the quaker colonies-第3章

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badly　in　practice　that　in　the　end　the　province　went　to　the　opposite　extreme　and　had　no　council　or　upper　house　of　the　Legislature　at　all。

Penn's　frame　of　government　contained；　however；　a　provision　for　its　own　amendment。　This　was　a　new　idea　and　proved　to　be　so　happy　that　it　is　now　found　in　all　American　constitutions。　His　method　of　impeachment　by　which　the　lower　house　was　to　bring　in　the　charge　and　the　upper　house　was　to　try　it　has　also　been　universally　adopted。　His　view　that　an　unconstitutional　law　is　void　was　a　step　towards　our　modern　system。　The　next　step；　giving　the　courts　power　to　declare　a　law　unconstitutional；　was　not　taken　until　one　hundred　years　after　his　time。　With　the　advice　and　assistance　of　some　of　those　who　were　going　out　to　his　colony　he　prepared　a　code　of　laws　which　contained　many　of　the　advanced　ideas　of　the　Quakers。　Capital　punishment　was　to　be　confined　to　murder　and　treason；　instead　of　being　applied　as　in　England　to　a　host　of　minor　offenses。　The　property　of　murderers；　instead　of　being　forfeited　to　the　State；　was　to　be　divided　among　the　next　of　kin　of　the　victim　and　of　the　criminal。　Religious　liberty　was　established　as　it　had　been　in　Rhode　Island　and　the　Jerseys。　All　children　were　to　be　taught　a　useful　trade。　Oaths　in　judicial　proceedings　were　not　required。　All　prisons　were　to　be　workhouses　and　places　of　reformation　instead　of　dungeons　of　dirt；　idleness；　and　disease。　This　attempt　to　improve　the　prisons　inaugurated　a　movement　of　great　importance　in　the　modern　world　in　which　the　part　played　by　the　Quakers　is　too　often　forgotten。

Penn　had　now　started　his　〃Holy　Experiment；〃　as　he　called　his　enterprise　in　Pennsylvania；　by　which　he　intended　to　prove　that　religious　liberty　was　not　only　right；　but　that　agriculture；　commerce；　and　all　arts　and　refinements　of　life　would　flourish　under　it。　He　would　break　the　delusion　that　prosperity　and　morals　were　possible　only　under　some　one　particular　faith　established　by　law。　He；　would　prove　that　government　could　be　carried　on　without　war　and　without　oaths；　and　that　primitive　Christianity　could　be　maintained　without　a　hireling　ministry；　without　persecution；　without　ridiculous　dogmas　or　ritual；　sustained　only　by　its　own　innate　power　and　the　inward　light。



Chapter　II。　Penn　Sails　For　The　Delaware

The　framing　of　the　constitution　and　other　preparations　consumed　the　year　following　Penn's　receipt　of　his　charter　in　1681。　But　at　last；　on　August　30；　1682；　he　set　sail　in　the　ship　Welcome；　with　about　a　hundred　colonists。　After　a　voyage　of　about　six　weeks；　and　the　loss　of　thirty　of　their　number　by　smallpox；　they　arrived　in　the　Delaware。　June　would　have　been　a　somewhat　better　month　in　which　to　see　the　rich　luxuriance　of　the　green　meadows　and　forests　of　this　beautiful　river。　But　the　autumn　foliage　and　bracing　air　of　October　must　have　been　inspiring　enough。　The　ship　slowly　beat　her　way　for　three　days　up　the　bay　and　river　in　the　silence　and　romantic　loneliness　of　its　shores。　Everything　indicated　richness　and　fertility。　At　some　points　the　lofty　trees　of　the　primeval　forest　grew　down　to　the　water's　edge。　The　river　at　every　high　tide　overflowed　great　meadows　grown　up　in　reeds　and　grasses　and　red　and　yellow　flowers；　stretching　back　to　the　borders　of　the　forest　and　full　of　water　birds　and　wild　fowl　of　every　variety。　Penn；　now　in　the　prime　of　life；　must　surely　have　been　aroused　by　this　scene　and　by　the　reflection　that　the　noble　river　was　his　and　the　vast　stretches　of　forests　and　mountains　for　three　hundred　miles　to　the　westward。

He　was　soon　ashore；　exploring　the　edge　of　his　mighty　domain；　settling　his　government；　and　passing　his　laws。　He　was　much　pleased　with　the　Swedes　whom　he　found　on　his　land。　He　changed　the　name　of　the　little　Swedish　village　of　Upland；　fifteen　miles　below　Philadelphia；　to　Chester。　He　superintended　laying　out　the　streets　of　Philadelphia　and　they　remain　to　this　day　substantially　as　he　planned　them；　though　unfortunately　too　narrow　and　monotonously　regular。　He　met　the　Indians　at　Philadelphia；　sat　with　them　at　their　fires；　ate　their　roasted　corn；　and　when　to　amuse　him　they　showed　him　some　of　their　sports　and　games　he　renewed　his　college　days　by　joining　them　in　a　jumping　match。

Then　he　started　on　journeys。　He　traveled　through　the　woods　to　New　York；　which　then　belonged　to　the　Duke　of　York；　who　had　given　him　Delaware；　he　visited　the　Long　Island　Quakers；　and　on　his　return　he　went　to　Maryland　to　meet　with　much　pomp　and　ceremony　Lord　Baltimore　and　there　discuss　with　him　the　disputed　boundary。　He　even　crossed　to　the　eastern　shore　of　the　Chesapeake　to　visit　a　Quaker　meeting　on　the　Choptank　before　winter　set　in；　and　he　describes　the　immense　migration　of　wild　pigeons　at　that　season；　and　the　ducks　which　flew　so　low　and　were　so　tame　that　the　colonists　knocked　them　down　with　sticks。

Most　of　the　winter　he　spent　at　Chester　and　wrote　to　England　in　high　spirits　of　his　journeys；　the　wonders　of　the　country；　the　abundance　of　game　and　provisions；　and　the　twenty…three　ships　which　had　arrived　so　swiftly　that　few　had　taken　longer　than　six　weeks；　and　only　three　had　been　infected　with　the　smallpox。　〃Oh　how　sweet；〃　he　says；　〃is　the　quiet　of　these　parts；　freed　from　the　anxious　and　troublesome　solicitations；　hurries　and　perplexities　of　woful　Europe。〃

As　the　weeks　and　months　passed；　ships　kept　arriving　with　more　Quakers；　far　exceeding　the　migration　to　the　Jerseys。　By　summer；　Penn　reported　that　50　sail　had　arrived　within　the　past　year；　80　houses　had　been　built　in　Philadelphia；　and　about　300　farms　had　been　laid　out　round　the　town。　It　is　supposed　that　about　8000　immigrants　had　arrived。　This　was　a　more　rapid　development　than　was　usual　in　the　colonies　of　America。　Massachusetts　and　Virginia　had　been　established　slowly　and　with　much　privation　and　suffering。　But　the　settlement　of　Philadelphia　was　like　a　summer　outing。　There　were　no　dangers；　the　hardships　were　trifling；　and　there　was　no　sickness　or　famine。　There　was　such　an　abundance　of　game　close　at　hand　that　hunger　and　famine　were　in　nowise　to　be　feared。　The　climate　was　good　and　the　Indians；　kindly　treated；　remained　friendly　for　seventy　years。

It　is　interesting　to　note　that　in　that　same　year；　1682；　in　which　Penn　and　his　friends　with　such　ease　and　comfort　founded　their　great　colony　on　the　Delaware；　the　French　explorers　and　voyageurs　from　Canada；　after　years　of　incredible　hardships；　had　traversed　the　northern　region　of　the　Great　Lakes　with　their　canoes　and　had　passed　down　the　Mississippi　to　its　mouth；　giving　to　the　whole　of　the　Great　West　the　name　of　Louisiana；　and　claiming　it　for　France。　Already　La　Salle　had　taken　his　fleet　of　canoes　down　the　Mississippi　River　and　had　placed　the　arms　of　France　on　a　post　at　its　mouth　in　April；　1682；　only　a　few　months　before　Penn　reached　his　newly　acquired　colony。　Thus　in　the　same　year　in　which　the　Quakers　established　in　Pennsylvania　their　reign　of　liberty　and　of　peace　with　the　red　men；　La　Salle　was　laying　the　foundation　of　the　western　empire　of　despotic　France；　which　seventy　years　afterwards　was　to　hurl　the　savages　upon　the　English　colonies；　to　wreck　the　Quaker　policy　of　peace；　but　to　fail　in　the　end　to　maintain　itself　against　the　free　colonies　of　England。

While　they　were　building　houses　in　Philadelphia；　the　settlers　lived　in　bark　huts　or　in　caves　dug　in　the　river　bank；　as　the　early　settlers　in　New　Jersey　across　the　river　had　lived。　Pastorius；　a　learned　German　Quaker；　who　had　come　out　with　the；　English；　placed　over　the　door　of　his　cave　the　motto；　〃Parva　domus；　sed　amica　bonis；　procul　este　profani；〃　which　much　amused　Penn　when　he　saw　it。　A　certain　Mrs。　Morris　was　much　exercised　one　day　as　to　how　she　could　provide　supper　in　the　cave　for　her　husband　who　was　working　on　the　construction　of　their　house。　But　on　returning　to　her　cave　she　found　that　her　cat　had　just　brought　in　a　fine　rabbit。　In　their　later　prosperous　years　they　had　a　picture　of　the　cat　and　the　rabbit　made　on　a　box　which　has　descended　as　a　family　heirloom。　Doubtless　there　were　preserved　many　other　interesting　reminiscences　of　the　brief　camp　life。　These　Quakers　were　all　of　the　thrifty；　industrious　type　which　had　gone　to　West　Jersey　a　few　years　before。　Men　of　means；　indeed；　among　the　Quakers　were　the　first　to　seek　refuge　from　the　fines　and　confiscations　imposed　upon　th