New-York daily tribune., 1844-11-21

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;mporance. In every case ii was favor
Of e'A and no, privilege conceded The Amer.
Gsnrs.ents,ives at The several Courts had aid
esn rsnbly The sbors of the Agent, and TO their
a'o' 70 be attributed the success OF the Mis-
raa' =. .r'A.ives of Holland were supposed 10 be
10 ;mpor,an, documents, and thither the
m directed bis attention; bur 10 his surprise and
ss :. ;rreparable loss of the Country he asoer-
@.ls la.non iaqnry, that all the documents and
hi0.- aheh had been lodged 10 the possession Of
Pst,~ India Company OF The Netherlands, had
w asr 1921, been sold by order Of the Govern
p ~. ard thus The papers more immediatel' con-
W.. W., yith the discovery and early settlement Of
,.,.cd O. Manhattan had been sacriiced.-
,..,,v ,. Thousand Pounds weight paper had thus
'. rs ,old and had been used for whatever purpose
49,, purchasers needed waste paper This loss
a.,,r,d all documents anterior TO the year l700-
~. ,sult Of the labors of the Agent in the Neither
,.,s. he's been the collecting nearly l6 volumes of
D,nebls papers, which ere now in the archives Of
Albany.
I, England the important paper was lodged in
"a Queens State Paper Office, and an order was
....ssary, under the seal Of the Secretary of State,
;, ep,er even the apartment. This order, precise
.,a src; though il was in It's terms as 10 how far
,. AGENT was to be allowed access was granted by
~ prssent Secretary, who WAS much more liberal
,s,n bis predecessor il Office. The result of toe
,.,r al this point SO volumes in which are con-
,,a.d the history OF The Surrender CT New York to
Ill ,Lo or, - -I,t
William Johnson.
IN The archives of France were found the docu-
,s,.s relating to the history Of Canada and the bor
AR rtribes Ii is TO be regretted that many of the
reo,ds of those early days have been lost, and the
s,rch through those which are remaining was rem
i.rsd very difficult, throught want of proper ar
,,nreoen,. The Agentfound portfolios full of let
y,s, state papers, sc. thrown in promiscuous con
5siop. some even without date whereby 10 dis;in-
,usb to What they referred. From 1850 down to
lTS3 no attempt was made to keep the French docu-
usnis relating to this continent in order, according
~ their dates, and this confusion necessarily has &C.
Cured The papers however since that date are
well arranged, and IL volumes have been collected
from the French archives.
The next portion Of the address related to the
contents oil the volumes transcribed. The Holland
Documents relate principally TO the discovery OF the
Hudson in 1909, and the history Of the fortunes Of
the entsrprising voyagers who first settled on It's
banks, the names oithe five ships, their ownsrs and
captains, and the naming Of the land New Neither
l.Dd tho building OF the first vessel, yacht Of lG
pus burden, on the shores Of the Hudson; The de-
aiIs of the remonstrances OF the Dutch settlers
uainst the claims OF the English who were settled
Virginia, and the rejection by the Government of
the Netherlands Of the prayer Of the settlers, and
consequent upon such REFUSAL the setting ont ths
puritans in the Mnyhower to found new Colony
lhe purchase, in 1926, OF the Island Of Manhattan
from the Aborigines for 60 gnilders or about s2l Of
our money; the history ofths Goycrnorship Stuy-
yssant and the surrender Of the Colony, during his
administration, TO the English.
Ths French documents relate principally 10 :he
settlement of the French Colonsts in Canada and
,bsir difficulties with The lneians. Much important
and interesting facts relative to the movements Of the
French ia The wars with The British down 10 The
capur. of Quebec and the death Of the brave Gene
rails Of The opposing armies on the Plains OF
Abraham.
Itwould occupy 100 much time TO go into the de-
tails Of the English documents, sufficient TO say
,sey extend over q period OF l66 years, from le40
10 1852.
The closing portion Of the address was brief
history Of the foundation Of the New York Historical
Society at the Pic,are Room OF the City, the 2Oih
Nov 1894, when few patriotic citizens met togc-
tler 10 collect and preserve all ihe documents and
papers relating chiefly 10 the Stars. Buttwo The
original members survive, one oi whom is Doctor
Milier--(he name Of the other could not hear.)
This then is The Fortieih Anniversary OF this useful
and patriotic Society. His appeal 10 all classes
his iellow-citizens 10 aid in rescuing family docu.
men,s, State papers, sc. from The dusty cupboards,
and in furtheriDg the objects OF the Society was
beautifully conceived, ana was full oil truth and pa
tiolic feeling. II is because we love our country
that wish 10 rescue its history from oblivion and
send itdown 10 The generations which veto come
after us. Toperpetuae The history OF our vast works
acknowledgements and usefulness-ihe memory
Of The menwho originated and carried them success
fully through, Thar when our chiltrens children reed
the history OF ther oreuthers, aud sec around them
The monuments their enterprise and greatness, they
may, like the Roman Of old, exclain Z" Thank God,
too am a Citizen of New York." The address
occupied nearly an hour and sixteen minutes in de-
livery, and wes listened to with the most marked
attention. 1t is an able paper and eyid=niy prepar-
ed with much care and labor.
After the address, the 5ensdiction was pronounced
by the venerable DIR. Minor and the audience then
separated, the members and their invited guests to
the dinner table, and the ladies TO their drawing
rooms.