New-York tribune., 1891-02-15

UNIQUE in it's origin, in the character of the people
who founded it, in the objects they came 10 serve,
in the social and political customs they Instituted,
in the varieties of population they drew together
and in the relations they established with the Old
World The peculiar conditions prevailing at
the start, though they have undergone many
changes and are scarcely TO be recognized now,
passed into other conditions also different from
those that came from the theocracies of New
England and the oligarchies of the South The
New-York Of to-day has evolved naturally from
the NewrAmsterdam OF 1864. 1t is unique still.
Colonzing as undertaken by the French and
English formed no part of the business of the
Dutch West India Company. 1t did not stake its
sast capital on the future. The propaganda OF
lSselinA material in It's motive, if visionary
n it's theories. For every guilder risked it prom
sed immediate returns, and the company proceed
I'd upon that hope and purpose. 1t did not estab-
lish New Amsterdam for the glory of creating an
empire over the sea. 1t would have been just as
well pleased had il been able to secure the trade
il sought without the and responsibilities OF
@ colonial establishment Indeed, if Holland could
have held monopoly of the trade in furs through
out the regions discovered by Hudson and BLOCK
without engaging in colonial labors, the "knlck-
,rbockern period of New-Yorlls history, short as
il was, would have been shorter still, and the
town on Manhattan Island when it did come,
would not have been what it was and would not
now be what it is But the claims of Virginia
and Plymouth and the attitude of England, not
only toward the New-Netherand assumption in
particular. but toward the general principle that
permanent occupation must follow discovery in
order to create the right of dominion left Holland
no option but to build town. Under this whip
cba
lation of the probable profit and loss account
Thus it was that the first settlers OF New-A ork
crossed the Atlantic with purposes materially dif
ferent from the purposes entertained by the Pur
,ons in New-Enoland or the Cavaliers i'll Virginia
or the Ouakers in Pennsylvania. They were nob
nolitical nor religious refugees. They were not
engaged in any scheme Of philanthropy or social
reform They came with the laudable object OF
trading q o-cent bead for 50 fur, and 1t is
ner,inent observation that in all the strange
vicissitudes which have befallen the city they
Tins established, its people have never lost sleii'
of the principle that governed its origin. Inc
forty wears of Dutch supremacy were not con-
c,nded before a community had been drawn 10
oe,hcr as strangely mixed, relatively, as arc 'iie
inhabitants of New-York to-day, and Win tle risc
of Jacob Ieisler the experiment began 10 WIN"
ovorv succeeding generation has contributed l''
reculiar perpleXties. and which is no less interest
;ro and no less doubtful now, at the END oil l's
second century, than it was when Lesser oropp'u
il IN be hanged-the experiment oil munlclpal eoN-
ernment in New-Yorli upon republican pilho,plo'
And vet in spite of every kind of maladlhlhis'i"
,ion in spte of the fact that at no perlou Vi i''
bistorv has it contained clear majority VI n".i
horn citizens il has become the foremost Aii'i
city foremost in all the resources '""o
strength. and American in all the sentiments 'n"'
oiya yolue. TO the Republic. How this has nap
pened is a remarkable story.
In many rcspects among contemporary writer's
Mr. Theodore Roosevelt is the iittest TO tell H. AZ
the first place, although he WORKS assiouous'S "
tho nublic service and accompnsnes ihuch ".' ~
-, real importance TO the country, he is esseh'i''
-. literary man. and displays his taleh's % A''
.Jife Of Benton" abundantly proved ho""eie "
hotter advantage than in HISTORICAL "ii7
the next place, he knows New-1ork Hun Wv - -
terry 10 the Bronx Thoroughly he '0,''' -
fo,Sur who have taken distinguished part III
the social and political affairs oil 'he oiVS
noh 90 q dozen generations, always supporting
'"NH ,,oh nos hos, and worthiest among polcle'
ond mon Mr.. Roosevelt understands the ic'i",'.
"tiu .-oo N b,, which the New-YoTk Of to-day
WV o,.o,,ed from earlier conditions 50 tha'
-. .,o,.ior nc the author of DOoK III MInO"
- nooossos wore TO be described was III All IL
-, onrronriate Unfortunately, lhe pam ~
,,rosan+ work was formed with puV snsn'
- 60 tho demands of the American P"'i.o
o,h.r history of New-York Iherc 20
demand and Mr.. Roosevelt eNlue"N'
So. ;.s r.turc and los sought TO hlI IL ~ i'-
~ 30 circumstances under when ne "io'-
1o,.od Rut these circumstances Weie noo
liz oboosinp They called upon MIN u N, NJ
an. ~ q library of English books suncl'"'S W.
5oscri,ed by lis title, Historic lo"Hs "',' ;.,'
hoo,, had ia be harmonious in plan anu s'SN "iS'
,h. o.bcr, The tale of each town hal " "' Vo'.
in some serse completely, from inc ocs
A., ,rnsert dav and each talc had to DE compIe9So'
,,.;tbir tho covers of a small duodcciino NoIui'N
Whatever max be said of the eehoraI uSei"
- sucb q series Of books these were no' sui'''D'0
conditions for the production OF tha'
bist,rv of New-Nork which tine Ahe'io"i P ~,
would like TO have, and which Mt: hoo'' '@-'
sonI1 supnlv 10 its abundant satisfaction
Gov there IS nc lack Of books in which the s'otS
vi, ond osnecially of colonial New-lork
;s told with more OF less fulness accuracy ano
.,;u and several of them cover substantially til'
sano oround over which Mr.. Roosevelt has JUS
ra,.oliod lie has it is true, struck out here ana
,bore nm lines of his own, but so far as these ue
,,or,urcs are valuable they are contained WithlI
the last sixty pages of his book ana thcy give
the reader only tantali2ing glimpses oil picture,
no would wish to examine in detail. III "ou'"
l.e eminently worth the while of master ms
torian to take the vast material m@'e "N"i''''
bv the diligence of many writers, ana from IL ~
nrodpce a really thorough and well-wrlteh MS
torv from the earliest times; but 1t is not worth
while. at least for American readers 10 mulupiS
rho books which for very lack of space must DC
insufficient Mr. Roosevelt has taken $50 pages III
which TO describe how New York came to be
city of so. 600 Inhabitants, story often tod ne
fore but how it came to be a town of l''oO'oo0
inhabitants. story never told, is disposed OF III
sixty pages Had he reversed this method had
he run over the colonial period hastily and &c
voted hi. principal attention to the events OF the
prcs.nt Century ne would lave worked TO pur-
IL Lot hN. tho Nnll nlp