the quaker colonies-第7章

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John　Bartram；　who　was　the　first　botanist　to　describe　the　plants　of　the　New　World　and　who　explored　the　whole　country　from　the　Great　Lakes　to　Florida；　was　a　Pennsylvania　Quaker　of　colonial　times；　farmer　born　and　bred。　Thomas　Godfrey；　also　a　colonial　Pennsylvanian；　was　rewarded　by　the　Royal　Society　of　England　for　an　improvement　which　he　made　in　the　quadrant。　Peter　Collinson　of　England；　a　famous　naturalist　and　antiquarian　of　early　times；　was　a　Quaker。　In　modern　times　John　Dalton；　the　discoverer　of　the　atomic　theory　of　colorblindness；　was　born　of　Quaker　parents；　and　Edward　Cope；　of　a　well…known　Philadelphia　Quaker　family；　became　one　of　the　most　eminent　naturalists　and　paleontologists　of　the　nineteenth　century；　and　unaided　discovered　over　a　third　of　the　three　thousand　extinct　species　of　vertebrates　recognized　by　men　of　science。　In　the　field　of　education；　Lindley　Murray；　the　grammarian　of　a　hundred　years　ago；　was　a　Quaker。　Ezra　Cornell；　a　Quaker；　founded　the　great　university　in　New　York　which　bears　his　name；　and　Johns　Hopkins；　also　a　Quaker；　founded　the　university　of　that　name　in　Baltimore。

Pennsylvania　deserves　the　credit　of　turning　these　early　scientific　pursuits　to　popular　uses。　The　first　American　professorship　of　botany　and　natural　history　was　established　in　Philadelphia　College；　now　the　University　of　Pennsylvania。　The　first　American　book　on　a　medical　subject　was　written　in　Philadelphia　by　Thomas　Cadwalader　in　1740；　the　first　American　hospital　was　established　there　in　1751；　and　the　first　systematic　instruction　in　medicine。　Since　then　Philadelphia　has　produced　a　long　line　of　physicians　and　surgeons　of　national　and　European　reputation。　For　half　a　century　after　the　Revolution　the　city　was　the　center　of　medical　education　for　the　country　and　it　still　retains　a　large　part　of　that　preeminence。　The　Academy　of　Natural　Sciences　founded　in　Philadelphia　in　1812　by　two　inconspicuous　young　men；　an　apothecary　and　a　dentist；　soon　became　by　the　spontaneous　support　of　the　community　a　distinguished　institution。　It　sent　out　two　Arctic　expeditions；　that　of　Kane　and　that　of　Hayes；　and　has　included　among　its　members　the　most　prominent　men　of　science　in　America。　It　is　now　the　oldest　as　well　as　the　most　complete　institution　of　its　kind　in　the　country。　The　Franklin　Institute；　founded　in　Philadelphia　in　1824；　was　the　result　of　a　similar　scientific　interest。　It　was　the　first　institution　of　applied　science　and　the　mechanic　arts　in　America。　Descriptions　of　the　first　2900　patents　issued　by　the　United　States　Government　are　to　be　found　only　on　the　pages　of　its　Journal；　which　is　still　an　authoritative　annual　record。

Apart　from　their　scientific　attainments；　one　of　the　most　interesting　facts　about　the　Quakers　is　the　large　proportion　of　them　who　have　reached　eminence；　often　in　occupations　which　are　supposed　to　be　somewhat　inconsistent　with　Quaker　doctrine。　General　Greene；　the　most　capable　American　officer　of　the　Revolution；　after　Washington。　was　a　Rhode　Island　Quaker。　General　Mifflin　of　the　Revolution　was　a　Pennsylvania　Quaker。　General　Jacob　Brown；　a　Bucks　County　Pennsylvania　Quaker；　reorganized　the　army　in　the　War　of　1819。　and　restored　it　to　its　former　efficiency。　In　the　long　list　of　Quakers　eminent　in　all　walks　of　life；　not　only　in　Pennsylvania　but　elsewhere；　are　to　be　found　John　Bright；　a　lover　of　peace　and　human　liberty　through　a　long　and　eminent　career　in　British　politics；　John　Dickinson　of　Philadelphia；　who　wrote　the　famous　Farmer's　Letters　so　signally　useful　in　the　American　Revolution；　Whittier；　the　American　poet；　a　Quaker　born　in　Massachusetts　of　a　family　converted　from　Puritanism　when　the　Quakers　invaded　Boston　in　the　seventeenth　century；　and　Benjamin　West；　a　Pennsylvania　Quaker　of　colonial　times；　an　artist　of　permanent　eminence；　one　of　the　founders　of　the　Royal　Academy　in　England　and　its　president　in　succession　to　Sir　Joshua　Reynolds。

Wherever　Quakers　are　found　they　are　the　useful　and　steady　citizens。　Their　eminence　seems　out　of　all　proportion　to　their　comparatively　small　numbers。　It　has　often　been　asked　why　this　height　of　attainment　should　occur　among　a　people　of　such　narrow　religious　discipline。　But　were　the　Quakers　really　narrow；　or　were　they　any　more　narrow　than　other　rigorously　self…disciplined　people：　Spartans；　Puritans；　soldiers　whose　discipline　enables　them　to　achieve　great　results？　All　discipline　is　in　one　sense　narrow。　Quaker　quietude　and　retirement　probably　conserved　mental　energy　instead　of　dissipating　it。　In　an　age　of　superstition　and　irrational　religion；　their　minds　were　free　and　unhampered；　and　it　was　the　dominant　rational　tone　of　their　thought　that　enabled　science　to　flourish　in　Pennsylvania。



Chapter　V。　The　Troubles　Of　Penn　And　His　Sons

The　material　prosperity　of　Penn's　Holy　Experiment　kept　on　proving　itself　over　and　over　again　every　month　of　the　year。　But　meantime　great　events　were　taking　place　in　England。　The　period　of　fifteen　years　from　Penn's　return　to　England　in　1684；　until　his　return　to　Pennsylvania　at　the　close　of　the　year　of　1699；　was　an　eventful　time　in　English　history。　It　was　long　for　a　proprietor　to　be　away　from　his　province；　and　Penn　would　have　left　a　better　reputation　if　he　had　passed　those　fifteen　years　in　his　colony；　for　in　England　during　that　period　he　took　what　most　Americans　believe　to　have　been　the　wrong　side　in　the　Revolution　of　1688。

Penn　was　closely　tied　by　both　interest　and　friendship　to　Charles　II　and　the　Stuart　family。　When　Charles　II　died　in　1685　and　his　brother；　the　Duke　of　York；　ascended　the　throne　as　James　II；　Penn　was　equally　bound　to　him；　because　among　other　things　the　Duke　of　York　had　obtained　Penn's　release　in　1669　from　imprisonment　for　his　religious　opinions。　He　became　still　more　bound　when　one　of　the　first　acts　of　the　new　King's　reign　was　the　release　of　a　great　number　of　people　who　had　been　imprisoned　for　their　religion；　among　them　thirteen　hundred　Quakers。　In　addition　to　preaching　to　the　Quakers　and　protecting　them；　Penn　used　his　influence　with　James　to　secure　the　return　of　several　political　offenders　from　exile。　His　friendship　with　James　raised　him；　indeed；　to　a　position　of　no　little　importance　at　Court。　He　was　constantly　consulted　by　the　King；　in　whose　political　policy　he　gradually　became　more　and　more　involved。

James　was　a　Roman　Catholic　and　soon　perfected　his　plans　for　making　both　Church　and　State　a　papal　appendage　and　securing　for　the　Crown　the　right　to　suspend　acts　of　Parliament。　Penn　at　first　protested；　but　finally　supported　the　King　in　the　belief　that　he　would　in　the　end　establish　liberty。　In　his　earlier　years；　however；　Penn　had　written　pamphlets　arguing　strenuously　against　the　same　sort　of　despotic　schemes　that　James　was　now　undertaking；　and　this　contradiction　of　his　former　position　seriously　injured　his　reputation　even　among　his　own　people。

Part　of　the　policy　of　James　was　to　grant　many　favors　to　the　Quakers　and　to　all　other　dissenting　bodies　in　England；　to　release　them　from　prison；　to　give　them　perfect　freedom　of　worship；　and　to　remove　the　test　laws　which　prevented　them　from　holding　office。　He　thus　hoped　to　unite　them　with　the　Roman　Catholics　in　extirpating　the　Church　of　England　and　establishing　the　Papacy　in　its　place。　But　the　dissenters　and　nonconformists；　though　promised　relief　from　sufferings　severer　than　it　is　possible　perhaps　now　to　appreciate；　refused　almost　to　a　man　this　tempting　bait。　Even　the　Quakers；　who　had　suffered　probably　more　than　the　others；　rejected　the　offer　with　indignation　and　mourned　the　fatal　mistake　of　their　leader　Penn。　All　Protestant　England　united　in　condemning　him；　accused　him　of　being　a　secret　Papist　and　a　Jesuit　in　disguise；　and　believed　him　guilty　of　acts　and　intentions　of　which　he　was　probably　entirely　innocent。　This　extreme　feeling　against　Penn　is　reflected　in　Macaulay's　〃History　of　England；〃　which　strongly　espouses　the　Whig　side；　and　in　those　vivid　pages　Penn　is　represented；　and　very　unfairly；　as　nothing　less　than　a　scoundrel。

In　spite　of　the　attempts　which　James　made　to　secure　his　position；　the　dissenters；　the　Church　of　England；　and　Penn's　own　Quakers　all　joined　heart　and　soul　in　the　Revolution　of　1688；　which　quickly　dethroned　the　King；　drove　him　from　England；　and　placed　the　Prince　of　Orange　on　the　throne　as　William　III。　Penn　was　now　for　many　years　in　a　very　unfortunate；　if　not　dangerous；　position；　and　was　continually　suspected　of　plotting　to　restore　James。　For　three　years　he　was　in　hiding　to　escape　arrest　or　worse；　and　he　largely　lost　the　good　will　and　affection　of　the　Quakers。

Meantime；　since　his　departure　from　Pennsylvania　in　the　summer　of　1684；　that　province　went　on　increasing　in　population　and　in　pioneer　prosperity。　But　Penn's　quitrents　and　money　from　sales　of　land　were　far　in　arrears；　and　he　had　been　and　still　was　at　great　expense　in　starting　the　colony　and　in　keeping　up　the　plantation　and　country　seat　he　had　established　on　the　Delaware　River　above　Philadelphia。　Troublesome　political　disputes　also　arose。　The　Council　of　eighteen　members　which　he　had　authorized　to　act　as　governor　in　his　absence　neglected　to　send　the　new　laws　to　him；　slighted　his　letters；　and　published　laws　in　their　own　name　without　mentioning　him　or　the　King。　These　irregularities　were　much　exaggerated　by　enemies　of　the　Quakers　in　England。　The　Council　was　not　a　popular　body　and　was　frequently　at　odds　with　the　Assembly。

Penn　thought　he　could　improve　the　government　by　appointing　five　commissioners　to　act　as　governor　instead　of　the　whole　Council。　Thomas　Lloyd；　an　excellent　Quaker　who　had　been　President　of　the　Council　and　who　had　done　much　to　allay　hard　feeling；　was　fortunately　the　president　of　these　commissioners。　Penn　instructed　them　to　act　as　if　he　himself　were　present；　and　at　the　next　meeting　of　the　Assembly　to　annul　all　the　laws　and　reenact　only　such　as　seemed　proper。　This　course　reminds　us　of　the　absolutism　of　his　friend；　King　James；　and；　indeed；　the　date　of　these　instructions　（1686）　is　that　when　his　intimacy　with　that　bigoted　monarch　reached　its　highest　point。　Penn's　theory　of　his　power　was　that　the　frame　or　constitution　of　government　he　had　given　the　province　was　a　contract；　that；　the　Council　and　Assembly　having　violated　some　of　its　provisions；　it　was　annulled　and　he　was　free；　at　least　for　a　time；　to　govern　as　he　pleased。　Fortunately　his　commissioners　never　attempted　to　carry　out　these　instructions。　There　would　have　been　a　rebellion　and　some　very　unpleasant　history　if　they　had　undertaken　to　enforce　such　oriental　despotism　in　Pennsylvania。　The　five　commissioners　with　Thomas　Lloyd　at　their　head　seem　to　have　governed　without　seriously　troublesome　incidents　for　the　short　term　of　two　years　during　which　they　were　in　power。　But　in　1687　Thomas　Lloyd；　becoming　weary　of　directing　them；　asked　to　be　relieved　and　is　supposed　to　have　advised　Penn　to　appoint　a　single　executive　instead　of　commissioners。　Penn　accordingly　appointed　Captain　John　Blackwell；　formerly　an　officer　in　Cromwell's　army。　Blackwell　was　not　a　Quaker　but　a　〃grave；　sober；　wise　man；〃　as　Penn　wrote　to　a　friend；　who　would　〃bear　down　with　a　visible　authority　vice　and　faction。〃　It　was　hoped　that　he　would　vigorously　check　all　irregularities　and　bring　Penn　better　returns　from　quitrents　and　sales　of　land。

But　this　new　governor　clashed　almost　at　once　with　the　Assembly；　tried　to　make　them　pass　a　militia　law；　suggested　that