine Bogardus, who always asserted that before leaving Holland a higher salary was promised to him than he ever received here. In order to explain this, I shall repeat to the best of my recollection what I have heard from him.
It is now about two years since I was called upon by Director- General William Kieft to settle the difficulties between him and Domine Bogardus. I attempted several times to smooth over the differences that had arisen here, but it was all in vain, for Domine Bogardus asserted that it could not be done here, but that it ought to be laid before the Lords Directors [of the West India Company], and that, even if it could be determined here, he would neverthe- less be obliged to go home in order to demand before his death
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the salary promised to him for the maintenance and support of his family, for if he himself did not ask for it in the lifetime of those who knew about it, it would be difficult to succeed through others, because the salary was promised to him, as to other preachers in the service, not by the Lord Directors, but by the Reverend Classis, or at least by the Reverend Deputies [of the Classis], among whom he also mentioned, if I am not mistaken, Domine Badius, who had urged him to go to New Netherland and had promised to arrange it with the Company that he should have a salary as other preachers in the Company's service received it ; that nevertheless he was paid for quite a while only 46 guilders [$18.40] per month, and 150 guilders [$60] for board money. He asserted that according to the promise made to him, there is still due a considerable sum for salary and board money. This, on the whole, is what he had told me about it, as far as I can remember, and if it be true, there ought to be in existence a written and signed document or at least a memorandum by some of the Reverend Deputies. Annetje Bogardus, the widow of Domine Bogardus, presupposing this to be correct, has requested me to write to the Reverend Classis in her behalf, and request that the Reverend Classis or the Deputies might for the sake of a preacher's widow petition the Company for the money due her, to be paid to her or her attorney, which would enable her to liquidate her debts and support her family.
Last year I wrote to my Lord Patroon [Van Rensselaer] and to the Reverend Deputies for my discharge, and that some one else might be appointed, but I have learned by a letter from Domine Witten Wrongel that I must have patience and remain here until the summer of this year. I have therefore repeated my request in letters to the Patroon and to the Reverend Deputies, as I here- with do, that another teacher be sent, in the first ships, to take my place, or at least that I might have permission to come home, for as my term has expired, and as my wife and children have all gone to the Fatherland, I do not intend to remain here any longer than the coming summer when the ships return to Europe. I think that I have kept my station here in this wild country, and have had many troubles and difficulties. Another, who will suc- ceed me, will find it better and more comfortable. In conclusion,
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I commend you all alike to God and the Word of his Grace. Remember me in your prayers.
Yours obediently,
JOANNES MEGAPOLENSIS. RENSSELAERWYCK [ALBANY ], the 15th August, 1648.
Domine Bogardus was the second pastor of the Dutch Church of New York. He arrived with Director-General Van Twiller in April, 1633, accompanied by Adam Roelandsen, a school- master. The people of New Amsterdam had worshiped in a loft since 1626; but this was now replaced by a plain wooden build- ing like a barn, situated near the East River, on the present Broad street, between Pearl and Bridge. Near by a parsonage was also provided. Van Twiller's government was not what it ought to have been, and he received a severe reprimand from Bogardus, who styled him " a child of the devil," and threatened him with such a shake from the pulpit on the following Sabbath as would make him shudder. This coarse and unbecoming con- duct was afterward charged against him.
He was a widower when he arrived, but in 1638 he married the celebrated Anneke Jans, of Albany, widow of Roeloff Jans, or Jansen, who had received a valuable grant of land near Red Hook. He had been Overseer of the Orphans' Court (Surrogate) under the Dutch sway (Doc. Hist. of N. Y., III., 367). He had also secured from Director-General Van Twiller in 1636 a grant of sixty-two acres on Manhattan Island, a little northwest of Fort Amsterdam, north of the present Warren street, and now in pos- session of Trinity Church. After his death it passed to his widow, and after her marriage with Bogardus it was commonly called " the Domine's Bouwerie." In 1654, a number of years subsequent to the death of Bogardus, the title to the farm was confirmed by Director-General Stuyvesant, and in 1667 by the English government. In 1671 William Bogardus, for himself and his brothers Jan and Jonas, and his two sisters, by their hus- bands, conveyed this farm to Gov. Lovelace, but Cornelis Bo- gardus did not join in the conveyance. In 1705 the estate (then called the King's farm) was leased by the Colonial authorities to Trinity Church, which has since retained possession. The ground
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on which the heirs rest their claim is descent from Cornelis and the claim that the title of the Colonial Government at the Revo- lution became vested in the people of the State of New York.
As early as 1638 Domine Bogardus wished to go to Holland to answer the charges that had been made against him, but he could not be spared. He protested against Director-General Kieft's murderous slaughter of the neighboring Indians in 1643; and two years later, when Kieft refused the right of appeal to the Fatherland, Domine Bogardus boldly denounced him from the pulpit, standing as he did on the side of the people's rights. Kieft had before this charged the Domine with drunkenness and siding with the malcontents. The Governor and many of the officers now remained away from the church services, and incited parties to drum and shout during service. At last Kieft cited Bogardus for trial, and matters grew worse and worse till mutual friends interfered. After the arrival of Governor Stuyvesant to supersede Kieft, in July, 1647, both Kieft, with a large fortune, and Bogardus sailed in the same vessel to Europe to give an account to their superiors; but by mistake they got into Bristol Channel and were wrecked off the coast of Wales, and both were lost. Out of one hundred lives only twenty were saved.
The late Prof. Pierson, in his "First Settlers of Albany," gives the following facts relating to the children of Anneke Jans, the first wife of Domine Bogardus, and her husband, Roeloff Jansen :
1. SARAH .- Married Surgeon Hans Kierstede, 29 June, 1642; for her second husband, Cornelis Van Borsum, of Brooklyn ferry, 1 Sept., 1669 ; and for her third husband Elbert Elbertsen, of New York, 18 July, 1683. She came from Amsterdam with her parents in 1630, and became a great proficient in the Indian tongue. In 1664 she acted as interpreter in the treaty made by Stuyvesant with the River Indians. She died in 1693.
2. CATRINE [Catharine]. - Married Lucas Rodenburg, Vice- Director of Curacoa, who died about 1656. IIer second husband, to whom she was married 29 March, 1658, was Johannes Van Brugh, who was a prominent merchant and magistrate of New Amsterdam, and served in the Common Council several years after the English succession. He died in New York at an advanced age, about 1699, leaving a widow and six children.
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3. SYTJE .- Married Pieter Hartgers Van Wie, who came over in 1643 and first settled in Beverwyck (Albany), as one of the magistrates of the Court of Fort Orange in 1654. Ile died in Holland in 1670, leaving two daughters in Beverwyck.
4. JAN .-- At the date of his mother's will in 1663 he was un- married. In 1665 he accidently killed one Gerrit Verbeck with a gun, for which he was acquitted by the Governor in form. Soon after he removed to Schenectady where, with his wife, he was slain by the French and Indians in the great massacre of 1690, leaving no children.
Anneke Jans, by her second husband, Domine Bogardus, had the following children :
1. WILLEM.
2. CORNELIS, baptized in New York 9 Sep., 1640.
3. JONAS, baptized 4 Jan., 1643.
4. PIETER, baptized 2 Apl., 1645.
It will be remembered that in the preceding letter of Domine Megapolensis it is stated that the widow Bogardus had " nine living children," whereas Pierson, in the foregoing list gives but eight. I am not aware that the name of the other child is known.
The preceding facts concerning Domines Megapolensis and Bogardus are taken from the third edition of the Rev. Dr. E. T. Corwin's invaluable "Manual of the Reformed Church in America," which also contains a list of authorities and references relating to these celebrated divines of the Dutch Church of New York.
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NOTES ON THE HISTORY OF PRINTING IN NEW YORK.
IX.
The argument of Mr. Hamilton was of great length, much of it being with the object to inculcate upon the jury that they had a right to judge the law as well as the facts. The political prose- cutions of the two or three reigns previous gave him his illustra- tions. Continuing, he said :
And, first, I think there cannot be a greater authority for us than the judgment I just now mentioned in the case of John de Northampton ; and that was in early times and before the Star Chamber came to the fullness of its power and wickedness. In that judgment, as I observed, the falsehood of the letter which was wrote is assigned as the very ground of the sentence ; and agreeable to this, it was urged by Sir Robert Sawyer," in the Trial of the Seven Bishops, that the falsity, the malice and sedition of the writing were all facts to be proved. But here, it may be said, Sir Robert was one of the Bishop's counsel, and his argument is not to be allowed for law ; but I offer it only to show that we are not the first who have insisted that to make a writing . a libel it must be false. And, if the argument of a counsel must have no weight, I hope there will be more regard shown to the opinion of a judge, and therefore I mention the words of Justice Powel in the same trial, where he says (of the bishops, which was called a libel, and upon which they were prosecuted by informa- tion) that : " To make it a libel it must be false and malicious and tend to sedition," and declared, "as he saw no falsehood or malice in it, he was of opinion that it was no libel." Now, I should think this opinion alone, in the case of the King, and in a case which the King had so much at heart, and which to this day has never been contradicted, might be a sufficient authority to entitle us to the liberty of proving the truth of the papers, which, in the information, are called false, malicious, seditious and
* State Trials, Vol. 4.
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scandalous. If it be objected that the opinions of the other three judges were against him, I answer that the censures the judgments of these men have undergone, and the approbation Justice Powel's opinion, his judgment and conduct upon that trial has met with, and the honor he gained to himself for daring to speak truth at such a time, upon such an occasion and in the reign of such a King, are more than sufficient, in my humble opinion, to warrant our insisting on his judgment as a full authority to our purpose ; and it will lie upon Mr. Attorney to show that this opinion has since that time been denied to be law, or that Justice Powel, who delivered it, has ever been condemned or blamed for it in any law book extant at this day ; and this, I will venture to say, Mr. Attorney cannot do. But to make this point yet more clear, if anything can be clearer, I will, on our part, proceed and show that in the case of Sir Samuel Barnadiston, his counsel, notwith- standing he stood before one of the greatest monsters that ever presided in an English court (Judge Jefferies), insisted on the want of proof to the malice and seditious intent of the author of what was called a libel. And in the case of Tutchin, which seems to be Mr. Attorney's chief authority, that case is against him, for he was upon his trial put upon showing the truth of his papers, but did not, at least the prisoner was asked by the King's counsel whether " he would say they were true. And as he never pretended that they were true the Chief Justice was not to say so. But the point will still be clearer on our side from Fuller's case for falsely and wickedly causing to be printed a false and scandalous libel, in which, amongst other things, were contained these words : " Mr. Jones has also made oath that he paid 5,000 l. more by the late King's order to several persons in places of trust that they might complete my ruin and invalidate me for ever. Nor is this all ; for the said Mr. Jones will prove, by undeniable witness and demonstration, that he has distributed more than 180,0007. in eight years last past by the French king's order to persons in public trust in this kingdom." Here you see is a scandalous and infamous charge against the late King ; here is a charge, no less than high treason, against the men in public trust for receiving money of the French king, then in actual war with
* State Trials, Vol. 5, 445.
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the crown of Great Britain, and yet the Court were far from bear- ing him down with Star Chamber doctrine; to wit, that it was no matter whether what he said was true or false. No; on the con- trary, Lord Justice Holt asks Fuller, "Can you make it appear they are true ? Have you any witnesses? You might have had subponas for your witnesses against this day. If you take upon you to write such things as you are charged with it lies upon you to prove them true at your peril. If you have any witnesses I will hear them. How came you to write those books which are not true ? If you have any witnesses produce them. If you can offer any matter to prove what you have wrote, let us hear it." Thus said and thus did that great man, Lord Chief Justice Holt, upon a trial of the like kind with ours; and the rule laid down by him in this case is, " That he who will take upon him to write things, it lies upon him to prove them at his peril." Now, sir, we have acknowledged the printing and publishing of those papers, set forth in the information, and (with the leave of the Court) agreeable to the rule laid down by Chief Justice Holt, we are ready to prove them to be true at our peril.
Mr. Chief Justice .- Let us see the book.
(Here the Court had the case under consideration a consider- able time, and every one was silent.)
Mr. Chief Justice - Mr. Attorney, you have heard what Mr. Hamilton has said, and the cases he has cited for having his witnesses examined, to prove the truth of the several facts con- tained in the papers set forth in the information. What do you say to it ?
Mr. Attorney .- The law, in my opinion, is very clear; they cannot be admitted to justify a libel ; for by the authorities I have already read to the Court it is not the less a libel because it is true. I think I need not trouble the Court with reading the cases over again ; the thing seems to be very plain, and I submit it to the Court.
Mr. Chief Justice .- Mr. Hamilton, the Court is of opinion you ought not to be permitted to prove the facts in the papers. These are the words of the book, " It is far from being a justification of a libel, that the contents thereof is true, or that the person upon whom it is made had a bad reputation, since the greater appear-
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ance there is of truth in any malicious invective, so much the more provoking it is."
Mr. Hamilton .- These are Star Chamber cases, and I was in hopes that practice had been dead with the Court.
Mr. Chief Justice .- Mr. Hamilton, the Court have delivered their opinion, and we expect you will use us with good manners; you are not to be permitted to argue against the opinion of the Court.
Mr. Hamilton .- With submission, I have seen the practice in very great courts, and never heard it deemed unmannerly to ---
Mr. Chief Justice .- After the Court have delivered their opinion, it is not good manners to insist upon a point, in which you are overruled.
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