Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1896-12-31


predecessor was 10 war, as the cham
pion OF freedom OF conscience and
of human liberty. AS Delawareans we
are immeasurably indebted both to
Gustavus Adolphus, whose mission II
was to conceive, and to William Penn
whose privilege it was to consummate
tho permanent colonization of free
and enlightened people upon our shores,
and to secure the ultimate establish
mont Of wise, just and orderly govern
ment within the borders of our ancient
and historic State.
William Penn was the son OF an
| English Vice. Admiral aud of Dutch
mother As such. he inherited the
best qualities of both races, as was
shown in his sound Judgment, his
broad views, his sterling character and
his vigorous, sagacious and business
like executive ability. He had
university education with the training
of u man Of the world. He oxcelled in
fencing and dancing and was, 10 dress.
manner and requirements, an accom-
| plished courtier. But patrician as hs
was, he sought amoog the plain people
for those who were to become the
founders of Il great State IN the wills
of America. From the ranks of the
artisan, the retail.shop man and the
sturdy yeomanry of the kingdoms of
tho Old World, he collected tho bravo
and rugged pioneers of civilization,
and the future builders Of republics in
the New.
4 With him came few of the gentry,
and fewer still of the university or pro.
fessional classes merely enough to
furnish the aid required from their
| bind 10, ha ;,l,l - l..
government. For the industrious, the
sober and frugal coionist he had
much need for the idle. the dissolute
and prodigal, meme. The idea that the
man worked with his hands and brain,
could not be regarded as gentleman,
wac no part Of his creed. He believed
that sterling, moral and intellectual
qualities, and conscientious, courageous
and useful lives made both the man
and the gentleman and that honest toll
and worthy achievements dignified,
whilst uselessness aud dependent slotn-
fulness beittled both.
The confirmation of tho sincerity and
strength OF these convictions is found
in the following provision OF Penn's
. code of laws. for the government Of bis
newly acquired possessions: Twenty
eighth. That all children within this
Province of the age of twelve ysars,
, shall be taught some useful trade or
skill, to the none may be idle, but the
poor may work to live, and the rich,
if they become poor. may not want. !"
Again, in his latest letter to his
wife. as he sailed for the Delaware, in
, addition to other instructions concern
ing the education Of his children, he
said: "But agriculture is especially
, in my eye; let my children be hus
; bsndmen and housewives; it is indus.
} trious, healthy, honest and of good
! example. -
These quotations may possibly bring
! comfort to some OF our modern pedigree
, seekers when they feel shocked to find,
in the public Office records, that M
/ early ancestor is there intellectually
styled, in the customary plain Language
] OF the Quaker scriveneis. a yeoman,
blacksmith, cobbler, or whatever his
D youthful trade may have been under
a PENIS very practical law. For, as il
. was mandatory upon the son of thu
4 patrician and psbeian alike, the thu
v discredted ancestor may possibly b,
! descended from one originally of thu
Il desired gentry class But, IL thi
y thought fails to console, then com
: plete solace may still be found in tn
o fact that of living royalties, the pres
y emit Gear is practical farmer an,
dairyman, King llumbert of Italy
s cobbler, King Oscar IF Sweden wood
v chopper, the Emperor William a iacl
4 of all trades, with special love TO
+ type.setting, Queen Amelia of Portu
4 gal miliner, the Pincess Of Wales
i dairymaid and the Duke of York
r ropemaker. VOLTA tout!
: From this consideration of the origil
/, and design of our colonial settlements
d and OF the character and capabilities q
+ our earliest coonists, we turn to tn
3 administration of justice as then exer
u cised. When the colonists numbere
u but few scores or at most but a fe'
n hundreds, the courts and their proceed
,r ure were necessarily of crude an,
!, oftentimes rude character. ExaminH
J. tion of the early records disclose
10 some very amusing. and ocGasonall
n very sorrowful instances of the adjudi
), cations Of the early justices who wer
3, all unframed in tho law, and none q
n them judges in the modern sense hu
ii merely magistrates. Indeed, unit tn
l. appointment of Chief Justic Williar
20 killen, under our first State Constitu
~ tion Of l776, none, probably, of til
T. judges of any Of the Delaware court
IN had been educated for the bar.
g. A single instance will suffice as illus
I, trative of both tho absurd and patheti
" in our primitive administration of Jus
oil tice-or rather injustice. The Re,
Q, Laurentius Lokinius, or Pastor Lock. a
Is ho was also called, OBLIGATED for man
ne years in the Swedish churches Oh tn
& Delaware. His wife having eIopc
Q, with another. he broke opcn her al
ID ductor's trunk in search of evident
an against her paramount. 1t was solemn
az adiudgcd, as his punishment, that fl
~ his offence he pay all the debts OF til
IL absconding wife stealer. This duuhI
es violent presumption that he both fOun
at assets and ieIoniously appropriate
eu them, may, perhaps, be explainel
r although not justified, upon tho thooI
on that the abscunuing debtor, possibly
Il owed the court.
u "Wheresoever the carcass ia thel
L. will tho eaglus be gathered {,
n gether," we are assured by Him wi
ry temueTa tho wind IL tho shorn laml
re This assurance Is confirmed by Il
al evidence Of tina earliest as well as Il
ry lat0stl of our colonial and State cou
ny records. Then, as now, jason aud h
es Argon8uts are found still in search
by the golden fleece. Their earliest r.
OF corded appearance in Delaware. was
en- tue Dutch court held at New Castl
he March Both, lGjS. Vice. Director A
richs, in letter of that date to Go
sh Stuyvesant, writes: 81 have also