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42 Governor Uongan in New York. [1074- As might have been expected, the political aspirations of the inhabitants of New York were not unaffected by the neighbourhood of the virtually self-governing communities of New England, with whose members many of them were connected by similar habits of life and thought, and even, in some cases, by ties of blood. It was only natural that they should demand similar political institutions. Such a demand was made before the Dutch re-conquest and the governorship of Lovelace, and it was renewed under his successor Andros. The Duke's reply thoroughly illustrates his whole attitude towards popular rights. Why, he said, should the settlers want more than they had ? Such legislative powers as would be vested in an elective assembly were already enjoyed by the Court of Assize, composed of his nominees the magistrates. An elective assembly would probably be composed mainly of the same men. A demand for good government was a thing which James could under- stand and, according to his lights, sympathise with : a demand for constitutional safeguards was beyond his comprehension. In 1683 Andros was succeeded by one of the ablest men who had yet appeared in the field of colonial politics, Thomas Dongan. By this time successive governors of Canada had entered on a policy of resolute and continuous aggression. Not only were they organising their own Indian subjects into an instrument of attack, but they were undermining the loyalty of the Five Nations, hitherto the trusty allies of England. The valley of the Hudson was the key of the English position ; and on the governor of New York, more than on any other official, fell the burden and responsibility of resistance. Dongan had personally no friendly feeling to France. As a young man he had served in the French army and had been, as he considered, treated with injustice. Roman Catholic though he was, we may be satisfied that his religion did not interfere with his inclination to thwart the designs of France, since not even among the Puritans of New England do we find a trace of any distrust of him on that ground. The key-note of Dongan's anti-French policy was a firm alliance with the Five Nations. On three occasions he met the Iroquois chiefs in formal conclave, and he effectively counteracted the intrigues by which successive governors of Canada were trying to win them over. It was Dongan's policy, too, that the alliance should be a fact fully recognised and proclaimed in the face of France. In no spirit of mere empty ceremonial he induced the chiefs of the Five Nations to set up the arms of the Duke of York over their wigwams. Dongan, however, did not limit his defensive policy to strengthening the Mohawk alliance. Albany and Schenectady were palisaded. The home government was invited to establish a chain of forts along the western frontier of the English settlements and to consolidate Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey, so as to form an effective scheme of defence. It was perhaps even more important that Dongan induced James to send a despatch to the French