The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-07-30
KEYSTONE STATE FOUNDER DIED
 30 YEARS AGO
Quaker William Penn Had
 Novel Career.

Willim Penn the colonizer of Penn sylvania died on July 30, 1T1S. He was born on Tower Hill, London, on October fl, 1644. His father was Sir William Penn, an admiral who had fought with distinction the fleets of Holland and Spain. Penn received an excellent education. and while at Oxford he was tempted to go to hear one Thomas Lee, a Quaker, preach. In those days there was contamina- ton and disgrace connected with everything relating to Quakerism. Lees ministry so affected Penn that he began to think of becoming a Quaker himself. Fearing the conver- sion of the son, the father sent the boy to Paris, and in the gaiety of Paris, the prea ching of Loe was soon forgotten. The terrors of the plague of London, however, revived the youths pious tendencies. and again his father tried change of acene, and sent him to Ireland. There he dis tinguished himself by subduing an insurrection; and 1t is a curious fact that the only authentic portrait of the great apostle of peace existing, represents him at this period as a young man armed and accoutred soldier It so happened that the Quakers were growing numerous in the larger Irish cities, and one day Penn strolled into their meeting in Cork. To his surprise, Thomas Loe from Oxford arose and spoke from the text, There is a faith that overcomes the world, and there is a faith that is overcome by the world.'' From that meeting Is dated Penn's thorough conversion to Quakerism. His father heard of his conversion, and ordered him back to London. They had a long and painful discus sin, but the young man was immov- able; neither the hope of honor nor the prospect of degradation had any effect, and the young man was turn ed away
 This threw Penn completely over to the Quakers He began to preach at their meetings, to write numerous pamphlets in defence of their doc trines. to hold public debates with their adversaries and to make prop agandist tours over England and the continent Of persecution and i'm prisOnment he had his share A tract, The Sandy Foundation Shaken, so excited the bishop of London that he had him committed to the Tower, where he lay for nearly nine months
 Happily. the admiral had the good sense to reconcile himself to his son. The fathers disappointment was,
 however, indeed severe. The father stood high in the favor of Charles II. and the Duke of York, and if William had co-operated with him, there is no telling to what eminence he might have arisen.
 Penn, by his learning and Iogic did more than any man, excepting Barclay, to shape Quaker sentiment into formal theology; but the service by which the world will remember him was his settlement of Pennsy1- vania. His father had bequeathed him claim on the government of f16,00O for arrears of pay and cash advanced to the navy. Penn very well knew that such a sum was ir- recoverable from Charles IT.; he had long dreamed of founding a colony where peace and righteousness might dwell together: and he decided to compound his debt for a tract of country in North America. The grant of land was given, the King regarding the terms easy.
 The fine country thus secured be- came the resort of large numbers of Quakers, who. in their desire for the free profession of their faith, united a spirit of enterprise; and very quAchIy TennSyIVdnld rose to nlSn importance among the American plantations. Its political constitution was drawn up by Penn, aided by Al gernon Sidney, on extreme democratic principles. Perfect toleration to all sects was accorded. The world thought him visionary, but his reso- lution to treat the Indians as friends seemed that of a madman. So far as he could prevent, no instrument of war was allowed to appear in Pennsylvania. When offences did unhappily arise, jury of six Indians and six Englishmen decided upon them. The Indians met Penn in his own spirit. No paths. no seals, no official mummer:es were used; the treaty was ratified on both sides with yea, yea. A strong evidence of Penn's s~gacity is the fact, that not one drop of Quaker blood was ever shed by an Indian.
 There was very little of that as ceticism about Penn which is thought to belong to-at least early Quaker ism. The furniture of his houses was equal in ornament and comfort to that of any gentleman of his time The ladies of his househ old dressed like gentlewomen wore caps and buckles silk gowns, and golden orna- ments. To innocent dances and country fairs he not only made no i objection. but patronized them with his own and his family's presence.