The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-06-01
"THAT SCAMP WILLIAM PENN. +"

rTO7U the ". L HUW.
BY strange coincidence there have come
to us, literally on the same day, two kindred
memorials-or at least SO near akin that they
relate, though in different fashion, to single
and illustrious fashion canonized on the other
side of the Delaware. The one is a very
graceful sketch, filed out with personal recol-
lections of the lineage of William Penn, the
founder, him at whose feet Philadelphia is
bound to worship, and to whom, if we re-
member rightly, she has erected lovely
statue in historical costume. 1t is from the
pen of Mr.. John Jay Smith, the venerable
ex-librarian of that city, and tells, in fitting
terms of gentle eulogy, of the virtues of that
curious family which, illustrated by the rug
ged qualities of the old admiral first and the
milder merits of the founder afterwards, is,
though told in pleasant words, a sad tale of
intellectual insignifcance and melancholy
decay. The very name of Penn has passed
away. Stoke Pogis is theirs no longer At
the same moment we are regaled or startled
by a new revelation On the same theme of
not so pleasant nature The Press, organ
of Philadelphia loyal literature, tells us that
the librarian of the Massachusetts Historical
Society, Gin overhauling lot of old papers"
recently found letter, dated September ye
10, 1882" from Cotton Mather to ''ye aged
and beloved MIR. John Higginson," which
runs thus:-
"There bee now at sea shippe for our friend Mr..
EsGiaS Hocraft, OF London, did advise me by the
last packet that it wolde sail some time in August)
called ye Welcome, r. Greenaway master, which
malignant called Quakers, with vi. Penne, who DIS is
ye chief scampe at the hedde OF them: Ye Genera
Court has accordingly given secret orders to Master
Maochi HuXett, OF ye brig Porposse, to waylaye ye
said Welcome as near the coast OF Codde as may be,
and make captive ye said Penne and his ungodlie
Knocked on We soil OF this new countre with ye
heather worshippe of these people. Much spoyl can
Where slaves fetch GOOD prces in rum@e M and suSar
and we shall not only do ye Lord great service by
Furnishing ye wicked, but shall make great gsyne for
master HuXett feels hopeful, and will set down
the news he brings when his shippe comes back.
" ''' " sCoTToN MATTER"
In the light of this revelation one may be
excused for pausing to mediate on the pro-
bable course of things had the Reverend Mr..
Mather's plan of spoliation succeeded and
Master Malachi Huxett, of the brig Porpoise,
off the coast of Cod or anywhere else, cap
tured the Welcome and directed that "scamp
Penn" to the West Indies. 1t is very clear
the City of Brotherly Love would not have
been founded, and its rectangular peculiari-
ties, its white window shutters and Saturday
ablutions, not become immortal. Quit-rents
would not have been, and mixed clinics under
| Quaker auspices and the Rush legacy would
not have disturbed the fortieth parallel of
latitude. Poor Penn, too-how sadly differ
ent his doom He and his descendants had
rather hard time of it as it was, for his
vaunted colony was a dreadful disappoint-
ment to him for the last thirty years of his
life. He ran away and left it, and his chill
dren did no better.
"All this fair land and its abundance, says Mr.,
Smith, left for the ease and honors OF the Old
| World, and it is not mere hyperbole to say aban-
doned for less noble objects OF ambition. Agents
/ and sub b-agents at a heavy cost, were employed
proprietary governors were salaried and supported
| the moneys received were always spent In advance
| and a commission and interest were charged by
| London bankers, who kept an open account with
The heirs as long there was anything TO authorize
IL It seems as II every stone OF Pennsylvania Gas
lie cost city lot; that every pane OF glass In Stoke
mansion alienated ground rent; while every grant
| epteI tainment In the London house may safely bG
| said to have taken farm"
But still all this was better than Barbados
IL would be interesting as a matter of com
mercial history to have seen Master Huxetts
account sales of his adventure, and to know
how many puncheOns of rum and hogshead'