Document: Letter from director Stuyvesant to Messrs. Alrichs and Beeckman

[ Notation: ] Jacob Alrichs and the Vice-Director Willem Beeckman concerning the following from the lord general.

To Jacob Alrichs

and

Willem Beeckman

Noble, Honorable, Wise, Prudent and very Discreet Lords:

With no less regret than astonishment have I seen in the latest transmitted letters and enclosures the frivolous demands of Nathaniel Utie, and your further dealings with him upon such capricious and fabricated instructions; these without day or place, when and where signed or by whose authority or order issued. Worse yet you allowed the aforesaid Utie to sow the seed of sedition and mutiny among the commonality for four or five days, without demanding of him the reason and commission for his appearance there until the fifth day after his arrival; granting him an audience immediately upon his request and promising in a document signed by the entire council to supply a more detailed and extensive reply to his frivolous demands within three weeks. All this from his mere threatening utterances, without the presentation of papers showing by whom he was commissioned; indeed, showing signs of bad judgment and great discouragement because of the demands, even giving spirit and courage to the demanding party who deserved more to be treated as a spy, arrested and sent here than to be given a hearing upon such frivolous and fabricated instructions without commission. In order to deprive the aforesaid spy of all hope, it is necessary, because of the proceedings already carried out and your writings,.both for the redress of the one as well as the proper maintenance of the other, to commission and send to your place the bearers of this; our dear, beloved and trusted Mr. Cornelis van Ruyven, secretary, and Captain Marten Crieger, executive mayor of this city, who are to arrange matters as much as possible pursuant to the commission and instructions issued them.[1] In addition we are sending such a military force under the command and leadership of the aforesaid Captain Crieger, which can hardly be spared at the present time because of the country's situation. It is herewith requested that these our commissioners be received, respected and accepted as our own representatives in the execution of their instructions, giving them every assistance and obedience upon which we rely- After cordial greetings, we commend you to God's protection and care, I remain

[ Notation: ] After finding the state of affairs here as related hereafter in letter No. 15, we dispatched Mr. Augustinus Heermans and company to Maryland with the following commission.[2]

P. Stuyvesant