the quaker colonies-第2章

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d　at　the　disposal　of　the　Quakers　55；000　square　miles　of　most　valuable；　fertile　territory；　lacking　only　about　three　thousand　square　miles　of　being　as　large　as　England　and　Wales。　Even　when　cut　down　to　45；000　square　miles　by　a　boundary　dispute　with　Maryland；　it　was　larger　than　Ireland。　Kings　themselves　have　possessed　such　dominions；　but　never　before　a　private　citizen　who　scorned　all　titles　and　belonged　to　a　hunted　sect　that　exalted　peace　and　spiritual　contemplation　above　all　the　wealth　and　power　of　the　world。　Whether　the　obtaining　of　this　enormous　tract　of　the　best　land　in　America　was　due　to　what　may　be　called　the　eternal　thriftiness　of　the　Quaker　mind　or　to　the　intense　desire　of　the　British　Government　to　get　rid　of　these　peopleat　any　cost　might　be　hard　to　determine。

Penn　received　his　charter　in　1681；　and　in　it　he　was　very　careful　to　avoid　all　the　mistakes　of　the　Jersey　proprietary　grants。　Instead　of　numerous　proprietors；　Penn　was　to　be　the　sole　proprietor。　Instead　of　giving　title　to　the　land　and　remaining　silent　about　the　political　government；　Penn's　charter　not　only　gave　him　title　to　the　land　but　a　clearly　defined　position　as　its　political　head；　and　described　the　principles　of　the　government　so　clearly　that　there　was　little　room　for　doubt　or　dispute。

It　was　a　decidedly　feudal　charter；　very　much　like　the　one　granted　to　Lord　Baltimore　fifty　years　before；　and　yet　at　the　same　time　it　secured　civil　liberty　and　representative　government　to　the　people。　Penn　owned　all　the　land　and　the　colonists　were　to　be　his　tenants。　He　was　compelled；　however；　to　give　his　people　free　government。　The　laws　were　to　be　made　by　him　with　the　assent　of　the　people　or　their　delegates。　In　practice　this　of　course　meant　that　the　people　were　to　elect　a　legislature　and　Penn　would　have　a　veto；　as　we　now　call　it；　on　such　acts　as　the　legislature　should　pass。　He　had　power　to　appoint　magistrates；　judges；　and　some　other　officers；　and　to　grant　pardons。　Though；　by　the　charter；　proprietor　of　the　province；　he　usually　remained　in　England　and　appointed　a　deputy　governor　to　exercise　authority　in　the　colony。　In　modern　phrase；　he　controlled　the　executive　part　of　the　government　and　his　people　controlled　the　legislative　part。

Pennsylvania；　besides　being　the　largest　in　area　of　the　proprietary　colonies；　was　also　the　most　successful；　not　only　from　the　proprietor's　point　of　view　but　also　from　the　point　of　view　of　the　inhabitants。　The　proprietorships　in　Maine；　New　Hampshire；　New　Jersey；　and　the　Carolinas　were　largely　failures。　Maryland　was　only　partially　successful；　it　was　not　particularly　remunerative　to　its　owner；　and　the　Crown　deprived　him　of　his　control　of　it　for　twenty　years。　Penn；　too；　was　deprived　of　the　control　of　Pennsylvania　by　William　III　but　for　only　about　two　years。　Except　for　this　brief　interval　（1692…1694）；　Penn　and　his　sons　after　him　held　their　province　down　to　the　time　of　the　American　Revolution　in　1776；　a　period　of　ninety…four　years。

A　feudal　proprietorship；　collecting　rents　from　all　the　people；　seems　to　modern　minds　grievously　wrong　in　theory；　and　yet　it　would　be　very　difficult　to　show　that　it　proved　onerous　in　practice。　Under　it　the　people　of　Pennsylvania　flourished　in　wealth；　peace；　and　happiness。　Penn　won　undying　fame　for　the　liberal　principles　of　his　feudal　enterprise。　His　expenses　in　England　were　so　great　and　his　quitrents　always　so　much　in　arrears　that　he　was　seldom　out　of　debt。　But　his　children　grew　rich　from　the　province。　As　in　other　provinces　that　were　not　feudal　there　were　disputes　between　the　people　and　the　proprietors；　but　there　was　not　so　much　general　dissatisfaction　as　might　have　been　expected。　The　proprietors　were　on　the　whole　not　altogether　disliked。　In　the　American　Revolution；　when　the　people　could　have　confiscated　everything　in　Pennsylvania　belonging　to　the　proprietary　family；　they　not　only　left　them　in　possession　of　a　large　part　of　their　land；　but　paid　them　handsomely　for　the　part　that　was　taken。

After　Penn　had　secured　his　charter　in　1681；　he　obtained　from　the　Duke　of　York　the　land　now　included　in　the　State　of　Delaware。　He　advertised　for　colonists；　and　began　selling　land　at　100　pounds　for　five　thousand　acres　and　annually　thereafter　a　shilling　quitrent　for　every　hundred　acres。　He　drew　up　a　constitution　or　frame　of　government；　as　he　called　it；　after　wide　and　earnest　consultation　with　many；　including　the　famous　Algernon　Sydney。　Among　the　Penn　papers　in　the　Historical　Society　of　Pennsylvania　is　a　collection　of　about　twenty　preliminary　drafts。　Beginning　with　one　which　erected　a　government　by　a　landed　aristocracy；　they　became　more　and　more　liberal；　until　in　the　end　his　frame　was　very　much　like　the　most　liberal　government　of　the　other　English　colonies　in　America。　He　had　a　council　and　an　assembly；　both　elected　by　the　people。　The　council；　however；　was　very　large；　had　seventy…two　members；　and　was　more　like　an　upper　house　of　the　Legislature　than　the　usual　colonial　governor's　council。　The　council　also　had　the　sole　right　of　proposing　legislation；　and　the　assembly　could　merely　accept　or　reject　its　proposals。　This　was　a　new　idea；　and　it　worked　so　badly　in　practice　that　in　the　end　the　province　went　to　the　opposite　extreme　and　had　no　council　or　upper　house　of　the　Legislature　at　all。

Penn's　frame　of　government　contained；　however；　a　provision　for　its　own　amendment。　This　was　a　new　idea　and　proved　to　be　so　happy　that　it　is　now　found　in　all　American　constitutions。　His　method　of　impeachment　by　which　the　lower　house　was　to　bring　in　the　charge　and　the　upper　house　was　to　try　it　has　also　been　universally　adopted。　His　view　that　an　unconstitutional　law　is　void　was　a　step　towards　our　modern　system。　The　next　step；　giving　the　courts　power　to　declare　a　law　unconstitutional；　was　not　taken　until　one　hundred　years　after　his　time。　With　the　advice　and　assistance　of　some　of　those　who　were　going　out　to　his　colony　he　prepared　a　code　of　laws　which　contained　many　of　the　advanced　ideas　of　the　Quakers。　Capital　punishment　was　to　be　confined　to　murder　and　treason；　instead　of　being　applied　as　in　England　to　a　host　of　minor　offenses。　The　property　of　murderers；　instead　of　being　forfeited　to　the　State；　was　to　be　divided　among　the　next　of　kin　of　the　victim　and　of　the　criminal。　Religious　liberty　was　established　as　it　had　been　in　Rhode　Island　and　the　Jerseys。　All　children　were　to　be　taught　a　useful　trade。　Oaths　in　judicial　proceedings　were　not　required。　All　prisons　were　to　be　workhouses　and　places　of　reformation　instead　of　dungeons　of　dirt；　idleness；　and　disease。　This　attempt　to　improve　the　prisons　inaugurated　a　movement　of　great　importance　in　the　modern　world　in　which　the　part　played　by　the　Quakers　is　too　often　forgotten。

Penn　had　now　started　his　〃Holy　Experiment；〃　as　he　called　his　enterprise　in　Pennsylvania；　by　which　he　intended　to　prove　that　religious　liberty　was　not　only　right；　but　that　agriculture；　commerce；　and　all　arts　and　refinements　of　life　would　flourish　under　it。　He　would　break　the　delusion　that　prosperity　and　morals　were　possible　only　under　some　one　particular　faith　established　by　law。　He；　would　prove　that　government　could　be　carried　on　without　war　and　without　oaths；　and　that　primitive　Christianity　could　be　maintained　without　a　hireling　ministry；　without　persecution；　without　ridiculous　dogmas　or　ritual；　sustained　only　by　its　own　innate　power　and　the　inward　light。



Chapter　II。　Penn　Sails　For　The　Delaware

The　framing　of　the　constitution　and　other　preparations　consumed　the　year　following　Penn's　receipt　of　his　charter　in　1681。　But　at　last；　on　August　30；　1682；　he　set　sail　in　the　ship　Welcome；　with　about　a　hundred　colonists。　After　a　voyage　of　about　six　weeks；　and　the　loss　of　thirty　of　their　number　by　smallpox；　they　arrived　in　the　Delaware。　June　would　have　been　a　somewhat　better　month　in　which　to　see　the　rich　luxuriance　of　the　green　meadows　and　forests　of　this　beautiful　river。　But　the　autumn　foliage　and　bracing　air　of　October　must　have　been　inspiring　enough。　The　ship　slowly　beat　her　way　for　three　days　up　the　bay　and　river　in　the　silence　and　romantic　loneliness　of　its　shores。　Everything　indicated　richness　and　fertility。　At　some　points　the　lofty　trees　of　the　primeval　forest　grew　down　to　the　water's　edge。　The　river　at　every　high　tide　overflowed　great　meadows　grown　up　in　reeds　and　grasses　and　red　and　yellow　flowers；　stretching　back　to　the　borders　of　the　forest　and　full　of　water　birds　and　wild　fowl　of　every　variety。　Penn；　now　in　the　prime　of　life；　must　surely　have　been　aroused　by　this　scene　and　by　the　reflection　that　the　noble　river　was　his　and　the　vast　stretches　of　forests　and　mountains　for　three　hundred　miles　to　the　westward。

He　was　soon　ashore；　exploring　the　edge　of　his　mighty　domain；　settling　his　government；　and　passing　his　laws。　He　was　much　pleased　with　the　Swedes　whom　he　found　on　his　land。　He　changed　the　name　of　the　little　Swedish　village　of　Upland；　fifteen　miles　below　Philadelphia；　to　Chester。　He　superintended　laying　out　the　streets　of　Philadelphia　and　they　remain　to　this　day　substantially　as　he　planned　them；　though　unfortunately　too　narrow　and　monotonously　regular。　He　met　the　Indians　at　Philadelphia；　sat　with　them　at　their　fires；　ate　their　roasted　corn；　and　when　to　amuse　him　they　showed　him　some　of　their　sports　and　games　he　renewed　his　college　days　by　joining　them　in　a　jumping　match。

Then　he　started　on　journeys。　He　traveled　through　the　woods　to　New　York；　which　then　belonged　to　the　Duke　of　York；　who　had　given　him　Delaware；　he　visited　the　Long　Island　Quakers；　and　on　his　return　he　went　to　Maryland　to　meet　with　much　pomp　and　ceremony　Lord　Baltimore　and　there　discuss　with　him　the　disputed　boundary。　He　even　crossed　to　the　eastern　shore　of　the　Chesapeake　to　visit　a　Quaker　meeting　on　the　Choptank　before　winter　set　in；　and　he　describes　the　immense　migration　of　wild　pigeons　at　that　season；　and　the　ducks　which　flew　so　low　and　were　so　tame　that　the　colonists　knocked　them　down　with　sticks。

Most　of　the　winter　he　spent　at　Chester　and　wrote　to　England　in　high　spirits　of　his　journeys；　the　wonders　of　the　country；　the　abundance　of　game　and　provisions；　and　the　twenty…three　ships　which　had　arrived　so　swiftly　that　few　had　taken　longer　than　six　weeks；　and　only　three　had　been　infected　with　the　smallpox。　〃Oh　how　sweet；〃　he　says；　〃is　the　quiet　of　these　parts；　freed　from　the　anxious　and　troublesome　solicitations；　hurries　and　perplexities　of　woful　Europe。〃

As　the　weeks　and　months　passed；　ships　kept　arriving　with　more　Quakers；　far　exceeding　the　migration　to　the　Jerseys。　By　summer；　Penn　reported　that　50　sail　had　arrived　within　the　past　year；　80　houses　had　been　built　in　Philadelphia；　and　about　300　farms　had　been　laid　out　round　the　town。　It　is　supposed　that　about　8000　immigrants　had　arrived。　This　was　a　more　rapid　development　than　was　usual　in　the　colonies　of　America。　Massachusetts　and　Virginia　had　been　established　slowly　and　with　much　privation　and　suffering。　But　the　settlement　of　Philadelphia　was　like　a　summer　outing。　There　were　no　dangers；　the　hardships　were　trifling；　and　there　was　no　sickness　or　famine。　There　was　such　an　abundance　of　game　close　at　hand　that　hunger　and　famine　were　in　nowise　to　be　feared。　The　climate　was　good　and　the　Indians；　kindly　treated；　remained　friendly　for　seventy　years。

It　is　interesting　to　note　that　in　that　same　year；　1682；　in　which　Penn　and　his　friends　with　such　ease　and　com