THE BEGINNING of DISCONTENT
Two years James De Lancey acted as Governor, and the citizens were
really sorry when Admiral Sir Charles Hardy was sent to take his place.
Sir Charles was not slow to see and to admit that while he was a good
sailor, he did not make a good Governor, so after a year he resigned,
and the province was once more left to the care of De Lancey.
At this time there was much being said about the need for schools, and
for many years plans had been under way for building a college in the
city.
Money had been raised by means of lotteries--which were popular and
lawful then--and finally the college was established. It was called
King's College. It is still in existence, but is now Columbia
University. A tablet at West Broadway and Murray Street tells that the
college once stood close by.
It was near this time that William Walton, a very rich merchant, built
the finest house that the city had yet known. This was in Queen Street,
not a great way from the Stadt Huys, and the furniture and fittings were
in keeping with the elegance of the exterior. It was so fine that the
fame of it spread to England, where it was spoken of as a proof that the
colonists were very, very rich indeed. This house stood for 129 years.
When it was torn down it had become a tenement that showed scarcely a
trace of its early grandeur. Queen Street is now Pearl Street and the
building numbered 326 is on the site of the famous old house.
There was another war with the French now, and four expeditions were
sent out against them. On one of these a young officer with the troops
from Virginia distinguished himself. He was cool and daring in the midst
of battle. The soldiers, who were themselves fearless fighters, strove
to be as brave as he. This officer was only twenty-three years old, and
his name was George Washington. He had a glorious career before him.
There came from England in the year following this a burly, blustering
man, who had been appointed commander-in-chief of the British forces in
America. This Lord Loudoun very soon proved to everybody's satisfaction
except his own that he was not fit to be a commander. The people of New
York detested him heartily, and were glad when after three years he was
recalled because he was not successful in the war against the French.
The new commander-in-chief did better. He was General Jeffrey Amherst,
and under him the English were gradually successful. Town after town
held by the French fell, until the capture of Montreal, in 1760, secured
to the English the conquest of Canada, and so ended a conflict which had
for many years drained the energies of the colonists.
Soon after this Lieutenant-Governor James De Lancey was found dead in
his library-chair at his country home (now a closely built-up part of
the city at Delancey Street, near the Bowery). In a few days his body
was taken from there, followed by a great concourse of people, and
buried under the centre aisle of Trinity Church. Up to the last day of
his life De Lancey remained much beloved.
[Illustration: Trinity Church, 1760.]
The death of De Lancey left the care of the colony to Cadwallader
Colden, whom you will remember as the friend of Governor Hunter. He had
been so long concerned in public affairs that he knew how to please.
Before the year was ended England's King, George II., died. When the
news reached New York, the city was draped with mourning. But in another
week all signs of sadness had disappeared in honor of the new King,
George III.
Then General Robert Monckton, who had been in command of the English
forces on Staten Island, was made Governor. He was a young man, somewhat
careless, but, as was the case with all the new governors, he was
welcomed with glad shouts of approval.
England at this time needed men in her navy, and the captains of
war-ships were in the habit of boarding any vessel that sailed from the
colonies in America and taking sailors by force to serve on the English
ships. This increased a bitter feeling that the colonists were beginning
to have against England. The city had now 14,000 inhabitants and was in
quite a flourishing condition.
After two years Monckton tired of the cares of government, and sailed
away to England, with never a thought of the wild scenes that were to
take place in the land he left behind.