160 DUTCH AND ENGLISH ON THE HUDSON

best Protestant subjects in the Province. He impris-
oned whom he feared, without any other cause than
that their integrity to ye Protestant interest, and fidelity
to their Majesties, became a terroire to him; some of
them after a tedious confignment, without collour of
law, he whipt and branded; and some he kept in duresse
so long as he held ye fort.

Upon one point, both the followers and oppo-
nents of Leisler agreed: there was no Dutch plot
behind this revolution. "The notion of a Dutch
plott cannot be applicable to Leisler and his ad-
herents," said Bayard; "the much greater part of
Albany which wholly consists of Dutch people,
and all the men of best repute for religion, estatte,
and integrity of the Dutch nacon, throughout the
whole Province, having alwaies been manifestly
against Leisler and his society, in all their illegall
and irregular proceedings.'5 To these representa-
tions their Majesties' advisers made no reply, but
the appointment of Governor of New York was
given to Colonel Henry Sloughter, "a profligate,
needy, and narrow minded adventurer," the selec-
tion of whom did little credit to the wisdom of
William of Orange. All the papers from both
factions were committed to this inefficient officer
with instructions to examine the allegations strictly
and impartially and to make a true report.