The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1940-01-04
Maryland Boundary Disputes Not Only
Ones in Early America.


etors to come to Maryland. He arrived
in 1861 and remained until 1854, when
he returned to London to protect his
rights against the claims Of William
Penn. He did not return to Maryland,
his colonial rights becoming involved
in the religious turmoil known as the
"Bloodless Revolution" which brought
about the revocation of the Maryland
charter for a period of about twenty
years. The failure of Sir Charles Cal
vert, the third Lord Baltimore, to
protect his Delaware water front and
his northern boundary on the 10th
degree line of North latitude in ac-
cordance with his charter rights, long
before William Penn gained foot-hold
there fifty years after the Calverts
first settled in Maryland in 1884, was
primary cause of Maryland's loss and
Pennsylvania gain of some 1000
square miles of most highly important
territory, and for which loss Sir
Charles can be justly and severely
criticized. He personally had more
than twenty years of residence in
Maryland prior to the date of PENIS
arrival on the Philadelphia site to
start his colony in 1852, and should
have realized the great Importance Of
the Delaware water front as we'll as
the immense value of the rich farm
ing land section which adjoined the
10th dagree line on the south for col
onization purposes. These important
areas could have been secured to
Maryland for all time by the simple
process of placing thereon new set
tiers whose loyalty to the Colony of
Maryland should have been easily
maintained by proper attention on the
part of Calvert and his representa-
tives.
In fairness to Sir Charles, it can be
said that long after he had allowed
the opportune time to pass for taking
proper steps to secure his eastern and
northern boundaries against PENIS
claims, he found himself confronted
with a state of affairs in England, of
which he probably had very meagre
knowledge while pursuing the ever
tenor Of his way in his quiet home at
Saint Mary's in Southern Maryland
King Borrowed From Penn
Upon his return to London in 1854,
he found that both King Charles II and
his brother James, the Duke of York,
had been living lives of reckless and
excessive personal extravaganza. Their
expensive indulgences kept them in fl
nancial straits, and one of the means
they employed for raising money was
to sell to wealthy Englishmen rights
to large tracts of land in the Ameri-
can Colonies. King Charles II had
secured loans from the elder William
Penn, father of the founder of Penn
sylvania, amounting to 10000 pounds
sterling. This sum was the equivalent
of many times its purchasing power
of the present day. Penn Senior had
been a captain in the English navy,
and as such he had captured a num-
| Der Of ships of pirates who were OPP
Grating mostly in the waters of the
West Indies, where much booty had
been taken from Spanish and French
ships. Great sums of gold and silver
were thereby added to the English
EXchequer.
King Charles showed his apprecia-
ton of PENIS success in this connec-
ton by advancing him to the rank of
admiral and comforting Knighthood
upon him. Penn had also shared largely
in the spoils of his exploits on the high
seas, it being the custom of the times
for captains of English ships that were
engaged in Kidding the seas of pirates
and freebooters, to participate in the
value of ships and cargoes captured.
From such sources, the Penns had
become quite wealthy, and it is evident
that they decided it would be to their
advantage to allow the loan of 10000
pounds to remain uncollected. Further
more, the Kings brother James, the
Duke Of York, was showing manifes-
tations of close personal friendship
for William Penn. King Charles had
placed into the Dukes hands practi-
cally all matters pertaining to the
American colonies, the leisure-loving
King devoting most of his time to
frivolous social matters. AS there is
little doubt that William Penn rem
dered financial assistance to both the
King and his brother, the Duke of
York, it can be easily understood why
the English Crown was inclined to
favor Penn as against Calvert in any
contention arising between them over
the question of territorial rights.
Upon William PENIS arrival in
America in 1852, he made the discov-
cry that the Delaware River north 81
the 10th degree line, did not afford
adequate port facilities for deep sea