The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1851-04-17


instead Of meeting with willingness, on the part
Of the tenants, to adjust the due, the agent
met with spirit Of determined opposition and
resistance A resort to legal remedy was then
necessarily sought but it soon found that the
public officers had already been corrupted, and the
service of process, OF a sale under execution,
could not be effected. The peoples minds had
become poisoned to such an extent, that whole
towns formed organizations, and combined to pre-
vent the collection of honest debts. The politicians
of the Seward school had their secret emssares in
every part of Albany county, when the rebellion to
tho laws commenced: they were daily advised of
every movement, and were aware of their inten-
tions.
The excitement spread TO the neghboring couu-
ties of Rensselaer,, Columbia, Delaware, Schoharie,
Ulster, and Sullivan. The next election sent seven
teen anti-renters to the Legislature. Seward in
his message, gave tue regulators the greatest
encouragement that the Legislature would annul
their leases, and that they would consequently be
relieved from the payment of all past prospective
rents. This encouragement produced positive
Instruction and before Ms term expired, the mill
tary power of the State resorted to in order to
protect the civil power in the enforcement of law.
Demagogues out from the cities, and preached
resistance to the laws: in for which the anti
renters placed them in the lower house of the Lee
gislature, in the Senate Chamber, in the Consttu-
tional Convention III the Superior and County
Courts. in the Court Of Appeals and in the Execu-
tive Chair. The strength of the anti-renters was
sufficient elect their own sheriffs county clerks
and ju lge> and thus for series of years, the due
administration of the laws was kept in abey vance
Encouraged ~ men exalted u power, those despe-
ADDE'S murdered, in open day, ,heriffs and officers
of justice, assaulted others with deadly weapons,
defed the majesty Of the law, and threatened with
death al who attempted it, administration. A
very few Of their number were caught and impr-
soned: but they pardoned out; the prison doors
were thrown open, and the Boughtons, Big Thunders
he Finhle. and their co-crmnals, were let loose
and have ever since continued to nfamc the minds
Of the mi guided but honest tenantry Whilst
they were in prison comparative peace prevailed;
and had they served their terms, the difficulty with
the ant-Tenters would have been settled six years
since. Those leaders have been poisoning the minds
Of the people ever SINCE for we gave speech few
weeks since delivered by one Of the Finkes at the
ant-rent convention at Albany, in which he stated
his determination to agtate the resistance of the
Jaws 20 long he could find listener. lie has
been employed, since his liberation, in stirring
up the people against paying rents or in any man
ner liQudating the claims honestly standing against
them.
But the time for agitation has now ceased-the
ammunition has been expended. and the fuel
which has kept the fire burning has become
hausted. Happily for those deluded people that
the Court Of Appeals has told them plainly that
they in error, and must now submit to the
performance and fulfilment of such contracts as
their respective leases enjoin. Those toiling hus
bandmen have labored for the last ten years for the
benefit Of lawyers, demagogues, and deccivcrs.
They have annually contributed more funds to keep
up the excitement, than would have discharged all
the obligations against them and instead of reduc-
ing those rents single dollar, on many farms by
this time the amount must have accumulated 70 .
sum sufficient to have obtained their farms in fee
when they commenced resistance.
The decision having been made in favor Of the
landlords every unprejudiced man believed it
would be- the tenan.ry had better conclude to effect
settlements speedily possible. We under
stand that the right Of coil can still be obtained from
most Of the landlords upon fair and accommodating
terms and instead Of laboring any longer for the
support Of lazy indocnt, lawyer vagabonds let them
apply their surplus earnings TO the adjustment of
the differences between themselves and the rightful
owners of the lands. Every tenant must now be
convinced that he ha, long been deceived and de-
ludcd that il i useless to resist the laws under
which he lives. AMI that obedience to them will
bring ret y hi. mind and happiness TO his house
hold.