the quaker colonies-第14节

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　the　hilltops　all　the　time；　and　any　rashness　on　his　part　would　probably　have　brought　disaster　upon　him。　After　his　force　had　been　withdrawn；　the　Indians　again　attacked　and　burned　Gnadenhutten。

The　chain　of　forts；　at　first　seventeen；　afterwards　increased　to　fifty；　built　by　the　Assembly　on　the　Pennsylvania　frontier　was　a　good　plan　so　far　as　it　went；　but　it　was　merely　defensive　and　by　no　means　completely　defensive；　since　Indian　raiding　parties　could　pass　between　the　forts。　They　served　chiefly　as　refuges　for　neighboring　settlers。　The　colonial　troops　or　militia；　after　manning　the　fifty　forts　and　sending　their　quota　to　the　operations　against　Canada　by　way　of　New　England　and　New　York；　were　not　numerous　enough　to　attack　the　Indians。　They　could　only　act　on　the　defensive　as　Franklin's　command　had　done。　As　for　the　rangers；　as　the　small　bands　of　frontiersmen　acting　without　any　authority　of　either　governor　or　legislature　were　called；　they　were　very　efficient　as　individuals　but　they　accomplished　very　little　because　they　acted　at　widely　isolated　spots。　What　was　needed　was　a　well　organized　force　which　could　pursue　the　Indians　on　their　own　ground　so　far　westward　that　the　settlers　on　the　frontier　would　be　safe。　The　only　troops　which　could　do　this　were　the　British　regulars　with　the　assistance　of　the　colonial　militia。

Two　energetic　efforts　to　end　the　war　without　aid　from　abroad　were　made；　however；　one　by　the　pacific　Quakers　and　the　other　by　the　combatant　portion　of　the　people。　Both　of　these　were　successful　so　far　as　they　went；　but　had　little　effect　on　the　general　situation。　In　the　summer　of　1756；　the　Quakers　made　a　very　earnest　effort　to　persuade　the　two　principal　Pennsylvania　tribes；　the　Delawares　and　Shawanoes；　to　withdraw　from　the　French　alliance　and　return　to　their　old　friends。　These　two　tribes　possessed　a　knowledge　of　the　country　which　enabled　them　greatly　to　assist　the　French　designs　on　Pennsylvania。　Chiefs　of　these　tribes　were　brought　under　safe　conducts　to　Philadelphia；　where　they　were　entertained　as　equals　in　the　Quaker　homes。　Such　progress；　indeed；　was　made　that　by　the　end　of　July　a　treaty　of　peace　was　concluded　at　Easton　eliminating　those　two　tribes　from　the　war。　This　has　sometimes　been　sneered　at　as　mere　Quaker　pacifism；　but　it　was　certainly　successful　in　lessening　the　numbers　and　effectiveness　of　the　enemy。

The　other　undertaking　was　a　military　one；　the　famous　attack　upon　Kittanning　conducted　by　Colonel　John　Armstrong；　an　Ulsterman　from　Carlisle；　Pennsylvania；　and　the　first　really　aggressive　officer　the　province　had　produced。　The　Indians　had　two　headquarters　for　their　raids　into　the　province；　one　at　Logstown　on　the　Ohio　a　few　miles　below　Fort　Duquesne；　and　the　other　at　Kittanning　or；　as　the　French　called　it；　Attique；　about　forty　miles　northeast。　At　these　two　points　they　assembled　their　forces；　received　ammunition　and　supplies　from　the　French；　and　organized　their　expeditions。　As　Kittanning　was　the　nearer；　Armstrong　in　a　masterly　maneuver　took　three　hundred　men　through　the　mountains　without　being　discovered　and；　by　falling　upon　the　village　early　in　the　morning；　he　effected　a　complete　surprise。　The　town　was　set　on　fire；　the　Indians　were　put　to　flight；　and　large　quantities　of　their　ammunition　were　destroyed。　But　Armstrong　could　not　follow　up　his　success。　Threatened　by　overwhelming　numbers；　he　hastened　to　withdraw。　The　effect　which　the　fighting　and　the　Quaker　treaty　had　on　the　frontier　was　good。　Incursions　of　the　savages　were；　at　least　for　the　present；　checked。　But　the　root　of　the　evil　had　not　yet　been　reached；　and　the　Indians　remained　massed　along　the　Ohio；　ready　to　break　in　upon　the　people　again　at　the　first　opportunity。

The　following　year；　1757；　was　the　most　depressing　period　of　the　war。　The　proprietors　of　Pennsylvania　took　the　opportunity　to　exempt　their　own　estate　from　taxation　and　throw　the　burden　of　furnishing　money　for　the　war　upon　the　colonists。　Under　pressure　of　the　increasing　success　of　the　French　and　Indians　and　because　the　dreadful　massacres　were　coming　nearer　and　nearer　to　Philadelphia；　the　Quaker　Assembly　yielded；　voted　the　largest　sum　they　had　ever　voted　to　the　war；　and　exempted　the　proprietary　estates。　The　colony　was　soon　boiling　with　excitement。　The　Churchmen；　as　friends　of　the　proprietors；　were　delighted　to　have　the　estates　exempted；　thought　it　a　good　opportunity　to　have　the　Quaker　Assembly　abolished；　and　sent　petitions　and　letters　and　proofs　of　alleged　Quaker　incompetence　to　the　British　Government。　The　Quakers　and　a　large　majority　of　the　colonists；　on　the　other　hand；　instead　of　consenting　to　their　own　destruction；　struck　at　the　root　of　the　Churchmen's　power　by　proposing　to　abolish　the　proprietors。　And　in　a　letter　to　Isaac　Norris；　Benjamin　Franklin；　who　had　been　sent　to　England　to　present　the　grievances　of　the　colonists；　even　suggested　that　〃tumults　and　insurrections　that　might　prove　the　proprietary　government　unable　to　preserve　order；　or　show　the　people　to　be　ungovernable；　would　do　the　business　immediately。〃

Turmoil　and　party　strife　rose　to　the　most　exciting　heights；　and　the　details　of　it　might；　under　certain　circumstances；　be　interesting　to　describe。　But　the　next　year；　1758；　the　British　Government；　by　sending　a　powerful　force　of　regulars　to　Pennsylvania；　at　last　adopted　the　only　method　for　ending　the　war。　Confidence　was　at　once　restored。　The　Pennsylvania　Assembly　now　voted　the　sufficient　and；　indeed；　immense　sum　of　one　hundred　thousand　pounds；　and　offered　a　bounty　of　five　pounds　to　every　recruit。　It　was　no　longer　a　war　of　defense　but　now　a　war　of　aggression　and　conquest。　Fort　Duquesne　on　the　Ohio　was　taken；　and　the　next　autumn　Fort　Pitt　was　built　on　its　ruins。　Then　Canada　fell；　and　the　French　empire　in　America　came　to　an　end。　Canada　and　the　Great　West　passed　into　the　possession　of　the　Anglo…Saxon　race。



Chapter　VII。　The　Decline　Of　Quaker　Government

When　the　treaty　of　peace　was　signed　in　1763；　extinguishing　France's　title　to　Canada　and　turning　over　Canada　and　the　Mississippi　Valley　to　the　English；　the　colonists　were　prepared　to　enjoy　all　the　blessings　of　peace。　But　the　treaty　of　peace　had　been　made　with　France；　not　with　the　red　man。　A　remarkable　genius；　Pontiac；　appeared　among　the　Indians；　one　of　the　few　characters；　like　Tecumseh　and　Osceola；　who　are　often　cited　as　proof　of　latent　powers　almost　equal　to　the　strongest　qualities　of　the　white　race。　Within　a　few　months　he　had　united　all　the　tribes　of　the　West　in　a　discipline　and　control　which；　if　it　had　been　brought　to　the　assistance　of　the　French　six　years　earlier；　might　have　conquered　the　colonies　to　the　Atlantic　seaboard　before　the　British　regulars　could　have　come　to　their　assistance。　The　tribes　swept　westward　into　Pennsylvania；　burning；　murdering；　and　leveling　every　habitation　to　the　ground　with　a　thoroughness　beyond　anything　attempted　under　the　French　alliance。　The　settlers　and　farmers　fled　eastward　to　the　towns　to　live　in　cellars；　camps；　and　sheds　as　best　they　could。*　Fortunately　the　colonies　retained　a　large　part　of　the　military　organization；　both　men　and　officers；　of　the　French　War；　and　were　soon　able　to　handle　the　situation。　Detroit　and　Niagara　were　relieved　by　water；　and　an　expedition　commanded　by　Colonel　Bouquet；　who　had　distinguished　himself　under　General　Forties；　saved　Fort　Pitt。

*　For　an　account　of　Pontiac's　conspiracy；　see　〃The　Old　Northwest〃　by　Frederic　A。　Ogg　（in　〃The　Chronicles　of　America〃）。


At　this　time　the　Scotch…Irish　frontiersmen　suddenly　became　prominent。　They　had　been　organizing　for　their　own　protection　and　were　meeting　with　not　a　little　success。　They　refused　to　join　the　expedition　of　regular　troops　marching　westward　against　Pontiac's　warriors；　because　they　wanted　to　protect　their　own　homes　and　because　they　believed　the　regulars　to　be　marching　to　sure　destruction。　Many　of　the　regular　troops　were　invalided　from　the　West　Indies；　and　the　Scotch…Irish　never　expected　to　see　any　of　them　again。　They　believed　that　the　salvation　of　Pennsylvania；　or　at　least　of　their　part　of　the　province；　depended　entirely　upon　themselves。　Their　increasing　numbers　and　rugged　independence　were　forming　them　also　into　an　organized　political　party　with　decided　tendencies；　as　it　afterwards　appeared；　towards　forming　a　separate　state。

The　extreme　narrowness　of　the　Scotch…Irish；　however；　misled　them。　The　only　real　safety　for　the　province　lay　in　regularly　constituted　and　strong　expeditions；　like　that　of　Bouquet；　which　would　drive　the　main　body　of　the　savages　far　westward。　But　the　Scotch…Irish　could　not　see　this；　and　with　that　intensity　of　passion　which　marked　all　their　actions　they　turned　their　energy　and　vengeance　upon　the　Quakers　and　semicivilized　Indians　in　the　eastern　end　of　the　colony。　Their　preachers；　who　were　their　principal　leaders　and　organizers；　encouraged　them　in　denouncing　Quaker　doctrine　as　a　wicked　heresy　from　which　only　evil　could　result。　The　Quakers　had　offended　God　from　the　beginning　by　making　treaties　of　kindness　with　the　heathen　savages　instead　of　exterminating　them　as　the　Scripture　commanded：　〃And　when　the　Lord　thy　God　shall　deliver　them　before　thee；　thou　shalt　smite　them　and　utterly　destroy　them；　thou　shalt　make　no　covenant　with　them；　nor　show　mercy　unto　them。〃　The　Scripture　had　not　been　obeyed；　the　heathen　had　not　been　destroyed；　on　the　contr