^ 
 
 1^0 
 
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 
 
 Shelf ill?.... 
 
 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 
 
^.w -• % 
 
 w 
 
 / 
 
 OF 
 
 THE JNEW-YORK HISTORICAL SOCIETY 
 
 TO THE 
 
 HONOURABLE THE LEGISLATURE 
 
 OF THE 
 
 8TATE OF NEW- YORK 
 
 NEW-YORK 
 PRINTED BY C. S. VAN -WINKLE. 
 
 NO. 122 WATER-STREET. 
 
 1S14. 
 
.Wo^ 
 
 ^ 
 
CO 
 
 jTo /Ae Honourable the Legislature of the State 
 of Nerv- York, the Memorial of the New- 
 York Historical Society, 
 
 MOST RESPECTFULLY REPRESENTS, 
 
 That this institution was established for the 
 purpose of acquiring and promoting a knowledge 
 of the natural, civil, literary, and ecclesiastical his- 
 tory of America, and more particularly of this 
 state. The attainment of objects so various, com- 
 prehensive, and important, requiring such exten- 
 siveness of information, such profundity of re- 
 search, such exertion of industry, and such libe- 
 rality of expense, is unquestionably beyond the 
 means and the faculties of any individual, however 
 he may be endowed with the gifts of fortune and 
 genius, and whatever may be the extent of his en- 
 terprize, activity, and influence. Associations, com- 
 prehending a mass of information and talent, and 
 embracing not only the disposition, but the ability. 
 
to promote knowledge, are essentially necessary 
 to crown with success any important undertaking 
 of this nature. With these motives, and for these 
 objects, this society was formed. A liberal and 
 enlightened legislature, justly appreciating its im- 
 portance, granted it a charter of incorporation, 
 and it now only remains for them to complete the 
 important work which has received their approv- 
 ing voice, by an extension to this society of a por- 
 tion of that munificence which, we are proud to 
 say, characterizes the legislature of this state. 
 
 During the short period of the existence of this 
 society, we have devoted no inconsiderable portion 
 of time, attention, and money, to collect books, 
 pamphlets, manuscripts, maps, medals, and other 
 materials which may tend to illustrate and com- 
 plete the great outlines of our history. This col- 
 lection, on account of the number, the variety, and 
 the rarity of its objects, may be safely valued at 
 ten thousand dollars. If in the infant state of the 
 society, without public patronage, and without any 
 other excitement than a desire to be useful, as hum- 
 ble contributors to the great stock of human know- 
 ledo-e, we have been able to accomplish so much, 
 what might we not effect if public bounty should 
 be united with individual contribution, and if the 
 
countenance of the leoislaiurc should stamp a va 
 lue upon our researches, and enable us to dispel 
 the cloudswhich envelop the history oi our coun- 
 try. 
 
 It is well known to your honourable body, thai 
 America has been settled principally by the Eng- 
 lish, the Dutch, the French, the Spaniards, and the 
 Portuguese. The Swedes at one period planted a 
 colony on the Delaware. The Danes, also, have 
 occupied islands in the West Indies ; and several 
 islands between Asia and America derive their 
 ]>opulation from Russia and its dependencies. How 
 important, and how necessary is it to procure the 
 books Avhich have been written in those countries 
 illustrative of the affairs of America. It is well 
 known, that many manuscripts are buried in the 
 archives of state, or in the libraries of public bo- 
 dies, which might be transcribed, and which would 
 shed new light on our history. The Bibliotheca 
 Americana, published in England, imperfect as it 
 is, indicates what invaluable and unexplored trea- 
 sures for oiu' historians may be obtained in that 
 country. 
 
 But we would beg leave to solicit the attention 
 of the legislature more particularly to the history 
 of this state. It is unnecessary to descant upon the 
 
 I 
 
(inperfeciions of its natural history. Whole de- 
 partments of this science have been almost entirely 
 neglected ; the powers of observation and investi- 
 gation have not been applied to elucidate and ex- 
 plore them ; the destructive hand of time is rapid- 
 ly sweeping into oblivion many important objects 
 of inquiry ; and what might now with facility be 
 rescued from oblivion, the flight of a few years will 
 place beyond the reach of human power. 
 
 The civil history of this state may be divided 
 into four parts : 
 
 1. When occupied by the aborigines. 
 
 S. When under the government of the Dutch, 
 which was about half a century. 
 
 3. Its state under England, which continued 
 
 about one hundred and twelve years, and 
 which includes the proprietary government 
 of the Duke of York, and its government 
 under the kings of Great Britain, excepting 
 about sixteen months, when it was repos- 
 sessed by the Dutch. 
 
 4. And lastly, its political existence as a member 
 
 of an independent government. 
 Before the lapse of many years, the remnant of 
 the Indian nations which now inhabit the state, will 
 experience the fate of all sublunary things. The 
 
few antiquities of the country ; the forts and the 
 tumuli, which may now be easily explored, will be 
 effaced by the extension of cultivation. The na- ^v. 
 
 tural history of the man of America, disfigured 
 and perverted as he has been by European inter- 
 course, may still be obtained to a considerable ex- 
 tent ; his language may be put on record, and his 
 traditions may be perpetuated. 
 
 As before the revolution the colonies of France 
 and Great Britain were connected by vicinity, by 
 treaty, by trade, and by continual and habitual 
 intercourse with the Five Nations, and other In- 
 dians which occupied this state, we can obtain va- 
 luable materials to illustrate this important period, 
 from the libraries and public collections of those 
 countries: many learned, elaborate, and interest- 
 ing works have never been seen in America ; some 
 are so scarce that they cannot be procured without 
 the expense of transcribing ; and papers of great 
 moment have never been printed. 
 
 The regular minutes of the transactions of the 
 Indian commissioners for this colony, from 1675 
 to 1751, as kept by a secretary employed for the 
 purpose, were bound up in four large folio vo- 
 lumes. This invaluable collection, and the subse- 
 quent colonial records relative to Indian affairs, 
 
are not now to be found in this state ; and tliey 
 were probably conveyed away by Sir John John- 
 son or his agents, at the commencement of the 
 revolution. The loss of these documents would 
 produce a chasm in our history that could not be 
 supplied ; and we hope that they may still be re- 
 trieved. Our concerns and negotiations with the 
 Indians, since our existence as a state, have not 
 been preserved in regular and complete order. 
 They are scattered among the bureaus of our 
 chief magistrates, or are buried in the voluminous 
 jfiles of the legislature. 
 
 To obtain materials for the Dutch portion of 
 our history, comprizing an interesting period of 
 half a century, we must have recourse to the pa- 
 pers of the Dutch West India Company, and to 
 the archives of the then government of that na- 
 tion ; to the Dutch records of some of our coun- 
 ties, and in the office of the secretary of state ; to 
 the public offices in the neighbouring colonies 
 with whose governments the Dutch had negotia- 
 tions ; and to several books published in the Dutch 
 and Latin languages, relative to this country, and 
 which are scarcely known to us. The darkness 
 which hangs over this branch, may be perceived 
 in the history of New-York, written by Williau> 
 
Smith, a work which skims lightly over this inte 
 resting period, leaving it almost entirely unnoticed. 
 
 To supply that part of our history when we 
 were subject to Great Britain, the most valuable 
 materials may be obtained from various sources. 
 From Chalmer's Political Annals it appears, that 
 there are many manuscripts in the Plantation Of- 
 fice, entitled. New- York Entries, and New- York / 
 Papers. We find, ii? the catalogue of manuscripts ^ 
 preserved in the British Museum, some writings | 
 that refer particularly to this state ; and in the 
 catalogue of books belonging to that institution, 
 are preserved many works concerning America, in 
 the Dutch, English, French, Spanish, and Latin 
 Languages, affording a fund of information impor- 
 tant and inestimable. We also know that there 
 are many interesting books and manuscripts, rela- 
 tive to this country, in the library of the Society 
 for the Propagation of the Gospel in America; 
 and perhaps much important information may be 
 obtained from the public offices in Canada. 
 
 The history of our country, since the com- 
 mencement of the revolutionary war, is in a better 
 state of preservation : but even here how many in- 
 teresting events are passing into oblivion ; how 
 many important facts are distorted and misrepre- 
 
\ 
 
 rented, how many illustrious achievements are for- 
 gotten or neglected. Documents that may illumi- 
 nate the obscure, explain the doubtful, and embalm 
 the memories of the good and the great, may now 
 be drawn from their dark abodes, where in a few 
 years they will be forgotten or lost. Letters of 
 distinguished individuals, fugitive pamphlets, per- 
 ishable manuscripts, ought now to be obtained and 
 preserved. The time is previous, and not a mo- 
 ment should be lost. 
 
 The only history of this member of the confede- 
 racy is that of William Smith, which is brought 
 down to the year 1732. Is it too much to say, that 
 (he most important is the worst or least described 
 part of the union ? 
 
 Anxious as we are to explore these sources of in- 
 telligence, and to collect these ample materials, yet 
 we feel that the want of funds presents an obstacle 
 that can only be surmounted by the liberality and 
 public spirit of the legislature. We have done 
 much, and we are willing to do more, in order to 
 preserve the history of tlie state from oblivion. We 
 are influenced by no other motive than that of ele- 
 vating the c^,aracter, and promoting the prosperity 
 of a commun'^y, to which we are bound by every 
 tie that is deemed precious and sacred among men : 
 
And let it not be said that the exigencies of the 
 times, and the pressure of a foreign war, render it 
 inexpedient to apply the public bounty to this ob- 
 ject. The state is rich in funds, rich in credit, and 
 rich in resources ; and she ought to be rich in libe- 
 rality and public spirit. Genuine greatness nevei 
 appears in a more resplendent light, or in a more 
 sublime attitude, than in that buoyancy of charac- 
 ter which rises superior to danger and difficulty; 
 in that magnanimity of soul which cultivates the 
 arts and sciences amidst the horrors of war, and in 
 that comprehension of mind which cherishes all the 
 cardinal interests of a country, without being dis- 
 tracted or diverted by the most appalling consi 
 derations. 
 
 We therefore most respectfully solicit the fa- 
 vourable notice of the legislature, and we confi- 
 dently hope that the result will be auspicious to 
 the interests of literature, and to the honour of 
 our country. 
 
 By order and in behalf of the Society, 
 
 JOHN PINTARD, 
 
 Record -ig Secretarj. 
 Kew-Yobk, Jflwwar^j 1814. 
 
-w 
 
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 
 
 014 107 916 5 #