CHAPTER XI

GOVERNOR FLETCHER and the PRIVATEERS

When Benjamin Fletcher became the next Governor of New York, in the
month of August, 1692, the people gave a great public dinner in his
honor, and there were expressions of deep joy that so wise and good
and pious a man had been sent to rule over them.

But Governor Fletcher soon came to be disliked. He tried by every means
to enrich himself at the public expense. More than that, he wished to
make the Church of England the only church of the province, and to have
the English language the only language spoken. All of which the people
did not like, for the majority of them still spoke the Dutch language
and attended the Dutch church.

Governor Fletcher had great trouble in getting the Assembly (the body
of men who helped him to govern the province) to agree with him, but he
finally won them over in the matter of the Church of England. One of the
churches built at this time was Trinity Church. It was a quaint, square
building, with a tall spire--not the Trinity Church of this day,
although it stood on the same spot.

[Illustration: Bradford's Tombstone.]

In the year after Fletcher came, the first printing-press was set up
in the city by William Bradford, who came from Philadelphia for that
purpose. He became the public printer, and afterward issued the first
newspaper. He did a great deal for the general good, and when he died he
was buried in Trinity Church-yard. Even now you can see the stone that
marks his grave, close by the side-entrance of the present church.

During much of the time that Fletcher governed, the French in Canada
were continually threatening to fight with the English in New York.
There were fierce and bloody conflicts on the border, but no enemy
reached the city. There was also another danger that grew stronger day
by day. It came about as the result of privateering.

A privateer was a vessel which under commission from one country,
carried on war with the ships of other countries. The captains were
called privateers, as were the ships. These privateers were so
successful that they grew bold, and instead of attacking only the ships
of enemies of their country, they threw away their commissions and
attacked ships of all countries for their private gain. Then they were
called pirates. They became robbers and murderers, for they murdered as
well as robbed. These pirates bore down upon the ships of all nations,
carried off their cargoes, then