was gratified, they had intimated to Stuyvesant that they thought it "the best policy to furnish them with powder and ball with a sparing hand." Acting hereupon, Stuyvesant ordered a case of guns from Holland, which, upon arrival, was landed "in broad daylight," and turned over to the Commissary of the fort. This gave to the popular party another cause of complaint-namely, that Stuyvesant was their competitor in trade, which was not withdrawn when the Director showed the pertinent order of his superiors.

An ordinance issued by Kieft for the purpose of authenticating legal documents before the Provincial Secretary was now reënacted by Stuyvesant "for the purpose of cutting off the convenient mode of proof." His fears that the popular party would after all succeed in defeating him led him even to a curious interference with ecclesiastical matters. On May 18, 1649, he went to the house of Domine Backerus, and there told him ex officio that he should not read nor allow to be read from the pulpit in church or through any of the church-officers any papers concerning politics or government, unless duly signed by the Director and Secretary. All these preventive measures had only the effect of urging the opposition party more strongly in their course. The Domine soon asked for his discharge, and after receiving it returned to Holland as one of Stuyvesant's most active adversaries. He was followed by the three delegates, sent by the Nine Men, Adriaen Van der Donck, Jacob Van Couwenhoven, and Jan Evertsen Bout, who carried with them the celebrated "Vertoogh van Nieuw Nederlandt" (Remonstrance of New Netherland, probably the work of Van der Donck 2), and an address to the States-General, both documents signed by the Board of Nine Men in office and their predecessors. This Vertoogh, although written for political purposes, is one of the most important works for the history of New-York, as it begins ab ovo,—that is, with the discovery of the country, its boundaries, etc.,-tells of the aboriginal inhabitants, both human and animal, of the origin of the West India Company, and the conditions of New Netherland up to date. The historian of to-day, therefore, owes to Stuyvesant a debt of gratitude for having given cause to write it.

In their stringent attacks on the administration of the province, the remonstrants seem occasionally to have forgotten good policy, for they strike at the West India Company through its agents. "In our opinion," they say, "this country will never flourish under the government of the honorable Company, but will pass away and come to an end of itself, unless the Company is reorganized." Some of their strictures are decidedly unjust. They bewail the precarious condition of church and school, and have not a good word to say about Stuyvesant's praiseworthy efforts in this direction, which will be told in a

1 N. Y. Col. MSS., 4: 437.

2 Printed in Amsterdam, 1650, quarto, 49 pp.

later chapter. When they come to the local representatives of the Company, we find them severely criticized. "The country ought to be provided with godly, honorable, and intelligent rulers, who are not indigent and not too covetous. A covetous governor makes poor subjects. The manner in which the country is now governed falls severely upon it and is intolerable, for nobody is unmolested or secure in his property any longer than the Director pleases, and he is strongly inclined to confiscations." Having resolved not to go to Holland himself in re Kuyter and Melyn, Stuyvesant despatched, a fortnight before the delegates sailed, Cornelius Van Tienhoven to act as his attorney, and also to prepare the States-General for the reception of the Vertoogh and counteract it by previous contradictory reports. Van Tienhoven was "cautious, subtle, intelligent, and sharp-witted," but also quite unscrupulous. Having been in the Company's service in New Netherland since 1633, he knew the country thoroughly. He took with him an "endorsement," given at George Baxter's instigation to Stuyvesant by the magistrates of the English settlement at Gravesend, in which they expressed their admiration of and confidence in Stuyvesant's "wisdom and justice in the administration of the common weal." "The best-laid plans of mice and men gang aft aglee," says the Scotch poet, and Van Tienhoven had to bear witness to its truth. Although he had left two weeks in advance of the delegates, and although he went by the North of Ireland to avoid the scene of Kieft's shipwreck, he arrived after his adversaries, who had sailed straight for the Channel, and had immediately after landing placed their papers before the States-General. A committee of this body was given charge of the matter to receive evidence on the complaints preferred, with orders to report speedily.

Secretary Van Tienhoven found everything ready for his reply, and prepared without much delay "a brief statement in answer to some points contained in the written deduction of Adriaen Van der Donck and associates," which he called "a tissue of assertions without proof." He confined himself, however, exclusively to contradicting allegations against the Company or the Director, of which only those against Stuyvesant interest us here. According to Van Tienhoven, no person's goods or property had ever been confiscated except for violation of written engagements. Some trading skippers might fear confiscation, and therefore not come to New Netherland, but only because they had no license to do so. If Christians are treated by traders like the savages, the blame cannot be laid at the door of the

The map on the preceding page was published in connection with Van der Donck's work on New Netherland, 1655, of which a fac-simile of title appears on page 35. It was a copy of N. J. Visscher's, which itself was an alteration of one by Justus

Danckers, "multis in locis emendata." Danckers, for one thing, was entirely at fault as to the course of the Delaware River. This was remedied by Visscher, and hence it appears tolerably correct upon Van der Donck's map. EDITOR.

26

6 July

13 - 7 - 8 7 2643

Groot Machtigh! Hoogh on Mooghend &

Souvr raynore. བyཟོཟོ་རྨ་ཐོཨ་f་ ཐོམ་

Jahr dard! widroefde ge Coghontheden, dade my m. Hn, das gede dese on

Gain!

Jacob van

C

Amerdam op d' dyland Manhat Angubein Herrman

Arnoldus on Hacenciran

VOL. I.-18.

Company or its representatives, but rather of the traders and agents, of whom several have signed the remonstrance, for they charge often 200 to 300 per cent. advance on European goods. If a subaltern jurisdiction like that of Rensselaers wyck is allowed absolutely to banish from the colony any person whose absence is demanded by the public good, it would indeed be strange if the supreme government of the province could not do the same without being taken to task for it. Anybody might put into his cellar as much beer or wine as he pleased free of excise, for his own family use, being obliged only to report the quantity. Tapsters alone were excepted, and had to pay taxes on the liquids sold by them, but they received a return of this outlay by selling at retail to travelers. This is the only internal revenue derived by the Company from the commonalty besides an export duty on beavers of eight per cent. Compared with the burdens borne by the New England people, which some say are better off in respect to taxes, the reply of the Secretary says, the New Englanders are much heavier taxed, even though they pay no import or export duties, but they are assessed for the erection and support of churches and schools, for the salary of ministers and schoolmasters, for the construction and repairs of highways and bridges, for the pay of all civil and military officers, and for the expenses of quarterly magistrates' meetings and the yearly convening of the General Assembly.

The charge that Fort Amsterdam was in a bad condition was met with the answer, that "it was neither the business nor the province of the people, but only of the Company." The people were willing to be protected, but objected to paying for the protection by either labor or ready cash. As to the suggestion that the Company had better give up New Netherland, it was almost too silly, thought Van Tien

Letter of Board of Nine Men accrediting delegates to Holland.

GREAT, POWERFUL, HIGH AND MIGHTY SovEREIGNS: After our distressed circumstances had forced and obliged us to represent the poor condition of this country and to pray for redress therein, we considered it proper to delegate also some persons whom we know and acknowledge to be honorable, honest, and trustworthy, likewise well experienced in and acquainted with the circumstances of this country, in order that they may furnish your High Mightinesses, if such be your will and pleasure, with further information and explanation on every subject and circumstance, and also to importune your High Mightinesses to grant seasonable relief and aid. We therefore hereby humbly entreat and request your High Mightinesses to be pleased to give credence in all things that they may do or say in the premises, to these persons, to wit: Adriaen Van der Donck, Jacob Van Couwenhoven, and John Evertsen Bout, our Delegates and Agents; inasmuch as we know them for persons of honor and of good name and fame, also right well disposed towards the interest of this country.

With humble reverence we pray your High Mightinesses to be pleased to grant them a favorable audience, and we are and remain your High Mightinesses' faithful subjects. We have in addition presumed to send your High Mightinesses a specimen of this country's products, crops, and forage, most humbly praying that, according to our straitened circumstances, it may be graciously accepted, which we pray God also to grant, to whose keeping we ever commend your High Mightinesses' persons, deliberations, and undertakings. Amen.

In the name and on the behalf of the Commonalty of New Netherland. Done July 26th, 1649, in New Amsterdam, on the Island Manhattans, in New Netherland.

[Signed.] AUGUSTIN HERRMAN,

ARNOLDUS VAN HARDENBERGH,
OLOFF STEVENSS,

MACHYEL JANSSEN,

THOMAS HALL,

ELBERT ELBERTSEN,

GOVERT LOOCKERMANS,

HENDRICK HENDRICKSE KIP.