Show Cl ill lain P Penn nn and aua Bt hi st si s v t U j II t i I E ri nt n 10 Y p er m I I x I r TY 4 I y R I II II I I 1 5 I t I M I By ELMO SCOTT WATSON T l' WAS AM Just Joist K II years ago 1110 that an Rn 1 ng lI gave Jute to the world lorld a new nw Idea In government which anticipated anticipated antici antici- modern 1 Ideas of a rule of the p people which guaranteed J religious lous and civil liberty The man was Wall William Ienn am and this Is III the stor story of his holy experiment In 11 1601 William Penn was wall a 8 sev- sev old year l rohl student at nt Christ CIrIt ChristChurch Church Oxford Ills llis father a 8 distinguished dis dis- hed admiral of the navy was wall In high favor at the court II because e he had abandoned abandoned aban aban- his f former allegiances of friendship and had aided In the restoration of King Kin Charles II It to the throne Ills 1118 son la was associating with the sons eons of ot the nobility who had bud 1 loyal o nl to the Stuarts and was receiving an education which would fit nt him hint to follow fullow In the foot footsteps III 1111 of Its his father the old sea dog doa a and 1111 to obtain preferment at the hands of King Charles Charls Hut unlike the 01 other young joung men of the time there was n a vein of serious thought In young joung Inn and he had become J much concerned with the tho problem of religious liberty liven Even VII while at attending attending at at- tending a high hl church college he was 1111 secretly M attending the tha meetings and listening to the do doctrines doe doc trines of the Quakers a despised and amid outlawed stet sect ct which hud timid sprung up Ull during th the Seventeenth century It wits was during this time that young oung Penn began to hear hur of the plain plans of n a group wf of Quakers to found colonies In the New world but ut It was 1118 to be many mallY years before Inn was Willi to tl I see e those plans materialized and he ho himself to have a 8 humid hand In III bringing them about At Oxford I Penn nn came ame under the two men II who ho were wn profoundly Influencing the youth of that ilay John day John Locke ko the philosopher and ond Thomas Lowe u a leading It Quaker preacher r. In 1070 1 Penn was arrested in III for tor preaching In the street t and was confined in the Tow Tower cr After his release from prison be lie made e a missionary Journey through Holland lId and amid Ger ler Germany r many and ami at lit I Emden founded a II Quaker colony Some of ot these Germans were Inter biter to aid him himIn himIn himin In building his great commonwealth Ia Ith In the meantime Jill his father had died but hind had called hi his son lion to his deathbed Iet Let nothing In the tho world f tempt OU to conscience you jou wrong wrung your jour was hole his tact last whispered admonition to Ills his Quaker eon and one of ot the tho lust last acts of the admiral was to send lend a message to the kings king's brother the duke of York b begging him him In memory of ot his services to the Stuarts to l protect roh William from persecution lie Ile also left Ift Lila Ida son Bon a dell debt of sterling owed him by Charles II il Although Charles W was l not especially famous fatuous for tor remembering remembering bering and repaying debts this Ibis Is la one which he scents to have baTe e been scrupulous about The king Ing wa was poor loor In money but he was wall rich in lands la is North America This Immediately suggested to Peon Felon a chance to carry out the plan for a Quaker colony which he had first heard beard as ns a student at Oxford In a royal fOal proclamation dated April 2 1681 1081 Ring King diaries Charles s announced to the Inhabitants urn and planters planter of In America he be hind had granted a charter to William Penn lenn to take pos pos- session of this new American province Having received l' lIl his charter charlr Pena next drew up a constitution or frame of government In consultation with Algernon Sydney and und other noted English Liberals The Tho preamble and sad some of If the provisions pro of this charter of ot liberties the original of which Is preserved ed In 10 the I. I Tania vanla state archives hiv's of t today O IlY reads as follows To all vople to whom th the there l present shall come tome 1 ling King Charles the tile second I b by his J Letters Un Patents un under lr the Great Grut 8 Seal al of ot ling Eng land for tor the Considerations therein mentioned loath hath bt been en graciously pleased to give ghe and ami grant unto me William Penn lenn Ity lly the name of William Penn Ienn 1 11 lr son lIOn and heir of Sr r. r William Penn deceased and to my any heirs and assigns forever ALL that tract of lain bind or province called Pennsylvania Pennsylvania Penn Penn- sylvania In 10 America a with 1111 divers Great Powers s 's Royalties Jurisdictions and Authorities Au u. necessary for the well well being being and Government Gov 1 thereof now know je ye e that for the Wt Well Il and Government GO of the said suld Province and for the Encouragement l of f all the and Planters that may be therein C concerned cd In pursuance pur of ot the powers afore I 1 the said William Penn Ienn have declared Granted and Confirmed Con n firmed and by these presents for fOT me m my Irs c-Irs and Assigns do declare grant and Confirm II ato o all 1111 the freemen Planter and Adventurers of inand In Inand Inand and to the said Province those Liberties and properties to be held 1 tIl and Kept KeN by the Freemen Planters and aDd Inhabitants of and In the said province of I Pennsylvania hanla forever T THAT the Government nt of cof this Ibis province shall according to the Towers Powers of It the Patent consist of the Gov o and und fr nf of the said Province in the form of a Provincial Provin tn cial dal al Council and 1111 General Central A Assembly by whom whew all Laws Ian s Shall be made nl Officers Chosen and affairs Transacted and Is III here after lt II sper lly declared That Is to say fillY 2 That the of at il said Province on OIl day daj h rn a 4 o 0 aces tiC uc t j. j II E Ut l Cl i a f EGr hid D of 01 b oi Lf 1 orl r p laity if fJ f rG o r ta 7 I aI t eat r i Y ell fo e all 4 O e. e d. d I o Ks 7 e 4 t a u P a M fr o n. n II k o. o dt ia rw ru t tL tS S nO tai ff A oU JO JOO aG S tr ohER G oK J L t Ot tats xh 7 J r 5 q ct oa lei it it f f h k ep aJ 4 vI aLt t Co put do 4 L ut i af q arr 17 ar H cue u a- a s sa t I L t 1 t 5 o J C. 4 t R W li k a 4 f II y I It Jl jr R vs eow e- e e c V t Ita t E t ow It rt v tf l j L LV i J 4 f E ittre ff f r ff ti eta r f 11 FR f vl L pu t li c g. g ri i oca r 1 A daf fI J I Ili t f-t str fd use a f aid le J Vr 14 d 4 t kw AA a. a o. ln t I r c o or z t or r t t wAe ri F f fh a K Piave wIo o 0 q 4 e J a a fi n J s sr J 4 II oJ JC 7 eal rp m I y r 1 r. r r i 1 Tk it h 1 William William Penn Founder Funder ol of the Colony of Pennsylvania which became the State of today 2 Penns Penn's Peon Treaty with the Indians From the panting painting g by Benjamin Webb 3 A A portion of the th original William Penn Charter of Liberties showing hit his signature and seal affixed by him in 1682 This historic document was purchased from a New York collector several sev sev- eral years year ago for raised by popular subscription and is now in the state archives in Her Har- 4 Old Old Quaker Meeting House e al at Jordan Jordans in England In the foreground is i. the th private cemetery of the lb Penn family The headstone at the extreme right marks the of William Pern Pettit who was buried there after his hi death in 1718 He was survived by 11 son sons who grave with his graveyard two wives are also buried here with the exception of two sons son who are buried in the Stoke Poges of f the Twelfth T month which shall ba be he e In this present pres-ent year One Thousand nd Six Ix Hundred d Eighty and two Meet and Assemble In III some fit place of which timely notice shall be beforehand given JI by the Governour or hl his deputies and then and there shall chuse of ot themselves per pec- sons eons of most note for their Wisdom Virtue and Ability who shall meet mt on con the Tenth dry diy of the month ne next ensuing and always a be Ioe called and act as the Provincial Council of the said suld province 5 u. i That That That-In In the provincial Council In all 1111 Ca Cases Casl's es and anti matters of moment as There a upon Hills s to be Ioe passed Into IntI Laws I- I Exhorting Courts of Justice having Ju Judgment Judgment Judg Judg- g. g ment upon criminals Impeached and choice of f fO O Officers In such manner as Is ls herein after men- men coned Not liot lesse than Two Thirds of the whole hol Provincial Council shall make a Quorum and that the Consent and approbation cf of Two Thirds of sapid said Quorum shall be had In all such Gases Cases or matters of Moment And moreover that In all eases cases and matters of lesser cr moment Twenty Twenty- members of ot the said Provincial C Council shall sha make a quorum The Majority of cf which whim Tour flour and Twenty shall and um may always s 's determine deter mine on such Cases Costs and Cau Causes es el of Lesser f m me III meat ment e a 10 ha That The That The Governor Go and Provincial Council shall at nt all times tiDies settle and order the Situation of all Cities ports and Market Mar ket kt towns In every County modelling thereto therein all public buildings Streets tt ts and Market places and shall appoint all necessary roads and highways high ways ays In the province 11 That The That The Governour Cover Gover sour nour and Provincial Council shall at all times tine have power pow to ln the management of the public Treasury and punish those thOe who shall sharl Convert Conert any part thereof f to any other use than w what hat hat hath bath been Agreed upon by the Provincial Iru Council and General Assembly 12 2 That The That The Governour and Provincial Council shall l Erect and amid order all Schools and aud encourage and the Authors of t useful full Science and Laudable Inventions In the said province LM 4 t. t And lastly that I the said s-alj s William Penn lenn for myself nl'S my DIy heirs and Assigns have hue Solemnly declared grunted granted and confirmed con and do hereby solemnly declare grant un and confirm confirm con Nn firm that neither I m my I heirs helu nor our Assigns Aligns shall procure or do anything or things whereby the Liberties In this Charter contained and expressed ex expressed ex- ex pressed shall l rte e Infringed or cor broken And If anything be procured h by an any person pron or persons contrary to these thle premises It shall be he e held of no force or I Effect In witness whereof herlof I the said Mid William Willlam Penn have unto this present Charter Char Char- I ter of Liberties Set It my hand hanl and Broad Seal Sla this five the and Twentieth day clay of the Second Month I vulgarly called ll April In the year of our Lord One Thousand nd Six Hundred Eighty and Two WM nl nn Ic brought this charter of liberties with him when he came to 10 his colony for the first time 1101 In the fall of at lc It was submitted t to the people at a meeting of the first firt assembly of cf the new colony held at tester Chester Pennsylvania formerly for for- merly known as Upland which had been 8 set set- t. t tied by the Swedes In 1045 This frame of government gov gov- underwent several minor changes later latr becoming more liberal each fuh time Penn had now started his Holy loly Experiment as he called his hs enterprise In Pennsylvania writes Fisher by which he Intended to prove that religious liberty was ns not only right but that agriculture commerce and all arts and refinements re re- refinements of life lite would flourish under It It He lle would break brook the delusion lon that prosperity and Morals were possible only under some one par faith established by law Penn's Penns Holy It ly Experiment E soon n passed out of the realm of experiment It became a fact filet The colony prospered amazingly Penns Penn's famous treaties of friendship with the Indians permitted permit permit- ted the colony olony to live In peace ace with the red men for three quarters of the of a century The doors colony were hospitably opened to men nt 01 all nations and of all creeds After Attu Penn's Penns return to England he fell for a time upon evil days dus He lie became the victim of dishonest subordinates sub sub- ordinates nales ran Into Inlo debt and for some time consigned on In debtors debtor's prison Rut But the HIe last was six lax or eight years jears of ot his life Ute were free fre ble le from trou trou- On III luly 30 1715 Penn died at the tile f lof f mv sever r y fl four ur II He ile was burled buried age In yard jurd url of f the little Quaker the graveyard grave- grave church at Jordan Jordana In ev tr W Western N. N VI |