USA > New York > Ulster County > Kingston > The history of Kingston, New York : from its early settlement to the year 1820 > Part 24
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"Two Justices of the Peace of the County of Ulster having re- quired the Dutch minister at Esopus to take the oath of allegiance and supremacy, etc and taken them from him, There hath arisen a question whether these Justices, by their commissions as such, had any authority to tender the oath, etc, and if not, whether they are punishable and how ?
"It is supposed that they have founded their authority upon the statute of 1st George, which is in these words,
"' That it shall and may be lawful to and for two or more Jus- tices of the Peace or any other person or persons, who shall be by his Majesty for that purpose specially appointed, by order of the Privy Council or by Commission under the great seal, to adminis- ter and tender the oaths, hereinbefore appointed to be taken, to any person or persons whatsoever, whom they shall or may sus- pect to be dangerous or disaffected to his Majesty or his Govern- ment, and if any person or persons, to whom such oaths shall be tendered, shall neglect or refuse the same, such Justices or any other person or persons specially to be appointed as aforesaid, tendering the said oaths shall certify the refusal thereof to the next quarter sessions of the county, riding, liberty, City Borough town Corpo- rate or place in which such refusal shall be made. And the said refusal shall be recorded among the rolls of the next sessions, and shall be from thence certified by the Clerk of the peace of such county, etc. And that every person, so neglecting or re- fusing to take the said oaths, shall be from the time of his neglect or refusal taken esteemed and adjudged a popish recusant con- cict, and as such to forfeit and be proceeded against.'
"I have considered all the statutes relating to this subject. I think there is none can give the Justices a colour for assuming a
1
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HISTORY OF KINGSTON.
right to administer the oath, but the clause of the 1st George 1st above recited, and with respect to this, I am of opinion, that it does not extend to the Colonies, not only because it is a penal law, made since we have had our own Legislature, but because it is plain, from the terms of it, that it was intended only for Great Britain, the Navy, Jersey, and Guernsey ; and the sixth section in an especial manner shews that it was not to affect persons beyond sea, or to authorize their qualification there. The only method, by which these oaths have been administered here, is by Dedimus under the great seal of the Colony, and the only persons, I believe they ever were exacted from, were the officers Civil and Military.
" Whether the Justices are punishable, in the present case, is another question, as they may have erred in judgment in the con- struction of this act. Besides, to aim at prosecuting them for ten- dering these oaths to a foreigner, who was willing to take them, seems to have an appearance not well to be reconciled. Had he refused to comply, and they done anything illegal, by way of com- pelling him, the case would be something altered.
"Supposing them criminal, the method of punishment would be by information, in the name of the Attorney-General.
" JAS. DUANE."
William Smith, Jr., another celebrated counsellor, residing in New York, upon similar questions being submitted to him by ad- vocates of the cœtus, in his opinion, stated :
" The laws of Great Britain and this country do not permit the exercise of any manner of authority or privilege, by foreign judica- tories, civil or ecclesiastical, within these dominions, besides all the king's subjects are compellable to take the oath of supremacy, wherein they swear that 'no foreign prince, person, prelate, State or potentate hath or ought to have any jurisdiction, power, superi- ority, pre-eminence, or authority, ecclesiastical or spiritual with- in this realm.' And though the primary intention of the laws of this head was to destroy the influence of the see of Rome, yet pro- hibiting words are broad, and their general policy is such, that in my opinion they will be construed by our Judges to interdict the claims of the Classis of Amsterdam to government of the Dutch Church in this country, and that the subjects who voluntarily submit to the decision's of any foreign, even though a Protestant body, are punishable.
" I think the claims of the Classis to the subordination of those churches, not in the least supported by the articles of surrender or any of the Treaties between us and the States-General. The de- sign was not to vest any power in any body of men abroad, but to secure the enjoyment of certain privileges to those who were con-
220
HISTORY OF KINGSTON.
quered, and remained here. This distinction is natural and obvi- ous, if the Dutch churches in this country are undisturbed in their worship, and left to govern themselves upon the Belgie, which is the Presbyterian model, they can justly claim nothing more upon the faith of the capitulation. The words are thus satisfied, and the door shut against the mischief intended to be prevented by our laws against foreign appeals. And this construction will, I con- ceive, appear to be more solid, if the claims of the Classis of Am- sterdam to a Supremacy over the churches, and their denial of any right in those ministers to license and ordain others are repugnant to the word of God, as understood by the Reformed Churches in the United Provinces, and the frame of that Ecclesiastical govern- ment they have adopted ; if this can be shewn and perhaps it may, the articles receive an exposition not favorable to the subordina- tion exacted, for it will appear very reasonable to suppose the benefits intended to be secured were consistent with the avowed tenets of their own churches, and according to these sentiments I think the churches here will expose themselves to danger by a submission to, and not by their non-compliance with, the authority challenged by the Classis."
A council of the neighboring ministers of the Kingston church and their elders was convened, and the situation of the church and the difficulties between pastor and people brought before them, and upon their action the Consistory withheld Dominie Meyer's salary, and declared the pulpit vacant. The following Sabbath the con- ferentiæ people encouraged by such action determined to prevent Meyer from occupying the pulpit at all hazards. They accord- ingly carried their clubs with them to church, prepared for battle, if necessary. Meyer entered the pulpit as usual, but before the services commenced was notified to vacate. He, noticing the prep- arations that had been made. and well aware of the determination of the parties, left the desk in tears, and as he came down the steps of the pulpit. repeated the following passage of Scripture : "How often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not."
Notwithstanding this rupture, Dominie Meyer continued to preach and perform ministerial services at private houses, until November, 1772, when he received and accepted a call and removed to New Jersey.
As long as Dominie Meyer remained, of course, there was no reconcilement of the parties, and no successful effort made to pro- cure another pastor. After he left the heated passions began to cool, so that in the year 1775 Dominie George J. L. Doll, who was then preaching at Albany, was called. He accepted, and was in- stalled into the pastoral office. Under Dominie Doll the Kingston
221
HISTORY OF KINGSTON.
church took an independent position, and did not unite with the ecclesiastical assemblies in this country, although the cœtus and conferentiæ had settled their differences and formed a single eccle- siastical body in 1772 with the concurrence of the Classis of Am- sterdam. He ministered to the people during the entire struggle for independence, and until he became superannnated in 1808. There were none more zealous than he in the cause of liberty, nor more ardent in advocating the cause of his divine Master, and by
S. W. VIEW OF CHURCH AS REBUILT AFTER THE REVOLUTION, SHOWING " DOOP HUYS " IN FRONT, TOWER IN REAR.
endearing the people to himself he early in his ministry healed all violent dissensions.
At the sacking of Kingston by the British, the church, of course, did not escape the fury of the vandals, but was visited with the same fate as the other buildings in the place. All that was combustible in or about it was reduced to ashes.
The first care, of course, of the unfortunate inhabitants was for the comfort of their wives and children ; but as soon as they had attended to their immediate wants and procured necessary shelter for those dependent on them, the repair of their desecrated house of worship early received their attention. The walls remaining
222
HISTORY OF KINGSTON.
firm, and having sustained little if any injury, the work of repair was soon commenced, and completed as early as practicable.
Of course their old bell was ruined through the combined in- fluence of the fire and its fall from the top of the tower. Colonel Rutgers, a friend of the church, and whose family had participated before the fire in the hospitality of the inhabitants of Kingston, presented the church with a new bell, which led to some amusing circumstances connected with the procuring and hanging of the present church bell, whose loud but sweet, silvery tones, prior to its present cracked condition, excited the admiration of all who heard them.
The bell presented by Colonel Rutgers was like a ship's bell in appearance and sound, and after it was mounted proved very disagreeable to the inhabitants. They wanted something that was not a constant reminder of the English man-of-war's bell and were determined to have it. The trustees being, as usual, appealed to, promised their assistance. An arrangement was accordingly made through Jacob Leroy & Son, merchants of New York, to obtain one from Holland.
Some time afterward, in 1794, the new bell arrived from Hol- land, and was accompanied by a letter in Dutch, of which the fol- lowing is a translation :
" RIGHT HONORABLE SIRS
" Upon your worshipful request, to my friends, the Messrs Jacob Le Roy & Son, of New York, and through their worships presented to me, on your behalf, about a Church Bell with a clap- per, for the Congregation of Jesus Christ at Kingston, my breth- ren ; so I reckon it no small honour to me to have received this request, but at once by those to be in a condition to know and to obey or fulfil it ; and I send the same, insured, by Capt Gilerist of the ' Minerva,' hoping and wishing that it may arrive safe, and may answer its true design ; so that when, on the day of rest, she lets her voice be heard, the Congregation may diligently come up to the House of the Lord, to hear his word with profit and to make needful use of it.
" This bell, with all its apparatus, was cast within this city ; thus it is a genuine Holland Amsterdam Bell. I have tolled it several times to try it, and the sound of it close by is very good. I have not doubted since, but that when it comes to be hung on high, it will give more satisfaction.
" But you will please to instruct the manager at the hanging up of the same, to mark well that it hangs exactly perpendicular, that is to say, on all sides alike straight up and down ; for if it is turned or hung over too much on one side, a body runs the risk of
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HISTORY OF KINGSTON.
cracking it, and this can with caution be prevented by fixing the strap in the right place.
" The account of the cost I have sent to the Herrn Jb. Le Roy & Son, and debited their worships for the price. This you will well find with them. Next having myself felt for in your wor- ships' favor and love, as a brother of our new modelled reformed religion, so I reckon it my honour, with true and friendly greet- ing, to name myself to you and the dear brothers and sisters,
"Right Honorable Sirs your dear and dutiful servant and brother
PAULUS KUK
" AMSTERDAM, the 10th May 1794."
The bell as soon as possible was unpacked with great care and raised to its appointed place, and hung with all the skill of their best workman. When it was tolled, however, great disappoint- ment was depicted on every countenance, and the unanimous ver- dict was that it was good for nothing, that any piece of iron would sound as well.
Many consultations and much discussion were had over the matter, when it was suggested that the trouble rested in the clap- per being fastened with a leather strap, sent with the bell, instead of an iron hook ; but the change did not remedy the difficulty.
It was then concluded to return the bell from whence it came. A letter was accordingly sent to Colonel Rutgers, requesting him to make the necessary arrangements for that purpose. The colonel, feeling confident that the trouble rested elsewhere than in the bell, at once wrote and inquired into the manner in which the bell was hung. He then ascertained that it was hung on a straight axis. He at once suggested to them that that was the difficulty, that they could not, with a bell of that size on a straight axis, give sufficient force to the clapper ; it should be hung upon a crooked axis, and gave them the proper directions. The hanging was changed ac- cordingly, and a crooked axis adopted, by which the apex became elevated about midway above the horizontal part of the axis. That solved the difficulty. After the change, the old sexton could bring sufficient strength upon the bell to give the necessary force to the clapper, and bring forth the loud and full mellow tones of one of the best bells ever hung in America. Then the old burghers be- came satisfied, and smoked their pipes with comfort. Tradition says they turned their Rutgers bell over to the court-house.
A fac-simile of the original bill of lading, in the Dutch lan- guage, for the church bell is here inserted as a matter of interest, followed by a literal translation thereof.
224
HISTORY OF KINGSTON.
Sfacturer van de inverstaande Metalen Kerky Woke Voor Rekening in Rifice vandethuren 2 cab Leroy Soon a Newyork geladen inhetschip de Minerwas. Laquo RB billardt, Tynde Waarde Gereformeerde Gemeente to Kingston gemerkt als in Margine, Wegende als volge
ILRez nº1
Eennieuwe Metaalen Kerk klok
Wegendo netto 54008 216 Q88 432
Cenyfone klepel - 29 ts a 4 10.3. 2/10.
Contrat unEmballage 2.51 -
- Onooffen
44618 Voorbienic van afulantes Van/ 500 .- . 80€ 1Polie !!
VoorSee & schuster agtes totaanboord. 1.4.
155 10.
5022.
Amsterdam 10 May 1794 Commifio 2% dos 13.11.
€ 515 19-
a 3/4 @querem changertet 85.19.10
Interamente Legten 1500 1136
Bragtvolgen ConnoSemant. 2 129
Intrett voorles Maanden. 1/2 /515.19 ~3/4 na£85.14.10 cm
5 p@ per annum .
2
3
Karlvon tat asm Albany Por. 3 £ 102:2,1
0 313
Newyorks 11 augustus wish .
Z 105 34
HISTORY OF KINGSTON.
TRANSLATION OF BILL OF LADING.
The subjoined bill of a metal church bell, to the account and at the risk of Le Roy & Son, at New York, loaded in the ship Minerva, Captain R. R. Gilchrist, being for the Reformed Church at Kingston, marked as in margin, and weighing as follows :
[J. L. R. & Son]. Bill of lading metal church bell weighing 540 lbs. net at 16 per lb.
/432
An iron clapper 29 @ 7s
10
3
A. leather strap.
2
10
A barrel and the packing
2
5
/446
18
EXPENSES.
Premium on insurance for /500 @ 5 per cent & policy 1. 41
For freight by cart and packet to the vessel.
1.4
For passport, discount, money, export tax
13.6
55
10
/502
8
Commissions
24/
13
11
/515
19
& per Guilder in New York
£85
19
10
Tariff 15 per cent.
11
3
6
Freight commission.
2
12
9
Interest for 6 months a/c /515.19 @ & is
£85.19.10 5 per cent per annum
2
3
Cartage to Albany pier
3
£102
2
1
Our commissions 23 per cent.
3
1
3
£105
3
4
-
NEW YORK, 11 August, 1794.
JACOB LE ROY & SON.
15
225
Об ШтеДрая
226
HISTORY OF KINGSTON.
In 1805, before the close of Dominie Doll's ministry, the trus- tees of the corporation of Kingston appropriated and paid over to the church out of the funds of the corporation, as a present, the sum of £3004 5s., which in the New York currency of that day equalled $7510.56. This donation, and the origin of it, will be more particularly referred to in another chapter. Whether the liberal donations by the trustees to the church, from time to time, of land and money, really benefited the church, has been often mooted in later years, as much of it was used to satisfy present needs, and discharge the minister's salary and the ordinary ex- penses of the church ; so that when it thereby became depleted, the church and pastor suffered by reason of the difficulty encoun- tered in urging the congregation to make liberal contributions for the support of the Gospel, to which they had been previously wholly unaccustomed.
In 1808, Dominie Doll was succeeded by the Rev. John Gos- man, who officiated as pastor of the church for many succeeding years. He was a man of fine talents, richly cultivated mind, a beautiful writer, and a faithful servant of his divine Master. Until then, the Kingston church stood as an independent church, not connected with the regular judicatories of the Dutch Church in America. In September of that year the great Consistory was convened, and it determined by a large majority to join the Gen- eral Synod, and the Kingston church has since that time been united with her sister churches in submission to the jurisdiction of the General Synod of the Protestant Dutch Church in North America.
When Dr. Gosman first assumed the pastorate, .a question arose which for a time created considerable feeling and dissatis- faction in the congregation. During the latter part of the minis- tration of Dominie Doll his services were diversified, usually preaching in the Dutch, but occasionally in the English language. When Dr. Gosman was settled, many of the old citizens wanted the use of the church at stated times-once a month, or oftener -- to hold service in their mother tongue at their own expense. This privilege was peremptorily refused by the Consistory. While this controversy was at its height, two of the old burghers had a dis- cussion on the subject, when suddenly the advocate of Dutch preaching asked his opponent who was condemning it in strong language, what was the meaning of " behold." He replied, " to hold fast." The discussion then ended with a brief commentary upon his capacity to appreciate and understand the English preacher. This trouble, for a time, created much feeling, and it rankled in the breasts of many of the older members until their removal from earthly scenes and labors. Thereafter, during Dr.
227
HISTORY OF KINGSTON.
Gosman's ministry of many years, unity and concord were happily prevalent in the congregation. .
Some of the early customs of the church in Kingston are set forth in an article published in the Dutch Church magazine, in 1826, substantially as follows : It was the custom in early days " to ring the bell three times a day by way of notice to tidy house- keepers, of their breakfast dinner and supper hours," also "when- ever there was a baptism or a christening, as it was called ; and then the minister, with an Elder, and whoever else pleased, went into Church and performed the rite of Baptism." "It was the custom among our forefathers, immediately before ringing the last bell for church service, to be notified by a rap at each door ; from the ivory-headed cane of the gray-headed sexton, who sang out aloud, " church-time ;" and for this circuit was paid by each family two shillings per annum. The sexton also carried to the clerk all written requests for the prayers of the congregation. The clerk had a long rod, slit at the end, into which he stuck the notices, and handed them to the minister, who in those days occu- pied a very high pulpit in the shape of a half globe mounted on the top of a column and surmounted with a sounding-board. The minister wore a black silk mantle, a cocked hat, and a neck band with a linen cambric " beffy" on his breast. Cravats were then un- canonical. The first psalm used to be set with movable figures, suspended on three sides of the pulpit. The deacons, when service was ended, rose in their places, the pastor distilling on them the dew of charity in a short address ; they bowed, took each a bag fixed to a long black pole, with a small alarm-bell fastened to the end, and went their rounds collecting the contributions. In mak- ing contributions at the collections in those early days, there were much used copper coins called tokens, being- stamped "Kingston Church," which were redeemed at stated times. In those early days the communicants never approached the communion-table unless apparelled in black. It was then also usual to stand round the sacramental board, which was placed at the foot of the pulpit. Instead of an exhortation from the minister after administering the sacrament, the clerk read aloud a suitable chapter from Isaiah or John the Evangelist. The clerk also read a portion of Scripture before the minister came into church, in order to draw the minds of the congregation from worldly matters. The singing was congregational, the leader occupying a desk in front of the pulpit."
In later years, of course, the old customs became obsolete, and the church conformed itself to modern customs and ideas, not in all cases deservedly styled improvements.
£
2.28
CHAPTER XIV.
CAMPAIGN OF 1776.
TITHE war for independence was now fully inaugurated, and it was no longer a contest for the redress of grievances. The die had been cast which terminated all hope or expectation of com- promise, and the result of the conflict, baptized in the blood of patriots, must be either liberty or slavery. Although in the cam- paign of 1775 the British had been compelled to evacuate Boston, they had successfully resisted the invasion of Canada by the co- lonial troops, succeeded in attaching the Canadian troops to the royal standard, and through the agency of the Indian chieftain, Brandt, and the sons of Sir William Johnson, had secured the ser- vices of nearly all the Indian tribes.
As has been previously stated, when the contest commenced, and it was ostensibly only an effort for the redress of grievances, the British ministry sought to divide and separate the provinces through the influence of a Tory governor and council, and a Tory majority in the legislative Assembly of New York. In that they had signally failed. New York had stood among the first in resistance to the encroachments and oppression of the mother country. The "Sons of Liberty" were early organized within its borders, liberty poles erected, and freedom's flag flaunted to the breeze. The first blood shed in the contest moistened its soil within the city of New York, in the skirmish on the 18th day of January, 1770, between the citizens and the English, on Golden Hill, between Cliff and William streets ; and again on the next day when the English soldiers were met and resisted by some of the ".Sons of Liberty."
The British Government now sought to accomplish the same division by force of arms. Their plan was to enter the State from the north with an overpowering army through .Lake Champlain, and thence proceed to Albany, there to form a junction with an- other army entering the State with a powerful naval force through the Hudson from the south ; at the same time their Indian allies, under Brandt and Johnson, stimulated by the promise of British gold for patriots' scalps, were to carry the tomahawk, scalping- knife, firebrand, destruction, and death through the border settle-
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HISTORY OF KINGSTON.
ments. With New York thus crushed, the provinces would be divided, the Middle and Southern cut off from the Eastern, the one section unable to assist the other. Their motto was " Divide and Conquer."
The campaign of 1776 terminated with the southern branch of the invading forces kept at bay below the Highlands, but with New York, Long Island, and much of Westchester County in their possession.
A letter from London, dated September 26th, 1776, describes the progress of the Northern Army, according to the British ac- counts, as follows : " Burgoyne's army have found it impracticable to get across the lake this season, that the Naval force of the Pro- vincials, upon the lake, is too great for them to contend with at present ; they must build larger vessels, and they cannot be ready before next summer. The army will therefore be obliged to winter in Canada. They will be in want of provisions unless sup- plied from England, and General Carlton has requested that a suf- ficient quantity be sent. The design was that the two armies, commanded by Gens. Howe and Burgoyne, should co-operate, and both be on the Hudson at the same time ; that they should join at or near Albany, and thus cut off all communication between the Northern and Southern Colonies."
General Gates in a letter to the President of Congress, dated the 29th of July, 1776, stated that a French gentleman had just arrived who "left Canada three weeks ago. He says Gen Carlton has summoned all the Canadians to be at St John's the last of August, to go with his army of 10,000 men, to drive the rebels before them like sheep, and meet the Grand Army at Albany." General Gates added, " perhaps this may prove a vain boast," and so it did.
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