Slike strani
PDF
ePub

In the above-mentioned acts the limits of the counties and townships are defined. Thefe townfhips are corporations invefted with certain privileges. The act directs, that the freeholders in the several townfhips fhall affemble in town meetings, on the firft Tuesday in April, annually, and choose their town officers, viz. one fupervisor, one town clerk, from three to feven affeffors, one or more collectors, two overfeers of the poor, commiffioners of highways, conftables, fence viewers, pound-mafters, &c. These are to hold their respective offices one year, or until others be chofen. This act, which appears to have originated from a fpirit of pure republicanifm, is to be in force after the first day of April, 1789. I cannot but notice, with pleafure, the happy tendency of this act, to diffeminate through the ftate fuch information and fuch principles as are calculated to cherish the fpirit of freedom, and to fupport our republican government. The frequent collection of people in town-meetings makes them acquainted with each other, and affimilates their ideas and their manners: Their being invested with power, makes them feel their importance, and roufes their ambition-Their town-meetings will be a fchool, in which all the free citizens of the ftate may learn how to tranfact public bufinefs with propriety, and in which they may qualify themfelves for the higher offices of the ftate.-The number of public offices will be increased, without increafing the expences of the state; and as the defire of promotion is innate in human nature, and as ambition to poffefs the requifite qualifications commonly accompanies this defire, the probability is, that the number of perfons qualified for public office will be increafed, and of courfe the number of good citizens proportionably multiplied, and the subordinate civil affairs of the ftate more faithfully and more regularly transacted.

The number of inhabitants in this ftate, in 1786, was 238,897; of which 18,889 were negroes. In 1756, there were 83,233 whites, and 13,542 blacks, 96,775 in the whole. In 1771, there were 148,124 whites, and 19,883 blacks, total 168,007. The blacks, fince this enumeration, have decreased 1000, which is a happy circumftance. From the humane exertions that are making in this ftate, for their emancipation, it is probable that they will continue to decrease. From the above enumerations it appears, that the average increase of inhabitants, from 1756 to 1786, has been 4554. A confiderable part of these, however, have emigrated from Europe and the New-England ftates. Thefe emigrations have been very numerous, particularly from Rhode-Ifland, Connecticut, and Maffachusetts, fince the peace of 1783.

The population for every fquare mile, including the whole state, is only five, fo that this ftate is but a ninth part as populous as Connecticut. But it is to be confidered that Connecticut has no wafte lands, and not half the ftate of New-York is fettled. The ftate of Connecticut, however, throughout, is at leaft three times as thickly populated as the fettled parts of New-York. For if we fuppofe only one-third of the ftate fettled, the population for every square mile will then be only fixteen. From thefe calcu lations, one of these conclufions will follow, either firft, That the foil of Connecticut is preferable to that of New-York; or fecondly, That the fettled parts of New-York would fupport a number of inhabitants treble to their prefent number; or, thirdly, That the people in Connecticut are better farmers and economists, or are lefs affluent and live poorer than the

people

people of New-York. The reader is left to adopt which of these conclu fions he pleases.

Previous to the year 1756, Mr. Smith, the historian of New-York, obferves, that the colony met with many difcouragements, in regard to its fettlement. The French and Indian irruptions,' faid he, to which we have always been expofed, have driven many families into New-Jersey. At home, the British acts for the transportation of felons, have brought all the American colonies into difcredit with the induftrious and honeft poor, both in the kingdoms of Great-Britain and Ireland.'-' The bigotry and tyranny of fome of our governors, together with the great extent of their grants, may alfo be confidered among the difcouragements against the full fettlement of this province. Moft of thefe gentlemen, coming over with no other view than to raise their own fortunes, issued extravagant patents, charged with fmall quit-rents, to fuch as were able to ferve them in the affembly; and thefe patentees, being generally men of eftates, have rated their lands fo exorbitantly high, that very few poor perfons could either purchase or leafe them. Add to all thefe, that the New-England planters have always been difaffected to the Dutch; nor was there, after the furrender, any foreign acceffion from the Netherlands.' Such were the difcouragements which this ftate had to encounter, in regard to its fettlement, fo long as it remained a British province, But the revolution has removed most of these obstructions, and produced effential alterations in favor of this ftate. The few Indians who remain are, in general, friendly. Cargoes of thieves, burglars, pick-pockets, cut-purfes, and other villains and flagitious banditti, from Great-Britain, who had forfeited their lives to fociety, are not now forced upon this any of the other ftates, as they were before the revolution. They have no royal governors, independent of the people, to tyrannize over, and opprefs their fubjects; and to enrich themfelves and their particular friends at the expence of the effential interefts of the ftate. The overgrown eftates, which have heretofore proved an effectual bar to population, and are oppofed to every principle of democracy, are diminishing, or are put upon fuch a footing as in fome measure to prevent thefe inconveniencies. The unhappy fpirit of difaffection and jealoufy, which formerly subsisted, in a high degree, between the province of New-York, and the New-England colonies, has, fince the revolution, in a great measure fubfided, and would perhaps have now been extinct, had it not been unfortunately revived, of late, by fome political and commercial differences, But the growing liberality of both parties, and a wife and harmonizing government, will, it is hoped, foon rife fuperior to all local prejudices, compofe all differences whether they are of a political, commercial, or national kind, and form the whole into one band of affectionate BROTHERS.

The effects of the revolution have been as greatly, and as happily felt by this, as by any of the United-States. The acceffion of inhabitants within a few years, has been great, and fo long as New-York is the feat of the general government, will continue to increase. The new fettlements that are forming in the northern and wellern parts of the ftate, are principally by people from New-England, It is remarkable that the Dutch

* Smith's Hift. New-York, p. 207, 210.

enterprize

or

enterprize few or no fettlements. Among all the new townfhips that have been fettled fince the peace, (and they have been aftonishingly numerous) it is not known that one has been fettled by the Dutch. Although they are as intent upon gain' as other people, they had rather reft fecure of what they poffefs, than hazard all, or even a part, in uncertain attempts to increase it.

The English language is generally spoken throughout the state, but is not a little corrupted by the Dutch dialect, which is ftill fpoken in fome counties. But as Dutch fchools are almost, if not wholly difcontinued, that language, in a few generations, will probably cease to be used at all. And the increase of English schools has already had a perceptible effect in the improvement of the English language.

The manners of the people differ as well as their language. The anceftors of the inhabitants in the fouthern and middle parts of Long-Ifland. were either natives of England, or the immediate defcendents of the first fettlers of New England, and their manners and cuftoms are fimilar to thofe of their ancestors. The counties inhabited by the Dutch, have adopted the English manners in a great degree, but ftill retain many modes, particularly in their religion, which are peculiar to the Hollanders. They are induftrious, neat, and œconomical in the management of their farms and their families. Whatever bufinefs they purfue, they generally follow the old track of their forefathers, and feldom invent any new improvements in agriculture, manufactures, or mechanics. They were the first fettlers of this ftate, and were particularly friendly to the English colony that fettled at Plymouth, in New-England, in 1620; and continued to be amicably difpofed towards the English colonies east of them, until the unhappy difpute arofe concerning the lands on Connecticut river.

[ocr errors]

A celebrated traveller through this ftate, fome years fince, has given the following account of the Dutch; They are every where well known for their avarice and felfifhnefs. They are unhofpitable, and never dif pofed to oblige beyond a profpect of interest. A commentator on this paffage remarks, Such inward feelings (if it be true that they exift) we may well fuppofe would produce difagreeable confequences, when united with the natural effects of their fituation in a conquered country; for the prejudice arifing from this circumftance ftill remains, though the event long fince took place. As the New-England people were operative in producing this event, their firft and greateft malice is againft them; while the difference in their natural difpofitions, and the peculiarities in the manners and cuftoms of both parties, render them obnoxious each to the other, and afford an infinite fund to a genius for the malevolent burJefque,

The defign of the Dutch in coming to this country, was not to improve their minds, nor to erect public feminaries of fcience, but to increase their fortunes. Thus did their darling paffion, and the unhappy circumftance of their fituation, debar them from eminence, or even progrefs, in the field of science. A want of schools and feminaries furnished with able inftructors of their own nation-their unacquaintedness with the Englith language, and their national pride, have all conspired to keep thei

* Kalm.

in their native ignorance of every mental improvement. This will ac count for many unfavourable peculiarities in their manners and cuftoms.'

It is not to be doubted,' 'continues this writer, that there are many bright geniufes among them, who, through the difficulties of obtaining an education, have remained unpolished and unimproved. There are many, indeed, who, by their affiduous application, furmount every obstacle, burst through the cloud that overshadows them, and shine with distinguished luitre in the first offices of church and state; and their luftre is brightened by being contrafted with the total darkness in which others are involved; for to be fure, from the caufes already affigned, no people are fo ignorant as the lower class.

Another caufe of their unfociability and apparent referve, in encourageing and affociating with ftrangers, is their want of enterprize. Their neighbours, more enterprizing, emigrate and reap the fruit of those advantages which their local fituation puts in their own power. This excites jealoufy and rivalfhip. The balance of this rivalfhip they fee is against them. The prefervation of their intereft and of their dignity, calls them to unite in oppofing their rivals. But it is evident that their union and friendship, in this regard, have too often their prime fource in intereft, are continued through intereft, and have intereft for their ultimate object. The intended effect of this union, is in a great meafure loft, through the natural jealoufies and clashing interefts of heads of families and their parties; for although they are all combined by the general bond of national prejudice and national cuftoms, and national religion, they are fplit into numerous and warm parties. And among them, he who has the greateft intereft and the frongeft party, not he who has the molt merit, is the greatest man, the moft honourable man, and the best qualified for public office. In their meetings, they are ever led to think and fay the worft of their opponents, and recal all the little circumftances of burlefque, malice, or mistake in them, which perfons of more liberal fentiments would with charitably to veil and bury in oblivion. Thus it is that the practice of flandering and injuring each other's characters, becomes common, and furnishes a great part of their daily converfation; while that fweet and friendly intercourfe, which mends the heart, and that dignified and fenfible converfation which improves the mind, are almoft wholly neglected.' Thus this commentator.

However true thefe obfervations may have been, in regard to that part of the people with which this writer was more immediately acquainted, (and it is prefumed he never meant to have them generally applied) they will admit only of a partial application to the Dutch inhabitants throughout the state; and even in this cafe, it ought in juftice to be observed, that the revolution and its confequences, have had a very perceptible influence, in diffufing a fpirit of liberality among them, and in difpelling the clouds of ignorance and national prejudice. Schools, academies, and colleges are established and establishing for the education of their children, in the English and learned languages, and in the arts and fciences, and a literary and fcientific fpirit is evidently increafing. If fuch are the buddings of improvement in the dawn of our empire, what a rich harvest may we expect in its meridian?

The

The city of New-York is inhabited principally by merchants, mechanics, fhop-keepers, and tradefmen, compofed of almost all nations and religions. They are generally refpectable in their feveral profeffions, and fuftain the reputation of honeft, punctual, fair dealers.

The manners and character of the inhabitants of every colony or state, will take their colouring, in a greater or lefs degree, from the peculiar manners of the first fettlers. It is much more natural for emigrants to a fettlement to adopt the customs of the original inhabitants, than the contrary, even though the emigrants fhould, in a length of time, become the moit numerous. Hence it is that the neatnefs, parfimony, and induftry of the Dutch were early imitated by the first English fettlers in the province, and, until the revolution, formed a diftinguishing trait in their provincial character. It is ftill difcernible, though in a much lefs degree, and will probably continue vifible many years to come.

Befides the Dutch and English already mentioned, there are in this flate many emigrants from Scotland, Ireland, Germany, and fome from France. The principal part of these are fettled in the city of New-York, and retain the manners, the religion, and fome of them the language of their respective countries.

Chief Towns.] There are three incorporated cities in this ftate; NewYork, Albany, and Hudfon. New-York is the capital of the ftate, and, fo long as it continues to be the feat of the general government, must be confidered as the capital of the United States.

This city ftands on the fouth-west point of an island, at the confluence of the Hudfon and Eaft River. The principal part of the city lies on the caft fide of the island, although the buildings extend from one river to the other. The length of the city on Eaft river is about two miles, but falls much short of that distance on the banks of the Hudfon. Its breadth, on an average, is nearly three-fourths of a mile; and its circumference may be four miles. The plan of this city is not perfectly regular, but is laid out with reference to the fituation of the ground. The principal ftreets run nearly parallel with the rivers. Thefe are interfected, though not at right angles, by treets running from river to river. In the width of the ftreets there is a great diverfity. Water-ftreet and Queen-street, which occupy the banks of East River, are very conveniently fituated for business, but they are low and too narrow; not admitting, in fome places, of walks on the fides for foot paffengers. Broad-ftreet, extending from the Exchange to City-hall, is fufficiently wide. This was originally built on each fide of the creek, which penetrated almoft to the City-hall. This ftreet is low, but pleafant; and that part which did not fuffer by the fire during the war, is generally well built; the other is recovering from its ruins.

But the most convenient and agreeable part of the city is Broadway. This ftreet runs upon the height of land between the two rivers, beginning at the fort near the fouth end of the city, and extending to the Hofpital, in front of which it opens into an extenfive plain or common. This street is wide, and elevated fo as to command a delightful profpect of the town, and the Hudfon.

Wall-street is generally wide and elevated, and the buildings elegant. Hanover-fquare and Dock-street are conveniently fituated for bufinefs,

and

« PrejšnjaNaprej »