reach, not to allow the truth to yield to falsehoods, previously trumped up and invented ; and not to admit any evidence against it, except of such impartial persons as have not either directly or indirectly been injuriously affected by, nor had a hand in, the ruin of New Netherland, nor are otherwise under obligation to it.And with this observation, we proceed to the reasons and sole cause of the evil, which we truly, though briefly and indistinctly set forth in the beginning of our petition to your High Mightinesses.

(25) OF THE REASONS AND CAUSE OF THE GREAT DECAY OP NEW NETHERLAND.

As we shall treat of the reasons and causes by which New Netherland has been reduced to its present low and ruinous condition, so we consider it necessary first to enumerate them separately ; and, in accordance with our daily experience as far as our knowledge extends, we here assert in one word, and none better offers,

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296 NEW- YORK COLONIAL MANUSCRIPTS.

uie*" r^u'in"of"'NVw that tlie causB IS bad govemment with its attendants and consequences. With Neiiieriand. ^^^ j^^gj. \{g\ii ^g canHot pcrceive any other than this to be the sole and true The goveromoni of foundation stoue of the decay and ruin in New Netherland. •' This ° ffovernment New Nelherland i« twofold; ihe orders -which SO much abusc proceeds, is two fold; to wit, in Fatherland by the frgj,-,

'acta Company, and in this Country. We shall first briefly proceed to point out some of tbe Director. Q^ders and mistakes of Fatherland, and afterwards pass to the others, and see how they have here grown up and waxed strong. Sd ^th^lT"^ ""lana I" ^'^^ infancy of this country, the Directors adopted wrong plans and in our '"°"^- opinion looked more to their own profit than to the country's welfare, and trusted more to interested than to sound advice.