Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1881-06-22
SPLENDID EULOGY OF WIN.
PENN.
REMARKS OF SENATOR J. b. EvERHART
ON THE RESOLUTION CONCERNING THE
REMAINS OF WILLIAM PENN.
The Senate having under considera
tion the following resolution:

WIN WV AoAioNAhB AOaOAuAlOhs
Resolrsd, By the Senate and House, that the
Governor Of this Commonwealth be requested to
communicate with such meeting in England as
may have the graveyard In charge, and with such
other persons as he may deem proper in the mat
ter, including Peter Penn Gaskill, Of shennaga-
ney Castle, County Cork, ireland, and Colonel
William Stewart, Of Tompsford Hall, sandy, Bed.
iordshire, England representatives at law Of the
said William Penn by his first and second mar
riages, transmitting to them a copy Of this reso-
luton and asking their assistance and o-opera.
tion in the matter Of disinterment and transfer ;
and, II he deem It necessary and expedient, that
be ask the cooperation Of the President Of the
United States, through the Secretary of State or
otherwise, in securing an object which would be
SO agreeable to the people of Pennsylvania.
The resolution was read a second
time.
Mr.. EvERHART: One hundred and
sixty.three years ago, the Propriety of
this State was buried in Jordan's Meet.
ing-house yard, Buckinghamshire, En-.
gland, and there are his remains to-day.
Two centuries havo passed since
Charles the Second signed his patent,
and named the province, against his
protest, Pennsylvania. He invested
tho patentoe with vice,regal powers
for an annual tribute of two beaver
skins, and one-fith Of the gold and
silver.
Upon this grant William Penn found
ed o Commonwealth without auguries
or oracles, without an army, without
a hierarchy, without titles and without
oaths. Here he fostered religion
which has no image or sacrifice, no
baptism or eucharist, no organ, choir,
or pulpit. Amidst a wilderness of
savages, and in an age Of corruption,
tyranny, and war; he established lib.
erty, peace, and justice. He intro.
duced new methods of administration.
He stripped the law of cruelty, and
treaties OF deception. He diminished
crimes by reducing punishment, and
avoided hostilities by honest dealing.
He promoted industry by honoring il,
and prevented oppression by equality
of suffrage. When slavery was uni.
versal he strove to abolish it by ordi.
nance and example. When ignorance
was prevalent, he organized education.
When the Sabbath was ignored be
enjoined its observance. When bigotry
was rampant he upheld the preroga-
tive of conscience. When liquor drink
ing was debauching the Indians, he
sought to restrain its traffic. When
primogeniture was cardinal canon of
the law, he excluded it from the rnles
of descent, When it was common to
invade the soil of the aborigines he
acknowledged their ownership and OK.
tinguished it by purchase.
He left name amongst the law
givers of nations. Like Romulus he
granted easy conditions of sharing the
benefits Of government to foreigners.
Like Solon he prohibited an indiscrim-
mate inaiction of penalties, and appor.
toned them according to offences. Like
Lycurgus he provided for tho educa-
tion of the youth. Like Numa he be-
lieved in peace, Like Plato he believed
in progress. Like Moses ho believed
in God. lie bulded on sure founda.
ton He made divine virtue the corner.
stone Of institutions which we still en-
joy.
How rare was his careerl Born
amidst all the associations of war, the
son Of a fighting admiral, he became
at length voltary Of non.resistance.
Raised amidst licentious and luxurious
fashions, he adopted the simple habits
of an outlawed sect. Accustomed to
the rites of the church, he was expell-
ed for non-conformity from Oxford.
Travelling abroad he acquired the
chief continental tongues, and those
unobsequious civilities which he said |
become a Christian. Studying the
Calvinistic theology at Sanmur, he
may have learned there the represent.
ative system of his colonial polity. Wis
iting Ireland he gallantly assisted in
quelling mutiny at Carrickfergus,
Reading law at Lincoln's Inn he OBJ.
tanned knowledge of the subject
which served him well as prisoner and |
Proprietary. Incarcerated, and after.
wards driven from bis fathers house
for acting with the Quakers, hc de-
Tended his belief in public against
Cburchmen and Dissenters. He ar.
gued, with ultimate success, before q
Parliamentary committee, against the
compulsory requirement of oaths. He
journeyed and preached in company
with George Fox, and shared bis hard
ships He issued from the press edi.
tying volumes on religious privilege.
He denied the right of the Middlcsox
magistrates "to prosecute any one in
this world about anything belonging
to the next" Esteemed by Princes
for his sincerity, he used his favor in
behalf Of the Scotch refugees, the ban
ished Rhinelanders of Crevelt, and tho
fifteen hundred Nonconformists in the
prisons. He prayed for tho release of
the bishops held In the Tower for re-
fusing to read the declaration of indul-
gencc. He begged the lives of some
of those condemned by the atrocious
Jeifreys. He demonstrated against
the despotio order TO elect the Kings
candidate president of Magdalcn Col.
lego.
He advocated the election of Alger-
non Sidney to Parliamentary for his
liberality and patriotism he recon-
mended an earnest welcome in Ameri.
ca TO the fleeing Huguenots of France
he appealed TO the ruler of Poland to
indulge those Of different faith, and re-
called bis ancestors boast that he was
not King of consciences heimpress-
ed his religious views on the accom-
pished Princess Palatine Elizabeth,
and on Peter, the great Car of Mus.
covy; he visited the Prince Of Orange
TO induce him to favor federation. He
suggested a universal diet Of nations
TO prevent war.
He contributed to establish salutary
laws in New Jersey. He directed
Philadelphia to be laid out with or
chards and yards around the buildings,
so that it might be "a green country
town, which could never be burned"
He framed constitution for the colo
nists which they could alter or subvert,
which allowed all but the Governor,
both Council and Assembly, TO bo cho.
sen by every one who paid dot or scot
10 the Government; which allowed
no tax without law, no law without