The Indians loudly, and with one accord, demanded the right to purchase fire-arms.  For years they had been constantly making such purchases, either through the colonists at Rensselaerswyck, or from private traders.  It was feared that the persistent refusal to continue the supply, might again instigate them to hostilities.  The Directors of the West India government therefore intimated that “it was the best policy to furnish them with powder and ball, but with a sparing hand.”

Stuyvesant ordered a case of guns to be brought over from Holland.  They were landed openly at fort Amsterdam and placed under the care of an agent of the governor.  Thus Stuyvesant himself was to monopolize the trade, which was extremely lucrative; for the Indians would pay almost any price for guns, powder and shot.  This increased the growing dissatisfaction.  The Indians would readily exchange skins to the amount of forty dollars for a gun, and of four dollars for a pound of powder.

“The governor,” it was said,

“assumes to be everything.  He establishes shops for himself and does the business of the whole country.  He is a brewer and has breweries.  He is a ship-owner, a merchant, and a trader in both lawful and contraband articles.”

The Nine Men persisted in their resolve to send a remonstrance to the fatherland.  The memorial was signed and forwarded the latter part of July.  In this important document, which first gave a brief account of the past history of the colony, the administration of Stuyvesant was reviewed with much severity.

“In our opinion,” said the remonstrants,

“this country will never flourish under the present government.  The country must be provided with godly, honorable and intelligent rulers, who are not very indigent, and who are not too covetous.  The mode in which this country is now governed is intolerable.  Nobody is secure in his property longer than the Director pleases, who is generally strongly inclined to confiscating.  A good population would be the consequence of a good government.  Many would be allured here by the pleasantness, situation, salubrity and fruitfulness of the country, if protection were secured.”

Three of the signers were deputed to convey the remonstrance to the Hague and lay it before the authorities there.  The pastor of the church at Manhattan, Domine Backerus, returned to Holland with the commissioners.  He was greatly dissatisfied with the regime of the governor, and upon his arrival in Holland, joined the complainants.