Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1855-09-05
-r.,,l [From Dixon's Life of Penn.l
ssrHE MAcAULAY CHARGES. ,

i1.IRE q MICA OIAY CdESGES.
-oz sa3i iIooscLrpED FROM LAST wEEK.l
III. Towards the close of his reign, when
the churchmen openly repudiated their own
doctrine of passive obedience, James became
anxious to secure the adhesion of his dissent
ing subjects, and among other leading mel, ,he
selected PENIS old opponent, William KifIin,
the Baptist, for a city magistracy- But two
OF Kiffmis grandsons had been taken and exc
cuted IN the Western rebellion, and it was
doubted whether the old would comply
with the wishes of the court. At this point
Mr. Macaulay introduces Penn. '.The heart
less and venaf sycophants of Whitehall judg
ing by themselves, thought the old man would
beaeasiIyr propitiated by an alderman's gown,
and by some compensation in money, for the
property which his grandsons had forfeited.-
Penn was employed in the work of seduction,
but to no purpose" Now, there is not the
slightest foundation in history for this state
ment Mr. Macaulay here asserts that Penn
was s.emPloyed'' by the s'heartless and venal
svcophants ''of the court, to seduce Kiffn into
an acceptance of the aldermsn's gOwn,-and
that he failed. The passage means this, or it
means nothing. It will be allowed that on
such point Kifiiu himself must be the best
authority: in his autobiography, lately publish
e.. from from the original manuscript, he says,
In a little after, a great temptation attended
me which was a commission from the King,
to be one of the aldermen of the city OF Lon
don; which, as soon as l heard of it, ] used all
the dilgencs I could, to be excused, both by
some lords near the King, and also by Sir
Nicholas Butler and Mr.. Penn. But it was all
in vain'' This is just the reverse Of what Mr..
Macaulay states. Penn did not go to kiffin;
Kiffin went to Penn. Instead of being employ
ed in the work of seduction, he was engaged
in the task of iutercession. AFR Macaulay
makes kiffin refuse the magistracy: kiffin says
he accepted it:-':The next court-day came
to the court, and took upon the Office of
alderman"
". a little attention to dates win soon dis
pose of the fourth charge against Penn. Mr..
MacauIay writes-ss1aIl men were anxious to
know what he 1.-THE Prince of Orangel thought
of the Declaration of Indulgence. Penn
sent copious disquisitions to the Hague, and
even went thither in the hope that his elo
quence, of which he had high opinion, would
prove irresistible Now, Penn returned from
Germany in the autumn of 1856, and the Dec
Iaration was not issued until April, 1887. At
Ter 1886, he neyer went to the Dutch capital.
There is no evidence, even, that Penn sent
over sscopous disquisitions; Burnet, Mr.. Ma
caulay's authority, says not word ON such a
subject. When Penn was at the Hague, in the
summer of 1886, the subject that was under
discussion related tothe Tests, not the Indul-
gence The Declaration was unthought Of at
that time ;--BuFnet is very clear this point
But there is other proof that Mr.. Macaulay's
guess-vork is wrong. In November, 1856,
fiyemonths before the Declaration was issued,
Van Citters reported to his correspondent, the
substance Of the conversation between Penn
aad the PRINCE, as it was then known in court
circles in London; and in that report, no men
tion whatever is made of the Declaration.
v. I-shau content myself with special ref
atation of Mr.. Macaulay's errors; first quoting
his material passages, and numbering them for
separate remark. /. ssPenn was at Chester, on
apastoral tour. His popularity and authority
among his brethren had greatly declined, (2.)
since he had become toolaof the King and
the Jesuits.''' 3. Perhaps the College might
still be terrified, caressed, or brfbed, intb sub
mission. The agency of Penn was employed"
4iasThe courtly Quaker, therefore, did his best
to seduce the college from the path of right.'
5.s.To such degree had his manners been
corrupted by evil communications, and his un-
derstanding ebscured by inordina4e zeal for a
single object, that he did not scrupie, to be-
H.-ar I
come a broker in simony of q peculiarly dis
creditable kind, and to use bishopric to tempt
adivine to perjury-"e These assertions may
be looked at one by one, as they stand here,
l. Had Penn become in 16S7--the date of
Mr.. Macauiay s authority and pow