The Coolidge examiner., 1931-06-26

- Church, oxford. His father, a dis
tnguished admiral of the British navy, was in
high favor at the court because he had aban-
dOned his former allegances of friendship and
had aided in the restoration of King Charles II
to the throne. His son was associating with the
sons of the nobility who had remained loyal to
the Stuarts and was receiving education
which would fit him to follow in the footsteps
of his father the old sea dog, and to obtain
preferment at the hands of King Charles
But, unlike the other young men of the time,
there vein of serious thought in young
Penn and he had become much concerned with
the problem of religious liberty Even while at
tending a high church college he was secretly
attending the meetings and listening to the doc
trines of the Quakers, despised and outlawed
sect which had sprung up during the Seventeenth
century. 1t during this time that young
Penn began to hear of the plans of a group of
Quakers to found colonies in the New world
but it to be many years before Penn was
TO see those plans materialized and he himself
to have hand in bringing them about.
At Oxford, Penn came under the influence of
two who profoundly influencing the
youth of that day-John Locke the philosopher,
and Thomas Lowe, leading Quaker preacher.
In 1910 Penn was arrested in London for
preaching in the street and was confined in the
Tower.
After his release from prison he made a
missionary journey through Holland and Ger
many and at Emden founded Quaker colony.
Some of these Germans were later to aid him
in building his great commonwealth In the
meantime his father had died. but had called
his son to his deathbed. Let nothing in the
world tempt you to wrong your conscience" was
his last whispered admonition to his Quaker
son and one of the last acts of the admiral was
TO send a message to the kings brother, the
duke of York, begging him, in memory of his
services to the Stuarts, to protect William from
persecution. He also left his son a debt of
$4,000 sterling owed him by Charles II. Although
Charles was not especially famous for remem-
bering and repaying debts, this is one which he
seems to have been scrupulous about. The king
was poor in money, but he rich in lands in
North America This Immediately suggested to
Penn a chance to carry out the plan for
Quaker colony which he had first heard as a
student at oxford.
In royal proclamation dated April p 1851,
King Charles announced Ito the inhabitants and
planters of Pennsylvania in America he had
granted charter TO William Penn to take pos
session of this new American province.
Having received his charter Penn next drew
up a constitution or frame of government in
consultation with Algernon Sydney and other
noted English Liberals. The preamble and some
of the provisions of this charter of liberties, the
original of which is preserved in the Pennsyl-
vania state archives of today, reads as follows:
To all people to whom these present shall
come WHEREAS King Charles the second by his
Letters, Patents under the Great Seal of Eng
land for the Considerations therein mentioned
hath been graciously pleased to give and grant
unto me William Penn (By the name of William
Penn Esq'r, and heir of Sr William Penn
deceased) and to my heirs and assigns forever
sylvania in America with divers Great Powers
PreheminencieS Royalties Jurisdictions and Au-
thOrities necessary for the well-being and Gov
ernment thereof now know ye that for the Well
Being and Government of the said Province and
for the Encouragement of all the ffreemen and
Planters that may be therein concerned in pur-
suance of the powers afOre mentond l the said
William Penn have declared Granted and Con-
frmed and by these presents for me my heirs
and Assigns do declare grant and Confirm unto
all the freemen Planter and Adventures of in
and to the said Province those Liberties fran
chises and properties to be held Enjoyed and
Kept by the Freemen Planters and Inhabitants
of and in the said province of PENNSYLVANIA
forever. "Imprimis'-THAT the Government of
this province shall according to the Powers of
the Patent consist of the Governour and ffreemen
of the said Province in the form of Provin-
cial Council and General Assembly by whom all
Laws Shall be made officers Chosen and publick
affairs Transacted and is here after Respectively
declared That is to say 2. That the ffreemen of
the said Province shall on the Twentieth day