Peter Stuyvesant, the Last Dutch Governor of New AmsterdamAbbott, John S. C. (John Stevens Cabot)
History
Peter Stuyvesant, the Last Dutch Governor of New Amsterdam
Abbott, John S. C. (John Stevens Cabot)
New York (State) -- History -- Colonial period, ca. 1600-1775; Stuyvesant, Peter, 1592-1672
After a few days' imprisonment he was chained to the wheelbarrow and
commanded to work. He refused. A negro was ordered to beat him with a
tarred rope, which he did until the sufferer fell, in utter
exhaustion, almost senseless to the ground. The story of the
persecutions which this unhappy man endured, is almost too dreadful to
be told. But it ought to be told as a warning against all religious
intolerance.
"Not satisfied," writes O'Callaghan,
"his persecutors had him lifted up. The negro again beat him
until he fell a second time, after receiving, as was
estimated, one hundred blows. Notwithstanding all this, he
was kept, in the heat of the sun, chained to the
wheelbarrow, his body bruised and swollen, faint from want
of food, until at length he could no longer support himself
and he was obliged to sit down.
"The night found him again in his cell, and the morrow at
the wheelbarrow, with a sentinel over him, to prevent all
conversation. On the third day he was again led forth,
chained as before. He still refused to work, for he 'had
committed no evil.' He was then led anew before the
director-general, who ordered him to work, otherwise he
should be whipt every day. He was again chained to the
barrow and threatened, if he should speak to any person,
with more severe punishment. But not being able to keep him
silent, he was taken back to his dungeon, where he was kept
several days, 'two nights and one day and a half of which
without bread or water.'
"The rage of persecution was still unsatiated. He was now
removed to a private room, stripped to his waist, and then
hung up to the ceiling by his hands, with a heavy log of
wood tied to his feet, so that he could not turn his body. A
strong negro then commenced lashing him with rods until his
flesh was cut in pieces. Now let down, he was thrown again
into his loathsome dungeon, where he was kept ten days, in
solitary confinement, after which he was brought forth to
undergo a repetition of the same barbarous torture. He was
now kept like a slave to hard work."
His case eventually excited so much compassion that Stuyvesant's
sister interfered, and implored her brother so importunately that he
was at last induced to liberate the unfortunate man. Let a firm Quaker
resolve that he will not do something, and let a Governor Stuyvesant
resolve that he shall do it, and it is indeed "Greek meeting Greek."
Henry Townsend, of Jamaica, ventured to hold prayer-meetings in his
house, in defiance of the ordinance against conventicles. The governor
sentenced him to pay a fine of eight pounds and to leave the province
within six weeks, under pain of corporeal punishment. This sentence
was followed by a proclamation, fining any one fifty pounds who should
entertain a Quaker for a single night, and confiscating any vessels
which should bring a Quaker to the province.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account