The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-05-15
NY IucHAnp spnLANE.


Robespierre was a fanatic. So was
Joseph Leisler. The Frenchman was
scholarly. refined in speech and almost
aseetic. His German-American proto-
type was rude. coarse in tongue and OF
violent temper. Robespierre. while abb
horrtng blood sent thousands to the
guillotine. Leisler. with little com
junction about blood letting, was re-
sponsihle for great misery. but few
deaths. Both acted under the guise OF
of law. Both died on the scaffold. The
world never Will forget Robespierre
and the Reign Of Terror. Compare
lively few persons know OF Jacob Leis-
Ter and his Reign of Terror. He ante
dated Robespierre by century and
he appeared upon q much smaller
stage, but while he lasted he was as
big q figure relatively in the New
World as Robespierre was in the Old.
1t was in the spring of 1859. when
Leisler was in his fftieth year, that
he began to play his great role. He
was born in Germany and came to
New York In 1880. He had married
widow. a niece OF Anneke Jams, and
through her could claim relationship
to many OF the leading Dutch families.
He had followed the sea for q time. and
once he and his ship had been cap
tured In the Mediterranean and held
by the Turks for ransom He had pros
pered as merchant and was one
of the solid. substantial citizens of the
city. when, in the turmoil that fol.
lowed the flight OF James II. and the
accession of william and Mary. he
plunged into the political affairs of
colonial New York
]. was an age Of bigotry and intol-
erance. Men were judged more by
their religion than their merits Leis-
ler's father. a Clergyman, had been
prosecuted and driven out Of Germany
because of his Professionalism. and the
Son held all followers OF the Catholic
faith responsible for what his father
had suffered. He had n strong, but
distorted, sense of honor. For the
English he had little regard He
gloried IN tho Dutch republic. and he
would have been happy IL such a re-
public were established in America. In
conversation he was loud and coarse.
and he swore like the proverblal pi-
rate, but in church he prayed longer
sHe had little education and no man
ners. but he had slight knowledge
of law and could make rousing
speech. Although he was vain and
boastful. he had fair amount OF sa-
gacity. There was no question as 10
his courage. He was strong In his
hates and strong IN his likes. Fro
quently he was Incorporate in his
speech and said bitter things which
he did not mean and which he soon
forgot, but which others neither for
got nor forgave.
New York presented Just the op-
portunity for such rash. forceful
assertive man. On December II, 1888,
King James had fled from London. and
On February IL. 1853. William and Mary
had been proclaimed King and Queen
The convulsion that followed In Eng
land had its reflex in America King
James less than year before had sent
Sir Edmund Andres to America as
Governor and had consolidated all the
Colonies under the name OF New Eng
land. Nothing could have been more
unpopular. Each Colony was Jealous
of the other, and the consolidation only
!nflamed the prejudice against the
King.
Governor Andres was in Maine on
an expedition against the Indians when
the first reports OF the landing Of
William and the flight OF King James
reached Boston.
Tho news did not get to New York
Until weeks later Then 1t was doubt-
ed. Before tho Bostonians knew that
William was on the throne they ar.
rested Governor Andres and his Coun-
ell. put them in prison. restored the
old separate system of government and
reinstated the former officials. New
York was delighted at the breaking of
the bonds. It had no desire for union
with New England. It was more
Dutch than English 1t had no more
love for the Puritans than 1t had for
the Catholics Its 1000 to 5000 inhah.
ltants were Dutch, English and French
Huguenots. There We're perhaps 100
Catholic in the city.
Just His Time.
To jacob Leisler, who was in Mary
land when the report reached him, Wil-
liam as King was the next best thing
to the establishment of Dutch re-
public in America, for 1t meant that