USA > New York > Westchester County > Westchester County, New York, during the American Revolution > Part 13
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"The following is a copy of those notable " RESOLVES," as that Associa- tion was frequently called, carefully made from Gaine's New York Ga- cette: und the Weekly Mercury, No. 1218, NEW-York, Monday February 13, 1775, where they were printed among the current news of the day :
TTTE the subscribers being desirous to convince mankind that " we are firialy 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, cau, 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 himo ; that our representatives in General Assembly con- "vened, are the only guardians of our rights and liberties ; that without " them no liws can bere be made to bind ns, and that they only are the " channel through which our grievances can properly be represented for " rederes, and thist to support their right and authority, we do hereby "associate and mutually covenant and engage to and with each other " as follows, namely :
" First. That we will upon all occasions statul by and assist each other "in the defence of his life, liberty and property, when ever the same "shall be attacked or emlangered by auy bodies of men riotously asom- " Vled, upon any pretence or any authority whatzoever, not warranted " by the laws of the land.
"Second. That we will upon all occasions mutually support each "other in the free exercise and enjoyment of our umloubted right to "Wbwrty, in eating, drinking, buying, selling, commming 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 olidiance to the rightful anthority of our most gra- " vious y vervien king George the third, and the laws which can, du, or " may constitutionally extend to, or in the British colonies in America. " In witness whereof we have herentto get our hands, this eighteenth "Day of Jannary, in the fifteenth year of the reign of our sovereign "bel sorge the third, by the grave of God of Great-Britain, France, " and Ireland, king, defender of the faith, &c., and in the year of our "! el Christ, 1775."
"An Address to the Inhabitants of Cort- " landt's Manor.
"T 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 bickerings, and the "detestable poison of party faction. It is a matter no " longer to be hid under a cloud, 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 hot to he " 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 ; "politics, and the designs of crafty 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 uations 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 continue without interruption ; "to effeet 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 ueed not recapitula- "tion ; it is sufficient that we are informed of the con-
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" sequence- in England, where they are considered as "actions founded on rebellious 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 situation has "given me opportunity to form ideas of your behar- "jour and sentiments, I believe you, in a general "sense, firmly attached to loyalty and our admirable "constitution ; that you wish to live and die subjects "only to the British empire; but 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 dilenna 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 us 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 riotous 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 iu 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 true " christian ; it must be his work, his dependance on, " his 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 you should disagreeably find any one, or more "amongst you 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 true 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 " Manor. - THEN the minds of people "are agitated, some with
"jnst, 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- "vidual, for the good of himself and posterity, to "pursue that course 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, "the' ever so illiterate capacity: The loyalty we owe "to the best of Kings is the grand muaguetie point, "that will infallibly fix us on a solid basis. There are " none amongst ns (if we cooly reflect) but 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 flourishing condition of our towering eit- "je -; the opulence of the inhabitants, and every other "blessing under God which we do, and still may en- "joy, derived their origin from, and have their exis- "tence in the laws, the lenity, and the unlimited "indulgence of our 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 our "peace and tranquility, by sending to our support the "terror of the universe, 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 cries 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 trom 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 quiet 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, LonDs and COMMONS ; we are assured " that we shall be heard: We have no business with " Congresses and Committees. Such methods only serve "to irritate our best friends. Let us proceed in the "direct line o. our duty : We are contending with a " mighty nation, of great merey 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 actnated by no "other motives than the dictates of conscience and
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" common sense, are led to declare onr firm and indis- " soluble attachment to our most gracious Sovereign "GEORGE the THIRD, his crown and dignity ; aud " with grateful bearts to neknowledge, that we are in- " debted to his paternal care, for the preservation of "our lives and fortunes : And as we have ever been a " happy and 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 Rivington's New- York Gazetteer, No. 99, NEW-YORK, Thur-day, March 9, 1775, in the-e words, which we have carefully copied from the original pub- lieation : 1
" To every American to whom it is appli- cable ; " But chiefly to
"The ASSOCIATORS of Cortlandt's Manor. " O ye Tame Pigeons !
AXCUSE, 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 os wise as serpents, and " harmless as dores ; I must, in 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, aud 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 grandinother .- 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 iny calling' you pigeons; for " naturalists 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 uest, " 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 " xee not, and cars, but heur 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 delusion4, " absorbe my frame ; reason and virtne are forced to " quit their seats !- But in your presence, the good " sonl assuntes the throne ; reason, truth, and virtue " appear in all their native forms, and every vicions " passion is banished from my heart.
" However this may be with an individual, it is " clearly 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 exam- " 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 crimes and their own " folly, they have voluntarily banished 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 called 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 bny all them ; so " that, all the laws of that once great nation, are now " framed, passed, and executed by one brauch: 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 ealled 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 & 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 trifling gleam of hope, which the devil has ever " made use of to delude his votaries ; and this, will " eventually end in despair. Vet these mens souls. " dare attempt with their Syren songs, to lull even " virtue itself to sleep, in the hopes that she may yet " split ou the rocks .- One day we are charmed with " peace, clemency, and pardon ; riehes 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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" ror and dismay are to asshult us, all the British " navy shall knock down our pompous cities; thou- " sands and tens of thousands of forees are to crimson " o'er the spacious plains with blood; Canadian big- "otry and persecution is to pour in upon us from " the North ; the Indians, with horrid barbarity, are " to torment us from the West ; and perhaps pesti- " lence and Spaniards from the South .- This, ve sor- " did mortals, is the true picture of your base hearts; " this is the scene, on which you could feast your "eyes with rapture, provided the rocks and the " mountains might cover you .- But now let me tell " you, that were all this possible, there are fifteen out " of twenty, throughont this vast continent, all Free- " dom's sons, whose blood is neither contaminated " with paltry bribe, or coward fear ; who would face "all this terror, rather than sell their birthright for a " iness of pottage, or be a means of transmitting mis- " ery and infamy to their posterity.
" But, O ye men of Cortlandt, let us for a moment " view the windings of that arch serpent which hath " beguiled you; with what pleasing sensations, he " surveys your fine fields, your harvests, and your " herds; and how he eommends and admires the "trickling drops that pour down your brows; no " doubt these are delicious charms to him ; yet, one " thing on your part, is absolutely necessary ; and " that is, your loyalty, only establish that, and he can " easily take care of the rest of your business .- With " what elegance of stile he describes your fertile " plains, your splendid cities, your noble towers, and " the oppulence of your marts, which has poured all " the riches of the globe into your laps! and all this, " thro' the paternal indulgence of a tender mother. " But he has neglected to inform you, that, for these " 12 years past, this kind mother has become a " monster ! Like the eruel ostrich, she has forsaken " her young ones ; with the fierceness of a tyger, she " lays waste our own fair inheritence, and dashes " her sons against the stones !- Shakspeare makes " Hamlet express himself thus ; 'But, I am pigeon "' livered, and lack gall to make oppression bitter.' " Whether it is the lack of gall, or the lack of sensi- " bility, that makes you callous to that bitter oppres- " sion that now surrounds you, I will not determine ; " but for creatures, that are said to wear the image of " the Deity, to be so lost to every noble sentiment " that ornaments the man; must bespeak the most "amazing apathy .- Then let me conjure you, to rise " from your lethargy, assume the dignity of freemen : " smite the serpents that have spread their poisons " round you; burn your associations; and with " dauntless intrepity, join the sons of freedom, who " are the only temporal guardians of the human race. " B. E."
No further attempt to answer this Address nor to counteract the effects of the Association appears to have been made until late in the Spring, a long time after the farmers throughout the Manor had com-
meneed their work of ploughing and sowing and planting, when the following letter, signed by "As "INHABITANTS," was published in Gaine's New- York Gazette: or the Weekly Mercury, No. 1235, NEW-YORK, Monday, June 19, 1775.
"TO THE INHABITANTS OF THE MANOR OF CORT-
" LANDT, NEW-YORK. " MAYOR OF CORTLANDT, May 19, 1775. "GENTLEMEN : "The dangerous innovations and in- " fringements attempted by certain mercenary Min- "isterial tools and infamous traitors (in this Manor) "to their Country, who assume to themselves the " name of Loyalists, on the liberties of their fellow- "subjects, have greatly alarined the impartial friends "of Liberty herein. A fool, says an author, has "great need of title; it teaches men to eall him "Count and Duke, and to forget his proper name of " Fool.
"In a day when American pulse beats high for "Liberty; when it is the subject of almost every " public paper, as well as topic of discourse, it might "justly have been expected that no Americau would " be so hardy as to violate the rights of his fellow- " subjeets ; and if any such monster should appear "in this land of Liberty, that there would not be "wanting advocates for so glorious and important a "eause, as to expose those of its members who are "trampling on the sacred rights of the people.
"I have waited with great impatience, expecting "that some able hand would have undertaken the "benevolent task to warn you to beware of the eon- " duct of some of the basest villains that ever dis- " graced any society, and draw the attention of the "inhabitants to its danger ; but finding that although "now some months are elapsed since the commence- "ment of the measures of these traitors, &e., yet none "has appeared to sound the friendly aların to the " very indolent inhabitants, I have attempted what "I so ardently wished might have been done by some "more able hand. While we are straining every " nerve to baffle foreign attempts to enslave us, surely "it must be very criminal in the descendants of "Britons, who ought to love life aud liberty alike, to "be so assiduous in exerting themselves to enslave "their fellow-sulijects.
" It may not be improper to inform you, Gentle- "men, of the springs and motives which induce these "principal movers to forget their duty to God, their "fellow-countrymen, and their posterity.
"They, anxious to secure to themselves and their "posterity power and authority, and to engross some "offices or pensious from or under the Crown, have " made a sacrifice of all public virtue on the altar of "self-interest. This desperate spirit it was that in- " duced these traitors or mercenary hirelings to exert "their influence to bring about the detestable meas- "ures proposed by a certain paper handed about here
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Winter, entitled . The Loyalist's Test." > But, tion of a Congress of all the Colonies, for consultation · happily for this Manor, this very dangerous -the me and advice, in the matter of the great grievances to which the Colonies were said to have been subjected, . was disconcerted in some barre of Loyalty ml " Liberty. For the men who would make such in- . unconstitutionally, by the Parliament and the Minis- " roads on the liberties of the people, as they were try of Great Britain. It was a matter of deep con- "aiming at, to gratify their thirst for power, and give , cern, therefore, both in the Colonial Government and " Administration a high idea of their influence in this " Manor, would, from the same principle, exert every " nerve of influence to carry any ministerial mandate " into execution, at the expense of the liberties of "their fellow-countrymen.
"Can any judicious American sou of liberty behold " there traitors of their Country without the utmost "abhorrence, by whose influence the more illiterate " and those who are unacquainted with the principles " of the present dispute, are so besotted as to resign " their liberties into the hands of the most ambitious "and designing fellows, who are aiming to make a "merit with the Ministry by enslaving their fellow- "countrymen, and to aggrandise themselves aud "their posterity ? Surely he cannot. If Charles the " First deserved the axe, and James the Second the " loss of his Kingdom, for changing the Constitution, " and thereby trampling on the rights of their sub- "jects, I leave you, my Countrymen, to judge what "punishment would be adequate to the crimes of "these loyalists and their tools, who are aiming at " the same by a sacrifice of all public virtue and the " liberty of their Country.
"AN INHABITANT."
With the publication of this letter, the Manor of Cortlandt probably closed its literary labors, in the cause of either party, since the work of the successive seasons occupied the entire attention of the Tenantry, and the Proprietors, also, found other subjects which commanded their attention ; but the great body of the farmers, on the Manor, like those in the neigh- boring County of Duchess, continued to be conser- vative and without sympathy with those who were in rebellion, to the end of the War.
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