The friends of Zenger secretly secured the services of Andrew Hamilton, a distinguished lawyer of Philadelphia, who pleaded his cause to good effect, and showed that Zenger had only spoken as any man had a right to speak, and had pointed out wrongs where wrongs existed.  Justice De Lancey, remembering that his friend the Governor had made him Chief-Justice, told the jury that they must find Zenger guilty.  But the jury pronounced him not guilty.  Thus the freedom of the press was established, and the jury, by their verdict, had opposed the Governor, his council, the Assembly, and the judge before whom the accused had been tried.

About this time Lord Augustus Fitzroy, youngest son of the Duke of Grafton, came from England to visit Governor Cosby.  The Governor thanked him for having honored New York with his presence, and told him that the city was open and invited him to go where he pleased.  Lord Augustus did not go far.  He fell in love with the Governor’s daughter.  He did more than fall in love, for one day he induced a minister to climb over the fort wall and marry him to her, without leave or license.  The friends of the young nobleman were shocked, for the Governor’s daughter was considered beneath him in rank.  Governor Cosby was accused of having brought about this unequal match, although Lord Augustus said that it was the lady’s winning ways and pretty face.

Cosby, after the Zenger trial, did what he could to check the liberty of the citizens, but was soon stricken with a fatal illness.  On his death-bed he called together the members of his council, and suspended his old enemy, Rip Van Dam, who would have been his successor until another Governor was appointed.  And having done this he died, on March 10, 1736, leaving a quarrelsome state of affairs behind him.

CHAPTER XVII

Concerning the negro plot

The citizens were so far from being pleased when they learned that Rip Van Dam was not to act in the Governor’s place, that, for a time, it looked very much as though there would be a riot.  There was a member of the Assembly named George Clarke, and when his fellow-members chose him for the place that Rip Van Dam should have had, there was more grumbling.  But as no Governor came from England for seven years, Clarke looked after the province all that time.  He was an easy-going man, who tried by every possible means to make friends.  There was one happening in particular by which he is remembered.  It was called the Negro Plot.

Slaves had been brought to the city, until now there were 2,000 of them.  The 8,000 citizens were in constant dread lest the negroes should some day rise up in revolt.  Early in the spring of the year 1741 several fires occurred in different parts of the city, and the citizens felt quite sure that the slaves had started them.  As the hours passed, the idea of a plot grew until it seemed a fact.  Then a reward was offered to anyone who would tell of a conspiracy or of anyone concerned in one.