USA > Pennsylvania > Lives of the governors of Pennsylvania : with the incidental history of the state, from 1609 to 1873 > Part 5
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at length gratified. " After many waitings, watchings, solicit- ings, and disputes in council, my country," says Penn, "was confirmed to me under the great seal of England. God will bless and make it the seed of a nation. I shall have a tender care of the government, that it be well laid at first." It em- braced the territory between three degrees of latitude and five of longitude, west from the Delaware, and was named Pennsylvania by the will of the King, though in opposition to the vigorous protest of Penn, who desired that it should be called New Wales. In the preamble to the royal charter, the King states that he makes this grant to Penn on account of the " commendable desire he expresses to enlarge the British empire by promoting trade, to reduce the savage natives by just and gentle manners to the love of civil society and the Christian religion, and to transport an ample colony to an uncultivated country." In return for this grant, it is provided that Penn shall pay "two beaver-skins, to be delivered at our castle in Windsor, on the first day of January in every year, and also the fifth part of all gold and silver ore which may happen to be found."
PART II.
PROPRIETARY GOVERNMENT.
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CHAPTER I.
WILLIAM PENN, PROPRIETOR, 1681-93.
W ILLIAM MARKIIAM, Deputy Governor, June, 1681, to October, 1682. - Not being in readiness to depart for his newly acquired possessions, Penn dispatched his kinsman, William Markham, armed with the authority of Deputy Governor, to take formal possession, and rule until his arrival. By the hands of Markham, Penn addressed a letter to the colonists upon the Delaware, advising them of the transfer of authority, and promising most liberal terms. "You are now fixed," he says, "at the mercy of no gover- nor who comes to make his fortunes great. You shall be governed by laws of your own making, and live a free, and, if you will, a sober and industrious people. I shall not usurp the right of any, or oppress his person. In short, whatever sober and free men can reasonably desire for the security and improvement of their own happiness, I shall heartily comply with." The King also published his declaration, making public the grant and its extent, and directing obedience of the inhabitants to the Proprietor and his deputies.
Markham's commission was given on the 6th of March, two days after the date of the charter, and he immediately started for the province. He proceeded directly to New York to inform the Governor, who then held sway upon the Delaware, of the King's pleasure. Andros, having been previously called to account for some official mismanage- ment by an agent of the Duke of York, John Levin, had departed for England, leaving Captain Anthony Brockholls in chief authority. To Brockholls, therefore, Markham delivered the King's declaration, and from him received a
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letter addressed to the justices and other magistrates acting within the limits of the new grant, informing them that the King's patent to William Penn had been shown him by Markham, and been entered in the official records of his government, returning them thanks for their good service, and requesting that they transfer their allegiance to the new proprietor. With this letter, which was dated New York, June 21st, 1681, Markham proceeded immediately to the Delaware, where he was kindly received and his authority unhesitatingly accepted. He was empowered, by his com- mission, to call a council of nine, over whom he was to pre- side. The attestation of these councillors, which was dated August 3d, was in these words : " Wee do hereby bind our- selves by our hands and scales, that wee neither act nor advise, nor consent, unto anything that shall not be according to our own consciences the best for ye true and well Government of the said Province." Two of these councillors did not write their own names. :
Markham also brought a letter, addressed to Lord Balti- more, with reference to the settlement of the boundary be- tween the two provinces. On receipt of this, Lord Baltimore came to Upland to confer with Markham upon this subject, when it was ascertained by an observation then taken, that Upland, the heart of the colony, was twelve miles south of the forty-first degree of latitude; whereas, the charter of King Charles fixed the southern boundary of Pennsylvania at " the beginning of the fortieth degree, or at the end of the thirty-ninth." This would have included the city of Baltimore, and even the site of the present city of Washington. Igno- rance of the geography, on the part of the royal secretaries, had occasioned confusion in drawing the charters, and con- sequently Markham could settle nothing. This attempt at an amicable composition was the beginning of a controversy which was maintained with much spirit for many years, and until after the death of Penn. It was finally agreed, much in the interest of Maryland, to adopt the segment of a circle
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drawn at a distance of twelve miles from New Castle, begin- ning at the point where this line cuts the western shore of the Delaware, and continuing until it cuts the fortieth degree and forty-fourth minute of north latitude, and from that point westward on that parallel, being fifteen miles south of Philadelphia, and two surveyors, Thomas Mason and Jere- miah Dixon, were appointed in 1763, to run the line. The names of these surveyors have become world-renowned, as the line which they thus established marked the division be- tween the Free and Slave states.
The last court held at Upland under the government of the Duke of York, adjourned on the 14th of June, to meet again on the 13th of September, 1681; and on the latter day a court convened, the justices acting under commissions issued by Markham.
The instructions of the new governor required that the government should be administered " according to the good laws of England." But the Duke's Laws, which had pre- viously been in force in the colony, were principally enforced, without particular regard to the niceties, or even the essen- tials of English law. The word good in the above-cited pas- sage may have had an equivocal meaning, and those wnich were thought to be good alone have been adopted.
In the meantime, Penn published in England a descrip- tion of his province, with particular and well-timed advice to those who would emigrate, especially enjoining upon them "to consider seriously the premises, as well the present in- conveniency, as future case and plenty ; that so none may move rashly, or from fickle, but solid minds, having above all things an eye to the providence of God in the disposal of themselves."
Late in this year, two ships sent from England arrived in the colony. In these were four commissioners, - Wil- liam Crispin, John Bezer, William Haige, and Nathaniel Allen. Crispin had been appointed surveyor-general; but he having died on the passage out, Thomas Holme was
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appointed in his place. The duties of these commissioners were, to preserve friendly relations with the Indians, acquire lands of them, and survey and apportion them; but chiefly to select the site of, and lay out a great city. That he might secure the favor of the Indians, Penn addressed them a letter by the hands of these commissioners, in which he says: "There is a great God and power, that hath made the world, and all things therein; to whom you and I, and all people owe their being, and well-being; and to whom you and I must one day give an account, for all that we do in the world. This great God hath written his law in our hearts, by which we are taught and commanded to love, and help, and do good to one another. Now this great God has been pleased to make me concerned in your part of the world; and the King of the country where I live, hath given me a great province therein; but I desire to enjoy it with your love and consent; that we may always live together, as neighbors and friends; else what would the great God do to us, who hath made us, not to devour and destroy one another, but to live soberly and kindly in the world ?"
Markham made a large purchase of the Indians on the Delaware, above Shackamaxon, and for seven weeks was en- gaged, in company with the commissioners and surveyors, in sounding the river, and searching for a site for the great city, which, by the instructions, was to embrace ten thousand acres. "Be sure to make your choice," says Penn, "where it is most navigable, high, dry, and healthy; that is, where most ships may best ride, of deepest draught of water, if possible to load or unload at the bank or key's side without boating and lightening of it. It would do well if the river coming into that creek be navigable, at least for boats up into the country, and that the situation be high, at least dry and sound, and not swampy, which is best known by digging up two or three earths and seeing the bottom."
Upland, now Chester, had been in the mind of Penn as the location which would be adopted; but Markham dis- carded this, and after considering Pennsbury Manor, above
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Bristol, and the land on Poquessing Creek, finally settled upon the present site of Philadelphia. This was between two rivers; it was dry and commanding ground; and the Delaware was deep, fulfilling all the requirements of the Pro- prietor; but the area between the two rivers was not suffi- cient for a city of ten thousand acres in a compact body ; so a smaller tract was agreed upon. The plot extended two miles from river to river, and one mile in width. It was laid out in regular squares, the streets crossing each other at right angles, with suitable parks and public grounds.
Penn obtained from the Duke of York a deed of release for his Province, and also two deeds, the one conveying New Castle County, and the other the counties of Kent and Sus- sex, which three counties were known as the territories, in distinction from the Province of Pennsylvania, and which afterwards became the State of Delaware.
Having completed his preparations, Penn sailed for the Delaware, arriving at New Castle on the 8th of November, 1682, when he assumed authority.
WILLIAM PENN.
[The following sketch of the life of William Penn, the great founder of Penn- sylvania, has been prepared expressly for this work by Samuel M. Janney, author of "The Life of William Penn," "The Life of George Fox," "The History of the Society of Friends," &c.]
WILLIAM PENN, the founder of Pennsylvania, was the son of Vice-Admiral Sir William Penn, a distinguished com- mander in the British Navy, and was born in the city of London, the 14th of October, 1644. His mother was a pious and judicious woman, who encouraged in her son those vir- tuous dispositions which, even in his childhood, gave the promise of future excellence.
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In the year 1656, Admiral Penn removed with his family to Ireland, where he possessed valuable estates, and William, being then about twelve years of age, diligently pursued his . studies at home under the direction of a private tutor. At the age of fifteen, he went to Oxford, and was entered as a student at Christ Church College. While residing at Oxford, he attended a meeting of the Religious Society of Friends, who were in derision called " Quakers," and Thomas Loc, who formerly belonged to the University, preached a sermon which had a powerful effect upon his mind. He was con- vinced that the simplicity and purity of the Christian religion were lost sight of by most of its professors, while their attention was occupied by a round of lifeless ceremonies. Finding that some of his fellow-students were, like himself, dissatisfied with the established form of worship, he united with them in holding meetings for Divine worship, in which they engaged in exhortation and prayer. This course, and their withdrawal from the national worship, were severely censured by the officers of the college; and the young men being withheld by a sense of duty from conforming, were finally expelled. On his return to his home, his serious deportment gave great dissatisfaction to his father, who feared that this change of manners would blast all his pros- pects for worldly honor.
The Admiral, though kind at heart, was a stern discipli- narian; he remonstrated in strong terms, and finding that William adhered to his religious principles, he expelled him from his house. He was, however, soon recalled, through the intercession of his mother, when his father adopted the expedient of sending him to France, in company with some persons of rank who were about to make the tour of Europe. After a brief stay in Paris, he went to Saumur, to enjoy the conversation and instruction of the learned Moses Amyrault, a Protestant minister and professor of Divinity. While residing there, he read attentively the early Christian writers and other ecclesiastical works.
In the year 1664, he returned from the Continent, bringing
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with him the polish of French society, and leaving behind him a portion of that serious demeanor which had so much displeased his father. Soon after his return he became, at his father's suggestion, a student at Lincoln's Inn, in order to acquire a knowledge of the laws of England.
In the spring of 1666, his father sent him to Ireland, and furnished him with a letter of introduction to Sir George Lane, Secretary of the Duke of Ormond, who was then Lord- Lieutenant, and presided over a court of great splendor. He was received with marked attention, and became a welcome guest in that gay circle. During his residence there, a mutiny took place among the soldiers in the garrison of Carrickfergus, and he, being acquainted with the use of arms, joined the forces under the Lord of Arran (second son of the Duke of Ormond), and evinced so much valor in quelling the mutiny, that the Duke wished to make him a captain of infantry. This flattering proposal he showed a willingness to accept; but happily for himself and for the world, his father inter- posed to prevent it, and he was reserved for a nobler field of service in the cause of humanity.
About this time was painted the only portrait of William Penn ever taken from the life. A copy of this portrait was presented by Granville Penn, author of the " Memorials of Sir William Penn," to the Historical Society of Pennsyl- vania. It represents him in military costume, which seems to indicate his aspirations for martial life.
It was, however, for a short time only that Penn was per- mitted to indulge in visions of worldly glory, for Divine Providence, which shapes the destinies of the world's bene- factors, was watching over him, and the propitious moment was nigh at hand when an opportunity would be offered for his acceptance of a post in a spiritual warfare. Being at Cork on business, he heard that Thomas Loe was to be at a meeting of the Friends in that city, and his affection for that eminent minister prompted him to attend. After an interval of silence, the preacher commenced his discourse with these words: "There is a faith which overcomes the world, and
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there is a faith which is overcome by the world." On this theme he spoke so impressively that Penn's early convictions were revived, and his sense of religious duty was so over- powering that he determined to renounce worldly glory and devote himself to the service of God. IIe became a constant attendant at the meetings of Friends, and was soon called to share their sufferings, being taken with others from a meeting in Cork and imprisoned.
While in prison, he wrote to the Earl of Orrery, Lord President of Munster, pleading for liberty of conscience, and praying that a stop might be put to persecution for religious dissent. This was his first essay in behalf of uni- versal toleration, - the beginning of that series of efforts which, after more than twenty years of arduous conflict, were crowned with success.
He was soon liberated, and, being recalled by his father, returned to his home in England. Here he was subjected to trials more severe than his imprisonment in Ireland, for his father could not tolerate the unflattering mode of address adopted by the Friends, and, after remonstrating strenuously against it, again expelled him from his house.
This conduct of the Admiral originated in disappointed pride. IIe had indulged in brilliant prospects of worldly honor for his son, whose promising talents and remarkable acquirements gave assurance of success in political life, and a peerage was believed to be within his reach. But now he had renounced all these prospects, and joined himself to a persecuted sect, who were regarded as fanatics by the fash- ionable world. At length his father, softened, perhaps, by the entreaties of his wife, so far relented as to allow him to obtain subsistence at home, but gave him no open counte- nance.
Penn became connected with the Society of Friends in the year 1667, and the following year he felt himself called to the gospel ministry, in which he became distinguished by qualifications of a high order. As a writer of religious works he soon became widely known, and his abilities were
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generally acknowledged. Some of his productions of this class were of a controversial nature, others were practical, and all were imbued with his fervent and devotional spirit.
One of his tracts, which sprung from a controversy of the Friends with Vincent, a Presbyterian minister, bears the fol- lowing title : "The Sandy Foundation Shaken, or those so generally applauded doctrines, of one God subsisting in three distinct and separate persons; the impossibility of God's par- doning sinners without a plenary satisfaction ; the justifica- tion of impure persons by an imputative righteousness refuted, from the authority of Scripture testimonies and right reason."
This work gave great offence to the clergy, and especially to the Bishop of London, who procured from the Government an order for Penn's imprisonment in the Tower. During his confinement, which lasted eight and a half months, he em- ployed much of his time in writing religious books, one of which, entitled " No Cross no Crown," has been extensively circulated. IIe was visited in prison by Dr. Stillingfleet, afterwards Bishop of Worcester, who was sent by the King to endeavor to change his judgment. "I told him," says Penn, " and he told the King, that the Tower was the worst argument in the world to convince me; for, whoever was in the wrong, those who used force for religion never could be right. So, neither the Doctor's arguments, nor his moving and interesting motives of the King's favor and preferment, at all prevailed."
While in prison he wrote a tract entitled "Innocency with her Open Face," presented by way of apology for the " Sandy Foundation Shaken." This tract was intended to explain some passages in the former work. "One of the main ends," he says, " which first induced me to that discourse, I find de- livered by him (Stillingfleet), namely: 'If they did believe Christ came into the world to reform it, - that the wrath of God is now revealed from heaven against all unrighteous- ness, - that His love, which is shown to the world, is to deliver them from the hands of their enemies, that they might serve him in righteousness and true holiness all the
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days of their lives, - they never could imagine that salva- tion is entailed by the gospel upon a mighty confidence or vehement persuasion of what Christ hath done and suffered for them.' Thus doth he confess upon my hypothesis or proposition, what I mainly contend for; and, however posi- tively I may reject or deny my adversaries' unscriptural and imaginary satisfaction, let all know this, that I pretend to know no other name by which remission, atonement, and salvation can be obtained but Jesus Christ, the Saviour, who is the power and wisdom of God." *
Soon after the appearance of this tract he was released from the Tower, and it was thought he owed his discharge to the intercession of the Duke of York, who afterwards took the title of James II. This kindness on the part of the Duke, and his continued favor after he became King, produced in the mind of Penn a sentiment of gratitude and a personal attachment which continued through life, and subjected him to groundless suspicion and persecution after the fall of his royal patron.
. In the year 1670, William Penn, while preaching at a Friends' meeting in London, was arrested under authority of the Conventicle Act, which was intended to suppress all religious meetings conducted "in any other manner than according to the liturgy and practice of the Church of Eng- land." In company with his friend, William Mead, of London, who was taken at the same meeting, Penn was tried at the court called the Old Bailey. The court endea- vored to browbeat the jury, and then to compel them by starvation to bring in a verdict according to its arbitrary will. Penn and Mead made their own defence with great ability, and were acquitted by the jury, but, being fined by the court for keeping on their hats, they were remanded to prison for non-payment of their fines. The jury were also fined " 40 marks a man " for an alleged contempt of court, and, being sent to prison, they employed able counsel, who brought their case before the Court of Common Pleas, and
* Penn's Select Works, p. 26.
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obtained their release. This trial was attended with im- portant results, in the greater security and more firm estab- lishment of civil liberty in England.
In the year 1670, Admiral Penn, being on his death-bed, and anxious to see his son, sent the money privately to pay his fine, and that of his companion-in-bonds. The meeting between the father and son was deeply moving to both, and the Admiral sent one of his friends to the Duke of York with his dying request, that he would endeavor to protect his son from persecution, and use his influence with the King on his behalf. The answer was encouraging, both the King and the Duke promising to comply with his request.
Sensible of his approaching end, Admiral Penn addressed his son in these words: "Son William, I am weary of the world ! I would not live over my days again if I could command them with a wish; for the snares of life are greater than the fears of death. This troubles me, that I have offended a gracious God. The thought of that has followed me to this day. Oh ! have a care of sin! It is that which is the sting both of life and death. Three things I commend to you :
" First. Let nothing in this world tempt you to wrong your conscience ; so you will keep peace at home, which will be a feast to you in the day of trouble.
"Secondly. Whatever you design to do, lay it justly and time it seasonably, for that gives security and dispatch.
"Lastly. Be not troubled at disappointments; for, if they may be recovered, do it; if they cannot, trouble is vain. If you could not have helped it, be content; there is often peace and profit in submitting to Providence; for afflictions make wise. If you could have helped it, let not your trouble exceed instruction for another time. These rules will carry you with firmness and comfort through this inconstant world."
At his father's death, William Penn came into possession of an ample estate, affording an annual income of fifteen hundred pounds. This enabled him to contribute liberally to
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charitable purposes, and there is abundant evidence to show, that throughout life he made use of his wealth for the benefit of others, rather than to promote his own ease or indulgence.
About the time of his father's death Penn wrote and pub- lished a tract called " A Seasonable Caveat against Popery," being an answer to a pamphlet entitled, " An Explanation of the Roman Catholic Belief." In this tract he treats of the Roman Catholic doctrines relative to the Scriptures, the Trinity, prayer to saints and angels, justification by merits, the cucharist, prayers in Latin, and for the dead, &c .; show- ing that, for many of their principles and practices, there is no authority in the Scriptures, nor in the example of the prim- itive Church. Although he thought it his duty to caution the public against the inroads of Catholic doctrines, yet he declares, in his introductory remarks, that nothing is further from his purpose than "incensing the civil magistrate against them (were such a thing possible), for he was himself a friend to an universal toleration of faith and worship." Notwith- standing this tract, and many other passages in his writings, showing his strong opposition to Papal doctrines, he was fre- quently accused of being a Catholic, and even a Jesuit, in order to raise a popular prejudice against him.
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