the quaker colonies-第12节

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les　back　from　the　Delaware　not　far　above　Trenton；　and　running　northwest；　parallel　with　the　river；　as　far　as　a　man　could　walk　in　a　day　and　a　half。　The　Indians　understood　that　this　tract　would　extend　northward　only　to　the　Lehigh；　which　was　the　ordinary　journey　of　a　day　and　a　half。　The　proprietors；　however；　surveyed　the　line　beforehand；　marked　the　trees；　engaged　the　fastest　walkers　and；　with　horses　to　carry　provisions；　started　their　men　at　sunrise。　By　running　a　large　part　of　the　way；　at　the　end　of　a　day　and　a　half　these　men　had　reached　a　point　thirty　miles　beyond　the　Lehigh。

The　Delaware　Indians　regarded　this　measurement　as　a　pure　fraud　and　refused　to　abandon　the　Minisink　region　north　of　the　Lehigh。　The　proprietors　then　called　in　the　assistance　of　the　Six　Nations　of　New　York；　who　ordered　the　Delawares　off　the　Minisink　lands。　Though　they　obeyed；　the　Delawares　became　the　relentless　enemies　of　the　white　man　and　in　the　coming　years　revenged　themselves　by　massacres　and　murder。　They　also　broke　the　control　which　the　Six　Nations　had　over　them；　became　an　independent　nation；　and　in　the　French　Wars　revenged　themselves　on　the　Six　Nations　as　well　as　on　the　white　men。　The　congress　which　convened　at　Albany　in　1754　was　an　attempt　on　the　part　of　the　British　Government　to　settle　all　Indian　affairs　in　a　general　agreement　and　to　prevent　separate　treaties　by　the　different　colonies；　but　the　Pennsylvania　delegates；　by　various　devices　of　compass　courses　which　the　Indians　did　not　understand　and　by　failing　to　notify　and　secure　the　consent　of　certain　tribes；　obtained　a　grant　of　pretty　much　the　whole　of　Pennsylvania　west　of　the　Susquehanna。　The　Indians　considered　this　procedure　to　be　another　gross　fraud。　It　is　to　be　noticed　that　in　their　dealings　with　Penn　they　had　always　been　satisfied；　and　that　he　had　always　been　careful　that　they　should　be　duly　consulted　and　if　necessary　be　paid　twice　over　for　the　land。　But　his　sons　were　more　economical；　and　as　a　result　of　the　shrewd　practices　of　the　Albany　purchase　the　Pennsylvania　Indians　almost　immediately　went　over　in　a　body　to　the　French　and　were　soon　scalping　men；　women；　and　children　among　the　Pennsylvania　colonists。　It　is　a　striking　fact；　however；　that　in　all　the　after　years　of　war　and　rapine　and　for　generations　afterwards　the　Indians　retained　the　most　distinct　and　positive　tradition　of　Penn's　good　faith　and　of　the　honesty　of　all　Quakers。　So　persistent；　indeed；　was　this　tradition　among　the　tribes　of　the　West　that　more　than　a　century　later　President　Grant　proposed　to　put　the　whole　charge　of　the　nation's　Indian　affairs　in　the　hands　of　the　Quakers。　The　first　efforts　to　avert　the　catastrophe　threatened　by　the　alliance　of　the　red　man　with　the　French　were　made　by　the　provincial　assemblies；　which　voted　presents　of　money　or　goods　to　the　Indians　to　offset　similar　presents　from　the　French。　The　result　was；　of　course；　the　utter　demoralization　of　the　savages。　Bribed　by　both　sides；　the　Indians　used　all　their　native　cunning　to　encourage　the　bribers　to　bid　against　each　other。　So　far　as　Pennsylvania　was　concerned；　feeling　themselves　cheated　in　the　first　instance　and　now　bribed　with　gifts；　they　developed　a　contempt　for　the　people　who　could　stoop　to　such　practices。　As　a　result　this　contempt　manifested　itself　in　deeds　hitherto　unknown　in　the　province。　One　tribe　on　a　visit　to　Philadelphia　killed　cattle　and　robbed　orchards　as　they　passed。　The　delegates　of　another　tribe；　having　visited　Philadelphia　and　received　500　pounds　as　a　present；　returned　to　the　frontier　and　on　their　way　back　for　another　present　destroyed　the　property　of　the　interpreter　and　Indian　agent；　Conrad　Weiser。　They　felt　that　they　could　do　as　they　pleased。　To　make　matters　worse；　the　Assembly　paid　for　all　the　damage　done；　and　having　started　on　this　foolish　business；　they　found　that　the　list　of　tribes　demanding　presents　rapidly　increased。　The　Shawanoes　and　the　Six　Nations；　as　well　as　the　Delawares；　were　now　swarming　to　this　new　and　convenient　source　of　wealth。

Whether　the　proprietors　or　the　Assembly　should　meet　this　increasing　expense　or　divide　it　between　them；　became　a　subject　of　increasing　controversy。　It　was　in　these　discussions　that　Thomas　Penn；　in　trying　to　keep　his　family's　share　of　the　expense　as　small　as　possible；　first　got　the　reputation　for　closeness　which　followed　him　for　the　rest　of　his　life　and　which　started　a　party　in　the　province　desirous　of　having　Parliament　abolish　the　proprietorship　and　put　the　province　under　a　governor　appointed　by　the　Crown。

The　war　with　the　French　of　Canada　and　their　Indian　allies　is　of　interest　here　only　in　so　far　as　it　affected　the　government　of　Pennsylvania。　From　this　point　of　view　it　involved　a　series　of　contests　between　the　proprietors　and　the　Crown　on　the　one　side　and　the　Assembly　on　the　other。　The　proprietors　and　the　Crown　took　advantage　of　every　military　necessity　to　force　the　Assembly　into　a　surrender　of　popular　rights。　But　the　Assembly　resisted；　maintaining　that　they　had　the　same　right　as　the　British　Commons　of　having　their　money　bills　received　or　rejected　by　the　Governor　without　amendment。　Whatever　they　should　give　must　be　given　on　their　own　terms　or　not　at　all；　and　they　would　not　yield　this　point　to　any　necessities　of　the　war。

When　Governor　Morris　asked　the　Assembly　for　a　war　contribution　in　1754；　they　promptly　voted　20；000　pounds。　This　was　the　same　amount　that　Virginia；　the　most　active　of　the　colonies　in　the　war；　was　giving。　Other　colonies　gave　much　less；　New　York；　only　5000　pounds；　and　Maryland　6000　pounds。　Morris；　however；　would　not　assent　to　the　Assembly's　bill　unless　it　contained　a　clause　suspending　its　effect　until　the　King's　pleasure　was　known。　This　was　an　attempt　to　establish　a　precedent　for　giving　up　the　Assembly's　charter　right　of　passing　laws　which　need　not　be　submitted　to　the　King　for　five　years　and　which　in　the　meantime　were　valid。　The　members　of　the　Assembly　very　naturally　refused　to　be　forced　by　the　necessities　of　the　war　into　surrendering　one　of　the　most　important　privileges　the　province　possessed。　It　was；　they　said；　as　much　their　duty　to　resist　this　invasion　of　their　rights　as　to　resist　the　French。

Governor　Morris；　besides　demanding　that　the　supply　of　20；000　pounds　should　not　go　into　force　until　the　King's　pleasure　was　known；　insisted　that　the　paper　money　representing　it　should　be　redeemable　in　five　years。　This　period　the　Assembly　considered　too　short；　the　usual　time　was　ten　years。　Five　years　would　ruin　too　many　people　by　foreclosures。　Moreover；　the　Governor　was　attempting　to　dictate　the　way　in　which　the　people　should　raise　a　money　supply。　He　and　the　King　had　a　right　to　ask　for　aid　in　war；　but　it　was　the　right　of　the　colony　to　use　its　own　methods　of　furnishing　this　assistance。　The　Governor　also　refused　to　let　the　Assembly　see　the　instructions　from　the　proprietors　under　which　he　was　acting。　This　was　another　attack　upon　their　liberties　and　involved　nothing　less　than　an　attempt　to　change　their　charter　rights　by　secret　instructions　to　a　deputy　governor　which　he　must　obey　at　his　peril。　Several　bills　had　recently　been　introduced　in　the　English　Parliament　for　the　purpose　of　making　royal　instructions　to　governors　binding　on　all　the　colonial　assemblies　without　regard　to　their　charters。　This　innovation；　the　colonists　felt；　would　wreck　all　their　liberties　and　turn　colonial　government　into　a　mere　despotism。

The　assemblies　of　all　the　colonies　have　been　a　good　deal　abused　for　delay　in　supporting　the　war　and　meanness　in　withholding　money。　But　in　many　instances　the　delay　and　lack　of　money　were　occasioned　by　the　grasping　schemes　of　governors　who　saw　a　chance　to　gain　new　privileges　for　the　Crown　or　a　proprietor　or　to　weaken　popular　government　by　crippling　the　powers　of　the　legislatures。　The　usual　statement　that　the　Pennsylvania　Assembly　was　slow　in　assisting　the　war　because　it　was　composed　of　Quakers　is　not　supported　by　the　facts。　The　Pennsylvania　Assembly　was　not　behind　the　rest。　On　this　particular　occasion；　when　their　large　money　supply　bill　could　not　be　passed　without　sacrificing　their　constitutional　rights；　they　raised　money　for　the　war　by　appointing　a　committee　which　was　authorized　to　borrow　5000　pounds　on　the　credit　of　the　Assembly。

Other　contests　arose　over　the　claim　of　the　proprietors　that　their　estates　in　the　province　were　exempt　from　taxation　for　the　war　or　any　purpose。　One　bill　taxing　the　proprietary　estates　along　with　others　was　met　by　Thomas　Penn　offering　to　subscribe　5000　pounds；　as　a　free　gift　to　the　colony's　war　measures。　The　Assembly　accepted　this；　and　passed　the　bill　without　taxing　the　proprietary　estates。　It　turned　out；　however；　to　be　a　shrewd　business　move　on　the　part　of　Thomas　Penn；　for　the　5000　pounds　was　to　be　collected　out　of　the　quitrents　that　were　in　arrears；　and　the　payment　of　it　was　in　consequence　long　delayed。　The　thrifty　Thomas　had　thus　saddled　his　bad　debts　on　the　province　and　gained　a　reputation　for　generosity　at　the　same　time。

Pennsylvania；　though　governed　by　Quakers　assisted　by　noncombatant　Germans；　had　a　better　protected　frontier　than　Maryland　or　Virginia；　no　colony；　indeed；　was　at　that　time　better　protected。　The　Quaker　Assembly　did　more　than　take　care　of　the　frontier　during　the　war；　it　preserved　at　the　same　time　constitutional　rights　in　defense　of　which　twenty…five　years　afterwar