The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1908-09-27
Tho PATRON and His People.

| ANN hiiN cuukO
The PATRON and His People.
For the student of colonial history and
the beginnings Of what Is now the En-
pire State the Van Rensselaer, Bowler
manuscripts, recently published by the
State Education Department, have a
high value, throwing much light on the
doings Of the Dutch authorities and the
settlers of the Hudson River Valley,
particularly in the neighborhood Of
Albany, in the thirty years following
1929. For the general reader the papers
have another interest, for from them
may be derived Q fairly accurate no
ton Of the sort Of mar the PATRON was
and Of the people of the colony. A
letter written on April %, 1884, by
| VAN R~ENssELAER from Amsterdam in
Holland TO WoUTEB VAN TwILLER, 4di-
rector in New Netherland,' contains
this paragraph:
The indemnity demanded by your honor for
the loss I have incurred will come In vel for part
Of my expenses. ] shall endesvor again most
earnestly 70 deserve II from you. % I have al
ready done, for believe me freely. had your honor
not bad me here. they would have summoned
you home with an anront. which the Lord GOD
has this time graciously forbidden. Such .
shameful pot has bcea on the IRE for you that l
In all my life never would have believed tina, one
could md men base enough to plan u. - .
Yes. even moro shameful than Is stated therein.
among other things. that your honor. being
drunk, had run out on the street after the minister
with . naked sword: that your honor had given
another person q suit of clothes . /"
In the second sentence in this extract
the phrase "had given O suit Of clothes
is apparently used fguratively, mean
ing had given a beating The PATRON
told VAN TwIILER the names of those
who had proved his friends in this
;tsa et.. aAA-+ss his
thanks to them. He added:
The heads of the accusation sgains, you.
coming from outside, are that you are proud and
pulled up: always drunk as long az there is any
wine; . . lazy and careless. hostile 10 the
minister. and no defender Of religion
From inside the company complaint
was made against VAN TwILLRR's
carelessness in business matters, VAN
RENSSELAER, gave good advice to the
accused VAN TwILLER as to business
management, and added:
Consider these warnings. and take Il well
from me that i thus prescribe for you. although
-, tnoxv 10 mail eantrh yAs r~xsr,hxi... IL Il
needful TO refresh your memory:
II. Be God-fearing and an example to the
people.
q Be temperatei 10 eating and drinking.
IS. Be faithful In your service, ~injuring no one.
-. BE dliig ent and vigilant In the execution OF
your ofhcial duty.
IS. Be cautious In everything and with what
persons you associate.
e. Be humble when you are exalted.
-. Be patient when you are injured.
IS. Trust In Gop when you are chastsed.
II you do this the curse will change to a bless.
lnC and ISLANDERS rebound to your honor, Amen"
To AREN'T VAN CoBLER in New Meth
erland the PATRON wrote on March 10,
1913, acknowledging the receipt Of let
tiers written "at the manhotons' on Au-
gust 10 and 20. He was angry at VAN
CoRLER, who had not sent him any
accounts or books:
you make me suspicious You will learn
OF my dissatisfaction through Megapolcnsis,
as J can write more calmly to him about such
wrongs than TO YOU. You know that since you
left the country your father and now lately your
uncle boldervn have died and you would also
make me pass away my life without knowing
once, In all the years that YOU have been there.
how you have administered my property. Ihave
offered you help. hut you reply that you can man
age 10 alone. lido not know what has become Of
the merchandise which I sent you; I do not know
what the farms which are there cost me: | do not
know what the house that you live in cost me; I
do not know what YOU have eaten UP or given
away; I do not know whether or not you have
kept proper record VI all the consignments: I do
not know how my account stands there with the
Company. except that kisfL Of his own accord,
charges me on behalf of the Company for freight
three times as much as I owe, and for duty the
same as others. though for ten years do not
have to pay any convoy charges on goods going
thithcr; for the furs coming hlther however l must
pay one guiider here, each time. before I can get
my skins. For this amour, you furnish IN ad
vance wheat from the cslony, which Ia as II ! threw
money into the water, for II I should furnish
wheat In payment OF such freight charges and
duties, I must be a fool and an idiot"
In further reproof OF the unhappy
VAN CoRLER the PATRON added: 3'Mr.
KIEFT knew how to protect the rights
Of his masters, but you have protected
the rights Of your master like a child.
The PATRON added that my long pa
tience begins to change to impatience.'
The PATRON died in 1914.
One ADRIARN WILLEMsZ broke into