Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1882-10-25
The Penn Celebration.

The Penn Celebration.
The good inhabitants of Philadelphia
(for since the war Of the rebellion Yer
monters will testify to the goodness of all
jewellers in NE city of brotherly love- and
others in that vicinity have had great
doings this week. Thoy have been cele-
brating the bi-centennial of the landing of
William Penn on their shores. The great
occasion was yesterday when the ship
Welcome" was again made to arrive and
a second Penn with his companions landed
so that as far as could be the. two hundred
year-ud scene was re.enacted.
We have full as much reason up here in
Vermont to note their celebration as we
had to take interest in the centennial cele-
brations at Lexington and Concord aud
the Bunker Hill celebration In Boston
seven years ago. For some of the best
friends Vermont had in her carly struggles
were inhabitants of the Quaker colony
and Doctor Young sent our ancestors
copy of the Pennsylvania constitution in
the spring of 1777 suggesting that it was
n good one to copy, and (ur,her advising
those who were founding our Independent
state to stick"
The New Connecticut folks followed
the advice-they "stuck" and made con-
stitution after the Pennsylvania model
and TOOK for their new state the name
Vermont 1t is true that the Vermont
constitution adopted in July l777 was not
an exact copy, of that sent by Dr.. Young
and that many things were added and
many taken away.
Bat while the Vermont constitution was
no sorviIe imitation of its prototype the
Pennsylvania instrument was wherever its
provisions were approved adopted almost
word for word as our own organic law.
The constitution thus taken as the basis oil
ours was one framed the year before by a
convention of which Benjamin Franklin
was president and the members of which
were influenced by one whom Bancroft
dcsignates as 'schoolmaster, the hoaest
but inexperienced James Cannon" Can.
non and his fellow law makers were MOI
friendly 10 the advocates of the old charter
of their colony and made many nnova
tons, though their radical work wa,
afterwards made more radical when the
cmly Vermonters came 10 fix it over t
suit themselves.
But Notwithstanding the radical change
made by Cannon and his associates tn,
Pennsylvania constitution OF I776 hpd a
its basis and retained many of the features
of the charter of privileges granted by
Penn in 1901, of the Crane of govern.
mcnt' granted by him in 1906 and in TIL,
two earlier frames of government which
he granted iu 1858 and 1852.
So that Penn, the Quaker, may b,
deemed as a sort of political father TO oul
own commonwealth and it could not hav,
one Of whom on the whole better thing!
could be said. The Quaker's father wa:
no Quaker at all but fighting oil admira
of Cromwells commonwealth, who whel
Charles came back in 1860 went alons
serving his country and his king as he hac
served it and its protector. His name wa
William Penn also, and he gave his sol
the best attainable and made gentleman
Of him in the English sense. But young
Penn got Quaker notions in his head, ant
his father shipped him off to the continent
to get rid of them by travel The sor
William after his return to England il
time went wholly into the bushes: of hein!
Il Quaker, and his father fell into fearful
rage with him, and to the great grief o
my Lady Penn and Mistress Peggy, his
daughter, forbade him the house. All thi
because young William would not take oil
his hat in the presence OF any man, evel
the Duke of York, and even his majesty
The king.
Afterwards the two were rcconcilet
though the young man never would TAX
OF his hat; and when the admiral de
Penn inherited his property part of whicl
was a debt of $4,000 from the crown
In liquidation of that debt the grant O
western lands came to the young nun VIII,
personally good deal of a favorit
with the rakish King Charles. His grant
ed lands received the name of Pennsylvani
against his remonstrance because til
king insisted on the name.
Penn set sail in the Welcome in 16S
with one hundred companions, thirty O
whom died of small pox on the passage
His landing from the Welcome wa
the event celebrated yesterday. Iii
famous treaty under the tree Is now writ
ten down as an invention but howeve
mythical that may be it is truo that h, 81
treated and gained the confidence of tn
Indians that there was little tro1ble b.
tween them and the settlers and the ii
dian wars that troubled other colonies ha
no counterparts in Pennsylvania.
Penn remained couple of years wit
his colony and went buck to England i
1854 where he remained till 1863 when h
again came to America AMI remained Nv
years more with the colony. He rearnt
TO England in 1901 and soon after died
The age Of 4 bout fifty seven years. II
character has been uDiustly assaiLad b
the verde. of history is that he was a goo
man and the wise founler OLA state. An
few have left through gmerri)n aft,
generation so marked results of their o "
lives of thought AMI action as his Pom
upon the communities thtt inhtbit t
lands originally granted to him.
According to the Providence JoUH