The Witch of Salem; or, Credulity Run Mad Read online

  CHAPTER XII.

  LEISLER'S FATE.

  The boast of heraldry, the pomp of power, And all that beauty, and all that wealth e'er gave, Await alike the inevitable hour:---- The paths of glory lead but to the grave. --Gray.

  In order to explain the sudden danger which menaced the father ofAdelpha Leisler, and which she, like a true, heroic daughter, hastenedto brave, we will be compelled to narrate some events in our story of ahistorical nature. Jacob Leisler was an influential colonist of an oldDutch family, as has been stated, and a Presbyterian.

  Under the reign of James II. the Presbyterians had suffered, and no onerejoiced more at the accession of William and Mary than did the Dutch ofNew York.

  Sir Edmond Andros, the weak tool of the Duke of York, had renderedhimself decidedly unpopular as governor of New York, Connecticut andMassachusetts. Every one rejoiced when he was finally arrested atBoston and sent to England, and no one rejoiced more than the NewYorkers themselves.

  The accession of William and Mary to the throne of England was hailedwith joy throughout the American Colonies. In New York, a generaldisaffection to the government prevailed among the people. Under thesmiles of Governor Andros, papists began to settle in the colony. Thecollector of the revenues and several principal officers of King Jamesthrew off the mask and openly avowed their attachment to the doctrinesof Rome. A Latin school was set up, and the teacher was stronglysuspected of being a Jesuit. The people of Long Island were disappointedin their expectations of the favors promised by the governor on hisarrival, and became his personal enemies, and in a word the whole bodyof the people had begun to tremble for the Protestant cause.

  Here the leaven of opposition first began to work. Intelligence fromEngland of the designs there in favor of Orange elevated the hopes ofthe disaffected; but until after the rupture in Boston, no man dared toact. Sir Edmond Andros, who was perfectly devoted to the arbitrarymeasures of King James, by his tyranny in New England had drawn uponhimself the universal odium of a people animated with a love of liberty,and in the defense of it resolute and courageous. Therefore, whenunable longer to endure his despotic rule, he was seized, imprisoned andafterward sent to England as has been stated. The government was, in themeantime, vested in a committee of safety, of which Mr. Bradstreet waschosen president.

  Already, information of the popular uprising in England for the Princeof Orange had reached New York and was stirring the blood of theprogenitors of the old Knickerbockers, who longed to have their ownbeloved prince with them. On receiving news of the arrest of thedetested Andros, several captains of the New York militia convenedthemselves to concert measures in favor of the Prince of Orange. Amongthem was Jacob Leisler, Adelpha's father, who was most active of all. Hewas a man of wealth and considerable esteem among the people, butdestitute of the qualifications essential to such an enterprise. Hisson-in-law, Milborne, a shrewd Englishman, directed all his councils,while Leisler as absolutely influenced the other officers.

  The first thing they contrived was to seize the garrison of New York;and the custom, at that time, of guarding it every night by militia gaveLeisler a fine opportunity of executing the design. He entered it withforty-nine men and determined to hold it till the whole militia shouldjoin him. Colonel Dougan, who was about to leave the province, then layembarked in the bay, having a little before resigned the government toFrancis Nicholson, the lieutenant-governor. The council, civil officersand magistrates of the city were against Leisler, and therefore many ofhis friends were at first fearful of espousing a cause opposed by somany noted gentlemen. For this reason, Leisler's first declaration infavor of the Prince of Orange was subscribed by only a few among severalcompanies of the train-bands. While the people, for four successivedays, were in the utmost perplexity to determine what party to choose,being solicited by Leisler on the one hand and threatened by thelieutenant-governor on the other, the town was alarmed with a reportthat three ships were coming up with orders from the Prince of Orange.This report, though false, served to further the interests of Leisler;for on that day, June 3d, 1689, his party was augmented by the additionof six captains and four hundred men in New York and a company ofseventy men from East Chester, who all subscribed a second declaration,mutually covenanting to hold the fort for that prince. Until this time,Colonel Dougan continued in the harbor, waiting the issues of thesecommotions, and Nicholson's party, being unable longer to contend withtheir opponents, were totally dispersed, the lieutenant-governorhimself absconding on the very night after the declaration was signed.

  Leisler, being in complete possession of the fort, sent home an addressto King William and Queen Mary, as soon as he received the news of theiraccession to the throne. The address was a tedious, incorrect, ill-drawnnarrative of the grievances which the people had endured and the methodslately taken to secure themselves, ending with a recognition of the kingand queen over the whole English dominion. This address was soonfollowed by a private letter from Leisler to King William, which, invery broken English, informed his majesty of the state of the garrison,the repairs he had made to it, and the temper of the people, andconcluded with a strong protestation of his sincerity, loyalty and zeal.

  Jost Stoll, an ensign, on delivering this letter, had the honor to kisshis majesty's hand; but Nicholson, the lieutenant-governor, and oneEnnis, an Episcopal clergyman, arrived in England before him, and byfalsely representing the late measures in New York, as proceeding ratherfrom their aversion to the Church of England than zeal for the Prince ofOrange, Leisler and his party were deprived of the rewards and noticewhich their activity for the revolution justly warranted. Though theking made Stoll the bearer of his thanks to the people for theirfidelity, he so little regarded Leisler's complaints against Nicholson,that the latter was soon after made the governor of Virginia, whileDougan returned to Ireland and became Earl of Limerick.

  Leisler's sudden rise to supreme power over the province, with fairprospects of King William's approbation of his conduct, could but excitethe envy and jealousy of the late council and magistrates, who hadrefused to join in aiding the revolution; and hence the cause of alltheir aversion both to the man and his measures. Colonel Bayard andCourtland, the mayor of the city, headed the opposition to Leisler, and,finding it impossible to raise a party against him in the city, theyvery early retired to Albany, and there endeavored to foment theopposition. Leisler, fearful of their influence, and to extinguish thejealousy of the people, thought it prudent to admit several trustypersons to a participation in that power which the militia, on the firstof July, had committed solely to himself. In conjunction with these,who, after the Boston example, were called the committee of safety, heexercised the government, assuming to himself only the honor of beingpresident of their councils.

  This mode of government continued till the month of December, when apacket arrived with a letter from the Lords Carmarthen, Halifax andothers, directed to "Francis Nicholson, esq., or, in his absence, tosuch as, for the time being, take care for preserving the peace andadministering the laws, in their majesty's province of New York, inAmerica." This letter was dated the 29th of July and was accompanied byanother from Lord Nottingham, dated next day, which empowered Nicholsonto take upon him the chief command, and to appoint for his assistance asmany of the principal freeholders and inhabitants, as he should deemnecessary, also requiring him "to do every thing appertaining to theoffice of lieutenant-governor, according to the laws and customs of NewYork, until further orders."

  As Nicholson had absconded before the letter reached New York, Leislerconsidered the letter as directed to himself, and from this time issuedall kinds of commissions in his own name, assuming the title andauthority of lieutenant-governor. It was while he was thus acting asgovernor that his daughter made a visit to Salem as was stated in thepreceding chapter. On the 11th of December, he summoned the committee ofsafety and, agreeably to their advice, swore in the following personsfor his council. "Peter De Lanoy, Samuel Stoats,
Hendrick Jansen andJohannes Vermilie, for New York; Gerardus Beekman, for King's County;Thomas Williams for West Chester, and William Lawrence, for OrangeCounty."

  Except the eastern inhabitants of Long Island, all the southern part ofthe colony cheerfully acquiesced to Leisler's command. The principalfreeholders, however, by respectful letters, gave him hopes of theirsubmission, and thereby prevented his taking up arms against them, whilethey were privately soliciting the colony of Connecticut to take themunder its jurisdiction. It was not so much an aversion to Leisler'sauthority, as a desire to unite with a people from whom they hadoriginally sprung, which prompted the Long Islanders to desire a unionwith Connecticut, and when Connecticut declined their offer ofannexation, they appeared to openly advocate Leisler's cause.

  At Albany, the people were determined to hold the garrison and city forKing William, independent of Leisler, and on the 26th of October, beforethe arrival of the packet from Lord Nottingham, they formed themselvesinto a convention to resist what they called the usurpation of Leisler.As Leisler's attempt to reduce this country to his command was theoriginal cause of divisions in the province, and in the end broughtabout the ruin of himself and his son-in-law, it may not be out ofplace here to give the resolution of the convention at large, a copy ofwhich was sent down to the usurping governor.

  "Peter Schuyler, mayor, Dirk Wessels, recorder, Jan Wendal, Jan JansenBleeker, Claes Ripse, David Schuyler, Albert Ryckman, aldermen, KillianVan Rensselaer, justice, Captain Marte Gerritse, justice, Captain GerritTeunisse, Dirk Teunisse, justices, Lieutenant Robert Saunders, JohnCuyler, Gerrit Ryerse, Evert Banker, Rynier Barentse.

  "Resolved: since we are informed by persons coming from New York, thatCaptain Jacob Leisler is designed to send up a company of armed men,upon pretence to assist us in this country, who intend to makethemselves master of their majesties' fort and this city, and carrydivers persons and chief officers of this city prisoners to New York,and so disquiet and disturb their majesties' liege people; that a letterbe written to Alderman Levinus Van Schaic, now at New York, andLieutenant Jochim Staets, to make narrow inquiry of the business, and tosignify to the said Leisler, that we have received such information; andwithal acquaint him, that, notwithstanding we have the assistance ofninety-five men from our neighbors of New England, who are now gone for,and one hundred men upon occasion, to command, from the county ofUlster, which we think will be sufficient this winter, yet we willwillingly accept any such assistance as they shall be pleased to sendfor the defence of their majesties' county of Albany; provided they beobedient to, and obey such orders and commands as they shall, from timeto time, receive from the convention; and that by no means they will beadmitted to have the command of their majesties' fort or this city;which we intend, by God's assistance, to keep and preserve for thebehoof of their majesties, William and Mary, King and Queen of England,as we hitherto have done since their proclamation; and if you hear thatthey persevere with such intentions, so to disturb the inhabitants ofthis county, that you then, in the name and behalf of the convention andinhabitants of the city and county of Albany, protest against the saidLeisler, and all such persons that shall make attempt for all losses,damages, bloodshed, or whatsoever mischiefs may insue thereon; which youare to communicate with all speed, as you perceive their design."

  Taking it for granted that Leisler at New York and the convention atAlbany were equally affected by the revolution, nothing could be moreegregiously foolish than the conduct of both parties, who, by theirintestine divisions, threw the province into convulsions, sowing theseeds of mutual hatred and animosity, which, for a long time after,greatly embarrassed the public affairs of the colony. When Albanydeclared for the Prince of Orange, there was nothing else that Leislercould properly require; and, rather than sacrifice the public peace ofthe province to the trifling honor of resisting a man who had no civildesigns, Albany ought to have delivered the garrison into his hands,until the king's orders were received; but while Leisler was intoxicatedwith his new-gotten power, Bayard, Courtland and Schuyler, on the otherhand could not brook a submission to the authority of a man, mean in hisabilities and inferior in his degree. Animated by these feelings bothsides prepared for hostilities. Mr. Livingston, a principal agent forthe convention, retired into Connecticut to solicit aid for theprotection of the frontier against the French. Leisler, suspecting thatthese forces were to be used against him, endeavored to have Livingstonarrested as an aider and abettor of the French and the deposed KingJames.

  The son-in-law of Leisler, Jacob Milborne, was commissioned for thereduction of Albany. Upon his arrival before the city, a great number ofthe inhabitants armed themselves and repaired to the fort, thencommanded by Mr. Schuyler, while many others followed the members of theconvention to a conference with him at the city hall. In order to winthe crowd over to his side, Milborne declaimed much against King James,popery and arbitrary power; but his oratory was lost upon the hearers,who, after several meetings, still adhered to the convention. Milbornedrew up a few of his men in line of battle and advanced to within a fewpaces of the fort with bayonets fixed. Mr. Schuyler had the utmostdifficulty to prevent both his own men and the Mohawks, who were then inAlbany, and perfectly devoted to his service, from firing uponMilborne's party, which consisted of an inconsiderable number. Underthese circumstances, he thought proper to retreat, and soon afterdeparted from Albany. A second expedition in the Spring proved moresuccessful, for he gained possession of the city and fort. No sooner washe in possession of the garrison, than most of the principal membersabsconded, upon which, their effects were arbitrarily seized andconfiscated, which so highly exasperated the sufferers, that theirposterity, for a long time, hurled their bitterest invectives againstLeisler and his adherents.

  It was during these intestine troubles and the threatened Indian wars,that Governor Leisler's daughter was in Salem out of the way of danger.The New Englanders were keeping up a petty warfare with the Owenagungas,Ourages and Penocooks. Between these and the Schakook Indians, therewas a friendly communication, and the same was suspected of the Mohawks,among whom some of the Owenagungas had taken sanctuary. This led toconferences between commissioners from Boston, Plymouth, Connecticut andother places, for it was essential to the peace of the English coloniststo preserve peace and general amnesty with the powerful Five Nations,and hold them as allies against the hostile French in Canada and theIndians of the east.

  Colonel Henry Sloughter had been commissioned governor of New York,January 4, 1689; but he did not arrive to take possession until 1691,over two years after his commission, when the vessel bearing the newgovernor, _The Beaver_, arrived in the harbor.

  Fair historians have acquitted Mr. Leisler of any blame in what othershave been pleased to call his usurpation. He was a man not whollywithout ambition, yet he was honest and did what he thought right. Hehad much of the stubbornness as well as honesty of the Netherlands inhis composition, and believing himself in the right, determined topersist in it. Jacob Milborne, his English son-in-law, was the moreambitious of the two, and had guided and directed the affair. Leislerwas sitting in his house when informed by Milborne that a vessel called_The Beaver_ had arrived, bearing Colonel Sloughter, who purported tohave a governor's commission.

  "Then we will greet him as our governor," said the honest Leisler.

  "Wait until you know he is not an impostor, and that this is not a trickto seize our fort," cautioned Milborne. Then Leisler, reconsidering thematter, decided to wait.

  _The Beaver_ brought with it one Ingoldsby, who had a commission ascaptain. When Ingoldsby appeared, Leisler offered him quarters in thecity:

  "Possession of his majesty's fort is what I demand," Ingoldsby replied,and he issued a proclamation requiring submission. The aristocraticparty, which had long been chafing under the rule of the republicanuprising under Leisler, thus obtained as a leader one who held acommission from the new sovereign. Leisler, conforming to the originalagreement made with his fellow-insurgents, replied that Ingoldsby hadproduced no ord
er from the king, or from Sloughter, who, it was knownhad received a commission as governor, and, promising him aid as amilitary officer, refused to surrender the fort. The troops as theylanded were received with all courtesy and accommodation; yet passionsran high, and a shot was fired at them. The outrage was severelyreproved by Leisler, who, on March 10th, the day of the landing of thetroops issued proclamations and counter proclamations, promisingobedience to Sloughter on his arrival.

  It was on the evening of March 19th, that this profligate, needy, andnarrow-minded adventurer, who held the royal commission, arrived in NewYork, and Leisler at once sent messengers to receive his orders.Leisler's messengers were detained, and next morning he sent the newgovernor a letter asking him to whom he should surrender the fort. Hisletter was unheeded, and Sloughter, who had already come to hate therepublican Leisler, ordered Ingoldsby to arrest him and all the personscalled his council.

  The prisoners, eight in number, were promptly arraigned before a specialcourt, constituted for the purpose by an ordinance, with inveterateroyalists as judges. Six of the inferior insurgents, who made theirdefence, were convicted of high treason and reprieved. Leisler andMilborne denied to the governor the power to institute a tribunal forjudging his predecessor, and appealed to the king. In vain they pleadthe merit of their zeal for King William, since they had so latelyopposed his governor. Leisler in particular attempted to justify hisconduct from the standpoint that Lord Nottingham's letter entitled himto act in the capacity of lieutenant-governor; but through ignorance, orsycophancy, the judges, instead of delivering their own opinion on thisbranch of the prisoner's defence, referred it to the governor andcouncil, praying their opinion, whether that letter, "or any otherletters, or papers, in the packet from Whitehall, can be understood, orinterpreted, to be and contain any power or direction to CaptainLeisler, to take the government of this province upon himself, or thatthe administration thereupon be holden good in law."

  Of course the decision was against Leisler, and they were arraigned atthe bar of justice for the crime of high treason. On their refusal toplead, they were condemned of high treason as mutes, and sentenced todeath. Joseph Dudley of New England, but at this time chief justice ofNew York, gave it as his opinion that Leisler had no legal authoritywhatever, while Sloughter wrote:

  "Certainly, never greater villains lived; but I have resolved to waitfor the royal pleasure, if, by any other means than hanging, I can keepthe country quiet."

  Jacob Leisler was tried and condemned early in May, 1691, while CharlesStevens and Adelpha were hastening to New York. Charles, who had heardsomething of the offence of Governor Leisler, and who, young as he was,had come to realize that royalty yielded nothing to the republicanideas, began to fear the worst. The acts of Leisler had the semblanceof popular government, and even the liberal William and Mary had theirdread of the people. Charles knew Sloughter by reputation as anarrow-minded, bigoted knave, who would scruple at nothing which tendedto elevate him in the eyes of the aristocratic party, of which he was aconspicuous devotee. Charles could offer but little consolation, and, ashe contemplated Adelpha's sad future, he asked himself:

  "Has the wheel of fortune changed its revolutions, and is the sun whichhas ever shone bright for Adelpha to be clouded? God forbid!"

  Charles Stevens and Adelpha reached New York on the very day theassembly was convened (May 14th, 1691) to determine the fate of Leislerand Milborne.

  It was evening, and when they entered the town and the once beautifulhome now despoiled, was dark and sad. The weeping mother met herdaughter at the door.

  The character of the assembly was thoroughly royalist. It passed severalresolutions against Leisler, especially declaring his conduct at thefort an act of rebellion, and on the 15th of May, the second day oftheir session and the next after the arrival of Adelpha, Sloughter, in amoment of excitement, assented to the vote of the council, that Leislerand Milborne should be executed. "The house, according to theiropinion given, did approve of what his excellency and council had done."

  Eight men, bearing litters, were at the door. All weredripping with water.]

  The families of the doomed were notified that on the next day, the 16thof May, 1691, Leisler and Milborne would be hung. The morning of the16th dawned gloomy and dark. The rain poured in torrents; but Mrs. AliceLeisler and her family, accompanied by Charles, went to bid the doomedmen adieu at the jail. Then Charles hurried the weeping women andchildren home. Great thunder-bolts seemed to rend Manhattan Island. Thelightning spread a lurid glare on the sky, and the rain fell intorrents. All of the household knew what was being done, and, falling ontheir knees, they prayed God for strength. Two hours wore on, and thenthere came a rap at the door.

  Charles went and opened it. Eight men, bearing litters, on which werestretched two lifeless forms, were at the door. All were dripping withwater.

  "Come in!" said Charles, and he sprang to seize Adelpha, who had fallento the floor in a convulsion.