Duchesne Courier | 1931-06-26 | Page 6 | William Penn and His "Holy Experiment"

i r Y William Penn and ISis i v E p nt y l Y C 4 0 r x I F t i l r y 0 L a k By ELMO SCOTT WATSON T WAS just years ago that an Englishman Englishman Englishman Eng Eng- lishman gave gae gaeto to the world orld a new nev idea in government which anticIpated anticipated anticipated antici anticI- modern ideas of a rule of the people which guaranteed religious s and civil liberty The man was William WilHam Penn and this is the story of his holy experiment In 1661 William Villiam Penn was a sev sev- year old student at ChristChurch ChristChurch Christ Church Osford Orford IDs His father a distinguished distinguished dis dis- dis admiral of the British navy was in high favor at the court because he had halt abandoned abandoned abandoned aban aban- his former allegiances of friendship and had aided in the restoration of King Charles n II nto to the throne His son was was associating with the sons Eons of the nobility who had luid remained loyal to the Stuarts and was receiving an education which would fit him to follow in the footsteps of his father the old sea dog and to obtain preferment at the hands of King ring Charles But unlike the other young oung men of ot the time there was a vein of serious thought in young Penn and he had become much concerned with the problem of religious libert liberty Even while attendIng attending attending at at- tending a high church college he was secretly attending the meetings and listening to the doctrines doctrines doctrines doc doc- trines of the Quakers a despised and outlawed sect which had sprung up during the Seventeenth century It was d. d during ring this time that young Penn began to hear of the plans of a group of Quakers to found c colonies in the New Rew world but it was to be many years before Penn was to see those plans plans' materialized and he himself to have a hand In Infringing bringing them about At Oxford Penn Penn came under the influence of two men who were profoundly influencing the the youth of ot that da day daJ John day J John ohn Locke the philosopher and Thomas Lowe Low a leading Quaker preacher In 1670 Penn was arrested In tn London for tor preaching in the street and was confined in the Tower After his release from prison he made a missionary Journey through Holland and Germany Germany Ger Ger- Germany many and at Emden founded a Quaker colony Some of these Germans were later to aid himIn himin him himin I in building his his' great commonwealth In the meantime his father lather had died but had called his son to his deathbed Let nothing in the world tempt you to wrong your conscience was his last whispered admonition to his Quaker son Eon and one of ot the last acts of the admiral was to send a message to the kings king's brother the duke of ot York ork begging him in memory of hi his services to the Stuarts to protect William from persecution He also left his son a debt debt- of sterling owed him b by Charles II Although Charles was not especially famous for remembering remembering remembering bering and repaying debts this is one which he seems to have been scrupulous about The king was poor in money but he was rich in lands in North America This immediately suggested to tG Penn a chance to carry out the plan for a 0 Quaker colo colony which he had first heard as a student at Oxford In a royal proclamation dated April 2 1681 King Charles announced to the inhabitants and planters of Pennsylvania in America he h had d granted a charter to William Penn to take possession possessIon possession pos pos- session of this new American province Having received his charter Penn next drew up Tip a constitution or frame of government In consultation with Algernon Sydney and other noted English Liberals The preamble and some of the pro provisions of this charter of liberties the original of which Is preserved in the Pennsylvania Pennsylvania Pennsylvania Pennsyl Pennsyl- vania state archives of today reads as follows To all people to whom these present shall come WHEREAS King Charles the second by his Letters Patents under the Great Seal of ot England England England Eng Eng- land for tor the Considerations therein mentioned hath bath been graciously pleased to give and grant unto me William Penn By the name of William Penn son and heir hell of ot Sr William Penn deceased and to my heirs and assigns forever ALL that tract of land or province called Pennsylvania Pennsylvania Penn Penn- sylvania In America with divers Great Gleat Powers Royalties Jurisdictions and Authorities Authorities Authorities Au Au- necessary for the well being and Government Government Government Gov Gov- thereof now know ye that for the Well Being and Government of the said Province and for tor the Encouragement of all the and Planters that may be therein concerned in pursuance pursuance pursuance pur pur- of the powers afore I the said William Penn have declared Granted and Confirmed Con Con- firmed and by these presents for me my y heirs hells and Assigns do declare grant and Confirm unto all aU the freemen Planter and Adventurers of Inand in inand inand and to the s sold said ld Province those Liberties and properties to be held Enjoyed and Kept by the Freemen Planters and Inhabitants of and in the said province of ot Pennsylvania forever THAT THAT the Government of this province shall shan according to the Powers of the Patent consist of the Governour and freemen of the said Province in the of a ProvincIal Provincial Provincial Provin Provin- cial Council and General Assembly by whom all Laws Shall be made Officers Chosen and affairs Transacted and is here after Respectively declared That Is to say 2 That the of ot It Q said wd Province J. J shall hall aU on t the Twentieth daj dap flit F L t d n 4 a r O Q cut EJ Gr r f rIn d l' l crt e do io a I s f I 1 tart Hl a vs or R a f V fn Fo JutI a o If o f t c rt j rt M d r r f u bus j cl r e ud fo PK kt tM Wf c cf f oK tj ae Q H t p r K O ifo I a Il 9 a 3 s sat l o n u. u 21 r J 4 d JO o a C 6 11 old cU K R G oK b or c r f Sq D o 1 x g t e l r f J Jl-a.d. Jl is aid ot 0 J Jd d ec BJ f JAil d 9 Jd y H t e J. J an d Jf l x tort o tt f ul o t r 1 c t tr Y of a a ax f act ao oa ty a k o r II t u. u P ly v n t d 3 e r uA J n tf ue r e l Pt J g a f o R S i V tM D pl R. R p dart 5 c r z c oft bd 13 fa ft K i lof f f a ill tc I vy J o r r viol cf Y r Y p C J rr t t a p Z i 1 Ic i 4 4 J fm A e m AU w JO aFf ta a.-ta f f 1 fn d 4 7 s f Vb r i 1 c- c cn f c l on 1 acu u Jed a 41 f aK 1 ail en at C C c l tte i ct nu q 1 v J a J 0 at Ja a 1 i M u 1 h it 7 lf c a t N cv ik c y f Sloe Ji r i M a. a l' l i N NJ 1 J t T 1 f r 7 a t V 1 William 1 1 William Penn Founder of the Colony of Pennsylvania which became the Keystone State of today H 2 Penns Penn's Penn Treaty with the Indians From the painting by Benjamin Webb L J 3 A A portion of the original William Penn Charter of Liberties showing his signature and seal affixed by him in 1682 This historic document was purchased from a New York collector icy icy- sev several eral years ago for far raised by popular subscription and is now in the state archives archives- in Har- Har old 4 Old Quaker Meeting House Houle at Jordans Jordanl in England In the foreground is ia the private cemetery of the Penn family The headstone at the extreme r right marks the he grave of Wi William iam Pena Pern who ho was buried there after his hil death in 1718 He was survived by liy 11 sons Ions who with his hi two wives are also buried here with the exception of two sons on who are buried in in the Stoke Poges graveyard of the Twelfth month which shall be In this present year One Thousand Six Hundred Eighty Flighty and two Meet and Assemble in some fit place of at which timely notice shall be beforehand given by the Governour Gove or his deputies and then and there shall chuse of themselves two Seventy-two persons persons per per- sons of ot most note for their Wisdom Virtue and Ability who shall meet on the Tenth day of the Hirst month next ensuing and alwa always s 's be called and act as the Provincial Council of the said province 5 That That That-In In the provincial I Council In all Cases and matters of moment as There upon Bills to be passed Int into Laws Exhorting Courts of ot Justice having Judgment Judg Judgment Judg Judg- Judgment ment upon criminals Impeached and choice of ot Officers in such Is herein after atter manner as men- men coned Not lesse than Two Thirds of ot the whole Provincial Council shall shan make a Quorum and that the Consent and and approbation of f Two Thirds of ot said Quorum shall shan be had in all such Cases or matters of Moment And moreover that In all aU cases and matters of ot lesser moment Twenty- Twenty four members of ot the said Provincial Council shall make a quorum The Majority of ot which flour and Twenty shall shan and may always determine determine determine deter deter- mine on such Cases and Causes of Lesser moment mo mo- ment 10 That The That The Governor and Provincial Council shall shan at all an times settle and order the Situation of all Cities ports and Market Mar Mar- ket towns In every County modelling therein all buildings Streets and Market Marlet place places and shall shaU appoint all necessary roads and highways highways highways high high- ways In the province 11 That The That The Governour Governour Governour Gover Gover- nour and Provincial Council shall at all times have power to inspect the management of the public Treasury and punish those who shall shaU Convert any part thereof to any other use than what hath bath been Agreed upon by the Governour Provincial Council and General Assembly 12 That The That The Governour and Provincial Council shall Erect and order all Schools and andIn In and Reward the Authors of ot usefull Science and Laudable Inventions In the said province pro 24 And lastly that I the said William Penn for tor myself my heirs and Assigns have haTe Solemnly declared granted and confirmed and do hereby solemnly declare grant and confirm con con- firm that either elther I my heirs nor Assigns shall procure or do anything or things whereby the Liberties In this Charter contained and expressed expressed ex ex- pressed shall shaH be Infringed or broken And If It anything be procured by any person person or or persons person contrary to these premises premises' It shall shan be held h d of f no force or E Effect In Ia witness whereof of I the said William Penn have unto unto this present Charter Charter Char Char- ter tar of ot Liberties Set Sot my my- my hand and Broad Seal eal this five and Twentieth day of the Second Month vulgarly called April Avril In the year of ot our Lord One Thousand Six Six Hundred Hundred Eighty and and Two WM PENN Penn brought this charter of liberties with him when he came came to his colony for foi f i- i ithe the first time in the fall fan of ot 1632 1082 It was submitted to the people at a meeting of the first first assembly of the the new colony at Chester Pennsylvania ia formerly for t for formerly r- r merly known as Upland wh which ch had been set settled et- et tied by the Swedes In lq 5 This fr frame pie ot government gov- gov underwent several minor changes chauges later becoming more liberal each ach time Penn had now started his Holy Experiment as he called his enterprise In Pe Pennsylvania writes Fisher by which he intended to to prove that religious liberty was not only right but that agriculture commerce and all arts and refinements refinements re re- of life Ufe would flourish under r it it lIe He would break the delusion that prosperity ity and unc morals were possible only under some some one particular particular particular par par- faith established by law Penns Penn's s Holy Exp Experiment soon o n passed passe out of the realm of experiment It became a fact tact The I colony prospered amazingly Penns Penns Penn's famous i treaties of friendship with h th the Indians permitted permit permit- ted the c colony lony to liVe in peace pence with th the red I men men for three-quarters three of t a century The doors r of the colony were hospitably opened to men of ol all nations and of ot all creeds After Penns Penn's c ms m's return to England he fell for a time upon upon evil days He became the victim of ot dishonest subordInates subordinates subordinates sub sub- ordinates ran Into debt and for some time was c consigned in debtors debtor's prison But the last six or eight yea years of his life Ufe were free from trou trou- ble On July Tuly 30 1718 Penn died at the age of seventy He was buried In the graveyard graveyard graveyard grave grave- yard of the little Quaker church at Jordans In Buckingham p by Western r Union