Evening journal., 1896-12-22


he Delaware, from Cape Henlopen 70
Trenton, In 1898, eleven years afterwards.
there were, according to a Swedish roll
then made. about $50 swedes. Of all ages
and sexes within New Sweden, not in
luding these on the east bank Of the Della
ware river 1t is therefore likely that, in
6S2 the population, comprising all nation
alities, was less than one thousand within
ur present boundaries.
HABITS OF THE swEDEs.
The swedes were an intelligent. orderly.
INDUSTRIOUS people They We're generally
teady-going tillers Of the soil, Of frugal
habits and simple, wholesome lives. In
iact. to them is due, more than to the
Dutch or the English settlers the industrial
rogress and development, at said date, Of
this first permanent colony within our
oorders Above all, they were an inoffen-
i've and peace-loving people as were also.
enerally. their sturdy neighbors, the
trade-lovng Dutch, II is true that at
ines actual hostilities arose between
these pacific races that with armed men
and ships they menaced each other, and
that forts were captured and retaken al
Tentatively on either side. But y Is, nev-
rtheless. a historic and happy fact that not
4 drop of blood was drawn in these PICK
Nickian encounters except by the nsatl-
able weapon Of the sanguinary mosquito
Usually their wars We're Fought by those
doughty gubernatorial champions, the pom
iarous and peppery Printz and the sturdy
and stormy Stuyvesant, very much as our
battles with Great Britain are now waged
~ our modern warriors of the press, not
| with sword and shot, but with pen and
~ ha
Following close upon the Swedish settle
nent and the Dutch occupation came the
/ English victor over both, with the imper-
lsbable instinct of the Anglo-Saxon for the
acquisition Of territory, and the masterful
genius for colonization and government
which have made our race dominant in
svery quarter Of the globe, and surpassed
| by none in these respects in ancient or
modern times.
The Swedish colonization Of the Della
ware was the offspring Of the lofty soul
and benehcent mind Of the great and heroic
! Gustavus Adolphus, who sought here to
end a refuge aud to found free state for
the persecuted and oppressed lovers Of re-
igious and civil liberty Of other lands
Unhappily, he did not live to enjoy the
realization Of his noble-minded great
souled conception for he prematurely died
at Lutzen amid the din of battle and the
clash Of arms It was ore-doomed that
his useful and glorious career should be
both hewn out and cut Off by the sword.
| But fortunately il was also predestined
I that his phlanthrOpic designs should.
nevertheless a half century later. be taken
1p here on our Delaware shores and car
! Tied to their successful consummatiOn by
his illustrious English successor, who was
as renowned in peace as his great Swedish
| predecessor was in war as the champion
| Of freedom of conscience and OF human
liberty. AS Delawareans we are immeas-
| lrably indebted both to Gustavus Adolf
phus whose mission it was to conceive, and
| to William Penn whose privilege 1t was to
| eonsummate the permanent colonization
Of free and enlightened people upon our
shores, and to secure the ultimate estab-
ishment Of a wise just and orderly gov
rnment within the borders Of our ancient
and historical state
SKETCH OF WILLIAM PENN.
William Penn was the son Of an English
sice-admiral and Of a Dutch mother. As
such he inherited the best qualities of both
races as was shown by his sound judg-
nent. his broad views. his sterling char
ncss-lise executive ability He had a uni
rersity education with the training Of a
nan Of the world He excslled in fencing
md dancing and was. in dress. manner and
cquirements an accomplished courtier
3ut- patrician as he was. he sought among
he plain people for those who were to be.
,ome the founders Of great state in the
wilds OF America. From the ranks OF the
artisan, the retail-shop man and the sturdy
yeomanry of the kingdoms Of the Old
World, he collected the brave and rugged
pioneers Of civilization and the future
builders Of republics in the New.
With him came few Of the gentry. and
fewer still of the university or professional
classes-merely enough to furnish the aid
required from their kind in the practical
conduct of his government. For the indus
trious, the sober and frugal colonist. he
had much need; for the idle the dissolute
and prodigal, none. The idea that the
men who worked with his hands and brain
could not be regarded as gentleman was
no part Of his creed. He believed that ster-
ing moral and intellectual qualities. and
| conscientious. courageous and useful lives
made both the man and the gentleman
and that honest toll and worthy achieve
ments dignifed, whilst uselessness and de
pendent slothfulness belittled both.
The confirmation Of the sincerity ant
strength of these convictions is found ii
me Following provision Of PENIS Code O.
Laws, for the government OF his newly
scqulfed possessions. "Twenty-eighth
That all children within this province d
che age Of twelve years shall be taught
some useful trade or skin. to the none ma,
De Idle but the poor may work TO live
ma the rich, if they become poor. may no
want"
Again, in his latest letter 10 his wife
as he sailed for the Delaware. in additio,
o other instructions concerning the adnca
lion of his children, he said: .'Bat aoric,,l
cure is especially in my eye; let nv cbil
iren be husbandmen and housewives H /
INDUSTRIOUS healthy honest and Of goo,
example"
These quotations may possibly brin,
comfort to some of our modern pedigre.
5eeBers when they feel shocked to find Il
he public Office records THAI an early an
,estor is there inenaee5bly styled. i'm tn,
customary plain language Of the Quake
icriyeners a yeoman blacksmith. cobblor