New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1847-07-10

than his share Of protection-thst the laws Were
not strong enough 10 enforce such cOvensnts-and
that even Hercules, though he applied his shoulder
10 the wheels, could not extricste feudal car.
Intelligent, upright. disinterested citizens were
besought, instead Of making common cause with
Mr. Van Rensselaer,, in bis attempts to Enforce
covenants which are utterly indeiensibe. 70 unite
in effort 70 persuade him OF the wisdom and
proprety OF allaying the disturbing element. We
repeat that these covenants are utterly indeiensi
bic. We ask the FIRST man among US 70 stand up
and say that It Is either jast. honest, or 70 be
endured, that landowner shall be permitted b
receive in quarter sales" by four conveyences Of
a farm, the fall value Of that farm, without alien
stng in the slightest degree. or 10 the value Of a
farthng, his right title and interest in and to that
farm. And yet such are the conditions by VII ch
the Van Rensselaer, tenants bold their farms And
It is for demonstrating against such wrong, and re-
sisting such exactions that the AMI Rent contrO
versy, by the obstinacy OF the propretors and mi.
judgment OF the weather portions Of our citizens
has grown 10 be Y-hatit is.
When Gov. Seward called upon 10 investigate
these disturbances found that they originated in
the homogeneous and mischievous character OF
these tenures, and recommended a change by com
promise, be was vehemently and DANGEROUSLY de
nOuuced by men Of wealth When he called out a
military force to vindicate the supremacy Of the
laws, he was vehemently asssiled by political op
pOnents The Legislature then refused 10 act
upon recommendations the justice and wisdom oil
which are, ell too late, now universally conceded
The Van Rensselaer, propuetors. amid excite
ment resistance, violence and outrage. continued
to repose upon their bond" stoidy demanding
from the State the enforcement Of quarter sales
wheat, poultry egg, and labor rents. All this We
say again was their right for 1t twas so nomi-
mated IN the bond" The authorities endeayored
10 discharge their duties at an expense to the
people and the State OF quarter Of a million Of
dollars. In the meantime the evil, instead Of d
minshing. was all the while extending
When the manor proprietors refused 20 use the
proper means to effect an arrangement OF these
difficulties If the State had assumed its right OF
eminent domain over these lands, paying 20 the
proprietOrs their fair value, and then re convey ed
them to the tenants at fair prices, none OF the out
RACES committed IN other counties would have oc
CURED the peace OF society would. not have been
broken up: the character of the State would not
have been tarnished and the Treasury would have
been spared from an expenditure OF money that
has been worse than wasted
But every appeal Of this nature was met with a
popular truism that contracts inviosble
that the Constitution iorbids the passage Of any
law violating contracts and that men were for
ever bound to the iulhlment of engagements en-
tered into for them by their ioreiathers
For the origin OF Anti Rent Mr. Van Rensselaer,
aud his counsel are responsible. For It's extended
evils and mischiefs indebted 20 the grOssest
misrepresentation Of its objects and character.
These evils are 10 be traced TO the remains OF the
feudal system which were unwisey suffered 20
exist in our own new form of Government. When
these evils began to show themselves, the part OF
true wisdom suggested their correction. But in
stead Of this the power Of the Government, civil
aud military, and the whole force OF public senti-
ment. were brought TO bear upon those who com
planned Of and demonstrated against the lurking
remains Of feudalism. If Anti Rent, taking other
FORMS has extended to other counties it is because
the public sentiment justified Mr. Van Rensselaer,
IN turning a deaf to the appeals OF his tenants.
The people aud the Legislature instead OF joining
in loud denuncatious of these tenants should have
set about correcting what was vicious and OPP
pressive in their system Of leasing land.
There were real, positive, undenable grounds for
complaint on the part Of the tenants of the Manor
Of Rensselaerwyck Had they been met, by the
p-oprictors in proper spirit-or had the proprie-
tors been even selfishly wise-the whole difficulty
would have been arranged