Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-03-26
FIGHTING OUAKERS
BY HENRY LONCCOPE

signed an address pledgng themselves to give
military aid to the United States In the war
with Germany Among the signers will be
found the names OF those men whose fore
bears took precisely the same stand when
the American Colonies threw off the yoke Of
German king and formed the union Of the
Thirteen original States.
The address, which has Just been issued. is
entitled "Some Particular Advices to
Friends; a Statement of Loyalty to Others;
Being the Views of Some Members OF the
Society of Friends Regarding Its Attitude
Toward the Present Crisis" Forclble resist
ance is justified in the document III long
continued intolerable conditions caused by
morally defunct people are 10 bo ended be-
fore the world Is enslaved"
IJoRACE WELLS SELLERS, who is a
i i member of the committee for the
preservation of historic monuments and for
merly president OF the Philadelphia chapter
of the American Institute of Architects. gives
a very interesting account of the attitude OF
the Quaker In wartimes. Members or the
Society of Friends" he said, ARE pacifsts,
but slackers, never. They have always been
conservative, and some were inclined to the
royal cause in the Revolution. In the first
place, they were opposed to fighting on prin-
ciple, and honestly believed the war was
brutal. debasing and not effectual. Conse-
peaceful principles were dealt with. A case
in point, and which ] believe is typical. Is
that of my great-great-great-grandfa
John Sellers, who lived just about where the
Sixty-nnth street station is now located. He
a member of the Society of Friends. of
the Assembly and was also interested In
public improvements. He appointed as
one OF the slgners of the Continental money
and was in other ways identified with the
Revolution. About 1875 the Friends took
notice of his actions and those of others
connected with the Meeting and complained
that he had permitted the use of his saw
mills for military purposes. contrary to dis
cipline, and that he had evinced gainsaying
spirit.
His son Nathan promptly enlisted. He
had been trained for the law, but had turned
his attention to making molds for the manu-
facture of paper, this being hard to secure.
as the molds had been previously obtained
from England. By an act of Congress he
was withdrawn from the army for this pur-
pose The Quaker who broke through the dis
cipine, / believe. did openly. There may
have been some instances where cannon
was purchased and called a fire engine but
these cases were rare. 1t was men of the
type who believed that their highest duty
was in the preservation of their hearthstones,
and used force In SO doing, who afterward
became known as Free or Fighting Quakers"
TN ORDER to understand the reason for the
l. Free Quaker breaking away from his
Meeting and in certain sense becoming
ostracized from his fellows, it must be re-
membered that the leading members were
men who had grown old in the habit of 10y
atty and had been rewarded by dignities and
wealth. With habitual caution they looked
with disfavor on the hot-headed young patri-
OTIS who declared themselves supporters of
so radical a change as the establishment of
an independent government. So at the gen.
eral meeting of Friends held in Philadelphia
in IVA letter was formally approved and
ordered to be sent to all of the Meetings in
America, warning them not to depart from
their peaceful principles and suggesting the
propriety OF disowning all such members as
disobey these orders While these orders
were generally obeyed by the older menu
bers. they were not by the younger ones
| These contended that they should render
their Government willing obedience, and that
| they owed 1t their active support when in
| vasion threatened. While agreeing with their
| elders as to the wickedness of aggressive
| war. they took the ground that 1t would be
| inconsistent to accept the support of the
Continental Congress and armies and refuse
to aid them by every means possible.
AS consequence, they served directly in
the armies on the American side, appeared
| on the committee of public safety and were
seated in the Legislature. Among those who
| acted with the patriots was Timothy Mat
| lack, who was an assocator. colonel and a
| member of the supreme executive council.
| and Thomas Mifiin, who was a major gen.
| Governor of Pennsylvania.
| THE Free Quakers founded their Meeting
| i in 1881 at the house of Samuel Wetherill,
| who was appointed clerk. in Front between
| Arch and Race streets. OF the early men,
| hers are to be found the names of Robert
| Parrish, James Sloane. Moses Bartram, DIR.
| Benjamin Lay, owen Bdde. Isaac Howell.
| White Matlack and many others. They met
| at the various houses of the members for
| some two years. until the purchase of lot
| at the southwest corner of Fifth and Null
| for Arch street. Later the Assembly granted
| them eight lots for burial ground on Fifth
| street below Locust. and permission was
| given them to bury the soldiers there who
| died in our, city hospitals. The law which
gave them the burial ground recites that 1t
| Is just and right to forward the designs of
| religion and benevolence. and that the vir-
tuous citizens of this Commonwealth who
| have been deprived of their religious rights
| and privileges on account of their attach
| ment to the cause of their country in the time
of It's utmost danger should have the en-
| couragement of the Legislature"
TN 1888 the Free Quakers began to raise
| i money and take steps to build a meeting
| house. The lot had been purchased and
subscriptions for the building fund prospered
| Benjamin Franklin whose body now lies
| within the shadow of the building, in IKE
graveyard on the opposite corner. WIS a
| contributor Neither he nor George Wash
| ington was a Friend, yet both aided the
movement Today the building his almost
the same appearance It had 100 years
| ago, so we'll has II been preserved. II was
| long since given over to the use of trade, vet
It is in the hands Of those who retain ar
upper room, where a meeting is held once
every year, while the income received Ii
used In buying coal for the poor. All thai
| remains to denote the purpose for which the
l oNaA 10 l. 49,
the Arch street facade high up under the
caves. Though weather beaten. the inscrip
tion is easily decipf cred:
| For the Free Quakers
Erected by General Subscription
| A. d. 1885. of the Empire
When the wall was nearly finished ant
this stone was being placed one of the Ere,
Quakers was asked why the words "In tn,