The Washington herald., 1907-07-26

Alexander Hamilton had made the great
est fght Of his life, backed by John Jay
r. r. Livingston. and James Duane. The
opposition to the Constitution, led by Gov
Clinton. was equally fierce, for these mer
believed that the great document wouic
destroy the liberties OF the people
Since July L they had debated. and tins
ten States that had already ratified were
filled with apprehension over the possible
results. for without New York the Union
could not be perfect Rhode Island ana
North Carolina, neither of which had vet
ratined the Constitution. could be spared
because the one was so small and the
other so far south. But New York was
the great wedge that would have divided
the Northern from the Southern States,
and have made any government so stu
ated most disjointed affair The Fed
eralists worked zealOUsly, and when the
vote was taken New York became a State
by majority Of three votes, thirty being
Tor ratification and twenty-seven against
II II was such momentous step in the
history OF the country that cOuriers on
horseback soon carried the news TO other
States, and New York entered upon the
mission OF proving the right to the name
Empire State, given it by Washington in
liSi, when he referred to it as the pres
ent seat Of the empire"
It was prophetic Of its present COM
mercial supremacy that New York should
have first been settled and owned by a
trading company, and protected By ma
tion thar then led in commerce. Holland
had succeeded in freeing herself from the
dominion OF Spain, and when that nation
hac weakened. became heir 10 her former
monopoly as common carrier for the con-
merce Of the world. The opening Of \
world to the west offered new possibili-
ties to the thrifty Dutch. There wele
rich lands there where might be secured
commodities for their rich patrons. and
there was always still that great hope OF
finding northwest passage to Asia.
Dutch explorers and traders are said to
have come up and down the coast within
The century after Columbus; but to Henry
Hudson the chief honors must 40. In
the employ OF the Dutch East India Com
pany, he explored the river now called
Tor nm, seeking a northwest route TO
the East Indies. and pushing his piucky
AJtle half-mOOn' UP the river as far as
the present site Of Albany So unusual
are the happenings in the game of life
that at the same time Champain. in the
interest OF the French king, was expIor-
ing the lake in Northern New York that
now bears his name, and the paths of the
Two almost met. Hudson did not find the
China Sea- but his enterprise and spirit OF
adventure had sent him through the mar
row gateway where the greatest trading
vessels Of the world have since followed
him. AT this gateway Dutch adventur-
ers laid the foundation for that city whose
commerce is next only to that of London
and Liverpool. and through which over
S5'NoOU0JO worth Of domestic manufac-
lures go out each year. Monopoly was
an early incident in New World life.
Three merchants of Amsterdam were
given the exclusive right for three years
10 the fur trade IN the lands known as
-'ew Netherlands. and later this conces-
sion was given for forty years to the
Dutch West India Company.
Colonization soon followed the traders
and the population that came was almost
as cosmopolitan as that now in New York
There we're Dutch, WaIoons, French Hue
guenots. English Puritans, German Dis
senters, and adventures Of every kind
there. They came in The Spotted Cow. ="
the Jan Baptiste." The Gilded Otter"
and the Arms Of Amsterdam" Those
who came in the vessel that had St
Nicholas for its hgUrehead named their
church for him. The early lands were
given out to 'patrOcns." who could sub
let on their own terms. This custom last
ed until the middle of the nineteenth
century, when the famous "anti-rent
troubles caused a revision Of the State
constitution, and feudal tenure was for
ever abolished. From 1913 until 1864 the
colony which they had founded on Man
haitian Island prospered under the rule
Of the Dutch companies and Dutch kings.
Then came q buccaneering expedition
from England, though that country was
at peace with Holland, and captured the
little town. II seems that in a spasm Of
generosity Charles II. Of England. had
given this territory to his brother. James. |
Duke of York basing ownership on the
ground that the CabOts had discovered |
the continent and IL was his. Peter Stliv- I
Vesant. on the advice of the people, sur /
rendered his fort. and. though his methods /
of government were still kept, and his 1
people were not harmed, he saw mis- little
town renamed New York, instead Of New
river, changed 10 Albany, and the flag Of 4
England set over Kingston and Esopus.
In 1864 by the peace Of Breda. England |
ceded Surinam Dutch Guiana) to the
United Netherlands. and received the New
(New York; in exchange. The
New Netherlands then embraced more
than Is now in the State of New
York. yet Holland was supposed to have
the best of the bargain. In the light Of
to-day the exchange would De a great
farce. While the areas are almost tie
same. the other figures are not in pro
portion. Surinam's population is about
a, 600, New York over 900; Surinam's
exports - foreign countries amount to
s., ,e00.0 New Yorks TO 5000 100000; from
Surinam's ports vessels to the amount of
10000 tons clear annually, from New
York, over 9O0o, 900 tons. Peter Stuyvesant
left a population of 1000 souls In his lit
tie town; to-day the population Of New
y Ork city is almost as great as that Of
whose trading pest il once was II
The first concerted action of any kind n
for a protective union among the colonies
was in New York In June, 1854, Thomas
Dongan, the Irish governor, had as his
guest Lord Emngham, governor Of Mary
land and Virginia, where Indian troubles
were still causing unrest. At Dongan's
these two governors, with
from Massachusetts, held 4
4 meeting with chiefs Of the Five Ma
lions, and by showing the spirit of sym
Dathy among the colonies, secured a ces-
iati0n of hOstilities. The spirit of per
ional liberty was strong there. too. As
Early as 1911 Kieft called a meeting of
ownsmen to discuss ways and means to
reat with the Indians. and since that
ime the men OF the State have had voice