ed upon to abjure the iniquitous government of
Peter Stuyvesant over the inhabitants residing on Long
Island. His rule is too grievous for any brave Englishman
and good Christian to tolerate any longer. All honest hearts
that seek the glory of God and his peace and prosperity, are
exhorted to throw off this tyrannical yoke. Accept and
submit ye then to the Parliament of England; and beware of
becoming traitors to one another for the sake of your own
quiet and welfare."

This proclamation did not meet with a cordial response. Underbill fled
to Rhode Island. Here he received from Boston a commission, "to take
all Dutch ships and vessels as shall come into his power, and to
defend himself from the Dutch and all enemies of the commonwealth of
England."

The report of the agents who had visited Manhattan was such that the
General Court at Boston voted that they were not "called upon to make
a present war with the Dutch."

There were eight commissioners from the New England colonies in
Boston. Notwithstanding this decision of the General Court, six of
them were in favor of instant war. They sent back to Governor
Stuyvesant an abusive and defiant reply, in which they said,

"Your confident denials of the barbarous plot with which you are
charged will weigh little in the balance against the evidence, so that
we must still require and seek due satisfaction and security."

The Connecticut colonists were ever looking with a wistful eye to the
rich lands west of them. The Court at New Haven and that at Hartford
sent messengers to Massachusetts to urge that "by war if no other
means will serve, the Dutch, at and about the Manhattoes, who have
been and still are like to prove injurious, may be removed." The
General Court nobly replied, "We cannot act in so weighty a
concernment, as to send forth men to shed blood, unless satisfied that
God calls for it. And then it must be clear and not doubtful."

"In speaking of these events Mr. Brodhead says,

"At the annual meeting of the Commissioners, Massachusetts
maintained her proud position with a firmness which almost
perilled the stability of the confederation. A bitter
altercation, between the representatives of the other
colonies and the General Court, was terminated by an
ambiguous concession which nevertheless averted hostilities.

"The Connecticut governments seemed animated by the most
vindict