of taxation with the governor, and the Eight Men under Kieft had possessed very little influence and had commanded less popular respect. The leading men of the village at the time of Stuyvesant’s arrival determined that the governor’s council should be a real force in the administration of the province. Upon learning how far the republican principles of government had diffused themselves among the people, Stuyvesant determined to act without delay. Thus began that memorable rule of Peter Stuyvesant, consisting of a long series of heated verbal battles, threats and remonstrances, hatreds, personal jealousies and family feuds; all of which was eventually to culminate in the downfall of Dutch power in North America.
Stuyvesant’s first act was to reorganize the council, naming to it Van Dincklage, the vice director; Van Dyck, the fiscal; Commissary Keyser; Captain Bryan Newton; La Montagne; and the provincial secretary, Cornelius Van Tienhoven.[1] The treasury was extremely low and Stuyvesant thought it wise to replenish it by popular taxation. The people, remembering the grand principle of the Fatherland, replied to Stuyvesant’s plan, “Taxation only by consent”. The people did not consent and not a guilder went into the public coffers. The Governor in the meantime had received intelligence of an Indian war; and remembering how ill equipped the burgers were for warfare, decided to compromise for this one time at least. The Council recommended the principle of representation as the best way to levy taxes; so in this manner, “Necessity produced concession and prerogative yielded to popular rights”.[2] Technically, at least, Stuyvesant lost his first battle.
On September 25, 1647 the following nine popular tribunes were sworn, “to conduct themselves reasonably and be faithful
