In the actual career of more than one of them, that wonderful character, "The Spy," of Cooper s famous fiction, had its substantial prototype. Some of them, by their active and efficient services to the Continental cause, made themselves so especially obnoxious to the British authorities, that the latter offered money rewards for their capture ; in one instance, at least, that is, in case of a single individual, as high as one hundred pounds.

Through untold toil, hardship and suffering they remained ever constant. It was of them that the English General Ilowe said : "I can "do nothing with this Dutch population ; I can neither buy them with "money nor conquer them with force;" words of highest eulogy, fit even to be engraved upon this monument as their filial and truthful epitaph.

I11 may be well for us to listen to what they themselves so modestly and pathetically said of their own fidelity and sufferings.

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MONUM ENT DEDICATION.

One hundred and fifteen years ago last January, they presented to the Legislature of this State their humble petition, in which they spoke of themselves in these words :

" This Petition humbly showeth:

" That your petitioners since the commencement of the present ."contest have exerted ourselves to the utmost of our abilities, and by "our indefatigable efforts in the cause in which we are engaged have "hitherto kept possession of the ground, although the difficulties we "have had to surmount are perhaps without a parallel. Jt is well "known to several members of your honorable Houses that our landlord "in the first of these troubles, espoused our cause, but soon after sent " up a writing purporting a protest against Congresses and Committees, "which he enjoined us, the inhabitants, to sign, or we should labor "under his displeasure; but disregarding his threats, the inhabitants "had a meeting, and concluded not to sign the paper ; and not long "after we were all summoned to meet Mr.