LOYALTY VINDICATED Being an Answer to A late False Seditious Scandalous Pamphlet Entituled A Letter from a Gentleman of the City of New-York to another Concerning the Troubles which happen'd in That Province in the Time of the late Happy Revolution Published for the sake of Truth Justice By a Hearty Lover of KING William AND THE Protestant Religion BOSTON Printed by B. Green and J. Allen. 1698. LOYALTY Vindicated From the Reflections of a Virulent Pamphlet called A Letter from a Gentleman of New-York concerning the troubles which happened in that Province in the time of the late happy Revolution wherein the Libellous Author falslely scandalises those Loyal Gentlemen who couragiously threw off the absolute Slavery that Province then lay under and Declar'd for His present Majesty the Protestant Religion and the English Laws ALthough to name but the Authors of this Pamphlet to give account of the time manner and design of its Publication would sufficiently confute it and were it all Truth take away its Credit Yet I shall first by plain proof of Fact and Reason disabuse whom it may have imposed on and then expose the Seducers themselves whose corrupt minds gave birth to this Ignis fatuus I know the Authors have triumph'd that their Libel hath not hitherto been answered but they will have but little cause when they consider it required some time to recover the damp and stunn given to honest minds by the late corrupt Government of New-York that publisht it and some time will always be naturally taken up for the exults of joy that truth and honesty will now have their turn of being protected by Authority It was with great dread known that the late King James was bound in Conscience to indeavour to Damn the English Nation to Popery and Slavery and therefore no wonder since he made such large steps towards it in his Kingdom 's that he took a particular care of this Province of which he was Proprietor at one jump leapt over all the bounds Laws of English Right and Government and appointed a Governour of this Province of New-York who although he was a person of large indowments of mind yet gave active Obedience to his Prince without reserve and accepted of a Commission now on record in the Secretarys Office giving him power with consent of any Seven of â—is Council to make Laws and to raise Taxes as the French King doth without consent of the People for the Council are no body but whom he pleases to name and therefore could represent nothing but the Kings pleasure Hereby the will of the Prince became the Law and the estates of the Subjects became the Kings property And this Governour and Council were the tooâ— to inslave their Country who pursuant to their Commission did make Laws and Assessed Taxes accordingly without any Representatives of the People as appears by the Records of the Council book This French Government being thus by Commission introduced it was natural that Papists should be employed in the highest Trusts such 〈◊〉 the Council the Revenue and the Military Forces and since no Law was left alive to make them unqualifyed therefore this Obedient Governour admitted major Brockholse and major Baxter into the Council Matthew Plowman to be Collector of the Revenue and said Baxter and Russel to Command Military Forces all professed Papists to assist in making Arbitrary Placts and forcing Obedience to them from a Protestant free People This was the condition of New-York the Slavery and Popery that it lay under until the Hand of Heaven sent the glorious King WILLIAM to break those chains which would otherwise have fetter'd all Europe And these were the reasons that moved the Gentlemen concerned in the Revolution of New York to be early in shaking off their Tyrants and declaring for their Deliverer These things premised do make way for the answer to the bold Assertions of the Libeller who had the Author Printed the Letter ten years before viz. the time of the Revolution he would have come under the penalty of spreading false News which he in particular knows in Scotland is call'd Leesing and deserves the death call'd the Maiden Pag. 3. In the third page which is the first of the Letter he declares that Jacob Leisler and his accomplices committed great disorders in the Revolution And was ever Revolution made without them What must the noxious humours of the body natural be loosned and put a float and very often with pangs and gripes before the Medicament can officiate the discharge must not the body politick suffer a Convulsion to pluck up Spiritual and Temporal Tyranny that was taking root in it But I pray explain your self was not the Revolution it self the greatest disorder that could be given to you and the Jacobite party and therefore you need not admire nor wonder that all those that have a good opinion of the Revolution have so likewise of Jacob Leisler and other early Instruments of it in this Province Nor is it a wonder that it should be credited that the persons then in Commission in New-York were Jacobites and persons ill affected to the Revolution which now the Libeller dare not say otherwise than call happy for their very Commissions from King James were expresly contrary to Law and their persons unqualified to serve in any Capacity in any English Government and so that as Jacobites i. e. obeyers of King James's Arbitrary Government and as Papists they must naturally be ill affected to the happy Revolution in England and implacable Enemies to the well wishers thereof in New-York The proof of this appears by the Printed account of the State of the Government of New-York attested by the Records of Sir Edmund Andross Coll Nicholson Matthew Plowman major Baxter and Bartholomew Russel's Commissions which are Evidence undeniable and point blanck contrary to the Testimony of the Libeller who calls himself a personal witness But the Author was safe at the time of Publishing the Letter for it was when the Province lay under the calamity more then in any other age of Licensing this Letter which gives Authority for the palliating of Vice with false glosses and of criminating the Actions of the most Just and Virtuous and pious persons and when Truth and Innocency were strip'd of all defence against the malice falshood and calumny of Col. Fletcher and his complying Council We are told the Lieutenant Governour and Council were Protestants and perhaps they were and so were Friend Perkins Jefferys Herbert Bishop of Chester and Brian Haynes the player therefore that is no infallible Test that they were well affected to the Revolution if they had no other But they resolved Thereupon to suspend all Roman Catholicks from Command and places of trust in the Government Well resolved though they did not perform it as the Libeller afterwards owns But what means the word Thereupon i. e. King James was fled into France the Prince of Orange was Arrived with considerable Forces
to him Coll. Cortland and others might leave their houses and families but they would have had no occasion for so doing had they peaceably and quietly minded their own affairs and submitted to the Government for all such had no manner of disturbance given them but were protected Pag. 11. The Protestant Ministers the Libeller saith could not scape Capt. Leislers Malice and Cruelty I am afraid those Ministers he mentioned were Popish Trumpets to Preach up the damnâ—d Doctrins of Passive Obedience and Non Resistance and to noise in our Ears with their accursed breath that we ought patiently to hold our Protestant Throats to be cut by the Command of a Popish King and when Capt. Leisler with his friends had taken hold of that wonderful Deliverance offered immediately from God to Redeem His People from Slavery upon Earth and Popish Damnation in Hell to have false Priests of Baal get up and use their wicked Eloquence to make the People believe a lye even in the house of the God of Truth and from the Pulpit to tell these Captains of our Temporal Salvation to their faces that being faithful to their God their Country and their Laws in the defence of the Holy Protestant Religion and the Rights and Liberties of English men and their thankful declaring for the most glorious Prince upon Earth their Deliverer was the blackest of Treason and Rebellion Such Apostasy and base Treachery hath deserved and often met with severer rebukes than the friendly Verbal admonition given by Capt. Leisler to the blind Seer and had nothing of the Malice and Cruelty in it of the Libeller who wrote so false a Pamphlet and so the other time-serving Priests who were Protestant shooing horns to draw on Popery might have been more quiet and left the result of the Revolution to Divine Providence and not pass such hard Censures as to attaint blood and accuse of Rebellion all that would accept of Gods deliverance from the two greatest plagues of mankind Popery and Slavery But I hope they have repented and will be sav'd otherwise whilst they Preach to others they themselves will be cast away 'T is true Capt. Leisler sent to the Merchants of the Town to supply the Garrison with Provisions and other necessaries and sent without distinction to all People who had Stores otherwise the Garrison might have perished but he honestly gave them Credit in the Kings Books and they have since for the greatest part been satisfyed and Capt. Leisler as he ought did order forceibly to break their Ware-houses open where they were refractory and refused on so great Emergency to afford support for the Government but exact Accompts were kept of all such goods and Entries made in Books kept for that purpose so that it was not plunder as the Libeller falsely calls it but they were to be satisfyed and paid for the same And I believe it was never known in the Memory of man that ever a Revolution or change of Government was more regular or where Military power would not force Victuals where it was denyed them when they wanted it and therefore it was for the special Service of King WILLIAM and Queen MARY to keep alive those that were the only persons in that Province who declared early for Them and owned Their Authority Nor can any proof upon Earth be brought except such as the Libeller that one Farthings Value of goods was ever converted to the private use of Capt. Leisler or Transported by him to the West Indies but the imposture of the whâ—le book depends on such positive falsehoods Pag. 12. The Accompt of Thirteen Thousand nine hundred fifty nine Pounds of damages done the Province is made up by the Libeller himself for no man living of truth hath ever demonstrated that Capt Leisler or his friends ever made pillage of any mans Estate but I believe the Libeller recâ—ons that he and his â—acobite party had so much damage by the Revolution which they might Arbitrarily have extorted from the Kings good Subjects iâ— it had not happened Good damages which I am glad of with all my heart At this rate pray what damages had the Popish Clergy of England and Ireland by King WILLIAMS hindering their being restoâ—ed to Abbys Monasterys and Peter Pence but it is better that the Jacobites should suffer damage of their Estates and Lives too than an English Protestant People should have the damage of loosing their Laws and Religion their Properties and their Souls And as for Coll. Willets losses which the Libeller magnifies he could not put a particular Value on them they were so small Had they been considerable he would since have made a particular complaint to have reparation which he never did nor had occasion for but had he been ruined he would not have been pittyed by good men because he so far forgot that he was an English man and Protestant that he Execused an Illegal Commission and raised Forces to destroy all those that declared for our Deliverer that we might return to our Vomit which was a Dog trick in him And thus the Libeller expatiates on Capt. Leislers Arbitrary proceedings over his Majesties Subjects Persons and Estates against the fundamental Laws of the Land but he should have considered that all the fundamental Laws of the Land were wholly subverted and trampled upon by the Hellish Popish Arbitrary Government Established by King James's Commission so that Capt. Leisler found no fundamental Laws to transgress and was forced in discharge of his trust from the People and by and with the consent of those appointed by their Representatives to use these violent methods which Heaven gave him the power to make use of to restore those fundamental Laws which were abolished by tools of the same temper with the Libeller Major Ingoldesby a Captain of a foot Company arrives near two years after saith the Libeller And with several Gentlemen of the Council sends to Capt. Leisler that for the preservation of the Peace he might continue to Command in the Fort until Coll. Slaughter's Arrival and only desired that major Ingoldesby and the Kings Souldiers might be permitted to quarter and refresh themselves in the City but instead of complying he in passion told Mr. Brooke on his acquainting him that Mr. Phillips Coll. Bayard Coll. Cortland were of the Council that they were Papist Dogs and if the King should send Three Thousand of them he would cut them off and without cause Proclaimed open War on which said major Ingoldesby perswaded several of the Inhabitants to joyn with him meerly for self preservation On which several great and small Shot from the Fort killed and wounded several of His Majesties good Subjects who made no opposition This whole Paragraph I shall shew to be the greatest complication of Iniquity and fit to be the production of a Monster begat by an Incubus on a Scotch Witch who had kindled his malice against Truth from the flames he put to the holy Bible thereby to become
the Adopted Son of the father of Lyes For major Ingoldesby having no Commission nor Authority to Command on his Arrival took on him the Title of Commander in Chief usurp'd a shew of Government calling a Council and Issuing peremptory orders as appears by the Records of the Council Book nay quite contrary to the Romantick Account of the Libeller he sent a demand under his own hand which I have seen wherein he acknowledges Capt. Leislers offer to him of his own Houses in the City for the Accommodation of himself and Officers and to appoint fit Quarters for the Souldiers which major Ingoldesby under his hand denyes to accept of saying he demanded the Fort from him which unless Capt. Leisler would deliver up to him he would esteem him as an Enemy to King WILLIAM and Queen MARY I have likewise seen Capt. Leislers Letter to major Ingoldesby full of Civility and true Reason wherein he acquaints him that he held the Fort and Commanded by Virtue of a trust reposed in him by the People and confirmed by His Majesty and assuring him that if he had any Commission from His Majesty or any Instruction or Order from Coll. Slaughter appointed Governour of the Province on his producing it The Fort should be immediately delivered to him but desired to be excused from resigning his trust till he found one qualifyed and authorized to receive it from him But this was not satisfaction to major Ingoldesby who was prevailed with to take the Government on him in opposition to Capt. Leisler and as Governour in Chief although never Impowred by King or People he issues orders to the several Counties to be ready to attend and assist in opposing Leisler and his party with Arms which was the proclaiming open War and pursuant thereto he sends his Rounds in the night and ordered or permitted his Rounds at all hours to pass the guards and centrys on the Walls of the Fort and not to make answer but by reproachful Language when challenged by them in order to provoke the drawing of blood and ingaging the People in a Civil War and farther major Ingoldesby ordered all the men under his Command to wear Marks on their Arms to distinguish them from those who joyned with Capt. Leisler During this Revolution and Civil War I am told not above two persons were killed which happiness attended the moderate temper of Capt. Leisler and the Committee of safety who could not be raised to punish the Insolence of the Tory party suitable to what they gave just occasion for Soon after viz. in March about a Month or five Weeks after major Ingoldesby's usurpation Coll. Slaughter Arrived who Summoned the Fort late at night and contrary to the Libellers assertion it was never denâ—ed to be delivered but the delivery suspended till next Morning it not being propeâ— according to Military Rules to deliver a Fort in the night and then it was Surrendred by Capt. Leisler who waâ—â—ing on the Captain General Coll. Slaughter instead of thanks for the faithful Service he had done His Majesty in defending the Fort and Province from the French our professed Enemies and the Treachery of Papists and Jacobites amongst our selves was immediately by his order Seized with Mr. Milbourn and others of the Loyal party and bound over to answer at the next Supream Court of Judicature where Capt. Leisler and Mr. Milbourn pleaded to the Jurisdiction of the Court That whereas he was in possession of the of the Government by the choice of the People and conâ—â—med in it by the Kings Majesties Letters that he was not bound by Law to answer for his Mal Administration in Goveâ—nmâ—nt to any Court or Authority but to His Majesty who had intrusted him but this was over-ruled by the Violence of the Court without reason or Law and as Muâ—es they were found guilty of High Treason and Murder and although a Reprieve was granted them by Coll. Slaughter until His Majesties pleasure should be known in the matter yet the Violence of the Jacobite party of which sort were most of Capt. 〈◊〉 Judges and Officers of the Court was such that they gave no rest to Coll. Slaughter until by their Importunity they prevailed with him to sign the Dead Warrant And they were Executed accordingly So that the representation of the matter with an account of their Reprieve reached His Majesty at the same time with the account of their Execution and Death So fell Capt. Leisler and Mr. Mâ—â—bourn men of known Integrity Honesty and Loyalty and by a pretended course of Law contrary to all Law condemned where their Judges were most of them violent Enemies of the happy Revolution and therefore resolved to revenge themselves on these Gentlemen who were the most Early and Zealous Instruments of it and who had first expended great part of their Estates and then suffered Martyrdom for King WILLIAM and Queen MARY their Religion and Laws The proofs and papers referred to in this account remain in the hands of Mr. Jacob Leisler only Son of Capt. Jacob Leisler the Martyr to Jacobite Revenge The proof that Capt. Leisler was legally Governour of New-York That major Ingoldesby was but a bear Captain of Foot and had no other command in that Province nor authority to demand the Fort from Capt. Leisler The proof that Capt. Leisler did as a good Subject dâ—liver the Fort to Coll. Slaughter upon demand and his Justification is immediately expressed in the Act of Parliament of England which 〈◊〉 their Attainders and restores their Familieâ— in Blood and Esate So that this is the full and true account of this Tragedy New-York lay under the Curse of an obsolute Government by King James's Commission to Sir Edmund Andross the people took courage on the first News of the Revolution in England and 〈◊〉 off the Oppâ—essers and declared for the Prince of Orange thâ— Lieuâ—enâ—nt Governour the Council and Justices of the Peace which met and calâ—d themselves a Convention being Officers 〈◊〉 by king James would not declare for the Prince of Orange Wherefore the people did not think themselves 〈◊〉 in their hands but Seized upon the Fort and chose Capt. Leisler Commander of the Fort until 〈…〉 procured a return of Representatives of the 〈◊〉 holâ—â—rs of the several Counties of the Province who on their meeting making a Declaration for His present Majesty did under their Hands and Seals constitute Capt. Leisler Commander in Chief until the Kings pleasure should be known and likewise appointed him a Council by the name of a Committee of Safety And in these Persons the Government was lodged who proceeded to support themselves by the most moderate methods could be devised The Lieutenant Governour hereupon withdraws out of the Province major Ingoldesby Arrives with Authority over none but his Foot Company and yet demands the Fort which Capt. Leisler durst not deliver to him without betraying his Trust both to the King and People major Ingoldesby usurps the Title of Commander in Chief he
active in the Revolution putting few or none of them into Office or Employment and wholly adhering to those that gratifyed his Vanity Pride and Covetousness For which in return he gave them countenance in all matters as weâ—l as connivance at their unlawful Trade His Majesty having appointed the Earl of Bellomont Governour of New-York whose great Honour and Justice Coll. Fletcher both knew aâ—d dreaded some considerable time passed between his Patents being passed and his beginning his Voyage which Coll. Fletcher took the advantage oâ— therein to contrive methods so to divide the People of the Government that in Publick disorder he himself might escape having strict Scrutiny made into the Corruptions of his Government he therefore not satisfyed with crushing the Loyalists during his Government was resolved to assist the Publishing this Libel which might give such an Account of the Revolution of New-York as should Exasperate to the highest degree all that were concern'd in it and at the same time assured his Jacobite party that it was necâ—ssary such a book should be Licensed to possess the Strangers who came with my Lord with such falsehoods as were useful to their party my Lord being as he feared inclined to favour whoever was weâ—l inclined to the Loyalty of Leisler So that as is supposed one Mr. Jamâ—â—â—n was employed to frame this Libel who was Clerk of the â—loody Court that Condemned Leisler a person most in the graces of Coll. Fâ—etcher who was in Scotland condemned to dye for Atheism and Burning the Bible and was banished to New-York where he was by Contâ—ibution â—reed from being a Servant and â—ermitted to teach School and being somewhat a Scholar and having good natural sense made use of his wicked parts to teach Blasphemy and Atheism and to ridiâ—ule Sober Religion till he got a Reputation amongst the dissoâ—ute Church of England men whose Liâ—urgie he then would and still doth gabble over with great seeming devotion and up lifted eyes a few hours after he had been Blaspheming Christianity but his form of saying the Common Prayer sâ—fficiently recommended him to Coll. Fletcher so that the Secretary Clarkson was prevailed on to make him his Deputy for a Hundred Pounds a year Rent and Coll. Fletcher gave him Fifty Pounds per Annum Salary out of the Kings Revenue as Clerk of the Council and through all his Government made use of his vile Service and afterwards recommended him to the Earl of Bellomont as one of the honestest men in the Government although at the same time he knew the said Jamison was actually marryed to two Wives tâ—en living This man so qualifyed was intrusted to do this piece of Service but 't is believed the aforemenâ—ioned Coll. Bayard gave him some assistance in furnishing him with some Materials without doubt according to orders no falsehood was balk'd that could serve the cause and so this Libel was hammered out in which there is scarce a Paragraph but what contains one or more Scurâ—ilous Untruths which are delivered with an Highland modesty and peremptorily affirmed to be truth without any proof on purpose to Viâ—ify the Transactions of the Revolution and Massacre over again the Reputation of those whose persons were Murdered Eight years before for their Loyalty and withal the Villany proper to persons who hate the present Government are added to this Account some Servile Votes of the Assembly of New-York made to slatter their new Governour Coll. Slaughâ—â—r who signed these Loyaâ—ists Warrant for Execution and likewise is Printed an order or report God knows how obtained of the Committee of Trade for Jâ—stâ—ying the said Condemâ—ation and Execution But this Libeller contrary to his duty to truth allâ—giance to His Majesty and respect to Laws for he could not hide his Virulency to the present Government takes no notiâ—e of the Act of Parliaâ—ent oâ— England Reversing the Attainders of these Condemned Gentlemen which gives the Lye to his whole Liâ—el Justifies Capt. Leisler as Lawful Governour of New York and in full effect expresses that he was basely Murdered contrary to all Law and Reason for doing his duty as His Majesties Laâ—ful Governour of New York which is the sence of the words of the said Act. But the Libeller did as he was ordered and the book raised the flame it was designed to raise and was carryed to the Press by Mr. Brook who although a Refugee from Ireland and preferred by King WILLIAM to be Collector and Receiver General of the Customes and Revenue of New York and a new-comer thither took upon him to be one of the bloody Judges of this Royalist but is since for betraying his said Trust and neglect of his duty suspended from all his Employs even that of being Judge and one of the Council by the Right Honorable the Earl oâ— Bellomont who was â—is Security for his Collectors place to the Commissioners of the Customs of England but could not bear his treachery to that Trust which he himself had been Instrumental to advance him to And Mr. Wilson late Sheriff of New-York a hot headed despicable fellow who to serve the Tory party contrary to his Oath made a most false Return of Assembly men to serve for the Counties of New-York and Orange in the last Assembly For which palpable breach of his Oath and Trust His Excellency the Earl of Bellomont with consent of the Council suspended him from being Sheriff of New-York But when this Libel was so midwived to the Press by the Kings Collector who was likewise one of the Council and this foresworn Sheriff Then Coll. Fletcher calls the Council where 't is proposed as appears by the Minute of Council that a book being found at the Printers giving an Account of the Revolution of New-York and containing nothing but Truth 'T is resolved Nâ—mine contradicente that it should be Printed But who were the Council who consented to this great piece of Service to His Majesty Why Coll. Fletcher who is supposed to have given orders for its being Written Coll. Bayard of whom enough is said plainly and truly Mr. Brook who carryed it to the Press and was one of Leislers Judges Mr. Pinhorn another of Leislers Judges who is since removed by His Excellency the Earl of Bellomont â—rom being Judge and of the Council for speaking most Scandalous false and reproachful words of His most Sacred Majesty King WILLIAM and for protecting and concealing in his house a Popish Priest and some other Enemies of the Revolution So that to omit the false sordid flatteries given to Coll. Fletcher which are impertinently added by the Libeller it is apparent that there was a wicked conspiracy by this book to give distraction by Printing it just before the Earl of Bellomont's Arrival at New-York and thereby to divide the People and so to disturb Affairs under his Government that there should be no time or opportunity of quickly inquiring into the Corruptions of Coll. Fletchers managements This was the time and design of its Publication these the qualities of the supposed Authors and of the Persons who carryed it to the Press and after this manner by Coll. Fletcher and the afore mentioned of the Council it was permitted to be Printed so that it is no wonder that this book was a Mine Sprung from Hell to blow up the Peace of this Province when so many Sons of Belial in Office and Authority joyned in its Contrivance and Publication who must keep to their nature and not stick at any plain falsehood although it fly in the face of the King Lords and Commons of England and Truth it self that may Exasperate and raise a flame and if possible Murder over again those Martyrs for their Loyalty Capt. Leisler and Mr. Millourn who were barbarously Executed for bravely Asserting the Rights and Liberties of English men against Popish and Arbitrary Government and for their Early and Sincere Affection to His most Sacred Majesty KING WILLIAM whom GOD send long to Reign