With two others, he was employed by the people of New Amsterdam to go to Holland to present this Memorial. They took with them also the Remonstrance, a longer document. In order to bring before the StatesGeneral, knowing little or nothing of the colonial affairs of the West India Company, a complete statement of the situation, van der Donck prepared this full account of the history of New Netherland, its aborigines and physical features. He caustically criticised in detail the administrations of Kieft and Stuyvesant, and drew a striking contrast between the fruitfulness, natural resources and salubrity of the country and the intolerable incapacity of its Governors. It is likely that his strictures were fairly deserved at the time. Stuyvesant, strong-hearted, if tyrannical, manifested later on an executive ability of which he had yet given no sign.

ates.

Now began a long drawn out controversy remarkable for the persistency of van der Donck and his two associTwice when victory seemed about to perch upon their banner, some mischance drove it away. These were exciting times in European politics. In January, 1649, Charles I of England had been beheaded. The Netherlands seemed verging toward war with England. The States-General and the other rulers of the nation had little time to consider the relatively unimportant affairs of the West India Company. The three delegates from New Netherland went straight to The Hague, and on the 13th of October, 1649, presented their papers to the StatesGeneral, which referred them in due course to a committee. Later, Cornelis van Tienhoven arrived, the Secretary of New Netherland, whom Stuyvesant had sent to represent him. The West India Company directors added their sour complaints of the delegates; worthless fellows, they said, who would be dissatisfied with any government, save none; i. e., they were anarchists.

Van der Donck was tireless. He was constantly drawing up new petitions and remonstrances, embodying the latest grievances from New Netherland, which were added to by every ship. Finally, the committee reported in favor of a number of minor reforms, and that Stuyvesant should be recalled to report, and a free burgher government be established in New Amsterdam. This partly satisfied the delegates, who wanted the West India Company ousted altogether. It wholly dissatisfied the company. Now van der Donck's two associates went home, thinking the battle almost won; van der Donck was left to fight alone. But the West India Company chose to disregard the report, though it was adopted by the StatesGeneral. They mustered enough influence so that no measures were taken against them. So things went on as badly as ever in New Netherland. Stuyvesant struts about like a peacock." "He is more like the Czar of Russia than ever," wrote one of the popular party to van der Donck.

The emissary renewed his attack. He had the Remonstrance printed and circulated throughout Holland. "Before New Netherland was scarcely ever spoken of," wrote the directors to Stuyvesant, "and now it seems as if heaven and earth were interested in it." He showed his skill by taking partisan advantage of some concessions Stuyvesant was obliged to make to New England in the matter of boundaries. Van Tienhoven, at last, filed an answer to the Remonstrance, which consisted mainly of reflections on the character and motives of the remonstrants. Van der Donck secured an order for his examination. This seemed dangerous, and so, the West India Company rashly abetting, he set sail for New Netherland. Such disregard of its mandate irritated the States-General, and some of the statesmen of Holland gave a hint to the

West India directors that they had better compromise. After more than two years of labor, in the spring of 1652, van der Donck won a victory. The West India Company, rather than lose all, made the concession of a city charter for New Amsterdam, which took effect in 1653. It may thus justifiably be claimed for Adriaen van der Donck that he was the true father of the city of New York. A statue might well be erected to his memory, for its cityhood was not won without a valiant fight.

And after a short time it seemed to him that he had won a greater victory, the most desired of all. The States-General intrusted to him a letter recalling Stuyvesant to Holland to give an account of his administration.

At once van der Donck prepared to depart for New Netherland. He embarked his wife and other relatives and some colonists for his manor of Colendonck on a ship of the West India Company, and was about to join them. The company, determined to save Stuyvesant, refused to permit him to go on their ship. He was forced to see his party sail away without him. Now, the company speedily turned the tables. Peace negotiations with England came to naught. War was declared. Stuyvesant's recall could not be risked at such a critical juncture and van der Donck had to give up the summons.

Greatly disappointed, he nevertheless resolved to make the best of his detention, and set to work to expand the Remonstrance into a larger book. It was fortunate for his fame that he was thus separated from his wife and friends, for his greatest reputation rests upon his remarkable Description of New Netherland. This little book, when published in 1655, ran through two editions and stirred up a great deal of interest in America. Never was there so fertile and lovely a place. "The Galens have thin soup in that country," he said. "Many persons from

the West Indies, Virginia and other quarters of the globe who do not enjoy good health in those parts, when they come to New Netherland become as lively as fish in the water." Perhaps this is a sly dig at Stuyvesant, who lost a leg in the West Indies before coming to New Netherland. He gave a long, authentic account of the Indians, of scientific value to-day, which must have aroused great curiosity at their strange customs. For persons inclined to sport, he told of the game. "I have known a gunner named Harry De Backer, who killed eleven gray geese out of a large flock with one shot from his gun." As to bears, he gave a warning: "A person who intends to shoot a bear should be careful to have a tree near him as a retreat for safety." For fur traders he had an account of the beavers; for farmers, of the productivity of the land; for treasure-seekers, of gold to be found in the Catskills; for everybody, a description of a most luscious new kind of pumpkin which melts in the mouth-none other than the watermelon.

The book put the colony in a most favorable light, bound to encourage immigration. Its publication did much to soften the hearts of the directors of the West India Company toward him.

Another activity occupied his attention. He enrolled once more at Leyden University and took the degree of Doctor of Civil and Canon Law. He was admitted to practice law by the High Court of Holland.

Anxious to rejoin his beautiful Colendonck, which had languished all these years, he petitioned the now somewhat conciliated West India Company to be allowed to go. He asked that he might examine the records in order to write the history of New Netherland, and that he might be authorized to practice as a lawyer. He pledged himself not to claim to be President of the commonalty or

interfere with political affairs. But fate was still against him. The directors allowed him to go, but they would not let him do more than advise his clients, since, they said, they did not know as there was any lawyer there to oppose him. His request to examine the records they' referred to his unforgiving enemy, Stuyvesant, giving him a hint to refuse. And when van der Donck arrived, Stuyvesant treated him with so little consideration that he applied to the newly formed city government for the protection of his rights as a citizen. Even the directors rebuked Stuyvesant for "suspecting van der Donck so vehemently."

Thus it happened that the first lawyer in New York, through no lack of desire, never practiced. Trying to open up his colony, he met with countless difficulties, including savages on the warpath. In the year 1655, soon after the publication in Amsterdam of his Description of New Netherland, which very likely he never saw in print, our bold champion of democratic ideas died, at the age of thirty-five.

Simon Fleischmann, of Buffalo:

My attention has been called to some formal matters, and I desire to read the following resolution:

"Resolved, That the President appoint three delegates and alternates to attend the next meeting of the American Bar Association."

I move the adoption of that resolution.

Frank Harvey Field, of Brooklyn:

I understood the motion yesterday to have been made that the same delegates that represented us in the Congress should also represent us in the meeting of the American Bar Association.