USA > Pennsylvania > Philadelphia County > Philadelphia > Warwick's Keystone commonwealth; a review of the history of the great state of Pennsylvania, and a brief record of the growth of its chief city, Philadelphia > Part 10
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Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47
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CHAPTER VII.
PENN'S WILL. KEITHI NAMED GOVERNOR. DAVID LLOYD. JAMES LOGAN. ILIS CHARACTER. REDEMPTIONERS. MAJOR PATRICK GORDON. CONDITIONS OF PHILADELPHIA. CUSTOMS OF THE DAY. MICHAEL WELFARE. GEORGE WHITE- FIELD. ANDREW HAMILTON. TRIAL OF JOIN PETER ZENGER. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN. HIS CHARACTER. HIS DEATII.
B Y the death of Penn his wife occupied the feudal office of Lord Pro- prietor of the province. Under his will, Penn had settled upon the children by his first wife his English and Irish estates, while Penn- sylvania was to become the property of the widow and her heirs. This division gave great offence to William Penn, Junior, who himself hoped to become the Lord Proprietor of Pennsylvania. The oldest son by the second wife was known as John, the "American," because he had been born in the Slate Roof House in Philadelphia. William Penn, Junior, attempted to exer- cise some authority in the province, but the Courts upheld his father's will and he retired to the Continent and died in France about two years after his father, a complete wreck.
The new Governor, with some little ceremony, publicly announced the death of the Lord Proprietor. Keith from the very start succeeded in winning the confidence of the Assembly, and easily obtained the appropriations necessary for a successful administration. He bought a large section of land consisting of about twelve hundred acres, at Horsham in Montgomery County. He built a large stone house which still remains standing and lived in grand style. His estate was called Graeme Park. Ile owned a number of slaves and had a fine stable of four driving and seven saddle horses. His carriage had the appear- ance of a coach of state, and attracted much attention as he drove over the road leading from his country seat to the city. Liveried drivers and footmen had not been seen in the province since the days of Penn, and they caused con- siderable comment. His coming to worship on Sunday was quite an event and people gathered in crowds to watch the arrival of the equipage. He had set aside for himself and his family a special pew in Christ Church known as the Governor's pew.
In politics there had already developed two factions, one led by David Lloyd, Democratic in principle, or what today would be called Progressive, while the Conservative party, loyal to the Proprietors, was led by James Logan.
James Logan, unquestionably at this time, was the most distinguished man in the province. He had had the absolute confidence of William Penn and after the death of the proprietor, obtained that of the widow, Hannah, and a brave and loyal defender of their interests he was at all times. He was the son of a Scotch chaplain, who turned Quaker and in consequence was compelled to go to Ireland where he taught a Latin school. James was born at Lurgan, County Armagh, the twentieth of October, 1674. His intellect was remarkably pre-
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cocious, for at thirteen years of age he was familiar with Latin, Greek, and had a fair knowledge of Hebrew. As a boy, he was apprenticed to a linen draper in Dublin, and in his leisure hours devoted himself to study and in addition to his other knowledge acquired a use of the French, Italian and Spanish tongues. Penn was so impressed by the remarkable intellect of the young man that he made him his secretary, and when the Proprietor sailed for America, took him along. Not only was Logan scholarly in his attainments but he had a marked capacity for business and administration. It is hard to tell what his career would have been in European politics ; it is reasonable to suppose, however, that he would have been distinguished, but in the politics of Pennsylvania he became from the start, a domi- nating influence. Ile was a man of the highest honor and never be- trayed the confidence of his great benefactor. For forty years he faithfully guarded the interests of the l'enns and resisted all the dem- agogic attacks made by David Lloyd, as well as the attacks upon the part of the Crown, made by Colonel Quarry. He held a numi- ber of offices and discharged the duties of every one with ability. He became Commissioner of Prop- erty, a member of the Provincial Council, a Judge of Common Pleas, Mayor of Philadelphia and Chief Justice of Pennsylvania. In the midst of his manifold duties he found time to devote himself to the study of botany and so profound was his knowledge in this depart- ment of science, that Linnaeus, the JAMES LOGAN. celebrated Swedish botanist, honor- ed him by naming an order of herbs
the "Loganiaceae." He also found time to translate into English several of the Latin classics and with the same case and facility he could have translated an English classic into pure Latin.
The factions had able leaders, as it will be seen, and the contest was waged vigorously at every point. Logan maintained strenuously the authority of the Penns; Quarry supported the encroachments of the Crown, and Lloyd protected the interests of the commonalty.
The government was gradually passing out of the hands of the Quakers. Punishment was inflicted for the slightest offenses, especially those against the Crown. Two persons were punished for having spoken contemptuously of King George. One was sentenced to stand under the Court House for one hour on two market days, while the other was sentenced not only to stand in the pillory,
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but to be tied to the tail of a cart and paraded through the city. Occasionally men were sent to the gallows, and the English system of giving "benefit of clergy" to the culprit was introduced. It will thus be seen that crimes were in- creasing, no doubt due to the fact that among the immigrants were found a number of European criminals. The moral influence of the Quakers, however, was abroad, for those citizens who were found tippling in the taverns on Sun- day were commanded to disperse and go to some place of public worship. Loud, scolding women were taken before the magistrates and disciplined. Men were not allowed to smoke or swear in the public streets. Parties indulging in brawls were committed by the watch to jail until the following morning.
A class of immigrants were swarming into the province known as German Redemptioners; in other words they were indentured servants who were to serve their masters for a term of years in order to redeem themselves from the charges and expenses incident to their voyage to the new world. These con- stant arrivals, of what were deemed undesirable immigrants, gave alarm to the conservative citizens and Logan wrote to England in 1717 of these people, "There are divers hundreds arrived here who have not one word of English and bring no credentials with them. The method that we conceive is in no way safe in any colony tho' we hope they may be honest men. * *
As the number of these strangers has given some uneasiness to the inhabitants here and will increase it if they continue thus their swarms, you will allow it, * This government must *
** we hope, proper to be mentioned to you. * have that regard to themselves as not to be too free for the future in making admission easy." This protest, however, did not seem to have much influence, for in 1721 an advertisement read: "Thomas Denham to his good country folks advertiseth that he has some likely servants to dispose of. One hundred Palatines for five years at Ten Pounds per head." These poor creatures presented a motley appearance. Ignorant, unacquainted with the languages that were spoken in the province, for they had a patois that was not under- stood even by the German residents, they were unable to make known their wants. The men had red caps and when not in their bare feet, wore huge wooden shoes; the women tied strings around their heads to keep the long hair out of their eyes while their clothing was of the commonest texture. There was a suspicion that many of these Redemptioners were convicts that the Old World was dumping upon our shores, but be that as it may it was not long before these poor creatures were swallowed up in the progress and general development of the country, and have left no visible sign of their existence.
Governor Keith managed adroitly to keep in touch with the Assembly, and at the same time gave no offence to the proprietors, and he might have gone on indefinitely in his rule, for he was a keen politician, had it not been for the fact that in 1723, forming an alliance with David Lloyd, he undertook to dis- miss James Logan as Secretary of the Provincial Council. Logan not being willing to submit to this arbitrary act upon the part of the Governor and his allies, took a hasty voyage to England and laid his case before Hannah Penn. She sided with the Secretary and gave him a letter to be in turn handed to the Governor, advising the latter, in no uncertain terms, of his duties. Keith however, confident of his power, ignored the directions and instructions of
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Hannah Penn, and, forming a compact with David Lloyd, waged a war against James Logan over a question of Constitutional right concerning the power of the Council as a law making body. Keith, in a final effort to recover his power, endeavored to arouse the people to revolt against proprietary rule. In this rebellious move he was not assisted by David Lloyd, and he sustained a signal defeat. He had been living at a fast pace, had involved himself hopelessly in debt and finally had to abandon his estate and broad acres at Horsham and flee to England. Here he met with further reverses and spent his last days impris- oned as a debtor in the Old Bailey. When he took his departure he had to leave the province so hurriedly that he was unable to take his wife with him, and Lady Keith remained in Philadelphia for the balance of her days. She resided in a small wooden house on Third Street between Market and Arch Streets, with an old woman as her only companion. At times she was reduced to want and it was as much as she could do to secure the bare necessaries of life. When she died she was buried in a quiet manner in Christ's Church yard, in the shadow of the building wherein as first lady of the province she had worshipped in state.
The new Governor was Major Patrick Gordon, who arrived in Philadel- phia on June 22, 1726.
The population of Philadelphia at the close of the Keith administration was between eight and nine thousand. The city still was in a primitive con- dition and her outskirts in some directions were covered with forests, and there were several instances of wild beasts making their appearance in the suburbs. The streets were not paved, except around the Court House. The black man was held in bondage and the Redemptioners from the Palatine were still bound to their masters by a term of service. The Quakers as a class, at this period, were not opposed to slavery for many of them owned slaves, nor were they opposed to the use of liquor, for the well-to-do had their cellars filled with the best brands of imported wines and liquors, and so far as beer was concerned they favored its manufacture as a cheap and common bever- age, provided it was not made of molasses instead of malt. It was not until they saw the cruelty and inhumanity of slavery and the evils resulting from the abuse of liquor, that they became ardent Abolitionists and Prohibitionists.
The costumes of the day were most elaborate as compared with the pres- ent standard. Even the Quakers had not yet adopted the brown and the drab garb, nor the stiff brimmed hat which subsequently distinguished them. Well dressed men wore wigs and shoe buckles and bright colored coats and waist- coats. Ruffled shirt bosoms were not uncommon and lace cuffs half covered the hands. Knee breeches and low shoes were worn and to be ultra-fashion- able, men carried canes with tassels dangling at the top. The women dressed in gay colors and "gaudy figured or striped calicoes and stuffs." As a sample of the cost of living, we might state that beef, mutton and veal sold at 31/2d. per pound, bacon at 7 and venison at 2d. per pound. From these figures it looks as if bacon were considered more of a delicacy than either beef or mut- ton. Fish and game, of course, were in abundance and comparatively cheap, although it did look at the time as if the ruthless slaughter of the game and the wholesale capture of the fish continued the supply would be exhausted,
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for there were pot fishers and gunners then as there are in the present days and game laws were passed and the close season for hunting was extended. Paper money was in circulation, but, strange to say, notwithstanding its de- preciation as compared with sterling money, wages did not increase nor did the price of living.
It was about this time that a wave of religious fervor swept over the country. Revivals were started and itinerant preachers harangued the multi- tude wherever a crowd could be collected. Michael Welfare, who hailed from Conestoga, came to the city "in the habit of a pilgrim," his hat of linen, his beard at full length and a long staff in his hand. He called the people from their sins and declared that he had been delegated by God to reclaim the city from its sin. He spoke in the market house from a butcher's stall, or in any public place where he could get the ear of the people. One of these itinerants stalked into a Quaker meeting carrying a bladder filled with juice of the poke- berry in one hand and a sword in the other and while addressing the assem- bled worshippers, suddenly ran the blade through the bladder, sprinkling the squirting juice over the clothes of several of the Quakers and then in a loud voice exclaimed, "Thus shall God shed the blood of those persons who enslave their fellow-man."
There were many of these wild enthusiasts, who went through the land endeavoring to convert sinners and have them flee from the wrath to come, but the greatest of these itinerant preachers was George Whitefield. Ile was an exhorter of force and eloquence and had a voice that could be heard dis- tinctly a mile away, and which was capable of expressing every emotion of the human heart. Ile claimed that the whole world was his parish and he undertook the task of reclaiming all men from their sins. He came to Phila- delphia in November, 1739, and reached the city about eleven o'clock at night after having ridden on horseback a distance of sixty miles. He held his meet- ings at all hours of the day and people flocked into the city from every section of the surrounding country, for his great reputation as a preacher had pre- ceded him. It made no difference whether he spoke in a hall or in the open air, for his voice would carry any distance and he could modulate it to suit any place or locality, indoors or out. He must have had a remarkable mag- netic influence over an assemblage of people for he could sway them at his will. At times they were wrought up almost to a state of frenzy and would cry for help: then again many would roll upon the floors as if stricken by a fit, writhing the body, wringing the hands and shrieking for mercy. When- ever he appeared upon the streets, he was followed by great crowds of people, which the sinner or the unreclaimed called "Whitefield's Mob." His great in- ducing power to conversion was that if the people did not repent at once, they would go to Hell and his description of the tortures of those condemned to everlasting punishment, was not only graphic but terrifying. Often when visiting the outlying districts of the city he would be accompanied by a cavalcade of horsemen, who sang hymns and psalms and made the air resound as they passed through the woods or travelled along the highway. Franklin, the philosopher, was evidently not much affected by preaching so wild and violent and in speaking of the revival he said, "It seemed if all the
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world were growing religious, for one could not walk through Philadelphia in the evening without hearing psalms sung in the different families of every street." There were a number of understudies who rose up under this spirit of revival, but they could only mimic Whitefield's gestures and paraphrase his burning sentences.
Governor Gordon died in August, 1736. at the age of seventy-three, and for two years James Logan, who was President of the Council, was virtually the Governor of the province. Colonel George Thomas, another soldier, was appointed to succeed Gordon, but his name not having been confirmed by the Crown, he did not reach the province until 1738.
Two of the most distinguished men in the province at this time were Andrew Hamilton and Benjamin Franklin. Andrew Hamilton came from the eastern shore of Maryland. Ile was a lawyer by profession and in time be- came the leader of the Pennsylvania bar, and may be called the first of that great line of lawyers that brought such distinction to Philadelphia. It was his argument in the trial of John Peter Zenger, in the state of New York, that gave a new interpretation and a new meaning to the law of libel. Zenger was the publisher of a New York weekly journal, and in 1734 had criticised most severely several acts of the legislature and attacked some of the most promi- nent officials in the province. Not only were his papers burned by the com- mon hangman beneath the pillory in the public square, but he was personally indicted for publishing writings tending to sedition and faction. His counsel had filed exceptions to the commissions of the judges who were about to try the case, and for his audacity, and contumacy in daring to question the juris- diction of the court, he was indefinitely suspended. Zenger, being deprived of his counsel, was now in a bad plight and in his desperation, he called upon Andrew Hamilton, of Pennsylvania, to represent his case. This great lawyer, advanced in years, had virtually retired from active practice, but believing that the case was one of public importance, he unhesitatingly accepted the brief. On the trial, while the Attorney General was examining the witnesses, Hamil- ton arose and admitted that his client had both printed and published the arti- cles in the newspapers set forth in the bill of indictment. This admission hav- ing been made by the counsel for the prisoner at the bar, the Attorney General, turning to the court, said as the defendant has confessed the printing and pub- lishing of these libels, there is nothing left for the jury to do but to find a ver- dict for the King. "For even supposing . the libels were true the law says they are none the less libelous for that, nay, indeed the law says their being true is an aggravation of the crime." In other words, the greater the truth the greater the libel. Mr. Hamilton, however, in answer said, "No, Mr. Attorney, it is not the bare printing and publication of a paper that will make a libel. You must go further before you can make out a case against my client, and charge him with being a libeler, for the words themselves in the publication must be libelous, that is false, scandalous and seditious. If the words cannot be so proved, then no case has been made out against the defendant." The Attorney General cited case after case in support of his position, but was met at every turn adroitly by his able adversary who denounced them as Star Chamber cases, and even when the Court ruled that they were still law, Mr. Hamilton
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still contended for his view, until the Court sternly interposed by saying that he would not be permitted to argue against the findings of the Court and ad- monished him to use the Court "with good manners." Turning then from the Court, the lawyer appealed in a most impassioned way to the jury, urging that it was not libelous to complain of the conduct of men who in public life gave bad administration. Time and again the Court interrupted the argument, but the courageous counsel still held on to his view that the jury were the judges of the law and of the facts. The Court finally said, "No, Mr. Hamil- ton, the jury may find that Zenger printed and published those papers and leave it to the Court to judge whether they are libelous. You know this is very common., It is in the nature of a special verdict where the jury leaves the matter of law to the Court." "I know the jury may do so," replied Mr. Ham- ilton, "but I also contend that they may do otherwise. I know they have the right, beyond dispute, to determine both the law and the fact and where they do not doubt of the law they ought to do so. This leaving it to the judgment of the Court whether the words are libelous or not, in effect renders juries use- less." The Court then suggested that it would reserve the point of law and leave the question of fact to the jury, and the point reserved could subsequently be argued before a full bench. Mr. Hamilton made an impassioned appeal to the jury, which deeply impressed them, for after the charge of the Court in which the Judge admonished the jury not to be misled by the eloquence of the learned advocate, the jury retired and in a short time rendered a verdict of not guilty. It was the first great argument and the first great victory won in this country for the freedom of the press.
Benjamin Franklin was born in Boston, Massachusetts, in the year 1706. He was the youngest son and fifteenth child of a family of seventeen children. llis father was a tallow chandler and soap boiler and the boy was early appren- ticed to the trade, fer at the end of one year's schooling he was employed in dipping candles and setting wicks, but even at that carly age and under those disadvantageous circumstances, he found time to devote himself to a course of reading and among the books that fell into his hands were Bunyan, De Foe and Plutarch. Becoming disgusted with his monotonous work, he was placed under his brother who was a printer, to learn the art of typesetting. Desiring to make a start in the world, he decided to go to the city of Philadelphia, believing that away from his father's roof and thrown upon his own re- sources he would have a better chance to build his fortune. This was in the year 1723 when he was a lad but seventeen years of age. Without informing his rela- tives of his purpose, he boarded a vessel bound for New York and journeyed on foot and by stage coach the rest of the distance. He had but a few silver pieces in his purse and but one change of clothing, which he carried stuffed into his pockets. He was without friends, without influence and without even a letter of recom- mendation, and five hundred miles from home, a stranger in a strange land. The little runaway must truly have felt the loneliness of his situation, but Franklin even as a boy, was not one who would surrender to despair. Stopping in a baker shop, he purchased two rolls, one of which he carried under his arm, and the other he munched as he leisurely walked up High Street taking a survey of the town. The story goes that at this time, in passing a house, he
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saw standing upon the steps the young lady, Miss Deborah Reed, who was to become his wife and it is said she was much amused at the appearance of the husky country lad who ate his breakfast while he strolled.
Philadelphia, at this time, had a population of about ten thousand souls. It was the principal and most important city in all the colonies, had an indus- trious people, a growing prosperity, commercial importance and afforded an opportunity for a man of the industry and resourcefulness of a Franklin. It was not long before he arose in the estimation of the people because of his indus- try, thrift, frugality and public spirit. He set up a printing press, opened a shop for the manufacture of lamp black and ink, dealt in rags, sold soap and live geese feathers, and in time became a well-known printer, editor, publisher, bookseller, bookbinder and stationer. During these early years he devoted his leisure to the acquisition of knowledge and acquired a use of the French, Span- ish and Italian tongues .. Taking an active and prominent part in political affairs, he became a Burgess, Justice of the Peace, Clerk of the General Assem- bly and Postmaster General. No meeting was called to consider any public question that he was not there to give his views and support and as a rule, because of his prominence as a citizen, he was called upon to take the chair and act as presiding officer. Franklin was practical in all things, and it was his natural simplicity that made him most impressive. He was just the charac- ter of man that was needed in the development of a young settlement, and it is safe to say without fear of contradiction, that had it not been for his energy and progressive views, the city would not have made the advance it did. Not only did he devote himself to practical affairs, but he gave also much time to the consideration of scientific subjects. He had at all times an inquiring and in- quisitive mind, and when he noticed that the fur on a cat's back, when stroked the wrong way on a winter's night would send out electric sparks, he at once asked himself whether or not these sparks were the same as the flashes of lightning we see in the heavens. His experiment to test this question was a very simple one, for in a summer shower he sent up a kite in the suburbs of the city and fastened a door key at the end of the string. When the lightning flashed and came in contact with the kite, he touched his knuckle to the key, and got a slight shock and saw the spark. This seems all very simple to us today, but in those times it was entirely new and it made him famous the wide world over and he looked out into the future with a prophetic vision when he said, "There are no bounds to the force man may raise and use in the elec- trical way." He saw then, perhaps more than any one else, the many uses to which this mighty fluid could be applied.
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