The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1849-11-22
From the Boston Transcript.

lay suffers no convenient occasion to pass without
exhibiting practical Illustration OF this opinion,
that it is a good time 10 hcAtBAy.
In vol. H., page 1872, MrSNacaulay says " Penn
was at Chester Tin 1879 on pastoral tour. His
popularity and authority among his brethren had
greatly declined since he had become a tool of the
king and the Jesuits." In proof of this assertion,
Mr.. Macaulay refers TO letter from Bonrepaux to
Segnelay, and TO Gerard Crosses Quaker History.
Let US see, for ourselves, what Bonrepaux says
Penn, chef DIES Quakers, qu'on salt etre dams les
interets du Ro d'Angleterre, est 81 fort decre par
I'M ceux de son part quiis mont plus aucune con-
fance en- lu."
Now, ask, in the name of historical truth, if
Mr.. Macaulay is sustained in his assertion by Bon
repaux! Is there ot or title of evidence in this
reference that Penn "had become a tool Of the king
and " the Jesuits," or that Bonrepaux was himself
oiany such opinion
Let us next present the passage from Crosse :;
Etiam Quakeri Pennum non amPlius ut ante,
tia amabant ac magniiaciebant, quidam aversa-
bantur az lugiebant''
ask, in reference to this quotation from Croese,
the question No possible version OF these
passages into English will go farther than to show
that the Quakers were dissatisfied with Penn about
that time in neither is there the slightest reference
to Penn as a tool Of the king and Of the Jesuits. !"
Mr.. Macaulays passage is so constructed, that his
citation of authorities goes not only to the fact of
it, assigned by Mr.. Macaulay himself, namely,
that Penn "hdd become tool Of the king and Of the
Jesuits''
Now it is well known, that Penn, in 1857 was in
bad odor with some of the Quakers. He was
gected, by some persons, of being Jesuit; George
Keith, the Quaker renegade, called him deist-he
was said by others to be papist Even Tillotson
had given countenance this foolish story, which
Penn's intimacy with King James tended to cor
roborate. How far Tillotson believed Penn to be
Papst, tool of the king of the Jestiits, will
appear, upon the perusal of few lines from Tillot-
to Penn, written in 1885, the year before that of
which MIR. Macaulay is writing: 81 am very sorry
that the suspicion ! had entertained concerning
you, of which gave you the true account in my
leffn hail cauin and
inconvenience to you; and do now declare, with
great joy, that am fully satisfied that there was
no just ground for that suspicion, and therefore do
heartily beg your pardon for it.''-Clarkson's Me-
moirs, vol. l., chap. %.
1.-THE authorities cited sustained the statement of
Mr.. Macaulay, their credibility would still form
serious question In VOL H., pages 3Oo, =, ., Mr.
Macaulay refers to Bonrepaux's "complicity with
the Jesuts." 1t would have been quite agreeable
to that crafty emissary of Lewis to have had it be-
heved that Penn was of their fraternity. AS for
Gerard Crosse, Chalmers speaks of him and his
history with very little respect; and states that it
dissatisfied the Quakers. However this may have
been, there is not syllable III Gerard Crosses
Historic Quakcriana giving color to Mr. Macau-
king and the Jesuits.' On the contrary, Croese, as
shall show hereafter, speaks of Penn with great
respect on several occasions.
In the same paragraph, of which part is quoted,
at the commencement Of this article, Mr.. Macau-
lay, after stating that when the king and Penn met
at Chester, in 1857, Penn preached, or, to use MIR.
VOru, hdTdngued In tennis court,
he says: on is said indeed that his majesty deigned
10 look into the tennis court, and to listen pih de-
cency, TO his friends melodious eloquence." What
does MIR. Macaulay mean That the king did not
laugh outright that he made some little exertion
to suppress disposition to make mock of Penn
and his preaching? No intelligent reader, though
he may not catch the invidious spirit of this re-
mark can fail to perceive the writer's design to
speak disparagingly of Penn.
Well: what is MIR. Macaulay's authority for this?
He quotes "Cartwright's Diary, August 80, 1857,
and Clarkson's Life of William Penn"-but with
out any indication of volume, chapter, or page.
This loose and unsatisfactory kind of reference is
quite common with Mr.. Macaulay; and one might
almost well indicate the route to the pyramids,
by setting up finger post in Edinburgh. pointing
III the direction Of Cairo No eminent historian,
English Scotch, has been thus regardless of
his readers comfort; neither Rapin nor Tindal,
Smoliett nor Hume, nor Henry, nor Robertson, nor
Guthrie, nor any other OF this the reader may
well complain. This may all be well enough in
historical romance-but in a matter pretending TO
be true and impartial history, good reader will
walk by faith, altogether, and upon the staff of
single narrator; and he WIN too often find that the
spirit of the context in the authority is very differ
ent from that of the citation.
He who imparts to any historical fact the color
ing OF his own prejudice, and dresses up statement
after his own fancy, has right to vouch ncs his
authority, for the toioie tang, however grotesque
he may have made 1.-THE writer, who has stated
the naked fact. IL Clarkson said simply, that the
king had listened to Penn's preaching, Mr.. Macau-
lay has no right TO quote Clarkson as having said
so, in manner to lower Penn the 1.-THE of hair in
the estimation of the world A fortiori, If Clark
has said, that the king listened to Penn's
preaching, sererdl occasions icih respect, Mr..
Macauay had no right TO quote Clarkson, as his
authority, for the sneering and ll-natured state
Inent to which have referred. This Is not his
tory. II Is gross misrepresentation; and the more
orclbly and ingeniously it is fabricated, the more
unjust and the more ungenerous the libel upon the
dead.
The reader, If he will, may Judge of Mr. Macau-
lays importantly, by comparing his words with
the only toords uttered by Carkson, this point.
They may be found IN vol J., oh. %: Among the
places he (Penn) visited, il Cheshire, was Chester
itself. The king, who was then travelling, arriv-
ing there at the same time, went to the meeting
house of the Quakers, to hear him preach. This
mark of respect the king showed him also, at two
or three other places where they fell in with each
other, in the course of their respective tours"
This is the only passage which can be referred
10, in Clarkson, by Mr.. Macaulay, TO sustain his
ill-natured remark, whose evil spirit is entirely
neutralizcd by the very authority he cites. But
there will be many who will rather give MIR. Ma
caulay credit for stating the point impartialy; and
few, apprehend, who will take the trouble to look
through two octave volumes, for n passage, thus
vaguely referred to- without any indication of the
volume, chapter page.
This rude assautupon the character and motives
of William Penn, Mr.. Macaulay commences, by
saying" To speak the t1hole truth concerning
Penn, is task iohich requires some courage" tbs
becoming, in every historian, 10 speak the truth,
the whole truth, and nothing bat the truth IL GER
tainy requires some couragc-audacity, perhaps,
is the better word-to present citations in French
and Latin, to sustain assertion, which those cia
tons do not sustan and TO refer to highly respect
able author, as having stated that which he has
nowhere stated.
IL may not be amiss TO present my views Of MIR.
Macaulay's injustice, more plainly than have
done. II is obvious TO all, that fact-the same
factmay, by the very manner of stating it, raise or
lower the character of him in regard TO whom il is
related. The manner of representing il may be
come MATERIAL substantially, part and parcel Of
tho fact, as completely the coloring is part and
parcel Of picture. No man has right TO take the
sketch or outline Of an angel, and, having given il
the sable complexion Of devil, ascribc the entire
thing, such he has made IT, TO the author OF the
original sketch. No man surely has right 10 seize
wreath, respectfully designed for the brows Of his
neighbor; dstort it into The shape Of FOOLS cap !;
clap it upon that ncighbor's head and then charge
the responsibility upon him who prepared the
original chaplet, as token of respect.
MIR. Macaulay represents King James as listen
ing to the preaching of Penn with concealed con-
tempt-such are the force and meaning of his words;
and he quotes GARRISON, as authority for this, who