the quaker colonies-第25节

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Princeton　University；　though　originating；　as　we　have　seen；　among　the　Presbyterians　of　North　Jersey；　seems　as　a　higher　educational　institution　for　the　whole　State　to　belong　naturally　in　the　dividing　belt；　the　meeting　place　of　the　two　divisions　of　the　colony。　The　college　began　its　existence　at　Elizabeth；　was　then　moved　to　Newark；　both　in　the　strongly　Presbyterian　region；　and　finally；　in　1757；　was　established　at　Princeton；　a　more　suitable　place；　it　was　thought；　because　far　removed　from　the　dissipation　and　temptation　of　towns；　and　because　it　was　in　the　center　of　the　colony　on　the　post　road　between　Philadelphia　and　New　York。　Though　chartered　as　the　College　of　New　Jersey；　it　was　often　called　Nassau　Hall　at　Princeton　or　simply　〃Princeton。〃　In　1896　it　became　known　officially　as　Princeton　University。　It　was　a　hard　struggle　to　found　the　college　with　lotteries　and　petty　subscriptions　here　and　there。　But　Presbyterians　in　New　York　and　other　provinces　gave　aid。　Substantial　assistance　was　also　obtained　from　the　Presbyterians　of　England　and　Scotland。　In　the　old　pamphlets　of　the　time　which　have　been　preserved　the　founders　of　the　college　argued　that　higher　education　was　needed　not　only　for　ministers　of　religion；　but　for　the　bench；　the　bar；　and　the　legislature。　The　two　New　England　colleges；　Harvard　and　Yale；　on　the　north；　and　the　Virginia　College　of　William　and　Mary　on　the　south；　were　too　far　away。　There　must　be　a　college　close　at　hand。

At　first　most　of　the　graduates　entered　the　Presbyterian　ministry。　But　soon　in　the　short　time　before　the　Revolution　there　were　produced　statesmen　such　as　Richard　Stockton　of　New　Jersey；　who　signed　the　Declaration　of　Independence；　physicians　such　as　Dr。　Benjamin　Rush　of　Philadelphia；　soldiers　such　as　〃Light　Horse〃　Harry　Lee　of　Virginia；　as　well　as　founders　of　other　colleges；　governors　of　States；　lawyers；　attorney…generals；　judges；　congressmen；　and　indeed　a　very　powerful　assemblage　of　intellectual　lights。　Nor　should　the　names　of　James　Madison；　Aaron　Burr；　and　Jonathan　Edwards　be　omitted。

East　Jersey　with　her　New　England　influence　attempted　something　like　free　public　schools。　In　West　Jersey　the　Quakers　had　schools。　In　both　Jerseys；　after　1700　some　private　neighborhood　schools　were　started；　independent　of　religious　denominations。　The　West　Jersey　Quakers；　self…cultured　and　with　a　very　effective　system　of　mental　discipline　and　education　in　their　families　as　well　as　in　their　schools；　were　not　particularly　interested　in　higher　education。　But　in　East　Jersey　as　another　evidence　of　intellectual　awakening　in　colonial　times；　Queen's　College；　afterward　known　as　Rutgers　College；　was　established　by　the　Dutch　Reformed　Church　in　1766；　and　was　naturally　placed；　near　the　old　source　of　Dutch　influence；　at　New　Brunswick　in　the　northerly　end　of　the　dividing　belt。

New　Jersey　was　fortunate　in　having　no　Indian　wars　in　colonial　times；　no　frontier；　no　point　of　hostile　contact　with　the　French　of　Canada　or　with　the　powerful　western　tribes　of　red　men。　Like　Rhode　Island　in　this　respect；　she　was　completely　shut　in　by　the　other　colonies。　Once　or　twice　only　did　bands　of　savages　cross　the　Delaware　and　commit　depredations　on　Jersey　soil。　This　colony；　however；　did　her　part　in　sending　troops　and　assistance　to　the　others　in　the　long　French　and　Indian　wars；　but　she　had　none　of　the　pressing　danger　and　experience　of　other　colonies。　Her　people　were　never　drawn　together　by　a　common　danger　until　the　Revolution。

In　Jersey　colonial　homes　there　was　not　a　single　modern　convenience　of　light；　heat；　or　cooking；　and　none　of　the　modern　amusements。　But　there　was　plenty　of　good　living　and　simple　diversionhusking　bees　and　shooting　in　the　autumn；　skating　and　sleighing　in　the　winter。　Meetings　and　discussions　in　coffeehouses　and　inns　supplied　in　those　days　the　place　of　our　modern　books；　newspapers；　and　magazines。　Jersey　inns　were　famous　meeting　places。　Everybody　passed　through　their　doorsjudges；　lawyers；　legislators；　politicians；　post　riders；　stage　drivers；　each　bringing　his　contribution　of　information　and　humor；　and　the　slaves　and　rabble　stood　round　to　pick　up　news　and　see　the　fun。　The　court　days　in　each　county　were　holidays　celebrated　with　games　of　quoits；　running；　jumping；　feasting；　and　discussions　political　and　social。　At　the　capital　there　was　even　style　and　extravagance。　Governor　Belcher；　for　example；　who　lived　at　Burlington；　professed　to　believe　that　the　Quaker　influences　of　that　town　were　not　strict　enough　in　keeping　the　Sabbath；　so　he　drove　every　Sunday　in　his　coach　and　four　to　Philadelphia　to　worship　in　the　Presbyterian　Church　there　and　saw　no　inconsistency　in　his　own　behavior。

Almanacs　furnished　much　of　the　reading　for　the　masses。　The　few　newspapers　offered　little　except　the　barest　chronicle　of　events。　The　books　of　the　upper　classes　were　good　though　few；　and　consisted　chiefly　of　the　classics　of　English　literature　and　books　of　information　and　travel。　The　diaries　and　letters　of　colonial　native　Jerseymen；　the　pamphlets　of　the　time；　and　John　Woolman's　〃Journal；〃　all　show　a　good　average　of　education　and　an　excellent　use　of　the　English　language。　Samuel　Smith's　〃History　of　the　Colony　of　Nova…Casaria；　or　New　Jersey；〃　written　and　printed　at　Burlington　and　published　there　in　the　year　1765；　is　written　in　a　good　and　even　attractive　style；　with　as　intelligent　a　grasp　of　political　events　as　any　modern　mind　could　show；　the　type；　paper；　and　presswork；　too；　are　excellent。　Smith　was　born　and　educated　in　this　same　New　Jersey　town。　He　became　a　member　of　council　and　assembly；　at　one　time　was　treasurer　of　the　province；　and　his　manuscript　historical　collections　were　largely　used　by　Robert　Proud　in　his　〃History　of　Pennsylvania。〃

The　early　houses　of　New　Jersey　were　of　heavy　timbers　covered　with　unpainted　clapboards；　usually　one　story　and　a　half　high；　with　immense　fireplaces；　which；　with　candles；　supplied　the　light。　The　floors　were　scrubbed　hard　and　sprinkled　with　the　plentiful　white　sand。　Carpets；　except　the　famous　old　rag　carpets；　were　very　rare。　The　old　wooden　houses　have　now　almost　entirely　disappeared；　but　many　of　the　brick　houses　which　succeeded　them　are　still　preserved。　They　are　of　simple　well…proportioned　architecture；　of　a　distinctive　type；　less　luxuriant；　massive；　and　exuberant　than　those　across　the　river　in　Pennsylvania；　although　both　evidently　derived　from　the　Christopher　Wren　school。　The　old　Jersey　homes　seem　to　reflect　with　great　exactness　the　simple　feeling　of　the　people　and　to　be　one　expression　of　the　spirit　of　Jersey　democracy。

There　were　no　important　seats　of　commerce　in　this　province。　Exports　of　wheat；　provisions；　and　lumber　went　to　Philadelphia　or　New　York；　which　were　near　and　convenient。　The　Jersey　shores　near　the　mouth　of　the　Hudson　and　along　the　Delaware；　as　at　Camden；　presented　opportunities　for　ports；　but　the　proximity　to　the　two　dominating　ports　prevented　the　development　of　additional　harbors　in　this　part　of　the　coast。　It　was　not　until　after　the　Revolution　that　Camden；　opposite　Philadelphia；　and　Jersey　City；　opposite　New　York；　grew　into　anything　like　their　present　importance。

There　were；　however；　a　number　of　small　ports　and　shipbuilding　villages　in　the　Jerseys。　It　is　a　noticeable　fact　that　in　colonial　times　and　even　later　there　were　very　few　Jersey　towns　beyond　the　head　of　tidewater。　The　people；　even　the　farmers；　were　essentially　maritime。　The　province　showed　its　natural　maritime　characteristics；　produced　many　sailors；　and　built　innumerable　small　vessels　for　the　coasting　and　West　India　tradesloops；　schooners；　yachts；　and　sailboats；　down　to　the　tiniest　gunning　boat　and　sneak　box。　Perth　Amboy　was　the　principal　port　and　shipbuilding　center　for　East　Jersey　as　Salem　was　for　West　Jersey。　But　Burlington；　Bordentown；　Cape　May；　and　Trenton；　and　innumerable　little　villages　up　creeks　and　channels　or　mere　ditches　could　not　be　kept　from　the　prevailing　industry。　They　built　craft　up　to　the　limit　of　size　that　could　be　floated　away　in　the　water　before　their　very　doors。　Plentifully　supplied　with　excellent　oak　and　pine　and　with　the　admirable　white　cedar　of　their　own　forests；　very　skillful　shipwrights　grew　up　in　every　little　hamlet。

A　large　part　of　the　capital　used　in　Jersey　shipbuilding　is　said　to　have　come　from　Philadelphia　and　New　York。　At　first　this　capital　sought　its　profit　in　whaling　along　the　coast　and　afterwards　in　the　trade　with　the　West　Indies；　which　for　a　time　absorbed　so　much　of　the　shipping　of　all　the　colonies　in　America。　The　inlets　and　beaches　along　the　Jersey　coast　now　given　over　to　summer　resorts　were　first　used　for　whaling　camps　or　bases。　Cape　May　and　Tuckerton　were　started　and　maintained　by　whaling；　and　as　late　as　1830；　it　is　said；　there　were　still　signs　of　the　industry　on　Long　Beach。

Except　for　the　whaling；　the　beaches　were　uninhabitedwild　stretches　of　sand；　swarming　with　birds　and　wild　fowl；　without　a　lighthouse　or　lifesaving　station。　In　the　Revolution；　when　the　British　fleet　blockaded　the　Delaware　and　New　York；　Little　Egg；　the　safest　of　the　inlets；　was　used　for　evading　the　blockade。　Vessels　entered　there　and　sailed　up　the　Mullica　River　to　the　head　of　navigation；　whence　the　goods　were　distributed　by　wagons。　To　conceal　their　vessels　when　anchored　just　inside　an　inlet；　the　privateersmen　would　stand　slim　pine　trees　beside　the　masts　and　thus　very　e