the quaker colonies-第17章

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　the　murderers　returned；　they　related　to　a　man　on　the　road　what　they　had　done；　and　when　he　protested　against　the　cruelty　of　the　deed；　they　asked；　〃Don't　you　believe　in　God　and　the　Bible？〃　The　remaining　fourteen　inhabitants　of　the　village；　who　were　away　selling　brooms；　were　collected　by　the　sheriff　and　put　in　the　jail　at　Lancaster　for　protection。　The　Paxtons　heard　of　it　and　in　a　few　days　stormed　the　jail；　broke　down　the　doors；　and　either　shot　the　poor　Indians　or　cut　them　to　pieces　with　hatchets。

This　was　probably　the　first　instance　of　lynch　law　in　America。　It　raised　a　storm　of　indignation　and　controversy；　and　a　pamphlet　war　persisted　for　several　years。　The　whole　province　was　immediately　divided　into　two　parties。　On　one　side　were　the　Quakers；　most　of　the　Germans；　and　conservatives　of　every　sort；　and　on　the　other；　inclined　to　sympathize　with　the　Scotch…Irish；　were　the　eastern　Presbyterians；　some　of　the　Churchmen；　and　various　miscellaneous　people　whose　vindictiveness　towards　all　Indians　had　been　aroused　by　the　war。　The　Quakers　and　conservatives；　who　seem　to　have　been　the　more　numerous；　assailed　the　Scotch…Irish　in　no　measured　language　as　a　gang　of　ruffians　without　respect　for　law　or　order　who；　though　always　crying　for　protection；　had　refused　to　march　with　Bouquet　to　save　Fort　Pitt　or　to　furnish　him　the　slightest　assistance。　Instead　of　going　westward　where　the　danger　was　and　something　might　be　accomplished；　they　had　turned　eastward　among　the　settlements　and　murdered　a　few　poor　defenseless　people；　mostly　women　and　children。

Franklin；　who　had　now　returned　from　England；　wrote　one　of　his　best　pamphlets　against　the　Paxtons；　the　valorous；　heroic　Paxtons；　as　he　called　them；　prating　of　God　and　the　Bible；　fifty…seven　of　whom；　armed　with　rifles；　knives；　and　hatchets；　had　actually　succeeded　in　killing　three　old　men；　two　women；　and　a　boy。　This　pamphlet　became　known　as　the　〃Narrative〃　from　the　first　word　of　its　title；　and　it　had　an　immense　circulation。　Like　everything　Franklin　wrote；　it　is　interesting　reading　to　this　day。

One　of　the　first　effects　of　this　controversy　was　to　drive　the　excitable　Scotch…Irish　into　a　flame　of　insurrection　not　unlike　the　Whisky　Rebellion；　which　started　among　them　some　years　after　the　Revolution。　They　held　tumultuous　meetings　denouncing　the　Quakers　and　the　whole　proprietary　government　in　Philadelphia；　and　they　organized　an　expedition　which　included　some　delegates　to　suggest　reforms。　For　the　most　part；　however；　it　was　a　well　equipped　little　army　variously　estimated　at　from　five　hundred　to　fifteen　hundred　on　foot　and　on　horseback；　which　marched　towards　Philadelphia　with　no　uncertain　purpose。　They　openly　declared　that　they　intended　to　capture　the　town；　seize　the　Moravian　Indians　protected　there；　and　put　them　to　death。　They　fully　expected　to　be　supported　by　most　of　the　people　and　to　have　everything　their　own　way。　As　they　passed　along　the　roads；　they　amused　themselves　in　their　rough　fashion　by　shooting　chickens　and　pigs；　frightening　people　by　thrusting　their　rifles　into　windows；　and　occasionally　throwing　some　one　down　and　pretending　to　scalp　him。

In　the　city　there　was　great　excitement　and　alarm。　Even　the　classes　who　sympathized　with　the　Scotch…Irish　did　not　altogether　relish　having　their　property　burned　or　destroyed。　Great　preparations　were　made　to　meet　the　expedition。　British　regulars　were　summoned。　Eight　companies　of　militia　and　a　battery　of　artillery　were　hastily　formed。　Franklin　became　a　military　man　once　more　and　superintended　the　preparations。　On　all　sides　the　Quakers　were　enlisting；　they　had　become　accustomed　to　war；　and　this　legitimate　chance　to　shoot　a　Scotch…Irish　Presbyterian　was　too　much　for　the　strongest　scruples　of　their　religion。　It　was　a　long　time；　however；　before　they　heard　the　end　of　this　zeal；　and　in　the　pamphlet　war　which　followed　they　were　accused　of　clamorously　rushing　to　arms　and　demanding　to　be　led　against　the　enemy。

It　is　amusing　now　to　read　about　it　in　the　old　records。　But　it　was　serious　enough　at　the　time。　When　the　Scotch…Irish　army　reached　the　Schuylkill　River　and　found　the　fords　leading　to　the　city　guarded；　they　were　not　quite　so　enthusiastic　about　killing　Quakers　and　Indians。　They　went　up　the　river　some　fifteen　miles；　crossed　by　an　unopposed　ford；　and　halted　in　Germantown　ten　miles　north　of　Philadelphia。　That　was　as　far　as　they　thought　it　safe　to　venture。　Several　days　passed；　during　which　the　city　people　continued　their　preparations　and　expected　every　night　to　be　attacked。　There　were；　indeed；　several　false　alarms。　Whenever　the　alarm　was　sounded　at　night；　every　one　placed　candles　in　his　windows　to　light　up　the　streets。　One　night　when　it　rained　the　soldiers　were　allowed　to　shelter　themselves　in　a　Quaker　meeting　house；　which　for　some　hours　bristled　with　bayonets　and　swords；　an　incident　of　which　the　Presbyterian　pamphleteers　afterwards　made　much　use　for　satire。　On　another　day　all　the　cannon　were　fired　to　let　the　enemy　know　what　was　in　store　for　him。

Finally　commissioners　with　the　clever；　genial　Franklin　at　their　head；　went　out　to　Germantown　to　negotiate；　and　soon　had　the　whole　mighty　difference　composed。　The　Scotch…Irish　stated　their　grievances。　The　Moravian　Indians　ought　not　to　be　protected　by　the　government；　and　all　such　Indians　should　be　removed　from　the　colony；　the　men　who　killed　the　Conestoga　Indians　should　be　tried　where　the　supposed　offense　was　committed　and　not　in　Philadelphia；　the　five　frontier　counties　had　only　ten　representatives　in　the　Assembly　while　the　three　others　had　twenty…sixthis　should　be　remedied；　men　wounded　in　border　war　should　be　cared　for　at　public　expense；　no　trade　should　be　carried　on　with　hostile　Indians　until　they　restored　prisoners；　and　there　should　be　a　bounty　on　scalps。

While　these　negotiations　were　proceeding；　some　of　the　Scotch…Irish　amused　themselves　by　practicing　with　their　rifles　at　the　weather　vane；　a　figure　of　a　cock；　on　the　steeple　of　the　old　Lutheran　church　in　Germantownan　unimportant　incident；　it　is　true；　but　one　revealing　the　conditions　and　character　of　the　time　as　much　as　graver　matters　do。　The　old　weather　vane　with　the　bullet　marks　upon　it　is　still　preserved。　About　thirty　of　these　same　riflemen　were　invited　to　Philadelphia　and　were　allowed　to　wander　about　and　see　the　sights　of　the　town。　The　rest　returned　to　the　frontier。　As　for　their　list　of　grievances；　not　one　of　them　was　granted　except；　strange　and　sad　to　relate；　the　one　which　asked　for　a　scalp　bounty。　The　Governor；　after　the　manner　of　other　colonies；　it　must　be　admitted；　issued　the　long　desired　scalp　proclamation；　which　after　offering　rewards　for　prisoners　and　scalps；　closed　by　saying；　〃and　for　the　scalp　of　a　female　Indian　fifty　pieces　of　eight。〃　William　Penn's　Indian　policy　had　been　admired　for　its　justice　and　humanity　by　all　the　philosophers　and　statesmen　of　the　world；　and　now　his　grandson；　Governor　of　the　province；　in　the　last　days　of　the　family's　control；　was　offering　bounties　for　women's　scalps。

Franklin　while　in　England　had　succeeded　in　having　the　proprietary　lands　taxed　equally　with　the　lands　of　the　colonists。　But　the　proprietors　attempted　to　construe　this　provision　so　that　their　best　lands　were　taxed　at　the　rate　paid　by　the　people　on　their　worst。　This　obvious　quibble　of　course　raised　such　a　storm　of　opposition　that　the　Quakers；　joined　by　classes　which　had　never　before　supported　them；　and　now　forming　a　large　majority；　determined　to　appeal　to　the　Government　in　England　to　abolish　the　proprietorship　and　put　the　colony　under　the　rule　of　the　King。　In　the　proposal　to　make　Pennsylvania　a　Crown　colony　there　was　no　intention　of　confiscating　the　possessions　of　the　proprietors。　It　was　merely　the　proprietary　political　power；　their　right　to　appoint　the　Governor；　that　was　to　be　abolished。　This　right　was　to　be　absorbed　by　the　Crown　with　payment　for　its　value　to　the　proprietors；　but　in　all　other　respects　the　charter　and　the　rights　and　liberties　of　the　people　were　to　remain　unimpaired。　Just　there　lay　the　danger。　An　act　of　Parliament　would　be　required　to　make　the　change　and；　having　once　started　on　such　a　change；　Parliament；　or　the　party　in　power　therein；　might　decide　to　make　other　changes；　and　in　the　end　there　might　remain　very　little　of　the　original　rights　and　liberties　of　the　colonists　under　th