Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-12-31
VIM. PENN'S LETTER
To STOP REVOLT
COMES TO STATE
Senator Salisbury Acquires Here
tofore Imprinted Delaware
Document Tor Historical
Society.
ADVISED STERN MEASURES
Special Corresponding OF Every Evening

w
The letter herewith gwen. " hich Is now
printcd for the first time. contains m
struction from William Penn to a com
mission appointed i,y him, To deal with
revolt against his authority. and IN INC
interest of Lord Baltimore. which had
broken out in Kent county, IN the winter
of 1865 and I6Si The leaders oi tins re
hellion.' aS the great Quaker styles u.
was John billiard and Frances Nmtwcll,
both members of the Governor : Council
John Richardson another member "t the
Council together with Thomas lleatherd
and Thomas Wilson. had complained
against the government IN the General
Assembly. Many of the people IN the
county refused to pay taxes to Penn :
collectors and their diSloyalty gave hum
great concern Lord Bnl,imorc's agents
appear 10 have been active in the interest
oi MARYLAND Hilllard and Whitwcl were
themselves former subjects OF LORD
Rsl,,more. Penn acted with character
isiic energy. and the diSat!Cctlon soon
came to an end This letter i an exceeding
w valuable relic OF the past not only as
relic but intrinsicalv as illustrating an
almost unknown chapter Of Delaware
history The last Penn letter sold nj auction
bv the AnderSonS IN New ork. several
wears ago, brought two hundred ami
nv a collector residing IN another State,
was about TO be sold at auction 10 provide
money for the purchase Of an additional
L. :. bond This intention became known
IL senator SALISBURY and lest /; should
be permancntlv lost 70 this STATE, he pur-
chased the letter AZ the owners price
that he might present Il tothc Historical
Society of Delaware. In It's care and
among its archives II will remain. Senator
SaulSnurv doubtless Will receive the thanNs
OF every lover of Delaware history, and
nayticuisrlv il is believed OF every memoer
of the Society al Friends Of this state Tor
doing 50, for il would have neen dcptor-
able II the letter had been permitted to 20
elsewhere The text Of The letter follow,
"Nilliam Penn. Proprietor and Governor
OF We Province ~ Pennsylvania, and
We Territories thereunto belonging
''To my Trusty and Loving Friends,
John ~vmcock. William Welsh, jane
Harrison, and John Cann
GREETING.
"Instrlctions for your Observance upor
your Expedition
"lst You are hrs, 10 % to Duck
Greek. where il Il shall please God hat
YOU are safely arrived 70 ~ John il.l-
ward : Take nutlc, Who is in near. ~
about ve house and let Your company
bc strlckk carciull IL watch that NJ
one goeth away q carry lntelhCenc,
elsewhere
md. Whilst some of YOU stay L
talk 10 him, tir,t about hi, not coming
M 10 Coun,ll and neNt about ye lat,
desafcrfiun in ve County III ~ other
proceed -lInles~ YOU scc cau~c 70 aTr
prchend hlm and take him INTO We boat
or carry hlm with >,a - ~ francl,
NhitwclI's with 4 part 81 Your company
and pprChcnd linn. with vc same car,
and watch that no person gurth from
II, E9l,t rs carry intelligence elsewhere
Srd Ii they will discover the whole
blsII,-s IN foot IN the country and vol
car 'sI.i what thtv say, take them Will
~ Ill ve Apprehension Il any other person
Nou shall think ii 70 sieZe; which done
lei ~ people have summons 70 meet
you 4t Ne and ~ court which
i 70 be held for that county At "
court let your commission bc read. ant
in ve first place call upon ye Magistrates
and lay hard upon them their TreacherN
and Cowardice IN suffering Baltimore
omissarIes to 20 up and down We country
10 seduce people from their obedience
and dismiss such Of them a9 YOU shal
have cause 70 believe have been IN
faithful, and are.not nj for We trust ful
and put in W names Of such persons II
my blank commission as you shall Judg'
most honest and true 10 our !u-t interest
And If YOU ind any former Maglst rat,
30 guilty as 10 deserve - be brought
upon his Tryal either Try him there
or let him be brought Up 20 be tryed here
but no assured that one judgement O
We jury of that country We're worth Two
of any Jury of this Province: and there
fore | charge sou 70 be- industrious tC
Try " people upon some Of the charge
against ye Proprietary, showing "
Mlschieis they are allowing but no
upon ve whole ~ arralgning particular,
10 " Colonv and yc County. and brand
ing yc inhabltant- with Ire. chcrt an,
Rebellion And L TINS succccd,th d
infaming them against Ne men who AT,
mot guilty IN respect 10 We multltued
immediately nv those two, and MAX,
then pay " Reckoning for We whole
unless YOU thuk II AT a. have such hlthcr
'ith In W next place let VI SncrIf
b. apprehended, and brought up with
ye rest; and doe YOU put IA ye name o
such person III nv blank commission
a. YOU shall be advised upon We spott
but be- sure he be honest and bold tha
az such a time as tins viii try ~ strengfI
OF his authority, for such an one III a
Emergency, may keep or drive count.
before him.
"Endeavor all you con 70 know v
motives inducing 10 dlsaficctIons an,
in your conyersatl rs refutc them q
dangerous foolish and uhgrateiul o
their side. Cherish them that YOU I'm,
well Affected and offer to them al
redress oi then Grievances, when the
shall make them IN an humble an,
dutifel manner.
Open t. them the inconvenience
81 Their beng divided from us of +
cheat u yc pretended better terInc bo
tween liz Government and mine Lc
W. Planters give me credit for bein
willing To take NY qUitrcnt> u tobacc
81 2d 2two Pence per Pound, aa also io
this that being Governor upon nv ow
costs hitherto, and separated from Y
gpatest comforts of ny life, my wif
and children. for We good Of an | hop
my half Of my qmt-rcnt T. supply me wit
bread, viii not b. made 4 reason of Re-
bclllon by men III their altt- that lov
t<r own lives and estate
when YOU have settled Your tempora
buSInedd tho best YOU can which 10 yoi
tsith and wisdom refer J should =
glad YOU had good meeting or tR
amongst them and il ever serious n
Dukes with truth mkt with sorrow for
and authority TO them were Ne PTefac
an beginning as J would have il ve END
Of ~ whole expedition, | could hope
good Issue. And J beseech God D.
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