the quaker colonies-第4章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


ed；　among　the　Quakers　were　the　first　to　seek　refuge　from　the　fines　and　confiscations　imposed　upon　them　in　England。　They　brought　with　them　excellent　supplies　of　everything。　Many　of　the　ships　carried　the　frames　of　houses　ready　to　put　together。　But　substantial　people　of　this　sort　demanded　for　the　most　part　houses　of　brick；　with　stone　cellars。　Fortunately　both　brick　clay　and　stone　were　readily　obtainable　in　the　neighborhood；　and　whatever　may　have　been　the　case　in　other　colonies；　ships　loaded　with　brick　from　England　would　have　found　it　little　to　their　profit　to　touch　at　Philadelphia。　An　early　description　says　that　the　brick　houses　in　Philadelphia　were　modeled　on　those　of　London；　and　this　type　prevailed　for　nearly　two　hundred　years。

It　was　probably　in　June；　1683；　that　Penn　made　his　famous　treaty　with　the　Indians。　No　documentary　proof　of　the　existence　of　such　a　treaty　has　reached　us。　He　made；　indeed；　a　number　of　so…called　treaties；　which　were　really　only　purchases　of　land　involving　oral　promises　between　the　principals　to　treat　each　other　fairly。　Hundreds　of　such　treaties　have　been　made。　The　remarkable　part　about　Penn's　dealings　with　the　Indians　was　that　such　promises　as　he　made　he　kept。　The　other　Quakers；　too；　were　as　careful　as　Penn　in　their　honorable　treatment　of　the　red　men。　Quaker　families　of　farmers　and　settlers　lived　unarmed　among　them　for　generations　and；　when　absent　from　home；　left　children　in　their　care。　The　Indians；　on　their　part；　were　known　to　have　helped　white　families　with　food　in　winter　time。　Penn；　on　his　first　visit　to　the　colony；　made　a　long　journey　unarmed　among　the　Indians　as　far　as　the　Susquehanna；　saw　the　great　herds　of　elk　on　that　river；　lived　in　Indian　wigwams；　and　learned　much　of　the　language　and　customs　of　the　natives。　There　need　never　be　any　trouble　with　them；　he　said。　They　were　the　easiest　people　in　the　world　to　get　on　with　if　the　white　men　would　simply　be　just。　Penn's　fair　treatment　of　the　Indians　kept　Pennsylvania　at　peace　with　them　for　about　seventy　yearsin　fact；　from　1682　until　the　outbreak　of　the　French　and　Indian　Wars；　in　1755。　In　its　critical　period　of　growth；　Pennsylvania　was　therefore　not　at　all　harassed　or　checked　by　those　Indian　hostilities　which　were　such　a　serious　impediment　in　other　colonies。

The　two　years　of　Penn's　first　visit　were　probably　the　happiest　of　his　life。　Always　fond　of　the　country；　he　built　himself　a　fine　seat　on　the　Delaware　near　Bristol；　and　it　would　have　been　better　for　him；　and　probably　also　for　the　colony；　if　he　had　remained　there。　But　he　thought　he　had　duties　in　England：　his　family　needed　him；　he　must　defend　his　people　from　the　religious　oppression　still　prevailing；　and　Lord　Baltimore　had　gone　to　England　to　resist　him　in　the　boundary　dispute。　One　of　the　more　narrow…minded　of　his　faith　wrote　to　Penn　from　England　that　he　was　enjoying　himself　too　much　in　his　colony　and　seeking　his　own　selfish　interest。　Influenced　by　all　these　considerations；　he　returned　in　August；　1684；　and　it　was　long　before　he　saw　Pennsylvania　againnot；　indeed；　until　October；　1699；　and　then　for　only　two　years。


Chapter　III。　Life　In　Philadelphia

The　rapid　increase　of　population　and　the　growing　prosperity　in　Pennsylvania　during　the　life　of　its　founder　present　a　striking　contrast　to　the　slower　and　more　troubled　growth　of　the　other　British　colonies　in　America。　The　settlers　in　Pennsylvania　engaged　at　once　in　profitable　agriculture。　The　loam；　clay；　and　limestone　soils　on　the　Pennsylvania　tide　of　the　Delaware　produced　heavy　crops　of　grain；　as　well　as　pasture　for　cattle　and　valuable　lumber　from　its　forests。　The　Pennsylvania　settlers　were　of　a　class　particularly　skilled　in　dealing　with　the　soil。　They　apparently　encountered　none　of　the　difficulties；　due　probably　to　incompetent　farming；　which　beset　the　settlers　of　Delaware；　whose　land　was　as　good　as　that　of　the　Pennsylvania　colonists。

In　a　few　years　the　port　of　Philadelphia　was　loading　abundant　cargoes　for　England　and　the　great　West　India　trade。　After　much　experimenting　with　different　places　on　the　river；　such　as　New　Castle；　Wilmington；　Salem；　Burlington；　the　Quakers　had　at　last　found　the　right　location　for　a　great　seat　of　commerce　and　trade　that　could　serve　as　a　center　for　the　export　of　everything　from　the　region　behind　it　and　around　it。　Philadelphia　thus　soon　became　the　basis　of　a　prosperity　which　no　other　townsite　on　the　Delaware　had　been　able　to　attain。　The　Quakers　of　Philadelphia　were　the　soundest　of　financiers　and　men　of　business；　and　in　their　skillful　hands　the　natural　resources　of　their　colony　were　developed　without　setback　or　accident。　At　an　early　date　banking　institutions　were　established　in　Philadelphia；　and　the　strongest　colonial　merchants　and　mercantile　firms　had　their　offices　there。　It　was　out　of　such　a　sound　business　life　that　were　produced　in　Revolutionary　times　such　characters　as　Robert　Morris　and　after　the　Revolution　men　like　Stephen　Girard。

Pennsylvania　in　colonial　times　was　ruled　from　Philadelphia　somewhat　as　France　has　always　been　ruled　from　Paris。　And　yet　there　was　a　difference：　Pennsylvania　had　free　government。　The　Germans　and　the　Scotch…Irish　outnumbered　the　Quakers　and　could　have　controlled　the　Legislature；　for　in　1750　out　of　a　population　of　150；000　the　Quakers　were　only　about　50；000；　and　yet　the　Legislature　down　to　the　Revolution　was　always　confided　to　the　competent　hands　of　the　Quakers。　No　higher　tribute；　indeed；　has　ever　been　paid　to　any　group　of　people　as　governors　of　a　commonwealth　and　architects　of　its　finance　and　trade。

It　is　a　curious　commentary　on　the　times　and　on　human　nature　that　these　Quaker　folk；　treated　as　outcasts　and　enemies　of　good　order　and　religion　in　England　and　gradually　losing　all　their　property　in　heavy　fines　and　confiscations；　should　so　suddenly　in　the　wilderness　prove　the　capacity　of　their　〃Holy　Experiment〃　for　achieving　the　best　sort　of　good　order　and　material　success。　They　immediately　built　a　most　charming　little　town　by　the　waterside；　snug　and　pretty　with　its　red　brick　houses　in　the　best　architectural　style。　It　was　essentially　a　commercial　town　down　to　the　time　of　the　Revolution　and　long　afterwards。　The　principal　residences　were　on　Water　Street；　the　second　street　from　the　wharves。　The　town　in　those　days　extended　back　only　as　far　as　Fourth　Street；　and　the　State　House；　now　Independence　Hall；　an　admirable　instance　of　the　local　brick　architecture；　stood　on　the　edge　of　the　town。　The　Pennsylvania　Hospital；　the　first　institution　of　its　kind　to　be　built　in　America；　was　situated　out　in　the　fields。

Through　the　town　ran　a　stream　following　the　line　of　the　present　Dock　Street。　Its　mouth　had　been　a　natural　landing　place　for　the　first　explorers　and　for　the　Indians　from　time　immemorial。　Here　stood　a　neat　tavern；　the　Blue　Anchor；　with　its　dovecotes　in　old　English　style；　looking　out　for　many　a　year　over　the　river　with　its　fleet　of　small　boats。　Along　the　wharves　lay　the　very　solid；　broad；　somber；　Quaker…like　brick　warehouses；　some　of　which　have　survived　into　modern　times。　Everywhere　were　to　be　found　ships　and　the　good　seafaring　smell　of　tar　and　hemp。　Ships　were　built　and　fitted　out　alongside　docks　where　other　ships　were　lading。　A　privateer　would　receive　her　equipment　of　guns；　pistols；　and　cutlasses　on　one　side　of　a　wharf；　while　on　the　other　side　a　ship　was　peacefully　loading　wheat　or　salted　provisions　for　the　West　Indies。

Everybody's　attention　in　those　days　was　centered　on　the　water　instead　of　inland　on　railroads　as　it　is　today。　Commerce　was　the　source　of　wealth　of　the　town　as　agriculture　was　the　wealth　of　the　interior　of　the　province。　Every　one　lived　close　to　the　river　and　had　an　interest　in　the　rise　and　fall　of　the　tide。　The　little　town　extended　for　a　mile　along　the　water　but　scarcely　half　a　mile　back　from　it。　All　communication　with　other　places；　all　news　from　the　world　of　Europe　came　from　the　ships；　whose　captains　brought　the　letters　and　the　few　newspapers　which　reached　the　colonists。　An　important　ship　on　her　arrival　often　fired　a　gun　and　dropped　anchor　with　some　ceremony。　Immediately　the　shore　boats　swarmed　to　her　side；　the　captain　was　besieged　for　news　and　usually　brought　the　letters　ashore　to　be　distributed　at　the　coffeehouse。　This　institution　took　the　place　of　the　modern　stock　exchange；　clearing　house；　newspape