Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1906-07-05
IS *4t'ss r s-,lss1 <a-1l :.
CONTINUED from LIST pagel.

in Gods holy peace and quletnessi
they are working out the mysteries OF
his wise appointings along the lines OF
, destiny, and building better than they
knew At last, in their wilderness re-.
fuge, they have found the freedom that
they suffered and prayed for so long.
Unlike the Puritan colonists of New
England, who fed from the same per-
secutions only to re-establish them IN
all their atrocity for the restraint OF
all dissenters from their own peculiar
beliefs, these people remember their
past Affections in the fatherland and
make new departure by establishing
the fullest liberation of all religious
opinions, and by enacting such laws
as will protect the natural and inal-
ienable rights of the people. They
drive no man, however dissenting in
faith, from their borders. They set up
no whipping post, no stocks nor pill
lory nor gallows for nonconformists
Instead, they offer to them the right
hand of fellowship and make them feel
that they have found friends indeed.
They welcome the Lutheran from
Sweden and Finland, the Calvanist
from Switzerland and France. They
organize courts of Justice to protect
their communities against evil doors
by wholesome restraints and punish
ments, and none of their punishments
are vengeful and cruel, and the death
penalty is unknown.
In West New Jersey were first
planted the germs of thought and ac-
ton which gradually developed into
the opinions and influences which
made possible the framing of its excel
lent constitution in 1877 and which in
creasing and intensifying along cor
rect lines through succeeding and sue
cessful applications in the colonies, de-
termined more than any other in1u-
ences a hundred years later the estab-
lishment of times greatest empire, the
Republic of the United States of
America. OF these colonists fleeing
for a refuge, it may be truthfully said.
that the stones which the builders
rejected as worthless" in the Old
World, became through the mighty
shapings of Gods providence the chief
corner stones in the structure of civil
and religious liberty in the New.
Says George Bancroft in his candid
and impartial history, "The formation
of this little government of West Jer-
sey that, numbering but a few hundred
souls, soon increased to thousands, is
one of the most beautiful incidents of
the age These pioneers ssrejoiced
under the reign of God, confident that
he would beautify the meek with sal
vation" In their labors Of heWing
down the forest, erecting their habit
tations and making their plantations,
the words of good will kept close pace
with their movements In their steps
followed the signs of Improvement and
progress. In them the native Indians
found friends, and no treaty with
them for lands was ever dishonored.
They were a peace loving, non-resis.
tant and law abiding people, and set.
examples of industry and integrity
which were widely followed No his
torian excepting George Bancroft and
no poet but their own gifted Whittier
has yet given to these people the full
mede of praise to which they were en-
titled.
The constitution which was adopted
at Burlington contained many excel
lences and revealed principles of poll
tical science which the enlightened
philosophy of the generations since,
has not yet fully developed. 1t is no
small debt Of gratitude that we owe to
those self-sacrifcing pioneers, for so
favorably shaping the social and poll
teal conditions which we are enjoying
to-day The love of the proprietors
for civil and religious freedom and
democratic rule, so thoroughly estab
lished in the Quaker society was GER
4s,s7 in ni1
sions,'' and made that instrument the
great magma charta that it was.
John Fenwick, the proprietor Of Sal
EN- Tenth and chief promoter of the
scheme for Quaker colonization in the
new world, was descended from an
honorable family prominent in the
early history of England and noted
for their liberal principles. He had
served as an officer in. the Parliamen-
tary army of Cromwell, which had
been raised to oppose the heresy Of
the Divine right of kings" madly per
sisted in by King Charles the first.
He figured conspicuously in the
movements of the famous Iron side
troops, and was present by order of
Cromwell with his command to pre-
serve order at the decapitation of the
king, in front of Westminster, London
in 1648 After the war, he became
Jealous adherent to the religious prin-
ciples which were then being every
where preached by George Fox Will
liam Penn, Francis Howgill and other
able apostles of the new society.
For man to be Quaker then and
declare the creed that God had i'm
planted in every soul the light of
Christ which enlighteneth every man"
was to put himself in opposition to and
to incur the persecution of one of the
most oppressive hierarchies which
ever dominated civilized land. 1t
was to take his life in his hands and
pass through daily perils. He became
an outcast no matter what may have
been his former social standing, and
he lived at the mercy of the law in
trenched priests who hated him with
a hatred merciIess and yindictiye. Ev
cry mans hand was against him. The