New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1845-01-18
yoA. zy. 40. 2az
Thc An;i-R.nt troubles and the Cover
nor's tzSsaaSc.


TO the Editor Of The Tribune:
| wish 10 make some remarks upon that part
of the Governors Message, referring to The diff
culles in the Manor OF Rcnsselsctwick, and
also to reply to some Of the questions he has pat.
The Governor, al one time speaks of the dis.
gused men as teirg the hired agents OF the
Anti. Rent Associations, and ct another time e1.
presses his belief that the great body OF the
,enans arc not accessory to the violations OF law
and The high crimes committed by these hired
agents. Tac Governor uust have been aware
Of the rule of law that the acts Of the agent
are the acts OF the primo pal, and that therefore
# the Anl-Rent Associations nave hired Inon L.
disguise themselves and resist the ldws, they
arc equally guilty with their hlred agents.
The Governor is wrong IN confoundng the
Indian orgeniz atoms with the Anti-Rent Asso
citation. Taey have 10 connection with each
other. The disguised men have not been in the
pay Of the Anti Rent Associations, and are not
Iheir egeEts in any sense. If the GovernoT has
been 50 informed, MS ear has been abused.
The Anti Rect Associations hold their meetings
in public, the articles which bind them together
a-c few and open TO the inspection of every body,
their officers are The leacing men in the several
towns upon Tue Manor, their objects and the
means OF attaining them are perfectly legal ali
of which the Governor might have learned by
application TO the associated tenants. He has
preudged their case without giving them a
hearing.
1t would seem that the Governor had listened
only TO those in the pay OF the landlords and had
net taken pains 10 infjrm himself 50 thoroughly
as he ought 10 have done, in q mater which 50
deeply concerns very numerous and respectable
p.rtlcn Of his constituents.
And then might it not have been well FOR
The Governor 10 ask if all the trouble and
confusion and violation Of law and outrage in
tho Manor of Renssclacfwick, had not some
cause worthy OF his consideration and discussion?
It would seem that all the excitement which
exists in the Aianor, could not have been raised
without come JUS: ground Of complaint. a farm
ing community, scattered eparssly over broad
surface of territory, is not easily, causelessly
excited. It is least of all liable to excitement,
or outbreak. There must be some common
grievance which produces so general feeling
of oppression and wrong. There must be cxac-
items very generally severe, conditions and pro-
visos, one-sided and one:ous, in the tenures
by which the laws arc held. There must be
features in them not congcn;al with our institu.
tons, and ropugnant to tho habits Of life ard
modes Of thought, formed and fostered by our
Republican Government. Would it not have
beea we'll Tor the Governor to inquire into
the nGtura and origin Of lie disease, il he did not
feel compstent Of prepared 10 propose remedy
Ii is feet that There IL more Ignorance upon
the Manor lands in this State than in those
portions whcrc The right Of soil is unincumbcrcd
by pround rents. A mortgaged farm is generally
ly cultivated, and leased one almost uni
versally so. Have these perpetual lease any
tendency to produce and Pcrpetuatc ignorance
Was MOI this question worthy OF the Governors
attention
These perpetual leases give rise to great deal
Of pegpiexing and costly litigation. The Van
Rensselaer, family has about hall e hundred
law ers continually il its employ. The law OF
Real Estate is ye.y simple wien the cultivator
of the soil is the owner al it.
Might not the Governor have very properly
enquired into THIS matter, and sought out some
remedy 7
The State itself has an interest in this question
which the Governor has overlooked. The Gem
mssorels of loans OF the United States Dc.
poste Fund, were required by law 20 take loans
only upon unincumbercd property. This law
virtually prohibited and if strictly complied With,
would have excluded nearly one half The popula-
ton OF the State from the use of that fund.-
The Counties of Rensselaer,, Albany. Colombia,
Greene, Delaware, Schoharie, Dutchess, Ulster,
Orange. and several others would have been al.
most entirely excluded, A perpetual lease is in
the nature of mortgager upon land without the
option, or possibility of payment on the part OF
the mortgage, excep! with the consent of the
mortgage. The right Of reentry which is always
reserved in this kind Of lease enables tho lessor
and hi, assigns, upon default OF prompt paymen.
of rent TO eject the tenant and take possession.
Van Rensselaer, has reentered already upon some
farms in this county, and obtained possession of
them upon which the Commissioners had made
l,aas and taken mortgages. OF course the State
has los, lis security and the money is gone.
is not this matter in which the people of the
whole State have an interest and did it rot de-
serve tho Governors notice. Collision on the
u.1t of Van Rensselaer, and soire of the tenants
m;eht GeiIaud the State Of half the amount
loaned IN tins country.
The Governor asks:
Are no, the associated tenants conscious that many of
those who apparently net with them are influenced by ts CO.
me-, 70 force individuals into the associations aud 10 deter them
trur, seeding? tue also that one OF The arowed o.
ecs of the combination proven, individual tenants i,o
msInr voluntary payment OF rent from purchasing title
from their landlords upon .ny er h9Wevel se"nIne anu
Just unless the association shall first yield US assent TO me com
promise? Here then resistance not only against the leases
RESISTANCE aZalist vi
Lenses n, shall remove their ground OF complaint.
II not that system OF rent ns:cs,ed upon
the lands YgGy enforced To meet the expenses OF THIS
canizaton obnoxious to the principle nnd spirit Of free
dom leases lhem'ees And are there not vounia
~ contributors from whom payment conced by means
much deiensba Than those Which the landlords attempt TO
use to collect the reEts?
To each Of the foreg DING questions l answer
in the negative for the Anti Rent Associations
Of this county.
No one is coerced TO act with them by fear.
No one is forced to join, OF deferred from sece-
ding, by threats. Any member can make volun-
tary payment of rent 10 or purchase title OF
William P. Van Rensselaer, without the assent OF
the Association. All contributions to the funds
Of the Associations are voluntary and there IS no
rigid enforcement of assessments. Indeed, there
are more Anti Renters In principle and feeling,
among the tenants rot members OF any OF the
associations, than belong to them. In The city
of Troy, a large part of which is subjsct to
ground.ren,s, they are by common consent CO