When Sloughter arrived, members of the party opposed to Leisler hurried
on board the vessel, and escorted him to the City Hall, where at
midnight he took the oath of office.

Within a few days Governor Sloughter and his friends met in the City
Hall, where the council of the new Governor was sworn in--a council
every member of which was an enemy of Leisler. Then Leisler was
arrested, with his son-in-law, Milborne, and both were condemned to
death as rebels. But the Governor was afraid of displeasing the King by
putting Leisler to death, for, after all, Leisler was the man who had
been the first to recognize the authority of King William in New York.
He refused to sign the death-warrant. But the enemies of Leisler were
not content. Nicholas Bayard, who had become more than ever bitter
because he had been kept for thirteen months in prison, was anxious for
revenge. The council urged the Governor to carry out the sentence, and
he finally signed the death-warrant. Two days later Leisler and Milborne
were led to execution. The scaffold had been erected in Leisler's own
garden, close by where the post-office is now. The people thronged about
it, standing in the cold, drizzling rain. They wept, for many of them
had been on the side of Leisler.

[Illustration: Sloughter Signing Leisler's Death-warrant.]

Leisler ascended the scaffold with firm step, and looked at the people
he had tried to serve.

"What I have done has been for the good of my country," he said, sadly.
"I forgive my enemies, as I hope to be forgiven."

And so he died; believing that he had done his duty.