Who amongst us, my friends, the descendants and kindred of
Louis DuBois are making a record which shall be, two hundred
years hence, as worthy of commemoration, as this? It would seem that the
church believed in the democratic method of choosing officers, but under the
restriction and safeguard of qualified voters. By another authentic document
we are in no doubt as to the faith or policy of the infant church. Huguenots
did not use language to disguise the sense, or follow a serpentine policy to
escape responsibility.
The Hasbrouck manuscript informs us that "the
inhabitants of New Paltz assembled together and formed themselves into a
congregation by the name of the Walloon Protestant Church, after the matter
and discipline of the Church of Geneva. "And afterward, when the French
tongue declined and the Dutch came into use, they were still found "using
and holding the discipline as at first. "However, "during the life
of the patentees, divine service was always held in the French language, and
many years afterwards." Rev. Daillie continued pastor of the church
during all the time in which Louis DuBois resided at New Paltz.
The church itself has long and honorable outlived its founders; a long and
worthy line of pastors and elders have followed. Fifteen ministers (including
three supplies) have served here. Their labors have filled this whole region
with happy gospel fruits. No Romish fane desecrates this broad domain.
This
noble church edifice is the fifth in succession from the little log church of
our fathers. The superstructure rests on the stone basement, and a number of
the larger stones are from the old wall, religiously preserved because of the
old initials of the founders carved upon them, as HB for Hasbrouck, DB for
DuBois, LF for LeFevre, etc.
The congregations of New Hurley, Highland, Guilford. Rosendale
and Dashville have gone out from the mother-church of New Paltz. While naming
these churches in the immediate neighborhood, we cannot forget those in
Monmouth and Salem counties, New Jersey, Bucks in Pennsylvania; Staten Island,
Poughkeepsie, Fishkill, New York, and churches in Ohio and other States. The
principles upon which this church and this community were founded. Being
Divinely appointed, were Divinely blessed.
After a residence of ten years at New Paltz, Louis DuBois returned to
Kingston. Where many of his old French friends still live.*He bought a
"house and homelott" on DERRICK SCHOEPMES. On the north-west corner
of east Front and John streets, and there spent the remaining ten years of his
life.
Louis DuBois left two wills, respecting which I quote from the
"Record,"as follows:--
"Two wills-one of which was 'the last will and testament,' and that
afterwards changed by a codicil--are extant.The first is in English. the last
is in Dutch; both of them, no doubt, first meditated in French. They both
contain a curious provision, which may afford some insight into Louis'
peculiarities of mind.
In 1686, he writes:"My wife shall have the ordering of the estates; that
is to say, to have the profits and perquisites of the same, so long as she
remaineth a widow. but in case she cometh to remarry, then she shall have the
right half of the whole estate, either land, houses or any other goods; and
the other half shall be amongst the children as above-said, equally
dealt" etc. In 1694, he dictates the same bequest, though in another
language.
"In the usual forecast of dying husbands, we expect to read:
ln case
she cometh to remarry. then she shall have her lawful dower. and no more.' It
is refreshing to meet with the above act of generosity, and find it persisted
in. Indeed, it amounted to a premium upon second marriage, of which, however,
Catharine did not avail herself. She was also appointed executrix of the
will."
This wife was that Catharine Blanshan whom he had led to the altar in the old
Protestant church of Mannheim, on Sunday, October 10. 1655. **Well and
faithfully, we may believe. did these venerable ancestors of ours keep the
marriage vow:and amid persecutions.Perils of the sea and the wilderness, among
savage captors and impending death--they had been the entire world to one
another"
A most interesting trait appears in the solemn introduction to his last will
(says the 'Record'). which we will give in Dutch and English:--
'Vor eerst geef ik myn ziel aen de Almagtige Godt myn schepper, en Jesus
Christus myn verlosser, en aends Hylige Geest myn hyligmaker. en myn lichaam
tot de aarde van veer het saelve gecomen is.' etc.
For the first, I give my soul to the Almighty God my maker, and Jesus Christ
my redeemer, and to the Holy Ghost my sanctifier; and my body to the earth
whence it came,' etc. "There is here no dealing in generalities. but a very explicit expression
of faith in Jesus Christ and the Triune God.
"The estate was divided into eight equal parts. among the following
legatees: Abraham, Jacob, David, Solomon, Louis, Matthew; children of Isaac,
deceased:and children of Sarah, deceased. But in the codicil there were
specific bequests altering this method. though probably preserving an
equality. The farm at Hurley was divided between Jacob and Matthew.
"And now the time came that Louis DuBois must die. He had accomplished
bout-sixty six years upon the earth; he had lived in France, Germany and
America; he had endured many sore trials and enjoyed many great blessings. He
had trained up a large family, and they were well settled in life. From first to last, he had shown himself a man of singular energy of character and piety
of heart and life. He was identified with almost the first settlement of this
new world, and has given us an early title to the American name.
"The will of Louis having been proved on 23d June, 1696, we may conclude
he died in that same month and year. and no doubt was buried in the ground of
the Dutch church at Kingston ."***
In concluding this sketch of Louis DuBois, I have but little to add by of
general remark. His active life, and the valuable results which have flowed
from it. must control our opinions of the man. His works do follow him.I shall
here be content with quoting few testimonials to his character. The first, by
a descendant of his now among us, Mr. William E. DuBois. has just been given.
The second is from the History of the Huguenot Church of New Paltz. by Dr.
Charles H. Stitt, a former pastor here. He says: His long settlement in this
country. as well as his strong mind and devoted piety, seem to have
constituted him a sort of civil and religious leader in the infant
colony." But with more satisfaction do I refer to the fact from which our
invitation to this happy assembly sprung, that by the free votes of those who
knew him best, he was elected the first elder of this church. Men have
struggled at the sacrifice of everything useful and holy to win a throne; but
thus secured, I count the throne a far lower seat than the elders' bench, and
descent from such a sire more honorable than the blood of perjured,
persecuting kings.
The history of the New Paltz church, as well as the history of numerous other
churches and communities in which the descendants of Louis DuBois have labored
and in which the Huguenot element has been influential, proves the true
vitality of protestantism, and that it is capable. not only of forming but
also of maintaining, through successive generations. the best forms of civil,
social and religious life. I refer with pride to the fact that the faith of
our Huguenot ancestors is today the faith of all the churches in which their
descendants have been influential.
This is matter of thankfulness to God, and
not of boasting in ourselves. The fact is wholly due to those divine
principles which our fathers embraced at the cost of everything dear to them
but life, and at life's imminent and constant hazard.
I thank God that Louis
DuBois was the father of such a numerous and staunch progeny of protestants.
That persecuting church--that fell conspiracy against man's liberty and God's
supreme honor--has no successful disguises against the children of those who
tasted the sweets of romanism in the lass of all their civil rights. and all
their estates; in the ashes of their burnt dwellings. in the tears and blood
of their dearest kindred. Not withstanding all her professions, while Romanism
remains in America in 1875 precisely what she was in France in 1675, and
boasts that she is unchanged, shall we adopt a blind charity, to our certain
ruin? Rome would devour us here as voraciously as she did there, had she the
power, and were it politic. You may not believe it; I pray God you, or your
children may not see the triumph of Antichrist.
I cannot close this account better than by making use of the same eloquent
paragraph from Webster, which the "Record" appropriately quotes in
the same connection: "Poetry has fancied nothing in the wanderings of
heroes so distinct and characteristic. Here was man, indeed, unprotected and
unprovided for, on the shore of a wide and fearful wilderness; but it was
politic, intellectual and educated man. Everything was civilized but the
physical world. Institutions containing in substance. all that ages had done
for human government, were established in a forest. Cultivated mind was to act
upon uncultivated nature; and, more than all, a government and a country were
to commence with the very first foundations laid under the divine light of the
Christian religion.
Happy auspices of a happy futurity.Who could wish that his country's existence
had otherwise begun? who would desire to go back to the ages of fable? who
would wish for an origin obscured in the darkness of antiquity?
Who could wish for other emblazonings of his country's heraldry. or other
ornaments of her genealogy. than to be able to say that her first existence
was with intelligence, her first breath the inspiration of liberty, her first
principle the truth of divine religion?"
Brethren, descendants and kindred of Louis DuBois.-
REST YE IN THE FAITH OF YOUR FATHERS
* All of the Frenchmen of Kingston did not go to
New Paltz; so that Louis had "company" in one place as well as the
other. We find the following names on Kingston records, which are not on those
of Paltz : Perrine,Dumont, Delarmater,Lagransie, De la Montagne, Gacheric,
Fanuell, Fauconnier, Bonnemere, De la Valic, Gabai, Poiticra, Saurnaine, Le
Maitre, Lachaire, Debuisson, Vallon, Conche, Petit, Gallais, Laconte, Dupuy. It
cost me some labor to hunt these out, and future inquirers may find here a
clue.-(Senior Ed.)
** It was a Huguenot custom to celebrate marriage on the Sabbath, and at the
communion service. The ceremony was long, including the reading of Scripture, a
lecture on the nature and duties of the marriage relation, and addresses to both
bride and bridegroom, followed by the prayer and official blessing of the
clergyman. At the close the groom implanted a hearty kiss upon the bride's lips,
as though each would pledge the other that thereafter no word but of sympathy, kindness
and love should be spoken.
***It seems pretty certain that Catharine survived her husband about ten years,
as in April, 1706, the heirs completed the partition or the estate, by executing
certain releases according to the tenor of the codicil, Matthias Blancon (or
Blanshan, as he wrote) was no doubt her brother. He settled
at Hurley, and left four daughters and a son.--[SENIOR ED]
Who among us would want to have lived in the
ages of Louis duBois and his countrymen as they struggled with life in the New
World?
Food for thought from the WEBMASTER.
{a direct lineal descendant of Louis duBois}
