New-York tribune., 1903-07-19
LITTLE OLD NEW-Y0RK.
rae odd Phases of Her March to
Greatness.
IL.

| ogro in 1913 Ihe ola manuscripts IN the
-ass,on of the New-York Historical Society
- that the negro was introduced forty years
+hie date by the Privileged Trading Com
- - Amsterdam. In record OF lease in
soc !, the Office Of the secretary of the colony,
w. .o-tain tract of land near Fort Amsterdam,
are mentioned. the agreement being
a. the names of The Privileged Trading
l,. lIo1e and the 'Honourable. wise and pru-
g. william Kieft Director General OF
oeH' ,.a.berlands" This tract of land was used
~ cultivation Of tobacco. as was part Of
-, To- Hook the whole Of which was sold by
,,,,.-o Kfeft TO Abram Isaac Planck for f15.
nlantation to Thomas Hall, with the ne
4 qroes thereon
~.o hacks lived a peaceable life with the
l,..cb and English until 1712 when an insur-
l-o.+,on occurred among them, and they set fire
= the city. killing several of the inhabitants.
l,-ineteen Of the negroes were executed
The celebrated negro plot OF 1741 occurred
lubsn there were about twelve thousand inhab-
l.snts In the city. one-sixth OF whom were negro
slaves. OF this plot a book, published in 1910.
says:
After the lapse Of nearly century, We look
back with astonishment on the panic occasloned
5y the negro plot. To judge from tradition and
sbe journal Of the proceedings against the con-
tpirators no doubt be had of the actual e%-
fstence Of a plot The very mode adopted to
fiscover abettors by mutual examinations and
Confessions tended in the progress of the trials
L. inculpate every negro slave in the city AS
n was impossible to prove all equally guilty,
he ringleaders only were executed and those
E rho plead guilty and threw themselves on the
mercy Of the court were transported"
Suspicion Of a plot among the negroes was first
H,ccasioned by frequent alarms Of fires and rob-
fberies The most famous robbery occurred at the
house of a Mr.. Hogg. in Broad-st., where linen
and silver coins chiefly Spanish TO the value of
fG0 were taken. on Wednesday, March Is,
174O a fire broke out in his majestys house at
Fort George. The citizens assembled promptly
and assisted in saving tie records and papers
lin the Office Of the Secretary Of State" The
Governors house and the venerable Dutch
tchurch. erected in 1910 We're destroyed. other
fires occurring afterward, a panic followed
lamong the colonists Many negroes were ar
irested and from the evidence obtained it ap-
}peared that the city was destined to be burned
completely and the inhabitants massacred.
sFifty-five Of those arrested were convicted and
leventy-eight confessed. Thirteen were burned
lat the stake at a place then out of town, near
The present intersection of Pearl-st. and Park
IRow; twenty were hanged seventy were trans
ported and fifty were discharged.
In 1854 religious dissensions began to agitate
he people Of the Colony. Governor Dongan and
0me Of the principal officers were Catholics.
snd had been appointed by the reigning
stuart family IN England. It was feared, there
ore that the Protestant religion was in dan
er. To further increase the fear. a Latin
chool was opened under the management Of
.aued Jesuit
Fi gFgi icf Fo1a A,ofs
Z others. however. for the Jews. having petit
1nei the Governor for liberty to exercise their
e.ig.cn. and their petition being recommended
y him to the Mayor and aldermen and read in
r. Common Council. were told that noe pub
4Qne worship is tolerated, by act Of Assembly
1t 20 those that professe faith IN Christ, and
Aerefore the Jews worship not to be allowed
While bigotry is less rampant outwardly to-
ay, there are many visible signs Of the objec-
ons made by some TO the manner in
ghich others worship. Why. oh. why? About
lihis time the honest Quakers were not tolerated
fn Boston
The first House OF Representatives was
abolished by James II in 1856, during which
tear he forbade the use Of printing presses In
5ai the news Of the revolution in England and
he accession of William and Mary to the throne
cached the Colonies. On the arrival Of the news
militia captain, Leisler. seized the fort, where
e acted as Governor, and convened the Assem-
ly Two years after, on the arrival Of Gov
rnor Slaughter, Leisler and his secretary. NAL
oTne' were tried and convicted of high treason
p not promptly giving up the fort. They
we're executed, and the proceedings in LeisIer's
trial were printed in Boston, there being no
printing press in New-York.
May 1, 1880, witnesses the first meeting Of
commissioners (called a Congress) from the sew
eral colonies, preparatory TO the establishing Of
provincial laws which was done in 1851, when
FAe Duke Of Yorks laws ceased and the first
General Assembly convened in New-York, com
posed OF seventeen members, selected as fol-
o"s. city and County Of New-York, 4; Ulster
'hd Dutehess, =; Westchester, ]; Richmond Q;
albany, = Suffolk, ,; Kings. >, and Queens. 2
Al ihls year an important office was estab-
'shed Dy the council that OF '1nviters TO
/ uherals- Richard Chapman and Cornadus
\ andor Beck We're the successful candidates for
ihe position and their profits were to be eouaI
amsterdam was the sponsor for this office and
IS dutles- At a funeral the inviter dressed
ih DlacK with mourning Grape on his hat
Ieaehing TO the ground, and carried a scroll in
-is Aahu containing a list Of the persons in
nee. similar Office is performed to-day
y the undertakeT's assistant. which donbt-
ess IS d survival OF the old custom. Hogs
."ol lhe street car variety. or the Office
building variety, or the theatre variety. or the
Dack Platform variety were not suffered to
zoe or range in any Of the streets or lands
WITHIN the fire wards, under the penalty of the
forfeiture OF all such swine" etc, and .povson-
Gus and sinking weeds within this city, before
every ones door, to be forthwith pluckt nm.
upon the forfeiture OF three shiIIings for the
neglect thereof"
me poor ye have always with We" or
lered that Top-Knot Betty and anotber ,,srso,,
and her children be provided for as oh,ac,s 30
charity. and four shilings a week allowed >,
This was in 1G9l. and is SO in l903 We e,6