the quaker colonies-第12章

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　governor　had　to　be　sent　to　England　for　approval　by　the　Crown　within　five　years。　But　meanwhile　the　people　would　live　under　the　law　for　five　years；　and；　if　at　the　end　of　that　time　it　was　disallowed；　the　Assembly　would　reenact　the　measure　and　live　under　it　again　for　another　period。


The　ten　years　after　Penn's　return　to　England　in　1701　were　full　of　trouble　for　him。　Money　returns　from　the　province　were　slow；　partly　because　England　was　involved　in　war　and　trade　depressed；　and　partly　because　the　Assembly；　exasperated　by　the　deputy　governors　he　appointed；　often　refused　to　vote　the　deputy　a　salary　and　left　Penn　to　bear　all　the　expense　of　government。　He　was　being　rapidly　overwhelmed　with　debt。　One　of　his　sons　was　turning　out　badly。　The　manager　of　his　estates　in　England　and　Ireland；　Philip　Ford；　was　enriching　himself　by　the　trust；　charging　compound　interest　at　eight　per　cent　every　six　months；　and　finally　claiming　that　Penn　owed　him　14；000　pounds。　Ford　had　rendered　accounts　from　time　to　time；　but　Penn　in　his　careless　way　had　tossed　them　aside　without　examination。　When　Ford　pressed　for　payment；　Penn；　still　without　making　any　investigation；　foolishly　gave　Ford　a　deed　in　fee　simple　of　Pennsylvania　as　security。　Afterwards　he　accepted　from　Ford　a　lease　of　the　province；　which　was　another　piece　of　folly；　for　the　lease　could；　of　course；　be　used　as　evidence　to　show　that　the　deed　was　an　absolute　conveyance　and　not　intended　as　a　mortgage。

This　unfortunate　business　Ford　kept　quiet　during　his　lifetime。　But　on　his　death　his　widow　and　son　made　everything　public；　professed　to　be　the　proprietors　of　Pennsylvania；　and　sued　Penn　for　2000　pounds　rent　in　arrears。　They　obtained　a　judgment　for　the　amount　claimed　and；　as　Penn　could　not　pay；　they　had　him　arrested　and　imprisoned　for　debt。　For　nine　months　he　was　locked　up　in　the　debtors'　prison；　the　〃Old　Bailey；〃　and　there　he　might　have　remained　indefinitely　if　some　of　his　friends　had　not　raised　enough　money　to　compromise　with　the　Fords。　Isaac　Norris；　a　prominent　Quaker　from　Pennsylvania；　happened　at　that　time　to　be　in　England　and　exerted　himself　to　set　Penn　free　and　save　the　province　from　further　disgrace。　After　this　there　was　a　reaction　in　Penn's　favor。　He　selected　a　better　deputy　governor　for　Pennsylvania。　He　wrote　a　long　and　touching　letter　to　the　people；　reminding　them　how　they　had　flourished　and　grown　rich　and　free　under　his　liberal　laws；　while　he　had　been　sinking　in　poverty。

After　that　conditions　improved　in　the　affairs　of　Penn。　The　colony　was　better　governed；　and　the　anti…proprietary　party　almost　disappeared。　The　last　six　or　eight　years　of　Penn's　life　were　free　from　trouble。　He　had　ceased　his　active　work　at　court；　for　everything　that　could　be　accomplished　for　the　Quakers　in　the　way　of　protection　and　favorable　laws　had　now　been　done。　Penn　spent　his　last　years　in　trying　to　sell　the　government　of　his　province　to　the　Crown　for　a　sum　that　would　enable　him　to　pay　his　debts　and　to　restore　his　family　to　prosperity。　But　he　was　too　particular　in　stipulating　that　the　great　principles　of　civil　and　religious　liberty　on　which　the　colony　had　been　established　should　not　be　infringed。　He　had　seen　how　much　evil　had　resulted　to　the　rights　of　the　people　when　the　proprietors　of　the　Jerseys　parted　with　their　right　to　govern。　In　consequence　he　required　so　many　safeguards　that　the　sale　of　Pennsylvania　was　delayed　and　delayed　until　its　founder　was　stricken　with　paralysis。　Penn　lingered　for　some　years；　but　his　intellect　was　now　too　much　clouded　to　make　a　valid　sale。　The　event；　however；　was　fortunate　for　Pennsylvania；　which　would　probably　otherwise　have　lost　many　valuable　rights　and　privileges　by　becoming　a　Crown　colony。

On　July　30；1718；　Penn　died　at　the　age　of　seventy…four。　His　widow　became　proprietor　of　the　province；　probably　the　only　woman　who　ever　became　feudal　proprietor　of　such　an　immense　domain。　She　appointed　excellent　deputy　governors　and　ruled　with　success　for　eight　years　until　her　death　in　1726。　In　her　time　the　ocean　was　free　from　enemy　cruisers；　and　the　trade　of　the　colony　grew　so　rapidly　that　the　increasing　sales　of　land　and　quitrents　soon　enabled　her　to　pay　off　the　mortgage　on　the　province　and　all　the　rest　of　her　husband's　debts。　It　was　sad　that　Penn　did　not　live　to　see　that　day；　which　he　had　so　hoped　for　in　his　last　years；　when；　with　ocean　commerce　free　from　depredations；　the　increasing　money　returns　from　his　province　would　obviate　all　necessity　of　selling　the　government　to　the　Crown。

With　all　debts　paid　and　prosperity　increasing；　Penn's　sons　became　very　rich　men。　Death　had　reduced　the　children　to　threeJohn；　Thomas；　and　Richard。　Of　these；　Thomas　became　what　may　be　called　the　managing　proprietor；　and　the　others　were　seldom　heard　of。　Thomas　lived　in　the　colony　nine　years1732　to　1741　studying　its　affairs　and　sitting　as　a　member　of　the　Council。　For　over　forty　years　he　was　looked　upon　as　the　proprietor。　In　fact；　he　directed　the　great　province　for　almost　as　long　a　time　as　his　father　had　managed　it。　But　he　was　so　totally　unlike　his　father　that　it　is　difficult　to　find　the　slightest　resemblance　in　feature　or　in　mind。　He　was　not　in　the　least　disposed　to　proclaim　or　argue　about　religion。　Like　the　rest　of　his　family；　he　left　the　Quakers　and　joined　the　Church　of　England；　a　natural　evolution　in　the　case　of　many　Quakers。　He　was　a　prosperous；　accomplished；　sensible；　cool…headed　gentleman；　by　no　means　without　ability；　but　without　any　inclination　for　setting　the　world　on　fire。　He　was　a　careful；　economical　man　of　business；　which　is　more　than　can　be　said　of　his　distinguished　father。　He　saw　no　visions　and　cared　nothing　for　grand　speculations。

Thomas　Penn；　however；　had　his　troubles　and　disputes　with　the　Assembly。　They　thought　him　narrow　and　close。　Perhaps　he　was。　That　was　the　opinion　of　him　held　by　Franklin；　who　led　the　anti…proprietary　party。　But　at　the　same　time　some　consideration　must　be　given　to　the　position　in　which　Penn　found　himself。　He　had　on　his　hands　an　empire；　rich；　fertile；　and　inhabited　by　liberty…loving　Anglo…Saxons　and　by　passive　Germans。　He　had　to　collect　from　their　land　the　purchase　money　and　quitrents　rapidly　rolling　up　in　value　with　the　increase　of　population　into　millions　of　pounds　sterling；　for　which　he　was　responsible　to　his　relatives。　At　the　same　time　he　had　to　influence　the　politics　of　the　province；　approve　or　reject　laws　in　such　a　way　that　his　family　interest　would　be　protected　from　attack　or　attempted　confiscation；　keep　the　British　Crown　satisfied；　and　see　that　the　liberties　of　the　colonists　were　not　impaired　and　that　the　people　were　kept　contented。

It　was　not　an　easy　task　even　for　a　clear…headed　man　like　Thomas　Penn。　He　had　to　arrange　for　treaties　with　the　Indians　and　for　the　purchase　of　their　lands　in　accordance　with　the　humane　ideas　of　his　father　and　in　the　face　of　the　Scotch…Irish　thirst　for　Indian　blood　and　the　French　desire　to　turn　the　savages　loose　upon　the　Anglo…Saxon　settlements。　He　had　to　fight　through　the　boundary　disputes　with　Connecticut；　Maryland；　and　Virginia；　which　threatened　to　reduce　his　empire　to　a　mere　strip　of　land　containing　neither　Philadelphia　nor　Pittsburgh。　The　controversy　with　Connecticut　lasted　throughout　the　colonial　period　and　was　not　definitely　settled　till　the　close　of　the　Revolution。　The　charter　of　Connecticut　granted　by　the　British　Crown　extended　the　colony　westward　to　the　Pacific　Ocean　and　cut　off　the　northern　half　of　the　tract　afterwards　granted　to　William　Penn。　In　pursuance　of　what　they　believed　to　be　their　rights；　the　Connecticut　people　settled　in　the　beautiful　valley　of　Wyoming。　They　were　thereupon　ejected　by　force　by　the　proprietors　of　Pennsylvania；　but　they　returned；　only　to　be　ejected　again　and　again　in　a　petty　warfare　carried　on　for　many　years。　In　the　summer　of　1778；　the　people　of　the　valley　were　massacred　by　the　Iroquois　Indians。　The　history　of　this　Connecticut　boundary　dispute　fills　volumes。　So　does　the　boundary　dispute　with　Maryland；　which　also　lasted　throughout　the　colonial　period；　the　dispute　with　Virginia　over　the　site　of　Pittsburgh　is　not　so　voluminous。　All　these　controversies　Thomas　Penn　conducted　with　eminent　skill；　inexhaustible　patience；　and　complete　success。　For　this　achievement　the　State　owes　him　a　debt　of　gratitude。

Thomas　Penn　was　in　the　extr