Keyser were accused of conspiring with Stuyvesant and Baxter to subvert the government of Rhode Island.
No less surprised was Herrman when the letter was read, for among other things which Stuyvesant had written was a proposition made to Governor Coddington to send an army from New Amsterdam to aid the English governor in subduing his own colony.[1]
The indignation ran so high in the Rhode Island General Assembly that the two representatives of Stuyvesant were arrested and obliged to give bail to the amount of one hundred pounds,[2] each until they could prove that they were innocent of the crime connoted by the contents of the letter. This put Herrman in a very awkward position, for at the time he was just beginning to recover from his financial depression, and with all his close friends hard pressed for funds. They were finally released from confinement at Newport. Upon returning to New Amsterdam, Stuyvesant refused to see either Herrman or Keyser; but after much trouble they were able to procure letters proving them innocent of intention to start an insurrection in Rhode Island and ignorant of the contents of the ridiculous letter.
“The Director, Van Tienhoven and Baxter”, wrote Herrman, “still remain great amigos and companions daily resorting each others company to the great suspicion and probability of what is above related.”[3]
- ↑ One can well doubt the authenticity that Stuyvesant wrote the letter. The whole thing does not make sense. It might be regarded as a practical joke on the part of either Baxter or Van Tienhoven. Or was Stuyvesant himself above such a prank?
- ↑ This sum would represent about twenty-five hundred dollars of present day money. See Bruce, P. A. Econ. Hist. of Virginia in 17th century.
- ↑ Doc. rel. Col. Hist. N. Y., Vol. I. pp. 497–98.
