Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1882-11-01

A copy OF this invaluable WORK Is nov
also thanks to. Colonel Etting-i
the National Museum of Philadelphia
Admiral Penn was apparently dis
pleased at the probability of his som
embracing military life, and, to Gu
short his stay at Dublin, dispatchet
him to certain family estates in tn
south of Ireland which required atten
tion more efficient than could be givel
by an ordinary agent. Here, whil
visiting the near by city of Cork, Penn
sgain came in contact with the Quak
er Loe, and the result of their inter
course was that the courtly soldie
became decided convert to the de
spised and prosecuted principles of th'
Society of Friends. Penn began a
once to boldly assemble with the de
spised sect, and in consequence wa!
promptly committed to the Cork jail
Released by the command of the Duke
of Osmonde, he returned to London
only to fall into fresh trouble. He
was turned out of doors once more by
the Admiral, who seems to have hac
all the proverbial testiness of an old
sailor, and was shortly after committed
to the Tower for eight months, at the
instance of the Bishop of London, fol
writing a controversial pamphlet as
sailing the orthodox doctrine of the
Trinity. During the next few. years
he was constantly at war with
the ecclesiastical authorities, a good
part of his time behind iron bars. Even
tually he came upon better times,
Circumstances led to his becoming q
legislator and proprietor of the two
Colonies of West New Jersey and Del
aware, and his first essay in constitu-
tion-maker was for the frst-named
province. The New Jersey constitu-
tion was in advance of any colonial ar
arrangements of the period. 1t includ-
ed manhood suffrage, vote by ballot,
entire liberty of religious worship,
elective judgeships and other very ad-
vanced political experiments. Whilst
a portion Of these as freedom OF wor-
ship, for instance-have undoubtedly
wrought great good in America, yet
other parts of the scheme have resulted
as time has rolled on, in very question
able and disappointing fruits. Univer-
sal suffrage, without due limitations,
is thought by many to throw the gov
ernment of the States too much into
the hands of the most violent polite
ians rather than the wisest states
men, whilst the periodic popular cleo
tion OF judges has produced vast
amount ofjudicial corruption. and has
in some States paralyzed the power Of
the law in the hands of it's chief execu-
tive officers. The glowing theories OF
classic democracy which fascinated
Penn and his friend Algernon Sydney,
and through them so greatly infuenc-
ed subsequent American politics, have
by no means resulted in unmixed good
in the history of the great Republic.
Penn learned before he died, by bitter
experience, that those very
ultra democratic institutions fostered a
spirit of gross ingratitude and head
strong disrespect in the early colonists
even already and within the lifetime
of their founder.
But there could be no doubt that
the very liberal and free arrangements
made for the West New Jersey colo
nists were great boon at first, and as
contrasted with the bitter oppression
then prevalent in England and in ma
nv parts of Europe. Hundreds of Qua
kers and other non conformists hasten
ed to secure allotments of lands in the
regions now offered for colonization on
such easy and 80 welcome terms.
to Penn's arrangements, all
these emigrants were bound to treat
the Indians in kind, just and concilia-
tory manner At the same time that
he was engaged in organizing the New
Jersey and Delaware Colonies he was
actively engaged in home politics,
on two occasions strenuous
but unsuccessful efforts to place Sgd
ney-soon to perish on the scaffolG-
in Parliament. Deeply disappointed
at his electioneering failures, his mind
turned, more and more absorbingly to
the great West, and he began to pro-
pose to the Government that the heavy
arrears of debt owing by the State
to his fathef-fl6, 900, (worth ESQ.,
900 of modern money)-should be CON-
muted into grant of land in North
America
Numerous obstacles were raised
against carrying this proposal into eff
feet; but, aided by the powerful inhu-
ence of the Duke of York and the Earl
of Sunderland, patent was at length
made out and signed by the King
on March a, l68l,-conveying to Will
lam Penn the proprietorship of vast
region, nearly as large as England,
stretching three hundred miles west
ward from the noble river Delaware
and with breadth of about one hun
dred and seventy miles. abounding in
forests, fine mountain ran
ges-amongst which all manner OF
minerals were richly imbedded-fer-
tile valleys, long navigable rivers and
an inexhaustable supply of game, fish
and fowl For this splendid region
Penn proposed the name of New Wales,
but the Kings secretary, being a
Welshman, strongly objected to this
from some strange prejudice. The
name of Sylvania was then suggested
on account ofits numerous forests. This
name the king approved, but insisted
on prefixing to it the name of the new
proprietor-making it Pennsylvania
And, thus named, it still continues
having become one of the finest and
most prosperous commonwealth il
the world
But Penn did not regard the gran
as an absolute title to the land be
slowed upon him until he had also oh
tanned, by purchase or exchange, th'
consent of the original possessors, th'
aboriginal Indians. He wrote "Th
soil belongs to the natives by tn
laws of