sentence dated the 28th April last past, as appears by the
signature of the before-named Sr. A. van Hardenberch, from
which sentence no appeal can be had, as is proven to him by
the States General and His Highness of Orange: Therefore the
Director General and Council of New Netherland, regarding the
dangerous consequences tending to injure the supreme authority
of this land's magistracy, condemn the before-named Arnold van
Herdenberch to pay forthwith a fine of 25 guilders, or to be
imprisoned until the penalty be paid; as an example to others."
Now, if one know the lion from his paw, he can see that these
people do not spare the name of Their High Mightinesses, His
Highness of Orange, the honor of the magistrates, nor the words,
"dangerous consequences," "an example to others," and other such
words, to play their own parts therewith. We have therefore
placed this act by the side of that which was committed against
the minister Doughty. Many more similar cases would be found
in the record, if other things were always rightly inserted in
it, which is very doubtful, the contrary sometimes being observed.
It appears then sufficiently that everything has gone on rather
strangely. And with this we will leave the subject and pass on
to the government of Director Stuyvesant, with a single word,
however, touching the sinister proviso incorporated in the
ground-briefs, as the consequences may thence be very well
understood. Absolute grants were made to the people by the
ground-briefs, and when they thought that everything was right,
and that they were masters of their own possessions, the ground-
briefs were demanded from them again upon pretence that there
was something forgotten in them; but that was not it. They
thought they had incommoded themselves in giving them, and
therefore a proviso was added at the end of the ground-brief,