rged
him with seeking war that he might "make a wrong reckoning with the
colony," and reproached him with selfish cowardice.

"It is all well for you," they said, "who have not slept out of a fort a
single night since you came, to endanger our lives and homes in
undefended places."

The autocrat was transformed by the bold attitude of the people. Reason
dawned upon his dull brain, and he invited all the heads of families in
New Amsterdam to meet him in convention to consult upon public affairs.
The result of this invitation was the selection of twelve men to act as
representatives for the people, which formed the first popular assembly
and first representative congress for political purposes in the New
Netherlands. Thus were planted the seeds of a representative democracy,
in the year 1641, almost on the very spot where, a century and a half
later, our great republic, founded upon similar principles, was
inaugurated, when Washington took the oath of office as the first
president of the United States.

These twelve representatives of the people chose De Vries as president
of their number. To that body the governor submitted the question
whether the murderer of the wheelwright ought to be demanded of his
chief, and whether, in case of the chief's refusal, the Dutch ought to
make war upon his tribe and burn the village wherein he dwelt. The
twelve counselled peace and proceeded to consider the propriety of
establishing a government similar to that of the fatherland. To this the
governor cunningly agreed to make popular concessions if the twelve
would authorize him to make war on the offending tribe at the proper
time, to which they foolishly assented. Then the surly governor
dissolved them, saying he had no further use for them, and forbade any
popular assemblage thereafter.

Next spring (1642) Kieft sent an expedition against the offending
tribe, but a treaty disappointed his thirst for military glory. The
river Indians were tributary to the Mohawks, and in midwinter, 1643, a
large party of the Iroquois came down to collect by force of arms
tribute which had not been paid. The natives along the lower Hudson, to
the number of about five hundred, fled before the invaders, taking
refuge with the Hackensacks at Hoboken and craving the protection of the
Dutch. At the same time many of the offending Westchester tribe, and
others fled to Manhattan and took refuge with the Hollanders. De Vries
thought this a good opportunity