the quaker colonies-第24节

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The　change　was　due　to　the　uncertainty　and　annoyance　caused　for　their　separate　governments　when　their　right　to　govern　was　in　doubt　owing　to　interference　on　the　part　of　New　York　and　the　desire　of　the　King　to　make　them　a　Crown　colony。　The　original　grant　of　the　Duke　of　York　to　the　proprietors　Berkeley　and　Carteret　had　given　title　to　the　soil　but　had　been　silent　as　to　the　right　to　govern。　The　first　proprietors　and　their　successors　had　always　assumed　that　the　right　to　govern　necessarily　accompanied　this　gift　of　the　land。　Such　a　privilege；　however；　the　Crown　was　inclined　to　doubt。　William　Penn　was　careful　to　avoid　this　uncertainty　when　he　received　his　charter　for　Pennsylvania。　Profiting　by　the　sad　example　of　the　Jerseys；　he　made　sure　that　he　was　given　both　the　title　to　the　soil　and　the　right　to　govern。

The　proprietors；　however；　now　surrendered　only　their　right　to　govern　the　Jerseys　and　retained　their　ownership　of　the　land；　and　the　people　always　maintained　that　they；　on　their　part；　retained　all　the　political　rights　and　privileges　which　had　been　granted　them　by　the　proprietors。　And　these　rights　were　important；　for　the　concessions　or　constitutions　granted　by　the　proprietors　under　the　advanced　Quaker　influence　of　the　time　were　decidedly　liberal。　The　assemblies；　as　the　legislatures　were　called；　had　the　right　to　meet　and　adjourn　as　they　pleased；　instead　of　having　their　meetings　and　adjournments　dictated　by　the　governor。　This　was　an　important　right　and　one　which　the　Crown　and　royal　governors　were　always　trying　to　restrict　or　destroy；　because　it　made　an　assembly　very　independent。　This　contest　for　colonial　rights　was　exactly　similar　to　the　struggle　of　the　English　Parliament　for　liberty　against　the　supposed　right　of　the　Stuart　kings　to　call　and　adjourn　Parliament　as　they　chose。　If　the　governor　could　adjourn　the　assembly　when　he　pleased；　he　could　force　it　to　pass　any　laws　he　wanted　or　prevent　its　passing　any　laws　at　all。　The　two　Jersey　assemblies　under　their　Quaker　constitutions　also　had　the　privilege　of　making　their　own　rules　of　procedure；　and　they　had　jurisdiction　over　taxes；　roads；　towns；　militia；　and　all　details　of　government。　These　rights　of　a　legislature　are　familiar　enough　now　to　all。　Very　few　people　realize；　however；　what　a　struggle　and　what　sacrifices　were　required　to　attain　them。

The　rest　of　New　Jersey　colonial　history　is　made　up　chiefly　of　struggles　over　these　two　questionsthe　rights　of　the　proprietors　and　their　quitrents　as　against　the　people；　and　the　rights　of　the　new　assembly　as　against　the　Crown。　There　were　thus　three　parties；　the　governor　and　his　adherents；　the　proprietors　and　their　friends；　and　the　assembly　and　the　people。　The　proprietors　had　the　best　of　the　change；　for　they　lost　only　their　troublesome　political　power　and　retained　their　property。　They　never；　however；　received　such　financial　returns　from　the　property　as　the　sons　of　William　Penn　enjoyed　from　Pennsylvania。　But　the　union　of　the　Jerseys　seriously　curtailed　the　rights　enjoyed　by　the　people　under　the　old　government；　and　all　possibility　of　a　Quaker　government　in　West　Jersey　was　ended。　It　was　this　experience　in　the　Jerseys；　no　doubt；　that　caused　William　Penn　to　require　so　many　safeguards　in　selling　his　political　rights　in　Pennsylvania　to　the　Crown　that　the　sale　was；　fortunately　for　the　colony；　never　completed。

The　assembly　under　the　union　met　alternately　at　Perth　Amboy　and　at　Burlington。　Lord　Cornbury；　the　first　governor；　was　also　Governor　of　New　York；　a　humiliating　arrangement　that　led　to　no　end　of　trouble。　The　executive　government；　the　press；　and　the　judiciary　were　in　the　complete　control　of　the　Crown　and　the　Governor；　who　was　instructed　to　take　care　that　〃God　Almighty　be　duly　served　according　to　the　rites　of　the　Church　of　England；　and　the　traffic　in　merchantable　negroes　encouraged。〃　Cornbury　contemptuously　ignored　the　assembly's　right　to　adjourn　and　kept　adjourning　it　till　one　was　elected　which　would　pass　the　laws　he　wanted。　Afterwards　the　assemblies　were　less　compliant；　and；　under　the　lead　of　two　able　men；　Lewis　Morris　of　East　Jersey　and　Samuel　Jennings；　a　Quaker　of　West　Jersey；　they　stood　up　for　their　rights　and　complained　to　the　mother　country。　But　Cornbury　went　on　fighting　them；　granted　monopolies；　established　arbitrary　fees；　prohibited　the　proprietors　from　selling　their　lands；　prevented　three　members　of　the　assembly　duly　elected　from　being　sworn；　and　was　absent　in　New　York　so　much　of　the　time　that　the　laws　went　unexecuted　and　convicted　murderers　wandered　about　at　large。　In　short；　he　went　through　pretty　much　the　whole　list　of　offenses　of　a　corrupt　and　good…for…nothing　royal　governor　of　colonial　times。　The　union　of　the　two　colonies　consequently　seemed　to　involve　no　improvement　over　former　conditions。　At　last；　the　protests　and　appeals　of　proprietors　and　people　prevailed；　and　Cornbury　was　recalled。

Quieter　times　followed；　and　in　1738　New　Jersey　had　the　satisfaction　of　obtaining　a　governor　all　her　own。　The　New　York　Governor　had　always　neglected　Jersey　affairs；　was　difficult　of　access；　made　appointments　and　administered　justice　in　the　interests　of　New　York；　and　forced　Jersey　vessels　to　pay　registration　fees　to　New　York。　Amid　great　rejoicing　over　the　change；　the　Crown　appointed　the　popular　leader；　Lewis　Morris；　as　governor。　But　by　a　strange　turn　of　fate；　when　once　secure　in　power；　he　became　a　most　obstinate　upholder　of　royal　prerogative；　worried　the　assembly　with　adjournments；　and；　after　Cornbury；　was　the　most　obnoxious　of　all　the　royal　governors。

The　governors　now　usually　made　Burlington　their　capital　and　it　became；　on　that　account；　a　place　of　much　show　and　interest。　The　last　colonial　governor　was　William　Franklin；　an　illegitimate　son　of　Benjamin　Franklin；　and　he　would　probably　have　made　a　success　of　the　office　if　the　Revolution　had　not　stopped　him。　He　had　plenty　of　ability；　affable　manners；　and　was　full　of　humor　and　anecdote　like　his　father；　whom　he　is　said　to　have　somewhat　resembled。　He　had　combined　in　youth　a　fondness　for　books　with　a　fondness　for　adventure；　was　comptroller　of　the　colonial　post　office　and　clerk　of　the　Pennsylvania　Assembly；　served　a　couple　of　campaigns　in　the　French　and　Indian　Wars；　went　to　England　with　his　father　in　1757；　was　admitted　to　the　English　Bar；　attained　some　intimacy　with　the　Earl　of　Bute　and　Lord　Fairfax；　and　through　the　latter　obtained　the　governorship　of　New　Jersey　in　1762。

The　people　were　at　first　much　displeased　at　his　appointment　and　never　entirely　got　over　his　illegitimate　birth　and　his　turning　from　Whig　to　Tory　as　soon　as　his　appointment　was　secured。　But　he　advanced　the　interests　of　the　colony　with　the　home　government　and　favored　beneficial　legislation。　He　had　an　attractive　wife；　and　they　entertained；　it　is　said；　with　viceregal　elegance；　and　started　a　fine　model　farm　or　country　place　on　the　north　shore　of　the　Rancocas　not　far　from　the　capital　at　Burlington。　Franklin　was　drawing　the　province　together　and　building　it　up　as　a　community；　but　his　extreme　loyalist　principles　in　the　Revolution　destroyed　his　chance　for　popularity　and　have　obscured　his　reputation。

Though　the　population　of　New　Jersey　was　a　mixed　one；　judged　by　the　very　distinct　religious　differences　of　colonial　times；　yet　racially　it　was　thoroughly　Anglo…Saxon　and　a　good　stock　to　build　upon。　At　the　time　of　the　Revolution　in　1776　the　people　numbered　only　about　120；000；　indicating　a　slow　growth；　but　when　the　first　census　of　the　United　States　was　taken；　in　1790；　they　numbered　184；139。

The　natural　division　of　the　State　into　North　and　South　Jersey　is　marked　by　a　line　from　Trenton　to　Jersey　City。　The　people　of　these　two　divisions　were　quite　as　distinct　in　early　times　as　striking　differences　in　environment　and　religion　could　make　them。　Even　in　the　inevitable　merging　of　modern　life　the　two　regions　are　still　distinct　socially；　economically；　and　intellectually。　Along　the　dividing　line　the　two　types　of　the　population；　of　course；　merged　and　here　was　produced　and　is　still　to　be　found　the　Jerseyman　of　the　composite　type。

Trenton；　the　capital　of　the　State；　is　very　properly　in　the　dividing　belt。　It　was　named　after　William　Trent；　a　Philadelphia　merchant　who　had　been　speaker　of　the　Pennsylvania　Assembly　and　who　became　chief　justice　of　New　Jersey。　Long　ages　before　white　men　came　Trenton　seems　to　have　been　a　meeting　place　and　residence　of　the　Indians　or　preceding　races　of　stone　age　men。　Antiquarians　have　estimated　that　fifty　thousand　stone　implements　have　been　found　in　it。　As　it　was　at　the　head　of　tidewater；　at　the　so…called　Falls　of　the　Delaware；　it　was　apparently　a　center　of　travel　and　traffic　from　other　regions。　From　the　top　of　the　bluff　below　the　modern　city　of　Trenton　there　was　easy　access　to　forests　of　chestnut；　oak；　and　pine；　with　their　supplies　of　game；　while　the　river　and　its　tributary　creeks　were　full　of　fish。　It　was　a　pleasant　and　convenient　place　where　the　people　of　prehistoric　times　apparently　met　and　lingered　during　many　centuries　without　necessarily　having　a　large　resident　population　at　any　one　time。　Trenton　was　so　obviously　convenient　and　central　in　colonial　times　that　it　was　seriously　proposed　as　a　site　for　the　national　capital。

Princeton　University；　though　originating；　as　we　have　seen；　among　the　Presbyterians　of　North　Jersey；　seems　as　a　higher　educational