the quaker colonies-第8章

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But　this　new　governor　clashed　almost　at　once　with　the　Assembly；　tried　to　make　them　pass　a　militia　law；　suggested　that　the　province's　trade　to　foreign　countries　was　illegal；　persecuted　and　arrested　members　of　the　Assembly；　refused　to　submit　new　laws　to　it；　and　irritated　the　people　by　suggesting　the　invalidity　of　their　favorite　laws。　The　Quaker　Assembly　withstood　and　resisted　him　until　they　wore　him　out。　After　a　year　and　one　month　in　office　he　resigned　at　Penn's　request　or；　according　to　some　accounts；　at　his　own　request。　At　any　rate；　he　expressed　himself　as　delighted　to　be　relieved。　As　a　Puritan　soldier　he　found　himself　no　match　for　a　peaceable　Quaker　Assembly。

Penn　again　made　the　Council　the　executive　with　Thomas　Lloyd　as　its　President。　But　to　the　old　causes　of　unrest　a　new　one　was　now　added。　One　George　Keith；　a　Quaker；　turned　heretic　and　carried　a　number　of　Pennsylvania　Quakers　over　to　the　Church　of　England；　thereby　causing　great　scandal。　The　〃Lower　Counties〃　or　Territories；　as　the　present　State　of　Delaware　was　then　called；　became　mutinous；　withdrew　their　representatives　from　the　Council；　and　made　William　Markham　their　Governor。　This　action　together　with　the　Keithian　controversy；　the　disturbances　over　Blackwell；　and　the　clamors　of　Church　of　England　people　that　Penn　was　absent　and　neglecting　his　province；　that　the　Quakers　would　make　no　military　defense；　and　that　the　province　might　at　any　time　fall　into　the　hands　of　France；　came　to　the　ears　of　King　William；　who　was　already　ill　disposed　toward　Penn　and　distrusted　him　as　a　Jacobite。　It　seemed　hardly　advisable　to　allow　a　Jacobite　to　rule　a　British　colony。　Accordingly　a　royal　order　suspended　Penn's　governmental　authority　and　placed　the　province　under　Benjamin　Fletcher；　Governor　of　New　York。　He　undertook　to　rule　in　dictatorial　fashion；　threatening　to　annex　the　province　to　New　York；　and　as　a　consequence　the　Assembly　had　plenty　of　trouble　with　him。　But　two　years　later；　1694；　the　province　was　returned　to　Penn；　who　now　appointed　as　Governor　William　Markham；　who　had　served　as　lieutenant…governor　under　Fletcher。

Markham　proceeded　to　be　high…handed　with　the　Assembly　and　to　administer　the　government　in　the　imperialistic　style　of　Fletcher。　But　the　Assembly　soon　tamed　him　and　in　1696　actually　worried　out　of　him　a　new　constitution；　which　became　known　as　Markham's　Frame；　proved　much　more　popular　than　the　one　Penn　had　given；　and　allowed　the　Assembly　much　more　power。　Markham　had　no　conceivable　right　to　assent　to　it　and　Penn　never　agreed　to　it；　but　it　was　lived　under　for　the　next　four　years　until　Penn　returned　to　the　province。　While　it　naturally　had　opponents；　it　was　largely　regarded　as　entirely　valid；　and　apparently　with　the　understanding　that　it　was　to　last　until　Penn　objected　to　it。

Penn　had　always　been　longing　to　return　to　Pennsylvania　and　live　there　for　the　rest　of　his　life；　but　the　terrible　times　of　the　Revolution　of　1688　in　England　and　its　consequences　had　held　him　back。　Those　difficulties　had　now　passed。　Moreover；　William　III　had　established　free　government　and　religious　liberty。　No　more　Quakers　were　imprisoned　and　Penn's　old　occupation　of　securing　their　protection　and　release　was　gone。

In　the　autumn　of　1699　he　sailed　for　Pennsylvania　with　his　family　and；　arriving　after　a　tedious　three　months'　voyage；　was　well　received。　His　political　scrapes　and　mistakes　in　England　seemed　to　be　buried　in　the　past。　He　was　soon　at　his　old　enjoyable　life　again；　traveling　actively　about　the　country；　preaching　to　the　Quakers；　and　enlarging　and　beautifying　his　country　seat；　Pennsbury；　on　the　Delaware；　twenty　miles　above　Philadelphia。　As　roads　and　trails　were　few　and　bad　he　usually　traveled　to　and　from　the　town　in　a　barge　which　was　rowed　by　six　oarsmen　and　which　seemed　to　give　him　great　pride　and　pleasure。

Two　happy　years　passed　away　in　this　manner；　during　which　Penn　seems　to　have　settled；　not　however　without　difficulty；　a　great　deal　of　business　with　his　people；　the　Assembly；　and　the　Indian　tribes。　Unfortunately　he　got　word　from　England　of　a　bill　in　Parliament　for　the　revocation　of　colonial　charters　and　for　the　establishment　of　royal　governments　in　their　place。　He　must　needs　return　to　England　to　fight　it。　Shortly　before　he　sailed　the　Assembly　presented　him　with　a　draft　of　a　new　constitution　or　frame　of　government　which　they　had　been　discussing　with　him　and　preparing　for　some　time。　This　he　accepted；　and　it　became　the　constitution　under　which　Pennsylvania　lived　and　prospered　for　seventy…five　years；　until　the　Revolution　of　1776。

This　new　constitution　was　quite　liberal。　The　most　noticeable　feature　of　it　was　the　absence　of　any　provision　for　the　large　elective　council　or　upper　house　of　legislation；　which　had　been　very　unpopular。　The　Assembly　thus　became　the　one　legislative　body。　There　was　incidental　reference　in　the　document　to　a　governor's　council；　although　there　was　no　formal　clause　creating　it。　Penn　and　his　heirs　after　his　death　always　appointed　a　small　council　as　an　advisory　body　for　the　deputy　governor。　The　Assembly　was　to　be　chosen　annually　by　the　freemen　and　to　be　composed　of　four　representatives　from　each　county。　It　could　originate　bills；　control　its　own　adjournments　without　interference　from　the　Governor；　choose　its　speaker　and　other　officers；　and　judge　of　the　qualifications　and　election　of　its　own　members。　These　were　standard　Anglo…Saxon　popular　parliamentary　rights　developed　by　long　struggles　in　England　and　now　established　in　Pennsylvania　never　to　be　relaxed。　Finally　a　clause　in　the　constitution　permitted　the　Lower　Counties；　or　Territories；　under　certain　conditions　to　establish　home　rule。　In　1705　the　Territories　took　advantage　of　this　concession　and　set　up　an　assembly　of　their　own。

Immediately　after　signing　the　constitution；　in　the　last　days　of　October；　1701；　Penn　sailed　for　England；　expecting　soon　to　return。　But　he　became　absorbed　in　affairs　in　England　and　never　saw　his　colony　again。　This　was　unfortunate　because　Pennsylvania　soon　became　a　torment　to　him　instead　of　a　great　pleasure　as　it　always　seems　to　have　been　when　he　lived　in　it。　He　was　a　happy　present　proprietor；　but　not　a　very　happy　absentee　one。

The　Church　of　England　people　in　Pennsylvania　entertained　great　hopes　of　this　proposal　to　turn　the　proprietary　colonies　into　royal　provinces。　Under　such　a　change；　while　the　Quakers　might　still　have　an　influence　in　the　Legislature；　the　Crown　would　probably　give　the　executive　offices　to　Churchmen。　They　therefore　labored　hard　to　discredit　the　Quakers。　They　kept　harping　on　the　absurdity　of　a　set　of　fanatics　attempting　to　govern　a　colony　without　a　militia　and　without　administering　oaths　of　office　or　using　oaths　in　judicial　proceedings。　How　could　any　one's　life　be　safe　from　foreign　enemies　without　soldiers；　and　what　safeguard　was　there　for　life；　liberty；　and　property　before　judges；　jurors；　and　witnesses；　none　of　whom　had　been　sworn？　The　Churchmen　kept　up　their　complaints　for　along　time；　but　without　effect　in　England。　　　Penn　was　able　to　thwart　all　their　plans。　The　bill　to　change　the　province　into　a　royal　one　was　never　passed　by　Parliament。　Penn　returned　to　his　court　life；　his　preaching；　and　his　theological　writing；　a　rather　curious　combination　and　yet　one　by　which　he　had　always　succeeded　in　protecting　his　people。　He　was　a　favorite　with　Queen　Anne；　who　was　now　on　the　throne；　and　he　led　an　expensive　life　which；　with　the　cost　of　his　deputy　governor's　salary　in　the　colony；　the　slowness　of　his　quitrent　collections；　and　the　dishonesty　of　the　steward　of　his　English　estates；　rapidly　brought　him　into　debt。　To　pay　the　government　expense　of　a　small　colonial　empire　and　at　the　same　time　to　lead　the　life　of　a　courtier　and　to　travel　as　a　preacher　would　have　exhausted　a　stronger　exchequer　than　Penn's。

The　contests　between　the　different　deputy　governors；　whom　Penn　or　his　descendants　sent　out；　and　the　Quaker　Legislature　fill　the　annals　of　the　province　for　the　next　seventy　years；　down　to　the　Revolution。　These　quarrels；　when　compared　with　the　larger　national　political　contests　of　history；　seem　petty　enough　and　even　tedious　in　detail。　But；　looked　at　in　another　aspect；　they　are　important　because　they　disclose　how　liberty；　self…government；　republicanism；　and　many　of　the　constitutional　principles　by　which　Americans　now　live　were　gradually　developed　as　the　colonies　grew　towards　independence。　　　　The　keynote　to　all　these　early　contests　was　what　may　be　called　the　fundamental　principle　of　colonial　constitutional　law　or；　at　any　rate；　of　constitutional　practice；　namely；　that　the　Governor；　whether　royal　or　proprietary；　must　always　be　kept　poor。　His　salary　or　income　must　never　become　a　fixed　or　certain　sum　but　must　always　be　dependent　on　the　annual　favor　and　grants　of　a　legislature　controlled　by　the　people。　This　belief　was　the　foundation　of　American　colonial　liberty。　The　Assemblies；　not　only　in　Pennsylvania　but　in　other　colonies；　would　withhold　the　Governor's　salary　until　he　consented　to　their　favorite　laws。　If　he　vetoed　their　laws；　he　received　no　salary。　One　of　the　causes　of　the　Revolution　in　1776　was　the　attempt　of　the　mother　country　to　make　the　governors　and　other　colonial　officials　dependent　for　their　salaries　on　the　Government　in　England　instead　of　on　the　legislatures　in　the　colonies。

So　the　squabbles；　as　we　of　today　are　inclined　to　call　them；　went　on　in　Pennsylvaniaprovincial　and　petty　enough；　but　often　very　large　and　important　so　far　as　the　principle　which　they　involved　was　concerned。　The　Legislature　of　Pennsylvania　in　those　days　was　a　small　body　composed　of　only　about　twenty…five　or　thirty　members；　most　of　them　sturdy；　thrifty　Quakers。　They　could　meet　very　easily　anywhereat　the　Governor's　house；　if　in　conference　with　him；　or　at　the　treasurer's　office　or　at　the　loan　office；　if　investigating　accounts。　Beneath　their　broad　brim　hats　and　grave　demeanor　they　were　as　Anglo…Saxon　at　heart　as　Robin　Hood　and　his　merry　men；　and　in　their　ninety　years　of　political　control　they　built　up　as　goodly　a　fabric　of　civil　liberty　as　can　be　found　in　any　community　in　the　world。

The　dignified；　confident　message　from　a　deputy　governor；　full　of　lofty　admonitions　of　their　duty　to　the　Crown；　the　province；　and　the　proprietor；　is　often　met　by　a　sarcastic；　stinging　reply　of　the　Assembly。　David　Lloyd；　the　Welsh　leader　of　the　anti…proprietary　party；　and　Joseph　Wilcox；　another　leader；　became　very　skillful　in　drafting　these　profoundly　respectful　but　deeply　cutting　replies。　In　after　years；　Benjamin　Franklin　attained　even　greater　skill。　In　fact；　it　is　not　unlikely　that　he　developed　a　large　measure　of　his　world　famous　aptness　in　the　use　of　language　in　the　process　of　drafting　these　replies。　The　composing　of　these　official　communications　was　important　work；　for　a　reply　had　to　be　telling　and　effective　not　only　with　the　Governor　but　with　the　people　who　learned　of　its　contents　at　the　coffeehouse　and　spread　the　report　of　it　among　all　classes。　There　was　not　a　little　good…fellowship　in　their　contests；　and　Franklin；　for　instance；　tells　us　how　he　used　to　abuse　a　certain　deputy　governor　all　day　in　the　Assembly　and　then　dine　with　him　in　jovial　intercourse　in　the　evening。

The　Assembly　had　a　very　convenient　way　of　accomplishing　its　purposes　in　legislation　in　spite　of　the　opposition　of　the　British　Government。　Laws　when　passed　and　approved　by　the　deputy　governor　had　to　be　sent　to