USA > New York > Albany County > Albany > The annals of Albany, Vol. X > Part 16
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gutters, or spouts, projected in front some six or seven feet, so as to discharge the water from the roof, when it rained, directly over the centre of the sidewalks. This was probably contrived for the benefit of those who were compelled to be out in wet weather, as it furnished them with an extra shower bath free of expense.
But the destined hour was drawing near. The Yan-
of those whose fathers and grandsires had worshiped and been buried there ?
But this old church might, to the informed sons of the Pilgrims, have called up a train of thought in which it would have been profit- able for them to have indulged. Here, in this church, as late as the year 1800, the Dutchmen assembled on the sabbath, coming out of the mixed population which even then existed in the city. Here were to be found the descendants of the generous Hollanders, who in days long passed, had given shelter and protection both to the perse- cuted Pilgrim and to the Huguenot-and for aught we know, knelt on the shore of Delftshaven, prayed with, and bade God speed to the company on the May-flower-or who had shielded the Huguenots of Rochelle from the hot pursuit of their red assassins. It was on a sabbath in July, of the year above mentioned, when the writer, for the first time, entered this church, fully aware of the kind of people he was to meet there. But the narrow aisles and slips; the separa- tion of the sexes; the raised wall seats filled with old men, and the members of the corporation in their allotted seats; the young men in the gallery; the clerk's desk under the pulpit, and the old Holland made pulpit itself, with its hour-glass and iron movable frame to support it; the high windows with their bright stained glass coats of arms; the stoves standing on platforms raised outside of the gallery and nearly on a level with its floor; the figures in large German text hanging on each side-wall, denoting the chapter of the Bible to be read, and the first psalm to be sung; the reading of that chapter and decalogue by the clerk; the giving out of that psalm by the clerk, the singing, the salutation, and the exordium remotum by the minister- all so new and all combined, had less effect upon the writer than the people themselves-every drop of his Pilgrim and Huguenot blood, and it was all he had, warmed to those whose forefathers had been kind to his-and he felt the full force of the injunction,
" Thy fathers' friends forget thou not."
He never has, and he never will.
Nearly all those in that church on that day, of full age, have de- parted from among us. The fires that warmed the ashes of some of them are hardly yet extinguished. Let no unhallowed heel tread upon them.
J. Q. W.
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kees were creeping in. Every day added to their num- ber; and the unhallowed hand of innovation was seen pointing its impertinent finger at the cherished habits and venerated customs of the ancient burgers. These meddling eastern Saxons at length obtained a majority in the city councils; and then came an order, with a hand- saw, to " cut off those spouts." Nothing could exceed the consternation of the aforesaid burgers, upon the announcement of this order. Had it been a decree abolishing their mother tongue, it could hardly have excited greater astonishment, or greater indignation. " What !" said they, "are our own spouts then to be measured and graduated by a corporation standard ! Are they to be cut off or fore-shortened without our knowledge or consent !" But the Dutch still retained the obstinacy, if not the valor of their ancestors. They rallied their forces, and at the next election, the principal author of the obnoxious order (my old friend, Elkanah Watson) was elected a constable of the ward in which he lived ! This done, they went to sleep again; and before they awoke, new swarms had arrived, and a complete and thorough revolution had taken place, The Yankees were in possession of the city ! and the fate of the Dutch was sealed.
The old families, however, still claimed the lead in all matters relating to good society. The city assemblies were still under their control, as well in regard to time and place, as in the power of admission and exclusion. In the exercise of this prerogative, a little jealousy of the Yankees was occasionally manifested. The diffi- culty was, to know who was who ; to distinguish between those that were entitled to admission, and those that were not. Mere respectability was not of itself sufficient; nor was wealth to be considered as a certain passport. It was necessary that there should be something of rank, of family, or of fashion, to entitle a new comer to a seat among the notables. These matters, however, were, as a matter of course, left to the younger branches of the ancient aristocracy, to regulate as they saw fit.
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Now it happened, that into this ancient and somewhat exclusive circle of good society, had slid many families, with their twigs and branches, who had in reality none of the rights and claims of the genuine Knickerbackers; and who were, as far as antiquity was concerned, mere squatters ; yet they were found to be greater sticklers for exclusion and probation, than the veritable mynheers themselves. Still, up to 1803 or 4, things went on tole- rably well: at all events, there was no complaint. The assemblies were sufficiently select as to quality, and perhaps sufficiently liberal in their range as to number. But, somewhere about the period referred to, the self-constituted managers held a meeting, at which it was determined that the city assemblies should in future be " more select ;" and that " a line of distinction," as they termed it, should be drawn. Accordingly a new list was made out, by which it was soon ascertained that several, heretofore admitted, had been left off, and many - others excluded, that were thought to be better entitled to admission than many that were retained. The mea- sure, therefore, was taken in high dudgeon by the friends of the excluded parties, and was considered as a piece of arrogance, even by those who had no personal cause of complaint.
A paper war was immediately commenced, and the character and pretension of the managers were ridiculed and satirized in a style as new as it was amusing. A series of poetical epistles, odes, satires, &c., &c., appear- ed in rapid succession; some of them displaying a good deal of taste and cleverness. One piece in particular, entitled The Conspiracy of the Nobles written in mock heroic verse, contained some capital hits. It gave a highly poetic description of the first meeting of the managers, and an amusing sketch of their persons, pre- tensions, characters and debates. The most ridiculous speeches were of course put into their mouths, and they were thus made to exhibit themselves in a light that was as laughable as it was absurd. These squibs were an- swered by the conspirators, but without the wit or the
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humor that characterized the pieces of their opponents. The fire, however, was kept up on both sides for several weeks, to the great amusement of the town. The result was a mortifying defeat on the part of the exclusionists. The assemblies, as a matter of course, fell into the hands of the victorious party, and to their credit, be it said, were conducted with more taste and propriety, and were indeed more brilliantly attended than they had ever been before.
This was considered as a victory of wit over impudence, or rather of sense over nonsense. It is but just, how- ever, to add, that the real old Knickerbacker families took but very little interest in the contest, and were pro- bably not much displeased at the discomfiture of their quondam allies.
Let us now turn to revolutions of a graver import.
A restless, leveling, innovating spirit, now prevailed throughout the city. The detested word improvement was in every mouth, and resistance was unavailing. The stinted pines became alarmed, and gradually receded. The hills themselves gave way. New streets opened their extended lines, and the old ones grew wider. The roost- ers on the gable heads, that for more than a century had braved the Indians and the breeze ; that had even flapped their wings and crowed in the face of Burgoyne himself, now gave it up, and came quietly down. The gables in despair soon followed, and more imposing fronts soon reared their corniced heads. The old Dutch church itself, though thought to be immortal, submitted to its fate, and fell! not at the foot of Pompey's statue, exact- ly, but at the foot of State street, which, freed from that obstruction, thenceforward became the Rialto of the city, where pedlers of stale sea-cod, and country hucksters, now do congregate.
Even the dogs now began to bark in broken English: many of them, indeed had already caught the Yankee twang, so rapid was the progress of refinement. In the process of a few brief years, all that was venerable in the eyes of the ancient burgers disappeared. Then came the
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great eclipse of 1806, which clearly announced the fall and final end of the Dutch dynasty. It is hardly neces- sary to say, that not an iron rooster has crowed upon the gable heads, nor a civil cocked hat been seen in the ancient city of Albany, from that day to this!
But let it be remembered, that if the growth of Albany was slow, its position rendered it sure. The great west, in 1800, was comparatively a wilderness. With the growth of this vast interior, Albany has grown: it has increased with its increase, and strengthened with its strength. No hand, however strong, no enterprise, how- ever active, could have carried it forward one hour faster than it went. Its trade was necessarily dependent upon the population and products of the west, and with these it has fairly kept pace.
It is, however, true that the ancient Dutch families, though among the most wealthy and respectable, were not the most enterprising, nor the most active. Many of them possessed large landed estates, lived upon their incomes, and left to others the toils and profits of trade. At the head of this class, and distinguished for his many excellent and amiable qualities, stood the late patroon, Stephen Van Rensselaer : a man widely and honorably known; rich without pride, and liberal without ostenta- tion. I may also mention the name of Jeremiah Van Rensselaer, a whig of the revolution, and for several years lieutenant-governor of the state: a frank, stout- hearted old gentleman, universally respected.
General Ten Broek, also of the revolutionary school, distinguished for his activity, intelligence and public spirit.
Cornelius Van Schelluyne, the then best living type of the ancient race; rich, honest, independent, unlettered, and unpretending.
In alluding to these ancient and wealthy families, that of the Gansevoorts should not be omitted: for it is con- nected with the patriotism and the triumphs of the revo- lution. " The hero of Fort Stanwix" has left to his descendants a time-honored name-a name that belongs
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to the history of the country, and to one of its most in- teresting and important periods.
But those of a more active and business-like character among the Dutch, were the Bleeckers, the Lansings, the Douws, the Van Schaicks, the Ten Eycks, the Ten Broecks, the Pruyns, the Hochstrassers, the Van Loons, and the Staatses. The principal merchants of the city, however-those who gave life and character to its business interests-were citizens of a more recent date, coming from different parts of the Union, but mostly from New England. Among these, were James Kane, * Dudley Walsh, William James, Isaiah Townsend, Gilbert Stew- art, Thomas Gould, Thomas Mather, William, John, and Alexander Marvin, Peter and John I. Boyd, John Spencer & Co., John and Spencer Stafford, Isaac and George Hutton, the Messrs. Webbs and many others.
There was still another class, not less active, nor less important, in a business point of view. I allude to a
* James Kane died on the 2d April, 1851, aged 80. The following tribute to his memory was paid by Bishop Alonzo Potter.
" He had been for years the merchant prince of the city in which he lived. His ventures all seemed successful; his mansion was the home of a delightful hospitality; his grounds the delighted resort of all ages and ranks. There was no public charity, no plan of local or general improvement, which he did not gladly help forward. All at once he was arrested by one of those sudden and wide-spread revul- sions that sweep like a tornado across our commercial world. The storm left him a complete wreck; everything he had on earth was sur- rendered to his creditors, and he stood forth rich in character and self- approbation, but penniless in purse. It was too late in life, as he thought, to retrieve his fallen fortunes. He loved books : he had neither wife nor child. He was surrounded by the friends of his youth, at whose houses he was always a welcome guest.
A few creditors remitted their claims, and insisted upon his apply- ing the proceeds to his personal wants. He reluctantly consented. For more than twenty years he lived amidst the scenes of his former prosperity a poor but contented and happy man. Books were friends that rarely parted company with him. They turned on him no cold looks; they gave him no half-welcome; and I verily believe that never, even in the most brilliant days of a career that made him the observed of all observers, did he enjoy himself so well as while his whole sti- pend was two hundred dollars a year."
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then comparatively new, or recently established body of mechanics, of which Benjamin Knower was confessedly at the head. Mr. Knower was indeed a man of strong mind and persevering energy of character. Through his influence, the charter of the Mechanics' and Farmers' Bank was obtained; and the mechanics of the city of Albany rose in consideration and respect, personal and political, to a height which they had never before reached.
Among the merchants (I speak of the period from 1800 to 1808), Mr. Kane was perhaps the most prominent. He was, indeed, in many respects, the most prominent man in the city : prominent from his extensive operations, and business connections; prominent from his wealths, his liberality, his marked attention to strangers, his gentlemanly style of dress, and bachelor mode of living. He was distinguished, too, by an address and manner so singularly polite and courteous as seemingly to border upon excess. But let it be remembered, to his honor, that as no man in the city was more generally known, so there was no one more generally or more highly re- spected. The courtesy or politeness of Mr. Kane did not, however, consist in mere words or modes of expression. It had its foundation in good feeling-I may say in hu- manity, which speaks to the heart, and is understood where words are not; which, rising superior to forms and fashions, borrows nothing from art, nothing from eloquence.
I shall venture, by way of illustration, to give an in- stance of this sort of politeness. There appeared at the dinner table of the Tontine Coffee House, where Mr. Kane then boarded, and at a time when the house was crowded to excess, an old gentleman and his wife. They were very plainly dressed, but still respectable in their appearance. They were, evidently, country people, " from down east;" and were probably bound on a visit to their relations in the west. The servants, always too few in number, were now altogether insufficient to attend to the wants of the company at table. The old people, [ Annals, x.] 18
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therefore, being strangers, and unknown to any one, were totally neglected. It was shameful! I made one or two efforts to get a servant to attend to them, but all in vain : there were too many louder and more authorita- tive calls. At length, however, they were noticed by Mr. Kane, who looked round for his own servant, but finding him engaged, immediately left his seat and walked down to the lower end of the table where the old couple sat, and politely asked them what they would be helped to; took their plates to a side table, carved for them himself, helped them to vegetables, bread, &c., and then returned quietly to his seat. He was doubtless taken by the old people, and perhaps by other strangers, for the master of the house, or the head waiter ! There was certainly no gentleman present who dared to run the risk of being so mistaken. But Mr. Kane could afford it. The politeness, or, more properly speaking, the humanity of the act, did him honor, and far outweighed the moment- ary, or rather the imaginary loss of dignity.
As a people, we can not be sufficiently grateful to Provi- dence for the character of our ancestors. From the Pu- ritans of England, the Huguenots of France, and the Protestants of the Netherlands, did this country derive the seeds and elements of its greatness: its purity of faith, its principles, and its power. To them, under Providence, are we indebted for our civil and religious liberties, the character of our institutions, and the hardy, resolute and enterprising spirit of the nation. Talents and virtues are alike hereditary, though the stream is not always unbroken by shallows, nor the measure of its greatness always full. There must, I think, have been a strong fund of good sense and native talent in the early Dutch settlers. We have seen it break out occasionally, even in the fourth and fifth generations ; and sometimes, too, quite unexpectedly, as in the case of Ex-President Van Buren, whose immediate antecedents gave no pro- mise of such an eruption, or even foreshadowed the pro- bability of such an event. Still, in all such cases, there
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must have been a living spring (no matter how remote) from whence the waters flowed.
Among the Dutch families of Albany, in which a strong vein of original talent, occasionally manifested it- self, were those of the Schuylers, the Van Vechtens, the Lansings, and the Yateses. General Schuyler, of the Revolution, was a man of great vigor of mind, strong sense, and sound judgment; which was happily associat- ed with liberal feelings, and principles of honor and pa- triotism. He should by right have commanded that army in the revolutionary war, which, in the day of battle, he joined as a volunteer-a man greatly his infe- rior having been placed over his head. But no neglect or injury could alienate his feelings, or weaken his at- tachment to the cause of his country.
The talents and character of Abraham Van Vechten, are still fresh in the memory of the living. He was one of the ablest members of the Albany bar, when that bar was studded with eminent names.
Chancellor Lansing, though not possessed of shining talents, was nevertheless a man of good abilities and of strict integrity. His brother, Abraham G., was a man of sound sense and vigorous tone of mind; rough, and somewhat abrupt in his manner, but upright, frank and fearless, in conduct and in character.
Old Judge Yates, one of the members of the convention that framed the Constitution, was a clear-headed, strong- minded man ; straight forward, honest and patriotic. His son, John Van Ness Yates, was a man of talents, both natural and acquired. He was equal to the duties of any station, and to the difficulties of any task. He was a wit, a poet, a belles-lettres scholar, and a boon companion, whose joke was ever ready, and whose laugh was contagious. He wanted nothing but industry and self-respect, to have made him eminent as a lawyer. His associations were beneath him, not only in point of ta- lent, but in character; yet they affected his interests rather than his principles. He possessed the readiest apprehension, and the most retentive memory, of any
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man I ever knew. All that he had ever read, and he read a vast deal, was at his fingers ends. He was often consulted by the younger members of the bar, while walking in the streets; and, without a moment's hesita- tion, would take out his pencil and write down what was the law in the case, and where it was to be found-vol- ume, chapter and verse ! From these frequent street con- sultations, he was called " the walking library."
But the cleverest man of the name or family, was JOHN W. YATES. He was a man of education, of talents, of natural eloquence, and of extensive reading. He was the best classical scholar in the city-Judge Kent not ex- cepted. He was familiar with the Greek, Latin and French languages and literature; a mathematician, and a passionate lover of belles-lettres. He was bred to the law, but never attempted to practice; yet, I repeat, he was naturally eloquent, and, in his buoyant moments, one of the most lively and agreeable men in conversation that I ever met with.
Such a man, it is natural to suppose, made a figure in his day: no such thing; he made no figure at all. He was not appreciated by the public, because the public knew nothing of him. He was not known even to his friends, for the very good and sufficient reason that his friends knew nothing of Greek or Latin, of mathematics or of poetry. It was curious to find him reading Homer with a pipe in his mouth; and to see him turn from the page of Thucydides, to talk Dutch. Yet this alternation between the languages of Athens and Amsterdam, was in some measure unavoidable; for many of his old friends, and indeed most of the old families, continued to speak, in their domestic circles, the language of their ancestors long after the period to which these sketches refer.
Though no man set a higher value upon literary ac- quirements than himself, yet he took no pains to exhibit, much less to profit by those he possessed. Political distinc- tion he never sought, and never desired. He had no taste for popular parade, no love for public display. He was, in fact, better acquainted with Pericles and Xeno-
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phon than he was with the aldermen of the ward in which he lived. His knowledge of ancient history was more perfect than that of any other man I ever knew, nor was that of modern Europe less familiar. History, poetry and philosophy ; Egypt and Asia, Athens and Rome, with all their classic superstitions and diviner arts, were the subjects of many an evening conversation, to which I listen with delight.
To this faint sketch of his literary character, I may add, that no man possessed a higher sense of honor, or was governed in his conduct by purer principles. His talents and his tastes were, indeed, altogether above the position in which he was placed; and hence, instead of giving him celebrity, they served but to render him, in some measure, unsuited to the station he held. But never will that station, or that official rank, be again honored with so much learning, combined with so much talent.
Let it not be supposed that this is a mere fancy sketch, " writ for the sake of writing it." It is a tribute justly due to the memory of a man whose merits were unappre- ciated, and comparatively unknown. It is a tribute which I owe to the recollection of his partiality and kindness; to the memory of many a friendly lecture- many a social-many a pleasant hour.
Of the public men of Albany, office holders, politicians and jurists, it may be expected that I should say some- thing. Among the most prominent were Geo. Clinton, John Tayler, Ambrose Spencer, James Kent, Chancellor Lansing, Abraham Van Vechten, John V. Henry, John Woodworth, Thos. Tillotson, Abraham G. Lansing, Elisha Jenkins, Edmond Charles Genet, and last, though not least, the editor of the Albany Register, SOLOMON SOUTHWICK ! These are names too well known to require any comment. Many of them are identified with the history of the state, and will be chronicled in its pages.
I can not, in courtesy, however, pass over my old friend Southwick, without some other notice than that of a mere casual glance of recognition. Southwick was a
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man of genius, with all the peculiarities that belong to that temperament-its strength and its weakness, its ex- cellencies and its errors; its delusive dreams and visions, its improvidence and its instability. He had great ferti- lity of mind, united with great enthusiasm. This was the source of his eloquence and his power. His writings were rather outpourings than compositions. Yet he im- bued them with so much life and animation, that he sel- dom failed to carry his readers with them. His style, though well adapted to the popular ear, was redundant in epithet, inflated and declamatory, and his language, though often strong and impressive, was yet in the main, loose and inelegant. He read but little, and only from necessity. He referred to books for particular facts, rather than for general information.
He was, by nature, honest, warm-hearted, and gene- rous to a fault, but seemed to have no fixed or settled principles. In ethics, as well as in politics, he traveled from pole to pole. Yet, the kindness of his nature went with him and never forsook him. His heart and his hand were always open; and as he was credulous to excess, and even superstitious, he was as a matter of. course, swindled by every knave, and duped by every impostor, he met with upon the road.
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