J. Is not that the same Stuyvesant who some time before attempted to take fort St. Martin for the company, and who lost his leg in the attempt? B. The very same; the governors looked upon that as quite a piece of Roman courage. J. Yes, but all who attended that expedition will tell another story; how he burnt all our powder in firing salutes during the whole of the voyage, so that when the time for action arrived, there was none to be found; and every thing relating to that expedition was so disorderly, that the like was never seen. Indeed when we broke up the seige and retired, without effecting any thing, only because of his leg, which was shot off by the first cannon shot from Fort St. Martin, we left every thing behind, and among other things 5 or 6 field pieces. Was that a fine Roman achievement? Who knows how much that expedition cost the company? Such a prudent hero deserved indeed to be advanced to director, and chosen and sent to New Netherland as redresser-General of all abuses. B. When he comes thence, the governors may send him as president to Brazil, in order to spoil the little that still remains there, just as he is always used to do. J. He is now, however, getting older, and ought to improve his conduct in order to wipe out former faults. How does he get on in New Netherland? B. Improve do you say, messmate? Like old wolves and old ships, worse from day to day. J. Does he still foam and rage and storm as much as he used to do, even to striking and beating? B. In all that he is just the man he has always been; and so there is no change to be expected but for the worse. J. What was his reception in New Netherland? B. There was so much shouting on all sides, that they were obliged to send to another place to buy powder for exercising and in case of need. J. I could have guessed as much, but how did he treat the inhabitants from the very first? B. As soon as he arrived, some of the principal inhabitants coming bareheaded to welcome their new director, he let them wait for several hours bareheaded, he himself keeping his hat on his head, as if he was the Czar of Moscovy; nobody was offered a chair, while he seated himself very comfortably on a chair, the better to give the welcomers an audience. J. You speak in so lively a way of his manner of acting, that I can fancy I see it all passing before my eyes; go on telling about that unlicked bear. B. In a word, when he was to take the direction from Kieft, the whole community being called together for that purpose, Kieft began by thanking them all for their fidelity to him, which he much exaggerated in hopes that the community would unanimously have thanked him; but some of them said boldly that they would not thank him as they had no reason to do so; among these were Joachim Pieterz Kuyter and Cornelis Melyn. Stuyvesant, under the canopy of heaven, declared loudly that every one should have justice done to him, which assurance was very agreeable to the community; a few days afterwards, however, being well persuaded and led away by Kieft, Stuyvesant began to assemble a court of justice, had the letter of the 8 deputed petitioners to the chamber of Amsterdam laid before it, and having chosen the side of Kieft, and wishing to take care that afterwards no similar charge should be brought against him, he considered these 8 chosen men as private persons, and regarded all their conduct and the whole process between Kieft and them in no other light. In his opinion it was treason to petition against one's magistrates whether there was cause or not. What Kieft simply denied was considered as of more weight than the proofs produced by his antagonists. And when the arbiters produced divers memorials, points and persons to prove the truth of what was written, their statements were either entirely rejected or a part of what came to light was suppressed. And what was more, the other persons who had subscribed two letters were prevailed upon and obliged by high authority and severe menaces as also by fair promises, not to divulge what would be communicated to them, to revoke what had been written, or at least in order to give it another appearance to declare they had been bribed to subscribe it and had been misinformed, not knowing what they subscribed, but having only done it at the earnest entreaties of some who persisted in subscribing it and still maintained their signature. So director Stuyvesant passed sentence against Joachim Pietersz and Cornelis Melyn, whom he charged with having accused, by libellous letters their legitimate governor and chief director Kieft, in a clandestine and lying way; with having censured and calumniated him, the which he and his counsil desiring to prevent in the well ordered commonwealth of New Netherland, and executing justice in the name of their High Mightinesses the states General, His Highness the Prince of Orange, and the General chartered West India Company, condemned Joachim Piertsz Kuyter to a banishment of three consecutive years and a penalty of a hundred and fifty guilders, one third for the fiscal, one third for the poor and one third for the church. Cornelis Melyn was charged in his sentence with more crimes and punished more severely, (because Kieft had formerly flattered himself that he should have a part with him in Staten Island, and finding himself deceived, he had been obliged to make other conditions with other persons; and Kieft played him this trick, as was afterwards proved) and in virtue of the preceding arguments was found guilty of Crimen laesae Majestatis, crimen falsi, crimen of libel and defamation, and on that account was to forfeit all benefits derived from the company or which he might still claim, a penalty of 300 guilders, to be applied as above, and to be banished from New Netherland for the term of 7 years. So that those who had accused Kieft were kicked out and sent away by Stuyvesant. It is well known that when director Kieft was reminded that these suits would most probably, have taken another turn in Holland, he replied; why should we alarm each other with justice in Holland; in this case I only consider it as a scare crow. And Stuyvesant replied; if I was persuaded that you would appeal from my sentences or divulge them, I would have your head cut off, or have you hanged on the highest tree in New Netherland. He also represented Kieft's affair in so favorable a light, inveighed so furiously against the constant arbiters, that the foam hung on his beard. To show still more clearly that he did not at all intend to follow the orders of their High Mightinesses or fulfil the promises he made them, or to satisfy the community, he immediately appointed Jan Jansen Damen, (one of those who had signed the request to slaughter the savages) as churchwarden. E. A very nice churchwarden that, one with bloody hands. B. It is to be feared that if the united Provinces, their High Mightinesses and his Highness do not take measures to prevent the occurrence of such injustice, their reputation will suffer, not only among the savages but through all christendom and it is disgraceful enough already that this has not yet been done; there-fore those who have the prosperity of the Netherlands, of New Netherland, of its inhabitants and of its government at heart, ought to strive to redress such grievances. J. But was that sentence executed ? B. Most assuredly; for that was now of as much consequence to the new director Stuyvesant as his own honour, reputation, even his own life. They were brought on board like criminals and torn away from their goods, their wives and their children. The Princess was to carry the director and those two faithful patriots away from New Netherland, but coming into the wrong channel it struck upon a rock and was wrecked. And now this wicked Kieft, seeing death before his eyes, sighed deeply and turning to these two, said: Friends, I have been unjust towards you, can you forgive me? Towards morning the ship was broken to pieces. Melyn lost his son, the minister Bogardus; while Kieft, captain John de Vries and a great number of other persons were drowned. Much treasure was also lost, as Kieft was on his return with a fortune of four hundred thousand guilders. Joachim Pietersz Kuyter remained alone on a part of the ship on which stood a cannon, which he took for a man, but speaking to it and getting no answer he supposed him dead. He was at last thrown on land, together with the cannon, to the great astonishment of the English, who crowded the strand by thousands, and who set up the pine or ordinance as a lasting memorial. Melyn, floating on his back, fell in with others who had remained on a part of the wreck till they were driven on a sandbank which became dry with the ebb. They then took some planks and pieces of wood, fastened them together and having made sails of their shirts, etc., they got at last. to the Mainland of England. As these persons were more concerned for their papers than for any thing else, they caused them to be dragged for, and on the third day Joachim Pietersz got a small part of them, which are in being to this day. C. How people are sometimes buffetted about the world! How will these persons ever get justice? B. According to what they told me, when they arrived in Holland, the Dutch directors much lamented the loss of the ship and its rich cargo, and were doubly pained that while so many fine men were lost, two rebellious bandits should survive to trouble the company with their complaints. J. Was that all the comfort they got? M. That was not all their comfort, but some of the directors undertook to prevent them from getting a hearing from their High Mightinesses. J. 'Twas better to send such scoundrels to the devil. Who dared to undertake that? B. Those who had always corresponded with those wicked children of Belial, van Beeck Perquin; they got a hearing, however, and set their affair in such a light before their H. M. that it was resolved to prevent such unrighteous proceedings, dispatched letters of inhibition, ordered Stuyvesant either to appear in person or by proxy, in order to hear his sentence maintained, confirmed or annulled; or else to await it there, and to that end their H. M. supplied the complainants with all necessary orders, safeguards, acts and instruments. |