The Washington herald., 1915-05-04

Mot n few newcomers to the bus,
settlements " hiCh lay about tn
bay nj New York had speci:t
| reason Ia fear to see Louis strike.
u was but four years since the re
vocation OF the Edict Of Nantes Man!
IiuFu"not family had found vel
come there and a refuge from death
| aud knew not " hat fresh miSfortun,
might ovcrtakc them should their in
| H"nnatc King tab" ais" these free
coasts Of the New World.
| Every rumor bred "A deeper uncasi
ness No ship came in at the Narrow
! which did not seem for a moment Il
| he com" out OF France. no group OF
ships that did not look like Il flee
! OF French trigatcS Nothing was SC
| easy as to throw The simpler peopl,
of the lille town into Il state of mind
TO he glad of any friendly leadership
which seemed TO make them safe
| against plotting Catholics. whether out
Of France or out of Bingham
Leislcr was sure of the sympathy
of the crowd. and seemed to II to
give proof of honesty in all that he
did
As matter OF fact. there was no
danger. Col. Dongan had done has
work too we'll in the diplomacy of the
forest lie had won the lrOGuOIs To
an alliance of which they gave. that
very summer. instant and timely proof.
As If some English statesman had set
their work for them. they made King
Louis plans impossible before ever
they were put upon the field
Frontenac reached Canada in OC-
tober TO find that all the northern
wilderness had been swept as with a
flame by the fierce warriors of the
great cOufederacy The fur trade of
the lakes WAS cut off: the posts upon
the frontiers We're taken and p!Under-
ed: Montreal itself WAS barely saved
from capture and destruction
There could be no expedition to Al
bany after that seasons work Of IA
pine and slaughter.
But New York did not know how
safe it was: and I.eislcr had his
day. II might have been we'll enough.
had he stopped with thrusuinS NIchu-
son aside and assuming to play the
new Kings partisan and governor I'LL
the air should clear. But he did not
For a year and a half he maintained
himself as governor. in the new
Kings name, but without his author
ity. He even resisted commissioned Of
fcers of the King. until a governor
sent from England came. and then he
was hanged for treason.
1t was Il sad, unjust end The man
had been hot-headed. arbitrary, blind.
and wilful. and had done much that
the law could not sanction in order to
have his own way; but he had done
all. even that which was the deepest
folly, in good faith He had meant
to serve the community he ruled. and
had planned no treason against the
King.
There had been no, little of the
heat of parties at the bottom of the
trouble. The greater land owners the
Kings officials. and the rich merch-
ants had wished Nicholson to keep
the government until the new King
should send some one in his stead
The small tradesmen. the artisans. and
the sailors of the town heard that
there was war with France. and that
A French fleet was coming against the
place, and believed that the rich men
and the officials among them were no
lovers of common mems liberties, or
OF Protestant church. either: and
Leisler was their leader
His condemnation was thing re-
solved upon and hurried to its ex-
ecution in New York. not comma nded
from over sea: and in 1875 FarIia-