Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1854-02-26
Charles Ii AMI VIM. Penn.

When William Penn was about to sail from
England to Pennsylvania, he went to take leave Of
the king, and the following conversation occurred
! Well, friend William. said Charles, 81 have
sold you noble province in North America but
still L suppose you have no thoughts of going
| thither yourself
Yes, have" replied William, " and am lust
come to bid thee farewell" .. ..
" What venture yourself among the savages of
North America? Why man what security have
you that you will not be in their war kettle in two
hours after setting foot on their shores -
The best security in the world replied Penn
" doubt that, friend William, have no idea of
any security against those cannibals, but a regi
ment of soldiers with their muskets and bayonets
And mind tell you beforehand, that with all nv
good will for you and your family, to whom am
under obligation, l will not send single soldier
with You"
. want none of thy soldiers answered William
depend on something better than thy soldiers
The king wished to know what that was
" depend on themselves-on their moral sense,
and on that grace of God which bringeth salvation
and which hath appeared unto all men,"
" fear friend William, that grace has never ap-
peared to the Indians of North America
Why not to them as well as to all Others o.
'' II 1t had appeared to them," said the king,
they would hardly have treated my subjects so
barbarously as they have done"
That is no proof of the contrary friend Char
les. Thy subjects are the aggreSSors When thv
subjects first went to North America. thev found
these people the fondest and the kindest creatures
In the world. Every day they would watch for
them to come ashore, and hasten to meet them. and
feed them on the best fish and venison. and corn.
which was all they had. In return for this hospi-
tallity of the sGrage as we call them thy subjects,
termed Chrididns seized on their country and rich
hunting grounds for farms for themselves Now.
is it to be wondered at, that these much injured
people should have been driven to desperation by
such injustice, and that burning with revenge they
should have committed some excuses"
"Well then, friend William, hope you will not
complain when they come to treat you in the same
manner
| am not afraid of it," said Penn.
Aye, how will you avoid it. You mean to get
their hunting grounds too, suppose ?"
Yes but not by driving these poor people
away from them"
:" No indeed how then will you get their lands 81
I" | mean to buy their lands of them"
Buy their lands Of them why man you have
already bought them of me-"
les, know l have, and at a dear rate too. but
did it only to get thy good WILL not that thought
thOu hadSf anv riobt 70 tba;r Io,l,.
1" POUNDS man ?-nO right to their lands -
No, friend Charles, no right at all. What
right hast thou to their lands ?"
Why, the right of discovery; the right which
the Pope and all Christian kings have agreed to
give one another"
q The right Of disc0reTy a strange kind of right
indeed. Now, suppose friend Charles, some canoe
load of Indians, crossing the sea, and discovering
thy Island of Great Britain, were to claim it as
their own, and set it up for sale over thy head,
what woudst thou think of it ?"
Why -why-why." replied Charles, e / must
confess, should think it great piece of inpu-
dence in them"
Well then, how canst thou Christian and q
Christian Prince too, do that which thou SO utter
ly condemnest in the people thou callest sarages
Yes, friend Charles, and suppose again that these
Indians, on thy refusal to give up the Island ol
Great Britain, were to make war upon thee, and
having weapons more destructive than thine were
to destroy many of thy subjects, and to drive the
rest away, wouldest thou not think it horribl,
| cruel ~
The King assented to this with strong marks
| Of eonvietian. William proceeded Well, ther
| friend Charles how can /, who call myself Chris
| tian, do what should abhOr even in heathens p
| No, will not do it. But l will buy the right ol
the proper owners, even of the Indians themselves
! By so doing l shall initiate God himself in his
justice and mercy and thereby insure his blessings
on my colony, if should ever live to plant one in
| North America"