the quaker colonies-第26章

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hey　often　met　a　fate　worse　than　death　in　the　loathsome　dungeons　into　which　thousands　of　Quakers　of　that　time　were　also　thrust。　A　large　part　of　William　Penn's　life　as　a　courtier　was　spent　in　rescuing　prisoners；　exiles；　and　condemned　persons　of　all　sorts；　and　not　merely　those　of　his　own　faith。　So　the　undertaking　to　make　of　Jersey　two　colonies；　one　a　refuge　for　Quakers　and　the　other　a　refuge　for　Covenanters；　was　natural　enough；　and　it　was　a　very　broad…minded　plan　for　that　age。

In　1683；　a　few　years　after　the　Quaker　control　of　East　Jersey　began；　a　new　and　fiercer　persecution　of　the　Covenanters　was　started　in　the　old　country；　and　shortly　afterwards　Monmouth's　insurrection　in　England　broke　out　and　was　followed　by　a　most　bloody　proscription　and　punishment。　The　greatest　efforts　were　made　to　induce　those　still　untouched　to　fly　for　refuge　to　East　Jersey；　but；　strange　to　say；　comparatively　few　of　them　came。　It　is　another　proof　of　the　sturdiness　and　devotion　which　has　filled　so　many　pages　of　history　and　romance　with　their　praise　that　as　a　class　the　Covenanters　remained　at　home　to　establish　their　faith　with　torture；　martyrdom；　and　death。

In　1685　the　Duke　of　York　ascended　the　throne　of　England　as　James　II；　and　all　that　was　naturally　to　be　expected　from　such　a　bigoted　despot　was　soon　realized。　The　persecutions　of　the　Covenanters　grew　worse。　Crowded　into　prisons　to　die　of　thirst　and　suffocation；　shot　down　on　the　highways；　tied　to　stakes　to　be　drowned　by　the　rising　tide；　the　whole　Calvinistic　population　of　Scotland　seemed　doomed　to　extermination。　Again　they　were　told　of　America　as　the　only　place　where　religious　liberty　was　allowed；　and　in　addition　a　book　was　circulated　among　them　called　〃The　Model　of　the　Government　of　the　Province　of　East　Jersey　in　America。〃　These　efforts　were　partially　successful。　More　Covenanters　came　than　before；　but　nothing　like　the　numbers　of　Quakers　that　flocked　to　Pennsylvania。　The　whole　population　of　East　JerseyNew　Englanders；　Dutch；　Scotch　Covenanters；　and　alldid　not　exceed　five　thousand　and　possibly　was　not　over　four　thousand。

Some　French　Huguenots；　such　as　came　to　many　of　the　English　colonies　after　the　Revocation　of　the　Edict　of　Nantes　of　1685；　were　added　to　the　East　Jersey　population。　A　few　went　to　Salem　in　West　Jersey；　and　some　of　these　became　Quakers。　In　both　the　Jerseys；　as　elsewhere；　they　became　prominent　and　influential　in　all　spheres　of　life。　There　was　a　decided　Dutch　influence；　it　is　said；　in　the　part　nearest　New　York；　emanating　from　the　Bergen　settlement　in　which　the　Dutch　had　succeeded　in　establishing　themselves　in　1660　after　the　Indians　had　twice　driven　them　from　Pavonia。　Many　descendants　of　Dutch　families　are　still　found　in　that　region。　Many　Dutch　characteristics　were　to　be　found　in　that　region　throughout　colonial　times。　Many　of　the　houses　had　Dutch　stoops　or　porches　at　the　door；　with　seats　where　the　family　and　visitors　sat　on　summer　evenings　to　smoke　and　gossip。　Long　Dutch　spouts　extended　out　from　the　eaves　to　discharge　the　rain　water　into　the　street。　But　the　prevailing　tone　of　East　Jersey　seems　to　have　been　set　by　the　Scotch　Presbyterians　and　the　New　England　Congregationalists。　The　College　of　New　Jersey；　afterward　known　as　Princeton；　established　in　1747；　was　the　result　of　a　movement　among　the　Presbyterians　of　East　Jersey　and　New　York。

All　these　elements　of　East　Jersey；　Scotch　Covenanters；　Connecticut　Puritans；　Huguenots；　and　Dutch　of　the　Dutch　Reformed　Church；　were　in　a　sense　different　but　in　reality　very　much　in　accord　and　congenial　in　their　ideas　of　religion　and　politics。　They　were　all　sturdy；　freedom…loving　Protestants；　and　they　set　the　tone　that　prevails　in　East　Jersey　to　this　day。　Their　strict　discipline　and　their　uncompromising　thrift　may　now　seem　narrow　and　harsh；　but　it　made　them　what　they　were；　and　it　has　left　a　legacy　of　order　and　prosperity　under　which　alien　religions　and　races　are　eager　to　seek　protection。　In　its　foundation　the　Quakers　may　claim　a　share。

The　new　King；　James　II；　was　inclined　to　reassume　jurisdiction　and　extend　the　power　of　the　Governor　of　New　York　over　East　Jersey　in　spite　of　his　grant　to　Sir　George　Carteret。　In　fact；　he　desired　to　put　New　England；　New　York；　and　New　Jersey　under　one　strong　government　centered　at　New　York；　to　abolish　their　charters；　to　extinguish　popular　government；　and　to　make　them　all　mere　royal　dependencies　in　pursuance　of　his　general　policy　of　establishing　an　absolute　monarchy　and　a　papal　church　in　England。

The　curse　of　East　Jersey's　existence　was　to　be　always　an　appendage　of　New　York；　or　to　be　threatened　with　that　condition。　The　inhabitants　now　had　to　enter　their　vessels　and　pay　duties　at　New　York。　Writs　were　issued　by　order　of　the　King　putting　both　the　Jerseys　and　all　New　England　under　the　New　York　Governor。　Step　by　step　the　plans　for　amalgamation　and　despotism　moved　on　successfully；　when　suddenly　the　English　Revolution　of　1688　put　an　end　to　the　whole　magnificent　scheme；　drove　the　King　into　exile；　and　placed　William　of　Orange　on　the　throne。

The　proprietaries　of　both　Jerseys　reassumed　their　former　authority。　But　the　New　York　Assembly　attempted　to　exercise　control　over　East　Jersey　and　to　levy　duties　on　its　exports。　The　two　provinces　were　soon　on　the　eve　of　a　little　war。　For　twelve　or　fifteen　years　East　Jersey　was　in　disorder；　with　seditious　meetings；　mob　rule；　judges　and　sheriffs　attacked　while　performing　their　duty；　the　proprietors　claiming　quitrents　from　the　people；　the　people　resisting；　and　the　British　Privy　Council　threatening　a　suit　to　take　the　province　from　the　proprietors　and　make　a　Crown　colony　of　it。　The　period　is　known　in　the　history　of　this　colony　as　〃The　Revolution。〃　Under　the　threat　of　the　Privy　Council　to　take　over　the　province；　the　proprietors　of　both　East　and　West　Jersey　surrendered　their　rights　of　political　government；　retaining　their　ownership　of　land　and　quitrents；　and　the　two　Jerseys　were　united　under　one　government　in　1702。　Its　subsequent　history　demands　another　chapter。



Chapter　XI。　The　United　Jerseys

The　Quaker　colonists　grouped　round　Burlington　and　Salem；　on　the　Delaware；　and　the　Scotch　Covenanters　and　New　England　colonists　grouped　around　Perth　Amboy　and　Newark；　near　the　mouth　of　the　Hudson；　made　up　the　two　Jerseys。　Neither　colony　had　a　numerous　population；　and　the　stretch　of　country　lying　between　them　was　during　most　of　the　colonial　period　a　wilderness。　It　is　now　crossed　by　the　railway　from　Trenton　to　New　York。　It　has　always　been　a　line　of　travel　from　the　Delaware　to　the　Hudson。　At　first　there　was　only　an　Indian　trail　across　it；　but　after　1695　there　was　a　road；　and　after　1738　a　stage　route。

In　1702；　while　still　separated　by　this　wilderness；　the　two　Jerseys　were　united　politically　by　the　proprietors　voluntarily　surrendering　all　their　political　rights　to　the　Crown。　The　political　distinction　between　East　Jersey　and　West　Jersey　was　thus　abolished；　their　excellent　free　constitutions　were　rendered　of　doubtful　authority；　and　from　that　time　to　the　Revolution　they　constituted　one　colony　under　the　control　of　a　royal　governor　appointed　by　the　Crown。

The　change　was　due　to　the　uncertainty　and　annoyance　caused　for　their　separate　governments　when　their　right　to　govern　was　in　doubt　owing　to　interference　on　the　part　of　New　York　and　the　desire　of　the　King　to　make　them　a　Crown　colony。　The　original　grant　of　the　Duke　of　York　to　the　proprietors　Berkeley　and　Carteret　had　given　title　to　the　soil　but　had　been　silent　as　to　the　right　to　govern。　The　first　proprietors　and　their　successors　had　always　assumed　that　the　right　to　govern　necessarily　accompanied　this　gift　of　the　land。　Such　a　privilege；　however；　the　Crown　was　inclined　to　doubt。　William　Penn　was　careful　to　avoid　this　uncertainty　when　he　received　his　charter　for　Pennsylvania。　Profiting　by　the　sad　example　of　the　Jerseys；　he　made　sure　that　he　was　given　both　the　title　to　the　soil　and　the　right　to　govern。

The　proprietors；　however；　now　surrendered　only　their　right　to　govern　the　Jerseys　and　retained　their　ownership　of　the　land；　and　the　people　always　maintained　that　they；　on　their　part；　retained　all　the　political　rights　and　privileges　which　had　been　granted　them　by　the　proprietors。　And　these　rights　were　important；　for　the　concessions　or　constitutions　granted　by　the　proprietors　un