The Documentary history of the state of New-York; arranged under direction of the Hon. Christopher Morgan, secretary of State. By E. B. O'Callaghan ...

1044 MEMOIR OF THE
influence the Episcopalians were the leading denomination, the
Dutch Reformed Church came next, and the Presbyterians last;
while in point of numbers their positions were exactly reversed,
the Presbyterians outnumbering the Dutch, and the Dutch the
Episcopalians. The last with most of the Dutch chiefly belonged
to the conservative party; while the remainder of the Dutch,
and the Presbyterians almost to a man, were found in the ranks
of the opposition.
Another and very striking peculiarity in the composition of
the colonial parties, was the remarkable preponderance of the
wealth and social position of the Province on the side of the
conservatives. In their. ranks were found the Philipses, Van
Cortlandts, De Lanceys, Bayards, Crugers, Wattses, Waltons,
Van Rensselaers, Beekmans, Bleeckers, Barclays, Joneses of Long
island, Jays, Verplancks, Harrisons, and other substantial families,
while in those of the opposition, the Livingstons, Moriises,
Alexanders and perhaps the Smiths and one or two more were
probably all that belonged to the same class.
The political contests were consequently warm and spirited,
but always in the end terminated in favor of the conservatives,
one of whiose chief leaders was James De Lancey. The entbrcement of Cosby's claim against Van Dam, and the prosecution
and trial of Zenger, were, however, though both in strict accordance with the principles of Justice and the law of the land,
against the popular feelings, which had been exerted by the cry
that the people's rights were perilled by the establishment of
Equity Courts, and that the liberty of the press was in danger.
This feeling increased largely by the unprincipled attempts
of Gov. Cosby,just before his death in 1736, to invalidate certain
land patents on Long Island and in the Mohawk VTalley, was so
intense that upon the dissolution of the old Assembly, in 1737,
by Lt. Gov. Clark who succeeded him, the radical party carried
the election which immediately followed.
But the triumph of the opposition was of very short duration.
Lt. Gov. Clark, aware that the Council was strongly conservative,
attempted to take a middle course, which lost him the confidence
1 Smith's History of N. Y,; II. 24.