THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES GIFT OF COMMODORE BYRON MCCANDLESS LIVE S OF THE WITH THE INCIDENTAL HISTORY OF THE STATE, FROM 16O9 TO 1873. BY WILLIAM O. AEMOE. NORWICH, CONN.: T. H. DAVIS & CO. 1874. Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1872, by WILLIAM C. ARMOR, in the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. THESE MEMOIRS OF THE IN THE HOPE THAT AN EMULATION OF THEIE VIRTUES MAY BE INCITED, If rt I nstrifoil v ji BY THE COMPILER TO THE YOUNG MEN OF HIS NATIVE STATE. hi PREFACE. A DEEP interest is universally manifested in the personal history of any citizen who, by talent, enterprise, and virtuous devotion to an honorable calling, and the prompt'and willing discharge of civic and s jcial duties, acquires extensive fame. To gratify this feeling, and thereby perform an im- portant duty to all classes, but particularly to the young, has been the aim in the following pages. The material has been collected under many difficulties. Strange as it may appear, biographers and historians have failed to give any adequate notice of the lives of our Governors. This neglect has been deeply felt by the compiler of this volume. His researches have extended over a broad field, and, with the exception of those whose fame is world-wide, only meagre sketches of a few of the Chief Magistrates could be found. What at first was thought would be but the labor of a few months has ex- tended over a period of six years. During this time, wherever lineal descendants of any of the Governors could be traced, they were applied to for information concerning their ances- tors ; files of old newspapers have been scanned ; historical and biographical work's gleaned, documents in the archives of the State carefully examined, and, besides the numerous works consulted, many facts have been obtained by conversations with aged citizens. In collecting and writing these biographies, however, in addition to the duty that I felt I was performing in placing in a permanent form much that would have soon passed into oblivion, I have experienced a personal gratification suf- vi PREFACE. ficient in itself to compensate for the time and labor given to the task, although both were greater than any one who has not undertaken a similar experiment can conceive. "With the result of my researches before me, I felt my in- ability to give the work that literary finish necessary in a pub- lication of this kind. In seeking for some one to assist me in this all-important labor, my choice fell upon SAMUEL P. BATES, LL.D., and member of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, who kindly consented to undertake it. He brought to the task a ripe experience, as the author of the History of the Pennsylvania Volunteers, and numerous educational works, which, with his scholarly ability and judgment, is full war- rant*that it has been finished with fidelity and success. The labor was one of no small magnitude, and for his kind offices I here tender him my most grateful acknowledgments. The endeavor has been to give a graphic and comprehensive record of the public acts of each Governor, free from any partisan influence, and to allow each one to speak for him- self through the history of his public career. Joseph R. Chandler has well said : " In all countries the character of the great and the good has been deemed part of the public fame ; and nations which have derived political or pecuniary advan- tage from the talents and labors of their distinguished citizens living, have put in a claim to the posthumous credit of these men, as if a portion at least was to escheat to the benefit of the Commonwealth." In harmony with this sentiment have the following pages been compiled. A record of the lives of our Governors, free from the partisan hate and the slanderous allusions that po- litical warfare has engendered, is here presented. No fear of criticism, inspired by a difference of political faith, -has prevented our speaking of each individual Governor in fit terms of eulogy. We are proud to believe that a nobler list is not possessed by any State in the Union, nor one whose public acts will bear closer scrutiny. In addition to the biographical sketches of the Executive officers, there is also preserved in connection therewith a PREFACE. vii complete epitome of the history of the State from its origin to the present time. It is believed that this will prove one of the most interesting and valuable features of the work. It would be mere pedantry to refer to all the sources of information that we have consulted, but we cannot omit men- tion of the following valuable works : Colonial Records and Pennsylvania Archives; Hazard's Annals of Pennsylvania; Hazard's Register; Mies' Register; Smith's History of Del- aware County; Watson's Annals of Philadelphia; Proud's History of Pennsylvania; Gordon's History of Pennsylvania; Publications of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania; National Portrait Gallery; Griswold's Republican Court; Creigh's History of Washington County ; I. D. Rupp's His- tories of the several Counties of the State ; Sanderson's and Goodrich's Signers of the Declaration ; Documentary History of New York; Drake's Dictionary of American Biography; Day's Historical Collections of Pennsylvania ; Dawson's His- torical Magazine; Bancroft's History of the United States; Irving's Life of Washington; Lossing's Battlefields of the Revolution, and Pictorial History; and Westcott's History of Philadelphia, now being published in the Sunday Dispatch. To Dr. William H. Egle, of Harrisburg, the compiler is under special obligations for much aid in facilitating the pros- ecution of his task, and for the use of his valuable historical library. The following gentlemen, also, rendered me invalu- able aid in furnishing data : John K. Findlay, Philadelphia ; Joseph Ritner, Mechanicsburg ; William A. Porter, Philadel- phia; William Moore, Clearfield; James W. Clarke, Wil- liamsport; Alexander K. McClure, Philadelphia; Wien Forney, Harrisburg ; A. L. Russell, Adjutant-General, Har- risburg. I am also indebted for many friendly offices to Hon. F. Jordan, Secretary of the Commonwealth; Hon. J. P. Wicker- sham, Superintendent of Common Schools ; John McCurdy, Superintendent of Public Printing, Harrisburg; A. Boyd Hamilton, Harlisburg; Rev. James Shrigley, Librarian, and John Jordan, Jr., Townsend Ward, and Ferdinand J. Drcer, viu PREFACE. members of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania; Thomp- son Westcott, editor Sunday Dispatch of Philadelphia; "William Dorsey, Philadelphia ; Horace W. Smith, Falls of Schuylkill ; and J. Smith Futhey, of West Chester. The warmth with which their services were rendered will always be a source of pleasant remembrance. W. C. A. HABEISBUKG, September 19, 1872. CONTENTS. PART I. PERIOD OF SETTLEMENT. CHAPTER I. DUTCH EULE, 1609-38. PASI CORNELIS JACOBSEN MET, Director of New Netherland, 1624 to 1625 21 WILLIAM VAN HULST, Director of New Netherland, 1625 to May 4, 1626 22 PETER MINTJIT, Director of New Netherland, May 4, 1626, till the Spring of 1633 22 DAVID PIETEEZEN DE VRIES, Governor on the Delaware, December 5, 1632, to April 14, 1633 23 WOUTER VAN TWILLER, Director of New Netherland, Spring of 1633, to March 28,1638 27 CHAPTER H. DUTCH AND SWEDISH RULE, 1638-55. SIR WILLIAM KIEFT, Director of New Netherland, March 28, 1638, to May 27,1647 29 PETER MINTTIT, Governor of New Sweden, April, 1638, to 1641 29 PETER HOLLANDAER, Governor of New Sweden, 1641 to 1643 31 JOHN PRINTZ, Governor of New Sweden, February 15, 1643, to October, 1653 32 PETER STUYVESANT, Director of New Netherland, May 27, 1647, to Septem- ber 8,1664 34 JOHN PAPPEGOYA, Governor of New Sweden, October, 1653, to May, 1654 35 JOHN CLAUDE RYSINGH, Vice-Director of New Sweden, May, 1654, to September 25, 1655 36 ix x CONTENTS. CHAPTER in. DUTCH RULE, 1655-64. Ml PETER STUYVESANT, Director of New Netherland, 1655 to 1664 43 DERCK SMIDT, Schout-Fiscal and Commissary on the Delaware, 1655 43 JOHN PAUL JACQUET, Director on the Delaware, 1655, to April 20, 1657... 43 JACOB ALRICHS, Director of City Colony, April, 1657, to December 30, 1659 44 GCERAN VAN DYCK, Director of Company's Colony, May 20, 1657, to Oc- tober 28, 1658 44 WILLIAM BEEKMAN, Vice-Director of Company's Colony, October 28, 1658, to December 22, 1663 45 ALEXANDER D'HiNOYOSSA, Director of City Colony, December 30, 1659, to October 13, 1664 47 CHAPTER IV. ENGLISH RULE, 1664-73. COLONEL RICHARD NICHOLLS, Governor at New York, September 8, 1664, to May, 1667 50 ROBERT NEEDHAM, Commander on the Delaware, 1664 to 1668 52 COLONEL FRANCIS LOVELACE, Governor at New York, May, 1667, to August 6, 1673 53 CAPTAIN JOHN CARR, Commander on the Delaware, 1668, to August, 1673 53 CHAPTER V. DUTCH RULE, 1673-74. ANTHONY COLVE, Governor of New Netherland, August 12, 1673, to Novem- ber 10, 1674 56 PETER ALRICHS, Deputy Governor on west side of the Delaware, Septem- ber, 1673, to November 10, 1674 56 CHAPTER VI. ENGLISH RULE, 1674-81. SIR EDMUND ANDROSS, Governor at New York, November 10, 1674, to 1681... 58 CAPTAIN EDMUND CANTJVELL, Commander on the Delaware, November 1674, to September 23, 1676 58 JOHN COLLIER, Commander on the Delaware, September 23, 1676, to Au- gust 24, 1677 59 CHRISTOPHER BILLOP, Commander on the Delaware, August 24, 1677, to June, 1681 59 CONTENTS. PART II. PROPRIETARY GOVERNMENT. x CHAPTER I. WILLIAM PENN, PROPRIETOR, 1681-93. PAQg WILLIAM MARKHAM, Deputy Governor, June, 1681, to October 24, 1682 65 WILLIAM PENN (Sketch of), Governor, October 24, 1682, to August 12, 1684... 69 CHAPTER H. PROPRIETARY GOVERNMENT, 1684-93. THOMAS LLOYD, President of Council, June 12, 1684, to December, 1686 101 FIVE COMMISSIONERS, (Thomas Lloyd, Robert Turner, Arthur Cook, John Simcock, and John Eckley,) 1686, to December, 1688 103 CAPTAIN JOHN BLACKWELL, Deputy Governor, December, 1688, to January, 1690 104 THOMAS LLOYD, President of Council, January, 1690, to March, 1691 105 THOMAS LLOYD, Deputy Governor of Province, March, 1691, to April, 1693.... 106 WILLIAM MARKHAM, Deputy Governor of the Territories, March, 1691, to April, 1693 106 CHAPTER HI. UNDER THE CROWN OF ENGLAND, 1693-95. BENJAMIN FLETCHER, Governor of New York, and the Province and Terri- tories of Pennsylvania, 1693 to 1695 110 WILLIAM MARKHAM, Deputy Governor on the Delaware, April, 1693, to March, 1695 110 CHAPTER IV. WILLIAM PENN, PROPRIETOR, 1695-1718. WILLIAM MARKHAM, Deputy Governor, March, 1695, to November, 1699 113 WILLIAM PENN, Governor, November, 1699, to November, 1701 115 ANDREW HAMILTON, Deputy Governor, November, 1701, to April, 1703 115 EDWARD SHIPPEN, President of Council, April, 1703, to February, 1704 117 JOHN EVANS, Deputy Governor, February, 1704, to February, 1709 117 COLONEL CHARLES GOOKIN, Deputy Governor, February, 1709,'to May, 1717.. 121 SIR WILLIAM KEITH, Deputy Governor, May, 1717, to July, 1726 125 xii CONTENTS. CHAPTER Y. HANNAH PENN, EXECUTRIX FOR PROPRIETORS, 1718-27. PAOI SIR WILLIAM KEITH, Deputy Governor, July, 1718, to July, 1726 126 CHAPTER VI. JOHN, RICHARD, AND THOMAS PENN, PROPRIETORS, 1727-46. PATRICK GORDON, Deputy Governor, July, 1726, to August, 1736 132 JAMES LOGAN, President of the Council, August, 1736, to August, 1738 136 GEORGE THOMAS, Deputy Governor, August, 1738, to May, 1747 141 CHAPTER VII. RICHARD AND THOMAS PENN, PROPRIETORS, 1746-71. ANTHONY PALMER, President of the Council, May, 1746, to November, 1748... 146 JAMES HAMILTON, Deputy Governor, November, 1748, to October, 1754 148 ROBERT HUNTER MORRIS, Deputy Governor, October, 1754, to August, 1756.. 155 WILLIAM DENNY, Deputy Governor, August, 1756, to October, 1759 159 JAMES Hi MILTON, Deputy Governor, October, 1759, to November, 1763 165 JOHN PENN, Deputy Governor, November, 1763, to 1771 169 JAMES HAMILTON, President of the Council, 1771 177 CHAPTER VIII. THOMAS AND JOHN PENN, PROPRIETORS, 1771-76. RlCHAfiD PENN, Lieutenant Governor, October, 1771, to August, 1773 178 JOHN PENN, Deputy Governor, August, 1773, to July, 1776 180 PART III. PRESIDENTS OF THE SUPREME EXECUTIVE COUNCIL. THOMAS WHARTON, JR., President of Council, March 5, 1777, to May 23, 1778.. 193 GEORGE BRYAN, Acting President of Council, May 23, 1778, to December 1, 1778. 211 JOSEPH REED, President of Council, December 1, 1778, to October 8, 1781 216 WILLIAM MOORE, President of Council, November 14, 1781, to October 8, 1782.. 231 JOHN DICKINSON, President of Council, November 7, 1782, to October 18, 1785.. 234 BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, President of Council, October 18, 1785, to October 14, 1788 251 CONTENTS. PART IV. GOVERNORS UNDER THE CONSTITUTION OF 1790. PAOI THOMAS MIFFLIN, President of Council, November 5, 1788, to December 20, 1790, and Governor under the Constitution of 1790 from December 21, 1790, to December 17, 1799 273 THOMAS McKEAN, Governor, December 17, 1799, to December 20, 1808 289 SIMON SNYDER, Governor, December 20, 1808, to December 16, 1817 .... 308 WILLIAM FINDLAY, Governor, December 16, 1817, to December 19, 1820..... 323 JOSEPH HIESTEK, Governor, December 19, 1820, to December 16, 1823 333 JOHN ANDREW SHULZE, Governor, December 16, 1823, to December 15, 1829.. 343 GEORGE WOLF, Governor, December 15, 1829, to December 15, 1835 350 JOSEPH RITNER, Governor, December 15, 1835, to January 15, 1839 361 PART V. GOVERNORS UNDER THE CONSTITUTION OF 1838. DAVID RITTENHOUSE PORTER, Governor, January 15, 1839, to January 21, 1845. 379 FRANCIS EAWN SHUNK, Governor, January 21, 1845, to July 9, 1848 392 WILLIAM FREAME JOHNSTON, Governor, July 9, 1848, to January 20, 1852... 403 WILLIAM BIGLER, Governor, January 20, 1852, to January 16, 1855 413 JAMES POLLOCK, Governor, January 16, 1855, to January 19, 1858 424 WILLIAM J ISHER PACKER, Governor, January 19, 1858, to January 15, 1861.. 433 ANDREW GREGG CURTIN, Governor, January 15, 1861, to January 15, 1867.... 450 JOHN WHITE GEARY, Governor, January 15, 1867, to January 21, 1873 466 JOHN F. HARTRANFT, Governor, January 21, 1873 491 PART I. PERIOD OF SETTLEMENT. 15 OF THE GOVERNOES OF PENNSYLVANIA. CHAPTER I. DUTCH RULE 1609 TO 1638. has in all ages been influenced by river- v courses, safe bays and harbors, mountain passes, and favorable routes of travel. Settlement in America strictly conformed to this law. The Pilgrims gathered about Boston harbor and the mouth of Charles River. The Dutch sought that great navigable stream, the Hudson, and that magnifi- cent harbor at its mouth, where the combined navies of the world may ride in safety. The Cavaliers, who followed Smith to Virginia, chose the Chesapeake and the James. Pennsylvania, though an inland State, formed no exception to this rule. The only navigable stream within its borders which communicates directly with the ocean, attracted the eye of the early explorer, and on its course were the first feeble attempts at colonization, and the eventual settlements which marked the foundation of a state, the beginnings of empire. In 1614, five years after the discovery of the Island and Bay of New York by Hendrick Hudson, three Europeans, wandering up the Mohawk Valley from the fort near Albany, where a feeble foothold had been gained, wended 2 17 18 DUTCH RULE. their way southward across the dividing ridge to the head- waters of the Delaware, and followed down its course. As they moved on they soon entered the territory of what is now the State of Pennsylvania, and then for the first time its soil was pressed by the foot of the white man. Hudson, a navigator formerly in the service of the Eng- lish, but who had entered the employ of the Dutch East India Company, sailed on the 4th of April, 1609, in the Half Moon, an insignificant craft, in search of a western passage to the Indies. Foiled in his attempt to find a way at the north of the continent, he turned southward, and, watching carefully the coast as he went, on the 28th of August, 1609, discovered, in latitude thirty-nine degrees and five minutes north, a great bay, which he cautiously entered. To this bay the name of Delaware was subsequently given, in honor of Lord De-la- War, of the Virginia colony, who visited it a year afterwards and laid claim to its discovery. Hudson moved slowly up the bay, examining the coast on either shore, now Delaware and New Jersey, but soon returned, and pro- ceeding northward, on the 4th of September discovered the Bay of New York, and the great river of the north which bears his name. The right of the Dutch to the Delaware and the lands adjacent thereto was founded on this visit of Hudson to its waters, constituting priority of discovery, which was recog- nized by European nations as a sufficient. guarantee for its possession. Though having at various periods different desig- nations, it was at first chiefly known as the South River, in distinction from the Hudson, which was then known as the North River, these being the only great rivers in the territory claimed by the Dutch. It was called by the Indians Pau- taxat, Mariskitton, and Makerish-kisken ; by the Dutch, Zuyt or South, Nassau, Prince Hendrick, and Charles; by the Swedes, New Swedeland Stream; and by the English, the Delaware. The bay was also known as New Port Mey and Godyn's Bay. Hudson, having returned to Holland and reported his dis- DUTCH RULE, 19 coveries, the States General, on the 27th of March, 1614, granted a general charter, securing the privilege of trade during four voyages, to parties accepting its provisions, in any of its possessions in the New World, The merchants of the cities of Amsterdam and Hoorn, accordingly, fitted out five vessels to sail under this charter. One of these, the For- tune, belonging to the city of Hoorn, commanded by Cor- nelis Jacobsen Mey, upon its arrival on the American coast, at once proceeded south, its commander examining and map- ping the shore as he went, until he reached Delaware Bay. To the two capes at its mouth he gave two of his own names, calling the one on the north Mey, and that on the south Cornelis. To a cape still further to the south he gave the name Hindloperi, after a town in Friesland. Another of these vessels, commanded by Adrian Block, was, unfor- tunately, burned upon its arrival at the mouth of the Hudson, and to repair the loss, Block immediately set about building another, the new craft when completed being of sixteen tons burden, and called the Unrest, the first vessel ever built in American waters. After exchanging their cargoes for furs and skins, and gathering many articles curious and interesting, the vessels all returned to Holland, except the American-built one, which was left under the command of Cornelis Hen- drickson. On hearing the report of the voyagers, the States General passed an edict, dated October 14th, 1614, granting exclusive privileges of trade in its New World possessions, to extend to four voyages through a period of three years from January 1st, 1615, to the Company of Merchants of Amsterdam and Hoorn, by which the first expedition had been dispatched. In this edict the Dutch possessions in the New World were designated NEW NETHERLANDS. In the meantime Hendrickson, who had been left behind, proceeded to explore the sea-coast, and bay and river of Dela- ware, where, to his surprise, he met the three white men who had wandered off from the fort on the upper Hudson, and were making their way, from the head- waters of the Delaware 20 DUTCH RULE. through the dense forests that fringed its banks, towards the coast. On the 19th of August, 1616, a report of Hendrick- son's discoveries was read to the States General, which was in these words : "He hath discovered for his aforesaid masters and directors certain lands, a bay, and three rivers, situate between thirty-eight and forty degrees, and did there trade with the inhabitants, said trade consisting of sables, furs, robes, and other skins. He hath found the said country full of trees, to wit : oaks, hickory, and pines, which trees were, in some places, covered with vines. He hath seen, in said country, bucks and does, turkeys and partridges. He hath found the climate of said country very temperate, judging it to be as temperate as this country, Holland. He also traded for, and bought from the inhabitants, the Minquas, three per- sons, being people belonging to this Company, which three persons were employed in the service of the Mohawks and Machicans, giving for them kettles, beads, and merchandise." Hendrickson demanded the exclusive privilege of trade in the territory which he had explored, and which he claimed to have discovered, in compliance with the provisions of the general edict; but his demand was denied. In January, 1618, the general edict expired by its own limitation. The establishment of a great West India Company, in imitation of the East India Company, was now in contemplation, and all applications for exclusive privileges were held in abeyance by the States General, though several private expeditions were undertaken. On the 3d of June, 1621, the Dutch "West India Company was incorporated, to continue for a period of twenty-four years, with a pledge of renewal of its charter at the expira- tion of that time. Subscription to its stock was open to all nations. It was divided into five branches, that in Amster- dam representing four-ninths of the whole, and its govern- ment was intrusted to a board of nineteen, of whom eighteen represented the five branches, and one was named by the States General. It was privileged to trade and plant colonies in Africa, from the tropic of Cancer to the Cape of Good CORNELIS JACOB SEN MEY. 21 LEope, and in America, from the Straits of Magellan to the remotest north. CORNELIS JACOBSEN MEY, 1624-5. Under this charter an organization was effected in 1623, and vigorous efforts at colonization were made. In that year the ship New Netherlands, carrying about forty families, chiefly Wal- loons, Protestant fugitives from Belgian provinces, was dispatched to America under the direction of Cornelia Jacob- sen Mey and Joriz Tienpont. Hitherto the sole object of the Dutch in acquiring territory in the New "World had been to secure a lucrative trade ; and even now the purpose of colo- nization seems to have had no higher motive tliftn the hold- ing of the territory securely against the encroachments of the English in Virginia and New England. By the terms of the Company's organization, the chief power throughout all the New Netherlands territory was vested in a Director. The first person to exercise this power was CORNELIS JACOBSEN MEY. Attracted, doubtless, by the roseate reports of the country on the Delaware, Mey, soon after his arrival at Manhattan, now the site of the city of New York, and where the seat of government of all New Netherlands had been established, proceeded thither, and ascending the stream about forty-five miles, debarked upon a tongue of land between Big and Little Timber creeks, on the eastern side of the river, near the site of the present town of Gloucester, where he built a fort, which he called Nassau, and thus secured a first foothold upon the soil. He was accompanied in this enterprise by several men with their wives, and evidently intended to effect a permanent settle- ment. The following testimony of Catelina Tricho, given in 1684, at the age of eighty, affords curious confirmation of this intention : " That she came to this Province either in the yeare one thousand six hundred and twenty-three or twenty-fouer, to the best of her remembrance, an that fouer women came along with her iu the same shipp, in which the Governor, Arien 22 DUTCH RULE. Jorissen came also over, which fouer women were married at sea, and this they and their husbands stayed about three weeks at this place, and then they, with eight seamen more, went in a vessel by orders of the Dutch Governor, to Dela- ware River, and there settled. This I certifie under my hand and ye seale of this Province. THO. DONGAN." It was soon found impracticable to support and protect this feeble colony, and the fort was abandoned after a few months, the settlers returning to Manhattan. Communication, how- ever, was kept up with the natives in the locality of the fort, by sending a vessel thither for purposes of trade. This weak attempt at settlement, thus speedily abandoned, has little importance in itself, but possesses a marked significance as being the germ of future commonwealths upon the Delaware. WILLIAM VAN HULST, 1625-6. In the ^spring of 1625, came two ship-loads of cattle, horses, sheep, and swine, and Mey was succeeded in the Directorship by William Yan Hulst. " Just then/' says Bancroft, " Jean de Laet, a mem- ber of the Chamber of Amsterdam, in an elaborate work on the West Indies, opportunely drew the attention of his coun- trymen to their rising colony, and published Hudson's own glowing description of the land." PETER MINUIT, 1626-33. In 1626, the West India Com- pany bei.ig determined to establish more firmly its authority in the Now World, ordained a more formal government with enlarged powers. The Director was assisted by a council of five, and a Schout Fiscal, an oflicer who combined the duties of Sheriff and District Attorney. Peter Minuit, of Wesel, in the kingdom of Westphalia, was vested with the power of Director, and by him a vast tract of 'land, embracing all the southern part of the Island of Manhattan, twenty-two thousand acres in extent, now the most thickly peopled part of the city of New York, was purchased of the natives for the sum of sixty gilders, equivalent to twenty-four dollars. During the administration of Minuit, which lasted until 1633, DAVID PIETERZEN DE VRIES. 23 little is recorded of note beyond the regular course of trade, which was considerable. The ship that bore the news of the purchase of Manhattan to Holland was freighted with seven thousand two hundred and forty-six beaver-skins, eight hun- dred fifty-three and a half otter-skins, eighty-one mink-skins, thirty-six wild-cat skins, and thirty-four rat-skins, with a quantity of oak and hickory timber. A due proportion of this trade came from the Delaware, and though no fixed habitations had yet been established there, ships regularly plied between its waters and the Hudson. DAVID PIETERZEN DE VRIES, 1632-3. In 1629, a charter of privileges to patroons, a sort of feudal lords, was granted by the West India Company. Any one who should plant a colony of fifty souls became the ruler and the abso- lute possessor of lands sixteen miles in length, if on one bank of a stream, and if on both, half that distance, and extending " so far into the country as the situation of the occupiers would permit." In the same year, Samuel Goodyn and Samuel Bloernaert purchased a large tract of land of the natives at the mouth of Delaware Bay, embracing the shore- liue of what became the two northern colonies of Delavraiu, which purchase was confirmed in presence of the savage chief- tains, by the Director, Minuit, and his Council, at Manhattan. As soon as the above recited charter of privileges was enacted, Goodyn gave notice of his intention to occupy his purchases as Patroon. Goodyn and Bloemaert were joined by David Pietcrzen De Vries, " a bold and skilful seaman," and subse- quently by six others, all members of the West India Com- pany, and on the 12th of December, 1630, two vessels, with a number of people and a large stock of cattle, were dispatched by De Vries under the command of Peter Heyes, to occupy the new possessions upon the Delaware. The smaller of these vessels was captured, before leaving the Dutch waters, by Dunkirk privateers. The other, the Walrus, of eighteen guns, proceeded on its course, and arriving in the Delaware, a settlement was made on Lewes Creek, a short distance from 24 DUTCH RULE. its mouth, : its commander calling his little fort, which, was well beset with palisades, Fort Optlandt, and the lands by the poetic name of Swanendael (Valley of Swans). The chief purpose in acquiring possession of the soil and effecting a settlement here, was to cultivate grain and tobacco, and, in connection therewith, to carry on the whale-fishery along the coast, it appearing from various reports that during the winter season whales frequented these waters in great numbers. It was one of the arguments which Goodyn had used with De Vries to induce him to embark in the enterprise, that the whale-fishery could be readily estab- lished, and that the oil, at sixty gilders a hogshead, would yield a good profit. Heyes was accompanied on this voyage by Gillis Hosset, as commissary of the ship, and on the 5th of May, 1631, they together purchased of the Indians, in behalf of the Company which they represented, a tract of land on the northern shore of the bay, sixteen English miles square, having nearly an equal shore and bay coast line, which purchase was confirmed at Manhattan on the 3d of June. Heyes did nothing by way of prosecuting the whale- fishery, though he secured a specimen of oil from a dead whale which he found on the shore, and leaving Hosset in charge of the little colony, which consisted of but thirty-two men, he returned to Holland, arriving on the 31st of Sep- tember. The result of this enterprise was anything but satisfactory, the stockholders having anticipated great profits from the prosecution of the whale-fishery. It was accordingly d^ter- mined to fit out another expedition, and that De Vries should go in person as commander of the vessels and Patroon of the colony. Having been supplied with a large vessel and a yacht, De Vries set sail on the 24th of May, 1632. At the moment of starting he received the mournful and dishearten- ing intelligence of the massacre by the savages of the settlers who had been left at Swanendael, and the destruction of all their possessions. It was not until the 5th of December that he reached the mouth of the Delaware, where the cry of " a DAVID PIETERZEN DE VRIES. 25 whale near the ship" was well calculated to stimulate the cupidity of the commander, and suggest " royal work the whales so numerous, and the land so fine for cultivation." But the site of the former settlement, which was visited on the following day, displayed a mournful spectacle, the skulls and bones of the colonists, and the heads of the horses and cows which they had brought with them, lying scattered about on every side, sad witnesses to the savage natures of the men of the forest by whom they were surrounded. From a native whose confidence was gained, the following account of the massacre was drawn : " He then showed us the place where our people had set up a column, to which was fastened a piece of tin, whereon tke arms of Holland were painted. One of their chiefs took this off for the purpose of making tobacco-pipes, not knowing that he was doing amiss. Those in command at the house made such an ado about it that the Indians, not knowing how it was, went away and slew the chief who had done it, and brought a token of the dead to the house, to those in command, who told them that they wished they had not done it, that they should have brought him to them, as they wished to have forbidden him not to do the like again. They then went away, and the friends of the murdered chief invited their friends as they are a people, like the Italians, who are very revengeful to set about the work of vengeance. Observing our people out of the house, each one at his work, that there was not more than one inside, who was lying sick, and a lar^e mastiff who was chained had he been loose they would not have dared to approach the house and the man who had command standing near the house, three of the stoutest Indians who were to do the deed, bringing a lot of bear-skins with them to exchange, sought to enter the house. The man in charge went in with them to make the barter, which -being done, he went to the loft where the stores lay, and, in descending the stairs, one of the Indians seized an axe and cleft his head so that he fell down dead. They also relieved the sick man of life, and shot into the dog, who wao 26 DUTCH RULE. chained fast, and whom they most feared, twenty-five arrows before they could dispatch him. They then proceeded towards the rest of the men, who were at their work, and going amongst them with pretensions of friendship, struck them down. Thus was our young colony destroyed, causing us serious loss." Taught by this sad experience, De Yries adopted an emi- nently pacific policy, and, by the free use of presents and mild words, gradually gained the esteem and confidence of the savages, and finally succeeded in concluding a treaty of peace. On the first day of the year 1633, De Yries sailed up the river in quest of food, which had been nearly exhausted in his long voyage out.* At Fort Nassau he met numbers of the natives, whom he found to be the sole occupants, and who had assembled to trade away their furs ; but the voyagers could enter upon no trade for gain until their necessities were first satisfied. They accordingly moved on up the river, where they found natives wearing English jackets, which proved to have belonged to a party from the Virginia colony who had visited the river the year before in a sloop, and had been murdered through the treachery of the Indians. At the mouth of Minquaskill (Christina Creek) they saw a whale, but, having no means for taking it, returned to the ship at Swanendael. On the 18th the yacht again sailed up the stream with a fresh supply of goods, but were frozen in and detained for nearly a month, experiencing a degree of cold which in this latitude, judging by the mild climate of Holland, they had deemed impossible. During their dlten- tion the crew sent out hunting parties, who returned with " wild turkeys weighing from thirty to thirty-six pounds." Still in want of certain kinds of provisions necessary for the health and well-being of his men, which he was unable to obtain from the natives, and evidently desirous of seeing what he could of the New World, De Vries sailed for Vir- ginia, where he was well received by the Governor, who sent a present of six goats to his brother Governor at Manhattan, but was surprised to hear that the Dutch had settlements WOUTER VAN TWILLER. 27 upon the Delaware, setting forth that the territory upon that stream had been discovered by De la War. Having pur- chased the needed stores, De Yries returned, and found that the party whom he had left at Swanendael had taken but seven whales, and these very poor, yielding but thirty-two cartels of oil. De Vries was satisfied by the large numbers seen that whales frequented these waters, but the small quantities of oil obtained from those taken convinced him that the business would not be profitable. Accordingly, on the 14th of April, gathering in all his effects, and taking all his party with him, thus leaving the bay clear of Europeans, he set sail for Holland, touching on his way at Manhattan, and leaving the present of the English Govern or of Virginia. WOUTER VAN TWILLER, 1633-38. A lucrative trade in furs had now been established in the New World, and the policy adopted by the West India Company seemed to be to make every other interest bend to the development of that. Hence only such permanent settlements as should enable them to hold firmly their possessions, and form a sufficient basis for trade, were encouraged. Accordingly, settlements upon the Delaware were made and abandoned as best suited their paramount purpose. As the trade increased in value, the strife became animated for its exclusive possession. And now a fatal evil in the system which had been adopted by the Com- pany, was developed. Patroonship and directorship came in conflict. Patroons had seized upon all the most valuable lands, and profitable points of trade, and the director and his council, who were vested with supreme authority, found them- selves stripped of power. Bitter quarrels ensued. The di- rector, Peter Minuit, having incurred the enmity of the powerful patroons, and forfeited the confidence of the Com- pany, was recalled, and Wouter Van T wilier, a near relative of one of the most grasping of the patroons, Van Rensselaer, was selected to succeed him. To rectify their system, and to re-acquire the exclusive control of trade, which had now been proven to be profitable, the Company authorized the purchase 2 DUTCH RULE. of patroonships. Accordingly, on the 7th of February, 1635, all the patroons having title to lands upon the Delaware sold their interests in them to the Directors of the Company for fifteen thousand six hundred gilders, equal to six thousand two hundred and forty dollars. In the mean time, the New England colonies having rapidly increased in population, a party from Connecticut, during this same year, incited by the love of adventure, under command of George Holmes, sailed to the Delaware, with the design of planting themselves upon its shores. At Fort Nassau they found a Dutch garrison in possession, which they attacked. Finding it stronger than they anticipated, they were obliged to surrender to the party whom they had sought to conquer, who sent them as prisoners to Manhattan, where they were pardoned and allowed to settle in the vicinity of Fort Amsterdam, the first English to acquire a habitation in New Netherland. CHAPTER II. DUTCH AND SWEDISH RULE, 1638-55. SIR WILLIAM KIEFT, 1638-47. PETER MINUIT, 1638- 41. Gustavus Adolphus, king of Sweden, a monarch no less renowned for his arbitrary will and personal courage, than for his devotion to the rights of humanity and the privileges of the Protestant religion, seeing the enterprise displayed hy neighboring rulers in planting colonies and acquiring lands in the New World, determined to extend the power of his own throne in the same direction. As early as 1626, a Swed- ish West India Company was incorporated by the States of Sweden, under royal sanction and patronage, and William Usselincx, a Netherlander, who claimed to have been the origi- nator of the Dutch Company, was appointed to lead an expe- dition. But before the anticipations of prosperity and power which were fondly indulged could be realized, and to a participation in which all nations were invited, Gustavus found the Protestant religion in Germany in danger of over- throw, and postponing his plans of colonization for the time, and arbitrarily seizing the treasure which had been pledged to the new company, he buckled on his armor and led his legions to the defence of the cherished faith. At the battle of Liitzen, fought on the 16th of October, 1632, where a glo- rious triumph for Protestantism and the rights of conscience was gained, the great monarch fell, mortally wounded. Though borne down by the cares and sore trials of the cam- paign, he had not forgotten his fond purpose of colonization, which he had come to regard as " the jewel of his kingdom," and a few days before his death he earnestly commended it to the people of Germany. It was not the hope of trade 29 30 D UTCH AND S WED IS H R ULE. which allured him, but the visions of colonists planted in happy homes, a blessing to the common man, to the whole Protestant world, to all oppressed Christendom. Christina, the little daughter of the king, succeeded to the throne, and Oxenstiern, the prime minister, desirous of carry- ing out the cherished policy of his late master, renewed the charter of the Company, and extended its benefits to Ger- many, the Chambers at Frankfort confirming the act on the 26th of June, 1633. But for more than four years active operations were delayed. Near the close of the year 1637, a little company of Swedes and Finns embarked in two small vessels, the Key of Calmar and the Griffin, under the charge of the same Peter Minuit, who, in 1626, had been invested with the general directorship of New Netherland, and who, in 1632, after being involved in frequent quarrels with the Patroons, had been superseded by Wouter Van Twiller. Early in the spring of 1638, the vessels arrived in Dela- ware Bay, and the lands from the southern cape to the falls near Trenton were purchased of the Indians. Near the mouth of a little creek on the northern limits of the State of Delaware, which, in honor of their youthful sovereign, they called Christina Creek, the party landed and erected a fort, which they likewise named Christina. Kieft, who was now Director of New Netherland, sent a vigorous protest to Minuit against occupying and erecting forts on any part of the territory claimed by the Dutch Company, of which the lands upon the Delaware were a part. " This," says Kicft, " has been our property for many years, occupied with forts, and sealed by our blood, which also was done when thou wast in the service of New Netherland, and is therefore well known to thee." Minuit, trusting to the power of the flag under which he sailed, for Sweden was now one of the fore- most of nations, paid little attention to this protest, but went on with the erection of his fort, entered upon a vigorous competition for the trade in furs, an art which he had learned while in the service of the Dutch, and by the end of July had completed, his fort had erected pillars inscribed with the PETER HOLLANDAER. 31 letters " C. R. S.," and the ships, well laden with furs, had been dispatched for Sweden. Minuit remained with his infant colony, and to his enter- prise and skill was it due that the settlers were kept together and successfully protected against both savage and civilized foes. The Dutch were occupying Fort Nassau when the Swedes arrived in the river, and continued to hold it for the purpose of barter; but the arts of Minuit soon triumphed over the traders from Manhattan, Governor Kieft complain- ing to his masters soon after, that his trade had fallen off full thirty thousand beavers. For more than a year the Christina colonists had no aid nor intelligence from their former homes, and they at length began to be in want. So pressing had their necessities finally become, that they had made overtures to the authorities' at Manhattan for permission to remove thither ; but on the day before this removal was to have taken place, early in the year 1640, a ship, richly laden with cattle and provisions, opportunely arrived upon the Delaware, and saved them the loss and humiliation of giving up their settlement. Minuit governed the colony for nearly three years with singular success, avoiding hostile encounters with the natives, and with the Dutch who claimed the soil, and finally died in the midst of the colony which he had planted. PETER HOLLANDAER, 1641-43. Peter Hollandaer, a Swede, was commissioned by the home government as Gov- ernor of New Sweden, in 1641. He had previously sailed with the colonists who had been sent to reinforce the original settlers. At about this time attempts were made by parties of English, from the New England and Virginia colonies, to get a foothold upon the Delaware. A party from Connecti- cut, sailing under command of Robert Cogswell, had planted themselves at the mouth of Salem Creek, near the present site of Salem, N. J. Another company had boldly sailed up past Fort Nassau, and without any commission of a potentate made a beginning of settlement on the SchuylkilL. 32 D UTCH AND S WEDISH RULE. These audacious intrusions were regarded by the authorities at New Amsterdam as intolerable indignities, and Jan Jansen Van Ilpendam was sent with two vessels and a hostile force to dispossess them. The intruders on the Schuylkill were routed, their fort destroyed, and themselves roughly handled. The party at Salem Creek was also driven away, the Swedes at Christina lending a helping hand. JOHN" PRINTZ, 1643-53. After holding authority for about a year and a half, Hollandaer was succeeded by John Printz, who, in addition to the usual commission, received minute instructions for his guidance, dated August 15th, 1642, at Stockholm. He was, first of all, to maintain friendly rela- tions with the Indians, and by the advantage of low prices, hold their trade. His next care was to cultivate enough grain for the wants of the colonists, and, when this was insured, turn his attention to the culture of tobacco, the rais- ing of cattle and sheep, especially sheep of a good species, the culture of the grape, and the raising of silk-worms. The manufacture of salt by evaporation, and the search for metals and minerals, were to be prosecuted, and an inquiry into the establishment of fisheries, with a view to profit, especially the whale fishery, was to be made. Sailing from Gottenburg, on the 1st of Nov., 1642, in the Stoork and Renoion, the new Governor and a strong party of settlers, after a tedious voy- age, arrived at Fort Christina, on the 15th of Feb., 1643. Printz was a military man, having been Lieutenant-Colonel of cavalry, and at once detected the weakness of the fort for commanding the navigation of the river. He accordingly selected a site for a new fort on the island of Tinicum, which he at once proceeded to erect. Here, also, he built for himself a palace suited to his rank, in the midst of orchards and pleasure grounds, the bricks used in its construction having been brought from Stockholm. These bricks, of a pale-yellow color, and quite small, are still found in the neighborhood. The fort, which was called New Gottenburg, was built of " groenen logs," and made quite strong. Prinrz JOHN PRINTZ. 33 also erected a fort called Elsinborg, near the mouth of Salem Creek, which he garrisoned with a lieutenant and twelve men, and on which were mounted eight brass twelve- pounders. All ships ascending the river were obliged to lie to, lower their colors, and secure a permit from the Governor before they were allowed to proceed. Towards the close of the year 1643, John Pappegoya, who had previously been upon the Delaware, but had returned to Sweden, and who appears to have been a favorite at court, received from the Queen and her council, a letter dated at Stockholm on the 2d of November, 1643, commending him to Governor Printz, and requesting that he be " graciously employed in order to his advancement." This request was promptly accorded, Pappegoya marrying the Governor's daughter, and himself becoming Lieutenant-Governor of the province. The Minquas Indians, a tribe of the Five Nations who dwelt upon the Conestoga, possessed of great enterprise and skill in trapping for furs, brought by far the most lucra- tive trade to the Europeans. This the Swedes had monopo- lized. t Indeed, the western bank of the Delaware, and its tributary, the Schuylkill, were exclusively claimed by them, and though Fort Elsenborg had been built upon the opposite bank, the titles to lands upon the western side had always been regarded as of especial binding force. Van Ilpendam, who had been sent by Kieft to drive away the English upon the Delaware, and who had remained at Fort Nassau as Com- missary or nee-Director, having forfeited the confidence of Governor Kieft, was recalled, and Andreas Hudde was ap- pointed to exercise authority in his place. Hudde seems to have been a man singularly discreet and politic, and to have adopted the instructions given by the ministers of Christina to Printz, " to work underhand as much as possible with good manners and success." Conflict of authority frequently arose between these two vicegerents of power as they faced each other from opposite sides of the stream, in which vigorous remonstrances and sharp protests passed between Tinicura and Nassau; but beyond this exchange of harmless paper 34 DUTCH AND SWEDISH RULE. missiles, the war was rarely carried. Under the vigilant End crafty policy of Hudde, the Dutch began gradually to push settlements upon the west shore. Land near the mouth of the Schuylkill, now the site of the city of Philadelphia, was acquired of the Indians, and a fort erected thereon. Printz, to show his contempt for this encroachment upon his domin- ions, immediately built a large frame building in its front, in close proximity, so as to cut off its command of the river. Hudde, believing in the policy of hold-fast, paid little atten- tion to this indignity;, but quietly exercised all his arts to acquire favor with the Indians, and to secure possession of their lands. PETER STUYVESANT, 1647-64. On the 27th of May, 1647, Peter Stuyvesant succeeded to the supreme director- ship of New Netherland. Upon his assumption of power he found the integrity of his dominions threatened on all sides. New England was pushing him upon the north and east, and the Swedes upon the south. To maintain undiminishod his territory, he had need for all his executive ability. Commis- sary Hudde was retained upon the Delaware, and by his con- stant vigilance kept his master well informed of all that was passing in his viceroyalty. He complains of constant aggres- sions and annoyances on the part of the Swedes, but these were doubtless mutual ; for the Dutch had evidently deter- mined to gradually envelop and circumscribe the dominions of the Swedes until they should be compelled to yield to the Dutch power. This is foreshadowed in the recommendation of Stuyvesant to the West India Company, to plant a colony at Swanendael, another on the east side of the bay, and a third at the Com- pany's redoubt at Beversreede. To discover what titles the Swedes had to lands upon the Delaware, Stuyvesant, in 1651, sailed thither, and opened negotiations with Printz, at first in writing, and finally in person, when the question as to titles was propounded. Printz, without producing any records, drew up a writing in which he made " the Swedish limits JOHN PAPPEG YA. 35 wide enough." But this failed to satisfy Stuyvesant, who characterized it as a subterfuge, and adduced what he re- garded as plain proof of his allegation. Numerous complaints, and claims of indemnity for losses sustained by lawless con- duct of the Swedes, were presented to the Governor during his stay. Determined to put an end to these troubles, Stuy- vesant having acquired title from the Indians to lands south of Fort Christina, proceeded to erect a new fort on com- manding ground, the site of the present town of New Castle, which he called Fort Casimir ; whereupon Fort Nassau was abandoned and destroyed as of no further value. Printz pro- tested against this encroachment upon lands claimed by the Swedes ; but beyond protests he seems to have meditated no more hostile demonstration; for before the departure of Stuyvesant, the two Governors had friendly conference, in which " they mutually promised not to commit any hostile or vexatious acts against one another, but to maintain together all neighborly friendship and correspondence, as good friends and allies are bound to do." JOHN PAPPEGOYA, 1653-54. The Dutch Fort Casi- mir rendered the Swedish Fort Elsinborg, which had been relied on to command the navigation of the river, useless, and it was accordingly abandoned ; but on the plea that it had become uninhabitable on account of the mosquitoes, which swarmed about it like a resistless plague. Governor Printz, having by this time, doubtless, discovered that he had been overreached by the crafty Hudde and the headstrong Peter Stuyvesant, and that his power was fast waning, asked to be relieved of the government of the colony. "Without awaiting the answer of the Queen, Printz set sail for Sweden in Octo- ber, 1653, leaving his son-in-law, Pappegoya, in chief author- ity. Printz's administration was anything but successful. He seems to have come to America with the expectation of holding court in the New "World with all the formality and insignia of royalty preserved by the petty potentates of Eu- rope. He is represented by De Vries, who came in a ship from 36 D UTCH AND S WEDISH R ULE. New Amsterdam to visit him in October, 1643, as a man very furious and passionate, immense in person, weighing over four hundred pounds, and as drinking " three drinks at every meal." He was difficult of access, requiring communication to be made to him in writing, and when messengers came bringing intelligence that was distasteful, subjecting them to personal abuse, and sending them home " bloody and bruised." This was not the kind of government required for an infant colony, estimated at various periods to number from fifty to three hundred souls, having to maintain a vigor- ous competition with a rival power upon the river, and to preserve peace and friendly relations with the fickle and ignorant savages of the forest. In November, 1653, the Swedish College of Commerce granted to John Amundson a commission as Captain in the Navy, and sent him to the Delaware to superintend the Con- struction of vessels, he having obtained a grant of land upon the river, favorably located for the prosecution of shipbuilding. Printz had brought under cultivation a farm upon the island of Tinicum, which he had much improved and planted. This had been granted to him by royal favor, which upon his de- parture he left to his daughter, the wife of Pappegoya, where the Governor's residence was maintained. Pappegoya re- tained his power but five or six months. JOHN CLAUDE RYSINGH, 1654-55. The application of Printz to be relieved was not acted on for nearly two months after the Governor had taken his departure, its accept- ance bearing date of 12th of December. He was granted the desired favor, but he was urged to remain until a suc- cessor could be duly provided. On the same day that this document was signed, John Claude Bysingh, who had been Secretary to the Chamber of Commerce in Stockholm, was commissioned as vice-Director of New Sweden, and sailing in the government ship Aren, arrived in the colony near the close of May, 1654. He was not invested with the absolute powers which had been conferred upon Printz. Military and JOHN CLAUDE RYSINGH. 37 naval authority was bestowed upon John Amundson, who was also to have superintendence of government shipbuild- ing, but in such a manner that neither was to decide or approve anything without consulting the other ; and a coun- cil, formed of the best instructed and most reliable officers in the country, was established for the exercise of civil authority, of which Bysingh was director. He was instructed to em- ploy none but the mildest measures against the Dutch at Fort Casimir; and it was recommended, if he could not induce them to abandon it by argument, that he should en- deavor to supersede its importance and power, by building another fort below. Disregarding the explicit instructions of the home govern- ment to pursue a pacific policy, Rysingh had no sooner arrived in the river and ascertained that the Dutch garrison at Fort Casimir was weak and would be powerless to resist him, than he assumed the offensive. Gerrit Bicker, who was in command of the fort, upon seeing a strange sail approach- ing, sent his secretary, Van Tienhoven, to learn its character and destination. Rysingh detained the messenger and his escort until the following day, when he sent a company of soldiers under the leadership of Lieutenant Swe.n Schute, a soldier of long service in the colony, marked by royal favors, who followed close upon the path of the messenger, and entering the fort, where they were received as friends, pro- ceeded to take forcible possession, rifling the garrison, even to side-arms. The conduct of Rysingh is defended on the plea that in the correspondence between the Dutch and Swedish home governments, the complaints of encroach- ments on the part of the Dutch in building Fort Casimir had been answered by saying " if the Dutch are found encroaching upon Swedish territory, drive them off," and that his answer may have been communicated to Rysingh after receiving his general instructions. Finding that the new r&e-Governor was disposed to assume the responsibility of government, and a more aggressive policy than he was inclined to pursue, Pappegoya, leaving his wifa 88 D UTCH AND S WEDISH R ULE. in possession of Printz Hall, departed for Europe soon after, whereupon Rysingh assumed the title of Director-general. One of his first acts, after gaining full possession of the terri- tory, was to call together the chief sachems of tribes far around, for the purpose of establishing the old-time friendship, which during the sway of the arbitrary and irascible Printz had been well nigh destroyed. Ten grand sachems assembled at the seat of government on Tinicum Island. In this gravo council, conducted with all that decorum and gravity which was a characteristic of the North American Indian, bitter complaints were made of the ill treatment which the natives had received at the hands of the Swedes, chief among which was that many of their number had died, plainly poinKng, though not explicitly saying it, to the giving of spirituous liquors as the cause. Rysingh, without attempting to answer these complaints, distributed valuable presents which he had brought with him for the purpose. Whereupon the chiefs sat apart for conference. With the piled up presents in their midst, Naaman, the most venerable and sincere among them, spoke : " Look,' said he, pointing to the presents, ' and see what they have brought to us, for which they desire our friendship.' So saying, he stroked himself three times down his arm, which, among the Indians, was a token of friend- ship; afterwards he thanked the Swedes on behalf of his people for the presents they had received, and said that friendship should be observed more strictly between them than it had been before ; that the Swedes and the Indians had been in Governor Printz's time as one body and one heart (striking his breast as he spoke), and that thencefor- ward they should be as one head ; in token of which he took hold of his head with both hands, and made a motion as if he were tying a knot, and then he made this comparison : That, as the calabash was round without any crack, so they should be a compact body without any fissure ; and that if any should attempt to do any harm to the Indians, the Swedes should immediately inform them of it, and, on the other hand, the Indians would give immediate notice to the Chris- JOHN CLAUDE RYSINGH. 39 tians of any plots against them, even if it were in the middle of the night. On this they were answered, that that would he indeed a true and lasting friendship, if every one would agree to it ; on which they gave a general shout in token of consent. Immediately on this the great guns were fired, which pleased them extremely, and they said, 'Poo, Aoo, Aoo; mokirick piconj that is to say, ' Hear and believe, the great guns are fired.' " All the treaties which had been concluded with the Indians from the first settlement, and which had been recorded at Stockholm, were produced and confirmed. " When those who had signed the deeds heard their names they appeared to rejoice, but, when the names were read of those who were dead, they hung their heads in sorrow." * The ceremonies were concluded with feasting and drinking, and the treaties, confirmed in this solemn and characteristic manner, were ever, after kept. In a letter addressed to the home government, dated July llth, 1654, Rysingh gives a flattering account of the progress of the colony since his arrival, which he estimates to have quadrupled in population and in ground under cultivation; "for then," he says, "we found only seventy persons, and now, including Hollanders and others, there are three hun- dred and sixty-eight persons." f Among the wants of the Governor he is particular in making known to the minister that of a wife. " Sufficiently plain offers," he says, have been made to him by the English who have visited the colony, but he would not think of entering into an alliance without the approval of the minister, whose advice he relies on with more confidence than that of any other person in the world ; and he expresses a special desire that he would send him a good one. But the morning of his administration, which had thus dawned so brightly, was soon destined to be obscured by clouds and darkness, though through no lack of wisdom and enterprise on his part. The Dutch at Manhattan had greatly increased in strength, and numbers, while the Swedes upon the Delaware, in their best estate, were but feeble. The *Campaiu3, 77. fHaz. Ann. 153. 40 DUTCH AND SWEDISH RULE. Swedes had gained a momentary advantage in the capture of Fort Casimir; but that very triumph was regarded by the Dutch as an encroachment upon, and an insult to their power, and was to be seized upon as the immediate occasion for breaking up entirely the Swedish dominion in the JS"ew World. For the West India Company, on learning of the loss of the fort, sent orders to Stuyvesant " to exert every nerve to avenge the insult by not only replacing matters on the Delaware in their former position, but by driving the Swedes from every side of that river." In the meantime, a Swedish ship, called the Golden Shark, was piloted by mis- take or treachery behind Staten Island, where it was cap- tured by the Dutch, and was held by Stuyvesant as a reprisal for the seizure of Fort Casimir. Van Elswyck, its captain, was dispatched to the Delaware with a request that Rysingh would either repair in person to Manhattan, or send one duly qualified to settle the difficulties between them, and secure the release of the ship. To this Rysingh declined to listen. A wordy correspondence ensued, the only effect of which was to widen the breach. Peace had been concluded between England and Holland, and Queen Christina, now at the age of twenty-nine, ended a feeble reign by voluntarily yielding the throne to her cousin Charles Gustavus. Holland, free from foreign war, and be- holding the power of Sweden rapidly waning since the days of Gustavus Adolphus, determined to pursue an aggressive policy in the New World. Accordingly, five armed vessels were sent to Stuyvesant, with a renewal of the order to drive the Swedes from the Delaware. Determined to go with sufficient force to be master of the situation, the Dutch Governor, with much ado, collected a force of over six hun- dred men, and, after attending solemn religious services, sailed on the afternoon of Sunday, September 4th, 1655, in seven vessels, bent upon conquest. On the following day he arrived in the bay. Fort Elsinborg, which had been aban- doned, was first seized. Fort Casimir, or Trinity, which name it had received since falling into the hands of the Swedes, JOHN CLAUDE RYSINGH. 41 was under command of Swen Schute, and Fort Christina un- der Governor Rysingh in person. The surrender of Casimir was demanded by Stuyvesant as the property of the Dutch. Schute held out until the following day, when, having had an interview with Eysingh, and seeing that resistance was useless, capitulated upon honorable terms. At Christina Rysingh decided to offer resistance, and, accordingly, Stuy- vesant determined upon its reduction by siege, which, after an investment of fourteen days, was also surrendered, even more favorable terms being accorded to the garrison than to that at Casimir. The conduct of the Dutch troops during the continuance of the siege, and after the capitulation, was most inhuman. The laws of civilized warfare were set at naught. According to the remonstrance of Rysingh, Stuy- vesant's men " acted as if they had been on the laads of their inveterate enemy," plundering the Swedish villages, and at Fort Christina violently tearing women from their houses, destroying buildings, and butchering, day after day, oxen, cows, swine, and other creatures : " Even the horses were not spared, but wantonly shot, the plantations destroyed, and the whole country left so desolate that scarce any means are remaining for the subsistence of the inhabitants.-' " The flower of their troops [Swedish] were picked out and sent to New Amsterdam, under the pretext of their free choice, being forcibly carried on board their ships." Stuyvesant determined to make thorough work, and suc- ceeded well in his purpose. The Swedes and Finns who desired to remain were required to take an oath of allegiance to the Dutch power, and even those who chose to return to the mother country were obliged to take a like oath, to be binding until their departure. Thus ended the power of the Swedish arms in the New "World. It had been maintained from 1638 to 1655, a period of a little more than seventeen years. " The descendants of these colonists," says Bancroft, " in the course of genera- tions, widely scattered and blended with emigrants of other lineage, constitute probably more than one part in two hun 42 DUTCH AND SWEDISH RULE. dred of the present population of the country. At the sur- render, they did not much exceed seven hundred souls. Free from ambition, ignorant of the ideas which were convulsing the English mind, it was only as Protestants that they shared the impulse of the age. They cherished the calm earnest- ness of religious feeling ; they reverenced the bonds of family and the purity of morals; their children, under every disad- vantage of want of teachers and of Swedish books, were well instructed. With the natives they preserved peace. A love for Sweden, their dear mother country, the abiding senti- ment of loyalty towards its sovereign, continued to distinguish the little band ; at Stockholm, they remained for a century the objects of a disinterested and generous regard ; affection united them in the 'New World ; and a part of their descend- ants still preserve their altar and their dwellings, around the graves of their fathers." Of the Dutch, who were now in full possession, he says : " They sounded with exultation the channel of the. 5 deep stream, which was no longer shared with the Swedes; they counted with delight its many lovely runs of water, on which the beaver built his villages ; and the great travelers who had visited every continent, as they ascended the Delaware, declared it one of the noblest rivers in the world. Its banks were more inviting than the lands on the Amazon." CHAPTER III. DUTCH RULE, 1655-64. DETER STUYVESANT, 1655-64. DERCK SMIDT, 1655. J- Scarcely had his operations upon the Delaware heen con- cluded, when Stuyvesant was summoned home in great haste to defend his possessions upon the Hudson, the Indians hav- ing risen in the absence of the Governor and the military, massacred and carried away into captivity large numbers of the helpless and unoifending settlers, and laid their habi- tations in ruins. Leaving Derek Smidt who had been sent as the herald from the fleet to demand the surrender of Fort Casimir as Schout-Fiscal and chief agent of the Dutch in the conquered province, Stuyvesant hastened away with all his force to punish the savages and restore his authority at home. JOHN PAUL JACQUET, 1655-57. On the 29th of November, John Paul Jacquet was appointed wee-Director of the entire settlements upon the Delaware, with the seat of government at Fort Casimir. A council was given him, con- sisting of Andreas Hudde, secretary, surveyor, and keeper of the keys of the Fort, Elmerhuysen Klein, commissary, and two of the most expert freemen to constitute a court for the trial of civil causes. Two sergeants were to take the place of the two freemen in the trial of military offenders. In March following, the Swedish ship Mercury arrived with one hundred and thirty emigrants, the authorities in Sweden having had no intimation of the conquest of their colony at the time of sailing. The ship was not allowed to pass Fort Casimir, and its commander was referred to Director-General 43 44 DUTCH RULE. Stuyvesant at Manhattan. To him application was accord- ingly made for permission to ascend and land the passengers ; but Stuyvesant refused his assent, and ordered it to be brought at once to Manhattan. In the meantime, a party of Swedes and Indians boarded the vessel, and, running past the fort, landed the passengers, who settled and were absorbed in the colony. Pappegoya, the son-in-law of Printz, was of the number. The armed vessel Balance was dispatched by Stuy- vesant to bring the Mercury to New Amsterdam, where the commander was permitted to discharge his cargo. JACOB ALRICHS, 1657-59. COLONY OF CITY. The ex- pense of fitting out the expedition for the reduction of New Sweden was considerable, and had become a heavy burden to the Company. The city of Amsterdam had loaned a part of the money thus used ; and to settle that claim, the Com- pany sold to the city, for the sum of seven hundred thousand gilders, all that tract of land on the south bank of the Delaware, reaching from the east side of Christina Creek to the ocean, and extending back into the country to the lands of the Minquas. This sale was' ratified by the States-General on the 16th of August, 1656, and the territory thus ceded was designated Nieuer Anistel. The government of this colony was vested in forty commissioners, to reside in the city of Amsterdam, by whom Jacob Alrichs was appointed Director. Forty soldiers, under command of Captain Martin Krygier and Lt. Alexander D'Hinoyossa, and one hundred and fifty emigrants, were sent in three small vessels to the colony. Upon his arrival, Alrichs appointed Andreas Hudde to the command of Fort Christina, now called Altona, and of New Gottenburg ; and upon his assumption of power, the authority of Jacquet ceased. GCERAN VAN DYCK, 1657-58. COLONY OF COMPANY. Over the Swedes and Finns, who dwelt above the limits of the city's colony,. Greran Van Dyck was appointed to exer- cise authority, with the title of Sellout-Fiscal. By his sugges- WILLIAM BEEKMAN. 45 tion, Stuyvesant, under whose orders he acted, issued a pro- clamation inviting the Swedes to abandon their scattered habitations, and assemble themselves together in one village. This request was not acceded to; and the proposition to compel obedience to the mandate was abandoned, on the suggestion of the successor to Van D vck, who had discovered that it would be a great hardship to force these settlers from the lands which they had subdued and brought under culti- vation, and from the humble habitations which had become endeared to them by the struggles they had endured to obtain them. " Evert Pieterson," says Smith, in his history of Delaware County, " who held the office of schoolmaster, comforter of the sick, and setter of the psalms, in the City Colony, writes to the commissioners that, upon his arrival in April, he found but twenty families in Nieuer Amstel, all Swedes except five or six families. He appears to have been a man of observation, and suggests our black-walnut timber for making gun-stocks; requests that inquiries be made of the gunsmiths in respect to its value, and in w^hat shape it should be cut. In August he had a school of twenty-five children. This is the first school established on the river of which we have any account." The governors of both city and company colonies seem to have been still under the supervision of General Director Stuyvesant ; for we find both Alrichs arid Van Dyek com- municating with him, and seeking his advice and direction. Stuyvesant visited the colony in 1658, being drawn thither by the conflicts of authority between the two vice-governors, and by the fact that many things connected with the trade of the colony needed a careful inspection. He* was met by Van Dyck and the leading Swedish citizens, who renewed their oaths of allegiance, and made known their complaints and wants. WILLIAM BEEKMAN", 1658-63. COLONY OF COMPANY. Stuyvesant's chief. purpose in visiting the colony seems to 46 DUTCH RULE. iiave been to put a stop to smuggling, which had sprung up and was becoming a serious evil. Upon his return, he re- ported the irregularities which he had discovered to the "West India Company, and recommended that some com- petent person be appointed to have complete supervision of the revenues arising from imports and trade, both in the City's and the Company's colonies. Accordingly, William Bcekman,* an alderman and an elder in the church at New Amsterdam, was appointed to this office, with the title of vice- Di rector and Commissary. The year 1658 was one of great distress in the colony. A prevailing sickness, short crops, and an unsettled state of affairs in the government, bore heavily upon it. " Continued s : ekness," says Alrichs, " curbed us so far down that all the ] ibor in the field and agriculture was abandoned ; " and adds, * : "Winter, early, long, and unexpected, caused great distress." To increase this distress, emigrants arrived without supplies. In January, 1659, the wife of Alrichs died. The Amsterdam Company, not satisfied with the profits of its investment, made new and exacting conditions of settlement, which caused much discontent among the colonists, and these con- ditions being imposed at a time of grievous afflictions, many * " Wilhelmus Beeckman was born at Hasselt, in Overyssell, in 1623 ; served the West India Company on board The Princess; settled as a merchant in New Amsterdam, in 1647 ; was married to Catalina De Booghs, a native of Amster- dam, on tb^e 5th of September, 1649 ; was appointed Lieutenant of the Burgher Corps, in 1651 ; one of the Schepens of New Amsterdam, when that city was incorporated, in February, 1653, in which office he was continued in 1654, 1656, 1657, and 1673; Commissary of South Eiver, in July, 1658; Vice-Director of the same Colony, in October, 1658; Commissary at Esopus, in July, 1664; Burgomaster of New Orange, in 1674 ; and an Alderman of New York in 1679, 16SO, 1682, and J685; and Alderman of the East Ward of the city, from 1691 until 1695 ; and died in 1707, aged eighty-four years, leaving six children Marie (wife of Nicholas William Stuyvesant), Hendrick, Gerardus, Cornelia, Johannes, and Jacobus. " He was engaged in business as a brewer, as the successor of Thomas Hall, in Smit's Vly [Pearl] near Beekman Street, 'where William and Beekman streets still bear his name;' and his descendants, widely scattered over the country, are among the most respectable and respected of its inhabitants." HENRY B. DAWSON, Hist. Mag., 1867, 358. ALEXANDER D'HINOYOSSA. 47 fled to the English settlements in Maryland. Learning from these visitors that sore distress prevailed upon the Delaware, and judging it to be a favorable time to acquire possession of the territory, which had always been claimed by the Eng- lish on the plea of discovery by De la War, Lord Balti- more, Proprietor of Maryland, sent commissioners to demand its surrender, or the submission of the settlers to English rule. This demand was vigorously resisted by Stuyvesant, to whom it was referred, who sent commissioners to the Chesapeake to defend the Dutch claims by argument, while he dispatched a company of sixty soldiers to the Delaware, to maintain his power by force. This vigorous policy had the desired effect, and Lord Baltimore allowed his claim to rest. Towards the close of the year 1659, Alrichs, after having administered the affairs of the colony for a period of a little more than two years, during which his people and his family had been visited by dire afflictions, was relieved by death. It would appear from the complaints made against him by those most intimately associated with him in the government, that many of the evils under which the colony grieved, were due to his own maladministration. ALEXANDER D'HINOYOSSA, 1659-64. - COLONY OF CITY. Previous to his death, Alrichs had recommended the appointment of Alexander D'Hinoyossa, in whose hands he left the government, as his successor. This recommendation was approved and confirmed by the commissioners. The administration of D'Hinoyossa was little less turbulent than his predecessor's had been. Conflicts of authority between himself, who represented the City's colony, and Beekman, who had charge of the revenues of the "West India Company from all the settlements on the Delaware, were frequent, and many complaints were made to their respective masters in Holland. D'Hinoyossa refused to recognize the authority of Stuyvesant over him, as his predecessor had done, claiming that 1m :nly source of power, and consequent accountability 48 DUTCH RULE. to, was the commissioners of the Company of the City of Amsterdam. The West India Company claimed jurisdiction over the commerce of the entire district, and insisted upon a strict collection of the revenues, while the City's colony sought to evade the payment. Tired of these conflicts and petty strifes, negotiations were entered into for the retransfer of the Nieuer Amstel Colony to the West India Company. Not succeeding in this, the commissioners of the city effected a new loan, with the determination of infusing fresh enterprise into its colonial affairs. D'Hinoyossa seems to have been more successful than his predecessor in securing the peace and internal quiet of his little kingdom, and in making such regulations in relation to trade and settlement as to attract the Swedes from the territory above to his dominions. The Finns, who, as we have noticed, had gone to Maryland to settle, became dissatisfied, and meditated a return, and their friends who visited them with the purpose of joining them there, came back with evil tidings, and more firmly resolved than ever to abide in Nieuer Amstel. Encouraged by the favorable turn in affairs, the commissioners of the city nego- tiated a transfer of all the territory on the east side of the Delaware to their dominions. Attracted by the liberal offers of aid to settlers which were made by the commissioners, a new impulse wa,s given to emigration. A community known as Mennomtes resolved to emigrate in a body. By the terms of their association, clergymen were riot allowed to join them, nor any "intractable people such as those in communion with the Roman See; usurious Jews, English stiff-necked Quakers ; Puritans ; foolhardy believers in the Millennium ; and obstinate modern pretenders to revelation." Negro slaves had been early introduced into the New Amsterdam colonies, the use of which had been commended by the home companies. At about this time, Beekman made an urgent application to Stuyvesant for some slaves, and D'Hinoyossa, in a formal paper addressed to the commissioners, requested that a contract be immediately made for fifty head of slaves to till the rich valleys along the Delaware. ALEXANDER D'HINOYOSSA. 49 Intent on securing the greatest prosperity for his colony, and tired of the constant clashing of interests between the jurisdictions of the double authority, D'Hinoyossa visited Holland in 1603, for the purpose of securing for the City Company the entire government of the settlements upon the Delaware. In this he was successful, and upon his return in December, Stuyvesant made a formal transfer of authority. By this action Beekman was left without jurisdiction, and soon after returned to New Amsterdam, where he was ap- pointed by Stuyvesant commissary at Esopus, upon the Hud- son. "While the two colonies were kept up," says Acrelius, "Beekman had a share in the administration; but he was little considered. This made him envious of D'Hinoyossa, whom he aspersed in frequent letters to Stuyvesant." . The Swedish West. India Company was not disposed quietly to submit to the loss of its possessions upon the Delaware. Vigorous remonstrances were made against the attitude which the Dutch Company had assumed, and de- mands were made for the restoration of their territory. But the Dutch, having taken forcible possession, would yield nothing. Until 1664 the Swedes allowed their claims to rest; but in that year vigorous measures were planned for punish- ing their assailants and repossessing their colony, and a fleet bearing a military force was fitted out for.the purpose. It appears that this force set sail, but meeting with misfortunes upon the sea, was obliged to return, and the project was f.nally abandoned. From the time of the transfer of the entire settlements on the Delaware to the Company of the City of Amsterdam, D'Hinoyossa held undivided authority until the conquest of all New Netherland by the English, a period of nearly ten months. Upon the downfall of Dutch rule, D'Hinoyossa returned to Holland, and entered the army of the States. He served in the war between Louis XIV. and the Republic, and he is mentioned as one of the garrison of a fortress which sur-ondered to the French. He ended his days in Holland. 4 CHAPTER IY. ENGLISH KTJLE, 1664-73. COL. BICHARD NICHOLLS, 1664-67. Conflict between Dutch and English rule in the New "World was early de- veloped. Virginia and Maryland had repeatedly claimed the territory upon the Delaware ; Massachusetts insisted on the right of an indefinite extension of its territory to the west ; and Connecticut not only claimed the islands to the south, but that, by the terms of its charter, its western boundary was the Pacific. Against these pretensions on all sides, Stuy- vesant protested vigorously, significantly asking, " "Where, then, is New Netherland ? " In September, 1663, seeing the New England colonies marching steadily toward the Hudson, Stuyvesant made a voyage to Boston, where he met the dele- gates of the United Colonies, and entered his complaints; but he could secure no concessions or guaranties, the New Englanders pointing to their grants from the British crown, and relying upon its power for their vindication. The English Government had always claimed the territory which the Dutch had been permitted to occupy ; and Crom- well, in his time, had planned its recovery. The purpose had been renewed in the time of his son; but in neither reign had forcible measures been adopted. Had the plan of Dutch colonization been more vigorous, and its system of government not been beset with fatal inherent evils, its con- quest would have presented serious diificulties. But the almost utter lack of educational facilities, the exorbitant de- mands of government, and the denial of popular participation in public policy, left little for which the subjects were willing to fight. COL. RICHARD NiCHOLLS. 51 Charles II. having ascended the English throne, granted a patent, dated March 12th, 1664, to his brother James, Duke of York and Albany, of all the territory between the Con- necticut and the Delaware rivers, and the islands adjacent thereto, covering not only the possessions of the Dutch, but portions of grants previously made by the British Crown. Four armed vessels, led by the frigate Guinea, were fitted out and dispatched with four hundred and fifty soldiers, under command of Col. Richard Mcholls, groom of the bed-chamber to the 'Duke, to take possession of the lands thus conveyed. With Col. Nicholls were sent Sir Robert Carr, Sir George Cartwright, and Samuel Maverick, Esq., who were commis- sioned by the King, to first visit the New England colonies, and "to hear and receive, examine and determine, all com- plaints and appeals, in all matters, military, criminal, and civil, and proceed in all things for the providing for and settling the peace and security of the country, according to their discretion and instructions After all the ceremonies [in the New England Colony] are performed, in the first place of all business, and before you enter upon any other particular, discourse at large and with confidence to them, all that we ourself have discoursed with you, of reducing the Dutch in or near Long Island, or anywhere within the limits of our dominions, to an entire obedience to our government, they having no kind of right to hold what they are in possession of." Nicholls steered directly for Boston,,where, upon his arrival, he conferred with the authorities in obedience to these instruc- tions, and obtained recruits for the expedition. He then sailed for Connecticut, and receiving on board Governor Winthrop, proceeded to Manhattan, arriving near the close of August. Before opening formal negotiations with Gov- ernor Stuyvesant, the English commissioners issued a procla- mation to the people, offering the most liberal regulations as to government, trade, and commerce, and entire security to person and property, provided they would transfer their allegiance to the English Crown. The allurements thus held 52 ENGLISH RULE. out were very tempting, promising a more liberal internal policy than was afforded under Dutch rule. A formal do- mand for the surrender of the government was then made. Stuyvesant was disposed to resist; but his people, with whom he had frequently quarrelled before, respecting their rights as citizens, were not disposed to second him. At length, see- ing that he was powerless, Stuyvesant, on the 8th of Septem- ber, yielded to the demand, and New Netherland passed under English rule. Sir Robert Carr was immediately dispatched to the Dela- ware with a force sufficient to effect the reduction of the col- ony. Pursuing a policy similar to that adopted by Nicholls, Carr sailed past the fort, and addressed himself to the con- ciliation of the Swedes and Finns, which was speedily accom- plished. He then approached the fort and demanded its surrender. But every proposition for an amicable transfer of the govern- ment was rejected by D'Hinoyossa, though the fort was in no condition for resistance, and was garrisoned by only fifty men. " Whereupon," says Carr, " I landed my soldiers on Sonday morning following, and commanded y e shipps to fall down before ye fort w th muskett shott, w th directions to fire two broadsides apeace uppon y e fort, then my soldiers to fall on. Which done y e soldiers neaver stoping untill they stormed y e Fort, and sae consequently to plundering; the seamen, noe less given to that sport, were quickly w ib in, and have gotten good store of booty. The loss on our part was none; the Dutch had ten wounded and three killed." ROBERT NEEDHAM. Maddened by the resistance offered, the town was given up to shameless plunder. Forty horses, sixty cows and oxen, one hundred sheep, and from sixty to seventy negroes were seized, and the personal possessions of the Dutch authorities were appropriated by the leaders, Sir Robert Carr seizing the farm of D'Hinoyossa; his brother, Captain. Jofcn Carr, that of Sheriff Van Sweringen; and Ensign Stock that of Peter Alrichs. This selfish and unwarrantable COL. FRANCIS LOVELACE. 53 procedure was discountenanced by Nicholls, who soon after visited the Delaware, and appointed Captain Robert Needham to the chief command in that colony, though retaining in his own hands supreme authority throughout his entire do- minions. Before sending his fleet for the forcible reduction of ISTew Netherland, the Duke of York had granted to Lord Berkeley and Sir George Carteret all that territory now included in the southern limits of is"ew Jersey. Up to this time few set- tlements had been made on the east side of the Delaware, and these had claimed little attention or care of the govern- ment. N icholls made a digest of the laws which had been in force in the several English American colonies, which were known as the Dulie's Laws, and these he promulgated for the government of his own territory. His will was, however, the supreme law, as his counsellors were subservient, and the judicial oflicers were of his own appointment. But this authority was j udiciously exercised, and general prosperity was assured during his administration. COL. FRANCIS LOVELACE,' 1667-1673. CAPTAIN JOHN CARR. In May, 1667, Kicholls was succeeded by Col. Francis Lovelace, and early in the following year regulations for the government of the military and civil authorities upon the Delaware were drawn up by the council in ISTew York. By the terms of these regulations, a commissioned officer and twenty soldiers were provided to uphold the English authority upon the river, and Captain John Carrwas selected as the commissioned officer. For the maintenance of civil order, it was provided that, as often as complaint was made, the commissioned officer was to summon " the schout, Hans Block, Israel Helm, Peter Rambo, Peter Cock, Peter Alrichs, or any two of them, as counsellors, to advise him, arid deter- mine, by the major vote, what is just, equitable, and neces- eary in the case in question." A similar commission was to decide all Indian difficulties, and order the arming of the 54 ENGLISH RULE. inhabitants when necessary, which orders and summons must be obeyed. The counsellors were to be duly instructed in the laws, and in all cases of difficulty appeal was to be had to the superior government at New York. Two murders had been committed about this time by Indians while maddened by liquor, whereupon Peter Rambo proceeded to New York, at the request of the leading men of the tribe, to ask that the sale of strong drinks to the Indians be absolutely pro- hibited. The whole matter was finally referred to Carr and his commission, whose decision was to be final. In the year 1669, one Marcus Jacobson, known as the Long Finn, said to have been a son of Coningsmark, a noted Swedish General, together with Henry Coleman, also a Finn, attempted to incite insurrection by seditious speech. They appear to have been lawless characters, who had abandoned civilized for savage life. On the 2d of August, Governor Lovelace issued a proclamation for their arrest, and for the confiscation of their property, unless *they gave themselves up within fifteen days. The Long Finn was taken, held in irons, tried, convicted, and adjudged worthy of death, but was finally " publicly and severely whipped, and branded with the letter R, with an inscription written in great letters and put upon his breast, that he received that punishment for attempting rebellion." He was afterwards transported to Barbadoes, where he was sold. Many of the simpler sort were found guilty, and it was ordered that they be treated with " severity, and such taxes laid on them as may not give them liberty to entertain any other thoughts but how to dis- charge them." Coleman was also apprehended and trans- ported. " \ In 1671, upon the recommendation of Captain Carr, sev- eral orders were made by the council in New York apper- taining to affairs upon the Delaware. Among others, it was provided that none except those who were licensed should be allowed to distil or to sell spirituous liquors. The temper of the Indians at about this time gave cause to apprehend a general uprising, and the people were warned to retire into CAPTAIN JOHN CARE. 55 the towns, and every person between sixteen and sixty was ordered to provide himself with powder and bullets. For the detection of the Indians who had committed the two murders above referred to, Peter Alrichs was sent to New York, where, on the 25th of September, 1671, he testified before the council respecting the facts in the case. Upon the return of Alrichs. a conference was held at the house of Peter Rambo, with the sachems of the tribes to which these Indians belonged, who promised to bring in the murderers within six days, dead or alive. One of the offenders escaped ; but the other, on being overtaken by one of his tribe, a friend, and told that the sachems and his brothers had said that he must die, requested his friend to shoot him, which was accordingly done, and his body, after being car- ried to Fort Casimir, now called New Castle, was hung in chains. In 1672, George Fox, the founder of the Society of Friends, travelled through the Delaware country, fording streams in his course, camping out at night, and visiting and counselling with his followers on his way. At New Castle he was kindly received by Captain Carr. " Being very weary," he says, " and inquiring in the town where we might buy some corn for our horses, the Governor came into the street and invited me to his house, and afterwards desired me to lodge there, tell- ing me he had a bed for me, and I should be welcome." CHAPTER V. DUTCH RULE, 1673-74. A NTHONY COLVE, Governor of New Netherland, 1673 to -*- 1674. PETER ALRICHS, Deputy Governor on west side of the Delaware. In 1673, Louis XTV., the haughty monarch of France, declared war against the Netherlands, and moved by land for its invasion with two hundred thousand men, while England, with a powerful fleet, descended upon the Dutch coast. The aged De Ruyter and the youthful Tromp led out the Dutch fleet to meet the threatened danger, and the population, in a spirit of unexampled patriotism and devotion, abandoned their homes, and, cutting the dikes which held back the sea, invited inundation. In three des- perate naval battles, fought on the 7th and 14th of June and the 21st of August, De Ruyter held the English at bay, and finally defeated his adversaries. In the meantime, a small Dutch squadron, under the command of Commodores Evertsen and Benckes, had been dispatched for the recovery of New Netherland. Arriving before the fort at New York on the 6th of August, fifteen days before the last great naval engagement upon the Dutch waters, submission of the Eng- lish to the power of Holland was demanded. Governor Love- lace had just departed for New Haven, where he was to meet in council the Connecticut authorities. The fort was in command of Captain John Manning; but no preparations having been made for defence, the English power, after a brief resistance, was surrendered to the Dutch. Captain Anthony Colve, who was in command of the military forces, was placed in supreme authority. Several of the English soldiery were sent prisoners to Holland, and Governor Love- 66 ANTHONY COLVE. 57 lace returned with the squadron to Europe. The entire ter- ritory of New Netherland, as it passed from the haiis of Stuyvesant, was thus recovered, and, in honor of the Prince of Orange, was called New Orange. News of the conquest soon reached the Delaware, and deputies were immediately dispatched to New York to give in their adhesion to the new power. In return for this prompt submission, liberal privileges of trade and rights under gov- ernment were granted. Three courts were established, one at Nieuer Amstel, one at Hcern Kill, and one at Upland, the inhabitants being required by plurality of votes to nominate for each, eight persons, from among whom justices were selected by the council at New York. Peter Alrichs was ap- pointed Commander and Schout, and "Walter "Wharton, Sur- veyor. Alrichs was commissioned to administer the oath of allegiance to all the inhabitants on the Delaware. Property of the English government was confiscated, but the private possessions of its officers were restored. CHAPTER VI. ENGLISH RULE, 1674-81. SIR EDMUND ANDROS, 1674 to 1681. CAPTAIN ED- MUND CANTWELL. Scarcely had the authority of the Dutch on the Delaware been confirmed and settled, when, on 1he 9th of February, 1674, peace was concluded between England and the Netherlands, by the terms of which New Nether- land was restored to the dominion of the English. That the conquest by the Dutch might in no way impair the rights of the Duke of York, King Charles renewed the grant of terri- tory as formerly described, and Sir Edmund Andros was sent to repossess the government, surrendered by Lovelace. Colve yielded his power amicably, in compliance with the terms of the treaty, to Andros, who, on the 9th of November, 1674, issued his first proclamation, reinstating affairs through- out his dominions as they were previous to the surrender. Edmund Cantwell and William Tom were dispatched to the Delaware to take possession of the fort and all government property, and ten justices were appointed, who were to " re- sume their places as magistrates." Cantwell was commis- sioned Captain arid Schout, and was empowered to administer the official oath to the justices. For his forwardness in vol- untarily submitting to the Dutch the year before, Peter Alrichs was deprived of his office of judge, but was sub- sequently reinstated. Captain Cantwell was substantially invested with the full power of Deputy-Governor. In May, 1675, Governor Andros visited the Delaware, and, on the 14th and 15th, held a court at New Castle, in which orders were made relative to the opening of roads, the regulation of church property and the support of preaching, the prohibi- 58 CHRISTOPHER BILL OR 59 tion of the sale of liquors to the Indians, and the distillation thereof by the inhabitants. In 1675, the ship Griffith, from London, with several fami- lies, arrived in the Delaware, the passengers settling at Salem, on the east or New Jersey side of the river, John Fenwick, Edward, Robert, and John Wade, and Richard Noble, mem- bers of the Society of Friends, being of the number. William Edmundson, an eminent preacher of this faith, visited the colony during the same year, holding meetings at Upland, New Castle, and other places. JOHN COLLIER. On the 23d of September, 1676, Cant- well was superseded in chief authority by Captain John Collier, with the title of " Commander in Delaware River and Bay," and on the same day justices of the peace for the severa'l courts, to serve for the period of one year, were ap- pointed. Full and formal instructions were issued to these by Andros and his council, the preamble to which was in these words : " Whereas, The Last leare att my beeing att Delowar uppon application of the Inhabitants Representing that my p r decesso r Govern' Lovelace had begun to make a Regulacon for the due administracon of Justice according to the lawes of this Government pursuant to wich I : did appoint some magistrates and made some Rules for their pro- ceeding the leare e'suing or till further order; In which haveing uppon mature deliberation, by the advyce of my Councill made some alteracon, They are to Remaine and bee in force in forme following : " Here follow twelve articles for the regulation and government of the colony. The list of taxable male inhabitants between the ages of sixteen and sixty years, made in the beginning of 1677, for Upland Dis- trict, was one hundred and thirty-six, and for New Castle, three hundred and seven. CHRISTOPHER BILL P. Collier, having usurped authority by sitting as judge of the court at New Castle, was deposed by Governor Andros, and Captain Christopher 60 ENGLISH RULE. Billop was commissioned to succeed him. In this year three ships arrived from England with families of emigrants, principally Quakers, who settled for the most part in West Jersey, but a portion along the western shore of Delaware. Berkeley and Carteret, to whom the Duke of York had conveyed New Jersey, finding the revenues from their pos- sessions insignificant, and being constantly harassed with difficulties in asserting authority over them, in March, 1674, shortly after the return of George Fox from his visit to Friends in the New World, sold, for a thousand pounds, an undivided part of their territory, to John Fenwick in trust for Edward Byllinge, both members of the Society of Friends. The fortunes of Byllinge were so impaired that it became necessary to assign his property for the benefit of his credi- tors, and Gawen Laurie, William Penn, and Nicholas Lucas were appointed assignees. Two years later, disputes between the purchaser and proprietors having arisen, a division was eifected, by which Byllinge was put in possession of West New Jersey as his share of the province. In the discharge of his trust as assignee, William Penn first became interested in settlements in America. In March, 1677, the constitution of West New Jersey, a document drawn with great care, and in a spirit of unexampled liberality, was promulgated. Num- bers of the Society of Friends, fleeing from persecution at home, sought the new country. The father of William Penn, an admiral in the British Navy, who had won distinction in the conquest of Jamaica, and in engagements with the Dutch, had died, bequeathing to his son a claim upon the English government for sixteen thousand pounds. The King, who was always harassed with debts, was disposed to listen to any proposal by which money could be realized. To the son's application for large grants of land west of the Delaware, in payment of this claim, a ready ear was given. Lord Baltimore, proprietor of Maryland, who was kept constantly advised of the designs of Penn, threw many obstacles in his way. But, steadily pressing his suit, on the 4th of March, 1681, his desire wa* CHRISTOPHER BILL OP, 61 at length gratified. " After many waitings, watchings, solicit- iugs, and disputes in council, my country," says Penn, "was confirmed to me under the great seal of England. God will bless and make it the seed of a nation. I shall have a 'tender care of the government, that it be well laid at first." It em- braced the territory between three degrees of latitude and five of longitude, west from the Delaware, and was named Pennsylvania by the will of the King, though in opposition to the vigorous protest of Penn, who desired that it should be called New Wales. In the preamble to the royal charter, the King states that he makes this grant to Penn on account of the " commendable desire he expresses to enlarge the British empire by promoting trade, to reduce the savage natives by just and gentle manners to the love of civil society and the Christian Religion, and to transport an ample colony to an uncultivated country." In return for this grant, it is provided that Penn shall pay " two beaver-skins, to be deli vered at our castle in "Windsor, on the first day of January in every year, and also the fifth part of all gold and silver ore which may happen to be found." PART II. PROPRIETARY GOVERNMENT, 68 CHAPTER I. WILLIAM PENN, PROPRIETOR, 1681-93. WILLIAM MABKHAM, Deputy Governor, June, 1681, to October, 1682. Xot being in readiness to depart for his newly acquired possessions, Penn dispatched his kinsman, William Markham, armed with the authority of Deputy Governor, to take formal possession, and rule until his arrival. By the hands of Markham, Penn addressed a letter to the colonists upon the Delaware, advising them of the transfer of authority, and promising most liberal terms. " You are now fixed," he says, " at the mercy of no gover- nor who comes to make his fortunes great. You shall be governed by laws of your own making, and live a free, and, if you will, a sober and industrious people. I shall not usurp the right of any, or oppress his person. In- short, whatever sober and free men can reasonably desire for the security and improvement of their own happiness, I shall heartily comply v ith." The King also published his declaration, making ublic the grant and its extent, and directing obedience of the inhabitants to the Proprietor and his deputies. Markham's commission was given on the 6th of March, two days after the date of the charter, and he immediately started for the province. He proceeded directly to New York to inform the . Governor, who then held sway upon the Delaware, of the King's pleasure. Andros, having been previously called to account for some official mismanage- ment by an agent of the Duke of York, John Levin, had departed for England, leaving Captain Anthony Brockholls in chief authority. To Brockholls, therefore, Markham delivered the King's declaration, and from him received a 66 PROPRIETARY GOVERNMENT. letter addressed to the justices and other magistrates acting within the limits of the new grant, informing them that the King's patent to William Penn had been shown him by Markham, and been entered in the official records of his government, returning them thanks for their good service, and requesting that they transfer their allegiance to the new proprietor. With this letter, which was dated New York, June 21st, 1681, Markham proceeded immediately to the Delaware, where he was kindly received and his authority unhesitatingly accepted. He was empowered, by his com- mission, to call a council of nine, over whom he was to pre- side. The attestation of these councillors, which was dated August 3d, was in these 'words : "Wee do hereby bind our- selves by our hands and scales, chat wee neither act nor advise, nor consent, unto anything that shall not be according to our own consciences the best for y e true and well Government of the said Province." Two of these councillors did not write their own names. Markham also brought a letter, addressed to Lord Balti- more, with reference to the settlement of the boundary be- tween the two provinces. On receipt of this, Lord Baltimore came to Upland to confer with Markham upon this subject, when it was ascertained by an observation then taken, that Upland, the heart of the colony, was twelve miles south of the forty-first degree of latitude; whereas, the charter of King Charles fixed the southern boundary of Pennsylvania at " the beginning of the fortieth degree, or at the end of the thirty-ninth." This would have included the city of Baltimore, and even the site of the present city of Washington. Igno- rance of the geography, on the part of the royal secretaries, had occasioned confusion in drawing the charters, and con- sequently Markham could settle nothing. This attempt at an amicable composition was the beginning of a controversy which was maintained with much spirit for many years, and until after the death of Penn. It was finally agreed, much in the interest of Maryland, to adopt the segment of a circle WILLIAM MARKHAM. 67 drawn at a distance of twelve miles from New Castle, begin- ning at the point where this line cuts the western shore of the Delaware, and continuing until it cuts the fortieth degree and forty-fourth minute of north latitude, and from that point westward on that parallel, being fifteen miles south of Philadelphia, and two surveyors, Thomas Mason and Jere- miah Dixon, were appointed in 1763, to run the line. The names of these surveyors have become world-renowned, as the line which they thus established marked the division be- tween the Free and Slave states. The last court held at Upland under the government of the Duke of York, adjourned on the 14th of June, to meet again, on the 13th of September, 1681; and on the latter day a court convened, the justices acting under commissions issued by Markham. The instructions of the new governor required that the government should be administered " according to the good laws of England." But the Duke's Laws, which had pre- viously been in force in the colony, were principally enforced, without particular regard to the niceties, or even the essen- tials of English law. The word good in the above-cited pas- sage may have had an equivocal meaning, and those wnich were thought to be good alone have been adopted. In the meantime, Penn published in England a descrip- tion of his province, with particular and well-timed advice to those who would emigrate, especially enjoining upon them " to consider seriously the premises, as well the present in- conveniency, as future ease and plenty; that so none may move rashly, or from fickle, but solid minds, having above all things an eye to the providence of God in the disposal of themselves." Late in this year, two ships : sent from England arrived in the colony. In these were four commissioners, Wil- liam Crispin, John Bezer, William Haige, and Nathaniel Allen. Cri^in had been appointed surveyor-general; but he having died on the passage out, Thomas Holme 68 PR OPRIETAR Y GO VERNMENT. appointed in his place. The duties of these commissioners were, to preserve friendly relations with the Indians, acquire lands of them, and survey and apportion them ; but chiefly to select the site of, and lay out a great city. That he might secure the favor of the Indians, Penn addressed them a letter by the hands of these commissioners, in which he says: " There is a great God and power, that hath made the world, and all things therein ; to whom you and I, and all people owe their being, and well-being ; and to whom you and I must one day give an account, for all that we do in the world. This great God hath written his law in our< hearts, by which we are taught and commanded to love, and help, and do good to one another. Now this great God has been pleased to make me concerned in your part of the world; and the King of the country where I live, hath given me a great province therein; but I desire to enjoy it with your love and consent ; that we may always live together, as neighbors and friends; else what would the great God do to us, who hath made us, not to devour and destroy one another, but to live soberly and kindly in the world ? " Markham.made a large purchase of the Indians on the Delaware, above Shackamaxon, and for seven weeks was en- gaged, in company with the commissioners and surveyors, in sounding the river, and searching for a site for the great city, which, by the instructions, was to embrace ten thousand acres. " Be sure to make your choice," says Penn, " where it is most navigable, high, dry, and healthy; that is, where most ships may best ride, of deepest draught of water, if possible to load or unload at the bank or key's side without boating and lightening of it. It would do well if the river coming into that creek be navigable, at least for boats up into the country, and that the situation be high, at least dry and sound, and not swampy, which is best known by digging up two or three earths and seeing the bottom." Upland, now Chester, had been in the mind of Penn as the location which would be adopted; but Markham dis- carded this, and after considering Pennsbury Manor, above WILLIAM PENN. 69 Bristol, and the land on Poquessing Creek, finally settled upon the present site of Philadelphia. This was between two rivers; it was dry and commanding ground; and the Delaware was deep, fulfilling all the requirements of the Pro- prietor ; but the area between the two rivers was not suffi- cient for a city of ten thousand acres in a compact body ; so a smaller tract was agreed upon. The plot extended two miles from river to river, and one mile in width. It was laid out in regular squares, the streets crossing each other at right angles, with suitable parks and public grounds. Penn obtained from the Duke of York a deed of release for his Province, and also two deeds, the one conveying New Castle County, and the other -the counties of Kent and Sus- sex, which three counties were known as the territories, in distinction from the Province of Pennsylvania, and which afterwards became the State of Delaware. Having completed his preparations, Penn sailed for the Delaware, arriving at New Castle on the 8th of November, 1682, when he assumed authority. WILLIAM PENN. [The following sketch of the life of William Penn, the great founder of Penn- sylvania, has been prepared expressly for this work by Samuel M. Janney, author of "The Life of William Penn," "The Life of George Fox," "The History of the Society of Friends," &c.] WILLIAM PENN, the founder of Pennsylvania, was the son of Vice-Admiral Sir William Penn, a distinguished com- mander in the British Navy, and was born in the city of London, the 14th of October, 1644. His mother was a pious and judicious woman, who encouraged in her son those vir- tuous dispositions which, even in his childhood, gave the promise of future excellence. 70 PROPRIETARY GOVERNMENT. In the year 1656, Admiral Penn removed with his family to Ireland, where he possessed valuable estates, and William, being then about twelve years of age, diligently pursued his studies at home under the direction of a private tutor. At the age of fifteen, he went to Oxford, and was entered as a student at Christ Church College. While residing at Oxford, he attended a meeting of the Religious Society of Friends', who were in derision called " Quakers," and Thomas Loe, who formerly belonged to the University, preached a sermon which had a powerful effect upon his mind. He was con- vinced that the simplicity and purity of the Christian religion were lost sight of by most of its professors, while their attention was occupied by a round of lifeless ceremonies. Finding that some of his fellow-students were, like himself, dissatisfied with the established form of worship, he united with them in holding meetings for Divine worship, in which they engaged in exhortation and prayer. This course, and their withdrawal from the national worship, were severely censured by the officers of the college ; and the young men being withheld by a sense of duty from conforming, were finally expelled. On his return to his home, his serious deportment gave great dissatisfaction to his father, who feared that this change of manners would blast all his pros- pects for worldly honor. The Admiral, though kind at heart, was a stern discipli- narian; he remonstrated in strong terms, and finding that William adhered to his religious principles, he expelled him from his house. He was, however, soon recalled, through the intercession of his mother, when his father adopted the expedient of sending him to France, in company with some . persons of rank who were about to make the tour of Europe. After a brief stay in Paris, he went to Saumur, to enjoy the conversation and instruction of the learned Moses Amyrault, a Protestant minister and professor of Divinity. While residing there, he read attentively the early Christian writers and other ecclesiastical works. In the year 1664, he returned from the Continent, bringing WILLIAM PENN. 71 with him the polish of French society, and leaving behind him a portion of that serious demeanor which had so much displeased his father* Soon after his return he became, at his father's suggestion, a student at Lincoln's Inn, in order to acquire a knowledge of the laws of England. In the spring of 1666, his father sent him to Ireland, and furnished him with a letter of introduction to Sir George Lane, Secretary of the Duke of Ormond, who was then Lord- Lieutenant, and presided over a court of great splendor. He was received with marked attention, and became a welcome guest in that gay circle. During his residence there, a mutiny took place among the soldiers in the garrison of Carrickfergus, and he, being acquainted with the use of arms, joined the forces under the Lord. of Arran (second son of the Duke of Ormond), and evinced so much valor in quelling the mutiny, that the Duke wished to make him a captain of infantry. This nattering proposal he showed a willingness to accept ; but happily for himself and 'for the world, his father inter- posed to prevent it, and he was reserved for a nobler field of service in the cause of humanity. About this time was painted the only portrait of "William Penn ever taken from the life. A copy of this portrait was presented by Granville Penn, author of the " Memorials of Sir William Penn," to the Historical Society of Pennsyl- vania. It represents him in military costume, which seems to indicate his aspirations for martial life. It was, however, for a short time only that Penn was per- mitted to indulge in visions of worldly glory, for Divine Providence, which shapes the destinies of the world's bene- factors, was watching over him, and the propitious moment was nigh at hand when an opportunity would be offered for his acceptance of a post in a spiritual warfare. Being at Cork on business, he heard that Thomas Loe was to be at a meeting of the Friends in that city, and his affection for that eminent minister prompted him to attend. After an interval of silence, the preacher commenced his discourse with these words : " There is a faith which overcomes the world, antl 72 PROPRIETARY GOVERNMENT. there is a faith which is overcome by the world." On this theme he spoke so impressively that Penn's early convictions were revived, and his sense of religious duty was so over- powering that he determined to renounce worldly glory and devote himself to the service of God. He became a constant attendant at the meetings of Friends, and was soon' called to share their sufferings, being taken with others from a meeting in Cork and imprisoned. While in prison, he wrote to the Earl of Orrery, Lord President of Munster, pleading for liberty of conscience, and praying that a stop might be put to persecution for religious dissent. This was his first essay in behalf of uni- versal toleration, the beginning of that series of eiforts which, after more than twenty years of arduous conflict, were crowned with success. He was soon liberated, and, being recalled by his father, returned to his home in England. Here he was subjected to trials more severe than his imprisonment in Ireland, for his father could not tolerate the unflattering mode of address adopted by the Friends, and, after remonstrating strenuously against it, again expelled him from his house. This conduct of the Admiral originated in disappointed pride. He had indulged in brilliant prospects of worldly honor for his son, whose promising talents and remarkable acquirements gave assurance of success in political life, and a peerage was believed to be within his reach. But now he had renounced all these prospects, and joined himself to a persecuted sect, who were regarded as fanatics by the fash- ionable world. At length his father, softened, perhaps, by the entreaties of his wife, so far relented as to allow him to obtain subsistence at home, but gave him no open counte- nance. Penn became connected with the Society of Friends in the year 1667, and the following year he felt himself called to the gospel ministry, in which he became distinguished by qualifications of a high order. As a writer of religious works he soon became widely known, and his abilities were WILLIAM. PENN. 73 generally acknowledged. Some of his productions of this class were of a controversial nature, others were practical, and all were imbued with his fervent and devotional spirit. One of his tracts, which sprung from a controversy of the Friends with Vincent, a Presbyterian minister, bears the fol- lowing title : " The Sandy Foundation Shaken, or those so generally applauded doctrines, of one God subsisting in three distinct and separate persons; the impossibility of God's par- doning sinners without a plenary satisfaction; the justifica- tion of impure persons by an imputative righteousness refuted, from the authority of Scripture testimonies and right reason." This work gave great offence to the clergy, and especially to the Bishop of London, who procured from the Government an order for Penn's imprisonment in the Tower. During his confinement, which lasted eight and a half months, he em- ployed much of his time in writing religious books, one of which, entitled " N"o Cross no Crown," has been extensively circulated. He was visited in prison by Dr. Stillingfleet, afterwards Bishop of "Worcester, who was sent by the King to endeavor to change his judgment. " I told him," says Penn, " and he told the King, that the Tcstver was the worst argument in the world to convince me ; for, whoever was in the wrong, those who used force for religion never could be right. So, neither the Doctor's arguments, nor his moving and interesting motives of the King's favor and preferment, at all prevailed." While in prison he wrote a tract entitled " Innocency with her Open Face," presented by way of apology for the " Sandy Foundation Shaken." This tract was intended to explain some passages in the former work. " One of the main ends," he says, " which first induced me to that discourse, I find de- livered by him (Stillingfleet), namely : ' If they did believe Christ came into the world to reform it, that the wrath of God is now revealed from heaven against all unrighteous- ness, that His love, which- is shown to the world, is to deliver them from the hands of their enemies, that they might serve him in righteousness and true holiness all the 74 PROPRIETARY GOVERNMENT. days of their lives, they never could imagine that salva- tion is entailed by the gospel upon a mighty confidence or vehement persuasion of what Christ hath done and suffered for them.' Thus doth he confess upon my hypothesis or proposition, what I mainly contend for; and, however posi- tively I may reject or deny my adversaries' unscriptural and imaginary satisfaction, let all know this, that I pretend tc know no other name by which remission, atonement, and salvation can be obtained but Jesus Christ, the Saviour, who is the power and wisdom of God." * Soon after the appearance of this tract he was released from the Tower, and it was thought he owed his discharge to the intercession of the Duke of York, who afterwards took the title of James II. This kindness on the part of the Duke, and his continued favor after he became King, produced in the mind of Penn a sentiment of gratitude and a personal attachment which continued through life, and subjected him to groundless suspicion and persecution after the fall of his royal patron. In the year 1670, William Penn, while preaching at a Friends' meeting^iu London, was arrested under authority of the Conventicle Act, which was intended to suppress all religious meetings conducted " in any other manner than according to the liturgy and practice of the Church of Eng- land." In company with his friend, William Mead, of London, who was taken at the same meeting, Penn was tried at the court called the Old Bailey. The court endea- vored to browbeat the jury, and then to compel them by starvation to bring in a verdict according to its arbitrary will. Penn and Mead made their own defence with great ability, and were acquitted by the jury, but, being fined by the court for keeping on their hats, they were remanded to prison for non-payment of their fines. The jury were also fined " 40 marks a man " for an alleged contempt of court, and, being sent to prison, they employed able counsel, who brought their case before the Court of Common Pleas, and * Perm's Select Works, p. 26. WILLIAM PENN: 75 obtained their release. This trial was attended with im- portant results, in the greater security and more firm estab- lishment of civil liberty in England. In the year 1670, Admiral Penn, being on his death-bed, and anxious to see his son, sent the money privately to pay his fine, and that of his companion-in-bonds. The meeting between the father and son was deeply moving to both, and the Admiral sent one of his friends to the Duke of York with his dying request, that he would endeavor to protect his son from persecution, and use his influence with the King on his behalf. The answer was encouraging, both the King and the Duke promising to comply with his request. Sensible of his approaching end, Admiral Penn addressed his son in these words : " Son William, I am weary of the world! I would not live over my days again if I could command them with a wish ; for the snares of life are greater than the fears of death. This troubles me, that I have offended a gracious God. The thought of that has followed me to this day. Oh ! have a care of sin ! It is that which is the sting both of life and death. Three things I commend to you : "First. Let nothing in this world tempt you to wrong your conscience ; so you will keep peace at home, which will be a feast to you in the day of trouble. " Secondly. Whatever you design to do, lay it justly and time it seasonably, for that gives security and dispatch. "Lastly. Be not troubled at disappointments; for, if they maj 7 be recovered, do it ; if they cannot, trouble is vain. If you could not have helped it, be content; there is often peace and profit in submitting to Providence ; for afflictions make wise. If you could have helped it, let not your trouble exceed instruction for another time. These rules will carry you with firmness and comfort through this inconstant At his father's death, William Penn came into possession of an ample estate, affording an annual income of fifteen hundred pounds. This enabled him to contribute liberally to 76 PROPRIETARY GOVERNMENT. charitable purposes, and there is abundant evidence to show, that throughout life he made use of his wealth for the benefit of others, rather than to promote his own ease or indulgence. About the time of his father's death Penn wrote and pub- lished a tract called " A Seasonable Caveat against Popery," being an answer to a pamphlet entitled, " An Explanation of the Roman Catholic Belief." In this tract he treats of the Roman Catholic doctrines relative to the Scriptures, the Trinity, prayer to saints and angels, justification by merits, the eucharist, prayers in Latin, and for the dead, &c. ; show- ing that, for many of their principles and practices, there is no authority in the Scriptures, nor in the example of the prim- itive Church. Although he thought it his duty to caution the public against the inroads of Catholic doctrines, yet he declares, in his introductory remarks, that nothing is further from his purpose than "incensing the civil magistrate against them (were such a thing possible), for he was himself a friend to an universal toleration of faith and worship." Notwith- standing this tract, and many other passages in his writings, showing his strong opposition to Papal doctrines, he was fre- quently accused of being a Catholic, and even a Jesuit, in order to raise a popular prejudice against him. In the same year, he was committed a second time to New- gate prison for preaching at a Friends' meeting. During the six months that he was immured in that loathsome abode of misery and crime, he employed much of his time in writing on religious subjects. One of the most important of his tracts, then produced is entitled, "The Great Cause of Liberty of Conscience once more briefly Debated and Defended by the Authority of Reason, Scripture, and Antiquity." In 1672, being in the 28th year of his age, he married Gulielma Maria Springett, daughter of Sii* William Springett, formerly of Darling, in Sussex, who was killed in the Civil "War at the siege of Bamber. She was beautiful in parson, and was esteemed a woman of extraordinary merit and great sweetness of temper. Penn considered it " a match of Provi- dence's making," and says, " She loved me with a deep and WILLIAM PENN. 77 apright love, choosing me before all her many suitors." Soon after their marriage they went to live at Rickmansworth, in Hertfordshire. In the year 1676 Penn was engaged, with others, in fram- ing a constitution for the colony of West New Jersey. The province of New Jersey was divided by a deed of partition, signed by Sir George Carteret on the one part, to whom was conveyed the eastern section bordering on the Atlantic, and by Edward Byllinge, William Penn, Gawen Lourie, and Nicholas Lucas, Trustees, on the other part, to whom was assigned the western section bordering on the Delaware. The Trustees, of whom Penn appears to have been the lead- ing spirit, wrote to the colonists concerning the Constitution in these words : " Here we lay a foundation for after ages to understand their liberty as men and Christians, that they may not be brought in bondage but by their own consent ; for we put the power in the people, that is to say, they to meet and choose one honest man for each propriety who hath sub- scribed the concessions [or Constitution] ; all these men to meet in an assembly, there to make and repeal laws, to choose a gov- ernor or a commissioner, and twelve assistants, to execute the laws during pleasure ; so every man is capable to choose or be chosen. No man to be arrested, condemned, imprisoned, or molested in his estate or liberty but by twelve men of the neighborhood; no man to lie in prison for debt, but that his estate satisfy as far as it will go, and be set at liberty to work; no person to be called in question or molested for his- con- science, or for worshipping according to his conscience." * Under the management of Penn and his associates, the colony of West New Jersey was prosperous. Colonists, mostly Friends, arrived in considerable numbers, and the Indians, being kindly and justly dealt w r ith, proved to be excellent neighbors. In the same province, ten yeara before, the statutes of Carteret and Berkeley required each colonist to provide himself with a good musket, powder, and balls; but now the * Smith's Hist, of N. J., p. 81. 78 PROPRIETARY GOVERNMENT. Friends came among their red brethren armed only with the weapons of the Christian's warfare, integrity, benevolence, and truth ; they met them without fear or suspicion, trusting in that universal principle of light and life which visits all minds, and would, if not resisted, bind the whole human family in one harmonious fraternity. The experience gained by Penn in framing the government of New Jersey, and the information he acquired concerning the adjacent territories, prepared him for that great enter- prise of founding a colony on the western bank of the Dela- ware, which proved to be the crowning achievement of his useful and eventful life. He inherited from his father a claim on the British Government for money advanced and services rendered, to the amount of sixteen thousand pounds ; and in the year 1680, petitioned Charles II. to grant him, inJieu of this sum, a tract of country in America, lying north of Mary- land, " bounded on the east by the Delaware river, on the west limited as Maryland, and northward to extend as far as plantable." The object of this enterprise was to provide a peaceful home for the persecuted members of his own Society, and an asylum for the oppressed of every nation ; where the pure and peaceable principles of Christianity might be carried out in practice. 'After many delays, he had the gratification to learn that his patent was prepared for the royal signature, which was af- fixed. to.it under date of the 4th of March, 1681, the name of Pennsylvania being chosen by the King. Within a month from the date of the charter, the King issued a declaration, stating the grant that had been made to Penn, and requiring all persons settled in the Province to yield obedience to him as absolute proprietor and governor. About the same time, Penn addressed a letter to the in- habitants of the Province, in which he says: " These are to let you know that it hath pleased God, in his providence, to cast you within my lot and care. It is a business that, though I never undertook before, yet God hath given me an under- WILLIAM PENN. 79 t standing of my duty and an honest mind to do it uprightly. I hope you will not be troubled at your change and the King's Choice, for you are now fixed at the rnercy of no gov- ernor that comes to make his fortune great. You shall be governed by laws of your own making, and live a free, and, if you will, a sober and industrious people. I shall not usurp the right of any or oppress his person. God has furnished me with a better resolution, and given me his grace to keep it." This letter, with the King's declaration, was taken to the Province by Sir William Markham, a cousin of the Proprie- tary, who was commissioned to act as Deputy Governor. Cap tain Markham arrived at New York on the 21st of June, where he obtained an order from the Lieutenant-Governor of that Province for the surrender of the territory embraced in the charter of Pennsylvania, which had previously been under his - jurisdiction. Having taken these measures to secure his title to the Prov- ince, Penn drew up a description of it from the best infor- mation he then possessed, and issued proposals for its coloni- zation. The conditions on which land might be taken up were as follows : Those who wish to buy shares in the Prov- ince can have 5000 acres for 100, and to pay annually one shilling quit-rent for each hundred acres, the quit-rent not to begin till 1684, Those who only rent are to pay one penny per acre, not to exceed 200 acres. Persons who take over servants are to be allowed 50 acres per* head, and 50 acres to every servant when his time is expired. The conditions agreed upon between the Proprietary and some of the principal purchasers who were to be engaged with him in the enterprise, evinced an earnest desire that justice should be done to the Indians. From the King, Penn had purchased " the right of undisturbed colonizing," but he looked upon the Indians as the rightful owners of the soil, except that portion of it which they had voluntarily relin- quished by treaty. The conditions :>r " concessions " are dated the llth of 80 PROPRIETARY GOVERNMENT. July, 1681, and consist of twenty articles. The first ten re- late to the survey of a city, " In the most convenient place upon the river for health and navigation, the apportionment of city lots to country purchasers, the laying out of roads, and the working of mines. In the remaining articles, regulations are established for dealing with the natives. Goods sold to them or exchanged for furs, were to be exhibited in open market, in order that imposition might be prevented^ or frauds detected ; no colonist was allowed to affront or wrong an Indian, without incurring the same penalty as if committed .against his fellow-planter; all differences between Indians and colonists were to be settled by a jury of twelve men, six of whom should be Indians ; and the natives were to have all the privileges of planting their grounds and providing foi their families enjoyed by the colonists." Penn was at this time offered very advantageous terms for a monopoly of the Indian trade in his Province, but he declined the proposition, from a belief that such a transfer would be a dereliction of his duty to God. Writing to a friend, he says : *' I would not abuse His love, nor act unworthy of His provi- dence, and so defile what came to me clean." In the Spring of 1682, Penn was actively engaged in pre- parations for his voyage to America, and in drafting a frame of government for his infant colony. The admirable consti- tution and code of laws prepared in England, with the view of being submitted to the colonists of Pennsylvania, is sup- posed to have originated with the Proprietary ; but there were among the Friends concerned with him in the enterprise several persons of enlarged minds and liberal ideas, who per- formed an important, though subordinate, part in that great work. The frame of government agreed upon in England is dated the 25th of April, 1682. It was published the following month, accompanied by a preface explanatory of the general principles of government It was afterwards modified in form, but its distinctive features are still found in the Consti- tution of Pennsylvania, and have exercised a salutary influence WILLIAM PENN. 81 on the legislation of other States, as well as in the formation of the Federal Union. The great principle of religious liberty had before been proclaimed in Rhode Island and in Maryland ; it was reserved for Penn only to give it a clearer expression and a wider field of action. The privilege allowed to every man, of worshipping God according to the dictates of his own conscience, is not placed on the ground of humane toleration, but established as an inherent right. In his penal code, the founder of Pennsylvania was far in advance of his age. He looked upon reformation as the great end of retributive justice, and, in pursuance of this id^a, ex- empted from the death-penalty about two hundred offences which were capitally punished by the English law. He wisely observed, " They weakly err who think there is no other use of government than correction, which is the coarsest part of it." To provide the means of a good education for every child, and to see that all are taught some useful trade or pro- fession, would do more to promote peace and happiness than all the machinery of courts and prisons. There was one defect in the Constitution of Pennsylvania, which was beyond the power of Penn .to avoid or remedy. He held the Province as a fief from the Crown ; he was a feudal sovereign, acting as the executive of a democracy; and these two elements were found incompatible. His sweetness of temper and weight of character enabled him, while in the Province, to maintain the balance of power; but in his ab- sence, no deputy could be found to supply his place ; and to this cause may be attributed many of the dissensions that afterwards arose. When we take into view that his Constitu- tion was then unparalleled for its excellence, and that he ever showed a willingness to alter it in accordance with the wants and capacities of the people, we shall find no other legislator in ancient or modern times, who so richly merits the gratitude of posterity. Penn, after much negotiation, obtained from the Duke of York two deeds of feoffment, dated the 24th of August, 1682, by one of which he conveyed the town of New Castle and 6 82 PROPRIETARY GOVERNMENT. the country lying within a circle of twelve miles about it, and by the other he conveyed all the land on Delaware Bay, from twelve miles south of New Castle to Cape Ilenlopen. These Territories, which now form the State of Delaware, were to be held " in free and common socage ; " and he was to pay to the Duke, for the first, the yearly rent of five shil- lings ; and for the second, " one rose at the feast of St.Michael the Archangel," yearly, if demanded, together with a " moiety of all the rents and profits thereof." Having made his arrangements for a passage to Pennsylva- nia in the ship Welcome, Greenway, master, Penn addressed a touching and instructive letter to his wife and children, and embarked at Deal, in company with about, one hundred pas- sengers, mostly Friends, from Sussex, where his house at Worminglmrst was seated. During the passage the small-pox made its appearance with great virulence, and occasioned much distress. One of the passengers writing of the voyage, says : " The good conver- sation of William Penn was very advantageous to all the com- pany. His singular care was manifested in contributing to the necessities of many who were sick of the small-pox then on board, of trhich about thirty died." They came within the Capes on the 24th of October, 1682, and arrived before the town of New Castle on the 27th of the same month. Penn was joyfully welcomed by the inhabitants, whom he called together at the Court-House, where he explained to them the nature of the government he came to establish, and received from the magistrates written pledges of fidelity and obedience. On his arrival at Upland, he changed its name to Chester, and tradition relates that he proceeded thence with some of his friends, in an open boat, up the river Delaware. After passing four miles above the mouth of the Schuylkill, they came to a place called Coaquannock, where there was a high bold shore, covered with lofty pines. Here the site of the infant city of Philadelphia had been established, and the Pro- prietary was welcomed by the old inhabitants, Swedes and WILLIAM PENK 83 Dutch, with some of the Friends who had gone before him, and anxiously awaited his arrival. After viewing the site chosen for the city, giving such di- rections for building as he thought expedient, and attending some meetings of Friends, Penn went to New York, "to pay his duty to the Duke of York by visiting his province." He returned from this journey towards the end of No- vember, and there is reason to believe that it was at this time that he held the treaty of amity with the Indians, which has been so widely celebrated as the u Great Treaty," under the elm-tree at Kensington, a transaction which has been illus- trated by the pencil of West, and has received the highest praise from historians. It appears that there were at least three Indian tribes present: the Lenni Lenape, living near the banks of the Delaware ; the Mingoes, a tribe sprung from the Iroquois, and settled at Conestoga ; and the Shawanees, a southern tribe that had removed to the Susquehanna. It is believed that Governor Penn was accompanied, as usual, by some members of his Council, as well as his secre- tary and surveyor. Tradition relates that a number of prom- inent Friends were present, among whom was an ancestor of Benjamin West, whose portrait is introduced by the artist into his celebrated painting of the treaty-scene. We must not take our idea of Penn's appearance from West's picture, in which he is represented as a corpulent old man ; for at that time he was in the prime of life, being only thirty-eight years of age, strong and active, graceful in person, and pleas- ing in manners. Under the wide-branching elm, the Indian tribes were as- sembled, all unarmed ; for no warlike weapon was allowed to mar the scene. In front were the chiefs, with their counsel- lors and aged men on either hand. Behind them, in the form of a half-moon, sat the young men and some of the aged ma- trons ; while beyond, and disposed in still widening circles, were seen the youth of both sexes. Among the assembled chiefs, there was one who held a conspicuous rank, the Great Sachem, Taminend, one of Nature's noblemen, revered for his wisdom and beloved for his goodness. 84 PROPRIETARY GOVERNMENT. "When Perm and his associates approach the council-fire, Taminend puts on his chaplet, surmounted by a small horn, the emblem of kingly power, and then, through an inter- preter, he announces to the Proprietary that the nations are ready to hear him. Being thus called upon, he begins his speech : " The Great Spirit," he says, " who made me and you, who rules the heavens and the earth, and who knows the innermost thoughts of men, knows that I and my friends have a hearty desire to live in peace and friendship with you, and to serve you to the utmost of our power. It is not our custom to use hostile weapons against our fellow-creatures, for which reason we have come unarmed. Our object is not to do injury, and thus provoke the Great Spirit, but to do good. " "We are met on the broad pathway of good faith and good will, so that no advantage is to be taken on either side, but all to be openness, brotherhood, and love." Here the Gov- ernor unrolls a parchment, containing stipulations for trade and promises of friendship, which, by means of an interpreter, he explains to them, article by article ; and placing it on the ground, he observes that the ground shall be common to both people. He then proceeds : " I will not do as the Maryland- ers did, that is, call you children or brothers only; for parents are apt to whip their children too severely, and brothers some- times will differ ; neither Avill I compare the friendship be- tween us to a chain, for the rain may rust it, or a tree may fall and break it; but I will consider you as the same flesh and blood with the Christians, and the same as if one man's body were to be divided into two parts." Tliis speech being listened to by the Indians in perfect silence and with much gravity, they take some time to delib- erate, and then the king orders one of his chiefs to speak to William Penn. The Indian orator advances, and, in the king's name, salutes him ; then taking him by the hand, he makes a speech, pledg- ing kindness and good neighborhood, and that the Indians and English must live in love as long as the sun and moon shall endure. WILLIAM PENN. 85 This treaty contained no contract for land ; its pre-eminent importance consists in this, it was the first time that William Peun had met the Indian chiefs in council, to make with them the firm league of friendship which was never violated, and gave rise to a kindly intercourse between the Friends and the aborigines, which continues to this day. It was like laying the corner-stone of a great edifice, whose enduring strength and beautiful proportions have called forth the admiration of suc- ceeding ages. The whole conduct of Penn towards the In- dians was founded in justice and love ; he not only paid them for their lands, but employed every means in his power to promote their happiness and moral improvement. The Indians, on their part, treated the colonists in the most hospitable manner, supplying them frequently with venison, beans, and maize, and refusing compensation. For Penn they felt, and often expressed the utmost confidence and esteem. So great was the reverence inspired by his virtues, that his name was embalmed in their affections, and handed down to successive generations. Heckewelder, in his history of the Indian nations, speaks of the care they took, by means of strings or belts of wampum, to preserve the memory of their treaties, and especially those they made with William Penn. He says : " They frequently assembled together in the woods, in some shady spot, as nearly as possible similar to those where they used to meet their brother Miquon (Penn), and there lay all his words and speeches, with those of his descendants, on a blanket or clean piece of bark, and with great satisfaction go successively over the whole. This prac- tice, which I have repeatedly witnessed, continued until the year 1780, when disturbances which took place put an end to it, probably forever." The name of Onas was given to William Penn by the Iro- quois, whom the Proprietary, and generally the English Colo- nial Governments, supported in their claim of superiority over the other Indian tribes. It seems that the Delawares adopted the name, at least in their public speeches; but among themselves they called him in their own language j invitation, visited the Secretary, and received formal assurance of his freedom, and on the 20th of August, 1694, the government of his Province was restored to him by royal commission. In the preamble to this patent the ostensible reasons for depriving Penn of power and intrusting it to Governor Fletcher are thus set forth : " Upon information that, by reason of great miscarriages in the government of our Province of Pennsylvania in America, and the absence of the Proprietor, the same was fallen into disorder and con- fusion, by means whereof, not only the public peace and administration of justice was broken and violated, but there was also great want of provision for the guard and defense 8 113 1U PROPRIETARY GOVERNMENT. of our said Province against our enemies, whereby it was apprehended that our said Province and the adjacent Colonies were much in danger of being lost from the crown of Eng- land, &c." It is probable that these were the reasons set forth by the enemies of Penn, and were the ones upon which the royal action was taken ; but, as was afterwards conclu- sively shown to the King, they were groundless. Hostility to all friends of the deposed monarch, and a determination to compel the Province to contribute for the common defense of all the American colonies, which was despaired of under Quaker rule, were, in reality, probably among the most potent of these causes, Penn commissioned Markham on the 24th of September, 1694, as his Deputy Governor, who, on the 20th of the fol- lowing April, met the Council, and, on the 10th of September, the Assembly. In calling, the Assembly, Markham disre- garded the organic law, assuming that the suspension of the Proprietor had annulled it, and that he was invested with supreme power until a new constitution was framed. The Assembly quietly acquiesced in this view, as there were some provisions in the old instrument which they were clamorous to have changed. Accordingly, when the money bill came to be acted on, a new bill of settlement or constitution was attached to it, and passed. This was approved by the Gov- ernor, and was immediately put in operation, being the third frame of government adopted, which continued in force until 1701. By this instrument the Council was made to consist of twelve members, two from each county, and the Assembly of twenty-four in like manner apportioned. While hostilities between France and England lasted, the French had many privateers upon the ocean. After peace was concluded, some of the privateersmen paid no heed to its conditions, but continued their forcible seizures, which now was piracy. Taking advantage of the pacific policy of the Quaker Province, they were accustomed to run into the Dela- ware for safe harbor. To break up this dangerous and most dishonorable practice, the Governor and Council issued a WILLIAM PENN. 1 1 5 proclamation, calling upon the magistrates and all good citizens to join in preventing it. It was charged by the enemies of the Proprietor that evil-disposed persons in the Colony were privy to these practices, and that the inability of the Province to prevent them was a proof of the impotence of a government which eschewed force. Penn felt keenly this reproach, and urged the exercise of constant vigilance for its removal. WILLIAM PENN, Proprietor and Governor, December, 1699, to November, 1701. In July, 1699, Penn, with his family, set sail for America, and, after a wearisome voyage of three months, arrived in the Colony. He had now come with the design of making it his final abiding place. To settle a stable government which should exert a benignant influence over his people ; to renew pledges of friendship and ever-during peace with the Indians ; to secure marital and civil rights to negro slaves, and to provide for their spiritual teaching; and to secure for his beloved city of Philadelphia a liberal and just charter, were the first objects of his care and solici- tude. For eighteen months the new constitution was under consideration, and the subject of long debate in the Assembly. It was finally adopted on the 28th of October, 1701. By a supplementary article, evidently wrung from him with great reluctance, it was provided that the Province and the Terri- tories might, at any time within three years, dissolve their union. This privilege was granted as the only method of pacifying a long and uncompromising controversy. ANDREW HAMILTON, Deputy Governor, November, 1701, to April, 1703. In the midst of his arduous labors, sin- cerely devoted to the good of his Colony, Penn received intelligence that a bill was before the British House of Lords for changing the proprietaryship to royal governors, and a message from his friends urging his immediate return to defend his rights. Though fatal to his fondly cherished purpose of spending the remainder of his days with his 116 PROPRIETARY GOVERNMENT. Colony, he determined to go, and urging the Assembly to the dispatch of business, finally completed the charter and other affairs of importance, called together the Indians, with whom he had lived on the most intimate terms, feasting in their wigwams, and often entertaining their chiefs at his mansion, to bid them a final farewell ; and having selected Andrew Hamilton to be his Deputy Governor, and James- Logan Provincial Secretary and Clerk of the Council, he took his departure on the 1st of November, 1701. Hamilton had been one of the proprietors of East Jersey, and Governor of East and West Jersey. Logan had accompanied Penn to the Province in this last visit, and seems to have enjoyed his unlimited trust. Through the interposition of the friends of Penn, the House of Lords was prevailed on to postpone action upon the question of appointing royal governors, and soon afterwards, on the 18th of May, King William died. He was succeeded by Princess Anne of Denmark, and Penn soon became fixed in the royal favor, taking up his residence at Kensington, that he might be near to Court. The danger of losing the immediate control of his Colony was now past; but there was still a strong party in Parliament opposed to the liberal government which he was striving to found. The party of the Established Church showed itself particularly inimical, alleging that in time of war a Province under Quaker rule would invite invasion and conquest, and would furnish a re- treat for privateers ; that the solemnity of an oath should be required in civil and criminal jurisprudence uniformly throughout all her Majesty's dominions. These views were urged, and so- far prevailed as to induce the Parliament to pass an Act requiring that the appointment of deputy governors should have the royal assent. Factious opposition was made to the confirmation of Governor Hamilton, it being alleged that he had been engaged in illicit trade. The validity of his acts until confirmed was also questioned. Thus was a most harassing system of opposition to the Proprietor's govern- ment kept up, every fault being exaggerated, and many mere EDWARD SHIPPEN. 117 reports and rumors, void of any foundation in truth, being magnified before the eyes of the Queen. The appointment of Hamilton finally received the royal confirmation ; but so persistent was the opposition to the interests of the Proprietor, that he was obliged either to keep an agent, or remain him- self near thecourt, to answer the hurtful charges constantly brought against his Province and his rule. In the October session of the Assembly, the representatives of the Territories refused to meet those of the Province, claiming the privilege of separation by the supplementary article of the new charter, and expressing their firm deter- mination to remain apart. Hamilton strongly urged the ad- vantages of union, and brought every influence that he could devise to bear, in order to secure this result ; but without effect. He also made preparations for the defence of the Colony, by organizing a military force, of which George Lowther, subsequently attorney-general, was the first captain. On the 20th of April, 1703, Governor Hamilton died sud- denly while on a visit to Amboy, where his family were then residing. EDWARD SHIPPEX, President of Council; April, 1703, to February, 1704. By the death of Hamilton, the exercise of executive power devolved upon the Council, of which Ed- ward Shippen was president. To the Assembly of 1703, the people, approving the action of the Lower Counties, elected double the number of representatives, as required by charter, provided the privilege of separation was claimed ; but little was accomplished, the Council interposing objections to the order of business, alleging that the new charter conferred no power upon it to join in the enactment of laws. In this assembly it was finally settled that the Province and the Ter- ritories should ever after act separately in a legislative capa- city. This separation proved final, the two bodies never again meeting in common. JOHN EVANS, Deputy Governor, February, 1704, to Feh 118 PROPRIETARY GOVERNMENT. ruary, 1709. The choice of a Deputy Governor, to succeed Hamilton, fell upon John Evans, of Welsh origin, only twen ty-six * years of age, of good natural abilities, but volatile. He was not a Quaker, nor even a man of exemplary morals. He was doubtless selected out of deference to the views of the party at Court, who believed that a stable Vand efficient government could not be administered upon the peace prin- ciples of the Quakers. Indeed, Governor Fletcher had de- clared in 1693, in one of his communications to the Assem- bly : " The constitution of their Majesties' government, and that of Mr. Penn, are in direct opposition, one to the other." Evans arrived in the Colony in February, 1704, and with him came William Penn, Jr., the second and only surviving son of William Penn by his first marriage. Evans was expected and had indeed promised to be much influenced and guided by the advice of Logan, in whom the Proprietor continued to place entire confidence. The number of the Council was by him increased, and the son of the Proprietor selected as one of the new members. The first care of the young Governor in a public capacity was to endeavor to secure the union of the Territories and the Province in the Assembly. Such arguments were presented to the representatives of the Territories, that they seemed willing to return ; but the representatives of the Province were now unwilling to receive them back; and further at- tempts to bring about a reunion were abandoned. This sep- aration finally resulted in the erection of the Territories into the State of Delaware. The obstinacy of the Provincial As- sembly in opposing this reunion was the beginning of dis- cords between it and the party that adhered to the Governor, which continued throughout the entire period of his rule. A bill confirming the late provincial charter, granted by Penn, was passed by the Assembly, which contained provisions that the Governor believed unwarrantable, and from which he accordingly withheld his sanction. Whereupon the * Watson, in his Annals of Philadelphia, says twenty-one ; but Gordon, in hia History of Pennsylvania, twenty-six. JOHN EVANS. 119 Assembly appointed a committee to draw up an address to the Proprietor, asking a redress of grievances, the adiress to be based upon certain resolutions passed by the As- sembly. It was drawn by Joseph Wilcox; but instead of being governed by the temperate resolutions of the Assembly, he launched out into a torrent of abuse of the Governor, and even of the Proprietor. This paper was not approved by the other members of the committee, to only four of whom was it shown. It was signed by David Lloyd, Speaker of the House, who headed the party in opposition to the Governor and Secretary Logan. Logan and Lloyd were the real heads of the two opposing factions, both men of ability and learn- ing ; the one a fast friend and representative of the Proprietor, both in his public and private interests ; the other the cham- pion of the popular party. The Assembly of 1705 was largely composed of the same elements as the preceding one, of which Lloyd was again elected Speaker. The quarrels of the former session were per- petuated, and the Governor, despairing of any useful legisla- tion, dismissed it. The people finally became alarmed by the fruitless proceedings of these two sessions, and elected to the next House a majority of members friendl}* to the Proprie- tor, only eleven of the former House being returned. Joseph Growdeu was elected Speaker, and the business of the session was transacted with eminent success and dispatch. Evans had little respect for the religious principles of the Quakers. Disregarding their convictions, he, for the first time in the nistory of the Province, made a call for militia by public proclamation. The defence of the Colonies against the invasion of the French and Indians, who had assumed an attitude of hostility, had borne heavily upon those Colonies most exposed. Little assistance had ever been rendered by Pennsylvania. This call for militia was made by Evans in good faith, with the desire of rendering such aid in the com- mon defence as was rightfully claimed and expected by the other Colonies. But the call met no response ; and the Gov- ernor, disappointed by this lack of spirit, and embittered by 1 20 PR OPRIETAR T GO VERNMENT. his previous quarrels with the Assembly, formed a most discreditable plan for testing the steadfastness of the Quaker faith. On the day of the annual fair at Philadelphia, Evans, by previous agreement with accomplices at New Castle, arranged to have a messenger dispatched with great haste and appear- ance of consternation to the Governor, bearing intelligence that a French fleet had arrived in the Delaware, and was laying waste the territory, and would soon arrive before the city. This intelligence was instantly published, and the Gov- ernor, mounting his horse, rode through the streets with a drawn sword, commanding and entreating the people to rush to arms, regardless of sect, party, or religious opinion, and hasten to the public defence. The wildest consternation prevailed. The shipping and small boats were run up the river, and into the small creeks, the large craft being carried above Burlington. Plate and valuables were thrown into wells ; many hid themselves in trepidation ; others betook themselves to the forests ; and several women were said to have been untimely delivered of children, through fear. Before nightfall, however, the ruse was discovered, and the authors of the cruel farce were glad to seek safety in flight. This contemptible experiment was entirely futile in se- curing the result which the Governor sought. It was the day on which the Quakers held their Weekly Meeting; and regardless of the tumult and the consternation which pre- vailed, they met as though nothing unusual was occurring, and engaged in .their appointed devotions. By this despicable conduct, the Governor drew upon him- self the contempt of all right-thinking men. Besides, many of his official acts were unjustifiable, or little calculated to secure the confidence of his people. He had caused the erection of a fort at New Castle, before which all shipping ascending the river was brought to, and tribute demanded, a practice unauthorized by charter, and vexatious to com- merce. It was only by the stern resistance of prominent citizens that this unlawful procedure was broken up. A CHARLES GOOKIN. 121 bitter quarrel sprang up between the Governor and Lloyd, Speaker of the Assembly, because the latter, in a personal conference, refused to stand when addressing the Governor. Charges and counter-charges were also brought against Lloyd and Logan, as the leaders of the two parties ; and thus, in acrimonious and fruitless contentions, his administration was passed. He was relieved in February, 1709. Possessed of a good degree of learning and refinement, and accustomed to the gay society of the British metropolis, he found in the grave and serious habits of Friends a type of life and char- acter which he failed to comprehend, and with which he could, consequently, have little sympathy. How widely he mistook the Quaker character is seen in the result of his wild and hair- brained experiment to test their faith. His general tenor of life seems to have been of a piece with this. Watson says : " The Indians at Conestoga complained of him, when there, as misbehaving himself to their women ; " and that, in 1702, " Solomon Cresson, going his round at night, entered a tavern to suppress a riotous assembly, and found there John Evans, Esq., the Governor, who fell to beating Cresson." COLONEL CHARLES GOOKIN, Deputy Governor, Feb- ruary, 1709, to May, 1717. When it became evident to the Proprietor that he would be obliged to recall Governor Evans, the old difficulty of finding a suitable person for a successor w r as experienced. He had thought of pro- posing his son, who was already in America; but from this he was dissuaded by his friends, on account of his son's youth and inexperience. Colonel Charles Gookin was finally selected, because of his grave and thoughtful demeanor, and his supposed wisdom and moderation, and his appointment received the royal assent. But it finally appeared, by his own testimony before the Council, in defence of certain charges brought against him near the close of his term of office, that he had been subject to fits of derangement. This was, how- ever, unknown at the time of his selection, and remained a secret, except so far as his own erratic conduct throughout hif administration disclosed it. 122 PR OPRIETAR Y GO VERNMENT. The giddy conduct of Evans had brought reproach upon the Government, both at home and abroad, and his suc- cessor shared the opprobrium of his devious course, his quarrels being in a measure entailed upon Gookin, who had no sooner arrived in the Colony than charges were preferred against the late Governor of high crimes and misdemeanors, and Gookin was asked to institute criminal proceedings against him. This he prudently declined, but a fierce contention over the subject arose between the Council, which was charged with being accessory to the misdeeds of Evans, an'd the Assembly, which was clamorous for the prose- cution. . Finding the Governor little inclined to give heed to its demands, the Assembly was stimulated to new endeavors to find causes of complaint against him. He had been guilty, as they alleged, of a breach of official etiquette by visiting New Castle during the sitting of the Assembly; of assuming to grant marriage licenses and pardons ; of discontinuing prosecutions; of appointing one person to several offices; and the like petty offences. Early in his administration the Colony was called on for men and money to aid in an expedition against Canada. At the instance of the Governor, instead of men, an equivalent of money was agreed to, and the Assembly was solicited to appropriate four thousand pounds. But this body, which had ever displayed an ingenuity most fruitful in framing excuses for voting away the people's money, drew a bill for barely five hundred pounds, and even hedged that about with impracticable provisos. And now commenced anew a series of most vexatious counter-charges and prosecutions between Lloyd and Logan. In the midst of these, Logan, after having demanded and failed to obtain a trial, returned to England, where he laid before the Proprietor a full account of the changes and growth in the Colony since his departure, and drew a most affecting picture of the troubles and contentions by which the Government had been rent and the entire Province filled with discord. The Proprietor was greatly moved by this recital, and wrote a long letter to his people, CHARLES GOOKIN. 123 commencing in the following strain : " It is a mourniul con- sideration, and the cause of deep affliction to me, that I am forced, by the oppressions and disappointments which have fallen to my share in this life, to speak to the people of that Province in a language I once hoped I should never have occasion to use. But the many troubles and oppositions that I have met with from thence, oblige me, in plainness and free- dom, to expostulate with you concerning the causes of them." In a kindly but most earnest tone, he endeavored to reconcile their differences, and, with the voice of paternal tenderness, to recall them to a sense of duty. Finally, that they might be prepared for a change in their relations to him, should he be compelled to adopt it, he tells them, that if, after a fair election, a plurality of the Assembly persist in their opposi- tion to his government, he would then, without further sus- pense, know what he had to rely upon. But before this letter was received, an election was held, at which not one of the members of the former Assembly was returned, the people having become thoroughly disgusted with the dissensions which had prevailed. The weight of the Proprietor's expostulations, when his letter w^as received, was also felt, and, at the succeeding session, the utmost harmony was preserved, the course of legislation being uninterrupted, and directed to questions of vital interest to the Province. A subject was brought before the Assembly at this session which marks the initiation of a policy that, steadily growing in importance, has since rocked the nation of which the Colony came to form a part, from centre to circumference, and was near rending it in twain. This was the question of African slavery. An Act was passed staying the further course of the nefarious traffic in negroes; but this most humane and wise enactment was annulled by the Crown, the importation of these unfortunate people being regarded by the home gov- ernment with much favor as a source of revenue and pros- perity to the Colonies. In 1712, Penn, borne down by the weight of years and in- creasing cares, his Colony a source of little profit to him, and 124 PROPRIETARY GOVERNMENT. himself embarrassed with debts incurred in its interest, finally determined to transfer it to the crown in consideration of twelve thousand pounds. But before the legal papers were executed, he was stricken with paralysis, by which he was reduced to the feebleness of infancy, and the transfer was suspended. Until the session of 1714, uninterrupted harmony had pre- vailed between the Assembly and Governor, though the salary of the latter had frequently been left in arrears, half the pit- tance allowed him being often unpaid at the close of the fiscal year. It appears by the Logan MSS., as quoted by Gordon, that Gookin was a bachelor, and was selected because he would be a cheap governor. The 15th of February, the day for the convening of the Assembly, was stormy, and a quorum failed to assemble. When, on the following day, an organi- zation was effected, and a committee was sent to wait on the Governor, embittered by their former neglect, he refused to recognize them, their best endeavors failing to soften his temper. The committee appointed to remonstrate with him was driven from his door with threats and reproaches, and the Assembly was obliged to adjourn without attending to any business. The breach thus opened was widened from year to year, until 1717, when, upon the petition of the Council, Gookin was removed. His conduct had become more and more un- reasonable, until, towards the close of his term, he had turned upon his most faithful friends, and demeaned himself in an extravagant manner, the effect no doubt of his lack of entire soundness of mind. lie is said to have been much under the influence of his brother-in-law, Birmingham, for whom a township in Bucks County was named. He once removed all the justices of New Castle County for doing their duty in an action against Birmingham, leaving the county without a magistrate for six weeks. At another time, when the judges of the Supreme Court at New Castle would not admit a certain commission of his to be published in court, he sent for one of the judges and kicked him. SIR WILLIAM KEITH. 125 SIR WILLIAM KEITH, Deputy Governor, May, 1717, to July, 1726. Gookin was succeeded by Sir William Keith, of the north of Scotland, and before his appointment as Governor, had held the office of surveyor of customs for the southern Provinces, at a salary of five hundred pounds. He had occasionally visited Philadelphia, and was familiar with the political opinions prevailing in the Province. He had formed the acquaintance and secured the confidence of Logan, and other of the leading citizens, and had pre- viously done the Proprietor signal service in London. He arrived in the Province in May, 1717, and was received with much pomp and ceremony. It being harvest time, out of kind consideration for the interests of the country mem- bers, he delayed calling the Assembly until it was over, the 19th of August. In his inaugural address he assigned this as the reason of the delay. The Assembly in their reply ac- knowledged this courtesy, but took immediate occasion to ask a further favor in these words : " As the Governor was pleased to defer calling us, for the sake of harvest, so we crave leave to observe to him, that seed-time being just at hand, it will be a great inconveniency to many of the mem- bers to stay long at this season." The disposition manifested in this, his first official act, was characteristic of his entire administration, and was in striking contrast with that of several of his predecessors. Evans and Gookin had made themselves especially odious to the people by their intermi- nable quarrels, and the office of Governor had come to be regarded as necessarily in antagonism to their interests. Keith, by his affable deportment and thoughtful deference to their wishes, and by espousing the cause of the people on several occasions in opposition to that of the Proprietor, com- pletely disarmed them of hostility to the office, and made them his earnest advocates. For his good will he was re- warded with ample salaries, for want of which his predeces- sors had often languished. CHAPTER V. HANNAH PENN, EXECUTRIX FOR PROPRIETORS, 1718-27. SIR WILLIAM KEITH, Deputy Governor, July, 1718, to July, 1726. On the 30th of July, 1718, William Penn died, at the age of seventy-four. Six years before he had been prostrated by disease and never after recovered his physical vitality, though his mind was for the most part active. By his will, which he executed in 1712, he gave to his son William, the only surviving son by his first marriage, all his estates in England, amounting to twelve hundred pounds annually. To his wife Hannah, whom he made his sole executrix, for the equal benefit of herself and her five children, all his personal estate in Pennsylvania and else- where was devised, after paying all debts, and apportioning ten thousand acres of land in the Province to each of the three children of his son William, and to his daughter Letitia by the first marriage. Upon the death of Penn, Keith was in doubt about his right to longer execute the duties of his office. He accord- ingly laid the matter before his Council and the Assembly, by both of which it was determined, that the Act of June llth, 1711, for the further securing the administration of the Gov- ernment, provided that the incumbent should hold his office until his successor was appointed. William Penn, Jr., re- newed the commission of Keith, and gave him a letter of in- structions, as from the actual proprietor ; but believing that by the terms of the will, the son William was not heir to the Province, Keith referred the subject to the Lords of Trade and Plantations, and the then Lord-Regent, by whom his continuance in oflice was confirmed. This action of Keith 126 SIR WILLIAM KEITH. 127 gave offence to the Perm family, they believing that the pro- prietary rights were fully inherited. Soon afterwards the son "William issued a commission to Logan as Secretary of the Province. Doubts existing as to the force of the Proprietor's devise, a suit in chancery was instituted to determine it, which re- mained for several years undecided. In March, 1720, Wil- liam Penn, Jr., died, and before a decision of the case was had, his son Springett died also. In the meantime, Hannah Penn, the sole executrix, assumed the management of colonial affairs, executing this difficult task with rare tact and business capacity. " She became," says Watson, " in effect our gov- ernor, ruling us by her deputies, or lieutenant governors, during all the term of her children's minority." The case was finally decided in 1727, to the effect that upon the death of William Penn, Jr., and his son Springett, the proprie- tary rights devolved upon John, Thomas, and Richard Penn, the surviving sons of William Penn, Sen., by the second mar- riage, Dennis the fourth son having in the meantime died; and that the Proprietor's agreement to sell the Province to the Crown for twelve thousand pounds, made in 1712, and on which one thousand pounds had been paid at the confirma- tion of the sale, was void. Though general prosperity prevailed in the Province, and abundant crops rewarded the hand of the diligent, there was little money in circulation, so that citizens found it almost impossible to pay for their lands, or even the taxes thereon, the prices of produce, on account of its great abun- dance, being next to nothing. To remedy this evil, inspec- tors of flour, fish, and other products were appointed, who, by the careful and discriminating discharge of their duties, caused the Pennsylvania brands of these articles to become well established and popular, and to command the first prices and ready sale in the West Indies, whither most of the sur- plus produce was exported. An emission of paper money, hedged about with suitable securities and safeguards, was pro- vided for, which served to stimulate industry and greatly in- 1 28 PR OPRIETAR Y GO VERNMENT. crease the general prosperity. Through the insinuating and skilful management of the Governor, the Assembly was in- duced to pass two Acts against which it had previously mani- fested the most unyielding hostility : one to provide for the establishment of a court of equity, with himself as Chancel- lor, and another for the formation of militia organizations. During the early part of Keith's administration, a difficulty had arisen between the Indians upon the Susquehanna, and upon the Shenandoah, respecting the limits of their hunting- grounds. Hostilities between them seemed imminent. To settle these difficulties amicably was earnestly sought by the Governor. He accordingly visited the Governor of Virginia, and interested him in restraining the Indians living south of the Potomac from crossing to the north of that stream in pursuit of their game. He then invited the chiefs of the Five Nations to meet him in conference at Conestoga, a place about seventy miles west of Philadelphia, whither he went on the 6th of July, 1721, attended by a numerous cavalcade. Representatives of the Five Nations, with their chief men, were present. With many tokens of solemnity and sincere friendship, certified by the laying down of belts of wampum and bundles of skins and furs, the native orator excused the irregularities of their young men, which he attributed to the use of strong spirits, that takes away their sense of memory, of which they knew nothing before the arrival of the white man among them, and he concludes by saying, " That a chain may contract rust with lying, and become weaker ; wherefore, he desires it may now be so well cleaned, as to remain brighter and stronger than ever it was before. [Presents another parcel of skins.] That, as in the firmament all clouds and darkness are removed from the place of the sun, so they de- sire that all misunderstandings may be fully done away." The Governor made answer to these short but graceful sen- tences, abounding in the native eloquence with which the speeches of these men of the forest were ever characterized, by a long and elaborate address, in which he answered the chief points made by the Indian ; but so completely loaded SIR WILLIAM KEITH. 129 down were his sentences with verbiage, that it is doubtful if the native counsellors understood or remembered much that he said. At the close he presented them with a coronation medal of the king in gold, and two days after a quantity of gay coats, powder, lead, biscuit, pipes and tobacco, which were doubtless better comprehended and appreciated than his speech, and the conference broke up with every evidence of satisfaction and pacific intention. The Governor, upon his return, was met at the passage of the Schuylkill by the city fathers, and over two hundred of the principal citizens, who conducted him through the streets after the manner of a hero o returning from conquest. Not long after this, an Indian was killed near Conestoga in a drunken quarrel with two brothers named Cartlidge. The murder was aggravated by acts of cruelty. Keith took prompt measures for the apprehension of the murderers, sent messengers to the chiefs of the Five Nations to assure them of his disapproval of the wicked deed, and finally himself made a journey to Albany, accompanied by Hill, Norris, and Hamilton of his Council, whither he had been invited by the Indians for a conference of the Governors of all the Colonies, when, after considering the subject of the murder, the grand sachem made this noble and magnanimous answer : " The great king of the Five Nations is sorry for the death of the Indian that was killed, for he was of his own flesh and blood; he believes the Governor is also sorry ; but now that it is done there is no help for it, and he desires that Cartlidge [the murderer] may not be put to death, nor that he should be spared for a time and afterwards executed; one life is enough to be lost; there should not two die. The king's heart is good to the Governor and all the English." In all his official acts, Keith stood on the side of the people as represented by the Assembly, in opposition to the Council and the Secretary, who were considered as representing the Proprietor. It had long been the custom for the Governor to discuss bills which had been passed by the Assembly, sec- tion by section, and approve or reject them by the major 1 30 PR OPEIETAR Y GO VERNMENT. voice. By the terms of the charter, Keith discovered that the Council had really only an advisory power, and as they had often delayed and defeated bills of importance by their opposition, he determined to act independently of them. This was strenuously resisted by the Council, and by Logan the Secretary, and was the beginning of a bitter controversy. Finally, in 1722, the Governor having discovered that Logan, as he alleges, had entered upon the minutes of the Council a statement which had not been formally approved, removed him from office,- and appointed another in his place; where- upon Logan repaired to London, and laid his grievances be- fore Hannah Penn, now the acting Proprietor. Logan had long enjoyed the confidence of the Proprietor, and that confidence could not now be shaken by the trivial represen- tations of the Governor. She immediately wrote to Keith, sharply reproving him for displacing the Secretary without consulting her, or even his Council, which was enjoined in the charter, and directing him to reinstate Logan in his old position. This Keith refused to do, justifying his conduct, and claiming for himself absolute power in disposing of this matter. This opposition to the will of the Proprietor cost him his place, he being superseded in July, 1726. Keith may be considered as one of the most successful of the Proprietary Governors, and though charged with craft and subserviency to gain his ends, and command popular favor, which were doubtless founded in truth, yet it appears that he used the power and influence which he thus acquired for the public good, and that the growth and prosperity of the Colony during his administration were unsurpassed nor even equalled by any other American Colony. Though not a Quaker, he secured to that sect privileges which had pre- viously been sought in vain, they being allowed to wear their hats in court, and to give testimony under affirmation instead of oath. So far had he won the popular favor, that he was immediately elected to the Assembly, after surrendering the gubernatorial power, and took his seat in that body ; but in his wish to be elected speaker he was foiled, the methods he SIR WILLIAM KEITH. 131 adopted to secure this result serving to alienate even hia friends. Watson, in his reference to this event, says : " After- wards, when he [David Lloyd] exerted himself to thwart the ambitious designs of Sir William Keith, whom he wished to supplant as a dangerous political rival, he readily succeeded. In this, such was his management and success, that, although Sir William aimed for the Speaker's chair, and had his sup- port out-doors in a cavalcade of eighty mounted horsemen, and the resounding of many guns fired, David Lloyd got every vote in the Assembly but three." For a year or two after the close of his administration he manifested a most un- justifiable and malicious spirit, creating dissensions in the administration of his successor. But his power and influence rapidly waned. In 1738 he published a history of the Colony of Virginia, with the intention of writing the histories of all the other Colonies ; but doubtless abandoned it for want of sufficient encouragement. He died in London in 1749, in poverty. " It maybe very little known," says Watson, " that he, who moved with so much excitement and cabal as our Governor in 1726, should at last fall into such neglect, as to leave his widow among us unnoticed and almost forgotten ! She lived and died in a small wooden house in Third Street, between High and Mulberry. There, much pinched for sub- sistence, she eked out her existence with an old female, de- clining all intercourse with society or with her neighbors. The house itself was burnt in 1786." CHAPTER VI. JOHN, RICHARD, AND THOMAS PENN, PROPRIETORS, 1727-46. "PATRICK GORDON", Deputy Governor, July, 1726, to Aw- J- gust, 1736. Patrick Gordon, who had served in the regular army, and who was recommended by Springett Penn for royal confirmation, was appointed to succeed Keith. He arrived in the Province with his family in the summer of 1726, and met the Assembly in August. In his first address, he alluded to the fact of his having been a soldier, that he consequently knew nothing of the crooked ways of professed politicians, and must rely upon a blunt, straightforward course in his communications with them and in his adminis- tration of the government. He did not dissemble in making this declaration, for his public career seems to have been characterized by frankness and integrity. During the first two or three years of his government, his predecessor in office succeeded in fomenting difficulties in the Assembly, of which he was a member, and in the Prov- ince ; but his utterances were so extravagant, and his plans for personal aggrandizement were so injudicious, that his in- fluence over the party which he had at first led was soon lost, and the discreet and wise policy of Governor Gordon bore down all opposition. George I. died in June, 1727, and was succeeded by his son, George H. At the meeting of the Assembly in October following, a congratulatory address was framed and presented to the new king upon his peaceful and happy accession to the throne. In 1728, several disturbances occurred among the Indians, chiefly incited by strong drink, which were participated in by worthless bauds who had strayed away from the tribes to 132 PATRICK GORDON. 133 which they belonged. In these affrays several were killed and wounded. The Governor took prompt measures to ap- prehend and punish the offenders, and succeeded in averting hostilities. A treaty was. concluded with the Five Nations which was ratified with presents in the usual formal manner. At a council held at Philadelphia, on the 26th of May, for the purpose of renewing treaties with the several Indian tribes there represented, Captain Civility spoke in behalf of the chieftains, and in referring to the Governor's address, pre- viously delivered to them at Conestoga, said that " the Gov- ernor's words were all right and good ; that they never had any such speech made to them since William Penn was here." These conferences with the Indians were frequent, and were attended with much expense, being generally coupled with treaties for the transfer of land. The Assembly, at its meeting in 1729, drew a distinction between the expense of treaties for the preservation of peace in the Colony, and those for the acquisition of territory, claiming that the latter should De borne by the Proprietors, thus dividing the burden of the ' frequent visits of the chiefs and their followers, to polish the chain of friendship with English blankets, broadcloths, and metals." The prosperity of the Colony at this period was remarkable. Though not planted till 1680, more than half a century after the settlements of the other Colonies on the coast, it had the finest capital city in all British America, and the second in size, and a greater white population than Virginia, Maryland, and both the Carolinas. The causes of this prosperity were the peaceful policy adopted towards the savages, the security of life and property guaranteed by its beneficent code of laws, free toleration of religious sentiment, and the equality of all men before the law, making them eligible to -office, and com- petent to give testimony in court, not excluding even the In- dian or the negro. The entire amount of paper money which had been issued to the beginning of 1730, was seventy-five thousand pounds, li amors being curre t of mismanagement in the loan office, 134 PROPRIETARY GOVERNMENT. Governor Gordon instituted an inquiry into the affairs of the treasurer, William Fishbourne, when it was discovered that he was a defaulter to the amount of eighteen hundred pounds. This was secured by the estate of the treasurer ; but he was punished by being removed, and forever disqualified from holding office. In 1732, it was discovered that the French from Canada were building and establishing trading-posts within the terri- tory of Pennsylvania, on the Allegheny and Ohio rivers, and that representatives of the Indians dwelling upon these rivers had been invited to a conference with the French at Mon- treal. To counteract this influence, the Shawanese upon the Allegheny were summoned to Philadelphia, and at a council there held, they were urged to remove farther east. This they declined to do, but asserted that the French had not mani- fested an unfriendly spirit towards the English. A treaty was soon afterwards made with the Six Nations, in which the Indians promised continued friendship for the English, and resistance to the encroachments of the French. By the death of Hannah Penn, in 1733, and the pre- vious decease of Springett Penn, the Assembly decided that the power of Governor Gordon was at an end, and refused to act upon a message which he had communicated. But shortly afterward, the Governor received a new commission, executed by John, Thomas, and Richard Penn, to whom William Penn's estate and proprietary rights had descended. In the approval of this commission, the King expressly re- served the right to govern the Lower Counties on the Dela- ware, commonly known as the Territories. This reservation was but the beginning of a series of en- croachments by the home government, not only upon the rights of this, but upon those of all the American Colonies. The judiciary act of 1727 was soon after annulled, which threatened great inconvenience, but was fortunately averted by reviving the act of 1722. This was followed by an at- tempt to pass a resolution, recommended by the royal board of trade, requiring that all laws not only of Pennsylvania, PATRICK GORDON. 135 but of all the Colonies, should be transmitted t> the King, whose assent was necessary to their validity, and that a copy of all laws previously passed should be submitted to him, who might annul any or all of them at his pleasure. Through the influence of the agent of the Assembly, Mr. Ferdinando John Paris, who was kept at Court as the representative of the Province, joined with the agents and friends of the other Colonies, action upon this resolution was stayed. But the disposition manifested in this proposition, so hurtful in -its tendency to the dearest and most cherished rights of the Colony, was in character with those infringements of the Crown, which finally resulted in armed resistance, and their complete separation and independence. In August of 1732, Thomas Penn, and two years later, John Penn, the Pennsylvania born, and the eldest of the surviving sons of William Penn, arrived in the Province. Their advent was hailed with demonstrations of joy and satisfaction on the part of the people, and furnished occasions of congratulatory addresses from the Assembly, framed in a spirit of unfeigned respect and gratification, by whom answers were returned pledging constant 3evotion to the interests of the Colony. To John Penn, the Assembly said : " Excited by affection and gratitude, we cheerfully embrace this opportunity of con- gratulating thee on thy safe arrival to the place of thy na- tivity. When we commemorate the many benefits bestowed on the inhabitants of this Colony, the religious and civil liber- ties we possess, and to whom these valuable privileges, under God and the King, are owing, we should be wanting to our- selves, and them that we represent, did we not do justice to the memory of thy worthy ancestor, a man of principles truly humane, an advocate of religion and liberty. What may we not hope for from the son of so great a man, educated under his care, and influenced by his example ! May his de- scendants inherit his virtues as well as his estate, and long continue a blessing to Pennsylvania." To which he returned this answer: " I return you my hearty thanks for this affec- tionate address. The kind regard you express for the memory 136 PROPRIETARY GOVERNMENT. of my father is most agreeable to me ; and, as it was always his desire, so it is strongly my inclination, to do everything in my power to promote the happiness and prosperity of this Province." Not long after the arrival of the latter, Governor Gordon was advised from London, that Lord Baltimore had made application to the king to have the three Lower Counties trans- ferred from the dominion of Pennsylvania to that of Mary land. Richard Penn, the only one of the Proprietors re- maining in England, and a deputation of Quakers, protested against this ; but lest this opposition should fail, John Penn determined to return to -England, to defend the Proprietary interests at Court, and soon after took his departure from the Colony, to which he never again returned, having died, un- married, in Oct< ber, 1746, leaving his share of the Colony to his brother Thomas. In August, 1736, Governor Gordon died, equally lamented by the Proprietaries and the people, he having so judiciously administered the government, as not to set the interests of the one in antagonism to the other. During his term of office, general prosperity had prevailed, and the Colony had greatly increased in wealth and numbers. Its commerce like- wise had grown to commanding proportions, and the number and tonnage of the colonial-built ships had been rapidly multiplied. JAMES LOGAN, President of the Council, August, 1736, to August, 1738. Upon the death of Governor Gordon, the ex- ecutive authority devolved upon the Council, of which James Logan was President. During the two years which elapsed between the death of the late Governor and the arrival of his successor, the Assembly met regularly and advised with the Council, but no laws were passed and no legisla- tive business was transacted, as the Council was forbidden by charter from exercising executive power in legislation. During this period, serious troubles arose from the contested jurisdiction of Pem sylvania an 1 Maryland over portions of JAMES LOGAN. 137 territory west of the Susquehanna, then a part of Lancaster Count}', now of York. To escape the payment of taxes in Pennsylvania, the settlers had accepted titles to their lands from Maryland, but subsequently had renounced their alle- giance to the latter, and sought protection from the former. This action the Maryland authorities resisted, and the sheriff of the adjoining Maryland county, with three hundred rnen, advanced to drive out the settlers. The sheriff of Lancaster County, Samuel Smith, with a quickly summoned posse, went out to meet the Marylanders, and protect the citizens of his county. An amicable agreement was effected with- out coming to violence, and the two parties withdrew. But soon afterwards a gang of fifty armed Marylanders, under the leadership of one Cressap, again invaded the terri- tory, with the design of taking forcible possession of the farms of the settlers, each of the band to have at least two hundred acres. In an encounter with the settlers, one of them, Knowles, who offered resistance to their demands, was killed. The sheriff of Lancaster came to the rescue, and a sharp skirmish occurred, in which one of the invaders was killed, and Cressap himself was wounded and made prisoner. Governor Ogle, of Maryland, sent a commission to Philadel- phia to demand his release; but failing in this, he seized four of the settlers and incarcerated them in the jail at Balti- more. Not satisfied with the results of the contest thus far, a band of Marylanders, led by one Higginbotham, invaded the disputed ground and began driving out the settlers, when the sheriff of Lancaster again appeared and dispersed them. This harassing strife was kept up for several months, pre- venting the settlers from planting or improving their farms. In the meantime, a party of Marylanders, to the number of sixteen, under Richard Lowden, broke into the jail at Lan- caster, and released the prisoners who had been apprehended. In the midst of these contentions, an order of the king in Council was issued, which had the effect to restrain both par- ties, and subsequently action was taken which provided for 138 PROPRIETARY GOVERNMENT. the settlement of the question of boundary, and, consequently, of jurisdiction. In these trying difficulties the affairs of the Colony were managed with great firmness and determination by Logan ; and the Indians, who were again aroused to open hostilities by unprincipled traders, who, going among them and making them drunken, despoiled them of their skins and abused their women, were persuaded to forbearance and forgiveness by his arguments and appeals, and his kind and benignant bearing. He was only nominally governor during these two years, but really the ruling power behind those who held the gubernatorial commission, from the time of his arrival in the Colony, in 1699, for a period of over forty years, holding the offices of chief commissioner of property, agent for the purchase and sale of lands, receiver-general, member of Coun- cil, President of Council, and chief-justice. During the life of William Penn he had the exclusive management of all his private affairs in the Province, and after his death, those of his children, attending to the sale of lands, executing conveyances, making the collections, and looking to all the vast details of the Proprietary interests. In the course of his long service he met with stern opposition and often bitter reproach; but he bore all with a calm yet firm resolution, the distinguishing mark of a great spirit, and finally tri- umphed over all his adversaries. " James Logan," says Proud, " was descended of a family originally from Scotland, where, in the troubles of that coun- try, occasioned by the affair of Earl Gawrie, in the reign of James VI. , his grandfather, Robert Logan, was deprived of, a considerable estate, in consequence of which his father, Patrick Logan, being in reduced circumstances, removed into Ireland and fixed his residence at Lurgan, the place of his son James' birth. Patrick Logan had the benefit of a good education in the university of Edinburgh, where he commenced Master of Arts, but afterwards joined in religious society with the Quakers. Thus his son, James Logan, being endowed with good genius and favored with suitable educa- JAMES LOGAN. 139 tion, made considerable proficiency in divers oranches of learning and science, after which he went to Englai d, from whence, in the year 1699, and about the twenty-fifth of his age, he removed to Pennsylvania in company with William Penn, in his latter voyage to America, and in 1701 he was, by commission from the Proprietary, appointed Secretary of the Province and clerk of the Council for the same. His life was afterwards much employed in public affairs. . . . Many years before his death he retired pretty much from the hurry and iucumbrance of public affairs, and spent the latter part of his time principally at Stenton, his country-seat, near Ger- mantown, about five or six miles from Philadelphia, where he enjoyed among his books that leisure in which men of letters take delight, and corresponded with the literati in different parts of Europe. He was well versed in both an- cient and modern learning, acquainted with the Oriental tongues, a master of the Latin, Greek, French, and Italian languages, deeply skilled in the mathematics and in natural and moral philosophy, as several pieces of his own writing in Latin, &c., demonstrate, some of which have gone through divers impressions in different parts of Europe, and are highly esteemed. Among his productions of this nature, his JExperimenta Meletemata de plantarum generatione, or his Experi- ments on the Indian Corn or Maize of America, with his observations arising therefrom on the generation of plants, published in Latin, at Leyden, in 1739, and afterwards, in 1747, republished in London, with an English version on the opposite page by Dr. J. Fothergill, are both curious and in- genious. Along with this piece was likewise printed, in Latin, at Leyden,. another treatise by the same author, enti- tled, Canonum pro inveniendis rcfractionum, turn simplicium, turn m Lentibus duplicum focis, demonstrationis geometricae. And in his old age, he translated Cicero's excellent treatise De Se- nectute, which, with his explanatory notes, was printed in Philadelphia, with a preface or encomium by Benjamin Franklin, afterwards Dr. Franklin, of that cit} 7 , in 1744. He was one of the people called Quakers, and died on the 140 PROPRIETARY GOVERNMENT. 31st of October, 1751, aged about seventy-seven years, leav- ing as a monument of his public spirit and benevolence to the people of Pennsylvania a library which he had been fifty years in collecting, since called the Loganian Library, intend- ing it for the common use and benefit of all lovers of learning. It was said to contain the best editions of the best books in various languages, arts, and sciences, and to be the largest, and by far the most valuable, collection of the kind, at that time, in this part of the world. He had several children who survived him, of whom his eldest son, "William, lately deceased, was many years a member of the Governor's council." In 1742 a treaty was concluded with the Six Nations at Philadelphia, at which one of the native orators thus spoke of him, witnessing to the estimation in which he was held by the men of the forest : " We called at our old friend's, James Logan, in our way to this city, and to our grief we found him hid in the bushes, and retired, through infirmities, from public business. We pressed him to leave his retirement, and prevailed with him to assist once more, on our account, at your councils. We hope, notwithstanding his age and the effects of a fit of sickness, which, we understand, has hurt his constitution, that he may yet continue a long time to as- sist this Province with his counsels. He is a wise man and a fast friend of the Indians, and we desire, when his soul goes to God, you may choose in his room just such another person of the same prudence and ability in counselling, and of the same tender disposition and affection for the Indians. In testimony of our gratitude for all his services, and because he was so good as to leave his country house and follow us to town, and be at the trouble, in this, his advanced age, to attend the council, we present him with this bundle of skins." " In personal appearance James Logan was tall and well- proportioned, with a graceful yet grave demeanor. He had a good complexion, and was quite florid even in old age; nor did his hair, which was brown, turn gray in the decline of life, B or his eyes require spectacles. According to the fash- GEORGE THOMAS. 141 ion of the times, lie wore a powdered wig. His whole man- ner was dignified, so as to abash impertinence ; yet he was kind and strictly just in all the minor duties of acquaintance and society." * Logan's whole life in America was a laborious one, his cares being such that few would have borne up under them. In one of his letters he says : " These duties make my life so uncomfortable that it is not worth the living." And again : " I know not what any of the comforts of life are." But he faithfully executed his great trust to the last, which proved a rich blessing to the Province; and it will redound to the glory and honor of the State in all times to come, that a man of so much learning, talent, and fidelity was found to execute the duties which the government imposed, and give whole- some bias to its rule. GEORGE THOMAS, Deputy Governor, August, 1738, to 1747. George Thomas, a planter of Antigua, one of the "West India Islands, was appointed Governor in the .summer of 1737; but owing to the claim of Lord Baltimore to jurisdic- tion over the Lower Counties, he was detained in London in defending the Proprietary rights, and did not assume the duties of his office until the following year. He first met the Assembly in August, 1738. The first serious business which claimed his attention was the question of jurisdiction over the disputed territory between Maryland and Pennsylvania. It was mutually agreed that each Governor should claim alle- giance from its own subjects, wherever settled, until the boundary line was run. This agreement was approved by the King, and made an order in Council. Andrew Hamilton, the venerable speaker of the Assembly, who for several years had served the Province with great ability and acceptance, towards ,the close of August took his final leave of that body, delivering a valedictory address con- ceived in a vein of eminently just reflection and sage advice. " It is not," he says, " to the fertility of our soil, and the * Hazard, vol. v. 321. 1 42 PR OPRIETAR Y GO VERNMENT. commodiousness of our rivers, that we ought chiefly to at- tribute the great progress this Province has made within so small a compass of years, in improvements, wealth, trade and navigation; and the extraordinary increase of people who have been drawn here from almost every country in Europe, a progress which more ancient settlements on the main of America cannot, at the present, boast of. No. It is princi- pally, and almost wholly, owing to the excellency of our constitution, under which we enjoy a greater share both of civil and religious liberty than any of our neighbors We have no officers but what are necessary ; none but what earn their salaries; and those generally are either elected by the people, or appointed by their representatives. Other Provinces swarm with unnecessary officers, nominated by the Governors, who often make it a main part of their care to support those officers, notwithstanding their oppressions, at all events. I hope it will ever be the wisdom of our Assem- blies to create no great offices or officers, nor indeed any offi- cer at all, but what is really necessary for the service of the country, and to be sure to let the people, or their representa- tives, have at least a share in their nomination or appoint- ment. This will always be a good security against the mis- chievous influence of men holding places at the pleasure of the Governor Nor are we less happy in the enjoy- ment of a perfect freedom as to religion. By many years experience, we find that an equality among religious societies, without distinguishing any one sect with greater privileges than another, is the most effectual method to discourage hypocrisy, promote the practice of the moral virtues, and prevent the plagues and mischiefs that always attend religious squabbling." On the 23d of October, 1739, war, which for two years had been impending, was formally deelared between Spain and Great Britain. Governor Thomas had previously made some efforts to organize the militia; but without much success. He now endeavored to use his official authority in effecting his purpose. The Assembly had always been averse to voting GEORGE THOMAS. 143 money for carrying on military operations, though it had ap- propriated funds for the use of the Crown, to be devoted to the civil service. Thomas was dissatisfied with this course, and endeavored to convince the Assembly that such a position was absurd, and that his opinion should be respected. He seems to have had as imperfect a judgment of the Quaker faith and practice as had Governor Evans, already noticed, and to have believed that these men could be driven to adopt his views. In this he found himself deceived. Fruitless and vexatious messages passed between them. Finally a commu- nication was received from the home government, directing the Governor to call for volunteers. Eight companies were rapidly organized and sent to the capes of Virginia. It was found that many servants had been enlisted. Of this the Assembly complained, and in its bill making appropriations for the use of the King, provided for the payment of masters for the losses thus sustained. The Governor objecting to this provision, refused to sign the bill. At the next election the conduct of the Assembly in this matter was approved, and an order was issued by the Trustees of the Loan Office for the payment of the masters. In 1740, much religious excitement prevailed in the Colony produced by the preaching of Whitefield. Many of all de- nominations followed him, the feeling amounting to almost a frenzy. By his exertions a large brick edifice was erected in Fourth Street, Philadelphia, to be open to any preacher of any denomination who should desire to address the citizens.. In August, 1741, Thomas Penn departed for Europe. The Assembly presented him with a kind and affectionate address on the occasion, to which he made answer expressing his sat- isfaction, and commending to its care the interests of the Province. The contentions between the Governor and the Assembly increased at every meeting, until the style of communication between them became in a marked degree disreputable. The Governor refused to sign the bills of the Assembly, and the 144 PROPRIETARY GOVERNMENT. Assembly, in turn, refused to vote him his salary. To the Governor's complaint that his salary was unpaid, answer was made by the Assembly that they were accustomed to have all their business progress in due order, and that public acts took precedence of appropriations for their own pay. Headstrong by nature, and determined to triumph over the Assembly, he decided to appeal to the people. The Quaker element in the Assembly was strong. This' he hoped, by the aid of the city and the German population, to break down. The elections were held; but the Quakers were everywhere triumphant. In the city riots were incited, a band of marines, in the interest of the Governor's party, taking possession of the polls ; but they were finally driven away. Satisfied that he could not subdue the Assembly to his will, he decided to adopt a conciliatory policy, and to the bills presented he promptly affixed his signature. The As- sembly, willing to reciprocate, voted the Governor fifteen hundred pounds for arrearages of his salary. This reconcilia- tion was lasting, the relations of the two parties during the remaining years of the Governor's administration being marked by mutual good-will. In March, 1744, war was declared between France and Great Britain. The Delaware had been a resort for the pri- vateers of the enemy in time of war. To protect the Province against the encroachments of these, batteries were planted along the shore at eligible points for defence, the expense being met by money raised by a lottery. Governor Thomas called for volunteers by proclamation, appointed necessary officers, and fixed days for drill. The Governor was seconded in his efforts by Franklin, who issuecT a pamphlet entitled Plain Truth, demonstrating the helpless condition of the Colony, and the necessity for union and discipline. Ten thousand men were rapidly enlisted, and armed at their own expense. Franklin was elected Colonel of the Philadelphia regiment, but declined in favor of Alderman Lawrence. On the 5th of May, 1747, the Governor communicated to GEORGE THOMAS. 145 the Assembly the death of the eldest of the Proprietors, John Penn, and at the same time his own determination, on ac- count of declining health, to resign. This announcement was received with manifestations of regret, a feeling of sin- cere respect and esteem being cherished towards him. Gor- don, in his History of Pennsylvania, presents the following estimate of his character : " Governor Thomas was active, industrious, and capable ; attached to the Province, but more devoted to the Proprietaries and the king. In his zeal for His Majesty he overlooked the principles and character of the people he was called to govern. He believed himself sufficiently strong in polemical controversy to shake the opin- ions for which their ancestors had broken the tender charities of kindred and country, and which they themselves cherished with enthusiasm. Failing in this, he endeavored to intimi- date men who, though declining to exhibit military courage, were no respecters of persons, and had never displayed polit- ical cowardice. When experience had taught him properly to appreciate the Quaker character, and to determine how far and in what manner their loyalty could be shown unchecked by their consciences, he drew from them without difficulty whatever he could in propriety demand. His moderation and considerate forbearance towards the Quakers during the latter years of his administration were rewarded by the es- teem of the people and the confidence of the legislature." 10 CHAPTER VII. RICHARD AND THOMAS PENN, PROPRIETORS, 1746-1771. A NTHONY PALMER, President of the Council, May, -X 1747, to November 23, 1748. Soon after his resig- nation, Governor Thomas departed for Europe, and left the government in the hands of the Council, of which Anthony Palmer was president. It was a period in which many dan- gers threatened the Province. The enemy's privateers con- tinued to infest the waters of the Delaware. The Assembly was urged to provide means of defence. The dominant ele- ment was hy principle opposed to a resort to force, and framed ingenious excuses for refusing to vote the necessary means, alleging that the Colony must look to the Crown of England for protection ; that to volunteer provision for de- fence was virtually to assume the responsibility and expense which the home government was now willing to bear. The Quakers, Moravians, Mennonists, and other kindred sects, strenuously opposed even a defensive war, while other reli- gious sects, with equal warmth, advocated a vigorous force policy. The pulpit and the press were deeply involved in the discussion, and the population was divided into opposing fac- tions upon this question. The French, who were now laboring to connect their pos- sessions in Canada with those upon the Mississippi, by estab- lishing a line of forts and posts along the Alleghany and Ohio rivers, were busy in their efforts to seduce the natives from their alliances of peace and friendship with the Eng- lish, employing artful blandishments and the most showy und attractive presents. The policy of Pennsylvania had always been to spend the money which the other Colonies had used for military operations against the savages, in pro- 146 ANTHONY PALMER. 147 viding for their wants and ministering to their native taste for display. The Indians soon discovered the advantage of this policy, and became very artful in making the most of it. They desired frequent councils for brightening the chain of friendship. They took good care to magnify the arts of the French to win them over, and to insinuate that without strong and substantial inducements they would be unable much longer to withstand the pressure. Insignificant and roving bands sent frequent deputations to smoke the calumet of peace and cement friendship with suitable tokens. At a great council held at Albany in 1747, Maryland and Virginia were induced to join Pennsylvania, at which the latter dis- tributed goods to the value of one thousand pounds. A short time previous to the holding of the Albany council, Pennsylvania dispatched a m^enger, in the person of Conrad Weiser, to visit the tribes dwelling in the central and west- ern parts of the Province, charged with observing carefully the disposition of the Indians, their number, their means of warfare, the position of the French, their designs, and espe- cially the arts which they practised to gain the favor of the red men. He was especially to magnify the power of the English, their present pacific disposition, and their designs of distributing costly and countless presents, and to particu- larly revive the remembrance of the peaceful policy of Penn- sylvania above every other colony, in order to secure for it immunity from future peril. On the 1st of October, 1748, the treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle, which secured peace between France and Great Britain, was concluded, and the excuse for hostilities between the repre- sentatives of these nations upon the North American conti- nent was removed ; but the fell passions of the savages had been aroused, and they were not easily nor long kept in sub- jection. The sway of the Council under the presidency of Palmer lasted a little more than two years. He was a gen- tleman of wealth, who had removed to the Colony in 1708 from the West Indies. " He lived," says Watson, " in a style suited to his circumstances, keeping a coach then a 148 PROPRIETARY GOVERNMENT. luxury and a pleasure -barge. He is said to have had twenty-one children by his first wife, all of whom died of consumption : some of his descendants by a second wife are now living in Philadelphia." He died in 1749. JAMES HAMILTON, Deputy Governor, November 23, 1748, to October 3, 1754. On the 23d of November, James Hamilton, American-born and possessed of considerable landed estate, son of Andrew Hamilton, formerly for several successive years speaker of the Assembly, arrived in the Province from Eng- land, bearing the commission of Lieutenant-Governor. His first attention was directed to removing grievances of the In- dians dwelling west of the Susquehanna, who complained that white settlers had seized and occupied the choicest lands and most eligible locations along 4|e streams and water-courses their own native haunts territory which had never been ac- quired by the Proprietors, and were of right their own posses- sions. Richard Peters, secretary of the Province, and Conrad "Weiser, Indian interpreter, and an old friend of the red men, were sent to remove these intruders, squatters, in more modern parlance. They executed their delicate duty in a spirit of firmness, but with exemplary prudence. The set- tlers generally consented to give up their lands without oppo- sition, entering into recognizances for their appearance, and even helping with their own hands to reduce their cabins to ashes. To the needy the Secretary gave money, and freely offered them homes on his own lands, a tract of two million of acres which had been formally acquired of the natives. But the troubles resulting from these encroachments were of small moment compared with those which were now threat- ening the entire line of English settlements from Nova Scotia to the Gulf. The treaty of peace which had been concluded between the London and the Paris governments was scarcely felt across the ocean. To the complaints made by the British ambassador at Versailles, that the French in America were encroaching upon the English Colonies, fair promises of . o CL JAMES HAMILTON. 149 amendment were made, and orders were issued in the most formal manner to the French authorities in Canada to desist; but at the same time secret intimations were conveyed to them that it was not expected that these orders would be obeyed, that their aggressive policy was at heart well pleas- ing, and that transgressions of these orders would be winked at. Accordingly, the Canadians fearlessly continued their advance upon English territory, planning the establishment and fortifying of military posts at Presque Isle, Le Boeuf, Venango, and Du Quesne, and had buried pieces of copper along the line of the Ohio River with inscriptions laying claim to the soil. This state of affairs had been discovered through the sagacity and penetration of one to whom the country afterwards owed, in a large measure, its existence as a nation. A company of settlers had, previous to this time, under the authority of the Virginia Assembly, known as the Ohio Company, pushed out beyond the Alleghanies, and coming in contact with the French, had given the first intel- ligence of their presence south of the Great Lakes, and of their armed occup^ftion of the territory. To ascertain offi- cially the fact of their presence and their future intentions, Governor Dinwiddie, of Virginia, determined to send an agent to confer with the French commander, who had his headquarters at Fort Le Bceuf. He selected for this difficult and dangerous duty Major George "Washington, an officer of militia, a youth of less than twenty-two years, who had man- ifested spirit and ability. Leaving civilization on the 14th of November, 1753, with an escort of Indians and a faithful friend, and plunging into the forests, he followed Indian paths, crossing mountains and swollen streams, ascending the Alleghany to its confluence with the French Creek, and thence up that stream until he reached Fort Le Boeuf, the site of the present town of Waterford, Erie County, where he met Legardeau de St. Pierre, the French commandant; and having accomplished the object of his mission, returned by nearly the same route, having been absent nearly two 150 PROPRIETARY GOVERNMENT. months, and escaped harm from the lurking savage and tl e hardships of the journey at an inclement season. To the remonstrances of Washington, St. Pierre answered, that he occupied, and would hold, his position by order of the Mar- quis Du Quesne, governor of Canada, to whom all discussion of the rights of the two peoples was referred. From a cap- tain and interpreter, De La Joncaire, in the French service, Washington ascertained that the French claimed the country upon the Ohio and its tributaries by reason of its discovery by La Salle, sixty years before, and that their present activity in getting a foothold was to circumvent the Ohio Company, which was pushing settlements upon these lands. Seeing that the Ohio Company was making what he deemed encroachments upon the territory under his juris- diction, the Marquis Du Quesne had already remonstrated with Clinton and Hamilton, governors of New 'York and Pennsylvania, against the wrong. His expostulation being disregarded, the French seized some English traders, and sent them prisoners to France. The chiefs of the Six Nations were informed of these proceedings, and ordered the French away from their lands ; but the French cared little for the orders of the Indians, the gaudy presents with which they were always kept well supplied being relied on to effectually mollify the ill-will of the crafty savages; and when these failed, threats and intimidation produced the desired effect. Early in his administration, Governor Hamilton had urged upon the Assembly the necessity of organizing for defence, and establishing block-houses along the frontier; and the Proprietors had signified their willingness to contribute liber- ally for this purpose. But the Assembly persistently objected to assuming the responsibility for even defensive warfare, preferring to vote money freely to secure the friendship of the Indians by liberal gifts, and to the Crown of England from whom protection was claimed. To .uch an extent had this system of granting gratuities to the Indians been carried, that the aggregate for a single year amounted to eight thou- sand pounds ; and yet the natives were not appeased. These JAMES HAMILTON. 151 began to be felt as burdensome, and the Assembly demanded that the Proprietors should bear a share. The latter manifested a willingness to contribute a due proportion of the expenditures for defence, the sons of Penn having long since renounced the Quaker faith, but not for pur- chasing security, sending cannon to the value of four hun- dred pounds for the protection of the Delaware and the city of Philadelphia, and in various other ways assuming the payments of large sums. The answer to this manifesto of the Proprietors was drawn by Benjamin Franklin, who, since 1736, had been clerk of the Assembly, and was in 1750 elected a member. It was adroitly done, the weapons of argument being wielded with a master-hand, the rejoinder upon some indefensible points cutting like a Damascus blade. The Proprietors had, by implication, said that, as their consent was necessary to the validity of all laws for the Colony, it would be advisable for the Assembly to carefully regard the Proprietary interests. To this the Assembly answered, that " their chief Governors had intimated, in plain terms, their disposition to make advantage of their place, and to require from the people a pecuniary consideration for facilitating the passage of the colonial laws, though their deputy was, and ought to be, impowered to sanction all necessary bills. If such corruption existed, it must be discontinued ; and they would rely upon the goodness of their sovereign for the final confirmation of their laws, and not go to market for them to a subject." * To the assertion of the Proprietors, that the Assembly should be content with the answer of the Deputy- Governor to their complaints, the reply was made : " To for- bid an appeal from the Deputy-Governor to his principal was unheard of. No king of England had ever taken upon him- self such state, as to reject the personal application of his meanest subject, when aggrieved by his officers. Even Sul- tans, Sophys, and other Eastern absolute monarchs, would sometimes sit whole days to hear the complaints and petitions of the'r very slaves; and were the Proprietaries of Pennsyl- * Gordon, page 265. 152 PROPRIETARY GOVERNMENT. vania become too great to be addressed by the representatives of the freemen of their Province? If they must not be reasoned with, because they had given instructions ; nor their deputies, because they had received them ; the deliberations of the Assembly were useless; they had only to learn and obey the will of the Proprietaries." In conclusion, they said: " If the Province must be at more than two thousand pounds expense per annum for a deputy governor, having no dis- cretion to pass laws, as was intimated in the Proprietaries' answer, and must obtain the assent of the chief Governor at more than three thousand miles distance, often ignorant or misinformed of its affairs, with ears peremptorily closed by having given instructions to their deputies, it would be better that the Colony should be under the immediate care of the Crown ; and a sincere regard for the memory of the first Proprietary made them apprehend for his children, that, if they followed the advice of Rehoboam's counsellors, they would, like him, absolutely lose at least the affections of the people ; a loss which, however they might affect to despise, they would find of more consequence than they now seemed to apprehend." On the 25th of June, 1751, the Parliament of Great Brit- ain had passed a bill prohibiting the North American Colonies from issuing paper currency. Influenced by a statement of the needs of the Colony, and the great advan- tages to commerce, population, and internal improvements derived from that already issued, Pennsylvania was ex- empted from the provisions of this bill. Accordingly, at the next session, an Act was passed for a new issue. By the instructions of the Proprietors, the Deputy Governor was for- bidden to approve any money bill which did not place the whole of the interest at the disposal of themselves or depu- ties. Well knowing that such conditions would be exceed- ingly odious, the Governor had kept them a secret, and, upon one pretext or another, refused his assent to the bill in every form presented, without disclosing the real reason of the veto. This refusal gave rise to a series of sharp and JAMES HAMILTON. 153 impassioned messages and remonstrances which greatly im- paired the harmony and usefulness of the Governor; indeed, it was the beginning of the end of his administration. In February, 1753, John Penn, son of Richard Penn, ar- rived in the Colony, having been sent by the Proprietors to reside a few years among the people, and gain a knowledge of their character and wants, with the expectation of eventu- ally making him Deputy Governor. By unanimous vote of the Council he was made a member of that body, and its presiding officer, the place of the eldest councillor. As early in the spring of 1754 as troops could profitably move, the French, under command of Contrecceur, from Forts Le Boauf and Venango, moved down the Alleghany River, and routing a small party of the Ohio Company who were engaged in erecting a fort at the confluence of the Alle- ghany and Monongahela rivers, took up the line of work upon the Fort where the English had left it, and, out of re- spect to the Governor-General of Canada, named it Du Quesne. The journal of Washington, and the report of his embassage, were promptly published throughout the Colonies and in England, and produced the conviction that the French were determined to make conquest of all the lands upon the tributaries of the Ohio. Accordingly, measures were taken to raise troops in the several Colonies to defend the imperilled rights of the Crown, and rescue territory which had been forcibly entered. Governor Dinwiddie, of Virginia, was most forward in this work, inasmuch as the Ohio Company, acting under his charter, was meeting resistance. "Washing- ton took the lead in recruiting. Governor Hamilton urged upon the Assembly the necessity of voting money ; but al- though the Assembly readily complied by providing for the issue of paper currency, the impracticable provisions imposed by the Proprietors prevented any money from being realized. Early on the morning of the 28th of May, Washington, who had recruited a small force of militia, and was pushing for- ward to the aid of the Ohio Company, surprised and routed a party of tlte French under Jumonville, near the Great 154 PROPRIETARY GOVERNMENT. Meadows, capturing the entire party save one, and killing the leader. Washington had but a feeble force, to which the French in the neighborhood were vastly superior. Anxiously but vainly waiting for reinforcements, he was finally obliged to retire, without coming to a decisive engagement, to Fort Necessity, at the Great Meadows, which he labored to fortify. But on the 4th of July he was obliged, after nine hours of conflict with a greatly superior force, to yield to the French, who permitted him to march out with the honors of war. Governor Hamilton convened the Assembly on the 6th of August in special session in consequence of Washington's defeat; and money was freely voted as before, but with the same abortive result. Though the French in America were greatly inferior in numbers to the English, yet they had the immediate advan- tage of being directed by one governing power, which ena bled them to concentrate all their resources at any point de- sired. This advantage had been foreseen by the English Government, and already, with a view to a central power, had the Ministry recommended a uniform system of taxation, which finally became the bone of contention between the mother country and her Colonies, and had ordered a confer- ence of representatives of the Provinces with the chiefs of the Six Nations at Albany, to concert measures of defence. This council convened on the 19th of June, 1754, the first general Congress of the Colonies in America. Governor Hamilton, unable himself to attend, commissioned John Penn and Rich- ard Peters of the Council, and Isaac Norris and Benjamin Franklin of the Assembly. The Indians were lukewarm. Indeed, they had shown themselves a treacherous people, in- clined to the stronger side. A plan of government for the Colonies, prepared by Franklin who had previously medi- tated the subject and had brought his notes with him was, on the 10th of July, adopted substantially as submitted. It provided for a president-general to be appointed by the Crown, and a council of forty-eight members to be chosen by the Colonial Assemblies. It was provided that the first meeting ROBERT HUNTER MORRIS. 155 should be held at Philadelphia, which place, it was believed, members from Kew Hampshire even might reach in ten or fifteen days. " The fate of this constitution," says the biog- rapher of Franklin, " was singular. It was disapproved of by the Ministry of Great Britain because it gave too much power to the representatives of the people ; and it was re- jected by every Assembly as giving to the president-general, the representative of the Crown, an influence greater than appeared to them proper in a plan of government intended for freemen." * Early in 1753 Governor Hamilton had given notice to the Proprietors that in twelve months from its reception he would resign his commission. He was led to this step by the dis- agreeable relations which the royal and Proprietary instruc- tions forced him to hold towards the Assembly. Induced to keep his instructions secret by the conviction that their divul- gence would tend to exasperate the people, he was obliged to assign various pretexts for refusing his assent to many necessary acts of legislation, which pretexts wer"e recognized as frivolous and indefensible by the Assembly, well calculated to alienate that body, and to place the Governor before il in a false and damaging position. ROBERT HUNTER MORRIS, Deputy Governor, October, 1754, to August, 1756. In October, 1754, Governor Hamilton was relieved by Robert Hunter Morris. The old dispute be- tween Governor and Assembly over the money bill was early renewed, his first oificial act being the rejection of one for forty thousand pounds. Great Britain had at this time determined to press resistance to the French energetically, and Pennsyl- vania was called on to furnish three thousand recruits, sub- sistence, camp equipage, and transportation. Unable to secure an appropriation of money, by reason of the Proprietary in- structions, the Assembly showed its desire to promptly second the purposes of the Crown by resolving to borrow five thou- * Life of Franklin, p. 118. 156 PROPRIETARY GOVERNMENT. sand pounds on its own credit for the support of the troops. Early in March, General Braddock, with two regiments of the line, arrived from Cork, Ireland, at Alexandria, Virginia, whence he marched to Frederick, Maryland. Here the haughty General found that no means of transportation had been provided, nor could any be obtained. Franklin, who had been sent to Braddock by the Assembly of Pennsylvania, not in its own name, but to represent the Colonial cause as Postmaster-General an office which he then held indicated to him that the line of march should have been through Pennsylvania, where the supplies needed were abundant. Whereupon Braddock commissioned him on liberal terms to procure one hundred and fifty wagons and fifteen hundred pack-horses. Returning immediately to Pennsylvania, he circulated notices through the counties of Cumberland, York,* and Lancaster as he went, offering good prices and immunity from impressment, which he represented as imminent, and in a few day 3 had all the wagons he desired and a good num- ber of horses. His wants in this particular being supplied, Braddock commenced his advance, with entire confidence of complete success. After brushing aside the slight resistance which he might meet at Fort Du Quesne, and leaving a gar- rison there, he would move* rapidly upon Forts Niagara and Frontignac, having no suspicion of the possibility of a re- pulse. Possessed of the ideas of soldiering in a long-settled country, with broad, solid highways on which to move his trains, he little realized the obstacles he was to meet in fight- ing savages in the wilderness. Finding only Indian trails, he stopped to cut away the forests, build bridges, and con- struct roads, treating with contempt the advice of Washing- ton to push rapidly forward with pack-horses. By the time he had reached the Monongahela, the French, who had been regularly advised of his movements, had had ample time to gather in reinforcements, and fire the spirits of the In- diana for the conflict. On the morning of July 9th, 1755, when within seven miles of Fort Du Quesne, and while ROBERT HUNTER MORRI& 167 inarching confidently on, the front and left flank of rhe col- umn was suddenly assailed by an invisible foe. Momentary confusion ensued; but soon rallying, the troops moved in good order, the officers evincing admirable discipline and courage. But every tree concealed a foe, from which an un- erring fire was delivered with deadly effect. Sir Peter Hal- kett, the second in command, was killed, Braddock mortally wounded, and every mounted officer save Washington killed or wounded. Washington had two horses killed under him, and four bullets through his coat, but still kept his horse ; and after seeing sixty-four out of eighty-five of the officers, and half the privates, killed or wounded, withdrew with the remnant of the forces, losing artillery and stores, even to the private cabinet of the commander, which contained his in structions. The defeat of Braddock left the frontier unprotected, and struck the defenceless settlers with terror. The Assembly immediately voted fifty thousand pounds to the King's use for affording protection; but Governor Morris returned it without his approval, because it provided for taxing the property of the Proprietors, as other estates, and from this decision no argument could move him. In their remonstrance against his decision the Assembly said: " We entreat him to reflect with what reluctance a people born and bred in free- dom, and accustomed to equitable laws, must undergo the weight of this uncommon tax, and even expose their persons for the defence of his estate, who, by virtue of his power only, and without the color of right, should refuse to bear the least share of the burden, though to receive so great a bene- fit. With what spirit can they exert themselves in his cause, who will not pay the smallest part of their grievous expenses ? How odious must it be to a sensible, manly people to find him, who ought to be their father and protector, taking ad- vantage of public calamity and eatress, and their tenderness for their bleeding country, to force down their throats laws of imposition abhorrent to common justice and common reason ! " 158 PROPRIETARY GOVERNMENT. Expeditions undertaken against the French in Nova Scotia, and at Crown Point, were more successful, and in a measure atoned for the failure of that under Braddock. To defray the expenses of these northern operations, the Assembly voted fifteen thousand pounds in bills to be drawn on the trustees of the loan office. The Proprietors, having intelli- gence of the defeat of Braddock, also contributed five thou- sand pounds; and a money bill, with a provision for the organ- ization of a volunteer militia, was passed. The French at Du Quesne expected that operations against them would be renewed. But no sooner did they find that the campaign had been abandoned, and that a long line of settlements lay all unprotected before them, inviting attack and easy conquest, than they lit the torch of devastation, and the whoop of the savage and the death-shriek of the power- less inhabitant was heard by mountain and stream along all the frontier. The most appalling outrages were committed, and the settlers were driven in until the enemy, advancing through Cumberland County, had reached the Susquehanna, where the main body established themselves, about thirty miles above Harris' Ferry, and whence wandering bands were sent out in all directions. Even the Shawanese and Delaware Indians, who from the first had been clamorous to take up arms on the side of the English, seeing the French victorious, and being encouraged by the latter to strike for the recovery of the lands which they had sold, following the inclination of their naturally blood-thirsty disposition, raised the hatchet against the English. In the beginning of the year 1755, it was estimated that there were three thousand men capable of bearing arms west of the Susquehanna. A twelvemonth later, and there were not a hundred. To check these devastations, a chain of forts and block- houses was erected along the line of the Kittatinny Hills, from the Delaware river to the Maryland line, at an expense to the Province of eighty-five thousand pounds. To encourage the formation of volunteer militia companies, Franklin pub- lished and circulated a dialogue, answering the objections to WILLIAM DENNY. 159 a legalized militia, and, at the urgent solicitation of the Gov- ernor, was induced to take command on the northwestern frontier. Though in the dead of winter, he raised a respect- able force, and in the beginning of January, amid rain and frost, commenced the erection of forts, which he soon made sufficiently strong to withstand the attacks of an enemy wanting in artillery, and had them completely garrisoned. Recruits having been rapidly gathered in, and an adequate force formed, Franklin returned to Philadelphia to take his seat in the Assembly, and was succeeded by Colonel Clap- ham, an officer skilled in Indian warfare. The Governor now formally declared war against the hostile Indians, though a vigorous protest was made to it by the Quakers in the As- sembly, and finally, by the mild and persuasive methods in which they were skilled, they succeeded in inducing the Sha- wanese and Delawares, and other tribes, to bury the hatchet. The Assembly, which met in May, in answer to the demands for money from the Governor, prepared a bill, with the old provision for taxing the Proprietors, which was known would be rejected, and the two parties were sharpening their wits for another wrangle over it, when the Governor was relieved of his office. Governor Morris was the son of Lewis Morris, Chief Jus- tice of New York and New Jersey, and Governor of New Jersey. The son was bred a lawyer and was for twenty-six years a Councillor of New Jersey, and for twenty years Chief Justice of that Province. His administration in Pennsyl- vania was anything but pleasant or profitable to himself or the Colony. Hampered by the instructions of the Proprie- tors, he was prevented from acting independently as his judg- ment or his feelings dictated, the record of his official acts being little more than a recital of profitless and oftentimes acrimonious quarrels with the Assembly. Upon his retire- ment he returned to New Jersey, where he died February 20th, 1764. WILLIAM DENNY, Deputy Governor, August, 1756, to 160 PROPRIETARY GOVERNMENT. October, 1759. On the 20th of August, 1756, William Denny arrived in the Colony, bearing a commission of Deputy Gov- ernor, and immediately assumed the duties of his office. He was received bythe authorities of the city and the Province with demonstrations of rejoicing, being escorted into the city by the regiments of Franklin and Duche, and enter- tained at a princely dinner given at the State House. His reception was in every way most cordial; but an exhibi- tion of his instructions from the Proprietors disclosed the fact that he was bound by honor and fortune to withhold his assent from every bill for the emission of money that did not place the proceeds at the joint disposition of the Assembly and the Governor ; that he was forbidden to pass any bill in- creasing the paper currency above forty thousand pounds, or to confirm existing issues, unless Proprietary ronts were paid in sterling money ; and that though Proprietary lands, actually leased, could be taxed out of the rents, yet the tax could in no case become a lien upon the land. To these instructions the Governor signified his determination to adhere, which at once renewed all the old subjects of discord, and all friendly feeling was at an end. A money bill was passed, to which he promptly objected, pleading his instructions, and the war of message and remonstrance began anew. In one of his messages, during his first year of office, occurs this passage : " Though moderation is most agreeable to me, there might have been a Governor who would have told you the whole tenor of your message was indecent, frivolous, and evasive." And in his message of September, 1757, occur these pas- sages: " If detraction and personal abuse of your Governor," " but I have been so accustomed to this kind of treatment," "I have the less reason to regret such usage, since it is obvious, from your conduct to those before me, you are not so much displeased with the person governing, as impatient of being governed at all." Under the Act of Assembly providing for organizing volunteer militia, twenty-five companies had been raised, which were stationed at military posts along the line of the WILLIAM DENNY. 161 frontier. Near the close of August, Colonel Armstrong led a force of about three hundred of these troops against the Indian town of Kittanning, upon the Alleghany River, some twenty-five miles above Fort Du Quesne. On approaching the place, the main body made a detour to the left, and came upon the river some three hundred yards below the town at three o'clock on the morning of the 7th of September. At dawn the attack was made. Shielded from view by the tall corn which grew upon the river flats, the approach was unobserved, and the surprise and triumph was complete. Jacobs, the chief, sounded the war-whoop, and defended himself bravely through loop-holes in the logs of his cabin. The warriors generally refused quarter, declaring that they were men, and never would be prisoners. Finding that they would listen to no terms, Armstrong ordered their cabins to be fired. "Again," says Gordon, " the Indians were required to surrender, and again refused ; one of them declaring that he did not care for death, as he could kill four or five before he died ; and as the heat approached, some of them began to sing. Others burst from their houses and attempted to reach the river, but were instantly shot down. Captain Jacobs, in getting out of a window, was shot, as also a squaw, and a lad called the king's son." Considerable quantities of gun- powder, and small arms, with valuable goods which had been presented by the French a few days before, were destroyed. The severity of this blow had a marked eifect upon the sur- rounding tribes, who had not before felt the power of the English arms. The gallantry of Armstrong in this afi'air was publicly acknowledged, and he was presented with a medal and plate by the city of Philadelphia. On account of the repeated failure of the money bills, the Colonial Treasury had become greatly embarrassed. The need of money was imperative. The Assembly accord- ingly passed a bill, levying one hundred thousand pounds upon all estates, real and personal, including alike that of Proprietor and people. Governor Denny promptly re- jected it: and the Assembly, unable to hold out longer, 11 162 PROPRIETARY GOVERNMENT. was forced to exempt the Proprietary estates; but at the same time determined to send two commissioners to Eng- land to present their grievances before the throne, and seek relief. Isaac Norris and Benjamin Franklin were selected for this mission. The state of health and business relations of the former prevented his acceptance, and the latter pro- ceeded alone. During the winter of 1756, the hostile Indians were busy in their work of devastation and death, and during the spring and summer months of 1757, the settlers in the counties of Cumberland, Berks, Northampton, and Lancaster were kept in a continual state of alarm ; the savages lurking in every covert, and shooting laborers as they sowed and gathered, and murdering and scalping helpless women and children ; some of their hostile parties pushing down within thirty miles of the city of Philadelphia. The military operations against the French and Indians during the year 1757 were sluggish, being conducted under the chief command of the Earl of Loudoun, and resulted in nothing but defeat and dis- grace. In 1758, Loudoun was recalled ; and General Aber- crombie, with Amherst, "Wolfe, and Forbes as his lieutenants, was entrusted with the chief command. William Pitt was now at the head of the British Ministry, and was resolved upon wielding power in America with that mastery which he had displayed in the affairs of the Continent. It was determined to direct operations upon three points: Louisburg, the forts upon the lakes, and Fort Du Quesne. In the meantime a conference was held at Easton, in August, 1757, with the Indians, at which the Governors of New Jersey, New York, Maryland, and Virginia, and Sir William Johnson, the victor over the Baron Diesker in the battle upon Lake George, in August, 1755, were invited to partici- pate. Delegates from the "Friendly Association" of Quakers were also present, and assisted materially in inclining the savages to peaceful counsels. Charles Thomson, Master of the Quaker Free School, of Philadelphia, subsequently Secretary of the American Congress, acted as secretary to the Indians. WILLIAM DENNY. 163 The result of the council was a compact of peace with the English by the tribes represented. General Abercrombie, in person, led the main body of his forces against the forts upon the lakes. In an attack upon Ticonderoga, a fort erected by the French in 1756, upon a narrow neck of land between Lakes George and Champlain, he was repulsed with griev- ous loss. But at Frontignac he was successful j where large captures of guns and military stores were made, and the French force, routed, was followed and destroyed. General Forbes was intrusted with the operations against Fort Du Quesne. With a detachment of Abercrombie's army, and the militia of Pennsylvania and Virginia, under command of Colonels Bouquet and Washington, he marched from Car- lisle in July, 1758, and, after severe lighting in front of the fort, compelled its evacuation, the French escaping to their settlements upon the Mississippi. The fort was seized and garrisoned by four hundred Pennsylvanians, and the rest of the army returned, and was quartered upon the inhabitants of Lancaster, Reading, and Philadelphia; but was finally put in barracks at Lancaster. It was determined to put a finishing stroke to the French power in America in the campaign of 1759. The general plan involved active operations along all the line of the Col- onies. General Stanwix, who was intrusted with the com- mand of the Southern Department, kept close guard of the frontier in Maryland and Pennsylvania. About the middle of July, General Prideaux, with a force strengthened by friendly Indians, invested Fort Niagara, near the Falls. While reconnoitring the trenches, he was killed by the burst- ing of a coehorn, and was succeeded by Sir William Johnson. A large French force, drawn from Detroit, Yenango, and PresqueTsle, which approached for the relief of the fort, was met, and, after a severe battle, was routed, and its comman- der and all his officers were taken prisoners ; whereupon the garrison of the fort surrendered. General Amherst, with twelve thousand troops, fell upon Forts Ticonderoga and Crown Point ; but enc "untered little resistance, the French, 164 PROPRIETARY GCVERNMENT. upon his approach, withdrawing towards Quebec. Finally, to crown this series of triumphs, General "Wolfe, with an army of eight thousand men, moved for the reduction of Quebec. The place was defended by a French army of six thousand men, under General Montcalm, in a position strong ;by nature, and rendered seemingly impregnable by art. All attempts to draw his adversary from this stronghold having proved fruitless, Wolfe moved his forces up the river, as if to land above; but, during the night of the 12th of September, dropped quietly down, under cover of darkness, and landing upon a rugged shore deemed impracticable for the debarka- tion of an assailing force, and hence little guarded, ascended the steep bluff', and at daylight stood in hostile array upon the plains of Abraham. Montcalm immediately determined to give battle, and after a desperate engagement fought with great bravery and determination, in which the commanders of both armies were killed, the English gained a signal and complete triumph. The news of this succession of brilliant victories was received in Great Britain with demonstrations of delight. A day of thanksgiving to God throughout the royal dominions was proclaimed, and Parliament voted a monument in "Westminster Abbey to the fallen hero by whose gallantry the last great .victory was won. Franklin, who had arrived in London in July, 1757, laid his instructions before the Ministry, and was at once involved in a controversy with the Proprietors. Towards the close of the year 1757, Robert Charles and Richard Partridge were sent to Franklin as associates. A few days after his arrival, Franklin had presented a remonstrance to the Proprietors against the instructions they had given to their Deputy Gov- ernor. In February, 1759, the Proprietors sent a message to the Assembly in answer to this remonstrance, defending their course. In the meantime Franklin, finding that the cause of the Assembly was being grossly misrepresented, and that ignorance prevailed relative to the real condition of the Colony, had recourse to the press, and, by articles in the newspapers, and by a pamphlet entitled "Historical Review of JAMES HAMILTON. 165 the Constitution and Government of Pennsylvania," sought to enlighten public sentiment. The Proprietors had pro- posed to allow their estates to be taxed, provided their value should be assessed by commissioners, of their own appoint- ment. This the Assembly resisted, and passed the money bill of the session of 1759, with no discrimination in assess- ments. This was resisted by the Proprietors before the Privy Council, but it finally received the royal sanction on the en- gagement of Franklin that the Deputy Governor should be admitted to a participation in the disposal of the revenues, that the bills issued should be a tender in payment of quit- rents, and that the located uncultivated lands of the Proprie- tors should be assessed as low as the lowest uncultivated lands of the settlers. This final decision of a vexed question, substantially in the interest of the Assembly, was a signal triumph for the Commission, and Franklin was appointed agent for the colonies of Massachusetts, Maryland, and Georgia, in addition to Pennsylvania. Governor Denny had received no pay since his first arrival in the Colony, when he was presented with five hundred pounds, all appropriations since having fallen by want of his signature. His needs finally became such that he determined to disregard his instructions, and on signing the bill taxing the Proprietary estates, he was voted a thousand pounds, a like sum on approving the bill re-emitting paper currency without a clause protecting the Proprietary interests, and an- other like sum on approving that for recording of warrants and surveys. This course gave offence to the Proprietors, and he was accordingly recalled. The Governor had a diffi- cult part assigned him to act a part that his judgment evi- dently did not approve. He was active and judicious in con- certing measures for the defence of the Colony according to the means afforded him, and maintained the dignity and decorum of the gubernatorial office. JAMES HAMILTON, Deputy Governor, October, 1759, to No\- "nber, 1763. Upon the recall of Governor Denny, James 166 PROPRIETARY GOVERNMENT. Hamilton was again invested with the office of Governor. Believing that the Colonies had borne more than their pro- portionate share of the hurden in furnishing troops and money in the late war, the Prime Minister of Great Britain recom- mended, as he had promised to do, an appropriation to sat- isfy this excess of expense. Two hundred thousand pounds per annum for five years was voted to the Colonies, the share of Pennsylvania being twenty-six thousand pounds. During the fall and winter of 1759-60 the Cherokee In- dians, who were very strong in the South, commenced hostilities. The militia, under Governor Littleton, of South Carolina, was led against them with some success; but not being in sufficient force to intimidate, it only served to em- bitter the savages and stir them to more desperate deeds of butchery. A detachment of the British army, led by Colonel Montgomery, was sent to subdue them, but suffered disastrous repulse. In May of the following year, Colonel Grant was dispatched against them with a strong force, who defeated them in battle, burnt their towns, and ravaged their territory, compelling them to sue for peace. During the winter of 1760 the French made extraordinary efforts to recover what they had lost in the previous cam- paign. But in this they were unsuccessful, and General Am- herst, who had succeeded to the command of the British army, gatbering in the forces from Quebec and from lakes Champlain and Ontario, appeared before Montreal, where the French army was concentrated, and demanded its surren- der. Seeing that resistance would be unavailing, the French yielded to the demand, and Montreal, Detroit, and all other strongholds in Canada submitted to English rule. On the 25th of October, 1760, George II. died, and was succeeded by his grandson, George III. Early in the year 1762, war was declared between England and Spain, the lat- ter being shortly after joined by France. The city of Phila- delphia was wholly without defence, and lay exposed to the visits of the enemy's privateers. Governor Hamilton con- vened the Assembly, which voted the sum receivable from JAMES HAMILTON. 167 Great Britain, for preparations to meet the threatened danger, and five thousand pounds additional, for erecting a fort and mounting it with cannon on Mud Island, at the mouth of the Schuylkill. But the war was of short continuance, peaco being concluded in November, 1762, by which Nova Scotia, Canada, Louisiana to the Mississippi, and Florida, were given up to Great Britain. The native tribes beheld this sudden expansion of powei and influence with concern. The English were everywhere encroaching upon their pleasant seats and hunting-grounds, and pushing them farther and farther towards the setting sun. To stem the tide, and, if possible, recover their coun- try, the Shawanese and the tribes upon the Ohio formed a secret league, under Pontiac, a famous chief of the Ottowas, and planned to strike a sudden and concerted blow along the whole frontier. It fell in the spring of 1763. Unsus- picious of any danger, the settlers were busy in their fields. Stealing upon them unawares, the savages shot down and murdered them without mercy. The whole line of the frontier was ablaze with the torch and musket of the savage. Forts Le Bceuf, Venango, Presque Isle, La Ray, St. Joseph's, Miamis, Ouachtanon, Sandusky, and Michilimackinack, were simultaneously assailed, and fell into the hands of the Indians, the garrisons being mercilessly slaughtered. Fort Pitt, Niagara, and Detroit were able to hold out, but having only weak garrisons, could aiford no protection to the wide territory around them. The slaughter along all the border was indiscriminate, and the weak settlements one after another were broken up, until Shippensburg, Cumber- land County, became the outpost of civilization. " The sav- ages," says Gordon, " set fire to houses, barns, corn, hay, and everything that was combustible. The wretched inhabitants, whom they surprised at night, at their meals, or in the labors of the fields, were massacred with the utmost cruelty and barbarity, and those who fled were scarce more happy. Over- whelmed by sorrow, without shelter or means of transporta- tion, their tardy flight was impeded by fainting women and 168 PROPRIETARY GOVERNMENT. weeping children. ... In the towns, every stable and hovel was crowded with miserable refugees, who, having lost their houses, their cattle, and their harvest, were reduced from independence and happiness to beggary and despair. The streets were filled with people ; the men, distracted by grief for their losses, and the desire of revenge, were poignantly excited by the disconsolate females and bereaved children who wailed around them. In the woods for some miles on both sides of the Susquehanna, many families, with their cattle, sought shelter, being unable to find it in the towns." Colonel Armstrong, collecting a force in Cumberland County of three hundred volunteers, advanced upon Muncy and Great Island, destroying their towns and stores; but the savages withdrew before him. Fort Pitt, which had for some time been surrounded and cut off from communication with the Government, was repeatedly attacked by musketry, and flaming arrows. But still the garrison held out. At length, General Armstrong sent Colonel Bouquet for its re- lief. Fort Ligonier, beyond the Alleghanies, was reached in safety, and a party of thirty trusty men was dispatched in advance, who pushed past the savage warriors at night and entered Fort Pitt with intelligence that succor was approach- ing, to the great joy of the garrison. But the main body was attacked near Bushy Run, on the 5th of August, 1763, and before the commander was aware of the presence of a foe, he found himself surrounded and hard-pressed on all sides. Gallantly did the little body of less than four hundred men face the enemy; but with equal resolution did the savage warriors press upon them. Utter destruction seemed inevi- table. Finally, Bouquet laid an ambuscade. He ordered a part of his force to steal away, as in retreat, while the main body was disposed so as to fall upon the Indians should they attempt to follow. The savages eagerly fell into the snare, and were routed with great slaughter, when Bouquet moved forward to Fort Pitt unmolested. JOHN PENN. 169 JOHN PENN, Deputy Governor, November, 1763-1771. In November, 1763, Governor Hamilton was superseded by John Penn, son of Richard Penn, who had come to the Col- ony in 1753, and had acted as President of the Council. During the fall and early winter following the Pontiac war, the condition of the Province along the frontier was deplora- ble. Notwithstanding the utmost vigilance of the inhabitants who had enrolled themselves as Rangers, many a hearthstone was laid waste. The Moravian and other friendly Indians were strongly suspected of treachery. Not that they them- selves were guilty of the outrages, but receiving guns and ammunition, they traded them to the hostile roving bands. On strong representations made to the Government, after investigation by the Assembly, the Indians at the towns of Nain and Wechquetank were removed to Philadelphia. Contiguous to the Scotch-Irish settlements of Donegal and Paxton, in what was then Lancaster County, was the Indian village of Conestoga, consisting of a score of men and women. They were a miserable set of savages; but Governor Penn, notwithstanding the earnest request of Colonel (Rev.) John Elder and John Harris, failed to remove them. Indian marauders and assassins were traced by Colonel Elder's inde- fatigable Paxton Boys, or Rangers, to Conestoga, and as no assistance or protection could be had from the govern- ment, they took measures to destroy every one. A number escaped, and were placed by the magistrates in the work-house at Lancaster for protection ; but their retreat was broken into by the infuriated populace, and they met the fate of their brethren. In the destruction of the Conestogas several well- known, blood-thirsty savages lurking there were killed. This act of the frontiersmen, which aided eventually in giving peace to the borders, caused intense excitement in the interior counties, and Governor Penn issued several procla- mations, offering rewards for the chief actors in that affair. Meetings were held on the frontiers to protest against the measures of the Government, and delegates were appointed 170 PROPRIETARY GOVERNMENT. to proceed to Philadelphia and lay before the Governor ind the Council a statement of the condition of the inhabitants. The news of the coming of these representatives, augmented by numbers from Berks and the adjoining counties, created an alarm, and their object being misunderstood, the militia was called out. The Moravian Indians were removed to Province Island, and placed under heavy guard; but feeling insecure, they asked to be sent to England. Governor Penn sent them for this purpose to New York; but the Governor of that Colony refused to allow them to enter his dominions, and Governor Franklin of New Jersey would not grant them permission to remain in his. They were obliged thus to return to Philadelphia, where they were placed in barracks for protection. The Paxton Boys, being then at German- town, a committee, of which Franklin was a member, was sent by Governor Penn to confer with them. The majority of them, after some persuasion, returned to their homes, leaving Matthew Smith and James Gibson to plead their cause, who said in justification of their conduct, " That whilst more than a thousand families, reduced to extreme distress, during the last and present war, by the attacks of skulking parties of Indians upon the frontier, were destitute, and were suffered by the public to depend on private charity, a hundred and twenty of the perpetrators of the most horrid barbarities, were supported by the Province, and protected from the fury of the brave relatives of the murdered." * Prosecutions were commenced against some of the parties to the outbreak, but so many were implicated, and so excellent the character of many of them, that no convictions were ever secured. There were two policies advocated in the Colony towards the Indians at this time, which were in direct antagonism. " Whilst one party was laboring to destroy by fire and sword a perfidious and ferocious enemy, the other was striving to conciliate an offended friend." To attempt to pursue both of these policies at once could but result disastrously. * Gordon, p. 408. JOHN PENN. 171 The British Ministry determined to prosecute the campaign of 1764 against the Indians with vigor along all the frontier. Pennsylvania was called on for one thousand troops. The Assembly voted fifty thousand pounds ; but a difference of opinion arising respecting the interpretation of the agree- ment formed by the Proprietors with Franklin relative to as- sessments, the Governor withheld his assent to the bill, and the Assembly was finally forced, by the exigencies of the case, to modify it so as to meet his views ; but adopted a series of resolutions condemnatory of the course of the Proprietors, and concluding, that, for the reasons set forth, " It was the opinion of the House, that the powers of government ought, in all good policy, to be separated from the power attending that immense property, and lodged where only they could be properly and safely lodged, in the hands of the king." After passing these resolutions, the Hoilse determined to adjourn to consult the people whether an address should be drawn praying his Majesty to take the Province under his imme- diate protection and government. After an interval of fifty days the Assembly again convened, and petitioned the king to assume the direct government of the Province, though upon the adoption of this policy, strong opposition was made by the venerable Isaac Norris, John Dickinson, and a few others. The Quakers, as a denomination, favored the change, and sent up a petition from their body urging it. In the elections which followed the sittings of this Assembly, a reaction seems to have taken place, and some of the old members, who had advocated the change, were defeated, among them Franklin ; still there was a majority which favored it. On the 7th of July, 1765, Governor Penn again declared war against the Shawanese and Delaware Indians, who had been practising hostilities with great barbarity, and early in August, Colonel Bouquet, with the Pennsylvania troops, started from Carlisle for Fort Pitt. By the 3d of October he had reached the forks of the Muskingum, a tributary of the Ohio, the very heart of the Indian territory, where were 172 PROPRIETARY GOVERNMENT. their finest villages und most fruitful fields, the fairest of their possessions. So fearless and rapid were the movements of Bouquet, that the savages were everywhere stricken with ter- ror, and they soon came as suppliants, suing for peace and begging that their homes might be spared. Terms of pacifi- cation were concluded, by which they agreed to abstain from hostilities until a formal treaty could be concluded with Sir William Johnson, agent of Indian Affairs in America, and to deliver up all the white captives who had been carried away during the several years of hostility. " Two hundred and six prisoners, men, women, and children," says Gordon, " were restored, many of whom were joyfully received in the camp by their relations, who had joined the army with the design of redeeming them from slavery or avenging their deaths. Some of the captives had dwelt long enough with the Indians to acquire a taste for their wild and simple life, and to inspire their masters with ardent affection. Force was necessary in several instances to bring the prisoners to the camp, where their captors, with cheeks bedewed with tears, delivered them to their countrymen, loading them with corn, skins, and other property, bestowed upon them whilst in the Indian families. On the return of the army, some of the Indians obtained leave to accompany their former captives to Fort Pitt, and employed themselves in hunting and carrying provisions for them on the road." Pledges were also given for the delivery of all captives held by these tribes, many of whom had become widely scattered and could not be imme- diately reached. But there was another subject at that time under con- sideration in the British Parliament, which, in its bearing upon the Colonies, overshadowed every other. It was that of taxing them. As early as 1739, Sir William Keith had proposed to realize funds for the support of troops to defend the frontiers by a duty to be laid by Parliament, in all the Colonies, on stamped paper. The revenue likely at that time to accrue from such a duty was too insignificant to merit serious consideration ; but the power and resources displayed JOHN PENN. 173 by the Colonies in the late war had excited the attention of the Ministry, and, near the close of the year 1763, Mr. Grenville, the British minister, communicated to the agents of the Col- onies his intention of drawing revenue from them by means of stamp-duty. The Colonies, on being informed of this, remonstrated against it. Laying this plan aside for the time, Grenville imposed a tax on imports, and required that it should be paid in gold and silver. This proved onerous and especially destructive to Commerce. In October, 1765, the Assembly of Rhode Island submitted a proposition to the sev- eral Assemblies, for obtaining the views held in all the Colo- nies upon the subject of Parliamentary taxation, with a view to uniting in a common petition to the British Government. This was favorably received and acted on by the Assembly of Pennsylvania. But not content with petition, the Assem- bly determined to send an agent familiar with the subject to represent its interests at Court. Franklin was selected for this duty, though his appointment was vigorously opposed by the friends of the Proprietors, on account, of his advocacy of a transfer of the government of the Colony to the Crown. On the 22d of March, 1765, the obnoxious Stamp Act that infringement of prerogative which gave occasion to the American Revolution and the ultimate independence of the Colonies was passed. It excited intense opposition, and, led by the persuasive eloquence of Patrick Henry, the Vir- ginia Assembly passed resolutions asserting the exclusive right of the Colony to levy taxes. The purposes expressed in these resolves were generally concurred in by all the other Colonies. In view of the threatening attitude of affairs, the Assembly of Massachusetts proposed a meeting of commit- tees from all the Colonial Assemblies in a general Congress at New York, on the second Tuesday of October, 1765. To represent Pennsylvania, Messrs. Fox, Dickinson, Bryan, and Morton were appointed, and resolutions for their guidance were passed, firmly but respectfully declaring that when his Majesty shall require aid from the Colony to be levied in a constitutional manner, it will be cheerfully given, and that 174 PROPRIETARY GOVERNMENT. taxation by any other power than that of the representatives of the people in assembly met is unconstitutional. The Stamp Act was to go into operation on the 1st of No- vember. Agents for the sale of the stamps had been ap- pointed and stamps forwarded; but the people everywhere resolved not to use them. The newspapers on the last day of October were dressed in mourning, and on the following day their issue was suspended, their publishers resolving not to use the stamped paper required. The people determined to dress in none but cloth of their own manufacture, and, to increase the yield of wool, resolved not to eat lamb during the year. According to appointment, the Congress of the Colonies met on the second Tuesday of October, 1765, at New York, and a petition to the King and a memorial to Parliament were drawn, setting forth the grievances of the Colonies by reason of recent Parliamentary enactments, which were signed by the members and forwarded for presentation to the agents in Europe. The refusal of the people to use any but American goods bore grievously upon British man- ufacturers, and they soon became clamorous for the repeal of the odious Act. Franklin, before a committee of Par- liament, testified to the impossibility of collecting such a tax, and it was finally, on the 18th of March, 1766, repealed. The tidings of the repeal were received in Philadelphia with demonstrations of joy, the Assembly dining with the Gov- ernor, and joining in a fete, in honor of the event, on the banks of the Schuylkill. Though yielding for the time to the opposition of the Col- onies, the British Government by no means relinquished the idea of taxing America. Charles Townsend had boasted that he knew a way to draw a revenue from the Colonies without exciting opposition, and brought forward, in 1767, an act imposing a duty on tea, glass, paper, and painter's colors, which was triumphantly carried. On the 20th of Feb- ruary, 1768, the Assembly of Pennsylvania instructed its agent in London to urge the repeal of this Act, and at the session in May a circular letter, received from the Massachu- JOHN PENN. 175 setts Assembly, setting forth the grounds of objection to the Act, was received and entered upon its minutes. This cir- cular gave great offence to the British ministry; and the sec- retary for foreign affairs, the Earl of Hillsborough, wrote to Governor Penn, to urge the Assembly to take no notice of it, but if that body was disposed to countenance and approve the sentiments it contained, to prorogue its sittings. This letter was laid before the Assembly and read, and immediately thereafter the speaker presented one from the Virginia As- sembly, recommending a union of the Colonies in opposition to the proposed measures of taxation. This recommendation was adopted, and a committee was appointed to prepare a petition to the King, and to both Houses of Parliament, ask- ing their repeal. In these documents complaint was particu- larly made against the provision which made the Colonial Judges and Governors dependent for their pay upon the Crown, instead of the Assemblies. The unanimity of feeling in the Assembly in opposition to these enactments was strengthened by a series of papers known as the Farmer's Letters, written by John Dickinson. They became very pop- ular, and were republished in all the Colonies. Apprehend- ing that it was the amount of tax, and not the principle, which was objected to, Parliament, in 1769, reduced it to one-sixth its original amount, and in 1770 abolished the tax altogether except three, pence a pound on tea. But in this, Parliament entertained a mistaken view, for it was the prin- ciple that was obnoxious ; and the Assembly of Pennsylvania instructed its agent in London to urge the entire repeal of the law, that it might not be a precedent for future op- pression. The authorities of Connecticut, as has already been stated, maintained that, by the terms of its charter, the western boundary of its territory was the Pacific Ocean. This seem- ingly preposterous claim was borne out by the language of the original grant, which embraced the territory between the fortieth and forty-sixth degree of latitude, and from ocean to ocean ; and though the boundaries of Pennsylvania were now 1 76 PR OPRIETAR Y GO VERNMENT. well defined, the grant to the Plymouth Colony ante-dated it. Under a vague apprehension that the rights conferred by the original charter could be maintained, emigrants from Con- necticut settled in the Wyoming Valley, and under a pur- chase made of these lands from the Indians, at the council held at Albany in 1754, a party of Connecticut people of some standing and influence, one of them an ex-Governor, formed a company, known as the Susquehanna Company, to settle them. But these lands had already been purchased of the Indians by the Proprietors of Pennsylvania, and in their name remonstrances were made, against the claims of the Susquehanna Company, to the Governor of Connecticut The answer to the earliest of these remonstrances seemed to dis- own any responsibility on the part of the government of Con- necticut in maintaining these claims; but it subsequently appeared that a determination had been formed to support them. In 1768, the Proprietors of Pennsylvania purchased of the Indians all that tract of country on which the Susque- hanna Company had settled, and laid out the Wyoming ter- ritory into manors, upon which many families received per- mission to settle. The pioneers of the two States now began to come in conflict. Forts and block-houses were built, and a petty warfare maintained, which resulted in some loss of life. It was proposed by Butler, the leader of the Connecti- cut party, to settle the dispute by the personal corn bat of thirty picked men on each side ; but this barbarous offer was declined. In the meantime, to bring the Territory more im- mediately under Pennsylvania jurisdiction, a new county was organized out of parts of the counties of Lancaster, Cumber- land, Berks, Northampton, and Bedford, covering the dis- puted ground, which was called Northumberland; but the sheriff, with the help of the militia, which he called to his aid, was unable to subdue the opposing party, which had a justice and civil officers of its own, and had also set up town and county organizations. To the protestations of Governor Penn, Governor Trumbull answered that the Susquehanna Company was acting in good faith under a Connecticut char- JAMES HAMILTON. 177 ter, based upon the original grant of the Crown to the Ply- mouth Colony, and that he was desirous of having the rights of the two Colonies under their respective grants tested hy due course of law. Upon a statement made hy the Connect- icut party to Counsellors in London, an opinion was obtained favorable to that Colony, and, encouraged by this advice, a new impulse was given to emigration to the "Wyoming coun- try by Connecticut families. In September, 1775, the matter was laid before the Continental Congress, and a committee of that body, to whom it was referred, decided in favor of the Connecticut claimants, giving to that State a tract of land in Pennsylvania nearly as large as the entire limits of the for- mer. This decision was instantly rejected by the Assembly of Pennsylvania, and it remained an open question until 1802, when the Congress of the United States decided in favor of Pen nsylvania, and it was forever put to rest. JAMES HAMILTON, President of the Council Early in 1771 Governor Penn was called to England by the death of his father, Richard Penn, leaving the government of the Colony in the hands of the Council, of which James Hamilton was president, who thus for a third time became in effect Governor. The Council was forbidden by the fundamental law to approve any act of Assembly, so that no legislation was had during the period that the Colony was without a lieutenant governor. James Hamilton was born in the city of Philadelphia in 1710. He was possessed of a large landed estate, which gave him a personal interest in advancing the material welfare of the Colony. But in the discharge of his duties, he scrupulously adhered to the instructions of the Proprietors, which brought him in conflict with the popular party. His several administrations were marked by ability and firmness, and his personal bearing was that of one who felt the dignity of his position, and duly appreciated the respect which was due to the office. He never married. He died in the city of New York on the 1 4th of August, 1783, aged seventy-three. 12 CHAPTER VIII. THOMAS AND JOHN PENN, PROPRIETORS, 1771-1776. "pICHARD PENN, Lieutenant Governor, October, 1771, to -Lu August, 1773. On the 17th of October, 1771, Richard, the second son of the late Richard Penn, arrived in the Colony, bearing the commission of Lieutenant Governor. Early in his administration his attention was called to the encroachments of the Susquehanna Company, and he con- ducted the negotiations as already detailed with singular moderation and judgment. At a point about six miles above Wyoming, the Christian Indians hud built up quite a populous village called Wyalu- sing. It had a good number of respectable log houses with shingled roofs and glazed windows; a church, and school- house ; besides numerous huts and cabins of less pretentious appearance. Large tracts of meadow and upland had been cleared and enclosed. The site was pleasant, and the soil excellent for cultivation. Governor Penn had promised that no settlements should be made within five miles of their lands, and they were looking forward to a period of prosper- ity and quiet. These, with the Moravian Indians, had, with great difficulty, been preserved from the frenzy of the "Pax- ton Boys," and the dangers from this source had scarcely passed, when the encroachments of the Connecticut adven- turers again excited alarm. The hostile demonstrations which followed so aroused their apprehensions, that, in 1773, they determined to move in a body to lands beyond the Ohio River, Abo, their representative before the Pennsylvania Assembly, saying, that, " Notwithstanding their sincere and unshaken attachment to the Government of the Province, as they were 178 RICHARD PENN. 179 not expert at salving appearances, they could not but be afraid that their innocence and complexion would stand little chance against the suspicious insinuations that are, or may be conceived, and laid against them, from the indifferent neighborhood in which they lived. They thought it high time, therefore, that they should retire to some Indian country." The administration of Richard Penn only extended to a period of a little less than two years. His intercourse with the Assembly was of a kind and conciliatory character, in marked contrast with the intemperate contests maintained with that body by some of his predecessors. Differences arose ; but they were discussed in a mild and manly way, and mutual concessions brought harmony. He was especially attentive to the commercial interests of the Colony, and during his administration a degree of unexampled prosperity prevailed. His commission was unexpectedly revoked in August, 1773, much to the regret of the people of the Colony and to himself. Richard Penn was born in England, in 1734. He married Miss Polly Masters, of Philadelphia. In person, he was of portly and commanding presence, of genial temper, a good liver, and inclined to sociality. Of all the Deputy Governors he was best fitted by nature and by education to win the approval of the popular will. On being superseded as Governor, he became a member of the Council and Naval Officer of the Colony. He was intimate with the members of the Continental Congress, whose confidence and esteem he gained by his liberal views, and when, in 1775, he returned to England, he was intrusted, in connection with Arthur Lee, with the last petition from the Colonies ever presented to the King. He was examined respecting American affairs at the bar of the House of Lords, ancl gave testimony so favor- able to the Colonial cause, that he incurred the displeasure of the Peers, and drew forth a strong rebuke from the Min- isters, Lord Lyttleton declaring, " With all the caution with which Mr. Penn guarded his expressions, he nevertheless 1 80 PR OPRIETAR Y GO VERNMEh T. betrayed through the whole of his examination the indica- tion of the strongest prejudice." He died on the 27th of May, 1811, aged sixty-seven. JOHN PENH", Deputy Governor, August, 1773 to 1770. Upon the return of John Penn to the Province, after an absence of two years, he superseded his brother Richard in the gubernatorial powers. His attention was early directed to the dangers of Indian hostilities on the "Western border. Incited by a robbery said to have been committed by the savages, two daring frontiersmen, Cresap and Greathouse, had taken upon themselves to inflict punishment, and at the head of their clansmen had fellen upon hunting parties of the na- tives, striking down without mercy men, women, and children. Among these fell the family of Logan, a chief, renowned for his spirit and native eloquence. Governor Penn, on being apprised of these horrors, dispatched messengers to the tribes affected, disclaiming all responsibility for these lawless acts, and promising to bring the perpetrators to justice. This prompt action of the Governor had the effect to atert hostilities. At about this time, Lord Dunmore, Governor of Virginia, issued his proclamation laying claim to a large tract of territory west of the Alleghanies, in the name of the King, including Pittsburg and the Monongahela Valley. Many of the Virginia Colony had settled upon these lands, claiming the protection of the Governor of that Colony. Some time previous the British troops, occupying Fort Pitt, had been withdrawn, and now one Connolly had taken possession of it in the name of Dunmore. Governor Penn promptly called to his aid Sir William Johnson in quieting the Six Nations, and himself issued a counter-proclamation requiring settlers within the limits of Pennsylvania to preserve their allegiance to his rightful authority, and summarily arrested and imprisoned Connolly. He also sent two agents to Williamsburg to re- monstrate with the Virginia Government upon the unwar- rantable pretensions of the Governor. Dunmore refused to near them, and was preparing to assert his authority by JOHN PENN. 181 force; but hie Council, better instructed than himself in the rights of the two Colonies, refused to give him money for raising and arming troops, and his ill advised scheme of conquest was abandoned. The non-importation agreements of the Colonies seriously affected the interests of the great East India Tea Company, their expenditures having been great, and their profits now seriously impaired. Upon application to Parliament for re- lief, the export duty was removed, and the Company was en- couraged to ship freely to all the Colonies. News of this action created much excitement throughout America. Meet- ings were held in the capitals and chief towns, to oppose the sale of the tea, as the deliberate purpose of Parliament to es- tablish the principle of taxation was seen in this act. At a meeting held in Philadelphia on the 18th of October, 1773, spirited resolutions were passed, in which it was asserted, " That the disposal of their own property is the inherent right of freemen ; that there can be no property in that which another can, of right, take from us without our consent; that the claim of Parliament to tax America, is, in other words, a claim of right to levy contributions on us at pleasure That whoever shall directly or indirectly countenance this attempt, or in any wise aid and abet, in unloading, receiving, or vending the tea sent, or to be sent out, by the East India Company, while it remains subject to the payment of a duty here, is an enemy to his country." Of the ships dispatched, those destined for Philadelphia and New York, on approach- ing these ports and learning the temper of the people, wisely turned back, and returned to England. That sent to Char- leston was unladen, and the tea stored in a damp warehouse where it rotted ; and the vessels sent to Boston were boarded by parties disguised as Indians, who opened over three hun- dred chests and poured the tea into the water, proclaiming " Boston harbor a tea-pot to-night." This unanimity of feel- ing and action was secured through committees of corre- spondence, appointed earlier in the year. The conduct of the Colonies exasperated the Ministry, and as the inhabitants of 182 PROPRIETARY GOVERNMENT. Boston had committed an overt act, its vengeance was directed against them. Their port was closed, the Colonial charter was in effect subverted, and persons guilty of capital offences could be transported to England for trial. The harsh measures adopted towards the Massachusetts Colony, and especially towards the town of Boston, excited deep sympathy in all the Colonies. A public meeting was held in Philadelphia, at which an address to the sufferers by these severe measures was adopted, in which was recom- mended the calling of a congress of deputies from all the Colonies, where means should be devised for restoring harmony, and promising, that " the people of Pennsylvania would continue firmly to adhere to the cause of Amerk an liberty." On the 18th of June, 1774, the Governor having refused to convene the Assembly to consider this question, another public meeting was called, at which nearly eight thousand people were present, and John Dickinson and Thomas Will- ing presided. At this meeting it was declared by resolution, that it was expedient to convene a Continental Congress, and a committee of correspondence was appointed to open com- munication with similar committees in the several counties and in other colonies, and provision was made for the ap- pointment of deputies to the proposed Congress. This com- mittee of correspondence summoned delegates from all the counties to represent the Colony in a general conference which was held on the 15th of July, 1774, over which Thomas Willing presided, and Charles Thomson acted as Secretary. In this conference it was resolved, first of all, that their al- legiance was due to George III., that they desired the restitu- tion of the ancient harmony with the mother country, and that there was an absolute necessity for a Colonial Congi ess. The members of this conference, feeling that they were the last and immediate representatives of the people, issued in- structions to the Assembly, and recommended that suitable delegates should be appointed to the general Congress. These instructions were drawn by John Dickinson, and were con- JOHN PENN. 183 ceived in a spirit of calm justice and reason. They \vere adopted by the Colonial Assembly, and Joseph Galloway, speaker, Samuel Rhoads, Thomas Mifflin, Charles Hum- phries, George Ross, Edward Biddle, and John Dickinson, in compliance with the recommendation of the conference, were appointed delegates. On the 4th of September, 1774, the first Continental Con- gress that body which became so famous, and whose de- liberations resulted in such far-reaching consequences as- sembled at Philadelphia. Peyton Randolph, of Virginia, was elected president, and Charles Thomson secretary. The Acts of Parliament oppressive to the people of Massachu- setts and the town of Boston were condemned, and it was declared " that no obedience was due from that Province to such Acts, but that they should be rejected as the attempts of a wicked administration." It was also resolved that no more goods be imported from England, and that after the 10th of September, 1775, the Colonies cease to export the products of the soil unless a pacification be secured. The provisions of the resolutions thus adopted were as sacredly observed throughout the Colonies as would have been the most binding enactments. Committees of correspondence were appointed in every colony, through which the central power was administered. A declaration of rights, based upon the instructions of the Pennsylvania convention to the As- sembly, was adopted ; also an address to the people of Great Britain, one to the people of British America, and another to the King, after which the Congress adjourned, having recom- mended that another session be held in Philadelphia on the 10th of the next May. The recommendations of Congress were approved by the Assembly of Pennsylvania, and Messrs. Biddle, Dickinson, Mifilin, Humphries, Morton, and Ross were appointed dele- gates for a second meeting of that body, and, subsequently, upon the return of Franklin from London, he was added to the delegation, with James Wilson and Thomas Willing. Without manifesting partisan zeal. Governor Penn was 184 PROPRIETARY GOVERNMENT. believed to sympathize with the Colonies, though in his mes- sage to the Assembly at this time he mildly remonstrated against the system of Congressional rather than Colonial ac- tion. The King, on the receipt of the loyal address of Con- gress, was disposed to regard it as proper and kindly ; but the Ministry had resolved upon forcing submission, though remonstrated against by the merchants and business men of all the principal towns as ruinous to their interests. A second Provincial convention was held in Philadelphia towards the close of January, of which Joseph Reed was President. The action of Congress was approved by this body also, and it was resolved that the county committees of superintendence should aid each other in every way possible; that the restoration of harmony was earnestly desired; that the commercial non-intercourse resolves should be scrupu- lously adhered to; but concluded, "that, should the humble and loyal petition of Congress to his Majesty be disregarded, and the British Ministry, instead of redressing their griev- ances, determine by force to effect submission to the late arbitrary acts of Parliament, they deemed it their indispen- sable duty to resist such force, and at every hazard to defend the rights and liberties of America." On the 19th of April, 1775, was fought the battle of Lex- ington, the first blood spilled in the Revolution. By this, the opening act of the drama, was plainly manifested the determination of the Ministry to force the Colonies to sub- jection. It created intense excitement throughout all the Colonies. A meeting of citizens was convened in Philadel- phia, at which thousands were present, and a resolution adopted to form a military association, under the direction of the committee of correspondence for defence. The asso- ciation was extended through all the counties, and the organ- ization of militia was prosecuted with much spirit. The Assembly approved of this popular demonstration, and en- gaged to provide for the pay of the militia while in service. The second Congress, which met in May, resolved to organ- ize an army for defence, the number to be raised in Pennsyl- JOHN PENN. 185 yania being four thousand three hundred men. The Assem- bly entered heartily into this measure and recommended to the Commissioners of the several counties to provide arms and accoutrements for this force, advised the organization of minute-men trained to seize their arms at the instant of dan- ger and fly to the rescue, made further appropriations for the defence of the city, and, to encourage its manufacture, offered a premium for saltpetre. The Assembly also appointed a committee of public safety, empowered to call the troops into service and provide for their pay, and resolved that all per- sons between the ages of sixteen and fifty, who did not asso- ciate for the defence of the Colony, ought to pay an equiv- alent for the time spent by the associators in acquiring military discipline. On the 10th of May Ticonderoga was captured, and on the 17th of June the famous battle of Bun- ker Hill was fought. Two days before this, George Washing- ton was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the American armies. Four Major-Generals and eight Brigadier-Generals were also appointed. Congress, soon after meeting in May, recommended " to the respective Assemblies and Conventions of the United Colonies, where no government sufficient to the exigencies of their affairs has been hitherto established, to adopt such government as shall, in the opinions of the representatives of the people, best conduce to the happiness and safety of their constituents in particular, and America in general." This was, in fact, dispensing with the royal Governors, and such Assemblies as did not act with the party opposing the Crown. A few days after this recommendation was made, a public meeting was held in Philadelphia, in which it was resolved that the present Assembly of the Colony is " not competent to the exigencies of affairs," and that a Provincial Convention ought to be called for inaugurating a form of Colonial gov- ernment, in compliance with the recommendation of Con- gress. The committee of inspection for the city, accordingly, called on the committees of the counties to send delegates to 186 PROPRIETARY GOVERNMENT. a conference for this purpose, and on the 18th of June, 1776, the delegates assembled in Philadelphia and elected Thomas McKean president, provided for holding a convention of del- egates, eight in number from each county, to frame a consti- tution and inaugurate a new government suited to the present condition of the Colony, fixed the qualifications of voters, prescribed the form of oath to be administered to electors and delegates, apportioned the counties into election districts, appointed the election judges, and issued a brief, but patriotic and persuasive address to the people. The idea of a formal declaration of independence by Con- gress was now freely canvassed. The Assembly of Virginia, on the 15th of May, had recommended it. The Assembly -)f Pennsylvania was reluctant to sever the bonds of union with the parent State, but instructed its delegates, on the 14th of June, to unite with the other Colonies in legislating for the common good, only reserving the right to regulate its own internal affairs, and, in conclusion, made this frank declara- tion : " The happiness of these Colonies has, during the whole course of this fatal controversy, been our first wish, their reconciliation with Great Britain our next. Ardently have we prayed for the accomplishment of both. But if we re- nounce the one or the other, we humbly trust in the mercies of the Supreme Governor of the Universe, that we shall not stand condemned before His throne if our choice is de- termined by that overruling law of self-preservation which His divine wisdom has thought proper to implant in the hearts of His creatures." The Conference, which had pro- vided for a constitutional convention, approved the idea of declaring independence, and authorized the raising of six thousand militia. The Assembly had been prevented from legislating to the same effect by the continued absence of its members. On the 7th of June, Richard Henry Lee, of Virginia, seconded by John Adams, of Massachusetts, brought forward in Congress the proposition, that the " United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States, and JOHN PENN. 187 that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally dissolved." It was debated most ardently and eloquently, John Dickinson, of Pennsylvania, one of the ablest and purest of the patriots, opposing, for the time, its passage, urging, as an objection, the disorganized condition in which the Colonies would be left if the British protection and power were removed, Prov- ince being left to rise against Province, and city against city. The proposition was passed upon, on the 2d of July, the votes of all being in favor of its adoption except Pennsylvania and Delaware, the votes of the delegates from these States being divided. In the meantime, a committee of five, consisting of Jefferson, Adams, Franklin, Sherman, and Livingston, had been appointed to draw up a more formal instrument. Jeiferson and Adams were appointed as a sub-committee to make the draft; and the immortal instrument, drawn by the hand of Mr. Jefferson, was reported on the 28th of June, and, after a sharp debate, was finally adopted on the 4th of July, 1776. From Pennsylvania, Franklin, Wilson, and Mor- ton voted for it, "Willing and Humphrey against it, Dickinson being absent. The Pennsylvania convention being informed that a majority of its delegates in Congress had voted against the preliminary declaration, named a new delegation on the 20th, omitting Dickinson, Willing, and Humphrey, reappoint- ing the three who had voted for the declaration, Morris, who had been absent, and appointing five new members, Rush, Clymer, Smith, Taylor, and Ross. The engrossed copy which was subsequently made was signed by them.* The Convention for framing a new constitution for the Colony, assembled in Philadelphia on the 15th of July, and elected Franklin President. Its fi.rst act was to provide for the opening its deliberations by the performance of divine service. This Convention, in addition to the specific duty of framing a constitution for which it was elected, at once took upon -itself the entire government of the Colony. The new * Letter of Jeflerson to S. A. Wells, 1819. Randall's Life of Jeflerson, Vol. L p. 171. 188 PR OPRIETAR Y GO VERNMENT. Constitution was completed on the 28th of September, and, after being signed by the President and all the members, was intrusted to the hands of the Council of Safety, to be pre- sented to the new General Assembly at its first session, and immediately after having chosen a speaker. The old Assem- bly adjourned on the 14th of June to the 26th of August. A quorum failed to convene on that day, and two days after, an adjournment was voted to the twenty-third of September. Little was done at this adjourned session beyond approving the report of the committee on accounts, by which a thousand pounds was voted for the salary of the Governor, and an aggregate sum exceeding eleven thousand pounds to the old provincial officers, and remonstrating against certain ordi- nances passed by the Convention as violations of power delegated to it; and on the 28th of September, this Assembly, which had existed for nearly a century under the organic law of Penn, ceased to exist, and the Proprietary Governor was shorn of power. John Penn, eldest son of Richard, was born in England in 1728. At the age of twenty-five, he first visited the Colony, and ten years later, he came bearing the commission of Deputy Governor. The day of his last arrival was on Sun- day, and was marked by the shock of an earthquake, which the superstitious interpreted as an evil omen to his admin- istration. It is described as being severe, and accompanied by a loud, roaring noise, the sky being clear with a moderate wind from the south-west. At the time of his appointment as governor, his father was proprietor of one-third of the Province, and his uncle, Thomas, of two-thirds ; the latter having inherited the share of John, the oldest of the three original Proprietors, upon the occasion of his death in 1746. Upon the death of Richard, father of the Governor, in 1771, the latter inherited the one-third of the Proprietary interest. In spirit he manifested little of the mild and peaceful dis- position of his grandfather, but believed in supporting the authority of his government by the sword. Especially was he averse to temporizing with the Indians, and even oifered, JOHN PENK 189 i without scruple, graduated bounties for their capture, scalp- ing, or death. He married Anne Allen, daughter of William Allen, Chief Justice of the Colony. In person he is described as of the middle size, reserved in manners, and very near- sighted. After being virtually superseded in authority by the Supreme Executive Council, he seems to have submitted gracefully to the progress of events, which he found himself unable to control, and remained during the Revolution a quiet spectator of the long struggle, without manifesting any particular interest in its result. With other Crown and Pro- prietary officers remaining in America, he at several times fell under the suspicion of Congress, and orders were T 'ssued for his arrest and removal to Hunterdon County, New Jersey, and to Winchester, Virginia, but he seems to have been soon released on parole. He continued to live at his home in Bucks County, after the Revolution, where he died in Feb- ruary, 1795, aged sixty-seven. From his grave in Christ's Church-yard, where he was buried, his remains were sub- sequently transferred for interment to England. PART III. PRESIDENTS OF THE SUPREME EXECUTIVE COUNCIL, THOMAS WHARTON, JR., PRESIDENT OF THE SUPREME EXECUTIVE COUNCIL. March 5, 1777, to May 23, 1778. Provincial Convention which had been elected to -*- frame a new.Constitution, and which, upon meeting on the 15th of July, 1776, assumed the entire government of the Colony, elected, on the 24d of the same month, a Council of Safety, composed of twenty-five members, to which was com- mitted the executive department of the Government until the new frame of the constitution about to be promulgated should be put in operation. This Council was organized by the se- lection of Thomas Rittenhouse as chairman, and Jacob S. Howell, Secretary. By this action the Proprietary Govern- ment was completely superseded, and the title of the Propri- etors to landed estate in Pennsylvania was suspended. An es- timate commenced by Thomas Penn, and completed by Frank- lin, in 1759, made the value of this estate about ten millions of pounds sterling. It should here be observed that the Legis- lature of Pennsylvania, on the 27th of November, 1779, passed an Act for vesting the estate of the Proprietors in the Common- wealth, but reserving to the Proprietors all their private es- tates, including the tenths of manors, and paying to them the sum of one hundred and thirty thousand pounds sterling " in remembrance of the enterprising spirit of the Founder," and " of the expectations and dependence of his descendants." In addition to this, Parliament, in 1790, granted an annuity of four thousand pounds per annum to the heirs and descendants of the Founder, " in consideration of the meritorious services of the said William Penn, and of the losses which his family have sustained." This annuity has ever since been regularly 13 193 194 PRESIDENTS OF THE SUPREME COUNCIL. paid, and in a reference made to it a short time ago [1872]. in the House of Commons, Chancellor Lowe stated that the pension would not be discontinued. On the 6th of August, a formal organization of the Council of Safety was effected, when Thomas Wharton, Jr., was elected Presicient. On the 28th of September, the new constitution was completed and passed unanimously, taking effect from the date of its passage. It provided for an annual Assembly and for a Supreme Executive Council, to consist of twelve persons to be chosen by the people, and to hold office for three years. Members of Congress were to be appointed by the Assembly. Assembly men were eligible to membership but four years out of seven, and members of Council but one term in seven years. The Constitution could not be changed for the space of seven years. At the expiration of that time censors were to be elected, who were to consider whether a revision was demanded, and if so, they were to call a conven- tion for the purpose. The Council was charged with the due execution of the laws, its powers being not materially differ- ent from those of the Council under the Proprietary Govern- ment. From the first, this instrument met with violent opposition. On the first day of January, 1776, "Washington unfurled over his camp, at Cambridge, for "the first time, the Union Flag. It had thirteen stripes of alternate red and white, with the cross of St. George in the upper left-hand corner. For this cross Congress ordered, on the 14th of June, 1777, thirteen white stars in a field of blue to be substituted, and this design became the emblem of nationality. The Continental Congress, before the close of the year 1775, had agreed upon certain articles of war, declared the cause for which arms had been taken up, and had issued bills of credit for prosecuting the war to the amount of six millions of dollars. The Parliament of Great Britain had, on the other hand, declared the Colonists rebels; had authorized the seizure or destruction of American vessels ; had voted a force of fifty-five thousand men for compelling obedience to its man- THOMAS WHARTON, JR. 195 dates in America, with over a million of dollars for their pay; and had, in addition to these, hired from the Landgrave of Hesse - Cassel, and other German rulers, seventeen thousand men, agreeing in their absence to defend these States, and paying for them over eight hundred thousand dollars. All this was done while yet the Americans were supplicating for terms of reconciliation in the most respectful and earnest tones. These acts, however, had the effect to convince all thinking men, that there was but one alternative, either a slavish submission or a bitter and wasting struggle. Washington, who, from the moment of taking command, had been busy in organizing and gathering in his forces, de- termined to drive the enemy from Boston. To this end he sent forces under General Thomas, under cover of darkness, on the night of March 4th, 1776, to a commanding position on Dorchester Heights, where, by morning, they had thrown up considerable works, and were prepared to open upon the city and the shipping in the harbor. All efforts to dislodge this force proved futile, and, seeing that destruction or capture awaited him, General Howe, the commander of the British troops, sought terms of capitulation. Upon tacit condition that he would leave the city unharmed, he was allowed to depart without injury; and on the 17th of March, eleven thousand soldiers and sailors, and a number of Loyalist families, sailed away to Halifax. Washington, having been apprised early in the year that Sir Henry Clinton had sailed from Boston on a secret expe- dition, presumed its destination to be New York, and accord- ingly sent General Charles Lee thither to defend it. Clinton arrived off Sandy Hook in March, but finding Lee in posses- sion of the city, withdrew, and being joined some time after- wards by Admiral Sir Peter Parker, proceeded South for the reduction of Charleston, South Carolina; and on the 28th of June opened a combined land and naval attack upon the defences on Sullivan's Island, commanding the entrance to the hart or. He was met by the Carolina militia under Gen- eral Wi .liam Moultrie, which had thrown up a breast- work 196 PRESIDENTS OF THE SUPREME COUNCIL. of palmetto logs and sand, and had twenty-six pieces of artillery mounted. For ten hours the battle raged with great violence. The Provincials stood manfully to their guns, doing terrible execution upon the British fleet. At nightfall the action ceased, and Clinton, finding his forces decimated and his little armada terribly shattered, decided to withdraw from the contest, and returned to New York. Taught by this unfortunate experience, the British com- mander determined to concentrate all his forces, and strike with overwhelming power. General Howe, who had gone from Boston to Halifax, returned early in July, and proceeded directly to New York. Here he was joined by Clinton with the remnant of his army from before Charleston, and by Admiral Lord Howe with a large fleet directly from Eng- land. To this powerful combination, "Washington had no adequate forces to oppose, and the events which followed were most unfortunate for the American arms. Driven from Long Island, from Harlem, from White Plains, Washington, at length, determined to withdraw in the direction of Phila- delphia, and was closely pursued by Cornwallis with a heavy detachment of the British army, causing him to abandon, in succession, Newark, New Brunswick, Princeton, and Trenton, and finally to cross to the west bank of the Delaware to Penn- sylvania soil. Cornwallis would have pushed forward vigor- ously, and constructed boats for crossing the river in pursuit; but Howe ordered a cautious policy, directing Cornwallis to wait until the ice should be frozen sufficiently upon the river to bear the troops and trains. The approach of a hostile army to the banks of the Delaware created consternation in Phila- delphia. In the Council of Safety, on the 30th of November, the following order was issued: " It is no less necessary than painful, that the present movements of General Howe's army requires that we should apprise the inhabitants of this city who wish to avoid the insults and oppressions of a licentious soldiery, that they prepare for removing their wives and chil- dren, and valuable effects, on a short warning to some place of security." On the 2d of September the Council ordered all THOMAS WHARTON, JR. 197 shops in the city to be closed, and the schools to be broken up, and by the 10th, General Cadwalader, with a brigade of twelve hundred men, was on his way to join "Washington's army. Congress now became thoroughly alarmed, and on the 12th, after having invested Washington with dictatorial powers, adjourned to meet at Baltimore, taking with them all the public papers, but leaving a committee behind, of which Robert Morris was chairman, to act in concert with the army for the defence of the city. On the same day Washington dispatched General Putnam, clothed with absolute power, to take command in the city. The want of troops rendered the American commander powerless to oppose the advancing foe. In this alarming posture of affairs, the Council of Safety issued a stirring address, calling upon all able-bodied men to come to the rescue. " If you wish," say they, " to live in freedom, and are determined to maintain that best boon of heaven, you have no time to deliberate. A manly resistance will secure every blessing ; inactivity and sloth will bring horror and destruction. . . . Shall we, with Heaven and justice on our side, (unless we could impiously suppose that the Almighty had devoted mankind to slavery,) shall we hesitate to meet our enemies in the hostile field? . . . May Heaven, which has bestowed the blessings of liberty upon you, awaken you to a proper sense of your danger, and arouse that manly spirit of virtuous resolution which has ever bidden defiance to the efforts of tyranny. May you ever have the glorious prize of liberty in view, and bear with a becoming fortitude the fatigues and severities of a winter campaign. That, and that only, will entitle you to the superlative distinction of being deemed, under God, the deliverers of your country." The frequent reverses of the American arms, and the repeated retreats before a victorious foe, had caused great depression in the public mind. Washington felt deeply the humiliation, and sought earnestly for an opportunity to strike a blow that should revive confidence in the patriot cause. A detach ment of Hessian troops had been posted at Trenton. 198 PRESIDENTS OF THE SUPREME COUNCIL. * while the main body of the enemy, under Cornwall ;s, was at Princeton. Christmas-time was approaching. Believing that the Hessian hirelings would celebrate this festival by long potations, Washington formed the purpose of assuming the offensive, and, crossing the Delaware, of falling suddenly upon the enemy resting securely in their cantonments. Ac- cordingly, on the evening of the 25th, taking a picked force to a point some eight or ten miles above Trenton, where now is located the village of Taylorsville, he succeeded, though the current was strong and the river filled with floating ice, in crossing in flat-boats, and in making his way unperceived to the neighborhood of the British encampment. It was al- ready sunrise when they arrived, and the Hessian leader, Hall, was still a* uis cups, having spent the night in debauch. The struggle for the mastery was brief. Forty or fifty of the enemy were killed or mortally wounded, and more than a thousand were made prisoners, and marched away in the train of the victors; arms, ammunition, and stores, captured in considerable quantities, swelling the triumphal train. The victory was, in regard to numbers engaged, insignificant; but it was complete and, in its bearing upon the cause of the patriots, momentous. It inspired hope and confidence in every breast, and the daring and triumph of the American leader became the subject of eulogy in every European court. Cadwalader, who was in command of the Pennsylvania troops, had been ordered to cross and co-operate with the attacking column ; but was unable to carry out his instruc- tions on account of the force of the current and the power of the floating ice. Three days after, nine hundred of these pris- oners were marched through the city of Philadelphia on their way to the prison camp at Lancaster, forming a line on Front Street two deep from Market to Walnut. Inspired by his success, Washington resumed the offensive, and moving all his forces into New Jersey, prepared to face the British troops ; but too feeble in numbers to successfully cope with the main body which had approached Trenton, eluding the grasp of the confident foe, he, by a night march, descended THOMAS WHARTON, JR. 199 upon the British reserves at Princeton, and fought them with sturdy valor; but Cornwallis' warned by the booming of can- non of their peril, and grown vigilant since the late disaster, hastened to their relief, compelling Washington to withdraw. The activity and enterprise of the Americans frightened, the enemy into the adoption of the most cautious policy, causing him to call in and confine his troops to their encampments upon the Raritan ; while Washington, with his main body, encamped at Morristown, and sent out detachments in all directions to keep the country clear, and pick up stragglers and deserters. This active winter campaign had the effect to relieve Pennsylvania, and enabled Congress, which had assembled in Baltimore on the 20th of December, to return again to Philadelphia. General Putnam, who had been invested with authority, had ordered fortifications to be commenced at Red Bank, on the Delaware, and at various points about the city, using for' the purpose the timber upon the Proprietors' lands in the neighborhood. Upon the retreat of the enemy through New Jersey, Putnam rejoined the army, and was succeeded by General Irvine, and subsequently by General Gates, in the command in Philadelphia. The elections having been held according to the provisions of the new Constitution, the Supreme Executive Council met on the 4th of March, 1777, and organized on the 5th, by the election, in joint convention of the members of the Assembly and the Council, of Thomas Wharton, Jr., as President, and George Bryan as Vice-President ; whereupon the Council of Safety was dissolved. To impress the multitude with an adequate idea of the power and dignity of the office, the inauguration was attended with much pomp and ceremony ; the result of the election being declared from the Court- Ilouse amid the shouts of the multitude and the booming of the captured cannon from the field of Trenton. The title given to the new dignitarv was a long and loud resounding one: "His Excellency Thomas Wharton, Junior, Esquire, President of the Supreme Executive Council of Pennsylvania, 200 PRESIDENTS OF THE SUPREME COUNCIL. Captain - General and Commander-in-chief in and over the same." Among the earliest acts of Council was the appointment of a Board of War, consisting of nine members, and one of the Navy of eleven. The Board of War immediately applied to Congress for one hundred thousand dollars for defence, which not being immediately granted, this sum was appro- priated by the Council. The activity of the enemy at New York, in gathering transports and moving troops, gave indi- cation of an intention to make a descent upon some other part of the coast, and Philadelphia was judged to be ita destination. On the 8th of April, General Putnam advised Congress of the movements of the enemy at Amboy, and gave it as his opinion that the capture of Philadelphia was the purpose. On the following day the Council published a proclamation urging instant action, and concluding thus: "It has been repeatedly and justly observed, and ought to be acknowledged as a signal evidence of the favor of Divine Providence, that the lives of the militia in every battle dur- ing this just war have been remarkably spared. Confiding, therefore, in the continuance of the blessing of Him, who is indeed the God of armies, let every man among us hold him- self ready to march into the field whenever he shall be called upon to do so." Congress resolved to establish a camp for recruits on the west side of the Delaware, to the command of which General Benedict Arnold was assigned, General Philip Schuyler being at this time in command in the city. On the 10th of June, General Miffiin appeared in person before Congress with a letter from General Washington, ex- pressing his firm conviction that the enemy meditated an immediate descent upon some part . of Pennsylvania. A French engineer, by the name of Du Coudray, in company with General MifHin, was sent to examine the condition of the defences of the city and its approaches, who recommended that preparations should be made at Billingsport for the chief point of defence, the works at Red Bank being declared useless. The b >r vvv aimed at Philadelphia did not fall till near the THOMAS WHARTON, JR. 201 N OF 1790, December 17, 1799, to December 20, 1808. THE State of Delaware was originally a part of Pennsyl- vania, and even after their legal severance the political relations which subsisted between them were intimate. .Hence it was that Governor Dickinson represented both Colonies at successive periods in the Continental Congress, and was during the last years of his life a citizen of Wilming- ton, Delaware, though he was a portion of his time acting as Governor of both States. Governor McKean, likewise, had accorded him a common citizenship holding the highest offices in both States at one and the same time. Thomas McKean was born on the 19th of March, 1734, in Londonderry, Chester County, Pennsylvania. He was the son of William and Lajtitia (Finney) McKean, both natives of Ireland. After receiving rudimentary instruction in the common branches, he was placed under the tuition of the Rev. Francis Allison, D. D., who acquired a great reputation as an educator and divine. Here young McKean gained a good knowledge of the ancient languages, and of the several sciences which were deemed requisite for a liberal education, and at the conclusion of his course entered the office of his kinsman, David Finney, of Newcastle, Delaware, as a student at law. Not long after commencing his legal studies, he was engaged as clerk to the Prothonotary of the Court of Com- mon Pleas, where he had the opportunity of seeing the prac- tice of the profession, the theory of which he was now intently studying. Two years later he was made Deputy Prothono- tary, and Register for the Probate of Wills, for the County 19 269 290 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION OF 1790. of Newcastle, in which position he carried the chief respon- sibility, the Prothonotary living for the most part on his estate eighty miles from the County-seat. Before he had attained the age of twenty-one, such had been his industry, he was admitted to practice in the several County courts, and in the contiguous counties of Penn- sylvania. In 1756, he received, unsolicited, the appointment of Deputy Attorney-General, to prosecute the pleas of the Crown in the County of Sussex, which duties he performed with great acceptability for a period of two years, when he resigned. In 1757, he was admitted to practice in the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, and in the same year was elected Clerk of the Assembly. He was re-elected for the succeeding session,, after which he declined a further service. In 1762, he was appointed by the Assembly, in connection with Caesar Rod- ney, to codify and print the laws of the State passed previous to the year 1752. Having thus served a good apprenticeship to political life, by the discharge of some of its minor duties, and by labori- ous service in his profession, he in this year launched upon that stormy sea where, for half a century, with a stout heart and a steady hand, he braved its billows. In the October election he was chosen a representative to the General As- sembly from the County of New Castle, and was re-elected for seventeen successive years. For the last six years of this period he resided in Philadelphia, and though his constituents in Delaware were aware of his oft -expressed desire to be relieved, they continued to return him. Finally, on the day of the general election in 1779, he attended at New Castle, where he addressed them upon the questions of the day, both State and National, and concluded by declining to be con- sidered a candidate for re-election. Placing great confidence in hid judgment and penetration, a committee of citizens im- mediately waited on him and requested that he would name seven persons whom he thought most suitable to represent the County in the Assembly. Realizing the delicacy of such THOMAS McKEAK 291 a service, he at first refused to act ; but upon the further so- licitation of the committee, after consultation with their asso- ciates, and upon their urgent appeal, he wrote the names of seven persons, every one of whom was almost unanimously elected. Recognizing the importance to the prosperity of a young and rising State of extending credit to men of deserving character and promise, the States of Pennsylvania and Dela- ware had early established public loan-offices. They were the means of effecting vast good, and were at times of incal- culable advantage to the State Governments ; enabling them to realize money in events of pressing need. In 1764, Mr. McKean was appointed, by an Act of the Legislature, one of the trustees of the loan-office for the County of New Castle, for the term of four years. The appointment was renewed in 1768, and 1772, extending thus through a period of twelve years. In the Colonial Congress of 1765, commonly known as the Stamp Act Congress, which met in New York, Mr. McKean' was a member from Delaware. It was the least in territory of all the States ; and had the votes been taken according to number of population represented, its influence would have been insignificant Mr. McKean saw this, and at the outset insisted that each State should have one vote, giving all the States an equal voice. His influence prevailed. This was the beginning of that jealousy and struggle for power be- tween the small and large States, which has extended to this day, and which is likely to produce convulsions in the future. It was the most difficult question that was met in the Con- vention which framed the Constitution of the Union. A compromise was finally agreed upon, giving the small States an equal voice in the Senate, but in the House only propor- tionate to its population. In this convention Mr. McKean was a member of the Committee which drew the memorial to the Lords and Commons, and with Mr. Livingston and Mr. Itutledge, was charged by Congress to revise the minutes of the proceedings. 292 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION OF 1790. One circumstance which occurred near the close of the session, so well illustrates the open, manly boldness \vith which he met every question, that it merits recital. It is given hy the author of the sketch of Mr. McKean published in the Signers of the Declaration. " "When the business waa concluded," he says, "and on the last day of the session, the President, and some timid members, refused to sign the pro- ceedings. Mr. McKean then rose, and addressing himself personally to the President, remarked, that as he had not made a solitary objection to any of the measures which had been finally adopted, nor a single observation indicative of disapprobation, he requested that he would now assign his reasons for refusing to sign the petition. To this demand, the President replied that he did not conceive himself bound to state the cause of his objections. Mr. McKean rejoined that the gentlemen present had met together to endeavor to obtain the repeal of an unconstitutional and oppressive act of the British Parliament, and a redress of other grievances ; that as unanimity and harmony had hitherto prevailed among them, it appeared very extraordinary that any member should refuse to affix his name to what he had at least apparently approved, without any excuse, or observation, on the occa- sion; and that, if there was anything treasonable, offensive, or indecent, in their proceedings, he thought it would be an act of comity, nay of duty, to advise his brethren of it. Other delegates spoke briefly to the same purport. Thus pressed to an explanation, the President, after a long pause, observed that ' it was against his conscience.' Mr. McKean now rung the changes upon the word conscience so long and loud that a plain challenge was given and accepted, in the presence of the whole Congress; but the President departed from New York the next morning before the dawn of day." llobert Ogden, a delegate from New Jersey, also refused to sign. His conduct gave gre,at offence to his constituents, and he was burned in effigy in several towns throughout the State. The nerve and ability displayed by Mr. McKean as delegate THOMAS McKEAN. , 293 to this Congress procured for him the warm approval of his constituents, and a unanimous vote of thanks from the As- sembly. It insured also his rapid rise in public preferment. In July, 1765, he was appointed by the Governor sole Notary and Tabellion Public for the lower Counties on the Delaware, and in the same year was commissioned a Justice of the Peace, and of the Court of Quarter Sessions, for the County of New Castle. It was at the period when the people of the Colonies were greatly excited over the paralyzing blow about to fall in the taking effect of the Stamp Act. By its terms all legal papers, to be of validity, must be executed upon stamped paper. McKean was upon the bench which boldly issued an order for all the officers of the court to proceed in their usual duties, using unstamped paper. This is declared to have been the first court in any of the Colonies which issued such an order. The early settlements upon the Delaware having been made under the dominion of a government and courts' sitting in New York, it became eventually very inconvenient to consult the original records. Accordingly the Assembly, in 1769, appointed him as its agent to proceed thither and make copies of all documents relating to the titles of real estate in the Province. These copies were by law made of equal validity with the original records, thus superseding all further necessity for appeal to them. In 1771, he was appointed His Majesty's Commissioner of Customs and Collector of the Port of New Castle. But this office was of but limited duration ; for the Crown, intent upon asserting the right to tax, imposed an insignificant one to establish the principle. At this the heart of America was aroused and beat in indignation. Tyranny was .scented in the breeze, and the patriots in every Colony were in fre- quent correspondence upon the measures necessary to defeat the fell design. Among the foremost of these was Mr. McKean, and when delegates came to be appointed to the First Continental Congress, which sat at New York in 1774, he was selected to represent Delaware. A little previous i94 GOVERNORS UNDER CON&FITUTION OF 1790. to this he had taken up his permanent residence in Phila- delphia; but his old constituents in Delaware still claimed him as their own, and he accepted their choice, and through- out the whole period of the Revolution, and until after the signing of the treaty of peace, a space of eight and a half years, he continued to represent that State in the na- tional council, though residing in another. It is found upon examination that no other member of that august assemblage was a member continuously, from the opening till the closing act. During all this period he devoted himself to the sacred cause of his country, giving the strength of his mature man- hood to the discharge of the many duties thrown upon him, and proving himself a power in that body of unequalled men. He was particularly useful in conducting the negotiations of the secret committee charged with procuring arms and am- munition from abroad, and in managing the monetary affairs of the new nation, two of the most important and difficult of the subjects with which Congress had to deal. He was of the committee which drew the Articles of Confederation that bound the Colonies together, and gave to Congress the little power which it was allowed to exercise. The Declaration of Independence found no more active advocate, or firm supporter, than Mr. McKean. He believed that the time had fully come for adopting it, and he plead in private, as well as in public, with all the power of persuasion of which he was possessed, to draw those who thought the act premature to accord with him. Singularly enough, though he was one of the most active in securing its passage, and was present when the final votes were taken, affixing his signature to the instrument with the rest, yet in the printed journals of Congress, embracing this document, and in the acts of the several States, his name does not appear as one of the signers. In a letter addressed to Mr. Alexander J. Dallas, in answer to an inquiry made relative to this omission, Mr. McKean says : " My name is not in the printed journals of Con- gress as a party to the Declaration of Independence, and this, like an error in the first concoction, has vitiated most of the THOMAS McKEAN. 295 subsequent publications; and yet the fact is, thai I was then a member of Congress for the State of Delaware, was person- ally present in Congress, voted in favor of independence on the 4th of July, 1776, and signed the Declaration after it had been engrossed on parchment, where my name in my own handwriting still appears." It is interesting to trace the manner in which this error has crept into the public records. It appears that on the 19th of July, two weeks after its pas- sage, Congress directed that a copy of the Declaration should be engrossed on parchment and signed by every member. This engrossed copy was finished, and on the 2d of August was produced and signed. But previous to this day, McKean had obtained leave of absence, being then an officer of mili- tia, and for several weeks succeeding he was not in his place, he being absent on the 2d of August, the day on which the engrossed copy was signed. He returned to his place in October, and then affixed his name to that copy, as he had also to the original one on the 4th of July. It is probable, that in the mean time copies had been taken for publication as signed on the 2d of August, and before his signature was affixed. But his presence was too notorious to occasion any question as to the fact, even without his own testimony. When the preliminary vote was taken on the 2d of July, all the States declared in favor of it, except Pennsylvania and Delaware. The latter State had three members. Of these McKean voted for it, Read against it, and Rodney, the third, was absent. Seeing that the vote of his State was likely to be lost, McKean sent a messenger at his own expense, post- haste, to summon the absent member. He arrived in time to vote for the measure, thus carrying the State in its favor; and some of the opposing members of the Pennsylvania delegation absenting themselves, the vote was finally made unanimous. Where his influence could be exercised for the furtherance, of the cause of Independence, there was his voice heard and his hand felt. In a convention of deputies from the several counties of Pennsylvania, assembled in Carpenter's Hall, in 296 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION OF 1790. Philadelphia, in June, 1776, he was chairman, and was a prime mover in securing the passage of resolutions favorable to, and urging the adoption of a Declaration. The regiment of associators, of which he was colonel, passed a similar resolu- tion. He was also chairman of the Committee of Safety of Pennsylvania, and of the Committee of Inspection for the City of Philadelphia. Having uttered the word Independence, and pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honors to its support, Congress was impressed with the necessity of preparing to strike in defence of their resolves. Accordingly on the 5th of July, the day following that on which the Declaration was adopted, it was agreed between a Committee of Congress and a Committee of Safety of Pennsylvania, that the associated militia, who could be furnished with arms, should proceed without delay to New Jersey, there to remain until a flying camp of ten thousand men could be formed to relieve them. McKean was colonel of one of these regiments, and promptly marched at its head to Perth Amboy, to the support of Washington. The lines of the enemy were about six hun- dred yards distant. On one occasion several of their shallops were discovered sailing along the opposite shore in the direction of their ships. McKeari received orders to have his men in readiness to march at a moment's warning, and they were called to arms. In a letter, written a few days later from camp, he thus describes the event which followed: " I left them," he says, " under Lieutenant-Colonel Dean, to be marched to town, whilst I mounted my horse, and waited on the General for orders. On the road, which is a straight and wide lane, (something like Market Street,) all the way from the camp to the sound, and in a line with the enemy's 'batteries, about twenty cannon-balls flew close to me, some- times on the one side, sometimes on the other, and some just over my head. I confess I was not a little alarmed, being the first time that I had ever heard a cannon-ball, but clapped spurs to my horse, and rode on amidst the balls for the General's, where orders had just been issued to halt the THOMAS McKEAK 297 oattalion. I was going to execute them, when, on turning round, I saw a horse shot through the neck with a four- pounder within much less distance than the width of Market Street from me. The fire was so incessant, and so direct on the street that I had to return, that some gentlemen en- treated me to wait a short time ; but, as the troops under my care were in full inarch, and Colonel Miles' battalion close behind them, I thought it my duty t stop them, as some of them otherwise would probably be killed without a chance of effecting any beneficial service. On my return I found the fire hotter than before, the enemy then playing from three batteries of three or four guns each ; but, through God's favor, I escaped unhurt, and marched the troops to the camp." As had been previously arranged, as soon as the flying camp was recruited, it took the place of the Associate rs, and they returned home, McKean resuming his seat in Congress, and affixing his name to the parchment-copy of the Declara- tion which had been generally sighed on the 2d of August during his absence in camp. But new cares awaited him. " He found upon his return," says the biographer above quoted, " that he had been elected a member of the Conven- tion for forming a constitution for the State of Delaware. He accordingly departed for Dover on the second day after arriving home. Immediately on his arrival, after a fatiguing ride, a committee of gentlemen waited on him, and requested that he would prepare a constitution for the future Govern ment of the State. To this he consented. He retired to his room in the tavern, sat up all night, and having prepared it without a book or any assistance whatever, presented it at ten o'clock next morning to the House, when it was unanimously adopted." Had a feat like this been performed in the ages of antiquity, it would have been heralded as having been done with the aid of some god, or the favored one would himself have been deified. The manifestation of ability to perform herculean labors, brought him an endless variety of public employments, and 298 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION OF these not confined to one State. Early in August, 1777, he was tendered the office of Chief-Justice of Pennsylvania. His friends urged his acceptance. " Upon the whole," he says, in a letter to John Dickinson, " to prevent the least suspicion that I was against any government but such as I framed myself, and that I wanted to embroil the State, and occasion disaffection to the common cause, which had been liberally propagated, ad to evidence that I had nothing in view but to promote the happiness of my country, I thought it rny duty (though manifestly against my interest) to imitate the great Lord Hale, when pressed to the like by Cromwell, and was for the same, and better reasons, prevailed with to accept it." The duties of the office which he thus entered upon, he continued to fulfil for the long period of twenty- two years. He was during the same year chosen President of the State of Delaware, so that, in addition to being a member of Congress and Chief Justice of Pennsylvania, he was at the same time the chief magistrate of another common- wealth. The British army was now occupying Philadelphia; and to discharge the several duties thus imposed, and elude the vigilance of the enemy, required the most untiring cir- cumspection. In a letter to John Adams, written some time afterwards, he says : " I have had my full share of the anxie- ties, cares, and troubles of the present war. For some time I was obliged to act as President of the Delaware State, and as Chief Justice of this. General Howe had just landed (August, 1777,) at the head of Elk River, when I undertook to discharge these two important trusts. The consequence was to be hunted like a fox by the enemy, and envied by those who ought to have been my friends. I was compelled to move my family five times in a few months, and at last fixed them in a little log-house on the banks of the Susque- hanna, more than a hundred miles from this place; but safety was not to be found there, for they were soon obliged to remove again on account of the incursions of the In- dians." On the 25th of December, 1780, he addressed a letter to THOMAS McKEAN. the Legislature of Delaware, expressing his "ardent wish" that they would excuse him from further attendance as their delegate in Congress, and that they would elect some person to succeed him. Or, if they desired that he should continue to represent them, that they would appoint some one to oc- cupy his place while he was absent upon the Supreme Court Circuit of Pennsylvania, and to allow him some relaxation from excessive toil at other times, when needed. He pleaded his inability to perform so many duties to his satisfaction, and that the rank he was obliged to maintain was such that his income from all his offices was insufficient. This request was not acceded to, and he continued to represent the State, though the complaint of lack of salary failed to have its effect; for during two years, 1779 and 1780, he received nothing whatever for his services. The effort to be relieved of his Congressional labors, instead of resulting in his discharge, was followed by an increase of its burdens; for on the 10th of July, 1781, he was elected President of Congress. The duties of this position he continued to discharge until near the close of October, when, the time having arrived for the opening of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, he communicated to Congress his resignation as President. He was, however, prevailed upon to continue to preside until the 1st of November, when he was released, and John Hanson was elected to succeed him. The period during which McKean exercised the functions of Chief Justice, was one of the most important and trying in the whole course of jurisprudence in the Commonwealth. It was at the time when the laws were unsettled, even the constitutions of States undefined, and national existence it- self was in question. The country was in the midst of a revolution when he came to the Bench, and for several years the civil was necessarily subordinate to military rule. Hence the interpretation of organic and statute law had to be made de novo, precedents had to be established, and the whole practice of the Courts adapted to the changed relations which existed. The causes which were brought in his Court were 300 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION OF 1790. many of them peculiar to a period of war and conquest, causes involving the most delicate questions, vital alike to the rights of the subject, and the vindication of justice. Trials for high treason, for attainder, for the confiscation of property, were frequent. A case, rarely transcended .in importance and amount involved in any nation or in any age, was the for- feiture of the Proprietary possessions. The rulings of the Chief Justice throughout all this trying period, and in these difficult causes, were marked by great prudence and wisdom. " Chief-Justice McKean," says a late judge of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, " was a great man ; his merit in the profession of the law, and as a judge, has never been suffi- ciently appreciated. It is only since I have been upon the Bench that I have been able to conceive a just idea of the greatness of his merit. His legal learning was profound and accurate, but, in the words of the poet, Materiam superabat opus. The lucidity of his explication, and the perspicuity of his language, which is the first excellence in the communication of ideas, was perfect ; but I never saw equalled his dignity of manner, in delivering a charge to a jury, or on a law argument to the Bar. But, what is still more, his compre- hension of mind in taking notes, so as to embrace the sub- stance, yet omit nothing material, has appeared to me in- imitable." In 1787, the Constitution of the United States was sub- mitted to the several States for ratification or rejection. It had met violent opposition in the Convention where it was framed, and many of its provisions were discussed with much heat in the public journals. It was only by the exercise of a sublime moderation and prudence by the leaders in the Convention that it was finally adopted. Opposition was anticipated in the ratifying Conventions. The friends of the instrument were active in magnifying its excellencies and in defending what were deemed its defects. Especial care was exercised in electing the ablest and most prudent men as THOMAS McKEAN. 301 delegates. Chief-Justice McKean was a member of the Pennsylvania Convention, and took a leading part in favor of its adoption. In the course of the debates which occurred, ho delivered an elaborate and exhaustive argument upon the results which were likely to follow if it should prevail. In concluding his appeal, he said : " The law, sir, has been my study from my infancy, and my only profession. I have gone through the circle of office, in the legislative, executive, and judicial departments of government; and from all my study, observation, and experience, I must de- clare that, from a full examination and due consideration of this system, it appears to me the best that the world has yet seen. I congratulate you on the fair prospect of its being adopted, and am happy in the expectation of seeing accom- plished what has been long my ardent wish, that you will hereafter have a salutary permanency in magistracy and stability in the laws." The Constitution of the State, adopted in 1776, proving defective, in 1789 a convention met for remodelling it, or framing a new one. A single Assembly and an Executive Council without a head capable of interposing a negative upon legislation, was in many respects inefficient. Two Houses of Assembly, with a single. Executive clothed with the veto power, were advocated and finally substituted. The principal discussion was carried on in committee, and over this Judge McKean presided. Cut off thus from mingling freely in the debates, he contented himself with voting in favor of the fea- tures indicated above, only claiming the floor upon points of special importance. He opposed all unnecessary alterations. " In general," he said, " I dislike innovations, especially in the administration. of justice; and I would avoid tampering with constitutions of governments as with edge-tools." One of the most important features embodied in the new Consti- tution, and the one for which its framers will deserve the thanks of successive generations, so long as its beneficent pro- visions are permitted to hold sway, was that " for the estab- lishment of schools throughout the State, in such a manner 302 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION OF 1790. that the poor may be taught gratis." This proposition was introduced and advocated by Judge McKean. In 1799, the election for Governor resulted in the choice of Judge McKean; whereupon he laid aside the judicial robes, which, for nearly a quarter of a century, he had worn with becoming dignity, and assumed those of the guberna- torial office. In politics he belonged to that school of which Mr. Jefferson was a leading exponent, and the election of the latter was a result of the movement begun in the choice of McKean in Pennsylvania. In reply to an address made to him by an assembly of citizens soon after the result of the election was known, he said : " The Constitution of the United States, and of Pennsylvania, shall be the rule of my government; the security of persons, property, liberty, and reputation, my chiefest care ; and my best endeavors shall be exerted to fulfil all your reasonable and just expectations." In a letter to Mr. Dickinson, written not long after being settled in office, he says : " Though my situation in life is changed, my cares remain : I have never had greater employ- ment for body and mind, than for the last six months, unless when I was President of Congress. I have waded through a sea of troubles, and surmounted my principal difficulties. I have been obliged (though no Hercules) to cleanse the Au- gean stable, with little or no aid ; for I am my own minister and amanuensis. A Governor of Pennsylvania has more duty to perform than the President of the United States, or any other Governor in the Union." The particular labor which he refers to in this passage was one which occasioned sharp criticism. The doctrine that in politics " to the victor belong the spoils," was not at that time well established. The early virtues of the republic, which recognized merit in political friend and opponent alike, were not yet entirely dis- carded. But it was beginning at this period to be warmly espoused, and McKean did not hesitate to act largely upon it, and to openly defend his course. In a letter to Mr. Jefferson, in July, 1801, then President of the United States, he says : " It appear.? that the an ti -Republicans, even those in office, are ap THOMAS McKEAK 303 hostile as ever, though not so insolent. To overcome them they must be shaven, for in their offices (like Samson's hair- locks) their great strength lieth ; their disposition for mis- chief may remain, but their power of doing it will be gone. It is out of the common order of nature, to prefer enemies to friends ; the despisers of the people should not be their rulers, nor men be vested with authority, in a government which they wish to destroy. A dagger ought not to be put into the hands of an assassin. Sayings of this import are in the mouths of everybody; and self-preservation seems to demand some attention to them." His purpose in removing opponents was not to make places merely for political friends, but to secure efficiency and harmony to his rule. For when the affairs of his admin- istration once became settled, he did not adhere exclusively to his own party in making his appointments, but selected from among his political opponents when he could thereby secure a man of greater usefulness. He twice elevated to the position of Chief Justice of the State, gentlemen whose po- litical views were adverse to his own. During his third and last term of office the Governor was subjected to very severe criticism for some of his official acts, and some alleged to have been committed. Party feeling was never more bitter than at that time. It is doubtful if more acrimony has ever been evinced. Finally, the Assembly preferred articles of impeachment against him. They were chiefly allegations of political offences. They were referred to a committee, and the reports made were debated from time to time, but he was never brought to trial, and finally, as an answer to the charges made and the report of the com- mittee, he submitted to the Assembly an elaborate paper de- fining in a most lucid manner the powers and duties of the several branches of the government, legislative, judicial, and executive, and defining clearly impeachable offences. This replication was read and ordered by a considerable majority to be entered upon its minutes, and thus the subject rested. The paper which was drawn forth from the Governor is re- 304 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION OF 1790. garded with great favor by professional men, and is quoted as authority upon the questions of which it treats. The Governor was always an earnest advocate of common- school education. As already noticed he introduced the clause into the Constitution authorizing the establishment of a 83 r stem, and he lost no opportunity of urging the Legisla- ture to action, as his predecessor Governor Mifflin had done before him. In his message of November, 1800, he said: " Considering the diffusion of useful knowledge among the people to be the best auxiliary to the administration of a free government, allow me, gentlemen, to remind you of a con- stitutional injunction, ' That the Legislature shall, as soon as conveniently may be, provide by law for the establishment of schools through the State, in such manner, that the poor may be taught gratis.' ' This recommendation he continued to iterate; but the contentions of party, and the making of provision for the State and national debts consequent upon the war, prevented action from being directly taken thereon. At the expiration of his third term, after having been ele- vated to offices the most honorable and dignified known to government, and enjoyed the confidence of his fellow-men in a manner unprecedented in the history of politics, he retired altogether from public employments. In his final message to the Legislature, he said : " In my last personal communica- tion to the Legislature, probably in the last important public act of my life, I shall be indulged, I hope, in claiming some credit for feelings corresponding with the solemnity of the occasion. It has been my lot to witness the progress of our country, from a Colonial to a national character, through the ordeal of many trials in peace and in war. It has been my hap- piness to enjoy the favor and the confidence of our country, in the most arduous, as well as in the most auspicious stages of her political career. Thus attached by every tie of honor and of gratitude, by all the motives of social interest and af- fection, I contemplate the future destinies of our country with a proud but an anxious expectation. My day of exer- tion (of feeble exertion at the best) is past ; but for our fel- THOMAS McKEAN. 305 ow-eitizens, and for their representatives in every department of the government, I can only cease to implore the blessing of Providence when I cease to exist." Governor McKean had always preserved an abiding friend- ship for John Adams. In the trying days of the Revolution they had been in close political accord. In a letter from Mr. Adams, written in 1812, the following testimony to this is borne. " Nearly thirty-eight years ago our friendship com- menced. It has never been interrupted, to -my knowledge, but by one event. Among all the gentlemen with whom I have acted and lived in the world, I know not any two, who have more uniformly agreed in sentiment upon political prin- ciples, forms of government, and national policy, than you and I have done, except upon one great subject; a most important and momentous one, to be sure : that subject was the French Revolution. This at the first appearance of it you thought a 1 minister of grace ; ' I fully believed it to be a ' goblin damned ! ' J In his reply to this, Governor McKean said : " I declare, with pleasure, and also with pride, that I embraced the political sentiments of none, with more satisfaction (being congenial with my own) than yours; nor do I recollect a single question on which we differed. It is true I was a friend to the Revolution in France, from the Assembly of the Notables (1787) until the king was decapitated (1794), which I deemed not only a very atrocious, but an absurd act. After that, I remained in a kind of apathy, with regard to the leaders of the different parties, until I clearly perceived that that nation was then incapable of being ruled by a popular government ; and when a few, and afterwards an individual, assumed despotic sway over them, I thought them in a situa- tion better than under the government of a mob ; for I would prefer any kind of government to such a state ; even a tyranny to anarchy. On this subject, then, I do not conceive we differed widely. I do assure you that I venerate our early friendship, and am happy in the continuance of it." In a letter to Mr. Adams, written in June of the same year, he said : " Three years aaro I shook hands with the world, 20 306 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION OF 1790. and we said farewell to each other: the toys and rattles of childhood would, in a few years more, be prohahly as suit- able to me, as office, honor, or wealth ; but (thank God) the faculties of my mind are, as yet, little, if anything impaired, and my affections and friendships remain unshaken. Since my exemption from official and professional duties, I have enjoyed a tranquillity never (during a long, protracted life) heretofore experienced; and my wealth and comforts are sufficient for a moderate man." For a man of so varied and such great labors his lergth of life was remarkable, and illustrates the maxim that sloth, hV e rust, consumes faster than labor wears. He died on the 24th of June, 1817, aged eighty-three years, two months, and sixteen days, and was buried in the grounds of the Presby- terian church in Market Street, Philadelphia. " In person," says his biographer, " Mr. McKean was tall, erect, and well proportioned. His countenance displayed, in a remarkable manner, the firmness and intelligence for which he was dis- tinguished. His manners were impressive and dignified. In the month of July, 1762, he married Mary, the eldest daughter of Joseph Borden, Esq., of Bordentown, New Jer- sey, who died in February, 1773, leaving two sons and four daughters, the youngest of whom was only two weeks old. On Thursday the 3d of September, 1774, he was again united in marriage to Miss Sarah Armitage, of New Castle, in Delaware ; five children were the offspring of this union." Of Mr. McKean's character, i^one knew better than the great compatriots with whom he acted, and who have left ample testimony. Mr. Jefferson, in a letter written in April, 1824, but two years before his own death, says of him, " The general remembrance can never be obliterated, that he was among the soundest and most zealous of the republicans, with whom it has been mj fortune to act through life." And President John Adams, in a letter written in the same year to Mr. McKean's son, says : " Your father and Caesar Rodney were among the Patrick Henrys, the Christopher Gadsdens, the Thomas Jeffersons, the Samuel Adamses, the Roger THOMAS McKEAN. 307 Shermans, the best tried and firmest pillars of the Revolu- tion." In the course of his life Mr. McKean was made a member of many learned societies, and associations devoted to the amelioration and advancement of mankind. In 1781, the degree of Doctor of Laws was conferred upon him by the College of New Jersey, and in the following year the same degree was conferred by Dartmouth College, New Hampshire. The Trustees of the latter institution, in communicating the bestowal of the honor, said : " Impressed with an exalted opinion of those singular talents which nature has allotted you ; of those acquirements which you have gained by appli- cation; and of that patriotic virtue, which has remained in- flexible through the storms of adversity, the honorable Board of Trustees of this University request jour acceptance of a feeble testimonial of your merit." It is rare, and perhaps unexampled, that a man has public offices heaped upon him as they were upon Thomas McKean. He was President of Delaware, and Governor of Pennsylva- nia; member of Congress from Delaware for a period of over eight years, and Chief Justice of Pennsylvania for* twenty- two, offices each in itself of sufficient dignity to satisfy the ambition of the most gifted ; and yet to him they seemed appropriately awarded ; for in an age of giants he appeared among the most conspicuous. The services of such a man are the proud heritage of Pennsylvania, a heritage thtt illu- mines some of the brightest pages of her history. SIMON SNYDER, GOVERNOR UNDER THE CONSTITUTION OF 1790, December 20, 1808, to December 16, 1817. AT an early day German emigrants to America very gen- erally settled in Pennsylvania. Of all the Colonies thia had the greatest proportion of German population. Simon Snyder was the first Governor selected from the descendants of that nationality. He was, too, the first who was taken from the ranks of the laboring class, having risen by toil from the most humble beginning, and known by experience the hard lot of the lowly. He was born at Lancaster, on the 5th of November, 1759. His father, Anthony Snyder, was a respectable mechanic, who came to America from the Palatinate, in 1758. His mother, whose maiden name was Knippenberg, was born near Oppen- heim, Germany. Of five children, the offspring of this marriage, Simon was the fourth. The father died in 1774, and two years after, the son, then at the age of seventeen, removed from Lancaster to the town of York, in the adjoin- ing county, whore he remained for eight years. Here he learned the business of a tanner and currier, serving faith- fully an apprenticeship of four years, without being bound by any indenture or written agreement, evincing thus early a steadfastness of character, and a faith that w T as auspicious. At a night school, kept by John Jones, a worthy member of the Society of Friends, he was taught reading, writing, and arithmetic, and made some progress in higher mathematics. His industry at this period was very great, and often at the midnight hour, after a hard day's work, he was still at hia books, and his Sundaj - were usually devoted to study. 308 SIMON SNYDER. 309 In July, 1784, he removed to Selinsgrove, then Northum- berland County, since Union, now Snyder, the two latter having been successively erected out of territory of the for- mer, and the last having been named in honor of that then nameless young man. Here he opened a store, and became the owner of a mill. By his good sense and excellent busi- ness habits, he soon acquired influence with his fellow-men, and was often consulted in questions of difficulty. He had acquired a knowledge of the simpler legal forms, and was frequently employed as a scrivener. Quiet and unassuming in deportment, he was still ever ready to interest himself in behalf of the poor and those in distress. Recognizing his admirable fitness for the position, he was finally elected unani- mously by the freeholders of a large district, a Justice of the Peace, and for twelve years continued to officiate with great acceptability. So universally were his decisions respected that no appeal was ever made from any judgment of his to the Court of Common Pleas, and but a single writ of certiorari was sued out in all that time, though the inhabitants were of that restless class which are always in the lead in the tide of civilization. In the numerous actions brought before him for petty criminal offences, his efforts to reconcile the contending parties so generally prevailed, that he made return to the court of but two recognizances. In 1789, Mr. Snyder was elected a member of the conven- tion which framed the State Constitution of the following year, and though but a novice in politics, and little skilled in the management of deliberative bodies, yet his votes and his personal influence were uniformly given in the interest of enlightened statesmanship, and he showed himself, as we might anticipate, a conscientious and painstaking represen- tative of the popular will. In 1797, he was elected a member of the House of Repre- sentatives, of which body, in 1802, he was chosen Speaker. The duties of this office, he was enabled, by his ready memory and strong native sense, to discharge with great acceptability. While he was in the chair, was passed the Act commonly 310 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION OF 1790. known as the Hundred Dollar Act, which originated with him, and of which he was a warm advocate. It embodied the arbitration principle, and provided for the trial of causes where the a'mount in question was less than one hundred dol- lars, before a justice of the peace. MeKean, who was then Governor, opposed this measure, and though the party in the Legislature which passed it was the party which had elevated him to power, the controversy over it was spirited and bitter, producing an estrangement, which, being aggravated by other differences, finally resulted in the complete severance of party ties, the Governor identifying himself with the Fed- eralists, and the Jefferson Democrats, or Republicans as they were then called, repudiating him entirely. Snyder continued to preside over the House until 1805, when, by his energy and sturdy qualities exhibited in cham- pioning the Hundred Dollar Act, and other measures, being recognized as a fit leader on a broader theatre, he was nomi- nated for Governor in opposition to McKean. The latter was elected by barely five thousand majority, but the excellent run made by Snyder demonstrated unmistakably that he was strong with the people. He continued to be elected to the House and to be annually selected as its Speaker until 1808, when he was again nominated for Governor, the oppo- site party being led by James Ross, of Pittsburg, a man of the greatest respectability and eminence. The result was the election of Snyder by a majority of over twenty-four thousand votes. He was re-elected in 1811, and again in 1814, by overwhelming majorities, serving the full constitu- tional period of nine years. Early in his administration, Governor Snyder found him- self in conflict with the national authority, in a controversy which grew out of a Revolutionary claim ; and had a less prudent and judicious man been in the gubernatorial chair, it might have resulted in the most serious consequences. Four American seamen had been taken on board the British ship Active, on its way from Jamaica to New York, in the year 1778, who, when off the coast of Delaware, overpowered SIMON SNYDER. 311 t le officers and the rest of the crew, and were taking their prize in, when it was seized by Captain Houston, of the American ship Convention, who took it to port, and libelled it for himself, seamen, and State of Pennsylvania. Gideon Uiastead, one of the four seamen, resisted this action on the part of himself and fellows. The case went to a jury, where it was decided that Umstead and his associates should have one-fourth of the prize mone} 7 , and the other party the re- mainder. To this Umstead would doubtless have acceded ; but at this juncture Benedict Arnold, then in command in Philadelphia, bought the claim of the four seamen, and had application made to Congress for revisal of the judgment of the Pennsylvania Court of Admiralty. This was effected, and the entire prize money was awarded to the four seamen. For his connection with this case, Arnold was first suspected of a treacherous character. The three-fourths of the prize money, according to the decision of the Pennsylvania Court, was guaranteed to the original claimants; and this the Governor felt himself bound to execute. But before any collision occurred, he transmitted the record of the pro- ceedings of the Legislature in the case to President Madison, who made the following reply, dated April 13th, 1809: " SIR, I have received your letter of the 6th instant, accompanied by certain Acts of the Legislature of Pennsyl- vania, which will be laid before Congress according to the desire expressed. Considering our respective relations to the subject of these communications, it would be unneces- sary, if not improper, to enter into any of the questions con- nected with it. It is sufficient in the actual posture of the case to remark, that the .Executive of the United States is not only unauthorized to prevent the execution of a decree sanctioned by the Supreme Court of the United States, but is expressly enjoined by statute to carry into effect any such decree when opposition may be made to it. It is a propi- tious circumstance, therefore, that whilst no legal discretion lies with the Executive of the United States to decline steps which might lead to a very painful issue, a provision has 312 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION OF 1790. been made by the legislative act transmitted by you, adequate to the removal of the existing difficulty; and I feel great pleasure in assuring myself that the authority which it gives will be exercised in a spirit corresponding with the patriotic character of the State over which you preside. Be pleased, sir, to accept assurances of my respectful consideration." The issue of the case is thus briefly and clearly stated by the Governor in his annual message to the Legislature of 1810 : " On the 27th of February last, the Executive commu- nicated to the Legislature that, in consequence of proceedings had in the Supreme Court of the United States, an attach ment would be issued against the executrices of the late Mr. Rittenhouse, formerly Treasurer of this State, to compel them to pay to (jideon Umstead and others, the money which they had paid into the State Treasury, in obedience to an Act passed the 2d day of April, 1803, which Act, in the name of this Commonwealth, guaranteed an indemnification to the said executrices from any process whatever issued out of any Federal Court, in consequence of their obedience to the pro- visions of that Act. In that message the Executive informed the Legislature that he was making arrangements to call out a portion of the militia, that being the only means in his power to carry into effect the Act of 2d of April, 1803. Orders were accordingly transmitted to the Adjutant-General, inclosing the appointment of General Michael Bright, and his orders, which were laid before the Legislature, March 2d, 1809. On the 24th day of March, the General stationed a guard at the houses of the executrices. On the 25th day of March, the Marshal of the district was resisted by the militia, and prevented from entering the houses of the executrices. That officer afterwards issued notices calling out a posse comi- tatus, to assist him in executing this attachment. Previous to the day on which the posse was ordered out, to wit, on the 15th of April, the Marshal eluded the vigilance of the guard and arrested one of the executrices. A habeas corpus before the Chief-Justice was taken out in her name by the Attorney- General The Chief-Justice refusing to liberate the SIMON SNYDER. 313 body of the executrix, and ordering her to remain in cus- tody of the Marshal, the Executive directed the guard to be withdrawn and the money to be paid." The period during which Snyder was Governor was an important and exciting one in the national life. Napoleon was on the throne of France. On the thrones of Spain, Hol- land, and Italy he had, by his sword, seated his three brothers. All Europe, amazed at his giant strides, took up arms against him. The United States, preserving a perfectly neutral atti- tude, was allowed by her commercial marine to visit freely the ports of the belligerents, and was greatly prospered. In violation of the neutral rights of the United States, Great Britain, in 1806, issued an order in council declaring the whole coast of the continent from the Elbe to Brest in a state of blockade. Napoleon retaliated by issuing his decree at Berlin declaring the entire coast of the British Islands also in blockade. As a consequence, American vessels were seized by both French and English cruisers, and her commerce, though preserving a strict neutrality, was suddenly swept from the ocean. The baneful effect of the "orders" and " decrees " was aggravated by the haughty assumption of the right, by Great Britain, to search unceremoniously American vessels for suspected deserters from the British navy, under cover of which the grossest outrages were committed, Amer- ican seamen being dragged from the decks of their vessels and impressed into the royal service. In retaliation, Presi- dent Jefferson, in July, 1807, issued a proclamation ordering all British armed vessels to leave the waters of the United States, and forbidding any to enter until satisfaction for the past, and security for the future, should be assured; and upon the meeting of Congress in December, an embargo was laid, detaining all vessels, American and foreign, then in the ports of the United States, and ordering all American vessels home that were abroad, that the seamen might be trained for hos- tilities. Negotiations were conducted with varying success, but without any pacifying results. In the meantime the causes of irritation increased, until finally the state of feeling 314 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION OF 1790. became so much embittered, that in 1811 President Madison, by authority of Congress, declared war against Great Britain. The war, which lasted for a period of nearly four years, is known as the WAR OF 1812, and resulted in the establishment of a really national character to the United States. Dr. Franklin once heard a person in conversation speak of the Revolution as the War of Independence and reproved him, saying : " Sir, you mean the Revolution ; the war of indepen- dence is yet to come. It was a war for independence, but not of independence." One of the first manoeuvres of the British in the contest was to incite the Indians to hostilities, and succeeded but too well. On the night of the 6th of November, a bloody battle was fought near the confluence of the Tippecanoe and Wabash rivers, with a powerful body of the savages led by Tecumseh, a chief who rivalled Pontiac in bravery, in which General Harrison gained a complete victory, though at great sacrifice. The operations along the Canada frontier against the British army were less fortunate. On the 16th of Au- gust, 1812, General Hull, Governor of Michigan, after having crossed into Canada and attempted to reduce the opposing force, and been obliged to return, was himself compelled to surrender the post at Detroit, where he had taken shelter, whereby fort, stores, garrison, and territory passed into the enemy's hands. Two months later, General Van Rensselaer was defeated with considerable loss at Queenstown Heights, though the British commander-in-chief, Brock, was killed in the action. At Frenchtown, on the River Raisin, twenty-five miles south of Detroit, at dawn on the morning of the 22d of January, 1813, General Winchester, after a brave resistance, was forced to surrender to the British and Indians, and though the sick and wounded were by the terms of the sur- render solemnly guaranteed safety, they were inhumanly murdered. The brave and successful defence of Fort Ste- phenson \yy the youthful Major Croghan, with only one hun- dred and fifty soldiers, when attacked by five hundred regu- lais and eight hundred Indians, formed some relief to the SIMON SNYDER. 315 otherwise dark picture. The enemy was repulsed with a loss of one hundred and fifty killed and wounded, while the de- fenders lost but one killed and seven wounded. Croghan was but twenty-two years old. The tide of victory now be- gan to turn in favor of the Americans. On the 5th of Octo- ber, General Harrison came up with the British and Indians at the Moravian village on the Thames, and defeated them with great slaughter, the famous Tecumseh being among the killed. By this victory all that Hull had lost was regained, the power of the Indians was broken, and the English were driven from Michigan. Meanwhile, upon the ocean and upon the lakes engage- ments occurred which rank with the best exhibitions of naval valor that the world has seen Commodores Decatur, Hull, Jones, Perry, Lawrence, Porter, and McDonough combat- ing the enemy with a valor which has made that flag under which they fought respected on every water, even to the remotest seas. The campaign of 1814 was conducted by the enemy with vigor. Early in that year the power of Napoleon was broken, and fourteen thousand of Wellington's veterans were sent to Canada. The battles of Oswego, Chippewa, Luudy's Lane, Fort Erie, and Plattsburg, which followed, were never- theless favorable to the American arms Generals Scott, Ripley, and Brown winning substantial victories, and success- fully turning back the enemy from his march of invasion. In August, Ross, one of the most trusted of "Wellington's generals, with six thousand men, in a flotilla of sixty vessels, arrived in the Chesapeake, for the conquest of the capital. He found little to oppose him. A feeble fleet under Commo- dore Barney was abandoned and burned. A small force of militia under General Winder met Ross at Bladensburg and made a sharp resistance ; but the affair was soon decided in Yavor of the latter. On the same day, August 24th, Ross captured Washington, burned the Capitol, President's house, and other public and private buildings, and hastily withdrew to the fleet. A few days later he appeared before Baltimore. 316 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION OF 1790. and, debarking, advanced to the attack. He was met by a division of the force brought together for the defence, com- manded by General Smith, a revolutionary veteran, arid in a brief skirmish which ensued, Ross was killed. A fierce en- gagement followed, in which the enemy lost severely. In the meantime the fleet approached, and opened fire upon Fort McIIenry, which was continued almost incessantly for a day and a night, throwing not less than fifteen hundred bomb- shells. The inhabitants were in great consternation ; but before light on the morning of the 14th of September, despair- ing of success, the enemy secretly embarked and moved away. The song of the Star-Spangled Banner was inspired by the terrors of this bombardment. A gentleman had left Balti- more in a flag-of-truce boat to secure the release of a friend, who had been captured, and was a prisoner on board the fleet. He was not permitted to return, lest he should disclose the intention to bombard the city. The flag-boat was kept under the guns of a frigate, and he was compelled to witness this terrific fire, which the British admiral boasted would soon reduce the city. Through the whole day he watched the flag at the fort with indescribable anxiety. At night he followed with eager eye the bursting shells, and in the early dawn of the morning, to his great joy, he distinguished that banner still floating. Under these circumstances the national song was written. Einalty, General Jackson, who had been engaged in pun- ishing the Indians in the south, finding that the enemy in great numbers were making their appearance in the Gulf of Mexico, promptly responded to a call from New Orleans for help, and marching thither made preparations for defence. In hastily constructed breastworks upon the river, four miles below the city, on the morning of the 8th of January, 1815, Jackson, with six thousand militia, met General Packenham, with twelve thousand men, many of them Wellington's veterans, and after a brief but sharp engagement, gained a complete victory. General Packenham fell, and his army SIMON SNYDER. 317 withdrew, leaving seven hundred dead, and more than a thou- sand wounded upon the field. The Americans lost but seven killed and six wounded. Two weeks before this, a treaty of peace had been concluded between the two nations at Ghent, Belgium ; but the news of it had not reached America when the battle of New Orleans was fought. In all this contest the Government of Pennsylvania was administered faithfully in the interest of the national author- ity. Governor Sriyder believed the war to be justly under- taken, and his supporters were emphatically of the war party. All his energies were devoted to bringing out the forces of the State required for prosecuting the war with vigor. Vol- unteers received but eight dollars a month from the General Government. Every inducement in addition to this, which he could consistently use, to facilitate volunteering and to aid in equipment and support of the troops, he was vigilant and studious in extending. It is related that Mrs. Snyder even cut up her crimson cloak to make trimmings for the soldiers' uniforms. The closing paragraph of his first inaugural ad- dress to the Legislature proves the warmth of feeling with which he regarded the support of the nation in the hour of its tribulation. " In a national crisis like the present," he says, " where all that is dear and precious to the United States is threatened by the violence and aggressions of foreign . powers, it is peculiarly and eminently the duty of all the constituted authorities to act in support of the just and hon- orable measures adopted by the Federal Government, as if animated by one heart, one spirit, and one determination. The happy influence of such an accordance of opinion and action is not bounded by our country, but beneficially ex- tends itself wherever American politics can interest, or American interests be affected." To the time of the accession of Governor Snyder, the Ex- ecutives had been in the habit of delivering their annual messages to the Legislature in person. He abolished that custom and inaugurated that of communicating them in writing, which ha* since continued to prevail. The reason 318 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION OP 1790. for this change lie thus states in the opening of his first mes- sage : " I have been induced to depart from this custom from a conviction that communications by message are more in accordance with our republican principles and institutions, simplicity of manners, sound economy, and equally respect- ful to the members composing the Legislature." The interests of the nation were equally dear to the heart of Governor Snyder with those of the Commonwealth over which he presided, and in his annual messages he alluded to them with as much devotion as though they were the objects of his immediate care. In his message of the 5th of Decem- ber, 1811, he thus utters his convictions upon the subject of slavery, the first of the governors to enter his protest against it: "Elevated as is her character for humanity, there is yet permitted to remain one other stain on the otherwise fair and benign features of her polity. The galling yoke of slavery is still felt by some of our fellow-creatures, in differ- ent parts of this commonwealth, and its pressure is made the more severe, by witnessing the happiness and freedom of surrounding multitudes. A recent act of cruelty which came under my notice, and which awakened feelings of a painful and distressing nature, will, I trust, excuse the intro- duction to your notice of a subject so interesting to the whole human family, and embracing facts and practices pal- pably inconsistent with the terms and spirit of that funda- mental and immutable law of reason, ' That all men are born free and equal.' " The allusion above to the act of cruelty shows that the Governor's heart was open to generous emo- tions, and that it was touched with pity by every pang, the result of wrong and injustice, inflicted upon even the lowliest of the human species. The following incident, given by John Binns, a friend oi the Governor, who was present when the facts related trans- pired, also illustrates the goodness of the Governor's heart, and his readiness to vindicate the rights of the weak when unjustly assailed. " Soon after the inauguration of Governor Snyder," says Mr. Binns, " in 1808, I was sitting with him SIMON SNYDER. 4 319 in a room at his lodgings at Bailsman's tavern in Lancaster. The room was upon the second floor, and it was evening. A waiter entered and said, ' There are some gentlemen below who desire to speak with the Governor.' ' Tell them to walk up,' said the Governor. In a few minutes seven well-dressed persons entered. The foremost of them said, ' We wish to speak with the Governor on a matter of business.' The Gov- ernor answered, ' I have no objection that my friend Mr. Binns should hear anything you may wish to say to me, or anything I may have to say in answer.' The speaker for the party then said, * "We are all applicants for the public offices in Chester County. We have waited upon your Excellency to say that we shall be quite satisfied, and shall zealously sup- port your administration, whoever you may appoint, with the exception of Charles Kenny. He is an Irishman. We know that his appointment would be very unpopular.' The Governor bowed and made answer, ' I shall consider, gentle- men, what you have said.' The gentlemen applicants bowed respectfully and retired. The Governor turned promptly towards me, and said, * That 's a selfish combination against an absent individual. I shall appoint Kenny.' He did ap- point him Clerk of the Orphans' Court of Chester County, and he was as good an officer and as popular an appointment as any that he made." Governor Snj-der was not the man to be intimidated by threats, or driven from any policy which he thought to be right, in the hope of thereby gaining a temporary popularity. Few men have been bolder, or more independent in their public acts, or have been less swayed by considerations of selfish ex- pediency than he. In the session of the Legislature of 1813- 1814, a bill was passed by a large majority chartering forty banks. It was upon the eve of making the nomination for governor for the succeeding 1erm. At that time the nomina- tions were made by the members of the Legislature. After assembling in caucus, it was remarked that the Act chartering the banks was still in the hands of the Governor, and that a nomination should not be made until it was seen whether he 320 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION OF 1790. approved the bill. But no considerations like this could sway Governor Snyder, and promptly within three days from the time of its passage, he returned the bill with a statement of his objections. It did not pass at that session. The Gov- ernor's independence was the theme of universal encomium ; and he was re-elected by a majority of over twenty thousand votes. During the administration of Governor Snyder a notorious woman, Ann Smith, alias Carson, formed a bold scheme for abducting the Governor's youngest son, then a lad at school, and for holding him until the pardon of her paramour, who was under sentence of death, should be secured. For this purpose she started from Philadelphia with two hired ruffians, armed to the teeth, and was making her way to Selinsgrove, on the Susquehanna, where the Governor's family resided. The Governor was secretly informed of their coming, and was prepared to receive them. They were allowed to pass Harrisburg undisturbed; but at Hunter's Falls, ten miles above, where they stopped for the night, and where they were drawn into conversation disclosing their purposes and exhibiting their arms, they were all appre- hended, and after a trial and conviction were given a home in the penitentiary. Upon retiring from the office of Governor, in 1817, he returned to his residence near Selinsgrove, and at the next general election was chosen to the State Senate, but only served during one session. He died of typhoid fever, on the 9th of November, 1819. The last half year of his life was rendered unhappy by domestic afflictions, and the weight of grievous cares. His long residence at the seat of government had prevented him from giving that attention to the manage- ment of his extensive estates which they required, and he in consequence found himself much embarrassed. The death of his son Frederick, which occurred at this time of business anxiety, broke his spirit, and prepared his system for the dis- ease of which he died. He was three times married : in 1790, to Elizabeth Michael, SIMON SNYDER. 321 who died on the 10th of November, 1794, leaving two cnildren; on the l'2th of Jfcne, 1796, to Catharine Antes, who died on the 15th of March, 1810, leaving five children ; and on the 16th of October, 1814, to Mary Slough Scott, a widow, who died October 8, 1823. The feelings which actuated Governor Snyder in the dis- charge of the duties of a long public service are forcibly expressed in the closing paragraphs of his last annual message to the Legislature : " Having discharged as well the Constitutional injunction as those duties assigned by law, and recommended what in my judgment would promote the public weal, it remains for me to add, that it has ever given me the purest pleasure to co-operate with the General As- sembly in such measures as were calculated to perpetuate the happiness of our constituents ; that in the discharge of exec- utive functions I was ever solicitous to collect my duty from a just appreciation of every circumstance by which it might be affected. I heard with attention, and endeavored to de- cide with integrity. I had a wish, it is true, to regard the public voice, and I confess myself to have been ambitious to conciliate and enjoy the public confidence. But I could never abandon the superior claims of self-approbation and conscious rectitude. Satisfied on these points, (and ever aware that in the performance of executive duties by a merely practical man it is difficult, if not impossible, to avoid error,) I have ever acted without in the least regarding what the world might say about it; and those who know me best can bear witness that I have borne with patience the con- sequences which, to me, have casually resulted from them. For the errors I may have committed, I am consoled with the reflection that perhaps no important good was ever alto- gether free from alloy, and that my fellow-citizens will, I trust, charitably find a palliation in the motive which at any time may have misled me. The confidence and support which I have experienced from my fellow-citizens for the greater portion of an active life, have impressed my mind with deep and lasting gratitude. A consciousness of having 21 322 GOVEENOBS UNDER CONSTITUTION OF 1790. with diligence and fidelity endeavored to discharge the duties which a partial public has on various occasions assigned me, and of the liberality which has been evinced towards me by a succession of legislatures during an arduous administra- tion, heightens the satisfaction I have in surrendering it to an able successor. And whilst I bid you, and my fellow- citizens generally, an affectionate farewell, I implore for my country the blessings of an all-wise superintending Provi- dence." WILLIAM FINDLAY, GOVERNOR UNDER THE CONSTITUTION OF 1790, December 16, 1817, to December 19, 1820. WILLIAM FIKDLAY, the fourth Governor of Pennsyl- vania under the Constitution of 1790. was born at Mer- cersburg, Franklin County, on the 20th of June, 1768. The progenitor beyond whom he never traced his lineage was Adjutant Brown, as he was called, who took part in the de- fence of Deny, Ireland, during its famous siege in 1566, and afterwards emigrated to this country with his daughter Eliza- beth. The daughter married Samuel Findlay, of Philadel- phia. A son by this marriage, Samuel, settled, some years before the opening of the Revolutionary War, at Mercers- burg, a place which was then of more trade and importance relatively than now. It was an entrepot, where goods to be sent west of the mountains were brought in wagons and transferred to pack-horses. It is situated at the base of the Blue Ridge, in that great valley the Shenandoah in Virginia and Cumberland in Pennsylvania which stretches from the borders of Tennessee to the Hudson. In the year 1765, he was married to Jane Smith, a daughter of William Smith. She died in the thirty-fifth year of her age, the mother of eight boys, six of whom survived her. These lived to be men, and all of them attained respectable, and some of them distin- guished positions in the communities where they lived. Had that young mother been spared to look on them in their man- hood, she might have regarded them with the complacency of Cornelia herself. Her fine understanding, her piety, her maternal tenderness and affection, were themes on which 823 V 324 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION OF 1790. those of her children who were old enough when she died to know and appreciate her virtues, fondly loved to dwell. William, the suhject of this sketch, was the second of this family of sons. The Scotch-Irish, the name hy which emi- grants from the north of Ireland were known, at an early day settled in great numbers in the Cumberland Valley, an 1 at Mercersburg they formed almost the exclusive population. Like the Scotch, from whom they were descended, they ap- preciated the importance of a good education. A knowledge of the common English branches they deemed indispensable f for all their children ; while one son in a family, at least, if it could be accomplished by any reasonable sacrifice, received a classical education. William, in his boyhood, displayed that activity of mind and thirst for knowledge which were the characteristics of his manhood. His leisure hours were devoted to reading such books as were accessible. They were few, but they contained solid and useful information, very different from many of those which a prolific and un- scrupulous press supplies the youth of the present day. They were read with care, and their contents made the subject of reflection. It was the intention of his parents to have given him a collegiate education, in preparation for one of the learned professions, which, had he been allowed his choice, would have been that of the law. A fire, which consumed his father's store and dwelling, caused so severe a pecuniary loss that this cherished purpose had to be abandoned. His instruction was therefore only such as could be obtained in the schools of the neighborhood. The meagre advantages afforded him were studiously improved, and the natural ac- tivity of his mind and his ambition to excel enabled him to make substantial acquirements. He wrote with correctness and perspicuity, had a general knowledge of American and English history and literature, and although not a technical lawyer, he acquired that" competent knowledge of the laws" of his country which Blackstoue pronounces to be " the pro- per accomplishment of every gentleman." 0- the 7th of December, 1791, he was married to Nancy WILLIAM FINDLAT. 325 Irwin, daughter of Archibald Irwin of Franklin County, and commenced life as a farmer on a portion of his father's estate, which, at the death of his father, in 1799, he inherited. He was a political disciple and a great admirer of Mr. Jefferson, and at an early age took an active part in politics. The first office which he ever held was a military one, that of Brigade Inspector of Militia, requiring more of business capacity than knowledge of tactics. The Brigade Inspector ranked as Major, and to be Major of Militia in those days was considered no. small honor. To the veterans of the Revolutionary War it was given to become Generals and Colonels. Musters and reviews of brigades and divisions were held annually, when the whole country-side turned out to view and enjoy the spectacle. Military promotion led to political preferment. The election of a Colonel or Major was as fiercely contested as that of a Governor, and the candidates were often if not generally of opposite parties. In the autumn of 1797, that immediately succeeding the inauguration of John Adams as President of the United States, at a time when the "only newspaper published in Franklin County was the organ of the Federalists, with its columns strictly closed against the Republicans, Mr. Findlay was elected a member of the House of Representatives of the State Legislature, which then sat in Philadelphia. He was then in the thirtieth year of his age, and found himself, if not the youngest, among the most youthful in a body where it was the custom to send men more advanced in years than at present. He was again elected to the House in 1803. Mr. Jefferson had succeeded Mr. Adams in the Presidency, and the Re- publicans were in the ascendant in both National and State Governments. The capital had, by the Act of April 3d, 1799, been temporarily established at Lancaster. Mr. Find- lay at this session proposed that it should be permanently established at Harrisburg. The proposition then failed ; but it was eventually carried, and in 1812 the removal was effected. He proved himself a leading member, and one of 326 GOVERN OK 3 UNDER CONSTITUTION OF 1790. the most useful in the House, being placed in the most responsible positions. He was a member of the Committee of Ways and Means ; of a committee to define by bill con- tempt of court ; chairman of a committee to draft an address to the Governor asking the removal of an associate judge; member of a committee to revise the laws relating to insol- vent debtors ; and of a committee to inquire what alterations in the penal laws were necessary to prevent kidnapping. At the session of 1802-3 the petition of Thomas Passmore had been presented to the House praying for the impeach- ment of Edward Shippen, Jasper Yates, and Thomas Smith, judges of the Supreme Court, who had committed Passmore for contempt of court. It was not acted upon at that session ; but was taken up as an item of unfinished business at the session of the following year, and was referred to. the com- mittee of grievances, who, on the 13th of March, reported the following resolution : " That a committee be appointed to draft articles of impeachment against the said Edward Shippen, Esq., Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Penn- sylvania, and Jasper Yates and Thomas Smith, Esqs., judges of the said court, for a high misdemeanor in their official capacity, by arbitrarily and unconstitutionally fining and im- prisoning Thomas Passmore," which was agreed to by a large majority. Articles of impeachment were accordingly adopted, and on the 23d a committee was appointed to exhibit them to the Senate, and to manage the trial on behalf of the House. At the next session the trial was proceeded with, but resulted in the acquittal of the accused. Mr. Findlay voted against the proposition ordering the preferment of articles of im- peachment, from a conviction, doubtless, that the judges had not exceeded their common law powers, and that they had acted conscientiously and with no intention to oppress. Judge Breckenridge, one of the judges of the court, but who hap- pened to be absent from the bench when his brethren had committed Passmore, addressed a letter to the House, after Passmore's petition had been presented, requesting to be im- peached, not for any act of his own, but for his approbation WILLIAM FINDLAY. 327 of the official conduct in the case. The letter was considered disrespectful to the House, and was referred to a committee, of which Mr. Findlay was chairman, with power to send for persons and papers. The committee decided against indulg- ing the judge in his magnanimous desire to share the fate of the accused. But although they declined to accuse him of a 3rime which he had not committed, they determined so far to gratify him, as to go into a general investigation of his official conduct, and recommended the appointment of a committee to prepare an address to the Governor asking for his removal from office. This was accordingly done, and the measure was carried through both Houses by the requisite constitutional majority; but it failed to unseat the meddle- some Judge, Governor McKean, who was then in the chair of State, deciding that the action of the Legislature was not mandatory, but simply empowered him to act or not at his discretion, and he deemed the offence proven insufficient to warrant removal. When the act to revise the judiciary system was before the House, Mr. Findlay offered additional sections, providing that a plaintiff might file a statement of his cause of action instead of -a declaration; for reference of matters in dispute to arbitration ; that proceedings should not be set aside for informality; that pleadings might be amended, and amicable actions and judgments entered without the agency of an attorney. These provisions were not then adopted, but they after- wards became and still are a part of the statute law. The object aimed at by their mover was doubtless to enable parties to conduct their own cases in court without professional assist- ance. This the enactments have failed to accomplish ; but they have been of great advantage to attorneys themselves, enabling them to cure their own errors and omissions, to which they as well as the unlearned are liable. On the 13th of January, 1807, Mr. Findlay was elected State Treasurer, whereupon he resigned his seat in the House. From that date until the 2d of December, 1817, 328 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITLTION OF 1790. when he resigned to assume the duties of chief magistrate, a period of nearly eleven years, he was annually re-elected by the Legislature to that office, in several instances unanimously, and always by a strong majority, not uncommonly being supported by members politically opposed to him. During nearly four years of this time the United States were at war with England, and the resources of the country were severely taxed. In addition to this, the Legislature had chartered the Forty Banks over the veto of Governor Snyder, about which a violent contest had occurred, and the State was flooded with depreciated paper currency. Notwithstanding the con- stant vigilance and scrutiny of the careful and reliable chief clerk of the Treasury, Alexander Wilson, about seven hun- dred dollars of uricurrent money had been taken at its counter. Determined that the State should not suffer loss by this misfortune, Mr. Findlay paid the amount out of his private funds. This action coming to the knowledge of the Legislature, a bill was promptly passed for refunding to him the money, thus consummating a measure of simple justice, and bearing testimony to the integrity and worth of the officer. In 1817, Mr. Findlay was nominated by the Republicans as their candidate for Governor. General Joseph Hiester was selected by a disaffected branch of the Republican party, styled Old School Men, to oppose him, who was supported also by the Federalists. The result was a triumph for Find- lay, who was elected by a majority of over seven thousand votes. During the canvass party spirit ran high, and it did not subside when the result of the contest was known. The Governor elect had no sooner resigned the office of State Treasurer, than a party in the Legislature, instigated by his political opponents, moved the appointment of a committee to inquire into his conduct in the office which he had just va- cated. The confidence of friends and foes alike in his capac- ity during the long period of eleven years, and the regular scrutiny and approval of his accounts by the auditing depart- ment of the Government and of the Legislature itself, were WILLIAM FINDLAT. 329 regarded as of little weight compared with the gratification of party rancor and personal spite. The investigation lasted nearly the entire session. The Treasurer offered no witnesses in his behalf, nor was he present in person or by attorney at the sittings of the committee. A report was finally made that " the conduct of the State Treasurer in his official capacity has been not only faithful, but meritorious and beneficial to the State, and entitles him to the thanks and gratitude of hia fellow-citizens." At the same session a petition was presented to contest his election as Governor; but this was abandoned, when it was found that the postponement of his inauguration, which was doubtless its real object, had failed. Again at the session of 1819-20 the Governor's official conduct was the subject of inquiry ; but, like that of his management of the Treasury, resulted in his triumphant vindication. It was thus that party warfare was waged. One at least of the active opponents of Governor Findlay, then a young man and rising lawyer, who afterwards attained eminence at the Philadelphia Bar, acknowledged with a frankness and cordiality which did him credit, that injustice had been done the Governor in these proceedings. In 1820, Governor Findlay again received the unanimous nomination of the Republicans for re-election, and Joseph Hiester was nominated as before by the Republicans of the Old School, and was supported by the Federalists en masse. Under the Constitution of 1790, the patronage of the Executive was immense. To him was given the power of appointing, with few exceptions, every State and County officer. This power, considered so dangerous that, by the Constitution of 1838 and subsequent amendments; the Executive has been stripped of it almost entirely, was, in fact, dangerous only to the Gov- ernor himself. For while he might attach one person to him by making an appointment, the score or two who were disappointed became, if not active political opponents, at least lukewarm friends. Many trained and skilful politicians had been alienated from the support of Governor Findlay by 330 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION UF 1790. their inability to share or control patronage. The result was the election of his opponent. At the general elections of 1821, the Republicans regained ascendancy in the Legislature. At the session of 1821-22, while Governor Findlay was quietly spending the winter with a friend and relative in Franklin County, he received notice that he had been elected to the Senate of the United States for the full term of six years from the preceding 4th of March. He immediately set out for the capital, where he took his seat and served the entire term with distinguished ability. While he was in the Senate, two of his brothers, Colonel John Findlay, of Chambersburg, and General James Findlay, of Cincinnati, Ohio, were members of the National House of Representatives. We are reminded by the follow- ing paragraph from the Harrisburg Intelligencer, of 1824, that travel to and from the capital then, even from contiguous States, was by no means so rapid and convenient as now : " Mr. Findlay, of the United States Senate, also, left this place for Washington yesterday, by way of Baltimore, in a After the expiration of his senatorial term he was ap- pointed by President Jackson Treasurer of the United States Mint at Philadelphia. This office he held until the accession of General Harrison to the Presidency, when, unwilling at his advanced age to be longer burdened with its cares and responsibilities, he resigned. The remainder of his life was spent in retirement with the family of his son-in-law, Gov- ernor Shunk, at whose residence, in Harrisburg, he died on the 12th of November, 1846, in the seventy-ninth year of his age. The building of the State capitol was commenced during his administration. He was one of the Commissioners named in the Act which authorized its erection, and the corner-stone at the south-west corner of the building was laid by his hand. During his entire term of office the Legislature sat in the old Court-House of Dauphin County. There was no Governor's mansion provided by the State, nor even an Executive Cham- WILLIAM FINDLAY. 331 her. In one of the most convenient houses that could then be rented in Harrisburg, since greatly enlarged and improved by its present owner, the Rev. T. H. Robinson, D.D., he re- ceived all visits, whether of business or courtesy. His back parlor was his office, and here, too, weekly, during the ses- sion of the Legislature, he entertained the members and dis- tinguished visitors to Harrisburg at dinner. The only slave that he ever owned he manumitted in 1817, with this emphatic declaration : " The principles of slavery are repugnant to those of justice, and are totally irreconcil- able with that rule which requires us to do unto others as we would wish to be done by." Upon the subject of slavery, and its natural concomitant, kidnapping, which at this period was becoming vexatious, Governor Findlay, in his message of 1819, says : " The punishment of kidnapping is not propor- tioned to the offence, and requires to be increased. In con- nection with this subject I have to observe, that it is usual to take colored persons in numbers chained together through our State, and especially through the south-western parts of it, with- out inquiry being made into the cause, or object of the proced- ure. This practice affords inducements to the commission of crime, and facilities in escaping from detection." And again in his message of the following year, he says : " I cannot for- bear to urge upon your attention the necessity for some provi- sions for the punishment of the crime of kidnapping, more adequate to the prevention of the offence, as well as more pro- portioned to other punishments for crimes of inferior grade. It is a melancholy fact, that our laws regard the stealing of a horse a more heinous offence than the stealing of a man" In person, Governor Findlay was tall, with fair com- plexion and dark-brown hair. He had a vigorous constitu- tion and a cheerful disposition. He was affable and cour- teous in his address, fond of conversation, but did not monopolize it. He understood and practiced the habits of a good listener. He exhibited great tact in drawing out the reserved and taciturn, and enabling them to figure well in conversation ^y giving rein to their hobbies. He possessed 332 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION OF 1790. a remarkably tenacious memory of names and faces. After a long separation, he could recognize and call by name a per- son with whom he had had but a short and casual interview. His acquaintance was probably more extensive, and his per- sonal friends more numerous, than those of almost any other public man of his day In his domestic relations he was most exemplary, an affec- tionate husband and the best of fathers. He was pre-emi- nently an unselfish man. He was charitable in the largest sense. Thinking no evil himself, his unsuspecting benevo- lence was often imposed upon. He was a Christian in faith and practice. Baptized and brought up in the Presbyterian Church, he accepted its standards, and respected and hospitably entertained its ministers. In his inaugural address as Gov- ernor, in enumerating the duties which should be required of public servants, he included that of cherishing " by their ex- ample, the purity and beauty of the religion of the Redeemer." On the 27th of July, 1824, he sustained a great domestic affliction in the death of his wife, for whose excellent sense and judgment he had a profound respect, and who for more than thirty years had been the object of his constant and confiding affection. She died at Pittsburg, where he was re- siding during the recess of Congress. She was an humble, devoted Christian, and in her last hours looked unmoved upon the approach of death. She managed her husband's household with admirable prudence and judgment, relieved him from domestic cares, presided at his table and dispensed his hospitality with dignity and ease, and cheered him amid the labors and responsibilities of official life with her sym- pathy and counsel. One daughter and five sons were, the issue of this marriage. JOSEPH HIESTER, GOVERNOR UNDER THE CONSTITUTION OF 1790, December 19, 1820, to December 16, 1823. THE remote ancestors of the Hiester family in this country were of Silesian origin, and in process of time the de- scendants spread through the countries bordering on the Rhine. Three brothers of that name, Daniel, John, and Joseph, emigrated to America in the year 1737, and settled at Goshenhoppen, then Philadelphia County, now Mont- gomery. They soon afterwards purchased of the Proprietary Government a tract of several thousand acres in Bern town- ship, now Berks County. Here John and Joseph settled, and on the 18th of November, 1752, the subject of this sketch was born. He was the son of John Hiester, and at an early age was put to the lighter labors of the farm with his father. Subduing the forest, and bringing the soil under cultivation with the imperfect farm implements then in use was a her- culean task, and required a strong will and stout hands. He was himself accustomed to relate, that he was put to the plough so young that when it struck a stump or stone and was thrown from the furrow, he had not strength sufficient to right it till it had run a considerable distance, and when caught in a root the rebound would sometimes throw him prostrate. The father often recounted to the. son the considerations which induced him to leave the old country, and to contrast the freedom and independence that was here enjoyed with the vassalage in which the peasantry were there held. They were kept perpetually poor and dependent by the burdens and 833 534 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION OF 1790. taxation imposed by the government and the nobility, with no prospect of any means of improvement. The accounts which reached them of prosperous settlements in the New "World, where the hand of power was scarcely felt, gave them hope ; and thither the brothers turned their faces, seeking in the then wilds of Pennsylvania a habitation, where in process of time one of their offspring came to rule a State more power- ful, prosperous, and happy than the ancient civ nasty which they left behind. In the intervals of farm labor which the winter season af- forded, the son received the rudiments of an English and Ger- man education. In 1771, in his nineteenth year, he married Elizabeth Whitman, daughter of Adam Whitman, a highly respectable citizen of Reading, then an insignificant village. Thither shortly after his marriage he removed, and went into mercantile business in company with his father-in-law. In politics he was a Whig, a party which had been formed in Pennsylvania to oppose the policy of the Proprietary Govern- ment, and which afterwards warmly espoused the cause of the Revolution. As a representative of that party he was chosen a member of the State Conference which met in Philadelphia on the 18th of June, 1776, and which in reality assumed the government of the Colony, called a convention to frame a new constitution, gave instructions for the guidance of its representatives in Congress, and authorized the calling out of troops for the Continental army. In all these proceedings he was a warm supporter of the popular cause. He was then a captain of militia, and no sooner had the Conference in Philadelphia adjourned, than he hastened home to arouse the young men of his section to the import- ance of joining the national standard, at that time but feebly supported. A biographical sketch of this period of his life, published in the United States Gazette, furnishes the following graphic account of this summoning to arms : "It was in the twenty-third or twenty-fourth year of his age that General Joseph Hiester first rallied under the standard of his country, and took up arms in defence of her independence. It was a JOSEPH HIESTER. 335 gloomy period, at which many hearts, that had beaten high, were sickened and sad in the bosoms of those who now had melancholy forebodings of the issue of the contest in which they had cheerfully embarked at a time when the great, the good, the peerless Washington had much cause to complain of the want of men and means to meet the enemies of his country. It was late in the year 1775, or early in 1776, that he, then a vigorous, powerful, influential young man, called together by beat of drum his fellow-townsmen of Reading, to take into consideration the alarming state and gloomy prospects of their country. Reading was then an inconsiderable town with a small population. Having convened about twenty-five or thirty, he explained to them the necessity there was, that they also should be up and doing in the cause of their com- mon country. He stated that their beloved General was then believed to be in a most perilous situation in New Jersey; that his friends and fellow-soldiers were but few, while his foes and the foes of America were thickening and multiplying on every side. Having, so far as in his power, embarked the sympathies and aroused the patriotism of his hearers, he expressed his anxious desire to raise a company of volunteers, and march to the assistance of Washington. He was heard with attention and respect, and his proposition was kindly received. He then laid forty dollars on the drum- head, and said : ' I will give this sum as a bounty, and the appointment of a sergeant to the first man who will subscribe to the articles of association to form a volunteer company to march forthwith and join the Commander-in-chief; and I also pledge myself to furnish the company with blankets and necessary funds for their equipment, and on the march ! ' This promise he honorably and faithfully fulfilled. After our young captain had thus addressed his neighbors, they consulted together, and Matthias Babb stepped forward from among them, signed the articles and took the money from the drum-head. This example, and further advancements of smaller sums of money, induced twenty men on that evening to subscribe to the articles of association. Notices and invi 336 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION OF 1790. tations were sent through the neighborhood ; other meetings were held, and in ten days from the first meeting Captain Hiester had eighty men enrolled. They were promptly organized and ready to march to join the Commander-in- Chief." The State authorities were engaged in forming what was known as a Flying Camp. The success which had attended the efforts of Captain Hiester in obtaining men made them desirous of inducing him to extend his efforts, and a regiment or battalion was shortly obtained. The men would have gladly made him their Colonel ; but this he declined in favor of one who desired the position, as he did also that of Major, declar- ing that he would willingly serve in the ranks, if by such duty he could better aid their common country. He in good faith went among his men and urged the choice of the gentle- men who sought the positions, and by his magnanimous exer- tions in their behalf secured their election. Upon the arrival of the command at Elizabethtown, New Jersey, it was found that General Washington had moved to Long Island, where- upon considerable dissatisfaction was manifested, many of the men claiming that by the terms of enlistment they were not obliged to leave their own State. Hiester was determined to hasten forward to the support of Washington, whom he knew to be in sore need of help. " This," says the authority above cited, " was a critical and painful state of affairs. What was to be done ? What could be done to induce the men to go for- ward? They were drawn up in a compact body, and Captain Hiester addressed them in such honest, suitable, and impas- sioned language, that they warmed as he warmed, they soon felt as he felt, and their hearts beat in unison with his. One who was present on that trying occasion, said to me, ' I wish to God, I could tell you what the Captain said, and how the men looked and felt ; " You have marched thus far," said he, " resolved to fight your country's foes, and defend your homes and families: and will you now prove cowards and desert your country, when your country most wants your help ? I would be ashamed to return home with you ? I will go for- JOSEPH HIESTER. 337 ward, yes, if I go by myself, I will go and ^oin General Washington as a volunteer, as a private. If you will not go 1 will go alone. But surely," said he, "you will not turn your backs upon the enemy, and leave your country at their mercy. I will try you once again Fall in ! Fall into jour ranks, men ! and those who are ready to fight for freedom and America, will, when the drum beats, and the word is given, march to join George Washington." The men fell in. They shouldered their muskets. The drums were beaten, and on the word " March ! " the whole line, except three men, moved forward. Those three soon sprang into the ranks, three cheers were given, and they were forthwith on their march to Long Island.' " That gallant Captain little knew the hard fate that was to await him in the fulfilment of his patriotic desires. His regiment joined the patriot army, and came often in conflict with the enemy, when many were wounded and killed. Fi- nally Captain Hiester and most of his surviving men were taken prisoners, and he, with many other American officers, was confined on board the notorious prison-ship, the Jersey, where they were subjected to every indignity which refined cruelty could invent. British arms were dishonored, and the British name made hateful by the inhuman treatment here accorded. Jonathan Eussell, one of the Commissioners on the part of the United States who concluded the treaty of Ghent, in an oration delivered on the 4th of July, 1800, at Providence, Rhode Island, delineated the horrors of that im- prisonment in the following strain of patriotic frenzy : " But it was not," he says, " in the ardent conflicts of the field only that our countrymen fell ; it was not the ordinary chances of war alone which they had to encounter. Happy indeed, and thrice happy were Warren, Montgomery, and Mercer ; happy those other gallant spirits who fell with glory in the heat of battle distinguished by their country and covered with her applause. Every soul, sensible to honor, envies rather than compassionates their fate. It was in the dungeons of our in- human invaders ; it was in their loathsome and pestiferous 22 338 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION OF 1790. prison-ships, that the wretchedness of our countrymen still makes the heart bleed. It was there th'at hunger and thirst, and disease, and all the contumely cold-hearted cruelty could bestow, sharpened every pang of death. Misery there wrung every fibre that could feel before she gave the blow of grace which sent the sufferer to eternity. It is said that poison was employed. No there was no such mercy there. There nothing was employed which could blunt the susceptibility to anguish, or which by hastening death could rob its agonies of a single pang. On board one only of these prison-ships above eleven thousand of our brave countrymen are said to have perished. She was called the Jersey. Her wreck still remains, and at low ebb presents to the world its accursed and blighted fragments. Twice in twenty-four hours the winds of heaven sigh through it, and repeat the groans of our expiring countrymen, and twice the ocean hides in her bosom those deadly and polluted ruins, which all her waters cannot purify. Every rain that descends washes from the unconsecrated bank the bones of those intrepid sufferers. They lie naked on the shore, accusing the neglect of their countrymen. How long shall gratitude and even piety deny them burial ? They ought to be collected in one vast ossery, which shall stand a monument to future ages, of the two ex- tremes of the human character ; of that depravity which, tram- pling on the rights of misfortune, perpetrated cold and calcu- lating murder on a wretched and defenceless prisoner, and that virtue which animated this prisoner to die a willing mar- tyr for his country. Or rather, were it possible, there ought there to be raised a colossal column whose base, sinking to hell, should let the murderers read their infamy inscribed on it, and whose capital of Corinthian laurel ascending to heaven should show the sainted Patriots that they have triumphed. Deep and dreadful as the coloring of this picture may appear, it is but a faint and imperfect sketch of the original. You must remember a thousand unutterable calamities, a thousand in- stances of domesti^ as well as national anxiety and distress, which mock descriptio \ You ought to remember them, JOSEPH HIESTER. 339 you ought to hand them down in tradition to 5 our posterity, that they may know the awful price their fathers paid for freedom." From this prison-ship Captain Hiester was taken, and thrust into confinement in New^York, where the want of food, and general harsh treatment of the captives, was scarcely a remove better than they had experienced on board the Jersey. He was here attacked with a low fever, and became so feeble and emaciated that he was obliged, in passing up and down stairs, to crawl on his hands and knees. After several months' im- prisonment he was exchanged, and was set at liberty, having been plundered of his money and clothing. He immediately repaired to Reading, and after having regained his strength returned to the army. He arrived in time to participate in the battle of Germantown, and while engaged with a com- pany of the enemy's horse, he received a wound in the head, but not of a dangerous nature. In the varied fortunes of the patriot army he continued to share until the close of the war, when, seeing the liberty of his country fully assured, he returned with joy to the bosom of his family. He was chosen a member of the convention which assem- bled in Philadelphia in 1787 for the ratification of the Con- stitution of the United States, and in 1789 he was a member of the convention which framed the State Constitution of 1790. For several successive years, he was a member of the Legislature, where he was distinguished for his practical knowledge of affairs, and for his good sense in the duties of legislation. In 1799, after the removal of his uncle Daniel, who had previously represented the Berks district in Con- gress, to Maryland, he was elected a member of that body, to which he was regularly returned until 1805, and again from 1815 to 1821, a period of fourteen years. Before the expira- tion of his last term, he resigned to accept the nomination of Governor of Pennsylvania, tendered him by the Independent Republican party, supported by the .Federalists. He was elected over his competitor, Governor Findlay, and served for one term of three years. " It is a fact well known," saya 840 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION OF 1790. his biographer before quoted, " to the political and personal friends of General Hiester, that he was reluctantly induced to become a candidate .for the office of Governor, and that he yielded his consent upon the express and well understood condition that he would serve but one period. It is equally well known that at the end of that period of service he reso- lutely refused again to permit the use of his name, although urged by partisans and by many friends to be a candidate." His administration was characterized by great activity in promoting the growth and prosperity of the Commonwealth, and especially in pushing forward its internal improvements. The period was one of sharp political contest, and the dispo- sition to attack those in power and call them in question for every offence, or conceived offence, had been exercised with- out license during the rule of his immediate predecessor. In alluding to this subject in his inaugural address he says: "But, I trust, if any errors shall be committed, they will not be chargeable to intention. They will owe their origin to the imperfection of our nature and the narrow limits of human foresight. They will not proceed from a wilful neglect of duty on my part, nor from any want of devotion to the best interests of our beloved country. Such errors I may justly hope will meet with indulgence from an enlightened and liberal people. Where censure shall, upon a full and impar- tial view of matters, be merited, let it not be withheld. It ia the duty of freemen to examine closely into the conduct of those to whom they have delegated their power, or the guar- dianship of their rights and interests, to censure the abuse of the one, or the neglect and mismanagement of the other. Considering myself as elected by the people of this Common- wealth, and not by any particular denomination of persons, I shall endeavor to deserve the name of Chief Magistrate of Pennsylvania, and to avoid the disgraceful appellation of the Governor of a party." As has already been noticed in the sketch of Governor .Fmdlay, the enormous patronage at the disposal of the Exec- utive had become very troublesome. Its dispensation had JOSEPH HIESTER. 341 actually become an object of dread to everyone who approached it, and we find Governor Hiester calling the attention of the Legislature, among other subjects of reform, to the devising of some means of relief therefrom. " Permit me," he says, 11 to suggest to you, whether it would not be possible to de- vise some method of 'reducing the enormous power and pa- tronage of the Governor, without impairing the other general features of our present excellent Constitution ; and whether the annual sessions of the Legislature might not be shortened without detriment to the public good. ... It also deserves serious consideration whether public improvements might not at this time be advantageously made, and domestic manu- factures encouraged with success. Above all it appears an im- perative duty to introduce and support a liberal system of education connected with some general religious instruction" At the expiration of his term of office he withdrew alto- gether from public employments, and sought that peace and quiet in private life to which a long period of public service had justly entitled him. He died on the 10th of June, 1832, in the eightieth year of his age, and was buried in the grounds of the German Reformed church at Reading. The attend- ance of the military, and other demonstrations of respect and attachment, which were promptly tendered, were declined, and he was followed to the grave by a great concourse of mourning relatives and fellow-citizens, without display or ostentation, in keeping with the republican simplicity which had marked the whole course of his long and useful life. The last paragraph of his last annual message to the Legis- lature, that in which he took a final leave of all public em- ployments, is so instinct with devotion and pathetic tender- ness that it may properly form the conclusion to this memoir. " Having been," he says, " for nearly fifty years occasionally engaged in various highly responsible situations in the ser- vice of my country, having witnessed its progress from Colo- nial vassalage to independence and sovereignty, it is with most sincere pleasure that, on quitting the theatre of action, I can congratulate you, and our fellow-citizens at large, en the 342 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION OF 1790. propitious situation in which it is now placed ; and I avail myself of the occasion it affords of repeating my fervent prayers to the Almighty Ruler of the Universe, under whose superintending influence it has attained to its present emi- nence, that he may continue to cherish it with his fostering care, preserving, its citizens in the free enjoyment of their just rights and republican institutions, until all earthly gov- ernments shall be terminated by the consummation of time." JOHN ANDREW SHULZE, GOVERNOR UNDER THE CONSTITUTION OF 1790. December 16, 1823, to December 15, 1829. POLITICAL organizations underwent a radical transforma- tion during the administration of Governor Shulze. The discussions in the convention which framed the Constitution of the United States gave birth to two parties in that body. When the conventions met in the several States to ratify it, discussions of the same purport were repeated, the members ranging themselves on opposite sides as in the originating assembly. The newspapers were likewise divided, and through them the people. The one party believed that the Constitution gave the States too much power, and favored a greater degree of strength and centralization in the Na- tional Government, while the other with equal zeal argued that the States were shorn of their sovereignty and despoiled of their rights. Washington was, however, elected with great unanimity the first President, though he was known to strongly favor the Constitutional party. His Cabinet wa3 divided, and as the terms Federal and Republican came into use as the designations of the two parties, Adams and Ham- ilton allied themselves with the former, while Jefferson led the latter. For a quarter of a century these parties combated each other with great ability, and often with acrimony. At the end of that period, a degeneracy, which had for some time been perceptible, culminated in a general dissolution, and the two old parties were known no more. In the election of a Governor in 1823, Andrew Gregg was supported by the independent Republicans and Federalists, 343 344 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION OF 1790. which had twice before triumphed, the latter party in con- vention at Lancaster, over which James Buchanan presided, resolving that ""We, as Federalists, will support Andrew Gregg, of Centre County, for Governor of Pennsylvania." The Republicans nominated John Andrew Shulze, and we're again successful. Mr. Shulze was born on the 19th of July, 1775, in Tulpe- hocken township, Berks County, Pennsylvania. His father was a clergyman of the German Lutheran Church, and had several congregations to which he ministered. The son received his early instruction in English and German from his father. He was afterwards put to an institution in Lan- caster, and while there was under the immediate care of his uncle, Dr. Henry Muhlenberg. He completed his prepara- tion for college in York County, under the instruction of the Rev. Mr. Melsheimer. He received a finished classical education in the city of New York, and afterwards studied theology there with his uncle, Dr. Kunze, a celebrated divine of that day. In 1796, he was admitted as a member of the German Lutheran Synod, and was shortly afterwards ordained a minister in that church. For a period of six years he officiated as pastor of several congregations in Berks County, and was esteemed and loved by all who knew him. In 1802 a rheumatic affection from which he had long suf- fered obliged him to suspend his labors in the ministry, and two years later, finding no improvement in his condition, he was induced to seek other occupation. He accordingly en- tered upon mercantile business in the village of Myerstown, then Dauphin County, in which he continued for several years, accumulating a small fortune. In 1806 he was elected a member of the House of Repre- sentatives of Pennsylvania, and was re-elected for the two suc- ceeding years. He was urged by his constituents to accept a nomination for a fourth term, but declined. The journals show that during the period in which he was in the House, there was no more active or efficient member than Mr. JOHN ANDREW SHULZE. 345 Shulze, or one whose votes will better stand the test of minute scrutiny. He was a consistent Republican throughout, mani- festing an ardent attachment to the Constitution, and the principles which he had received from a pious and patriotic father, and which characterized the whole course of his life. His business qualifications and his probity attracted the attention of Governor Snyder, who, in 1813, appointed him Surveyor-General of the State. This office, at that time an important and responsible one, he declined. Governor Sny- der then tendered him the positions of Register, Recorder, Prothonotary, Clerk of the Orphans' Court, and Clerk in the Sessions Court of Lebanon County, which he accepted. In the discharge of the duties of this office he continued until the expiration of Governor Snyder's term, when he was re- commissioned under the appointment of Governor Findlay. In the early part of 1821, though warmly solicited by large numbers of the citizens to remain in this position, he resigned, and was in October of that year elected to represent Lebanon County in the House of Representatives. In the following year he was chosen a State Senator for Dauphin and Lebanon counties, carrying the district by a large majority, though opposed by a well-organized party. Before he had been a year in the Senate, he was selected as candidate for Governor by the Republican party, and was elected by a majority of over twenty-five thousand. He was nominated for a second term in 1826, and was elected with a unanimity unparalleled in the history of the Government, receiving over seventy-two thousand votes, while his op- ponent, John Sergeant, got but about one thousand. He had immense patronage to bestow, having in addition to that originally given by the Constitution, now grown to enormous proportions, that recently created by the legislation for the public works. In commenting upon this feature of his ad- ministration, a recent political writer says : " This power was exercised with great prudence and good judgment. It might indeed be said that Governor Shulze called the best sense of the State around him. His officers everywhere were capable and honest." 346 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION OF 1790. This was an era when stupendous plans for the improve- ment of the Commonwealth were adopted and put in execu- tion. Questioning the propriety of the State assuming to execute the functions of a corporation in opening avenues of traffic, he opposed the loan of a million of dollars which was authorized by the Legislature, but was obliged to yield to the will of the people, and before the close of his second term six millions had been borrowed. It was soon after his first election, in 1823, that the old parties were broken up, none after that calling themselves Federalists. Indeed, the term Federalist became odious ; but from its ashes there sprang a party that became more powerful than any which before or since has borne sway in this country. Every Federal newspaper in Pennsylvania, except three, the United States Gazette, of Philadelphia, The Village Record, of West Chester, and the Pittsburg Gazette, joined in its support. In the national election of 1824, parties being in a disorganized state, there was no choice for President by the people, Crawford, Adams, Clay, Calhoun, and Jackson being supported. John Quincy Adams was elected by the House of Representatives. But in 1828, Jack- son was chosen, receiving a majority of fifty thousand in Pennsylvania, his brilliant victory at New Orleans, gained with scarcely a casualty on our side, creating immense en- thusiasm among the people in his favor. In 1824, the nation's early friend and benefactor, General Lafayette, re- visited the scenes of his former trials and final triumphs. Governor Shulze had the satisfaction of welcoming the hero to the soil of Pennsylvania, which he did at Morrisville in a brief but eloquent and impressive speech. In his annual message to the Legislature, immediately suc- ceeding the election of President Jackson, Governor Shulze expresses his views of the duties of the citizen in acquiescing in the will of the majority, and of giving the successful can- didate a cordial support, in a manner worthy of the most thoughtful consideration. He says, " In the organization of our government of the Union and of the State, the simple JOHN ANDREW SHULZE. 547 and efficient principle which secures our welfare and repose, is, that the will of the majority shall rule, and whenever that will is constitutionally expressed, whether it be by election or by legislation, it is the plain duty, as it must always be the pleasure, to every public functionary, cheerfully to concur. To him the laws are the laws of the people ; and to him the magistrate is the magistrate of the people, by them right- fully invested with authority for their benefit, and entrusted with so much power as the Constitution confers upon the office. At seasons of elections, especially for the higher sta- tions, there will often be great excitement, proportioned to the interest produced by the occasion, and indicative of the soli- citude naturally felt in the delegation of important public trusts. It is the right of the citizen freely and actively to take his post according to the dictates of his judgment. The election over, and its result known, he who has the majority is entitled to be honored and respected as the people's choice, and to be supported in his efforts faithfully to fulfil and dis- charge his duties. Such a season has just passed, and fur- nished a new evidence of the stability and excellence of our form of government. If, in its progress, there has been more than usual warmth, it is now at an end. The question which caused it is decided. Every good citizen will acquiesce in the decision, and every public functionary, governed by the same motive which influenced him to abstain from embark- ing his official character in the contest, while it is going on, will find himself placed in no new position, but maintaining the relation to the high officer elected, which the Constitution creates, and ready, within his allotted sphere, cordially to cooperate with him for the common good." None of the predecessors of Governor Shulze had come to that high office with so much scholastic culture and grace, as he. He truly appreciated the value of education ; and as he looked over the broad face of the Commonwealth, and saw a vast and rapidly increasing population without adequate means of school instruction, his heart was moved, and his sympathies were aroused in their behalf. He knew the will 348 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION 0^1790. of the founder in this regard. He knew the provisions of the organic law; and he was unwilling to rest satisfied so long a^ the intentions of the founders remained unfulfilled. His mes- sages are replete with the most urgent appeals for some legis- lation which should secure the privileges of elementary edu- cation to all. In that of 1827, he says : "Among the injunc- tions of the Constitution, there is none more interesting than that which enjoins it as a duty on the Legislature to provide for the education of the poor throughout the Com- monwealth. Whether we regard it in its probable influence upon the stability of our free republican governments, or as it may contribute to social and individual happiness, it equally deserves the earnest and unremitted attention of those who are honored with the high trust of providing for the public welfare. If the culture of the understanding and the heart be entirely neglected in early life, there is great reason to fear that evil propensities will take root, while, with proper discipline, there might have been a rich harvest of usefulness and worth. A knowledge of our rights, and a sense of our duties, a just estimate of the value of the blessings we enjoy, and an habitual desire to preserve them, are the wholesome fruits of that 'good seed, which it is the object, and, with the favor of Providence, the effect, of moral and intellectual instruction to implant. It cannot be supplied to all in equal measure, but it is hoped that the time will come when none shall be left entirely destitute. Then will the Legislature truly be in this respect, what the framers of the Constitution desired it should be, a parent to the children of the poor ; and they in return will have strong inducements to love and to honor, and to do their utmost to perpetuate the free institu- tions from which they derive so signal a benefit, so prolific a source of happiness." Again, in his message of the following year he urges upon the attention of the Legislature the importance of immediate action, and adduces new and weighty considerations to enforce his views. " The mighty works," he says, " and consequent great expenditure * undertaken by the State, cannot induce JOHN ANDREW SHULZE. 349 me to forbear again calling attention to the subject j)f public education. To devise means for the establishment )f a fund, and the adoption of a plan, by which the blessii.gs of the more necessary branches of education should be conferred on every family within our borders, would be every way worthy the Legislature of Pennsylvania ; an attention to this subject, at this time, would seem to be peculiarly demanded, by the increased number of children and young persons who are employed in manufactories. It would be desirable for the employers and parents, as well as children, that this mat- ter should early engage the attention, and be early acted upon by the Legislature, inasmuch as it will be easier in the infancy of manufactories, to adopt and enforce a liberal system, than it would be to establish such a system when thousands more children shall be employed than are at this time. The estab- lishment of such principles would not only have the happiest effects in cultivating the minds, but invigorating the physical constitutions of the young. What nobler incentive can pre- sent itself to the mind of a republican legislator, than a hope that his labor shall be rewarded by insuring to his country, a race of human beings, healthy, and of vigorous constitu- tions, and of minds more generally improved than fall to the lot of any considerable portion of the human family ! " At the conclusion of his second term Governor Shulze retired from public life, and engaged in agricultural pursuits. His kindness of heart induced him always to lend a listening ear to those in trouble, and his counsel was often sought by the community among whom he dwelt. In 1839 he was elected a senatorial delegate to the National Convention which assembled at Harrisburg to nominate candidates for President and Vice-President of the United States, and was chosen one of the vice-presidents on that occasion. In the following year he was a member of the Electoral College, of which he was unanimously chosen president. In 1846 he removed with his family to Lancaster, where he continued to reside until his death, which occurred on the 18th of Novem ber, 1852, in the seventy-eighth year of his age. GEORGE WOLF, GOVERNOR UNDER THE CONSTITUTION OF 1790. December 15, 1829, to December 15, 1835. r\ EORGE WOLF, the seventh Governor of Pennsylvania, ^-J was born in Allen township, Northampton County, on the 12th of August, 1777. His father was a native of Ger- many. He left two sons, Philip and George, who inherited the vigor, good sense, and integrity of the father. George was educated at a classical school, established in the County by a society formed for the purpose, which was presided over by Robert Andrews, A.M., a graduate of Trinity College, Dublin. He here acquired a good knowledge of the Latin and Greek languages, and of the sciences usually pursued in a liberal education. Leaving this school, he for a time had the charge of his father's farm, and also acted as principal of the academy in his native township. He soon after entered the Prothonotary's office of Northampton County as a clerk, and at the same time studied law under the direction of the Hon. John Ross. He early espoused the political principles of Mr. Jefferson, and in 1J99 advocated the election of Thomas McKean for Governor, the latter being at that time affiliated with the Re- publicans. When Mr. Jefferson became President, he ap- pointed Mr. Wolf Postmaster at Easton. Afterwards Gov- ernor McKean appointed him Clerk of the Orphans' Court of Northampton County, which position he held until 1809. In 1814, he was elected a member of the lower house of the Legislature, and in the following year was a candidate for the Senate; but was defeated on account of a rupture of the party and the formation of a double ticket. 350 ULORGE WOLF. 351 In 1824, lie was elected a member of the United States House of Representatives, and was reflected for the two suc- ceeding terms, having no opposition in the first two elections, and being returned in the latter by a very large majority. While in Congress he acquired the reputation of a hard worker, and a conscientious, upright member. In debate he spoke like Abraham Davenport in song " Wisely and well, Straight to the question, with no figures of speech Save the ten Arab signs, yet not without The shrewd dry humor natural to the man." In committee he evinced a disposition to carefully investi- gate every question which came before him, willing with pa- tient industry to familiarize himself with the details of sub- jects requiring his decision, rather than risk the possibility of deciding wrongfully for lack of knowledge. He was a pro- nounced friend to American industry, and labored and voted for those measures which would best protect and foster it, and build up the prosperity of the country. In 1829, he was nominated as candidate for Governor, and was triumphantly elected. The following estimate of his char- acter at this period of his life, was uttered by one who knew him well, and who in speaking his convictions but echoed the sentiments of a vast body of the people of the Common- wealth : " With George Wolf I have long been acquainted. He possesses sterling integrity, a sound judgment, and strong natural common sense. His constant intercourse with the world hag made him well acquainted with human nature. I have known few, if any, better judges of the character of men than Mr. Wolf. He has received a good education, and as a lawyer is remarkable for the strength and accuracy of his judgment. His attainments are of a solid rather than a bril- liant character. With these qualifications he possesses suffi- cient firmness to make him spurn dictation from whatever quarter it may proceed. He will himself be the Governor of the State." He was not an aspirant for the office of Governor. He 352 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION OF 1790. received the nomination without knowing that any consider- able strength in the nominating convention was in his favor. But when the will of the people was declared, he abandoned a lucrative practice at the Northampton court, and devoted himself unreservedly to the duties of chief magistrate. The State had embarked in gigantic schemes of public improve- ments designed to connect the eastern waters with the west- ern, traversing that formidable barrier, the Alleghany range, and the rivers of the centre with Lake Erie and the streams from the north*. "When he took his seat in the guber- natorial chair, he found these works projected and in vari- ous stages of progress. An immense debt had beon con- tracted, and before these expenditures could be made to realize anything, the sum must be doubled and quadrupled. The finances were in a deplorable condition. The revenues were entirely insufficient to meet even the interest of the debt already contracted. It was a time when the wisest were disposed to question the policy of making such vast expendi tures as would be needed to complete them, and even the friends of the works were paralyzed by the intensity of the opposition. At an extra session of the Legislature, called just before the expiration of Governor Shulze's term, an act was passed authorizing the contracting of a temporary loan of a million of dollars, at the rate of five per cent., foi the relief of the most pressing needs. But the credit of the State was at so low an ebb, that capitalists were unwilling to place their money in the hands of the Commonwealth. In this emergency it became necessary to resort to a compulsory loan from the banks whose charters required them to lend to the State. It was at this period that Governor Wolf came into office. The outlook was most gloomy, and to a Gov- ernor who should have figured to himself a rule of ease and enjoyment, would have afforded little promise. There were two courses for him to pursue, either break down the system of improvements, throw away the most of what had been expended, and allow the State to languish on with paralyzed industry, or by a bold and vastly expensive policy, finish what GEORGE WOLF. 353 had been begun, even with the certainty of compacting an enormous debt for future generations to liquidate. He reso- lutely took the responsibility of the latter course, and he had no sooner come to the executive chair than he addressed to the Legislature, in his message, a recommendation for the vigor- ous prosecution of the public works, and the adoption of a system of taxation by which adequate funds would be realized for regularly paying the interest on past loans and such as in the future might be negotiated. The independent- attitude assumed by the Governor had a magical effect. The caviller was silenced, and the popular will secured. The miser who had hoarded his money, when the State was in the most urgent need, no sooner saw a prospect of a bold and vigorous administration, and a will to resort to adequate taxation, than he unlocked his coffers, and became importunate to obtain State securities, even paying a premium of fifteen per cent, to get them. But the most substantial and enduring merit of Governor "Wolf was evinced in his advocacy of a system of popular education. James Buchanan, in a speech delivered at West Chester previous to the election of the Governor, had said; " If ever the passion of envy could be excused a man ambitious of true glory, he might almost be justified in envying the fame of that favored individual, whoever he may be, whom Providence intends to make the instrument in establishing Common Schools throughout this Commonwealth. His task will be arduous. He will have many difficulties to encounter, and many prejudices to overcome ; but his fame will exceed even that of the great Clinton, in the same proportion that mind is superior to matter. Whilst the one has erected a frail memorial, which like everything human must decay and perish, the other will raise a monument which shall flourish in immortal youth, and endure whilst the human soul shall continue to exist. 'Ages unborn and nations yet behind* shall bless his memory." To George Wolf that honor was accorded, and to him in all time to come, when the inquirer shall seek to know by whose voice and sturdy will that great 23 354 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITLTION OF 1790. boon was championed and finally won, will the paeans of gratitude be sung. Former chief magistrates had called the attention of the Legislature to the importance of the measure, but each in turn had failed to accomplish any substantial benefit. It was reserved for Governor "Wolf, to make its adoption the special object of his ambition and the cherished purpose of his ad- ministration. He not only advocated the measure in public and in private, but, Hercules-like, he put his shoulder to the wheel, and with his iron will yielded to no temporizing. In his message of December 8th, 1830, he says: "In bringing this subject to your notice on the present occasion, I am awace that I am repeating that which has been the theme of every inaugural address, and of every annual executive message at the opening of each successive session of the Legislature, since the adoption of the Constitution. I know too, that the necessity which has existed, and which has given occasion, for the repeated, anxious, and pressing executive recommen- dations, in reference to this interesting subject, arose from the extreme difficulty which presented itself at every attempt to strike out a system adapted to the existing circumstances of the Commonwealth, and which might be calculated to accomplish the end contemplated by the framers of the Con- stitution. But difficult as the task may be, it is not insur- mountable, and I am thoroughly persuaded that there is not a single measure of all those which will engage your delibera- tions in the course of the session, of such intrinsic importance to the general prosperity and happiness of the people of the Commonwealth, to the cause of public virtue and of public morals, to the hopes and expectations of the rising genera- tion to whom the future political destinies of the Republic are to be committed, or which will add so much to the sum of individual" and social improvement and comfort, as a general diffusion of the means of moral and intellectual cultivation among all classes of our citizens. Nor can there be a measure presented to you, as legislators, and as the guardians of the integrity and safety of our invaluable civil GEORGE WOLF. 355 institutions, more worthy of a virtuous and determined effort to overcome every obstacle that shall present itself in opposi-. tion to the accomplishment of an achievement so truly lauda- ble. . . . Among the principal adversaries of this measure are prejudice, avarice, ignorance, and error. The fruits of a suc- cessful conflict with these, and a victory over them, will be a consciousness of having been instrumental, by furnishing the means of a general diffusion of knowledge, in securing the stability and permanency of our Republican institutions, in adding to the sum of human intelligence, and in elevating the sentiments and confirming the virtue of the present and future generations. " If knowledge is power, and I believe the truth of the maxim is no longer doubted, it must be conceded that a well educated people will always possess a moral and physical energy, far exceeding that to which "an ignorant, illiterate people can attain. It is asserted, in a document recently pub- lished at the instance of the Pennsylvania Society for the Promotion of Public Schools, that out of four hundred thou- sand children in this State, between the ages of five and fif- teen, more than two hundred and fifty thousand, capable of receiving instruction, were not within a school during the last year ! And is it not more than probable that, if it were pos- sible to ascertain the fact, every year that has elapsed since the adoption of the Constitution, would, upon examination, have been found to present the same deplorable result in a greater or less degree. If so, what an incalculable loss has not this Commonwealth sustained, in the talents that would have been elicited, in the ingenuity and skill that would have been imparted to labor and science, and in the moral and intellectual endowments that would have been engrafted and matured, had a judicious, well-arranged system of universal education been early adopted, and rightly enforced, as con- templated and enjoined by the framers of the Constitution. To you, fellow-citizens, as the representatives of the people, possessing, as you necessarily must, an intimate knowledge of the wants, as well as the views and wishes of your con- 356 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION OF 1790. etituents, in reference to this measure, and bringing with you, from every section of the State, a fund of intelligence which will be peculiarly useful in directing you to favorable results, is committed the arduous, but I trust not ungrateful task, of collecting, digesting, and arranging the details of a system of primary or common-school education, which will shed an additional lustre over the existing elevated character of the Commonwealth." The earnestness with which the Governor pleads in behalf of his favorite measure, and the more than paternal tender- ness with which he urges the claims of the rising generation, could not fail to arrest attention, and convince men of his sincerity. Better than any description or eulogium, it illus- trates the character of his head and his heart. Though it had not the effect to bring about the passage of an act estab- lishing a system, it secured the first step towards it: the levy- ing of a tax for a school fund. He did not content himself with calling the attention of the Legislature to the subject, and adducing the most powerful arguments in its favor; but he descended to the practical details for securing the informa- tion necessary to frame a law commensurate with the exalted purpose, and well adapted to the wants to be subserved. In his message of the following year, he says : " It is cause for no ordinary measure of gratification, that the Legislature at its last session considered this subject worthy of its deliberations, and advanced one step towards the intellectual regeneration of the State by laying a foundation for raising a fund to be em- ployed hereafter in the righteous cause of a practical general education ; and it is no less gratifying to know, that public opinion is giving strong indications of having undergone a favorable change in reference to this momentous measure, and by its gradual but powerful workings, is fast dispelling the grovelling fallacies, but too long prevalent, that gold is preferable to knowledge, and that dollars and cents are of a higher estimation than learning. This powerful lever, by which the actions of men are principally regulated, is fast approaching a crisis in relation to this much agitated ques- tion, and there is reason to believe, will speedily induce legis- GEORGE WOLF. 357 lative action in reference to it : not, it is hoped, howe\Jr, too speedily for maturing a well-digested system, possessing that degree of perfection by which it will be rendered generally acceptable to the people, and have a tendency to realize the ardent hopes and fond anticipations of its many warm and zealous friends. A system that would not have such a ten- dency, but would be received with dissatisfaction by the peo- ple, would have the unhappy effect of blasting for a time the anxious expectations of the advocates of general education, of reviving former prejudices, and of retarding for many years the progress of intellectual improvement. In order, therefore, that a system,'the most perfect that can be devised, and one that will be best adapted to the views and wishes of our constituents, may be projected in the first instance, should any difficulties occur in the course of your deliberations in relation to the subject, or in regard to the most eligible plan to be adopted, I would suggest for your consideration the pro- priety of appointing a commission, to consist of three or more talented and intelligent individuals, known friends of a liberal and enlightened system of education, whose duty it should be to collect all the information, and possess themselves of all the facts and knowledge, that can be obtained from any quarter, having a bearing upon, or connection with, the sub- ject of education, and to arrange and embody the same in a report to be transmitted to the Legislature at the next ses- sion for examination and final action thereon. Such a course, there is reason to believe, would tend more than any other to elicit much valuable information that could not otherwise be obtained, would facilitate the progress and final completion of this much desired work, and would not fail to secure for it a greater measure of perfection than could under other circumstances be attained." In compliance with this judicious recommendation of the Governor, " by great industry, assiduity, and perseverance, a mass of valuable information was obtained, which unfolded a fund of knowledge in relation to the advantages, the utility, the cheapness, in short, the decided preference which a system of common schools, of general interest, and sustained 358 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION OF 1790. and encouraged by the public bounty, maintained over every other plan of education of a private or partial character." Being thus provided, a bill was drawn embodying what were believed to be the best features of those systems which had been most successful in other States, and at the session of 1834 it " passed both branches of the Legislature with a unanimity," says the Governor, " rarely equalled, perhaps never surpassed, in the annals of legislation." It was a con- summation for which he had long and earnestly labored, and must have been a source of gratification and a subject of gratulation through life, that his administration was graced with an event of such momentous import. There were still troubles to be encountered in putting it into successful operation, and great labors were required of his successors in preserving the principle intact. But the Rubicon was passed, the system was inaugurated, and, thanks to the labors of wise men and the care of an overruling Providence, the banner then thrown to the breeze has never been furled. Previous to the administration of Governor Wolf, the chief magistrates had had their offices in their private residences. Visitors upon business or courtesy were exposed to the prying eyes of the public, and they were alike viewed with suspicion as desiring office, or intent upon influencing the Governor in regard to appointments. Governor Wolf estab- lished himself in the front room over the hall of the House of Representatives at the south-west corner of the capitol, where during business - hours he was always to be found intently employed in the duties of his official trust. This action of the Governor gave great satisfaction. It was :aid: "When the citizen is in the capitol, he is in fcis own house, and when he approaches the Governor's room, he is not inter- rupted by servants in waiting, nor has he the apprehension of intruding upon the Governor's privacy. By this act he has relieved his fellow-citizens from all disagreeable incidents and embarrassments calculated to keep the citizen at a dis- tance from the Chief Executive officer." Laying aside all exclusiveness and aristocratic associations, he met every man on terms of equality, and gave his personal GEORGE WOLF. 359 attention even to the details of business. This latter trait was made the subject of animadversion in the press of a neigh- boring State, which a contemporary thus courteously but effec- tively answered : " The Philadelphia Gazette, lately adverted to the business habits of Governor Wolf, and spoke in com- mendation of his regular daily attendance, in his office, at particular hours, his cordial reception of those who visited him there, and the dispatch of the immediate business of his office without the agency of a clerk. Upon this the New York Standard bsstows a sneer, saying : ' We trust the honest mechanic will lay up his wages prudently ; we approve of the saving of clerk-hire as proper economy. Dr. Scudder, who can make eyes and ears as good as nature can, of the kind, intends to try his hand upon an executive machine, that shall copy papers, and sign bills, and receive wages twelve hours a day without stopping for dinner.' . . . We have been taught to look upon the diligence of a public officer in discharging the duties committed to him, as far as practicable, in person, as a trait distinguishing the republican from the aristocrat. Washington was a signal example of personal attention to public business. So was Jefferson. And the latter carried the matter so far as to transcribe with his own hand all his messages to Congress, as well those trans- mitted to the two Houses, as those with which he favored the presses that supported him. As Pennsylvanians and "Repub- licans we feel no way ashamed to see Governor Wolf follow- ing such illustrious examples. He is the Governor of a State, composed of a plain, painstaking people, and could pay them no greater compliment, nor do anything more to his own credit, than by sedulously attending to the discharge of his public duties. The New Yorkers do not appear fully to ap- preciate the value of a maxim stamped upon the old Con- tinental paper money 'Mind your business !" In 1832, South Carolir a, by a convention of its people, passed the notorious ordinance, nullifying certain Acts of Congress imposing duties on imports. This called forth the celebrated Proclamation of President Jackson, a document unsurpassed in argumentation and warm appeal, in which 360 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION OF 1790. he expresses his determination to maintain the Union by all the power of the United States. The subject of the tar i ft' had been warmly debated in Congress, and in the legislatures of the several States. In the latter bodies memorials were adopted expressive of their views upon this question, which were interchanged. These were received by the Legislature of Pennsylvania and spread upon its journals. Those from the Northern States generally defended the system, and those from the Southern complained of its injurious effects. Gov- ernor "Wolf, and the party in power in Pennsylvania, warmly approved the views of the President. The adherence of the Governor to the President and his party was not a blind one. Devotion to a popular leader could not so far blunt his sensibilities as to cause him to dis- regard the claims of duty and of sound policy. The arbi- trary action of the President in crushing out the United States Bank did not meet his approval, and he signed the resolutions of the Assembly, instructing the Senators, and urging the Representatives in Congress, to labor for the re- newal of its charter. At the succeeding session, though some of the friends of the bank had opposed his re-election, on the ground that he did not champion the cause of the opponents to the re-election of Jackson, he reiterated his views, and urged the rechartering of the bank. The Governor was a candidate for a third term ; but a division having arisen in the party by which he had been supported, and a third candidate in the person of Henry A. Muhlenberg being presented, the vote was divided, and "Wolf was defeated. In the following year he was appointed by General Jackson to one of the most responsible positions in the government, that of First Comptroller of the Treasury of the United States. For two years he discharged the duties of this office most acceptably, and at the end of that period he was appointed by President Van Buren Collector of .the Port of Philadelphia. On the llth of March, 1840, he died very suddenly, while yet in the vigor of manhood greatly lamented, in the sixty-third year of his age. JOSEPH RITNER, GOVERNOR UNDER THE CONSTITUTION OF 1790. December 15, 1835, to January 15, 1839. IF to Governor Wolf belongs the honor of having inaugu- rated the School System, to Governor Ritner should be accorded the credit of preserving it at a crisis when in immi- nent danger of being overthrown. Graced with less school education than any other Governor who ever occupied the chair of state, he yet manifested a zeal in its defence unsur- passed by any, and when the fair fabric won by his predeces- sor with great labor and tribulation was rent and torn by ig- norance and malice, and it was likely to be given up to utter destruction, Ritner bared his arm for the conflict, and came forth triumphant, winning laurels which shall never fade. Joseph Ritner, the eighth and last Governor under the* Constitution of 1790, was born in Berks County, Pennsyl- vania, on the 25th of March, 1780. His father was John Ritner, who emigrated from Alsace, on the Rhine. During his early years Joseph was employed upon his father's farm. The only school advantage which he ever enjoyed- was during a period of six months in a primary school at the early age of six years. At the age of sixteen he removed to Cumber- land County, and was employed as a laborer upon the farm of Jacob Myers, near Newville. In the year 1800, he married Susan Alter, of Cumberland County. Their offspring were six sons and three daughters. Soon after their marriage they removed to Westmoreland County, and finally became settled upon a farm belonging to the wife's uncle, David Alter, in Washington County. What was unusual for farmers of that day, the uncle possessed a good library. The books 3d 362 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION OF 1790. were principally German works of a substantial character. Gifted with strong native sense, and a wonderfully retentive memory, this library proved to him a mine of wealth. Here, during his leisure hours, he delved, and what was wanting of privilege in school instruction, he, by diligence, himself sup- plied, affording a perpetual example to the young, of the fruits of industry and perseverance. In 1820 Mr. Eitner was elected a member of the House of Representatives, from Washington County, and served in that capacity for a period of six years. In 1824 he was elected speaker of that body, and was re-elected in the fol- lowing year. In 1829 he received the nomination for Gov- ernor in opposition to George Wolf. It was a period of much excitement respecting secret societies, and great anti- pathy was exhibited towards them, especially the Masonic fraternity. So strong was this feeling that a political party was built upon it, known as the Anti-Masonic, and by this party Ritner was supported. He received a handsome vote, but was defeated. In 1832 he was again put in nomination, and though again defeated, made a great gain over his former vote. He was for a third time nominated in 1835, and was elected. At the session of the Legislature of 1834, the law for the establishment of a common-school system was passed. It met little opposition in either branch of the Legislature, being enacted with a unanimity rarely equalled upon any important question. So much had been said upon the subject, and so thoroughly had the 'necessities of the State been presented, that a readiness for its adoption seemed to be felt. But, .un- fortunately, though the field was white for the harvest, the law which with great labor and care had been prepared, proved signally unsuited to the wants of the State. If the thing were possible, it may be said to have been too perfect. It was so elaborately drawn, and the minutest particulars were so carefully provided for, that little discretion was allowed in adapting its operation to the wants of the diver- sified po] Nations it was designed to affect. It was like the JOSEPH RITNER. 363 machinery of certain inventors, where all the motive power is expended in overcoming the friction of the parts. The consequence was that a sudden revulsion of feeling was ex- perienced, and at the session of 1835 the sentiment was almost universal against it. A proposition was brought for- ward in the Senate for its abolition, and for substituting the system of 1809 educating the poor gratis, which was carried with little opposition. It came up in the House, and but for the eloquent appeals of Thaddeus Stevens, would have been carried with a like unanimity there. The tide which was setting seemed likely to engulf all. " Why," said Stevens, " shall Pennsylvania, now repudiate a system which is calculated to elevate he*r to that rank in the intellectual, which, by the blessings of Providence, she holds in the natu- ral world ? To be the keystone of the arch, the ' very first among her equals.' I am aware, sir, how difficult it is for the great mass of the people, who have never seen this sys- tem in operation, to understand its advantages. But is it not wise to let it go into full operation and learn its results from experience ? Then if it proves worthless or burdensome, how easy to repeal it. ... But we are told that this law is un- popular; that the people desire its repeal. Has it not always been so with every reform in the condition of man ? Old habits and old prejudices are hard to be removed from the mind. Every new improvement which has been gradually leading man from the savage, through the civilized, up to the highly cultivated state, has required the most strenuous, and often perilous, exertions of the wise and the good. But, sir, much of its unpopularity is chargeable upon the vile arts of unprincipled demagogues. Instead of attempting to remove the honest misapprehensions of the people, they cater to their prejudices, and take advantage of them to gain low, dirty, tem- porary local triumphs. I do not charge this on any particular party. Unfortunately, almost the only spot on which all par- ties meet in union is this ground of common infamy. I have seen the present Chief Magistrate of this Common- weauli [Wolf] violently assailed as the projector and father of this law. I am not the eulogist of that gentleman ; he has been guilty of many deep political sins ; but he deserves the undying gratitude of the people for the steady, untiring zeal which he has manifested in favor of common schools. I will not say that his exertions in that cause have covered all, but they have atoned for many of his errors. I trust that the peo- ple of this State will never be called on to choose between a supporter and an opposer of free schools. But, if it should come to that; if that should be made the turning-point on which we are to cast our suffrages ; if the opponent of edu- cation were my most intimate personal and political friend, and the free-school candidate my most obnoxious enemy, I should deem it my duty as a patriot, at this moment of our intellectual crisis, to forget all other considerations, and I should place myself unhesitatingly and cordially in the ranks of him whose banner streams in light." Mr. Stevens was wrought up to a great pitch of excitement while delivering this speech. He took a position in the broad middle aisle leading up to the Speaker's desk, where he had full freedom for action, and his appearance is de- scribed by one who was then a member of that body, as lit up by an enthusiasm almost more than mortal. He was the bitter political opponent of Governor Wolf, to whom he al- ludes in the passage quoted; and when, after passing en- comiums upon the Governor's advocacy of the common- school system, that startling and majestic declaration was made, " I should place myself unhesitatingly in the ranks of HIM WHOSE BANNER STREAMS IN LIGHT," it was received with the wildest expressions of delight. The magical sentence was caught up and passed current upon every lip, and when- ever this era of the school system is the subject of conversa- tion among those who were present on that occasion, the words "wlrose banner streams in light" are exultingly re- called. The vote was taken, and it was found that the friends of common schools were largely in the ascendant. It is recorded by John W, Forney, in an elaborate article published in the JOSEPH RITNER. 365 Washington Chronicle., upon the life and character of the Great Commoner, on the occasion of his death, that " Immediately after Mr. Stevens concluded this great effort, he received a message from George Wolf, then Democratic Governor of Pennsylvania, and a leading member of the Masonic frater- nity. Governor Wolf was the firm friend of popular educa- tion. Of a different and more methodical character, he did not and could not bring to the movement the attributes with which God had clothed Thaddeus Stevens; but he was earnest and sincere. When Mr. Stevens, in response to his invitation, entered the Executive Chamber, he threw his arms about his neck, and, with tearful eyes and broken voice, thanked him for the great service he had rendered to our common humanity." Fortunately for the cause of education, the law was pre- served intact. But an unwieldy system, which in its opera- tions was constant!} 7 provoking hostility, even among the friends of common schools, was still in force. At the follow- ing session, that of 1836, the whole subject would come up for action. In the meantime Governor Ritner had succeeded to the gubernatorial chair, and had selected for Secretary of the Commonwealth, Thomas H. Burrowes, a firm friend of education, and who, as its special advocate in after years, did signal service to the State. With his countenance and aid, George Smith, M. D., who, as chairman of the joint committee of education in the two Houses, had been intrusted with the subject, drew an entirely new bill, embodying the principles of the old law, but divesting it of objectionable features. In this new form it was presented at the session of 1836, and was carried triumphantly through. It went immediately into effect and forms the basis of the excellent system at present in operation reaching out to every nook and corner of the Commonwealth ; taking by the hand the child of wretched- ness and poverty equally with the most favored and pampered of fortune's easy-going offspring, and leading them to the pure fountains of knowledge ; and noiselessly and unheralded scattering open-handed the richest of earthly blessings. During the heated political canvass which preceded his 366 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION OF 1790. election, an editor who allowed his zeal to get the better of his discretion, knowing that he had a class of readers who would be delighted with the sentiment, published a statement that Mr. Ritner was opposed to the whole catalogue of laws for common schools, thinking thereby to gain votes for him. The moment it came to the ears of Ritner, he started at once to find the reckless editor, and after a wearisome journey came upon him amid the agents of his art, soundly berated him for his duplicity, and would not leave him until he had penned an article denying the false statement he had made, and had promised to insert it in the next issue of his paper. It was not in the nature of Joseph Ritner to allow victory to be purchased at the sacrifice of truth, even by the swerving of a hair's breadth. Down to the close of his life he manifested a lively interest in the success of the common - school system, attending Teachers' Institutes in the County where he lived, and acting as presiding officer when upon the verge of eighty. In 1861, the Normal School at Edinboro', Erie County, was recognized and adopted by the State. Dr. Burrowes, who was then Su- perintendent, appointed his old friend and associate of a pre- ceding generation, as one of the inspectors. Though then at the age of eighty-three he accepted the appointment, and made that long journey of more than five hundred miles by rail and stage, with the alacrity and pleasure of a boy of six- teen. And when he appeared upon the platform of the great hall of the Institute, in the presence of a concourse of up- turned faces, it could but excite tears of gratitude, that his life had been almost miraculously lengthened out to see the day when a great institution devoted to the preparation of com- mon-school teachers, a crowning feature of that system, should be inaugurated upon a spot which was an unbroken wilderness when the law was originally passed in his admin- istration. The following report of his remarks on that occa- sion is given in the Pennsylvania School Journal of that date: " Having referred briefly to his own course in relation to the cause of education, while Governor of the Common- JOSEPH RITNER. 367 wealth, he spoke somewhat at length as to his friend, the present Superintendent. The present generation could not appreciate what had been done ; nor indeed, could the com- plete result be revealed in one or two generations. He him- self had seen the inauguration of the system of free common schools, and had witnessed some of its fruits ; but he could not hope to live to behold the riph harvests which he had faith to believe were yet to be reaped from it. He com- mended the location of the buildings, and of the grounds so beautifully adapted, both for ornamental and useful culti- vation. He could well credit Mr. Taylor's statement, that this was a few years ago a Avilderness, for we could still seo the stumps on every side. A very few years would see this the most attractive spot in Western Pennsylvania." Governor Ritner always regarded his connection with the school system with singular satisfaction, and viewed the consummation of its adoption as the crowning glory of his administration. Even the progress which was made during the three years in which he occupied the chair of state was a subject of congratulation, which he thus presents in his last Annual Message to the Legislature : " The condition of the means provided by the State for general education is so flourishing, that little is required to be done by the present Legislature. Within three years the permanent State appro- priation to this object has been increased from $75,000 an- nually to $400,000. Nor will this large outlay have been without its fruits. Instead of seven hundred and sixty-two common schools in operation at the end of the year 1835, and about seventeen academies (the latter in a state of almost doubtful existence), with no female seminaries fostered by the State, she has now five thousand common schools, thirty- eight academies, and seven female seminaries in active and permanent operation, disseminating the principles of litera- ture, science, and virtue over the land. In addition to these, there are many schools, academies, and female seminaries of a private character, equally useful and deserving in their proper sphore." 368 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION OF 1790. Secretary Burrowes, ex-offido Superintendent of Common Schools, in his report to the Legislature at the same time that this message was delivered, pays the following just tributes : " The undersigned cannot close this report without bearing testimony to one fact alike honorable to the State and advantageous to the system. In his whole experience the blighting touch of party politics has never been detected upon it. All seem to forget their every-day differences, and to meet unitedly on this, as on a Sabbath ground of devotion to the public good. In no station of life has this right feeling oeen more obvious than among those in power. When the L-gitating divisions of-Jthe day shall have sunk into com- parative insignificance, and names be only repeated in con- nection with some great act of public benefaction, those of GEORGE WOLF and JOSEPH RITNER will be classed by Penn- sylvania among the noblest on her long list ; the one for his early and manly advocacy, and the other for his well-timed and determined support of the FREE SCHOOL." In the expression of his opinions in his messages upon national affairs, Governor Bitner was bold and outspoken, however unpalatable they might be to those whom he meant to reach. Upon the subject of slavery in any part of the National domain he uttered his condemnation in such clear and ringing tones that it arrested the attention of the philan- thropist and the lover of freedom wherever it was read. His message of 1836 called forth from the Quaker poet Whittier the following spirit-stirring lyric : Thank God for the token ! one lip is still free, One spirit untrammelled, unbending one knee! Like the oak of the mountain, deep-rooted and firm, Erect, when the multitude bends to the storm ; When traitors to Freedom, and Honor, and God, Are bowed at an Idol polluted with blood ; When the recreant North has forgotten her trust And the lip of her honor is low in the dust, Thank God, that one arm from the shackle has broken i Thank God, that one man as & freeman has spoken 1 JOSEPH RITNER. 369 O'er thy crags, Alleghany, a blast has heen blown I Down thy tide, Susquehanna, the murmur has gone ! To the land of the South, of the charter and chain, Of Liberty sweetened with slavery's pain ; Where the cant of Democracy dwells on the lips Of the forgers of fetters, and wielders of whips ! Where "chivalric" honor means really no more Than scourging of women and robbing the poor I Where the Moloch of Slavery sitteth on high, And the words which he utters, are WORSHIP, OR DM Right onward, oh, speed it I Wherever the blood Of the wronged and the guiltless is crying to God ; Wherever a slave in his fetters is pining ; Wherever the lash of the driver is twining ; Wherever from kindred, torn rudely apart, Comes the sorrowful wail of the broken of heart; Wherever the shackles of tyranny bind, In silence and darkness the God-given mind ; There, God speed it onward ! its truth will be felt, The bonds shall be loosened, the iron shall melt I And oh, will the land where the free soul of PENH Still lingers and breathes over mountain and glen, Will the land where a BENEZET'S spirit went forth To the peeled, and the meted and outcast of Earth, Where the words of the Charter of Liberty first From the soul of the sage and the patriot burst, Where first for the wronged and the weak of their kind The Christian and statesman their efforts combined, Will that land of the free and the good wear a chain ? Will the call to the rescue of Freedom be vain ? No, RITNER ! her " Friends " at thy warning shall stand Erect for the truth, like their ancestral band ; Forgetting the feuds and the strife of past time, Counting coldness injustice, and silence a crime ; t Turning back from the cavils of creeds, to unite Once again for the poor in defence of the right ; Breasting calmly, but firmly, the full tide of wrong, Overwhelmed but not borne on its surges along ; Unappalled by the danger, the shame, and the pain, And counting each trial for truth as their gain I And that bold-hearted yeomanry, honest and true^ Who, haters of fraud, give to labor its due ; 24 370 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION OF 1790. Whose fathers of old, sang in concert with thine, On the banks of Swatara, the songs of the Khine, The German-born pilgrims, who first dared to brave The scorn of the proud in the cause of the slave : Will the sons of such men yield the lords of the South One brow for the brand, for the padlock one mouth ? They cater to tyrants ? They rivet the chain, Which their fathers smote off, on the negro again ? No, never I one voice, like the sound in the cloud, When the roar of the storm waxes loud and more loud, Wherever the foot of the freeman hath pressed From the Delaware's marge, to the Lake of the West, On the South-going breezes shall deepen and grow, Till the land it sweeps over shall tremble below 1 The voice of a PEOPLE, uprisen, awake, Pennsylvania's watchword, with Freedom at stake, Thrilling up from each valley, flung down from each height, "OuR COUNTRY AND LIBERTY ! GOD FOR THE RIGHT ! " Governor Bitner received the nomination in 1838, for re-election by the Anti-Masonic party; but was defeated by only about five thousand votes. The canvass was unusually spirited, and the election was contested with a resolution rarely witnessed. The Masons as an organization were of course pitted against- Ritner, for he was leading a party bent on their humiliation. He was opposed by the Democrats, for they had been kept for a period of three years from power, and they were eager again to possess it. There was also an opposition to him from outside the State which made itself felt. Whether it originated from his outspoken opposition to slavery whidi the poem of Whittier had heralded to the worl^, it is not necessary now to inquire. Certain it was that the fight against him was well organized, conducted with a strong hand, and was successful. The oflicial returns made to the Secretary's oifice, gave the State to Porter. It was charged by the friends of Ritner that there was fraudulent voting and fraudulent returns. Thomas H. Burrowes, the Secretary of State, who was also Chairman of the State Executive Committee of the Anti- Masonic party, issued an address in behalf of the Committee JOSEPH RITNER. 371 to the friends of the defeated candidate, in whku he said : " The opponent of our candidate for the office of Governor appears to be elected by at least five thousand majority. This is an event to which, if it had been fairly produced, we, as good citizens, would quietly, if not cheerfully submit. But there is such a strong probability of malpractice and fraud in the whole transaction, that it is our duty peacefully to resist it and fully to expose it" After making a full state- ment of the reasons which led to the belief that fraud had been largely practised, he concludes : " Can there be any safety under republican institutions if such high-handed op- pression be tolerated ? No ! We owe it to ourselves as free- men and good citizens to examine into this matter, and if fraud be detected to expose and resist it. We owe it .to our country and to posterity. . . . Now is the time to make the examination, while the facts are fresh and the outrage recent.' Let it be done then peacefully, determinedly and thoroughly. But let it be commenced with an honest resolution to submit to the result, whether it be favorable or unfavorable to, our wishes. This is the duty of all who contend for equal rights and the supremacy of the laws. But, fellow-citizens, until this investigation be fully made and fairly determined, let us treat the election of the 9th inst. as if we had not been de- feated, and in that attitude abide the result." This exceedingly well written address seemed in the main to be very fair and just ; but the startling declaration con- tained in the concluding sentence created intense excitement in the ranks of the opposing party, and to "treat the election as if we had not been defeated" became their rallying cry. It was a direct proclamation that the returns were not to be accepted until an investigation should prove them valid. The address was ill-advised and ill-timed. For the executive committee of a party had no legal authority to make an in- vestigation ; and if an investigation was to have been made, no declaration of the fact should have been uttered until the constituted authorities were ready to proceed with it. The returns bore on their face the evidence of regularity, and 372 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION OF 1790. those returns should have been accepted as- veracious until proven false at a competent tribunal. It was perceived that on the political complexion of the Legislature would hang the question of investigation, and to secure the control of the two Houses was a primary object with both parties. A majority of the Senate had been elected as anti-Masonic, but the control of the House depended upon the votes of cer- tain members from Philadelphia, whose seats were contested. It appears that when the return-judges from Philadelphia County met, it was proposed to throw out the votes of the Northern Liberties entirely on account of alleged frauds. If these were counted the anti-Masonic delegation to Congress, and to both branches of the Legislature, would be elected. If they were rejected, the Democratic delegation would be elected. The majority of the return-judges were Democrats and the votes of that precinct were thrown out. Whereupon the anti-Masonic members of the Board withdrew, and both parties made out returns, each for a different delegation, and sent them to the Secretary of the Commonwealth. Techni- cally, the returns of the Democrats were correct, and should have been received in the first instance without question. When the Legislature met in December, the Senate promptly organized by the choice of anti-Masonic officers. But in the House a fierce struggle ensued, both delegations from Philadelphia claiming seats. The consequence was, that each party went into an election for speaker, each appointing tellers. Two speakers were elected and took their seats upon the platform ; Thomas S. Cunningham being the choice of the anti-Masons, and William Hopkins of the Democrats. Techni- cally, the Democrats supposed they were in the right, leaving out of view the rightfulness or wrongfulness of rejecting the votes of the Northern Liberties. But when the returns from the Secretary's office were opened, it was found that the certificate of the minority of the election Board from Phila- dslphia had been sent in, thus giving the advantage of technical right to the anti-Masonic party. It was a question now, which of these two Houses would be recognized by the Senate and the Governor. JOSEPH RITNER. 373 At this stage of the contest a new element came into the arena. A daring lobby, collected from Philadelphia and neighboring cities, appeared in the capitol, and when the Senate, after duly organizing, attempted to proceed to busi- ness, interrupted the course of legislation and threatened the lives of its members. Proceedings in the other branch of the Legislature were in like manner disturbed, and finally, both houses being compelled to disperse by this lawless de- monstration, the crowd took possession of the chambers, the leaders indulging in noisy harangues. From the capitol, the lobby proceeded to the Court-House, where impassioned speeches were made and a " Committee of Safety " was ap- pointed. So determined a front did this body present that for several days the Senate was prevented from meeting, and when one of the parties of the House attempted to assemble, the person who had been deputed to act as speaker was vio- lently ejected from the hall. All business was at an end, and the Executive and State Departments were closed. Seeing no other alternative, and as was his plain duty to do, Governor Ritner promptly ordered out the militia ; and lest this should be insufficient, for the lobby was constantly receiv- ing accessions of strength, he called on the United States authorities for help. The militia under Major-Generals Pat- terson and Alexander came promptly in response ; but the United States authorities refused to send troops, though the storekeeper at the Frankford arsenal in Philadelphia turned over an ample supply of fixed ammunition for all arms, and an especially liberal supply of ball and BUCKSHOT cartridges, though, as it subsequently appeared, the ammunition was de- livered without orders from the War Department. Seeing troops arrive at the call of the Governor, the lobby made preparations to resist them, and were by their leaders drilled in military evolutions. By the efforts of the militia authori- ties, order was, however, restored, and the two Houses of the Legislature were again permitted to meet. A majority of the Senate finally voted to recognize the section of the House presided over by Mr. Hopkins, which virtually ended the con- 374 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION OF 1790. test, the other hranch of the House returning to their places, and the Governor elect being inaugurated at the proper time without opposition. For several days during this contest the danger of a colli- sion was imminent, and it seemed impossible to avert blood- shed. Great interest was felt in the result of the struggle throughout the entire Union, and especially by the national administration. It was even viewed with serious apprehen- sions in Europe. Lewis Cass, who was at the time Minister to France, relates a conversation which he had with Louis Philippe, in which that monarch, mindful of similar compli- cations in Paris, expressed the belief that Pennsylvania would become the scene of a protracted and bloody partisan or revo- lutionary conflict. Fortunately, wiser counsels prevailed, and what seemed on the point of being left to the arbitrament of the sword, was finally settled by an appeal to reason. At the expiration of his term of office Governor Ritner returned to private life, taking up his residence near Mount Rock, in the County of Cumberland. Possessed of a strong constitution and a powerful frame, he rarely complained of sickness, his system seeming to be proof against the ordinary inroads of disease. In 1840, however, he was attacked by cataract in both eyes, from the effect of which he was for some time entirely blind. By an operation performed upon the right eye, sight was completely restored so that he was able to read with ease the finest print. So painful was the operation that no consideration could induce him to submit to one upon the left, and that remained sightless to the day of his death. He continued to take a lively interest in politics, and rarely failed to deposit his vote in the ballot-box in every important election. In 1848, he was nominated by President Taylor, Director of the Mint at Philadelphia, in which capacity he served for a short time ; but before his nomination was acted on by the Senate, President Taylor died, and he retired, to make room for the favorites of President Fillmore. He was a delegate from Pennsylvania to the National Convention JOSEPH RITNER. 375 which nominated John C. Fremont for President, and to the close of his life continued an active and ardent Repub- lican. Governor Ritner was endowed with a mind of great native strength. The faculty of memory was almost miraculous, for he seemed never to forget a name, an event, a date, or a fact. The impressions of his early and active life were retained with remarkable clearness, and he could recall occurrences in his official life, and repeat debates with surprising accuracy. He was remarkably temperate in all his habits, never using in any form tobacco or spirituous liquors. He was a man of strong convictions, and his opinions when once formed were rarely changed. His conscientiousness naturally inclined him to caution, and every subject requiring his decision re- ceived mature deliberation. He fortunately lived long enough to see many of the cardinal principles which he had advocated become the fundamental law of the land, a^id time, which " at last sets all things even," vindicated the soundness of his judgment. He died on the 16th day of October, 1869, in the ninetieth year of his age. His life was prolonged be- yond that of any other Governor of Pennsylvania, though associated in this office with men wonderfully long-lived. PART V. GOVERNORS UNDER THE CONSTITUTION OF 1838. 877 DAVID RITTENHOUSE PORTER, GOVERNOR UNDER THE CONSTITUTION OF 1833. January 15, 1839, to January 21, 1845. DAVID RITTENHOUSE PORTER was born near ristown, Montgomery County, Pa., on the 31st of October, 1788. His grandfather, Robert Porter, emigrated, early in the last century, from the north of Ireland. The farm where he lived is situated about nine miles north-west of London- derry, near the sea-coast. The land, together with several ad- joining farms, is yet owned, after the lapse of more than a century and a half, by those of his own name and blood. One of their number, the Rev. J. L. Porter, D. D., LL. D., Pro- fessor of Sacred Literature in the College at Belfast, has at- tained a high position as a preacher, an author, and a man of letters, especially in the Department of Oriental Literature. Andrew Porter, the father of David R., was born at tne homestead in Montgomery County, in 1743, and attained dis- tinction as a Revolutionary soldier. In boyhood he mani- fested much fondness for mathematics, and early attracted the notice of that profound scholar Dr. David Rittenhouse, under whose advice he opened an English and mathematical school in Philadelphia. The Institution had attained a wide- spread reputation for excellence when the Revolutionary War broke out, and its principal, obedient to the calls of pa- triotism, laid aside the robes of the master for the garb of the soldier. He was at first commissioned a Captain of Marines, but at his own request was soon afterwards transferred to the artillery. He subsequently became Colonel of the Fourth Regiment of Artillery, and was engaged in the battles of Trenton, Princeton, Brandy wine, and Germantown. At Ger- 379 380 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION OF 18B8. mantown nearly his entire command was cut down at bis side. He received on the field the thanks of Washington for his soldierly conduct at Princeton ; and when Lafayette was wounded at Brandywine, Captain Porter was near him. At the special request of Washington, though reluctant to be withdrawn from active service, he was sent to Philadelphia to prepare the material for the siege of Yorktown. At the con- clusion of the war he was offered the chair of Mathematics in the University of Pennsylvania, but declined it, humorously remarking to the committee who called on him, that,. having so long commanded men, he could not go back to flogging boys. From 1784 to 1787, he was engaged by app. >intment of the Supreme Executive Council of the State, in conjunc- tion with Dr. Rittenhouse, Dr. Ewing, Mr. Madison, and others, in determining the lines between Pennsylvania and the States of Virginia, Ohio, and New York. Some of the most difficult parts of this useful work were performed by him. In 1809, he was appointed, by Governor Snyder, Sur- veyor-General, an office which he held up to the day of his death in 1813, having in the meantime declined two appoint- ments tendered him by President Madison, that of Brigadier General in the Army, and that of Secretary of War. Several of the sons of Andrew Porter attained to emi- nence. Robert served in the Revolutionary War, practised law in Philadelphia, and became President Judge of the Berks, Lehigh, and Northampton District. William and Andrew, twin-brothers, became reputable merchants, one in Baltimore, and the other in New Orleans. John E. was a brilliant advocate, but resigned the law for medicine, which he practised with much success in North Carolina. George B. was a graduate of the Law School at Litchfield, and became the rival of James Buchanan and Judge Moulton C. Rogers at the Lancaster Bar. He was appointed by General Jackson Governor of the Territory of Michigan. James M. settled at Easton, and became an eminent lawyer; was a member of the Constitutional Convention of 1838, over which he presided during a part of its sittings, became DAVID RITTENHOUSE PORTER. 381 President Judge of the Dauphin, Lebanon, and Schuylkill District, was Secretary of War under President Tyler, and was subsequently elected President Judge of the Wayne, Pike, Monroe, and Carbon District. The subject of this sketch, David E., received his early training at an academy in ISTorristown, where the branches of a good English education, mathematics, and the elementary classical studies were successfully taught. With his brothers George and James, he was here pursuing a course prepar- atory to entering Princeton College, when the buildings of that institution were destroyed by fire, and the purpose of a collegiate course was abandoned. When the father was appointed Surveyor-General, he took his son David with him to the seat of government as his assistant. He was accom- panied by a young man from the same neighborhood, who likewise became Governor of the State, Francis R. Shunk. While thus employed, the son also studied law, with the intention of entering upon its practice at Harris- burg ; but the labor and confinement ,of these double duties were too severe, and his health was so much impaired, as was thought, to preclude the possibility of his pursuing any sedentary employment. He decided, therefore, to seek more active occupation, and removed to the county of Huntingdon, where he engaged in the manufacture of iron. The Messrs. Dorsey then owned that magnificent estate known as the Barree Forges, which yet remains in possession of their descendants, and has continued for nearly three- quarters of a century to be the seat of a large and generous hospitality. Mr. Porter was first employed by them for a year as a clerk, and during the following year was made manager of their works. Having thus acquired an acquaint- ance with the business, he embarked in it on his own ac- count, in partnership with Edward Patton, on Spruce Creek; but so great was the depression into which all branches of manufactures fell for some years succeeding the war of 1812, that their enterprise was not successful. He continued, how- ever, through life to take a deep interest in all that related to 382 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION OF 1838. the business, and, at the period of his death, it is doubtful whether any man in the State so thoroughly and practically understood the subject of ores, the location of their deposit, the mode of combining them, and the species of fuel best adapted to reducing them, as did he. He was, in 1819, elected a member of the Assembly from Huntingdon County, and was returned for the following year, having as a colleague John Scott, father of the present Senator of the United States. He here formed the acquaint- ance of some of the most eminent citizens of the Common- wealth, many of whom remained his warm personal friends through life. On retiring from the Legislature, he was appointed by the Governor Prothonotary and Clerk of the several courts of Huntingdon County, and to these were afterwards added the offices of Recorder of Deeds and Register of "Wills. There was then little business in these offices, and the pecuniary returns were meagre. He had in 1820 married Josephine, daughter of William McDermott, who had emigrated from Scotland for the purpose of manufacturing steel by a new process, and who was one of the pioneers in that art. Mrs. Porter for a few years acted as her husband's clerk, record- ing deeds and wills at home, while he transacted the busi- ness in public, and large volumes in her handwriting con- tinue to be shown to strangers and visitors to the town, written so clearly and beautifully, and with such perfect accuracy, as to excite admiration. During his residence in Huntingdon, Mr. Porter devoted much of his time to the public interests. He gave some attert- tion to agriculture, and distributed among the farming classes such information as the best writers furnished. He intro- duced among his neighbors, without profit to himself, the once famous Durham cattle. From New York, Virginia, and Michigan, he brought the best horses which those States pro- duced. His chief efforts, however, were directed to the pub- lic improvements of the State. Having carefully studied the plans which Governor Clinton had proposed for New York, DAVID RITTENHOUSE PORTER. 383 his pen was often employed in calling the attention of the people to the importance of executing similar works in Pennsylvania, in order to develop and carry to market its vast resources and preserve its relative importance in the Union. In 1836 he was elected a member of the State Senate, from the district then composed of the counties of Huntingdon, Mifflin, Juniata, Perry, and Union. The soundness of his judgment and the readiness of his understanding made him an acknowledged leader. Few subjects were broached on which he did not either report or speak. Legislation upon the subject of the public works bore largely the impress of his views. As a writer he was concise, forcible, and even ele- gant, and as a speaker, he was clear, pointed, and eminently practical. His speeches were usually very brief, and in de- fence of this habit he was accustomed to plead the practice of Jefferson and Franklin. His advice to young lawyers and debaters was especially to study brevity. In this respect, he differed widely from his brothers, Governor Porter of Michi- gan, and Judge Porter of Easton, both of whom were more diffuse, and, it must be added, acquired higher reputations for forensic ability. In 1838, Mr. Porter was elected Governor of Pennsylvania, and in 1841 was re-elected by a majority almost four times as great as that given at his first election. His inauguration as Governor occurred on the 15th of January, 1839. The open- ing paragraphs of his inaugural address present in an admi- rable manner the views by which he proposed to be guided, and the changed relations that the Executive was made to hold by the new Constitution then about to go into effect. " Deeply impressed," he says, "with a sense of gratitude to my fellow- citizens, for the distinguished mark of confidence reposed in me, I enter upon the arduous and responsible duties of Gov- ernor of Pennsylvania, with a full determination, according to the abilities given me, to do my duty faithfully. " A compliance with custom would seem to require of me, when assuming the duties of the Executive, in pursuance of 384 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION OF 1838. the choice of the people, to lay before them some of the lead- ing principles upon which the administration of the Govern- ment will be conducted. I do this the more willingly, be- cause, in a republic, the intercourse between the people and their public functionaries should be candid, frank, and unre- served. " Educated with the highest veneration and greatest affec- tion for the men and principles of the American Revolution, it will always give me pleasure to refer to the one as exam- ples, and to the other as guides in the performance of duty. Admitting to its fullest extent the importance of preserving unsullied the inestimable and inalienable right of the people to govern themselves, I shall ever give my best efforts to pre- vent encroachments upon that right. So long as man con- tinues the being he is, error must be expected both in his individual and collective conduct. He may be expected to err upon sudden impulses ; but an intelligent community will rarely fall deliberately into error. Hence the deliberate ex- pression of the people's will should always furnish the rule of conduct to those who represent them in public stations. " A new era has arrived in our Commonwealth. Our first Constitution, formed amidst the storms and troubles of the revolutionary conflict, was found in practice not to answer the expectations under which it was framed. In fourteen years thereafter it was entirely new modelled by the Consti- tution of 1790, an instrument framed by men of great talents and eminent worth ; but the plan of government was always considered by no small portion of he people as not suffi- ciently democratic in its details. After repeated attempts to procure revision, a majority of our citizens who voted on the question, in 1835, decided that a convention should be called, to revise, alter and amend the Constitution of the Common- wealth. In pursuance of this determination of the people, a convention assembled, and after a long and arduous session, closed their labors on the 22d of February last, and the amendments agreed upon by that body have been ratified and adopted by the people. It is under this amended Constitu- .DAVID RITTENHOUSE PORTER. 385 tion that it has been my lot to be called upon to administer the duties of the Executive. This instrument gives to popu- lar suffrage the decision of many appointments heretofore vested in the Executive, and changes the duration of the judicial tenure from that of good behavior to a term of years. It shortens the period of eligibility to the Executive chair, and reduces the senatorial term ; enlarges the right of suffrage, and changes other provisions, all of which are impor- tant in the conduct of the government of the State. Approv- ing as I did of the amendments in the aggregate, and having sanctioned them by my vote at the late election, it will afford me great pleasure to assist in carrying them out in practice by a strict adherence to their principles." The subject of State interest, which at this period over- shadowed every other, was the prosecution of the public works. Vast sums had been expended, and strong anxiety was felt to have the main lines completed at the earliest prac- ticable moment. A considerable part of his first Annual Message to the Legislature was devoted to this subject. The concluding sentiments of that paper, considering the period at which they were written, are remarkable, and illustrate the comprehensiveness of his views. " I cannot," he says, " close this brief reference to our system of public improvements without inviting the attention of the Legislature to two sub- jects, which, though not immediately connected with the leading object of this communication, are yet so essentially necessary to the full fruition of the benefits to be derived from our main lines of canals and railroads between the eastern and western sections of the Commonwealth, as to awaken the earnest solicitude of every true Pennsylvanian. I allude to the removal of the obstructions to steamboat navigation in the Alleghany, Ohio, and Mississippi rivers from Pittsburg to the Gulf of Mexico, and from Pittsburg up the Alleghany as far as the same may be found practicable by the survey authorized under direction of the general Government, and to the construction of a continuous railroad from the city of Pittsburg through or near the capitals of Ohio, Indiana* 25 386 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION OF 1838. and Illinois to some point on the Mississippi River at or near St. Louis." The sentiment of the words in italics was made, at the time of its delivery, the subject of wide-spread comment and no little ridicule ; but the writer of it lived long enough to be able to travel in a railroad-car, without change, from the sea- board to the banks of the Mississippi. The messages and other public documents of Governor Porter were generally written by an amanuensis. His habit was to pronounce the words aloud, slowly and deliberately, as he paced his apartment, and when thus taken down, they were ready for the press with scarcely a correction. One of his apprehensions in regard to the working of our State Constitution arose from the frequent encroachments made by the Legislative power on the other branches of the Government. The Judiciary has frequently experienced this in Acts of Assembly 'granting new trials, or giving a con- struction to written documents, or changing the effect of liens of record; and there are few better specimens of judicial writing than that in which it was rebuked in the case of De Chastellux vs. Fairchild.* Governor Porter resisted with a, firm hand the encroachments made on his own prerogatives, and the reader will not go far for evidence of this in turning over the pages of any of the Legislative journals from 1839 to 1845. As an example, the following reply to the Senate, which had made an inquiry into his motives for certain official conduct, may be adduced : " In reply to your resolution of the 6th instant, I have to inform the Senate, that, in compliance with the ' resolution to suspend the work on the Gettysburg Railroad,' prompt measures were taken to ascertain 'the whole amount of claims on the line, on estimates, or for retained percentage ; also for salaries of officers and agents, for labor, or for any other purpose ; ' and that during the present week the reports of the officers charged with that duty have been received, * 3 Harris's Reports, page 18. DAVID RITTENHOUSE PORTER. 387 "These are all the material facts touching the subject of your inquiry, which it is within the power of the Executive to communicate to the Senate. They fully answer the call made on me by the resolution, unless in requiring me to state * why the delay in procuring the money and paying the contractors has taken place,' the Senate intended to require me to communicate the reasons or motives by which I have been governed in relation to this business. If such was the design of the Senate, I must decline to comply with its requisition. Being an independent and co-ordinate branch of the Government, I do not recognize its right to make such a demand, and also because the time and manner of adver- tising for, and procuring loans are duties belonging ex- clusively to the Executive, in which the two Houses of the Legislature have neither responsibility nor share. Claiming to understand and respect the rights of the Senate, I shall studiously avoid any infringement upon them ; and claiming also to understand the rights and duties of the Executive, under the Constitution, I shall take especial care that they shall not be invaded, and will maintain them to the utmost of my abilities. Independence and harmony of action only can be preserved by strictly observing the rights of all depart- ments of the Government. This course I shall pursue, at all times, without deviation." The courage, energy, and strong will thus displayed gave great vigor to his administration, and compelled respect even from his opponents. In his appointment of judges, then one of the most responsible duties of the Executive, he exhibited much discrimination, as the reader will discover, who reflects on the names of Burnside, Rogers, King, Bell, Lewis, Thomp- son, Black, Woodward, Campbell, Conyngham, Parsons, El- dred, Church, and others, many of whom were little known to the public when they received commissions at his hands, and some of whom have since exerted strong influence in our national affairs. Governor Porter took much interest in the success of the system of Common Schools, then in its infancy, and having 388 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION OF 1838. appointed Francis R. Shunk superintendent, devoted with him much time in resolving the numerous and difficult ques- tions which then came up from the County officers for de- cision. His efforts to sustain the credit of the State and to secure t,he payment of interest on the public debt drew upon him national attention, and were frequently noticed in Europe, where many of the obligations of the State were held. By his recommendation the Act of 1840 was passed, requiring the interest on the State debt to be paid in specie or its equiva- lent. One of his last acts, as Governor, was the suppression of the riots which occurred- in Philadelphia in 1844, and the courage and decision displayed on his taking command of the military in person were generally commended and long remembered by men of all parties. Both branches of the City Council, then opposed to his administration, honored him with an expression of their thanks, and a resolution unani- mously passed by those bodies was presented to him in person, accompanied with an address by the Mayor of the City. Having completed, in 1845, the longest term as Governor allowed by the new Constitution, he retired from public life, and returned to his favorite pursuit of making iron. The adaptation of anthracite coal to the manufacture of this metal was then almost unknown, and having given much reflection to the subject, and made many practical experiments, he erected at Harrisburg, at a large cost, the first anthracite fur- nace built iu that portion of the State. The experiment was successful, and it was followed by numerous others in various sections, much to the profit of their owners and to the advan- tage of the public revenues. He took pleasure in conducting the affairs of this establishment, and in advancing the art, by explaining and illustrating to visitors the improvements which he had introduced. Few men ever had more ardent friends or returned their friendship with more cordial warmth than did David R. Porter. It was a common remark that he had never turned his back on a friend or forgotten him in a difficulty. "With DAVID RITTENEOUSE PORTER. 389 those whom he distrusted, he maintained no intercourse what- ever, and this sometimes obtained for him the character of a resentful man ; but the truth was far otherwise, for no man ever possessed a more forgiving temper; and though his abhor- rence of insincerity frequently tinged his manner with reserve and coldness, thousands of men in all parts of the State had sounded the depths of his large and generous heart and know well its warm attachments and generous sympathies. The greatest errors of his life were lending pecuniary credit to those who had been unfortunate, and in being influenced by the tear of sorrow to pardon some offender against the law, whom other men would have sternly punished. In the ordinary intercourse of life, his manner was calm and self-possessed, and his words were notably few; but his conversation was frequently pervaded by a quiet humor which made it attractive, especially to the young. His remarks were so pointed, his memory so clear, and his information so accurate and comprehensive, as to make his conversation es- pecially instructive on many topics least treated in books : such as the courses of streams and mountain chains, and the nature of mineral deposits; the progress of legislation, the changes of political parties, and the characteristics of the dif- ferent races by whom the country was settled. Respecting the history of the constitutions, both State and National, he was profoundly informed. There was scarcely a clause in any of those instruments which he had not thoroughly investigated with the eye both of a lawyer and a man of business. For this reason he was much consulted on important State legisla- tion even after his retirement to private life. He was for many years the friend of the late President Buchanan, and the correspondence which they maintained for a long period shows how frequently that statesman con- sulted him on questions of national interest, and how greatly he relied upon his judgment. There was another public man with whom his intimacy was even closer, Gen. Sam. Houston of Texas, whose career as a military commander, an executive officer, and effective ors 390 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION OF 1838. tor, ie yet fresh in the public recollection. It appears to have commenced on the election of General Houston to the Senate of the United States, and to have grown stronger as age ad- vanced, until death cut it short. On going to, or returning from Washington, the General frequently spent a few days with his friend at Harrishurg, and for a long period scarcely a week elapsed without a letter passing between them. When Gen. Houston was nominated as an independent candidate for Governor of Texas, Mr. Porter strongly urged him to accept the nomination, for the purpose of strengthening the hands of the Union men of the South, and, in opposition to the belief of most persons, predicted his election. The pre- diction was realized and the aged hero stood manfully by his patriotic principles as a friend of the Union until overpowered by a rebel legislature and driven from office. On his election as Governor, Gen. Houston invited Mr. Porter to visit him in Texas, that he might have the advantage of the practical knowledge and judgment of the latter respecting the most favorable route for a railroad through Texas to the Pacific coast, the Texas route being regarded by both as the best for the great national thoroughfare. The invitation was ac- cepted, and several months were spent determining the most feasible direction for locating it, and in organizing a company for its construction. These efforts, it is believed, would have been successful had they not been brought to a sudden ter- mination in the fall of 1860, by the secession of the Southern States. Mr. Porter returned to his home in Harrisburg, and con- tributed his influence to sustain the Government in the fierce conflict which had commenced. He scouted the doctrine of secession, and maintained, as he had long done, in its fullest extent, the maxim of Jackson, " The Union must and shall be preserved/' To encourage others, he shouldered IT'S mus- ket at the age of more than seventy years, and with the young men of the town joined in military drill. He rejoiced greatly over the success of the Union arms, and was much gratified that one of his sons, General Horace Porter, had borne an DAVID RITTENIIOUSE PORTER. 391 honorable part in many battles. "When, however, the course of the national administration failed to meet his approval, he was decided in expressing his condemnation, and in main- taining that the South must be brought back to a whole Con- stitution and not to a broken one a distinction likely to be misunderstood, in a time of popular excitement, but to the dan- ger of being so misunderstood he was entirely indifferent. During the winter of 1867, while attending at night a meeting of his church, he contracted a severe cold. While others regarded the attack as light, he believed that it would prove fatal, and began to prepare for the approaching change. During the succeeding summer he was able to walk out, but in the beginning of August his strength declined. With great composure and even cheerfulness, he arranged several matters of business and conversed calmly of his ap- proaching end. On being asked how he felt on the near pros- pect of death, he said: " I have obtained perfect peace. I am not conscious of a doubt or a fear." On the 6th of August, surrounded by several children and a devoted wife, his hands having been folded on his breast, he thanked those about him for their kindness and dutifulness, and composed himself as if to fall asleep. As one and another passage of Scripture was repeated, he expressed his assent, until the pulse became still, and the aged heart ceased to beat. He had passed away as gently as a child falls to sleep in its mother's arms. The pub- lic business was, at the request of the Governor of the Com- monwealth, generally suspended. Large numbers of citizens came from every section of the State to pay to his memory the last sad tribute of their respect. His remains were de- posited in the beautiful cemetery which lies within sight of the scenes of his most useful labors, where a simple monu- ment truthfully records that he was a man of large influence for many years in the affairs of his native State. FRANCIS RAWN SHUNK.* GOVERNOR UNDER THE CONSTITUTION OF 1838. January 21, 1845, to July 9, 1848. TjmANCIS RAWN SHUNK was of German descent. He J- was born at the Trappe, a village in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, August 7th, 1788. His father, John, was the eon of Francis Shunk, who emigrated from the Palatinate of the Rhine, in Germany, about the year 1715. His mother, Elizabeth Rawn, was the daughter of Casper and Barbara Rawn, the former of whom also emigrated from the Palati- nate. The memory of this couple is still held in the highest veneration by all who were acquainted with them. They were examples of those excellent virtues, and that devoted piety, which elevate our nature, and invest with dignity the hum- blest conditions of life. The mother of Governor Shunk was a woman distin- guished for her kindness and affection, and for her devo- tion to the happiness of her children. He often spoke of her in terms of the most devoted attachment, and cherished her memory with filial piety to the last hour of his life. There can be no doubt but that her influence was greatly felt in the formation of his early character, and its subsequent develop- ment. His father was a man of strong and stern mind, yet naturally facetious and fond of indulging in this propensity. His parents were not able to furnish the means, or spare his time to secure, in the ordinary way, even the rudiments of an education. Much of his childhood and youth was * This account of the Life and Character of Governor Shunk has been abridged from a Discourse delivered upon the occasion of his death by his friend and neighbor, Rev. William E. De Witt, D. D. 892 FRANCIS RAWN SHUNK. 393 devoted to manual labor. When not more than ten or twelve years of age, he was employed by the neighboring farmers to aid them in their agricultural pursuits. He has been heard to sj.y, that, among the sweetest hours of his ex- istence were those, when returning from the toils of the week to the home of his childhood, he was permitted to repose his aching head on the lap of his mother, and listen to the sooth- ing accents of her voice, consoling him under his trials, and encouraging his hopes for the future. Notwithstanding his want of facilities for securing an education, his untiring in- dustry, combined with his earnest desire for self-improvement, enabled him to make such advances in learning, that at the early age of fifteen he became a teacher, and soon after the instructor of the school at the village where he was born. From that time until 1812, he seems to have been employed as a teacher during the few months of the year the school was continued, and the rest of the time as a laborer in the pursuits of agriculture. The intervals of toil were devoted to the im- provement of his mind in every useful branch of study. In 1812 he was selected by Andrew Porter, then Surveyor- General under the administration of Governor Snyder, to fill a clerkship in his department. While thus employed, he com- menced and prosecuted the study of the law with Thomas Elder, Esq., of Harrisburg. In 1814 he marched as a private, with many of his fellow-townsmen, to the defence of Balti- more. Soon after, he was chosen, first an assistant, and then the principal clerk of the House of Representatives, and for many years performed, with great fidelity, the arduous duties of that oifice. He was subsequently elected secretary of the Board of Canal Commissioners, and served in that capacity during a period when the condition of our public improve- ments called for the most constant and strenuous efforts on the part of the commissioners, and rendered the situation of their secretary anything but a sinecure. In 1838 he was chosen by Governor Porter Secretary of State. On retiring from that office, he removed to Pittsburg, and engaged in the practice of the law. In 1844 he was called from his retirement by the 394 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION OF 1838. voice of the people of the Commonwealth, to fill the highest office in their gift. He so conducted his administration, as their chief executive, that he received from them the highest expression of their confidence and regard, by being re-elected with an increased majority, and that too against an opposing candidate of the most estimable character, whose exalted virtues and worth were acknowledged by all. But he had scarcely entered upon the duties of his second term before he became the victim of a disease which in its early progress, excited apprehensions in the minds of his friends that it might prove fatal. The Governor himself, though conscious that his disease was deep-seated, yet seemed to cherish, with confidence, the hope that the vigor of his con- stitution, and the skill of his physician, would eventually restore him to health. It was not until the morning of the 9th of July, when a severe and copious hemorrhage from the lungs took place, that he gave up entirely the hope of life, and felt that his days were indeed numbered. Upon that day, being Sunday, he wrote the following letter of resigna- tion the last public act of his life : To THE PEOPLE OF PENNSYLVANIA : It having pleased Divine Providence to deprive me of the strength necessary to the further discharge of the duties of your Chief Magistrate, and to lay me on a bed of sickness, from which I am admonished by my physicians, and my own increasing debility, I may, in all human probability, never rise, I have resolved, upon mature reflection, under a convic- tion of duty, on this day, to restore to you the trust with which your suffrages have clothed me, in order that you may avail yourselves of the provision of the Constitution to choose a successor at the next general election. I, therefore, hereby resign the office of Governor of the Commonwealth of Penn- sylvania, and direct this, my resignation, to be filed in the office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth. In taking leave of you under circumstances so solemn, ac- cept my gratitude for the confidence you have reposed in me. FRANCIS RAWN SHUNK. 395 My prayer is, that peace, virtue, intelligence, and religion, may pervade all your borders that the free institutions you have inherited from your ancestors may remain unimpaired till the latest posterity that the same kind Providence, which has already so signally blessed you, may conduct you to a still higher state of individual and social happiness and when the world shall close upon you, as I feel it is soon about to close upon me, that you may enjoy the consolations of the Christian's faith, and be gathered, without a wanderer lost, into the fold of the Great Shepherd above. FRS. R. SHUNK. HARKISBURG, July 9, 1848. Governor Shunk was emphatically a self-made man. His early life was one of privation and toil beyond his years. Much of that time, now devoted to learning even by those whom penury visits with its severest trials, was spent by him in labor, and when he sought to improve those intervals, usually spent in repose, in the cultivation of his mind, the facilities enjoyed for that culture were greatly inferior to those* now possessed even in the most adverse circumstances of life. Books, especially those designed to aid the youthful student in his advancement in learning, were then compara- tively rare. Yet what he wanted in the means of improve- ment, he more than supplied by the diligent improvement of the means he enjoyed. What books he could obtain he read with deep interest, not lounging on a sofa, or around a mar- ble centre-table brightly illumined with an astral lamp ; but often in the chimney-corner, by the light which a wood-fire or its embers reflected, and when his body, fatigued with the toils of the day, called for the repose of the night. What he read he pondered until it became a part of his own mental being. Could we have seen the youthful laborer in the field, striving to maintain his place side by side with vigorous manhood, we might have thought of him in the future, when his frame had become matured, as a profitable workman ; but could we have seen him, when the toils of the day were 396 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION OF 1838. ended, and those with whom he had wrought retired to rest, poring over some old worn-out book but valuable for the thoughts it contained, it would not have required the ken of a prophet to have foretold that he would become more than a laborer. His love for the German language amounted to a passion, and it is said he read it with great beauty. Though not un- acquainted with the best English writers, he delighted most in German literature, especially in German poetry, and had a taste for its deep and abstract philosophy, for the study of which few minds were better adapted. He revelled in the abstractions of Kant and Fichte, of Schelling and Hegel, those princes of German philosophy, as he did in the deep musings, the sombre imagery and recondite thoughts, of the most distinguished German poets. His professional attainments, especially in the more abstract principles of law, were large, and as a counsellor he had few superiors. But he shrunk from the personal collision its practice in the courts involved, and retired from the bar to engage in employments and studies more congenial with his taste. His administration as the Chief Magistrate of this Com- monwealth shows, that he was no novice in the great and fundamental principles of government. His state papers in- dicate that he had deeply studied the questions of policy in- volving the great interests of this Commonwealth and the country at large, that he had looked at their remote as well as immediate consequences, and contemplated their influence on the progress and advancement of the entire community, under the fostering care of our free institutions, as well as their adaptation to the mere accumulation of gain. The opinions which these papers contain commend themselves to our attention, not only for the candor with which they are expressed, but for the reasons by which they are sustained. Free institutions cannot exist without the intellectual and moral culture of the masses of the community. Of nothing was Governor Shunk more deeply convinced than of this. FRANCIS RA WN SHUNK. 397 Our common-school system had a deep hold on the affections of his heart. He knew it had many imperfections^ particu- larly as it was carried into operation in some of the rural districts; he knew it was not accomplishing all that was de- sirable ; but he believed it would yet work its way into the confidence of the people, and be itself the most efficient means of curing many of its defects. He rejoiced in the good it had effected, and with a generous enthusiasm exulted in the good it would effect. The welfare of human society depends on nothing more than preserving inviolate the institution of the family as God has formed it. But for years past, with a ruthless hand and a reckless spirit, it had been invaded by the Legislature. The sacred ties of matrimony had been broken for the slight- est reasons, and those natural and sacred bonds which God has himself formed between parents and children had been rudely violated. So regardless had the Legislature become of the sanctity of these bonds, that not only applications from our own citizens crowded upon them for their dissolution, but from other States where a wiser policy and a sterner morality prevailed, the licentious, who desired to be free from the restraints their marriage vows imposed, hastened hither to take advantage of a laxer morality, in securing by legislative enactments the dissolution of the marriage contract. At first, Governor Shunk seems to have yielded, without reflection, to the policy that had prevailed ; but no sooner did he reflect upon it, than he was convinced of its enormous evil, and labored to resist it. Much was done by him to check that licentious disregard for the marriage relation which began to prevail to an alarming extent, and which threatened the most serious evils to the purity of domestic institutions the most effectual guardian of public morals. Cases undoubtedly occur which call for the interference of law, as well as for the exercise of our warmest sympathy; but they are comparatively few. The conduct of Governor Shunk on this subject secured the warm approbation of the 398 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION OF 1838. virtuous of all parties. On no subject was he more loudly or universally applauded. He adopted the maxim as sound, that that government was best which governed least, and hence he was, in the main, in favor only of general laws for the protection of property, life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, operating equally on all, and leaving all alike free, in the exercise of their natural energies, to advance their own interests. He said, " it was not by looking to special legislation for privileges which are denied to others, but by a just and manly self-reliance, that men . secure their own progress and the well-being of the State." The tendency of capital to accumulate in the hands of the few, the power which it always wields, the antagonism between it and labor, and the encroachments of the former on the just rights of the latter, even under the best administration of the most equitable laws, he regarded as one of the dangers of republics. The distinctions thus created engender unhappy jealousies; and even the appearance of oppression on the one side too often excites to lawless aggression on the other. This tendency he thought should by no means be increased by legislation. Hence he resisted all grants of special privileges for the prose- cution of private gain, as creating artificial distinctions, as repugnant to the spirit and genius of republican institutions, and calculated to destroy, ultimately, that equality of condi- tion essential to the preservation of equal rights. In securing this equality, he regarded,, as most important, the operation of intestate laws, and laws prohibiting the entailment of estates ; and consequently regarded all contriv- ances, in the shape of corporations with special privileges, by which wealth is aggregated and perpetuated under the con- trol of a few individuals, as artificial aristocracies of the worst kind, and directly opposed to the natural simplicity of our democratic institutions. He dreaded their demoralizing ten- dencies in our elections, from the power which they might acquire over the pi ">perty, and consequently over the inde- pendence of the electors. FRANCIS RAWN SHUNK. 399 Wealth he regarded as of minor consequence in promoting either the happiness of individuals, or the welfare of the community. A lofty independence of character, a free mind, a good conscience, generous and kind affections, combined with the sanctifying power, the holy aspirations, and the ani- mating hopes, of a pure Christianity, he considered the essen- tial elements of human happiness. He believed that man, never, since the sad apostasy, was placed in a hetter civil and social condition, to secure this happiness, than in our own beautiful country, and under our own free institutions. When we review his life, when we reflect on the defects of his early education, on the serious difficulties to which he was subjected in the culture of his mind, when we look at his on- ward progress through life his steady advancement from the poor laboring boy to the Chief Executive of this great Commonwealth, and the ability with which he performed the duties of that exalted station, we cannot but cherish the high- est respect for his mental acquisitions. His example presents in the strongest light the ge\iius of free institutions, in open- ing the road to the highest eminence to the poorest and humblest of our youth, and should excite all to a virtuous emulation to excel in the culture of their minds; for, although all cannot reach the Executive chair, all may become re- spected, useful, and eminent in the several spheres of life. But we should do signal injustice to the character of Gov- ernor Shunk, and omit one of the most important elements of his success in life, if we did not refer to his moral as well as intellectual culture. He was a sincere, honest, upright man, pure in his private morals, and no less so in his public character. The political principles and policy, avowed in his State papers, were sincerely entertained. The} 7 were not set forth, as some, who knew him not and did not agree with him, may erroneously suppose, to please the popular taste. He never courted popular favor at the expense of sincerity and truth. He did not believe that the end justified the means. The want of political integrity, in his view, involved the want of private worth. The man who was dishonest in 400 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION OF 1838. , one situation, he believed would be dishonest in another; that sincerity, truth and honesty, faithfully maintained in all the relations of life, in little matters as well as those more important, were essential attributes of character for one who would secure and maintain, for any length of time, the public confidence. Trick, fraud, artifice and chicanery, though they may secure* an ephemeral success, he believed were sure to meet, ultimately, their due reward, in public as in private life Dishonesty at heart cannot long be concealed, even from a naturally confiding people. Occasions will occur when a righteous Providence will leave the man to himself, to fall under the power of some temptation, that will unfold his real character, and subject him to the desecration of an indignant public. The proverbial honesty of Governor Shunk was one prin- cipal cause of his popularity, both in public and private life. There were multitudes who ,did not properly estimate his intellectual worth, who did not adopt many of his political views, or did not belong to his* political party, who yet be- lieved him to be an honest, upright man, in whom they could confide, and on that account gave him their support. There are many politicians who suppose, that, as a worthless man's vote is worth as much at the polls as that of a good man ; while it is important to conciliate the friendship of the latter by pretensions to morality, it is equally important to associate with the former, and cater to his propensities ; to treat the intemperate at one time, and praise temperance at another; to laugh with the Infidel, and pray with the Chris- tian. Such a game cannot be long successfully played. The good and the wise will soon understand the man, and with- hold from him their confidence, while the wicked and licen- tious have too great a regard for their own interests to trust them in the hands of one who has proved himself insincere and dishonest. . The example of Governor Shunk strikingly shows the value of honesty and uprightness, as elements of permanent political success. With sterling, unbending integrity, he united child-like FRANCIS RAWN SHUNK. 401 aimplicity of character, and unmeasured kindness of heart. We have never known a man of whom it can with so much truth be said, that affection and kindness were the very ele- ments of his being, nor one who manifested such unfeigned pleasure in the happiness of others. He seemed to revel in their enjoyments. The gamboling of a lamb, the smile of an infant, the joyous shout of childhood, lit up his countenance, and seemed to make his very heart beat stronger with joyful emotions. The constant boundings of his affections rendered his life a very happy one. Despondency and gloom seldom fell upon his brow. There was a lightsomeness, a joyousness, that made his very step elastic in the days of his health, and transfused into his conduct almost a boyish cheerfulness, which some, unacquainted with his character, looked upon as a weakness, and others considered as violating the proprieties of his elevated situation. But he could not help it. If a kind look, a cheerful remark, and a cordial shake of the hand, would give any pleasure to the poorest man he met, it was not in his heart to withhold them. If sportiveness would make the children around him happy, he could not refuse it, though it should be at the expense of the gravity of the Gov- ernor of the Commonwealth. There was a frankness, a full and open-heartedness, that secured confidence; and never was the confidence thus secured betrayed. Under that lightsomeness, that joyousness which imparted to his general manner through life a youthful cheerfulness, there was a stratum of deep seriousness, and religious feeling, of the extent of which many of his most intimate friends were not fully aware. Governor Shunk was a firm believer in the great doctrines of Christianity. He was a Lutheran by education, and remained through life strongly attached to the doctrines, the polity, and the discipline of the Lutheran Church. He read Luther's Bible, in the German, daily and from expressions dropped from his lips on his death-bed, we may infer that he was not a stranger to the duty of habit- ual secret prayer. To the pastor of the Lutheran church he remarked, but a 26 402 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION OF 1838. short time before the last moment, in answer to his question, whether he continued to feel the supports of religion : " I have great pain of body, but great peace of mind." To Mrs. Shunk he said he had a message for each of the family; but in attempting to speak it, the words broke on his heart. Thus full of affection and full of hope, he fell asleep, " Like one who wraps the drapery of his couch Around him, and lies down to pleasant dreams." He was born, as we have said, at the Trappe. There he had spent his youthful days of toil. There he had enjoyed the warm gushing sympathies of a mother's heart. In that ancient house of God he had sat, and listened with solemn attention to the holy man, as he spoke of life, and death, and immortality, until his " heart was made soft," and feel- ings of strange and sacred delight stole over his mind. Around that ancient graveyard, " Where heaves the turf in many a mouldering heap," he had often wandered in the stillness of the evening hour, and given himself up to solitary musing, until the unbidden tears dropped from his cheek. These fond recollections of his youth he had cherished through life ; and when the hand of death lay cold upon him, these recollections awoke with freshness in his mind, and there with kindred dust he desired that his might repose. Thither were borne his earthly remains, there to rest in hope, until the morning of the resurrection. WILLIAM FREAME JOHNSTON, GOVERNOR UNDER THE CONSTITUTION OF 1838. July 9, 1848, to January 20, 1852. WILLIAM FREAME JOHNSTON, the third Governor under the Constitution of 1838, was born at Greens- burg, "Westmoreland County, on the 29th of November, 1808. His paternal ancestors were originally from Annandale, Scot- land, where they at one time possessed the estates of Brack- enside ; but the head of the house, Alexander Johnston, being killed at the battle of Fontanoy, on the 30th of April, 1745, where he was serving as a captain of Welsh Fusiliers in the British service, the estate fell into dispute, and finally through political strife was lost, and the family settled in Ireland. There, in the County of Fermaugh, in July, 1772, the father of the Governor, Alexander Johnston, was born, and from thence emigrated to America in 1796. He at first served as a surveyor in the western part of the State, and finally settled in Westmoreland County. He was sheriff of the county in 1808, receiving his commission from Governor McKean, and afterwards served as Magistrate, Treasurer, and Register and Recorder under Governor Wolf. He was, during the greater part of his active life, largely engaged in mercantile pursuits, which the business of iron manufacture, then just commenced, rendered active. The mother of the Governor, Elizabeth Freame, was born in Franklin County, in November, 1781. Her father, Wil- liam Freame, a private in the British Army in 1760, came to this country with General Wolf, and at the peace of 1763 be- tween Great Britain and France, accepted, with many of hia comrades, the proposition of the English Government, to 403 404 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION OF 1838. remain in the Colonies. He settled first in Lancaster County, and afterwards removed to Franklin County, where he mar- ried Elizabeth Johnston, who had emigrated to this country from Ireland with her father in 1782. This branch 01 the JYhnston family settled in Kentucky and North Carolina. The issue of the marriage of Alexander Johnston with Elizabeth Freame was eight sons and two daughters. The two eldest sons were educated at West Point, and served in tho regular army. The youngest, Richard, was a volunteer in the Mexican War. Before its close he was appointed a Lieutenant in the regular army, and was killed at the head of his company, while storming the enemy's works at the battle of Chepultepec. Hon. Edward Johnston resides in Iowa. The remaining sons are residents of this State. Colonel John W. Johnston served through the Mexican War, and in the late war was Lieutenant-Colonel and Colonel of the Four- teenth Regiment of the three months' service, and Colonel of the Ninety-third Regiment of the three years' service. The physical stature of the sons was remarkable, varying in height from six feet to six feet six inches, and in weight from two hundred to two hundred and fifty pounds. The father lived far beyond the period allotted to man, dying on the 15th of July, 1872, in the one hundredth year of his age. At the period of his death he was the oldest Freemason in the United States, having been initiated seventy - seven years before in Ireland. The subject of this sketch was in early boyhood taught, by a kind and good mother, that the cardinal duties were to obey God's commands, to honor parents, and to love native coun- try. His common-school and academic education was lim- ited; but he had from youth an ardent taste for reading, and being blessed with vigorous powers of mind and body, he was enabled, by great diligence, to acquire a vast fund of information, which served him instead of elaborate training. lie studied law under Major J. B. Alexander, and was ad- mitted to the bar in May, 1829, in his twenty-first year. Shortly afterwards he removed to Armstrong County, where WILLIAM FREAME JOHNSTON. 405 lie engaged in the practice of law, soon rising to a position of commanding influence. He was appointed by Attorney- General Samuel Douglass, and subsequently by Attorney-Gen- eral Lewis, District Attorney for Armstrong Count} 7 , which office he held until the expiration of Governor Wolf's first term. For several years he represented the county in the lower House of the Legislature, and in 1847 was elected a member of the Senate from the district composed of the counties of Armstrong, Indiana, Cambria, and Clearfield. As a legislator Mr. Johnston was bold and original, not beholden to precedents, and was an acknowledged leader. During the period in which he was in the Legislature a groat financial crisis occurred. So great was the distress that Mr. Van Buren, then President, was obliged to call an extra ses- sion of Congress, to devise means for the relief of the country. The Legislature of Pennsylvania, by the advice of Governor Porter, authorized the sale of all the bank and bridge stocks belonging to the Commonwealth, and revived the State tax. But every device failed to meet the emergency, and the inter- est on the State debts, then over forty millions, rested unpaid. The credit of the State was in a deplorable condition. Eng- lish bondholders were loud in their denunciation of the bad faith of the Government, Sidney Smith, in particular, writing in the most bitter strain. At this crisis Mr. Johnston came forward with a proposition to issue relief notes, for the pay- ment or funding of which the State pledged its faith. This he advocated with his usual energy and logical acuteness, and though. a majority of the Legislature was politically opposed to him, it was adopted, and gave instant relief. It was de- signed as a temporary expedient, and as such was remarkably successful. As the originator of this measure, and its special advocate, he acquired a reputation for financial skill and ability throughout the commonwealth, its fortunate result serving only the more widely to circulate his fame. In 1847, Mr. Johnston was elected President of the Senate. By a provision of the Constitution, if any vacancy occur by death, or otherwise, in the office of Governor, the Speaker 406 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION OF 1838. of the Senate becomes the acting executive officer. Governor Shunk had been re-elected in the fall of 1847, and had been re-inaugurated in January following; but in July of that year he had a violent attack of a pulmonary disease, from which he had for some time suffered. A copious hemorrhage of the lungs, by which he was reduced to the very brink of the grave, convinced him that he could not long survive, and on the 9th of that month he resigned. Accordingly, Speaker Johnston became Governor. But the Constitution provides, that if the vacancy occurs three months before the general Fall election, the acting governor shall order a new election ; and the statute provides, that " the writ shall issue at least three calendar months before the election." If the vacancy should occur within three months of the election, so that a notice of three full months could not be given, then the new election must be postponed for a year. Governor Shunk re- signed on the last day possible, to allow of a new choice at the ensuing Fall election, and that day was Sunday. The fol- lowing day, Monday, would be too late to give a notice of the three full calendar months required by the statute. It was a case where the Constitution, and the statute providing for its practical operation, were in conflict. By a strict construction there was no authority for issuing a precept for a new election until the following year. But by this decision the acting governor might render himself liable to a charge of being actuated by selfish motives, inasmuch as he would thereby lengthen his lease of power an entire year. The Senate was not in session when the resignation occurred, and Mr. John- ston was at his home in a distant part of the State. It was not until the 26th that he reached the seat of government and assumed authority. This delay made the problem all the more difficult of solution. Not wishing to hold the offic* one moment longer than the popular w r ill seemed to dictate, he determined to avoid every occasion of a charge of selfishness and ordered the immediate election. In his first message to the General Assembly, he clearly states the motives which actuated him : " After a full and careful examination of the whole matter," he says, " I WILLIAM FREAME JOHNSTON. 407 believed it my duty to issue the writs, requiring notice to be given that an election would be duly held on the 2d Tuesday of October, then next ensuing, for the election of a Chief Magistrate of this Commonwealth. It appeared to me that in all cases of doubt there was no safer resting-place than submission to the decision of the people, and that in the con- struction of the laws relating to the point in question, if any doubt arose, the better course in a republican government was to refer to the citizen voter the right of selecting, at the earliest period, his presiding officer, rather tlran assume a position which would continue official station in myself, be- yond the earliest legal opportunity to surrender it into his hands. The organic law required the election, and the legis- lative enactment should be so construed as not to contravene the constitutional provision. Had the terms of the Constitu- tion and laws clearly given a different position to the question, however unpleasant the task of performing the duties of the office without the indorsement of the people's will, they would have been faithfully executed." The election thus ordered resulted in the choice of Mr. Johnstoji for the full term of three years. One of the first subjects which occupied his attention, on assuming the execu- tive trust, was that of the material interests of the Common- wealth. He saw on every hand the elements of great pros- perity. The iron and the coal were bursting forth on every hill-side, and in every valley was a soil of untold fertility. It only needed the fostering care of government to fill the State with a busy population, and create marts where the hum of industry should be ceaselessly heard. In his opinion that fostering care could best be secured by a protective tariff. The legislation of Congress of 1846, upon this subject, was framed for revenue, and discriminated against, rather than for protection. This policy- he argues against in his first message with great zeal and ability. " The price of labor," he says, "is regulated by its demand, and the value of the article it produces Hence, whatever increases profit- able labor, is substantially beneficial to the working classes, and affords them the means of comfort, the delights of ra- 408 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION OF 1838. tional enjoyment, and the opportunity of exalting their condi- tion, and performing with safety to the country the duties of citizens. The manufacturer, if he be sustained in his en- terprise, produces this result by opening to the laborer a new source of employment. It is frequently urged that the system of protection to domestic industry is of more interest to the manufacturer than to the laborer, as it enables him to dispose of his fabrics for a higher price, and to realize a better profit on his capital ; but is not the capital of the laborer also involved in the fabric, and does he not receive a reward in proportion to the value of the article ? Let it be remembered also, that his daily bread, the wants of his family, the educa- tion of his children, all depend upon the success of the estab- lishment at which he is employed, and the objection can have little weight The manufacturer carries to market in the fabrics he proposes to sell, the produce of the farmer, who is thereby relieved of the hazard and expense of convey- ance. In another form he is still more largely benefited. One of the elements of well regulated society is unity of in- terest. Whatever may be said to the contrary, no national antipathies exist between capital and labor. They are depen- dent on, are supported by, and receive vitality from each other. The manufacturer who invests under the fostering care of government his capital in profitable industry opens a new source of wealth to the farmer, the artisan, and the la- borer. An industrious population whose reward affords com- fort and competence, gathers around him ; other classes are attracted, and the store-house, the workshop, the school and the church are erected; villages spring up; the din of active industry and the sound of enjoyment mingle together; roads are opened, bridges are built, lands rise in value, and the farmer finds a market at his door, not only for his ordinary surplus produce, but also for numberless articles which were deemed unworthy of transportation. From that overflowing fountain, by an hundred rivulets, wealth is ponred into his treasury When, on the other hand, the manufac- turer, unprotected by the government, is compelled to dis- continue his business, not only the laborer, the artisan, and WILLIAM FREAME JOHNSTON: 409 the agriculturist, but the State also, is seriously injured, in the general depression of business, the diminished wealth of the country, and the reduced value of capital." To strengthen his position, Governor Johnston quoted in this connection, from the messages of Presidents Washing- ton, Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe, and Governors Snyder, Findlay, Wolf, and Porter, in which at successive periods they had urged the same policy. The passage from Jeffer- son's message is striking : " The suspension," he says, " of our foreign commerce, produced by the injustice of the bel- ligerent powers, and the consequent losses and sacrifices of our citizens, are subjects of just concern. The situation into which we have thus been forced, has impelled us to apply a portion of our industry and capital to internal manufactures and improvements. The extent of this conversion is daily increasing, and little doubt remains, that the establishments formed and forming, will under the auspices of cheaper materials and subsistence, the freedom of labor from taxation with us, and of protecting duties ajid prohibitions become per- manent." Uutil-the administration of Governor Johnston, the records of the colonial and the State government had remained in single manuscript copy, and in a very confused condition, almost impossible of access. In addition to being in a per- ishable state, they were constantly exposed to destruction by fire upon the slightest accident. They covered a period of State and National history the most important and pre- cious to the citizen. The Governor, ever jealous of the honor and renown of the Commonwealth, became solicitous for the safety of these documents. In his message of 1851, he says: " My attention has been called to the large body of original papers in the State Department, connected with the colonial and Revolutionary History of the State, and their extremely exposed and perishing condition. These records are worth preservation, as containing authentic information of the action of our fathers in the struggle for national existence. In the Capitol of Pennsylvania, and with the sympathies of her patriotic people, was independence matured and declared. 410 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION 0^1838. Her soldiers were most numerous around the standard of the nation, and there were more battle-fields on her soil than in the same area elsewhere. Every memorial of those days of devotion and trial should be faithfully preserved. There ex- ists a single copy in manuscript of the minutes of the revolu- tionary Executive Council, a document by far too valuable to remain longer within the reach of accident or mutilation. It would be gratifying to a large body of our constituents if the Assembly would authorize the employment of a competent gentleman to select and arrange for publication these memo- rials of an interesting epoch in the history of the Common- wealth." In compliance with this recommendation, an act was passed authorizing the appointment of a suitable agent to select and superintend their publication. Mr. Samuel Hazard, a gentleman of taste and ability well suited to the execution of the trust, was delegated, and under his supervi- sion twenty-eight volumes of Colonial Records, and Pennsylva- nia Archives containing a vast amount of original papers of incalculable value and interest, were published. The period during which the Fugitive Slave Law was under discussion, both before and after its enactment, was one of vital interest to every citizen of the Commonwealth. The excitement ran high while Governor Johnston was in the Ex- ecutive chair. In his first message he enunciated the princi- ples by which he should be governed, and which he believed ought to prevail. " While the compromises," he says, " of the Constitution should be maintained in good faith towards our Southern brethren, it is our duty to see that they are pre- served with equal fidelity to ourselves. ~No encroachments, however sanctioned by use, should be acknowledged as prece- dents for further wrongs against the interests, prosperity, and happiness of the non-slave-holding States of the Union. If slavery be, in itself, an infraction of human rights if it be directly opposed to the enlightened spirit of our free institu- tions if it destroy the equality of power in the general Gov- ernment, by enlarging, where it exists, the constitutional representation if it possess a direct or indirect influence against Northern and Western policy and interests, by pro- WILLIAM FREAME JOHNSTON. ill inoting a system of laws destructive to domestic industry, and vitally affecting free labor if it retard the natural growth of population and improvement, by the appropriation of large tracts of land for the benefit of the few to the injury of the many if it be in open defiance of the spirit of the age, the march of rational truth, and the enlightened policy of man- kind it is time to arrest its further progress. These, it is believed, are the settled convictions of our citizens, and their determination to maintain them is unalterable." The passage of the Fugitive Slave Law, and the excitement incident to the return of fugitives under it, soon after became a subject of heated discussion. Governor Johnston held upon this subject that the Constitution provided that fugi- tives should be given up; that there could not be concurrent jurisdiction, as, in that case, thirty-one sovereignties might prescribe as many different rules of action, each meant to make effective National legislation; that, upon the question which should decide whether a person claimed ought right- fully to be given up, the State ; or the National government, the decision of the Supreme Court had settled that it should rest with the latter; and that, consequently, whenever power over a subject-matter is vested by the Constitution in Con- gress, and the power has been exercised, the authority of the States has been judicially declared, merged, and abolished. Of the injustice and impropriety of the Fugitive Slave Law he had no doubt ; but Congress having a clear right to make it, he believed that it should be obeyed until it could be modified, or entirely wiped from the statute book. The system authorizing commissioners to hold courts for deter- mining the right of rendition in particular cases, he believed open to the gravest objections. Upon this question, he says: " All history shows that special tribunals, clothed with dis- cretionary powers over person and property, are liable to abuse, and have been instruments of oppression. If in these the early days of the Republic, when no reason of urgent State necessity can be invoked, powers of a high judicial nature over the liberty and property of an individual, are to be vested by appointment of an inferior tribunal, in an irre- 412 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION OF 1838. eponsible person, the security of the life, reputation, and liberty of the citizen in after-times, when new political or social emergencies may arise, will depend on a most pre- carious tenure." He held that the representatives of Penn- sylvania in Congress should labor to secure a modification of the law in this particular. Governor Johnston deserves much credit for the successful manner in which he managed the financial affairs of the Commonwealth during his administration. Upon his acces- sion the debt was over forty millions, having been increased eighteen millions during the preceding nine years.' The interest on this vast sum was regularly paid. His political course during his first term had been so satisfactory to the party by whom he was supported, that he received the nomination for re-election, but was defeated by a small majority. Upon retiring from office, he entered upon an active business life, and was engaged at different periods in the manufacture of iron, boring for salt, the production of oil from bituminous shales, and latterly in refining petro- leum. Under his presidency the Alleghany Valley Railroad was constructed from Pittsburg to the town of Kittanning. During the rebellion he took an active part in organizing troops, and as chairman of the Executive Committee of Pub- lic Safety, superintended the construction of the defences at Pittsburg. In connection with Mr. John Harper, he became responsible for the ammunition which was sent to West Vir- ginia at a critical juncture in the fortunes of that State, and which materially aided in preserving it from being overrun by the rebels. He was appointed by President Andrew Johnson collector of the port of Philadelphia, the duties of which office he for several months discharged ; but through the hostility of a majority of the Senate to the President, he was rejected by that body, though ample testimony \\as given that the office was faithfully and impartially administered. He was married on the 12th of April, 1832, to Miss Mary Monteith. The offspring of this marriage were five sons and two daughters. Governor Johnston died at Pittsburg, Octo- ber 25, 1872, in the sixty-fourth year of his age. WILLIAM BIGLER, GOVERNOR UNDER THE CONSTITUTION OF 1838. January 20, 1852, to January 16, 1855. WILLIAM BIGLER was born at Shermansburg, Cum- berland County, Pennsylvania, in December, 1813. His parents, Jacob Bigler and Susan Dock, sister of Judge Dock of Harrisburg, were of German descent, and were educated, like most children of their origin, in both the German and English tongues. "While very young, his parents removed to Mercer County, having purchased a large tract of wild land, in the hope of building up their fortunes; but the title proving defective, they found themselves in a short time bereft of everything but a small farm. The maintenance of a large family from the products of land scarcely reclaimed from the dominion of the forest, aided only by young children, imposed upon the father incessant and exhausting toil. Anxiously did he labor to provide for their daily wants, and secure the means for future com- petence. Taxed beyond his strength, his system soon yielded to the inroads of disease, and he passed away, leaving a widow and children to wrestle with a backwoods life. Could he with dying vision have penetrated the future, he would have beheld two of his sons, for whose welfare he must have had great concern, filling the gubernatorial chairs of two of the most important States in the Union. John, the eldest son, being Governor of California, and William of Pennsylvania; and, shortly afterwards, one holding an important foreign mission, and the other a Senator of the United States. Sorely harassed with the labor .necessary for the support of the family, the boys received only the common - school 413 414 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION OF 1838. education obtainable during the winter months in a rural district; but William finally graduated from an institution well adapted to the practical development of the talents of a bright boy that of a printing-office. From 1830 to 1833 he was employed, by his brother John, in the office of the Centre Democrat, published at Bellefonte. At the end of that period, influenced by the advice of his friends, among whom was Andrew G. Curtin, since governor of the Common- wealth, he decided, though not without many misgivings, to remove to Clearfield, and commence the publication of a political paper. He possessed energy, industry, regular habits, and good natural abilities; but he had no printing- press, no material, and, what was more disheartening, no money. Through the kind consideration of friends, he was enabled to borrow a sufficient sum to purchase a second-hand press and some half-worn type, and with these he started on his lonely journey, to establish, as he used afterwards in a jocular spirit to characterize it, an eight-by-ten Jackson paper, to counteract the influence of a seven-by-nine Whig paper which had preceded him into that mountainous region. Trudging along on foot behind the two-horse wagon freighted with the implements of his doubtful venture, the young man indulged in many Discouraging reflections and sad forebodings of the fortune that was to await him; and when arrived at the summit of Mitchell's Hill, overlooking the town which was to prove his Mecca, his heart sank within him, and so depressed were his spirits, that he would have abandoned the enterprise, and actually proposed to the friend, Gillespie, who accompanied him, to drive back to Bellefonte with the material, and deliver it to its owners, and he himself would go West on foot. But the horses were jaded and must be fed, and necessity took them forward. Upon his arrival, his doubts and misgivings were speedily removed ; for, though he had the acquaintance of but two or three persons in the whole county, the cordial welcome which he received, and the generous hospitality extended to him on every hand, made him feel that he was among true WILLIAM BIGLER. 415 friends; and though he has since led a life full of honors, it is doubtful if any event in its whole course is capable of ex- citing so much genuine delight, as the recollection of his reception at Clearfield. Encouraged by the light and warmth thus diffused, he bent vigorously to his task, and in a few days the Clearfidd Democrat made its appearance. It was an insignificant affair when judged by the newspapers of a later day; but it was edited with spirit, and was devoted to the special purpose of lauding the virtues of Andrew Jackson and the policy of his school, and the discomfiture of that seven-by-nine advocate of Whiggery which was sending forth its pestilential doc- trines. With the assistance of a son of Thomas Hemphill, then a leading Democratic politician of the place, Mr. Bigler wrote the editorials, set the type, worked the press, and dispatched the paper. But notwithstanding his industry and economy, and the generous assistance of friends, his income afforded him but a scanty support. He was, however, by its publication necessarily carried into a participation in the politics of the State and the nation, and he rapidly gained a reputation for sagacity, sound judgment, and above all for sincerity of purpose, which soon brought him public consideration. His kindly bearing towards even political opponents made him a favorite ; besides, he was a real back- woodsman, was a good hunter, and the best marksman with a rifle in all the country, accomplishments, which in those days by no means detracted from his influence as a political leader. In 1836, Mr. Bigler was married to Maria J., daughter of Alexander B. Reed, of Clearfield. A native of the place, genial in manners, full of true charity and womanly affection, possessed of remarkable equanimity of mind and firmness of purpose, she was everywhere a favorite. Though making no pretensions to the accomplishments of fashionable life, she has proved herself a true lady, an affectionate wife and mother, and a devout Christian. The marriage was a happy one, and the offspring were five sons, three of whom survive. 416 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION OF 1838. Soon after his marriage Mr. Bigler disposed of his paper and entered into partnership with his father-in-law in mer- cantile business. He engaged in his new. pursuit with his usual industry and energy, and in a brief period placed him- self in the front rank of the merchants and dealers in lumber in that section. From 1845 to 1850 he was by far the largest producer of lumber, or square timber, on the West Branch of the Susquehanna River. But his previous active partici- pation in politics, and his well-known views republic ques- tions, kept him prominently before the people. He was an ardent advocate of a convention to amend the State Consti- tution, and was presented from his county as a delegate to that body, but he declined to be a candidate. In 1841 he was nominated for the State Senate, and though much to his pecuniary disadvantage, he being then exten- sively engaged in the lumber trade, which demanded his ex- clusive attention, he reluctantly accepted the nomination. The district was composed of the counties of Armstrong, In- diana, Cambria, and Clearfield, and he was elected by a majority of over three thousand. Though opposed by a regu- larly nominated candidate of the Whig party, he received every vote in Clearfield County save one, a result unprece- dented in the history of politics. In after time, as he became involved in partisan strife, many were the claimants for the honor of casting that one vote ; but none could disturb the title of George Atchison, an original Abolitionist. The term of service upon which he now entered covered a period of A> . . . unusual difficulty in the management of the affairs of the State. The failure of the United States. Bank, and the Bank of Pennsylvania with the funds of the State on deposit, caused a stringency in monetary affairs, and prevented the payment of the interest on the public debt which was now swollen to enormous proportions. Trade aud commerce were paralyzed, and the murmurs of deep discontent were heard suggesting repudiation as the only alternative. In the struggle which ensued in the Legislature upon this subject, Mr. Bigler took an active part, resisting at every step the approaches to so WILLIAM BIGLER. 417 base a proposal, and vindicating with great energy the honor and integrity of the Commonwealth. His speech upon the question of resumption of specie payments by the banks was received with great favor, and John Strohm, then a senator from Lancaster, approached him at its conclusion and said : " Young man, that speech will make you Governor of Penn- sylvania, if you behave yourself well hereafter." He was elected Speaker of the Senate in the spring of 1843, was re-elected at the opening of the session of 1844 ; and in October following was returned for a second term. Mr. Biff- cy O ler did not desire again to be a candidate ; and so disinclined was he to continuing in public life, that he had instructed the delegates from Clearfied to the nominating convention to withdraw his name, which they did ; but the delegates from the other counties composing the district conferred the nomi- nation on him notwithstanding, and he was elected by a vote much larger than the regular party vote. The question of railroad communication between Philadel- phia and Pittsburg came before the Legislature during his second term in the Senate, and excited absorbing interest. The people of Philadelphia, and especially the capitalists, ap- plied for a charter to construct a road between the two cities, wholly within the limits of the State. The people of Pitts- burg, on the other hand, holding that a direct route across the Alleghany Mountains was impracticable, and that the Phila- delphians were insincere in their advocacy of the work, in- sisted on granting to the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Com- pany the right to extend that road through the western counties of the State to their city, upon the theory that for all time to come the only railroad communication between the two extremities of Pennsylvania should lie through the States of Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia. The contest over the two projects soon became animated, attracting to the capital many influential men from all parts of the Common- wealth interested in the result. The sentiment in Mr. Big- ler's district was divided, but he earnestly advocated the road through the State. He did not believe the route to be im- O '27 418 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION 0^1838. practicable, and he had great faith in the improvements prom- ised in the motive power on railroads, which has since come to be realized. The contest was finally settled by the adop- tion of a proposition which he himself offered, that if a bona- jide subscription of three millions of dollars was not made and paid towards the construction of the Pennsylvania Cen- tral road on or before the first of the ensuing June, then the act granting the right of way to the Baltimore and Ohio Com- pany should become of effect, otherwise it should be null and void. Pending the passage of the bill, Mr. Bigler made an elaborate speech, showing the feasibilities of the route, the advantages of a road through the very heart of the State, and estimates of its prospective business. At the time these were regarded as visionary, but now appear ridiculous by their insignificance compared with what has been already realized. At the time that the subject was under discussion in the Legislature, the people of Freeport, Armstrong County, a part of his senatorial district, not well understanding the merits of the two propositions, and believing that unless the Baltimore and Ohio Company was allowed to build, no road would ever be constructed, held a public meeting and ap- pointed one of their number, Philip Klingensmith, a strong- minded, honest Pennsylvania German, to go to Harrisburg, and endeavor to win Mr. Bigler to the support of their views. He proceeded on his journey, had several interviews with the Senator, and finally returned to Freeport. As the canal-boat which bore him homeward neared the landing, Philip beheld the beach lined with his constituents, all eager to learn the result of his mission. Without waiting to salute them, he began to denounce the whole party, first in German and then in English, as a set of d d fools, and enemies to their country ; said that Bigler was all right, and so was he, and that, as for the Ohio company, it had better stay where it was. In his speech, Mr. Bigler pointed out, link by link, the great feeder to the Pennsylvania road, now known as the WILLIAM BIGLER. 419 Tyrone and Clear-field Railroad, and which has recently been completed, mainly under his directorship. Time has thus verified his prediction, made twenty-two years ago, when the charter even of the main line had not been secured. He was also the early and zealous advocate of the Philadelphia and Erie Railroad, as appears by reference to numerous speeches, and resolutions which he supported, and by his messages to the Legislature. In 1848, his name was presented as a candidate for Gov- ernor, and he received a large vote in the Democratic nominat- ing convention of that year; but tbe choice fell upon Morris Longstreth, then a Canal Commissioner, who was defeated by William F. Johnston. In 1849, Mr. Bigler was appointed one of the Revenue Commissioners, whose duty it was to ad- just the amount to be raised by taxation in the different sec- tions and Counties of the State. In 1851, he was nominated for Governor by acclamation, and was elected after a warmly contested canvass, by a good majority. The contest with Mr. Johnston, the opposing can- didate, though conducted with courtesy and frankness, was one of unprecedented energy. It was kept up without respite from August to the day of election in October, both candi- dates exhibiting unusual tact and ability, and wonderful powers of physical endurance. In addition to subjects of" State policy, the rendition of fugitive slaves under the Con- stitution and laws of the United States, and the question of slavery in the Territories, were more or less involved. Mr. Bigler unqualifiedly maintained the laws of Congress for the return of slaves, and the equal rights of the citizens of all the States in the Territories, whatever might be the character of their property, including property in slaves. By a remarkable coincidence his own election as Governor of Pennsylvania was simultaneous with the election of his elder brother John, to the same dignity in the new State of California. Governor Bigler's administration was characterized by many of the virtues of the old-time Governors, especially 420 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION OF 1838. maintaining rigid economy and strict accountability in the use of the public moneys. A system of legislation had grown up, known as " log-rolling " or " omnibus legislation/' which had become exceedingly demoralizing. It was only necessary to unite a bad project with a number of good ones in one heterogeneous bill to secure its passage. In his message to the Legislature of 1854, the Governor said : " After much reflection on the magnitude of this evil its vexatious in- roads upon private rights, and its demoralizing tendency upon the interests of the people, as upon the more elevated purposes of legislation, I have determined to co-operate with the General Assembly in the application of the most efficient means which their wisdom may devise for its removal ; but in the mean time, as a restraining part of the law-making power, I must beg to be indulged in claiming the privilege of considering each subject of legislation separately, and on its merits, as contemplated by the spirit of the Constitution. Henceforth, therefore, bills containing a variety of subjects of legislation, dissimilar in their character and purposes, can- not receive the sanction of the present Executive." This firm stand taken by the Governor had the desired effect. A law w r as passed forbidding the passage of any act which did not fully state in its title the subject-matter, and which con- 'tained more than one subject, thus breaking down forever this most pernicious system. He resisted with a firm hand the wholesale chartering of banks, vetoing eleven such acts in one message, and sending in thirty similar messages during a single session. His views respecting the revision of the organic law as ex- pressed in the same message as that above quoted are notably sound and practical. " I have never," he says, " felt willing to see our fundamental law changed for light or doubtful reasons, but I sincerely believe that when the proper time ar- rives it will be wise so to amend the Constitution as to require that each law shall be passed in a separate bill, and receive not less than a majority of votes of each House on a call of the yeas and nays ; to provide that all laws of a public nature WILLIAM B1GLER. 421 shall be general in their character and apply to the entire State ; that municipal corporations, vested with all the power the Legislature could confer, should not have the right to be- come subscribers to, or holders of the stock of other corpora- tions; to interdict the creation of debt for any purpose ex- cept war; to unite some other functionary with the Gov- ernor in the exercise of the pardoning power." In March, 1854, he was again unanimously nominated for Governor, and entered upon another laborious campaign; but his health failed, and he lay sick in the northern part of the State during most of the canvass. He was defeated by the Native American party by a large majority. His resist- ance to this organization was unqualified, zealous, and deter- mined beyond his usual bearing in partisan politics. He did himself less justice in the attitude he occupied towards the famous Kansas-Nebraska bill, which was largely involved in the canvass; for, while he accepted it as the measure of his party, it was well known that his individual judgment was against it, and that he was urgent in his appeals to Judge Douglas, who was a leading power in Congress, to adhere to his original bill, which asserted the right of the people of a territory to regulate its domestic affairs, including the right to hold slaves, but left the Missouri Compromise undisturbed. In January, 1855, but a few days after the expiration of* his gubernatorial term, he was elected President of the Phila- delphia and Erie Railroad Company, in which capacity he evinced his usual energy and industry, and contributed largely to bringing its affairs to a healthy condition. lie was also, in January, 1855, elected to the Senate of the United States, where he served for six years. At the end of two years Mr. Buchanan became President, and the importunities for office were exceedingly harassing Mr. Bigler, on account of his supposed influence with the President, being charged with a large share of responsibility for the appointments. Divisions also occurred in the Democratic party upon the subject of the Kansas troubles, in which he was pitted against Judge Douglas, a man unsurpassed in tact and ability. So 422 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION OF 1838. solicitous had Mr. Bigler become for a settlement of this vexed question, that, in 1857, he travelled over the greater part of Kansas, urging the friends of a free State to unite in the election of delegates to a convention for framing a State Constitution, and secure a majority of members favorable to their views; but they held themselves aloof, and he maintained that they had thereby authorized those who did vote to act for them, and were bound by the result. That he acted from pure motives there can be no doubt, though his course was not vindicated by subsequent events. When, after the election of Mr. Lincoln, it became apparent that secession would be attempted, Mr. Bigler was untiring in his efforts to secure an amicable adjustment of the national troubles. He acted with Mr. Crittenden in his efforts to se- cure a compromise, and held that the people of the Southern States could have no reasonable plea for resorting to violence until they had first exhausted all peaceful means for the ad- justment of their grievances. In the course of an elaborate speech upon the subject in the Senate, in February, 1861, he said : " As for secession, I am utterly against it. I deny the right, and I abhor the consequences; but I shall indulge in no argument on that point. It is no remedy for any one of the evils lamented, and in my judgment it will aggravate rather than remove them, and, in addition, superinduce others of a more distressing and destructive character." He was a member of the committee of thirteen, to which was referred the famous compromise propositions of Mr. Crittenden, and throughout sustained their adoption. He also presented and advocated a bill providing for submitting the Crittenden resolutions to a vote of the people of the several States, which was rejected, but which hns since been regarded by sagacious men as a remedy which would have utterly crushed secession. He was a member of the Charles- ton Convention of 1860, where he took decided ground against the nomination of Judge Douglas. He was tempo- rary chairman of the Democratic convention of 1864, and voted for the nomination of General George B. McClellan. WILLIAM BIGLER. 423 lie was also nominated in the same year for Congress, and though defeated received more than his party vote. He was again a delegate to the Democratic convention of 1868, which met in New York. He is at present living in retirement at Clearfield, though he has the nomination for delegate to the convention which is to meet for the revision of the State Constitution, and will doubtless be elected. For many years he has given his time and energies and much of his means to the extension of a railroad to Clearfield, and to the erection of a beautiful stone church for the first Presbyterian congregation of that place, of which body he became a member some years ago. Mr. Bigler's career has been uniformly marked by great energy and steadiness of purpose. "Whatever his hands found to do he did it with his might. Ceaseless devotion to a pub- lic trust is a characteristic that has been accorded to him by men of all parties, as well as the possession of superior grasp of mind and benevolence of heart .JAMES POLLOCK, GOVERNOR UNDER THE CONSTITUTION OF 1838. January 16, 1855, to January 19, 1858. TAMES POLLOCK was born in the borough of Milton, *J Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, on the llth of September, 1810. His father, William Pollock, was an American by birth, as also his mother, Sarah Pollock, who was the daughter of Fleming Wilson, and was born in Chester County, Pennsylvania, in October, 1771. His paternal and maternal ancestors emigrated from the north of Ireland to America as early as 1760. They settled in Chester County, and were the open and avowed friends of American in- dependence during the war of the Revolution. One branch of the family settled in North Carolina; and some of its members were intimately connected with, if not prime movers in, the first declaration of independence at Meck- lenburg, in that State. They were there known by the name of Polk, an abbreviation of Pollock, the original family name. His father died in May, 1817, leaving a widow and seven children four sons (of whom James was the youngest) and three daughters. With an energy and determination that characterized her life, the mother assumed at once the responsible duties of educating her children. She was a woman of strong intellect, of great moral courage, and marked devotional spirit, qualities that aided in forming and moulding the character of her children. She died in Milton, February 19th, 1865, in the ninety - fourth year of her age. The boyhood of James, the subject of this sketch, was passed principally at school. His first teacher was Joseph 424 JAMES POLLOCK. 425 B. Anthony, afterwards president-judge of the eighth judicial district, of whom he became the successor in the same office in the year 1850. He remained in the school of Mr. Anthony but a short time, and, soon after leaving, entered the Milton Classical Academy under the care of Rev. David Kirkpatrick. He here prepared for, and entered the Junior Class in the College of New Jersey, at Princeton, and graduated aa Bachelor of Arts with the highest honors of his class in Sep- tember, 1831. In 1835, he received, in course, the degree of A. M., and in 1855 his Alma Mater conferred upon him the honorary degree of LL.D. In 1857 ' the trustees of Jef- ferson College, Pennsylvania, bestowed upon him the like honor. After his graduation he entered, as a student of law, the office of Samuel Hepburn, a gentleman of eminent legal learning, in his native town, and was admitted to practice in the several Courts of Northumberland County in November, 1833. In April, 1834, he opened an office in Milton, and was successful in the practice of his profession. In 1835 he was appointed District Attorney for Northumberland County, which office he held for three years. He was married on the 19th day of December, 1837, to Miss Sarah Ann, daughter of Samuel Hepburn. He held a number of important civil offices. He was a Whig in politics, but notwithstanding this, he was, in 1844, elected a member of Congress from the Thirteenth Congressional District, then strongly Democratic, and was twice re-elected from the same district, holding the office for six years. As a member of some of the most important committees, he contributed largely to the general work of legislation. In the Twenty- eighth Congress he was a member of the Committee on Claims, and his numerous reports attest the extent and quality of his labors. In the Twenty-ninth Congress he was on the Committee on Territories, of which Stephen A. Douglas was chairman. To this committee were referred all bills relating to the organization of new territories; and the question of excluding slaver; therefrom was often presented. 426 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION OF 1838. warmly debated, and generally determined in favor of exclu- sion. It was evident from the tone and temper of the dis cussions in committee and in Congress that a crisis was ap- proaching. The reports from this committee gave direction and force to public sentiment. The discussions increased in warmth and bitterness, and finally culminated in attempted secession, revolution, and war, the sequel to all which was the triumph of the National cause and the abolition of slavery. During the Thirtieth Congress he was an active member of the Committee of "Ways and Means, of which Samuel F. Vinton, of Ohio, was chairman. The country was then engaged in a war with Mexico, and in consequence the business of the committee was greatly augmented. The duties of the place were onerous and responsible, but were fully and faithfully discharged. On the 23d of June, 1848, Mr. Pollock offered a resolution for the appointment of a special committee to inquire into the necessity and practicability of constructing a railroad to the Pacific coast; As chairman of that committee he made a report to the House in favor of the construction of such a road. The report may be found in the third volume of the Journal of the House of Representatives for the first session of the Thirtieth Congress. This was the first favorable official act on this subject on the part of the Congress of the United States. The report discusses the question in its international and domestic aspects, its feasibility, and probable results. The opening paragraph is in these words : " The proposition at first view is a startling one. The magnitude of the work itself, and the still greater and more magnificent results promised by its accomplishment that of revolutionizing morally and commercially, if not politically, a greater part of the habitable globe, and making the vast commerce of the world tributary to us almost overwhelm the mind. But your committee, on examination, find it a subject as simple as it is vast and magnificent, and see no insurmountable diffi- culties in the way of its successful accomplishment." A bill accompanied the report, and was referred to the JAMES POLLOCK. 42? Committee of the Whole, but no further action was taken on it at that time, and Mr. Pollock soon after left Congress. In the fall of 1848, however, he delivered a lecture on the Pacific Railroad, by invitation, to a crowded house, at Lewis- burg, Union County, closing with the following remark: " At the risk of being considered insane, I will venture the prediction, that in less than twenty-five years from this even- ing, a railroad will be completed and in operation between New York and San Francisco, California; that a line of steamships will be established between San Francisco, Japan, and China; and there are now in my audience, ladies who will, before the expiration of the period named, drink tea brought from China and Japan, by this route, to their own doors ! " This prophetic announcement was received by the audience with a smile of good-natured incredulity ; Jbut some of those very ladies, during the year 1869, were able to sip their favorite beverage in exact accordance with the terms of the speaker's prediction ! On the 10th of May, 1869, the last rail was laid, the last spike driven, and the great Pacific Railway, so long in embryo, became an accomplished fact ! The subjects of special interest during his Congressional term of service were the annexation of Texas, the Mexican war, the acquisition of California, the repeal of the Tariff Act of 1842, and the " Wilmot Proviso " in its application to the newly acquired Territories of the United States. In all the discussions on these exciting topics he took an active part. His speeches and votes demonstrate the consistency of his views, and the breadth and soundness of his under- standing. In 1850 he was appointed President-Judge of the eighth judicial district, composed of the counties of Northumber- land, Montour, Columbia, Lycoming, and Sullivan. He held the office until the amendment of the Constitution required the election of judges by the people. He declined a nomina- tion for the position, and, on leaving the Bench, resumed the practice of the law. In 1854 he was nominated, and elected by a large majority, 428 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION OF 1838. Governor of Pennsylvania, and was inaugurated in January, 1855. He held the office for one term, having refused to per- mit his name to be used as a candidate for renomination. Throughout his entire term of office, the subject of the repeal of the Missouri Compromise and the introduction of slavery into the territories was warmly agitated, and it be- came the duty of the chief magistrate of one of the most influential States in the Union .to speak for the millions of people whom he represented. That duty he performed in a manner that admitted of no equivocal interpretation. In his Inaugural Address he said : " Pennsylvania, occupying as she docs an important and proud position in the sisterhood of States, cannot be indifferent to the policy and acts of the national government. Her voice, potential for good in other days, ought not to be disregarded now. Devoted to the Con- stitution and the Union, as she was the first to sanction, she will be the last to endanger the one or violate the other. Regarding with jealous care the rights of her sister States, she will be ever ready to defend her own. To the Con- stitution in all its integrity, to the Union in its strength and harmony, to the maintenance in its purity, of the faith and hoaor of our country, Pennsylvania now is and always has been pledged a pledge never violated, and not to be violated, until patriotism ceases to be a virtue, and liberty to be known only as a name. . . . With no desire to restrain the full and entire Constitutional rights of the States, nor to interfere directly or indirectly with their domestic institu- tions, the people of Pennsylvania, in view of the repeal of the Missouri Compromise, the principle involved in it, and the consequences resulting from it, as marked already by fraud, violence, and strife, have reaffirmed their opposition to the extension of slavery into territory now free, and re- newed their pledge l to the doctrines of the Act of 1780, which relieved us, by Constitutional means, from a grievous social evil; to the great ordinance of 1787, in its full scope, and all its beneficial principles; to the protection of the per- sona 1 rights of ever>" human being under the Constitution of JAMES POLLOCK, 429 Pennsylvania and the Constitution of the United States, by maintaining inviolate the trial by jury, and the writ of habeas corpus; to the assertion of the due rights of the North, as well as of the South, and to the integrity of the Union.' The declaration of these doctrines is but the recognition of the fundamental principles of freedom and human rights. They are neither new nor startling. They were taught by patriotic fathers at the watch-fires of our country's defenders, and learned amid the bloody snows of Valley Forge and the mighty throes of war and revolution. They were stamped with indelible impress upon the great charter of our rights, and embodied in the legislation of the best and purest days of the Republic; have filled the hearts and fell burning from the lips of orators and statesmen, whose memories are im- mortal as the principles they cherished. They have been the watchword and the hope of millions who have gone before us, and the watchword and the hope of millions now, and will be of millions yet unborn." Again, in his message of January 7th, 1857, he said : " To the policy and acts of the National Government, affecting, as they do, the rights and interests of the Commonwealth, the people of the State cannot be indifferent. Pennsylvania, occupying a high and conservative position in the sisterhood of States, devoted to the Constitution and the Union, in their integrity and harmony, has been, and will ever be, as ready to recognize the rights of her sister States as to defend her own. These sentiments she has never abandoned these principles she has never violated. . . . Freedom is the great centre-truth of American Republicanism the great law of American nationality ; slavery is the exception. It is local and sectional ; and its extension beyond the jurisdiction creating it, or to the free territories of the Union, was never designed or contemplated by the patriot founders of the Republic. In accordance with these sentiments, Pennsyl- vania, true to the principles of the Act of 1780, which abol- ished slavery within her territorial limits, true to the great doctrines of the Ordinance of 1787, which dedicated to free- 430 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION OF 1838. dom the Northwestern territory of the Union, true to the national faith and national honor, asks and expects, as due to her own citizens who have, in good faith, settled in the Territory of Kansas, and as due to the industry and energy of a free people, that Kansas should be free The union' of the States which constitutes us one people, should be dear to you to every American citizen. In the heat and excite- ment of political contests, in the whirl of sectional and con- flicting interests, amid the surging of human passions, harsh and discordant voices may be heard, threatening its integrity and denouncing its doom ; but in the calm, ' sober, second thought ' of a patriotic and virtuous people will be found its security and defence Pennsylvania tolerates no senti- ment of disunion. She knows not the word The Union and the Constitution, the safeguard and bond of American nationality, will be revered and defended by every American freeman who cherishes the principles and honors the memory of the illustrious founders of the Republic." Among the most important measures of his administration were the adoption of a policy by which the reduction of the public debt was commenced, and nearly two millions of dol- lars paid; the sale of the main line of the "public works" to the Pennsylvania Central Railroad Company for $7,500,000, which sum was made applicable to the payment and reduc- tion of the debt of the Commonwealth, and which, added to the sum actually paid, reduced the debt, practically, nearly ten millions of dollars ; a series of acts by which increased vigor and efficiency were given to the system of common schools ; retrenchment and reform in the various depart- ments ; and economy in the general administration of the Government. In the fall of 1857 occurred a financial crisis which led to the suspension of specie payments by the banks of the State, and threatened every branch of industry with serious derange- ment and injury. To avert impending evils, an extra session of the Legislature was called, which convened in October of that year. On the recommendation of the Governor, the JAMES POLLOCK. 431 suspension was legalized for a definite period, the forfeiture of the charters of the respective banks prevented, and other measures adopted which allayed the public apprehension, saved the credit of the State, and removed the dangers to which the general prosperity had been exposed. At the expiration of his official term, Governor Pollock resumed the practice of his profession in the place of his nativity. On leaving Harrisburg for his home, both Houses of the Legislature adjourned, and, headed by their respective speakers and officers, accompanied him to the cars which bore him away. The parting with all, without distinction of party, was as of abiding and cherished friends. The scene was significant and impressive. In 1860, at the time of greatest impending peril, and before hostilities had opened between the North and the South, an earnest effort was made by the friends of peace and concilia- tion to settle all causes of difference by means of friendly conference. It was thought by bringing together a body of men representing the several States, who were above selfish and ambitious designs, and who should fairly and freely confer with each Other, that a basis of pacification could be adopted which would avert an appeal to arms. For this purpose representative men were selected, and Governor Pollock was appointed to represent Pennsylvania. This body met in Washington, and remained in session during a part of February and March. A plan of com- promise drawn by Mr. Crittenden was adopted by the confer- ence ; but it failed to meet the approval of Congress, being opposed by Representatives of both the North and the South with equal resolution, and the wager by battle became the only alternative. In this body Governor Pollock bore a con- spicuous part. In May, 1861, he was appointed, by President Lincoln, Director of the United States Mint at Philadelphia, and held the office until October 1st, 1866, when, on the ac- cession of Andrew Johnson to power, he resigned. By his efforts, with the approval of Mr. Chase, then Secretary of tho 432 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION OF 1838. Treasury, the motto " In God we trust " was placed upon the national coins -a motto of deep significance, and alike hon- orable to the people and government of the United States. He was reinstated in 1869, by President Grant, in his former position as Director of the Mint, which office he now (August, 1872,) holds. During the late War his sympathies and labors were unre- servedly given to the support of the National Government. Rebellion found no advocate in him, treason no friend. True to the Union, he was ever ready to aid in its defence ; true to liberty and humanity, he was always their advocate ; true to his country, he rejoiced in the overthrow of its enemies, and in the assurance of its triumph. In appearance, Governor Pollock is of commanding person, rather above the medium height, with prominent dark eyes, and a face beaming with intelligence and benignity. In manner he is cordial and frank. As a public speaker he always commands attention, not less by the soundness of his views, than by the force and eloquence with which they are expressed. He has for many years held an elevated place in public estimation by his zeal in promoting educational and religious reforms. l WILLIAM F. PACKER, GOVERNOR UNDER THE CONSTITUTION OP 1838. January 19, 1858, to January 15, 1861. WILLIAM FISHER PACKER, the second son of James and Charity Packer, was born on the 2d day of April, 1807, in Howard township, Centre County, Pennsylvania. His father, James Packer, born in 1773, was a native of Chester County, and a son of James Packer and Rose Men- denhall. James Packer, the grandfather, was born in 1725, in New Jersey, at the site of the present city of Princeton, and was a son of Philip Packer and Ann Coates. Philip Packer was an English Quaker, and among the first emi- grants to West Jersey, under the auspices of William Penn and other leading Friends of that dav, and his descendants / * adhered to the same religious faith. Rose Mendenhall, the grandmother, was a daughter of Aaron and Rose Menden- hall, and was born in the Great Valley, near Downingtown, Chester County, in 1733. Chanty Bye, the mother of the Governor, was born in Bucks County, in 1780. She was a daughter of Hezekiah Bye and Sarah Pettit, who were also members of the Society of Friends. It will thus be seen that Governor Packer was descended from a purely Quaker ancestry, among whom will be recognized the Coateses, the Pettits, the Menderihalls, and others names still familiar in Philadelphia arid the eastern counties of Pennsylvania. When the Governor was but seven years old his father died, leaving a widow and five small children the eldest under ten years of age. Bereft of paternal care, the sons, Hezekiah B., now Judge Packer, of Williamsport, William F., the subject of this sketch, and John P., a merchant of 28 433 434 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION OF 1838. Flemington, Clinton County, as they arrived at a sufficient age, applied themselves to the task of assisting their mother in maintaining the family, and cheerfully sustained whatever hardships their situation imposed, receiving at the same time such education as the limited facilities of the country schools of that time afforded. Directed by their mother, and relying upon their own resources for success, it is no marvel that these young men became distinguished, each in his proper sphere, in after life. In 1820, Samuel J. Packer, a kinsman, afterwards a State Senator from the Northumberland district, was publishing a newspaper at Sunbury, called the Public Inquirer, which advocated with great ability the re-election of Governor "William Findlay. Ascertaining that he could obtain a place in that office to learn the art of printing, "William F., then in his thirteenth year, left his home in midwinter, travelled alone to Sunbury, a distance of eighty miles, and engaged himself as an apprentice. Upon the defeat of Governor Findlay, the Inquirer was discontinued, and, after an absence of a year, he returned to Centre County, where he completed his apprenticeship in the office of the Bellefonte Patriot, then under the control of Henry Petrikin, who subsequently became a distinguished member of the State Legislature, and was deputy secretary of the Commonwealth under Governor Shunk. After the expiration of his apprenticeship, in 1825, he obtained a clerkship in the office of the Register and Recorder of Lycoming County ; but, at the commencement of the ses- sion of the Legislature, in December of the same year, he went to Harrisburg and engaged as a journeyman printer in the office of the Pennsylvania Intelligencer, published by Simon Cameron, now United States Senator, and David Krause, after- wards President Judge of the Bucks County district. These gentlemen had just previously been elected public printers. In their office he worked for two years, and on the completion of the public printing, in 1827, returned to Williamsport, and entered his name as a student- at-law in the office of Joseph B. Anthony, who afterwards served as a State Senator, mem- WILLIAM F. PACKER. 435 ber of Congress, and President Judge of the Lyconring district. He never applied for admission to the bar, yet the knowledge thus acquired of the rudiments of the profession was of inestimable value to him in the public stations which he subsequently filled. In the fall of 1827 he purchased an interest in* the Ly- eoming Gazette, one of the oldest and most influential news- papers in the State, published at Williamsport, and, in partnership with John Brandon, conducted the paper until 1829, when, upon the demise of Mr. Brandon, he assumed the entire control of the establishment. His connection with the Gazette continued until the spring of 1836, when he left the paper in a flourishing condition and with a commanding influence. As an editor, his style was bold and energetic, well calculated to command attention and impress his ideas upon the reader. On the 24th of December, 1829, he was married to Mary W., daughter of Peter W. Vanderbelt, an honored citizen of Williamsport, and granddaughter of Michael Ross. Ten children were the offspring of this marriage, six of whom are still living. Mr. Ross was a gentleman distinguished for great energy of character and strength of mind, and was the original owner of the land upon which the present city of Williamsport is built. In 1831, shortly after the system of public improvements had been commenced in Pennsylvania, and after the West Branch Canal had been adopted as a part of the system, through the votes and influence of the representatives from Philadelphia in making appropriations for prosecution of work, this line was omitted and was thus threatened with abandonment. Had this decision been adhered to, the people of that section of the State would have been deprived of a great natural line of communication with the metropolis. Public meetings were immediately held, addresses^ were delivered, resolutions adopted, and, among other strong measures, a direct appeal was made to the people of Philar delphia against the suicidal policy of their own members. -136 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION OF 1838. This appeal had the desired effect ; and the Philadelphia members, under the pressure brought to bear upon them from their own immediate constituency, retraced their steps, and voted for appropriations to the West Branch Canal. In all these proceedings Mr. Packer, although a very young man, bore a leading part. He was the author of the address to the people of Philadelphia, and to his efforts, as much as to those of any other individual, are the people of that section of the State indebted for preserving and completing this great improvement. As work upon it progressed, the public voice very properly called for his appointment as superintendent of that division ; and he was designated by the canal commissioners, in June, 1832, to fill that respon- sible office. It was soon manifest that the people had not over-estimated his abilities, nor the canal board misplaced their confidence ; for he disbursed, while acting in that capacity, the several large appropriations of the Legislature, amounting to more than a million and a quarter of dollars, without any loss to the Commonwealth, and to the entire satisfaction of all. He was re-appointed for three successive years, and held the office until the spring of 1835, when the canal was completed to its present terminus at Farrandsville, and the office of superintendent abolished. During the gubernatorial campaign of 1835, Mr. Packer took a leading and active part in favor of the re-nomination and re-election of Governor George "Wolf; and, notwith- standing the schism in the Democratic State Convention and the prospect of his own nomination in the Lycoming district for State Senator, he continued to press, through the columns of the Gazette, the claims of his favorite, regardless of per- sonal considerations. Nor was his zeal abated by his own nomination for Senator, though it was plain that he could not be elected without the support of the Muhlenberg wing of the party. The friends of Joseph Ritner at once perceived the advantages thus afforded them, and they promptly co- alesced with the friends of Mr. Muhlenberg, upon Alexander Irwin, of Clearfield County, electing him by a small majority, WILLIAM F. PACKER. 437 and thus, obtaining his future sympathy and support. At the same election, Mr. Ritner, the anti-Masonic candidate, was also elected Governor by a plurality vote over his Democratic competitors, George Wolf and Henry A. Muhlenberg. In 1836 he united with 0. Barrett and Benjamin Parke in the establishment and publication of The Keystone, at Ilarris- burg, a paper which at once commanded the confidence and support of the Democratic party of the State. The enter- prise was successful, and Mr. Packer continued a member of the firm until 1841, when he retired. In the memorable con- test of 1838, between David R. Porter and Joseph Ritner for the governorship, which was both animated and bitter, The Keystone contributed largely to the election of Governor Porter. Mr. Packer also distinguished himself in the cam- paign by his tact and power as a public speaker. In February, 1839, he was appointed a member of the Board of Canal Commissioners, where he was associated with James Clarke and Edward B. Hubley. The responsibility and patronage of the Canal Board were little exceeded by those of the Executive ; and for the succeeding three years, during which he held the oifice, his whole attention was de- voted to the successful management of the State's vast chain of internal improvements. At the commencement of Governor Porter's second term, in May, 1842, Mr. Packer was appointed Auditor-General of the Commonwealth. He continued to discharge the duties of that office until 1845, a period of three years. His office gave hirn a seat in the cabinet of the Executive, and thus called into action his knowledge of men, of measures, and of the diversified interests of the State. Holding jurisdiction over all the public accounts, including the large expenditures of money for public improvements, numerous difficult and complicated questions arose for adjudication, which called for the exercise of the soundest judgment; and no mind, save one well informed by an extensive acquaintance with the whole internal improvement system, as well as with the statutes of the Commonwealth, could have discharged the 438 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION OF 1838. duties successfully. The ability and impartiality display ^d in this trust, are acknowledged by men of all parties. In 1847 he was duly elected a member of the House of Representatives from the district composed of the counties of Lycoming, Clinton, and Potter, by a majority exceeding fifteen hundred votes. He was a candidate at the preceding election, and, as afterwards appeared,' received a majority of votes; but by a mistake in carrying out the returns of Porter Township, Clinton County, his competitor was returned as elected, and actually served during the whole of the session before the error was discovered. Although this was his first appearance as a member of any legislative body, his knowledge of the public interest's, his acquaintance with parliamentary rules, and his business capacity were so widely known and acknowledged, that he was chosen Speaker. The selection of a new member to a post of such great responsibility, and requiring such varied and extensive abilities, may be regarded as" a high honor in which he stands as the sole recipient in the annals of the State. In 1848 he was re-elected by an increased majority. The brilliant achievements of a brave and suc- cessful general, who was a candidate for the Presidency, had produced disastrous results to the Democratic party through- out the Union, giving the Whigs a large majority in the Senate of Pennsylvania, and reducing the Democratic mem- bers of the House to a bare equality in number with their opponents each party having fifty members. Notwith- standing this circumstance, and although every member was in attendance at the organization of the House, Mr. Packer was again elected Speaker of that body. Considering his known attachment to Democratic principles, his great influ- ence and continual activity as a writer and as a public speaker in sustaining those principles, his second elevation to the Speaker's chair was an honorable and magnanimous tribute to his talents and integrity, and to the impartiality and ability with which he had discharged the high duties of the office at the previous session. This compliment was in fact richly WILLIAM F. PACKER. 439 merited. Although self-taught, his education had not been neglected. He was familiar with the current literature, and with the teachings of history and philosophy. Though not a member of the legal profession^ he was a much better lawyer than many who belonged to it. His thorough acquaintance with legal principles and with constitutional and parliamen- tary law, eminently qualified him for the duties of the chair. So satisfactory were his decisions upon the many difficult ques- tions which arose during the two sessions in which he served as Speaker, that they were in no instance reversed by the House. Indeed, an appeal was never taken, except in a soli- tary case; and on that occasion, upon hearing his reasons and the authority cited in support of his decision, the judgment of the Chair was unanimously sustained, the gentleman who took it voting against his own appeal. At the general election of 1849, Mr. Packer, having re- ceived the Democratic nomination for State Senator, in the district composed of the counties of Lycoming, Clinton, Centre, and Sullivan, was elected by a large majority over Andrew G. Curtin, who succeeded him in the Executive chair. Politically, at that time, the Senate was about equally divided, and at the two succeeding sessions the Whig party had the control. In that body, as was anticipated, he proved one of the most efficient members, and especially dis- tinguished himself on all questions relating to the improve- ment of the valley of the Susquehaima. Hitherto no rail- road had been authorized along that valley by which a close North and South connection could be effected between Washington and Baltimore and the Great Lakes. Trade and travel were compelled to leave the route destined by nature for a great public highway, and pass over mountain chains or by circuitous routes, through other cities. The reason assigned for this unwise course was that the policy of Penn- sylvania was opposed to the building of roads leading across the line of its improvements and directly to cities of other States. Mr. Packer, in the session of 1851, met this question boldly, by introducing a bill to incorporate the Susquchanna 440 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION OF 1838. Railroad Company, with authority to construct a road con- necting with the York and Cumberland road at Bridgeport, opposite Harrisburg, or with the Pennsylvania road, on either side of the Susquehanna, or on the Juniata, and with the right and privilege to connect with both or either of said roads, and running through Halifax and Millersburg,in Dauphin County, to Sunbury, in Northumberland County ; and with the further privilege of extending the road from Sunbury to Williams- port, on the West Branch, and to Wilkesbarre, on the North Branch, of the Susquehanna. This project, so eminently proper in itself, but so repugnant to the policy theretofore pursued, was, of course, bitterly opposed. Finding that it could not be defeated by direct attack, bold attempts were made to destroy its effect by amendments. But all these efforts to embarrass and defeat the measure were firmly and successfully resisted. The bill passed and became a law. At the same session, a bill was reported by the Senate committee of finance authorizing the assessment of a tax of twenty-five cents per ton on all freight, and fifteen cents on each passenger paying fare and passing over the York and Cumberland Railroad. As that road was but twenty-six miles in length, the tax proposed was almost prohibitory, and was intended by its supporters to prevent trade and travel from leaving the valley of the Susquehanna and passing to Baltimore the York and Cumberland Railroad constituting a link in the chain of roads leading to that city. Mr. Packer's speech, in 'opposition to that measure, delivered on the 21st of February, 1851, and reported by Wm. E. Drake, was a masterly effort. It was extensively republished, and produced a marked effect upon the public mind. It was con- clusive ; and the friends of the bill were constrained to accept the same terms of taxation on the York and Cumberland, 7 which were by law imposed upon the Pennsylvania railroads. The liberal and statesmanlike policy so successfully advocated by him on that occasion is not now questioned, and is ap- proved by none more heartily than by those who then opposed it with 4ie greatest zeal. WILLIAM F. PACKER. 441 When the three-hundred-dollar exemption law was passed, Mr. Packer was Speaker of the House of Representatives, and gave it his cordial support. At the succeeding session, in presenting to the Senate a petition from a portion of his own constituency, asking for the repeal of the law, he an- nounced his fixed determination to resist the repeal, and in a speech upon that subject, feelingly remarked : "I would not permit the covetous and hard-hearted creditor to drive his unfortunate debtor, naked and penniless, out upon the cold charities of an inhospitable world. The laws that authorize such a procedure should be blotted from the pages of the statute books of every State in this Union. They are repug- nant to the spirit of the age, and revolting to humanity. Like the laws sanctioning imprisonment for debt, they should be repudiated by every philanthropic legislator ; they should exist but in the history of the past an obsolete idea. It has been truly said, Mr. Speaker, that he who sells out the last little property of a wife and family of small children of a rash, heedless, or perhaps intemperate husband and father, and afterwards, with a cheerful countenance, goes home to dine, goes home to feast on human hearts. Sir, money thus obtained has a damning curse upon it." He also supported, in both branches of the Legislature, the proposed amendment of the Constitution, authorizing the election of the judiciary by the people. On the organization of the Susquehanna Railroad Com- pany, in June, 1852, Mr. Packer was made its first president; and it was mainly through his exertions, aided by influential citizens of Baltimore, that that city, by its councils, decided to guarantee five hundred thousand dollars of the bonds of the York and Cumberland Railroad Company, which had been loaned to the Susquehanna Company. This at once gave to the latter funds and a credit which ultimately secured the completion of the road to Stmbury. Subsequently, the Susquehanna, the York and Cumberland, and the Baltimore and Susquehanna Companies were consolidated under the title of the Northern Central Railway Company, and a di- 442 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION OF 1838. tinguished Baltimorean was made its first president, Mr. Packer continuing a member of the board of directors. In 1854 the Legislature annulled the charter of the Frank- lin Canal Company and assumed the control of the railroad built by that company from the city of Erie to the Ohio Stato line, and Mr. Packer was appointed to take charge of the road while it was in the possession of the State. He entered upon those duties, and continued to discharge them until the Lake Shore Railroad difficulties were finally and satisfactorily settled. For some years prior to the Presidential election of 1856, the Democracy of Pennsylvania had presented the name of James Buchanan for the first office of the nation, and to secure his nomination by the Cincinnati Convention of that year, great care was taken in the selection of delegates to represent the State in that body. Among those chosen was Mr. Packer, who labored earnestly to accomplish that object. Mr. Buchanan was nominated ; and when the platform was reported to -the convention, it so fully met the approval of Mr. Packer's judgment that he moved its adoption " without the crossing of a t or the dotting of an i ; " and his motion was unanimously carried. Gratified alike with the candidate and the platform, all his energies were devoted to their suc- cess; and his numerous speeches during that campaign contributed largely in producing the desired result. In this connection, it may be stated that he was also a delegate to the first Democratic National Convention, which assembled in Baltimore in 1835, and nominated Martin Van Buren for President, and Richard M. Johnson for Vk e-President. In March, 1857, he was nominated f> r Governor, and though opposed by the Hon. David Wilmot, author of the " Wilmot Proviso," who enjoyed a wide-spread reputation as a public speaker and a politician, candidate of the Republi- cans, and by the Hon. Isaac Hazlehurst, candidate of the Native Americans, he was triumphantly elected, having a majority over both of more than fourteen thousand votes. At the period of his nomination for Governor, the political WILLIAM F. PACKER. 443' question which overshadowed all others was, whether Kansas should be admitted into the Union with or without a con- stitutional recognition of slavery. A state of armed hostility existed between the inhabitants and the general Government, and the agents of the latter, for their safety, had been com- pelled to flee from the territory. In view of the bearing which the action of the national administration on this ques- tion must necessarily have upon the Pennsylvania election, then pending, Mr. Packer addressed a letter to President Buchanan, from which, though marked " private," the' fol- lowing paragraphs may be made public without impropriety. It is dated, Harrisburg, March 24, 1857. " Our people," he says, " confidently expect that your administration will see that equal and exact justice shall be done to all parties the free-state as well as the pro-slavery men and they will be satisfied with nothing short of that. We approve of the Kansas bill ; but in God's name let its provisions be honestly carried out; let the law be faithfully executed. Let the con- duct of the public agents in Kansas not only be right, but let it appear to be right. If slavery should be instituted by, or under a slave-holding Executive, and Kansas should claim admission as a slave State, it does not require a prophet to foretell the consequences north of Mason and Dixon's line. The Democratic party, which has stood by the Constitution and the rights of the South with such unflinching fidelity, would be stricken down in the few remaining States where it is yet in the ascendancy; the balance of power would be lost ; and Black Republicans would rule this nation, or civil war and disunion would inevitably follow. What, then, is to be done ? Will you permit me to make a suggestion ? The post of honor and renown, if successfully and satisfactorily filled, at this moment in the gift of the President, is the Gov- ernorship of Kansas. Send one of the first men of the nation there some gentleman who enjoys the confidence of the North and the South and let him cover himself with glory by a fearless and a faithful discharge of the duties of his star tion. Sustain him, then, with the whole power of the Govern- 444 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION OF 1838. ment, and follow with swift vengeance any party that dares to raise a hand against the law or its prompt and faithful exe- cution. The time for trifling is past. Bold, efficient action is required. To waver or to vacillate, is to fail. Who, then, should he appointed ? If General Scott would accept of the position, and if the duties are compatible with those of the military station he now holds, I answer, appoint General Winfield Scott. He has the confidence of the nation. He is acceptable to the South, having been born and reared in Virginia; and he is not unacceptable to the North, inasmuch as he now resides there. If requested by the President, in view of the importance of the mission, I do not think that he would decline. However, let some such man be appointed some man well known to the American people, and in whom they confide, and the result will be the same. All will be well. Otherwise, I tremble for the result." His official action on national questions which, during his Executive term, seriously threatened the dissolution of the Union, and which ultimately involved the country in civil war,. forms so important a part of the record of that eventful crisis, as it relates to Pennsylvania, that it is due to the truth of history, as well as to Governor Packer's memory, to pre- sent some extracts from his annual messages, in which the whole subject was discussed. Throughout his administration he was the firm advocate of the doctrine of popular sovereignty the right of the people of the States and Territories to form and regulate their domestic institutions in their own way, subject only to the Constitution of the United States. In his inaugural address he said : " To the people of Penn- sylvania the admission of a new State into the Union into ihat confederacy of which she is a member must be at all times a subject of high interest. And I believe I express their sentiments, as well as my own, in declaring that all the qualified electors of a territory should have a full and fair opportunity to participate in selecting delegates to form a constitution preparatory to admission as a State, and, if de- sired by them, they should also be allowed an unqualified right to vote upon such constitution after it is framed." WILLIAM F. PACKER. 445 In his annual message to the Legislature, in January, 1859, referring to his inaugural address, he said : " Subsequent events have confirmed me in these sentiments. The de- plorable disputes in the first session of the present Congress, the popular excitement resulting from those disputes, together with other proceedings, in their nature novel and alarming, would all have been averted, had the people been secured in ' the unqualified right ' to vote upon their domestic institu- tions. I regret to be compelled to say that, under various pretences, this sacred franchise has been virtually withheld from them. During the angry feelings which this contro- versy has aroused, the theory has been started, and insisted upon, that it will henceforward be the duty of Congress to protect slavery in the territories, if the people of the terri- tories shall fail to do so. ... Such a doctrine, no matter how sanctioned or supported, will shake the very pillars of our constitutional fabric. It would compel every territory to elevate property in slaves above every other description of property, and to establish a slave code in its early municipal regulations; or else it would convert the Congress into a theatre of crimination and confusion, and fill the whole country with strife. . . . Regarding myself as fully commit- ted to the doctrine of popular sovereignty in its broadest sense, I can never subscribe to the theory of congressional intervention, as understood and supported by the opponents of this doctrine. ... A theory equally heretical has been advanced in another portion of the Union. It has been held that this government, divided into free and slave States, as it was framed by our revolutionary, fathers, cannot endure, that all must become free, or all become slave. "When such a doctrine shall be enforced, the constitution will have been subverted, State sovereignty prostrated, State rights disre- garded, and the liberty of the people destroyed. It should meet an indignant rebuke from every lover of his country, and the blood-bought right of the people and the States to self-government." In the fall of 1859, " John Brown's raid " was made into 446 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION OF 1838. Virginia. In his annual message to the Legislature, in Jan- uary, 1860, Governor Packer thus refers to that subject : " The recent seizure of the public property of the United States at Harper's Ferry, and the invasion of the State of Virginia, by a small band of desperadoes, with an intention to excite the slave population to insurrection, have drawn attention to the dangers which beset our federal relations. ... To us, as Pennsylvanians, it is gratifying to believe that the citizens of this Commonwealth have not, in any manner, participated in this unlawful proceeding, and to know that when some of the guilty perpetrators were arrested "within our jurisdiction, they were promptly surrendered to the justice of the offended and injured State. The several States of this Union are independent sovereignties, except so far as they have granted certain enumerated powers to the Federal government. In cases not provided for in the Federal Constitution, the several States, in their relations to each other, ought to be governed by the principles which regulate the conduct of civilized nations. These principles forbid, in all nations, * every evil practice tending to excite disturbance in another State,' and are founded on- the maxim that ' dif- ferent nations ought, in time of peace, to do one another all the good they can, without prejudicing their real interests/ This maxim, recognized by all civilized governments, applies with peculiar force to the several States of this Union, bound together, as they are, by a sacred compact for mutual support and protection ; and, therefore, any attempt in one State to incite insurrection in another is an offence against all the States, because all are bound by the Constitution to put down such disturbance. ... In determining our relative duties Cowards our sister States, the morality of servitude is not an open question, for we are bound by the legal and moral obligation of the compact of the Union, under which we have been brought into existence and preserved as inde- pendent States, as well as by the principles of international law, to respect the institutions which the laws of the several States recognize, and in no other way can we faithfully fulfil our obligations as members of this confederacy." WILLIAM F. PACKER. 447 Governor Packer's official term closed in January, 1861. South Carolina, by its Convention, bad just passed a seces- sion ordinance. In his last Annual Message to the Legisla- ture, referring to this momentous subject, he said: "The extraordinary and alarming condition of our national affairs demands your immediate attention. On the twentieth of December last, the Convention of South Carolina, organized under the authority of the Legislature of that State, by a unanimous vote declared 'that the Union now subsisting between South Carolina and the other States, under the name of the United States of America, is hereby dissolved;' and the action already taken in several other Southern States indicates, most clearly, their intention to follow this example. On behalf of the advocates of secession, it is claimed, that this Union is merely a compact between the several States composing it, and that any one of the States, which may feel aggrieved, may, at its pleasure, declare that it will no longer be a party to the compact. This doctrine is clearly erroneous. The Constitution of the United States is something more than a mere compact, or agreement, between the several States. As applied to nations, a compact is but a treaty, which may be abrogated at the will of either party ; responsible to the other party for its bad faith in refusing to keep its engage- ments, but entirely irresponsible to any superior tribunal. A government, on the other hand, whether created by consent, or conquest, when clothed with legislative, judicial, and exec- utive powers, is necessarily in its nature sovereign; and from this sovereignty flows its right to enforce its laws and decrees by civil process, and, in an emergency, by its military and naval power. The government owes protection to the people, and they, in turn, owe it their allegiance. Its laws cannot be violated by its citizens, without accountability to the tribu- nals created to enforce its decrees and to punish offenders. Organized resistance to it, is rebellion. If successful, it may be purged of crime by revolution. If unsuccessful, the per- sons engaged in the rebellion may be executed as traitors. The Government of the United States, within the limits 448 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION OF 1838. assigned to it, is as potential in sovereignty as any other government in the civilized world. The Constitution, and laws made in pursuance thereof, are expressly declared to be the supreme law of the land. Under the Constitution, the general Government has the power to raise and support armies, to create and maintain a navy, and to provide for calling forth the militia, to execute its laws, suppress insur- rection and repel invasion The creation of the Federal government, with the powers enumerated in. the Constitution, was the act of the people of the United States, and it is per- fectly immaterial that the people of the several States acted separately within the territorial limits of each State. The form of their action is of no consequence, in view of the fact that they created a Federal government, to which they sur- rendered certain powers of sovereignty, and declared those powers, thus surrendered, to be supreme, without reserving to the States, or to the people, the right of secession, nullifi- cation, or other resistance. It is therefore clear, that there is no Constitutional right of secession. Secession is only an- other form of nullification. Either, when attempted to be carried out by force, is rebellion, and should be treated as such, by those whose sworn duty it is to maintain the suprem- acy of the Constitution and laws of the United States." After reviewing at length the causes which had produced the perilous disaffection both North and South, Governor Packer concluded his Message by recommending a com- promise of existing difficulties, either by a Constitutional amendment, to be submitted by Congress, or by a National convention of delegates emanating from the people them- selves. At the close of Governor Packer's administration, owing to declining health, he retired from public life, and returned with his family to his former home in the city of Williams- port, where, honored and beloved by all, he died on the 27th of September, 1870, at the age of sixty-three. In stature, he was above the ordinary size, being six feet in height, and weighing, while Governor, two hundred and twenty-five WILLIAM F. PACKER. 449 pounds. He had blue eyes, chestnut-brown hair, si fair com- plexion, and a capacious forehead, indicating great intellec- tual power. His address was frank, open and cordial, and his conversational powers pleasing and attractive. As a public speaker he had few equals never failing to attract large audiences, and to command the most profound attention. Through life he was thoroughly democratic in his principles. Springing from the people, he was no empty talker about names and forms, but an energetic actor, always ready to do battle for their rights, and opposing with unflinching firm- ness every form of intolerance, whether political or religious. Looking to the people as the legitimate source of all political authority, he was ever ready to trust them with every power consistent with representative government. 29 ANDREW G. CURTIN, GOVERNOR UNDER THE CONSTITUTION OF 1838. January 15, 1861, to January 15, 1867. THE Rebellion of 1861 brought great labors and responsi- bilities to the Executives of all the loyal States. It was a period when the exalted patriotism and devoted service of the boldest hearts were put to trying tests. Great armies were to be raised and marshalled, and inspired with enthusiasm for the national cause, from a population long given to peace- ful pursuits, and ignorant of, and averse to the business of war. The productive energies of the country were to be pre- served from languishing, and the means of carrying on a long and wasting contest to be provided. It fell to the lot of the subject of this sketch to come to the Executive chair just as hostilities were opening, and he occupied it until the smoke of the conflict had cleared away, and the veterans from many a hard-fought field and lonely bivouac fire, with banners streaming in triumph, came marching home. He came to that chair with the bloom of youth on his cheek, and a step elastic from the pulsations of health; he left it with a face on which were graved the lines of care, and a head grown pre- maturely gray. Posterity will not suffer the memory of such to fade. Andrew Gregg Curtin was born on the 22d of April, 1817, at the village of Bellefonte, Centre County, Pennsylvania. His father, Roland Curtin, had settled there in 1800, having emigrated to this country from Ireland in 1793. He first en- gaged in business as a merchant; but in a limited way, for the population was then sparse, and in that wild, mountainous region the only means of transportation was by pack-horses. 450 ANDREW G. CURTIN. 451 In 1807 he erected a forge on Bald Eagle Creek, about four miles from Bellefonte, and in 1817, a furnace, where shortly after he removed with his family. With a single exception, that of General Philip Benuer, his was the first manufactory of iron established in all that region, and in this business he continued until his death, which occurred in 1851, and his sons after him to the present time. He was a man of consid- erable literary attainments, having been educated in Paris, where he was sent at the age of eighteen. He was twice married ; the second time to a daughter of Andrew Gregg, for many years a member of Congress, a United States Sen- ator, Secretary of State under Governor Heister, and candi- date for Governor in opposition to John Andrew Shulze. The subject of this sketch was one of seven children by the second marriage. He was first taught in his native village, where Mr. Brown, a man of learning and culture, was em- ployed to instruct a dozen or more boys, and where, among others, he was associated with Roland Curtin Boileau, since remarkably successful as a merchant of Meadvilte. He was afterwards sent to a school under the charge of Dr. Keagy at Harrisburg, and was finally placed in a widely celebrated institution at Milton, of which the Rev. Dr. Kirkpatrick was principal, where he finished his academic education. He then returned to Bellefoute, where he commenced the study of law in the office of William W. Potter, afterwards a mem- ber of Congress from that district. Attracted by the fame of Dickinson College, which at this period had a law department in a flourishing condition, Mr. Curtin was matriculated in the latter, where he became a pupil of Judge Reed, who was regarded as one of the ablest lawyers in the State. In 1839 he was admitted to the bar in Centre County, and commenced practice at Bellefonte, in partnership with John Blanchard, an eminent lawyer arid afterwards member of Congress. At the very opening of his career he took a lead- ing rank in his profession. Of commanding presence, and ready elocution, he was able, from his well-stored mind, to hold the attention alike of judge and jury. Possessed of 452 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION OF 1838. exuberant spirits, and a keen sense for wit and humor, he was often able, by a few master-strokes of ridicule, to make what seemed in his opponent's case to be plausible, appear utterly indefensible. In criminal cases he was especially successful, and it was before a jury in such causes that his power was most conspicuous, and in conducting which he took great delight. His tastes and training admirably qualified him for the po- litical arena, and he early entered it embracing the principles of the Whig party of that day, of which he soon became a most successful advocate. In 1840 he labored for the ele- vation of General Harrison to the Presidency, and in 1844 made a successful canvass of the State for Henry Clay, ex- citing great enthusiasm wherever he appeared. In 1848 he was placed upon the electoral ticket and contributed largely in raising and maintaining that tide of enthusiasm which carried the hero of the first Mexican campaign to the Presi- dential chair. He performed a like office for General Scott in 1852, serving again upon the electoral ticket. In 1854 he was strongly urged to accept the nomination for Governor, but refused, and took instead the laboring oar in securing the election of his friend James Pollock, acting as chairman of the State central committee of the party, con- ducting the canvass with unexampled energy and zeal, and with the most flattering success. Recognizing his eminent qualifications for the position, Governor Pollock appointed him Secretary of the Commonwealth, a post of signal honor and responsibility, as in addition to the duty of Secretary proper, he was ex-offirio superintendent of Common Schools. In the discharge of the duties of the latter office he took a special pride, and labored zealously. It was at a period when important changes were being engrafted upon the common- school system, and before it had become firmly rooted in the affections of the people. Previous to this time the super- vision of the schools in many parts of the State was lax, and the uses of the public money were often very questionable, favorites of those wh ? had its custody often creeping into the ANDREW G. CURTIN. 453 position of teacher with little fitness for the place. County superintendents had just then been chosen for the first time whose duty it was to examine and certify to the qualifications of teachers ; and no one could be employed without such certificate. They were also to visit the schools, and annually to report the manner in which moneys had been expended. The people in many parts of the State, ever regarding with jealous eye the creation of new offices, looked with distrust upon the County Superintendency ; and dishonest officials who are usually loudest in their cry for reform, saw in it the ruin of their system of ill-gotten gains. Joined to these causes of disquiet, in many counties an unfortunate choice of officers was made, and in others inadequate salaries were voted, thus crippling the services of good officers. It is not strange, therefore, that considerable opposition was manifested to this feature, and indeed to the whole school system. But by the indefatigable labors of Secretary Curtin, and his able and zealous deputy, Henry C. Hickok, it was preserved in its integrity until the new features could take root, and com- mend themselves by their fruits to the sober judgment of the people. To the steady hand of these officials in this trying period is due one of the most important agencies in making common-school education efficient in Pennsylvania. In his annual report of 1855, after recounting the numerous evils which had existed previous to the establishment of the County Superintendency and other provisions of the law of 1854, he says : " It is not surprising that, as these abuses were beyond the reach of individual effort, and grew as a conse- quence out of the defects of the system itself, all who could afford it carefully withheld their children from the common schools." Turning to a contemplation of the happy changes which had been produced by the establishment of the County Superintendency in the same report, he says: "It has ef- fected a useful adjustment of the business operations of the boards of directors in correcting the deranged state of their finances, and in many instances in recovering money of the schools overlooked or supposed to be lost. It has elevated 454 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION OF 1838. the profession and established more uniformity in the char acter and qualifications of teachers in theory and generally in practice ; the incompetent and unworthy have been rejected, while the door has been opened wide for the admission of the meritorious and qualified, and a stimulus has been given to study and self-improvement. It is the great medium of connection between the Department and the schools; and, while it has produced unity and harmony of action between them, it has secured to the system power and efficiency hith- erto unattainable." But, while he thus rejoiced in the improvements in the organic law which had been achieved, and the good results which they were producing, he plainly saw that one element of strength and prosperity was still wanting, and deeply lamented the defect. " The leading feature," he says, " of every report emanating from this Department to the Legis- lature for twenty years, is the want of a sufficient number of well-qualified teachers No substitute for a regular professional training, extending through years, and embrac- ing a complete course of study in all the branches necessary to illustrate those directly taught in the schools, can make the perfect teacher." That the Legislature might have some definite object for which to labor, in concluding his remarks upon the subject of training teachers, in his report of the following year, he portrays the features of a system of Normal Schools adapted to the wants of the State, and urges its consideration with great warmth and earnestness. " A combination of the best elements of the State and the private school, and at the same time an avoidance of their disadvantages, might be obtained by the enactment of a law of which the following is a synop- sis: The State to be divided into ten or more Normal School Districts, each to contain one school -the establish- ment, government, powers and duties of the schools to be uni- form in all the districts, and to be regulated by the general provisions of the law. The schools to be erected and gov- erned in accordance with the general law, by private but a*- ANDREW G. CURTIN. , . 455 sociate enterprise, to contain halls, class-rooms, and apparatus, with a school of practice, and the necessary facilities of in- struction, for not less than three hundred students each ; and only to be recognized as schools for the training of teachers under the law, when completed, in conformity to all its pro- visions, after inspection by the Governor, or such other officer as the Legislature may please to designate. The course and term of study to be arranged by the joint action of the pro- per public authorities, and the principals of all the schools. Each Normal School to receive one or two students annually from each common-school district, at a price for tuition to be fixed by the law, and to be paid either by the State or the district. Such students to be designated by the directors of the proper district, from among its most -meritorious and best prepared pupils desirous of acquiring the art and science of teaching. Examinations to be made, and diplomas granted, by all the principals of the district normal schools, with the concurrence and aid of the proper State officers. Such diplomas to be conclusive evidence of the degree of scholarship specified in them ; but no certificate of compe- tency in the art of teaching to be given, until after two years successful practical experience, certified by the directors, by whom he or she was employed, and by the County Superin- tendent of the proper district." At the session of the Legislature following that to which this report was made, a law was passed embodying the iden- tical provisions here recommended. It was the crowning excellence of the admirable system of education with which the State is blessed. Already in eight of the districts pro- fessional schools have been established, or are in process of being established, presided over by able and learned pro- fessors, and filled with an aspiring and intelligent corps of young men and women in training for the office of teacher, an honor to the Commonwealth and the chief glory of the Common School system. At the expiration of his term as Secretary, Mr. Curtin re- sumed the practice of the law at his old home in Bellefonte, 456 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION OF 1838. and was active and influential in promoting the opening of lines of railway leading into the central part of the State. In 1860, he was nominated as a candidate for Governor. Though the Democratic party in the nation was divided, sup- porting Breekinridge and Douglas for President, it rallied in Pennsylvania with great unanimity to the support of Henry D. Foster. The contest was an animated one, the canvass being conducted on both sides with great energy and ability. Mr. Curtin spoke in nearly every county in the Com- monwealth, often addressing assemblies in two or three places in a single day. He everywhere attracted large audiences, and created great enthusiasm in his favor, especially among the young men. He was elected by a majority of over thirty- two thousand votes, much larger than the most sanguine of his friends had anticipated, considering that his immediate predecessor, of opposite politics, had been chosen by a large majority. The struggle had been intensified by the fact that a Presidential election was to follow in less than a month, and Pennsylvania was regarded as the battle-ground where the contest was to be decided. After the gubernatorial de- cision had been pronounced, there was no longer any doubt about the result in ^November, the choice of Mr. Lincoln being generally conceded. Governor Curtin was called to the Gubernatorial chair at a time when the gravest problems ever presented to American statesmanship were to be solved. The geographical position of the State added to its overshadowing political importance, made the duties of the Executive peculiarly responsible and perplexing. Separated from the Slave States by a merely imaginary line, and looked to from both the North and the South, to exhaust its great moral and political power to avert war, every expression from its government was awaited with profound interest. It was under such circumstances that Governor Curtin was called to speak for Pennsylvania in his inaugural address of January, 1861. He spoke with words of deliberation, decision, and wisdom, and made a record of statesmanship that stood the severe test of years of bloody ANDREW G. CURTIN. 457 and wasting war. The conflict obliterated old and sacred landmarks in political teaching; but the relations of the States to each other, and the duties of patriotism as pro- claimed by him in his first official utterance, remain un- changed, and are indorsed throughout the North. In that address he said : " No one who knows the history of Pennsyl- vania, and understands the opinions and feelings of her peo- ple, can justly charge us with hostility to our brethren of other States. "We regard them as friends and fellow-country- men, in whose welfare we feel a kindred interest; and we recognize in their broadest extent all our constitutional obli- gations to them. These we are ready and willing to observe, generously and fraternally in their letter and spirit, with unswerving fidelity. " Ours is a national government. It has within the sphere of its action all the attributes of sovereignty, and among these are the right and duty of self-preservation. It is based upon a compact to which all the people of the United States are parties. It is the result of mutual concessions', which were made for the purpose of securing reciprocal benefits. It acts directly on the people, and they owe it a personal allegiance. No part of the people, no State, nor combination of States, can voluntarily secede from the Union, nor absolve them- selves from their obligations to it. To permit a State to with- draw at pleasure from the Union, without the consent of the rest, is to confess that our Government is a failure. Penn- sylvania can never acquiesce in such a conspiracy, nor assent to a doctrine which involves the destruction of the Government. If the Government is to exist, all the requirements of the Constitution must be obeyed ; and it must have power ade- quate to the enforcement of the supreme law of the land in every State. It is the first duty of the national authorities to stay the progress of anarchy and enforce the laws, and Pennsylvania, with a united people, will give them an honest, faithful and active support. The people mean to preserve the integrity of the national Union at every hazard." Again, on the 30th of April, when the Legislature met in 458 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION OF 1838. extraordinary s;ssion in obedience to his proclamation, to provide for the public defence, he said: "The time is past for temporizing or forbearing with this rebellion, the most causeless in history. The North has not invaded, nor has she sought to invade a single guaranteed right of the South. On the contrary, all political parties, and all administrations, have fully recognized the binding force of every provision of the great compact between the States, and regardless of our views of State policy, our people have respected them. To' predicate a rebellion, therefore, upon any alleged wrong, inflicted or sought to be inflicted upon the South, is to offer falsehood as an apology for treason. So will the civilized world and history judge this mad effort to overthrow the most beneficent structure of human government ever devised by man. " The leaders of the rebellion in the cotton States which has resulted in the establishment of a provisional organiza- tion, assuming to discharge all the functions of governmental power, have mistaken the forbearance of the general Gov- ernment; they have accepted a fraternal indulgence as an evidence of weakness, and have insanely looked to a united South, and a divided North to give success to the wild ambi- tion that has led to the seizure of our national arsenals and arms ; the investment and bombardment of our forts, the plundering of our mints, has invited piracy upon our com- merce, and now aims at the possession of the National capi- tal. The insurrection must now be met by force of arms; and to re-establish the Government upon an enduring basis, by asserting its entire supremacy ; to re-possess the forts and other Government property so unlawfully seized and held; to insure personal freedom and safety to the people and com- merce of the Union in every section, the people of the loyal States demand, as with one voice, and will contend for, as with one heart; and a quarter of a million of Pennsylvania's sons will answer the call to arms, if need be, to wrest us from a reign of anarchy and plunder, and secure for themselves and their children, for ages to come, the perpetuity of this Government and its beneficent institutions." ANDREW G. CURTIK 459 The concluding paragraph of his message is in the follow- ing truly eloquent and patriotic language : "You meet together at thi^ special season, surrounded by circumstances involving the most solemn responsibilities; the recollections of the glories of the past, the reflections of the gloomy present, and the uncertainty of the future, all alike call upon you to discharge your duty in a spirit of patriotic cour- age, comprehensive wisdom, and firm resolution, ^ever in the history of our peace-loving Commonwealth have the hearts of our people been so stirred in their depths as at the present moment. And I feel that I ned hardly say to you that, in the performance of your duties on this occasion, and in pro- viding the ways and means for the maintenance of our coun- try's glory and our integrity as a nation, you should be in- spired by feelings of self-sacrifice kindred to those which animate the brave men who have devoted their lives to the perils of the battle-field in defence of our nation's flag. " Gentlemen, I place the honor of the State in your hand's. And I pray that the Almighty God, who protected our lathers in their efforts to establish this our great constitutional liberty who has controlled the growth of civilization and Chris- tianity in our midst, may not now forsake us; that He may watch over your counsels, and may, in his Providence, lead those who have left the path of duty, and are acting in open rebellion to the Government, back again to perfect loyalty, and restore peace, harmony, and fraternity to our distracted country." In the meantime communication between the loyal States and the National capital had been cut off by the revolt in Baltimore. The portion of troops required from Pennsyl- vania under the President's proclamation of the 15th of April had been promptly furnished, and many more were offering their services. General Patterson, who had been assigned to command in the State, by reason of the interruption of com- munication with his government and chief, called upon Gov- ernor Curtin for twenty-five thousand additional troops. He at once issued his proclamation, and the response surpassed 460 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION Of 1838. all expectation. From every part of the State men came singly, in squads and in companies, and the requisition was in rapid process of being filled, when, upon the re-opening of communication through Baltimore with Washington, an order was received from the Secretary of War, revoking General Patterson's requisition, for the reason, as stated, that the troops were not needed, and that less than the number already called for would be preferred to an excess. But Governor Curtin better understood the magnitude of the impending conflict, and he resolved to prepare for it according to his appreciation of the public danger. With a long line of southern border exposed to the sudden incur- sions of the enemy, and the National army composed of only three-months' men, and likely even with these to be outnum- bered in the field, he determined not to rely upon the mis- taken conceptions of the National authorities for the protec- tion of the State. Thousands of men were already in camp, or were on their way, their services having been accepted, when the order of revocation was received. Governor Cur- tin, instead of disbanding them, directed that they preserve their organization, and immediately applied to the Legisla- ture for authority to form a corps of thirteen regiments of infantry, one of cavalry, and one of artillery, to be organized and equipped by the State, to be subject to the call of the Na- tional Government if needed, and to be at all times in readi- ness for immediate service. The requisite authority was granted, though not without opposition from those who sym- pathized in the opinions of the Washington authorities that the danger would be soon passed, and the result was the organization of the afterwards famous Pennsylvania Reserve Corps. Before its formation .was entirely completed, the wis- dom and patriotism of the Governor in recommending it were vindicated ; for there came from the Secretary, who a few weeks before had refused to sanction the raising of more troops because they were not needed, a pressing appeal to have the Reserves sent forward with all possible dispatch to the capital ; and when before the disasters at Bull Run the ANDREW G. CURTIN. 461 nation stood appalled, and the capital was exposed to the attacks of the enemy, Pennsylvania had a military force well organized and equipped for the field to march at once to strengthen and reinspire the Union Army. The reputation of the State for promptness in furnishing troops when called for by the National Government, was thus maintained throughout the entire period of the struggle. While thus zealous in the nation's cause, he was mindful also that Pennsylvania was an empire in itself, and that its vast wealth and resources were constantly tempting the enemy to devastate it. He never asked that the armies in the field should he diminished to protect the State, or main- tain its authority ; but while promptly forwarding troops to the front as fast as called for, he was always anxious to raise forces for local protection in addition to these. In 1864 he had just completed the organization of five thousand men for the defence of the southern border ; but the disasters which overtook General Hunter in the upper Shenandoah Valley rendered necessary that they should be sent to the relief of his shattered army. The border being thus stripped of de- fenders, the enemy made a sudden incursion and laid in ruins the town of Chambersburg. Governor Curtin's administration was likewise conspicuous for the beneficent and merciful policy adopted to temper the terrible scourge of war. He was ceaseless in his devotion to the interests and the wants of those whom the State had given for the national defence. He went to the field, and visited them in their camps, not with pomp and ceremony, but to encourage them by personal intercourse. In the hos- pital he solaced the dying, gave words of hope to the wounded and suffering, and bore messages of affection to and from loved ones at home. No letter from a soldier at the front, whether officer or private, was ever received without being promptly answered. It mattered not how impossible was the request, if it could not be granted, the reason of the refusal was Ldndly told. In every time of suffering and discourage ment the soldier felt that he who represented the power and 462 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION OF 1838. majesty of the Commonwealth at home was mindful of hirn. Wherever were sickness, or wounds, or death, there was the official agent of the State to perform every duty to the living and the last rites to the dead. The bodies of the deceased were brought back to sleep with their kindred, and their names enrolled in the lists of the martyred patriots. Nor was the solicitude of the Governor confined to the soldier. He beheld his family broken, and left without support and protection by his death. The desolate hearth- stone and the moans of the bereaved excited his sym- pathy, and he applied himself vigorously to the originating of a system of care and instruction for the orphans of the fallen slain, which should make the State their guardian and supporter until of sufficient age to provide for themselves. He was successful in his humane and patriotic endeavors. The Legislature gave an attentive ear to his appeals, and has voted liberally millions of money for this worthy object. The fruits of this expenditure will be most abundant. A body of well-instructed and morally trained young men and women will be given to the Commonwealth, instead of an equal number of the offspring of ignorance and want, which would almost inevitably have been the result had they been left to neglect. Besides, it was a just debt which the State owed to the brave men who had fallen in its defence that their children should be cared for at its expense. At the laying of the corner-stone of one of the institutions established for their education, that at McAllisterville, pre- sided over by Colonel George F. McFarland, himself a maimed soldier, one of the speakers on that occasion said : " Amid the vicissitudes of- the camp, and the march, and the carnage of the battle-field, many of them fell never more to return to their homes, to their friends, and to their once happy families. The children t)f many of these fallen patriots were left without either father or mother, and often with no one to care for or protect them. Ignorant of a mother's love, and robbed of a father's tender care, the cry of the orphan appealed for pity ; and, thanks to a kind Providence, the ear ANDREW G. CURTIN. 463 of one man in Pennsylvania was not heavy. That man was Governor Curtin! He whose sympathies were the first to be touched, and whose generous nature first responded to the cry, was our honored Chief Magistrate. He first conceived the idea of making the orphans of the soldiers the children of the State ! And through evil report and through good report, he has clung to that idea with a lion-hearted resolu- tion, until he has seen his plan successfully consummated. For his arduous and patriotic labors during the past six years, and for his many services to the State, the name of Andrew G. Curtin will be illustrious in its annals. But when, in the fulness of his years, he shall be laid in an honored grave, no prouder line will be found inscribed upon his tombstone than this : ' HE MADE THE ORPHANS OF THE SOLDIERS THE CHILDREN OF THE STATE ! ' " In 1863, Governor Curtin was, from his arduous labors, broken in health, and was compelled to give himself, for wee"ks at a time, to the exclusive care of an eminent physi- cian in New York. President Lincoln, appreciating his ser- vices, and recognizing the necessity of a change of climate and employment, formally tendered him a first-class Foreign Mission, which the Governor signified his willingness to accept when his term should expire. But in the meantime he was nominated for re-election; and relinquishing his in- tention of going abroad, he accepted the call of his fellow- citizens, and again entered upon the canvass. Thousands of voters were beyond the limits of the Commonwealth, facing a still defiant foe; but they generally favored the re-election of Governor Curtin ; and few letters were dispatched by them to friends at home that did not contain appeals to support the man who was generally known at the front as the " Soldier's Friend." He was re-elected by a majority of over fifteen thousand votes. In 1864, Governor Curtin was so much reduced by sick- ness that his life was despaired of; and in November of that year he was ordered by his physicians to spend the Revere winter months in Cuba, and thither he sailed. President 464 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION OF 1838. r Johnson tendered him a Foreign Mission, but he felt that he could not accept it without compromising his position before the people, and he declined. In 1867, he was a prominent candidate for the United States Senate, where a large circle of his friends were desirous of placing him ; and in 1868, he was warmly supported for Vice-President in connection with General Grant. Soon after the latter's inauguration, he nominated Governor Curtin for Minister to Russia, and the nomination was promptly confirmed by the Senate. Just before embarking for his new duty he was the recipient of a marked evidence of devotion. The Councils of Philadelphia unanimously invited him to a public reception in Indepen- dence Hall, and, in addition, the leading citizens, without distinction of party, united in giving him a banquet at the Academy of Music, that has perhaps never been equalled for elegance and every manifestation of popular affection and applause. He sailed in June, 1869, and in the discharge of his diplo- matic duties he has proven himself one of the most popular representatives which the nation has sent abroad. In the convention of the Liberal Republicans held in Cincinnati in May, 1872, as well as in that of the regular Republican Con- vention at Philadelphia, shortly afterwards, Governor Curtin had a highly respectable number of delegates who were de- sirous of nominating him for the Vice-Presidency. In senti- ment, Governor Curtin, while adhering firmly to those car- dinal doctrines of the Republic, which he believes conducive to personal liberty and equality before the law, and a general government, on the other hand, respected at home and abroad for its inherent strength, nevertheless inclines to a conservative exercise of both prerogative and power. In person, Governor Curtin is tall and commanding, with a broad, massive head, and deep chest, indicative of great power, blue eyes, and, in youth, chestnut hair. His appear- ance before a popular audience is inspiring; his eye is lit with the fires of enthusiasm, his nostrils are dilated, and his action bold and commanding, suggesting the model of oratory in the best of the classic days. ANDREW G. CURTIN: 465 Governor Curtin married Catharine, daughter of William J. Wilson, M. D., of Centre County. They have one son and four daughters. Within a few days past, August, 1872, Minister Curtin, with his family, has returned to this country. His many friends were anxious to accord him a most hearty welcome; but with sorrow they read the announcement flashed over the continent by the electric current, that his health is greatly impaired, and that his physicians have en- joined seclusion and rest. 30 JOHN W. GEARY. GOVERNOR UNDER THE CONSTITUTION OF 1838. January 15, 1867, to January 21, 1873. JOHN" WHITE GEARY, the youngest of four sons, was *J born near Mount Pleasant, Westmoreland County, Penn- sylvania, on the 30th of December, 1819. The family was English and Scotch-Irish, but for several generations his ancestors had enjoyed the privileges and honors of Amer- ican birth. Richard Geary, his father, a native of Franklin County, received a liberal education, and was a man of "re- fined tastes, amiable disposition, and superior moral excel- lence. His mother, Margaret White, was born in Washington County, Maryland, and was in all respects worthy to be the companion and help meet of her husband. They removed to Western Pennsylvania soon after their marriage, where Mr. Geary's attention being directed to the mineral wealth of that section, he was induced to engage in the manufacture of iron. This business, which has always been attended with serious risks, was much more precarious then than now; and, like many of the iron manufacturers of that period, he was unsuccessful, lost the whole of his original investment, and after resigning everything into the hands of his creditors, was left under pecuniary liabilities, which he was unable to discharge. In this trying situation he fell back upon the re- sources of his early education, and opened a select school in Westmoreland County. The remainder of his life was there devoted to a profession at all times honorable, and imposing the gravest responsibilities, but seldom lucrative ; and from his previous failure in business, he died insolvent, leaving his family entirely dependent upon their own exertions for support. 466 JOHN W. GEARY. 467 In the midst of their bereavement, they were, however, consoled by the remembrance that he whom they mourned had led a life of integrity and virtue, and had thus bequeathed an inheritance compared with which silver and gold are but as dross. Mrs. Richard Geary inherited several families of slaves, whom she first educated and then manumitted. The manu- mission of slaves was not an event of frequent occurrence at that period; and more rarely still was the gift of freedom preceded by an education that would enable its recipients to make the most of its advantages. This incident, though probably not deemed noteworthy at the time, became sug- gestive, long after the mother had gone down to her grave, of the source whence her distinguished son drew that love of liberty and justice which has ever been one of the most promi- nent characteristics of his eventful life. Being himself possessed of liberal culture, it was the earnest desire of the father that his sons should receive a col- legiate education. Prompted by parental love, every sacrifice possible was made to compass this end ; and, after passing the usual course of preliminary studies, the youngest son was entered a student of Jefferson College, at Canonsburg, Penn- sylvania. By the sudden death of the father, the career of the son was for a time interrupted. That he might suitably protect and provide for his mother, he left college, and opened a school on his own account. Favored by the smile of Providence in his self-sacrificing course of filial duty, he was enabled to discharge the sacred trust he had assumed, and subsequently to return to his place in college, where in due course he received the honors of graduation. For a time his thoughts turned to commercial pursuits; but convinced by a short experience in a wholesale house in Pittsburgh that this would not prove to him a satisfactory sphere of life, he yielded to his natural predilections for mathematics, and applied himself to the study of Civil En- gineering. Having mastered the principles of that profes- sion, he commenced the study of the law, in the belief that 468 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION OF 1838. it would increase the chances of a successful career, and was admitted to the bar, though intending to adopt engineering as his fixed vocation. With this end in view he went -to Kentucky, where he was engaged, partly in the employ of the Commonwealth, and partly in that of the Green River Railroad Company, to make a survey of several important lines of public works. The compensation for these services, with the success of a small land speculation, enabled him to execute a long-cherished, but undisclosed purpose of his heart. "When he returned from Kentucky he laid in the lap of his mother a sum of money sufficient to discharge the whole amount of his deceased father's indebtedness; and then for the first time revealed to her what had always been his fixed intention. His success in the Southwest opened the way to advance- ment in his native State ; and he soon after became Assistant Superintendent and Engineer of the Alleghany Portage Railroad. "While occupied with the duties of this position, events were maturing that were soon to thrill the heart of the nation, and to test the character of many of its sons. In the month of May, 1846, President Polk sent a message to Con- gress, informing that body that " war existed with this coun- try by the act of Mexico," and asking for men and money to enable him to maintain the rights and vindicate the honor of the Government. The burst of enthusiasm was instantaneous and general. Possessing naturally the military instinct, and actuated by the patriotic impulse of the hour, Geary was among the first who responded to the call for volunteers, and in a short time raised a company in Cambria County, to which he gave the name of American Highlanders. At Pittsburgh, his command was incorporated with the Second Pennsylvania Regiment, commanded by Colonel Roberts, of which he was immediately elected Lieutenant-Colonel. The regiment joined the army of General Scott at Vera Cruz, and served with conspicuous gallantry in Quitman's division during the memorable advance upon the Mexican capital. Lieutenant-Colonel Geary's first experience of actual war was JOHN W. GEARY. 469 in the partial, though spirited, action of the Pass oi La Hoya. In the storming of Chapultepec he was wounded; and in the assault upon the immediate defences of the city, at the Garita de Belen, he again led his regiment with so much judgment, coolness, and intrepidity, that, upon the capture, he was assigned to the command of the great citadel as a mark of Quitman's appreciation of his services. From the time when the army entered the valley of Mexico, Colonel Roberts was disqualified for duty by sickness, and the com- mand of the regiment devolved upon the Lieutenant-Colonel. Shortly after the surrender of the capital, Colonel Roberts died, and Lieutenant-Colonel Geary was elected to succeed him. The duties of his command were discharged with entire satisfaction to its officers and men. During the home- ward march discipline was strictly preserved ; and when the troops and their commander separated at Pittsburgh, the parting was attended with many signs of deep feeling and expressions of mutual esteem and regret. On the 22d of January, 1849, President Polk, in grateful recognition of his services in the Mexican "War, appointed Colonel Geary Postmaster of San Francisco, and Mail Agent for the Pacific coast, with authority to create Post Offices, ap- point Postmasters, establish mail routes, and make contracts for carrying the mails throughout California. Having re- ceived his commission, with his customary promptness, he re- turned to his home in "Westmoreland, closed up his business, and, on the 1st of February, in company with his wife and child, sailed from New York for the Pacific coast. On the 1st of April, but a little more than two months from the date of his commission, he landed safely at San Francisco, and entered at once upon the discharge of his duties. For a time he was obliged to content himself with the rudest accommo- dations, and to perform his work under many disadvantages. But here, as in all previous situations, his methodical turn and practical tact soon enabled him to improvise all needful facilities, and brought the labors of the office under an easy and expeditious management. Scarcely, however, had these 470 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION OF 1838. arrangements been perfected, when he learned that General Taylor, Mr. Folk's successor in the Presidency, had appointed Jacob B. Moore to the position which he had so briefly but efficiently occupied. The intelligent and obliging dispatch with which Colonel Geary had discharged his duties as Postmaster and Mail Agent so won the confidence and esteem of the people of San Francisco, that when the time arrived for the election of town officers, he was unanimously chosen First Alcalde, though there were ten different tickets submitted to the choice of the voters. This was only eight days after his re- moval from the office of Postmaster. Shortly afterwards, this mark of appreciation, on the part of the citizens, was fol- lowed by another equally flattering on the part of the Military Governor of the Territory, Brigadier-General Riley, who appointed him Judge of First Instance. These offices were of Mexican origin, and they imposed onerous and important duties. The Alcalde was Sheriff, Probate Judge, Recorder, Notary Public, and Coroner. The Court of First Instance exercised both civil and criminal jurisdiction throughout the city, and besides this* adjudicated all those cases arising under the port regulations which usually fall within the cognizance of Courts of Admiralty. In fact, Judge Geary was, by virtue of his double function, general curator of the public, and did nearly everything that was to be done either in the department of civil or criminal business. For a considerable length of time he was the sole magistrate, and officiated as such until the rapid increase of business obliged him to re- quest the appointment of an assistant, when W. B. Almond was created Judge of First Instance, with civil jurisdiction only. In the discharge of the manifold duties of his judicial office, Judge Geary was eminently successful. Of twenty- five hundred civil and criminal cases tried by him, not more than a dozen appeals were taken from his decision, and none of these were sustained. At the close of his first term he was re-elected, receiving all but four votes of the whole number cast, and continued in office until the Mexican institutions JOHN W. GEARY. 471 were superseded by the American forms of municipal gov- ernment. In a vote upon the first city charter and for officers to serve thereunder, taken May 1st, 1850, Judge Geary was elected first Mayor of San Francisco by a large majority. As Mayor, he rendered valuable service in perfecting the municipal or- ganization ; in restraining the tendency to extravagant ex- penditure of the public funds ; sustaining the city's credit by judicious management of its finances; and by an honest disposal of the public property saved to the corporation many millions of dollars. The result was that, as his official term, drew to a close, the Mayor received a communication, numer- ously signed by business firms and influential citizens of all political parties, requesting that he would consent to be a candidate for re-election. But for urgent personal reasons he felt himself obliged to decline their request. He was prevailed on, however, to accept a place on the Board of Commissioners, which had been created by the Legislature for the management of the public debt of the city, and served as its President. In this position the measures he suggested tended to establish confidence in the city's securities, and assure creditors that it would keep its plighted faith. On the 1st of September, 1849, a convention of delegates assembled at Monterey to form a State Constitution. The body included the best talent and ripest political experience of the Territory. In the brief period of six weeks its im- portant work was completed. Colonel Geary was not a member of the Convention, but occupied such a position in the eye of the public, and held such relations to the Demo- cratic party, as enabled him to exercise a potent influence upon its deliberations. How he exerted that influence is well known. As Chairman of the Democratic Territorial Com- mittee, he was instrumental in securing the free State clause in the Constitution, and the reference of that instrument to the people for their sanction. The triumph thus achieved secured California to the Union as a free State, and warding off the nightmare of slavery, confirmed to that young and prosperous 472 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION O.P1838. Commonwealth the boon of perpetual freedom. The failing health of Mrs. Geary induced her husband to return to the Atlantic States sooner than he had anticipated. On the 1st of February, 1852, he sailed from San Francisco, intending to go back and remain permanently in California ; but the death of his wife, and other circumstances unforeseen, caused him to change his purpose, and gave a new direction to his whole course of life. Soon after abandoning his design of making his home on the Pacific coast, he embarked largely in farming and rearing of stock in his native county. These were pursuits in which he had always felt a lively interest, and when the opportu- nity at last presented itself for the gratification of his tastes, he entered into his new sphere with a purpose never to abandon it. But man's ways are often not of his owi? choosing. After having spent about three years in retire- ment, and had in a measure brought the condition of his. f arm into conformity with his own ideal of what such an estate should be, President Pierce invited him to Washington for the purpose of tendering to him the Governorship of Utah, which, after due acknowledgment of the compliment, he respectfully declined. Not the government of Utah but of Kansas was the great problem of Mr. Pierce's administration. A bloody civil strife was being waged in that Territory, and the political state of the whole country was convulsed on the subject of its affairs. One Governor had been removed for refusing to conform strictly to the Federal policy in regard to slavery, and another was preparing to flee from the Territory through fear of assassination. In view of the pressing exigency, the thoughts of the President reverted to Colonel Geary ; and summoning him by despatch to the Executive Mansion, he, in a long interview, set before him the state of affairs in Kansas; and appealing to him on the grounds of patriotism and of personal friendship, urged him to accept the Gov- ernorship of the Territory. The Colonel frankly stated what were his personal wishes and his plans for life, and begged JOHN W. GEAR*. 473 that he might he excused from accepting a trust involving such grave responsibilities. But the President, answering his personal pleas by considerations of public duty, finally prevailed. Colonel Geary was commissioned Governor of Kansas in July, and proceeded immediately to his new field of labor, arriving at Fort Leavenworth on the 9th of September, 1856. His administration extended only from that date to March, 1857. He found the Territory in arms. On the one hand was a party utterly reckless and violent, intent upon the triumph of their policy, in defiance alike of the Acts of Con- gress and the laws of their Territory ; on the other, a party not altogether lawless, but equally determined to maintain their rights as citizens of the United States and of the Terri- tory of Kansas. The situation was sufficiently embarrassing and deplorable in itself; but the difficulties which the Governor was required to meet and overcome were greatly increased by the fact, that the sympathies and co-operation of the people of Missouri were fiercely enlisted in behalf of their Kansas pro-slavery brethren, and that the Legislature and the United States Judges of the Territory were com- mitted to the same side. In the conflict between the two parties, voters had committed perjury, houses had been burned, crops destroyed, churches desecrated, women out- raged, men murdered, and battles fought. Those scenes of violence foreshadowed fearful days ! The new Governor was not long in ascertaining the true state of affairs, nor in deciding upon his course of action. Upon arriving at Lecompton, he said to the citizens there assembled: "I appear among you as a stranger to most of you, and for the first time have the honor to address you as Governor of the Territory of Kansas. The position was not sought by me, but was voluntarily tendered and pressed upon my acceptance by the Chief Magistrate of the nation. I am here because, as an American citizen, deeply conscious of the blessings which flow from our beloved Union, I did not feel myself at liberty to ahrink from any duties, however 474 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION OF 1838. delicate and onerous, required of me by my country. With a full knowledge of the circumstances surrounding the Ex- ecutive office, I have deliberately accepted it; and, as God may give me ability, I will endeavor to faithfully meet its varied requirements. The Constitution of the United States and the Organic Law of the Territory will be the lights by which I shall be guided in my official action." The same just and patriotic sentiments pervaded his first message to the Territorial Legislature. " I will," said he, " administer equal and exact justice to all men of whatever political or religious persuasion." Acting upon these principles of right, the Governor's policy was quickly productive of the happiest results. The pro-slavery party, expecting his active sympathy, violently denounced his impartiality. The anti-slavery party, smarting under the sense of their wrongs, accused him of excessive lenienej- toward their enemies. But he firmly refused to incline to either side, and by the exercise of a vigilant and strong authority, managed to restrain both factions, and bring them withm the bounds of law and order. The armies which he found facing each other were disbanded and sent to their homes. The courts were regularly convened ; the laws were duly enforced ; life and property were adequately protected. In less than one month from the day on which he assumed the Executive functions, he was enabled to address the Hon. William L. Marcy, Secretary of State, in the following terms : " Peace now reigns in Kansas. Confidence is being grad- ually restored. Citizens are resuming their ordinary pursuits. Settlers are returning to their claims, and general gladness pervades the community." Thus was the state of things realized which the Federal authorities at Washington hoped for at the time of his appointment. It was expected, how- ever, that peace would be restored to the Territory in such a manner as would insure the ascendency of the pro-slavery party, and the admission of the Territory into the Union as a Slave State. But Governor Geary could not comprehend how the Organic Act rould be made to bear a construction which JOHN W. GEARY. 475 would inevitably produce that result; nor how, in view of his oath, he could be a party to such an issue without first com- mitting perjury. He accordingly followed the line of the law. Under the protection of the law, anti-slavery immi- gration rapidly increased, and anti-slavery sentiment grew stronger every day. It was soon perceived in the pro- slavery circles, both of Lecompton and Washington, that if he continued in the office of Governor, Kansas would be lost to slavery forever. Applications were therefore poured in upon the President from the Territory for his removal. Had Mr. Pierce remained, he would doubtless have listened and consented. But his term had expired, and James Buchanan had succeeded to the Chief Magistracy. The Governor well knew the character of the new President, and what would be his policy. Accordingly, on the very day of his inauguration, he forwarded to him the following letter of resignation : " EXECUTIVE DEPAKTMENT, KANSAS TERRITORY, LECOMPTON, March 4, 1857. "His EXCELLENCY, JAMES BUCHANAN, President of the United States : "Dear Sir: Please accept my resignation as Governor of Kansas Territory, to take effect on the 20th of the present month, by which time you will be enabled to select and appoint a proper successor. "With high respect, your friend and obedient servant, JOHN W. GEARY." The fatal project of disunion by force of arms was now being carefully matured by leading Southern men. The opportunity was regarded as in every way auspicious. Dis- cerning minds on the opposite side in the great struggle clearly saw that the crisis was approaching, and by a power- ful appeal to the country succeeded in carrying the impend- ing Presidential election in the interests of freedom. The South, feeling that the decisive moment had come, declined 476 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION OF 1838. to give Mr. Lincoln a trial, or even to wait for his inaugu- ration. Any one who knew the principles and character, the private and public antecedents of Governor Geary, could not for a moment doubt as to which side he would take in the gigantic conflict thus precipitated upon the country. He was at his farm in Westmoreland when the sound of the rebellion's first gun broke upon the ear of the nation. Early on the morn- ing following the eventful day, he drove his farm-wagon to the neighboring village, and there first heard the news of the assault upon Fort Sumter. In less than an hour after reading the telegram he had opened an office for the enlistment of volunteers. As soon as he could communicate with the President, he tendered his services, and was immediately commissioned Colonel, with authority to raise a regiment for the defence of the Union. In the course of a few weeks he received applications from sixty-six companies, soliciting per- mission to join his command. On account of the numerous and urgent appeals, he was permitted to increase his regiment to fifteen companies, with one battery of six guns, making the full complement to consist of fifteen hundred and fifty-one officers and men. The artillery company was that which subsequently became so celebrated as Knap's Battery. As soon as the equipment of his command was completed, Colonel Geary received orders to proceed to Harper's Ferry, * and report to General Banks, by whom he was assigned to the duty of guarding with his regiment twenty-one miles of the Potomac river. While engaged in securing a quantity of wheat from the enemy's hands near Harper's Ferry, he was attacked, on the 16th of October, 1861, by a force of upwards of five thousand men, with seven guns, under Generals Ashby and Evans, and with a force of only one thousand men and four guns repulsed them. In this battle, known as that of Bolivar, the Colonel was wounded in the right knee. It was the first fight of the regiment, but the men acted with great gallantry and succeeded in capturing one gun from the enemy. JOHN W. GEARY. 477 Colonel Geary was given the advance of the corps in a for- ward movement made in the following spring. On the 8th of March he captured Leesburg, and led the van of the column which subsequently obliged the Confederate forces to evacuate all the towns north of the Rappahannock, and abandon their strongholds at Snicker's, Ashby's, Manassas, and Chester Gaps, in the Blue Mountains. ' These operations were effected while Stonewall Jackson was within striking distance near Winchester ; and for his share in them, Colonel Geary was promoted to the rank of Brigadier-General, his commission bearing date of April 25th, 1862. The greater part of the time that he held the rank of Colonel he had commanded a brigade, and immediately upon his promotion he was as- signed to the command of the First Brigade, Second Divi- sion, Second Corps, General C. C. Augur being Division commander, and Major General N. P. Banks commander of the corps. By appointment of the President, on the 26th of June, 1862, Major-General Jchn Pope assumed command of the army of Virginia, consisting of the corps of Fremont, Banks, and McDowell. On the 9th of August, Banks' troops had a severe engagement with Stonewall Jackson's at Cedar Moun- tain. The day was oppressively hot, and the Union troops suffered much from exhaustion, but still more from the fierce and well-directed assaults of that great commander. General Geary was wounded slightly in the left foot and severely in the right arm. The battle was gallantly contested, but the results were adverse to the Union arms. The wound in the arm proved so serious, that, to save the limb from amputation, he was ordered Home for treatment. At the close of this campaign, General Banks was transferred to the command of the Department of the South, General Slocum succeeded to the command of the Twelfth Corps, and General Geary was promoted to the command of the Second Division. The Twelfth Corps did not participate in the battle of Fredericksburg. Shortly after his defeat in that engagement, 478 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION OF 1838. General Burnside was relieved of the command of the army of the Potomac, at his own request, and was succeeded hy General Hooker. The balance of the winter and the first weeks of spring were spent in bringing the army to a state of efficiency, and in forming a comprehensive plan of campaign. Having crossed the Rappahannock and Rapidan, on the 1st, 2d, and 3d of May, Hooker gave battle to Lee at Chancel lorsville. General Geary was wounded in the breast by a fragment of shell, and the killed, wounded, and missing of his Division, during the three days, amounted to one thousand two hun dred and nine men. Five battle-flags were captured, and a loss exceeding its own was inflicted upon the enemy. After the battle the Division went into camp at Acquia, where it remained until Lee's invasion of Pennsylvania summoned it? commander to the defence of his native State. The battle of Gettysburg was fought on the 1st, 2d, and 3d of July. The troops of Geary's division were among the first of the corps to arrive at the Scene of action. On the 1st, General Geary, suggesting the importance of possessing Round Top, was directed to occupy it with a portion of his command. Early on the morning of the 2d he was ordered to Gulp's Hill, the extreme right of the Union line, with in- structions to hold his position at every hazard. During the afternoon of that day he was remanded in the direction of Round Top, with a part of his division, to strengthen the left centre of Meade's line, which, being hard pressed, was in danger of giving way. As soon as the relief he brought could be spared, he hastened back to Gulp's Hill, and on his arrival, at about 9 o'clock at night, he found that in his ab- sence the enemy had carried a part of his line, and flanked the position which he had received orders to hold. Suitable dispositions were made during the night to meet the emer- gency ; and at 3 o'clock on the morning of the 3d, placing himself at the head of his Division, he charged the enemy, recovered the ground that had been lost, hastily strengthened his line of breastworks, and awaited the return of Ewell'a JOHN W. GEARY. 479 veterans. The maintenance of the position was of the utmost moment, for it commanded the Baltimore turnpike-, on which the supply and ammunition trains of the army were parked, and had it been lost, these would have been captured, the rear of Meade's centre would have been gained, and general defeat must have inevitably followed. No one comprehended the value of the position better than the rebel commander. Hence the furious assaults that were made upon it with the hope of seizing the last chance of victory. During seven hours the enemy shelled Geary's lines almost incessantly, and, under cover of his batteries, made repeated attempts to carry the Hill at the point of the, bayonet. But the charges were as gallantly repulsed as they were made, the batteries were si- lenced, and the enemy withdrew to join the general retreat which followed the close of the day. As long as the grove of battle-scarred trees that covers Gulp's Hill shall be left standing, the gallant sons of New York, Ohio, and Pennsyl- vania, comprising Geary's Division, will not lack testimonials of their heroic devotion to the honor of iJ*e Union and in- tegrity of their country. Twelve hundred Confederate dead were buried in front of Geary's lines the day after the battle. After Gettysburg came Chickamauga. The defeat of Rose- cranz in that battle made it necessary to reinforce the Army of the Cumberland, and for that purpose the llth and 12th Corps, under General Hooker, were detached from the Army of the Potomac. Geary's division went with the 12th Corps. Besides these troops, others were hurried forward to the scene of the late disaster ; and Grant, having laid Vicks- burg in the dust, and re-opened the Mississippi, now, by order of the President, hastened to the mountains of the Ten- nessee, and assumed command. He immediately initiated a series of movements designed *to dislodge Bragg from the formidable position which he had gained. In pursuance of his masterly plan a battle was fought at Wauhatchie on the 28th of October, 1863 ; another at Lookout Mountain on the 24th of November ; one at Mission Ridge on the 25th of No- vember, and a fourth on the 27th of November at Ringgold, 480 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION OF 1838. in the State of Georgia. These battles, fought and won iu rapid succession, were the principal achievements of Grant's Chattanooga campaign, in the course of which the disasters of Chickamauga were gloriously retrieved, and Bragg, hurled from heights which he had deemed inaccessible, was driven across the Tennessee line. The historian will ever associate the name of General Geary with the great events of this brilliant campaign. With fifteen hundred men of his Division, he, unaided, fought the battle of Wauhatchie, repulsing a night attack by one of Longstreet's divisions, at least six thousand strong. From his position on Lookout Mountain the enemy had observed the movements of the command during the day, and at mid- night dashed down upon it, confidently anticipating a sur- prise and a capture. But knowing the enemy to be in his vicinity, Geary had pitched his camp in order of battle. The troops slept on their arms, and were on their feet and in line the moment the Rebels had discharged their first volley. The General had not slept at all, and with his horse saddled at the door of his tent, was quickly at the front to direct and animate the troops. The conflict lasted seven hours, and was unusually obstinate and bloody. The artillery horses were all killed or disabled. Every officer of the staff was wounded. Captain Edward R. Geary, a youth of eighteen, the General's oldest son, commanding a section of Knap's Battery, was pierced by a rifle -ball through the forehead, and fell dead in his father's presence. When the day dawned the enemy had retreated, leaving behind him one hundred and fifty-seven killed, about an equal number of prisoners, and five hundred stands of arms. General Slocum, com- mander of the Corps, was at Murfreesboro, and writing to General Geary a few days subsequent to the battle, said : " I am very happy to hear the good reports which reach me from all sides, relative to the conduct of your command in the recent action. The contest was one of very great importance. The highest credit is awarded to you and your command, not only by General Thomas, but by all officers conversant JOHN W. GEARY. 481 with the circumstances. As I was not with you, I can claim no portion of the credit gained, nor can I, with good taste, publish an order expressing thanks to you ; but I wish you and your command to know that I have been informed of all the facts in the case, and that I feel deeply grateful for the gallant conduct which has won new laurels for our Corps." General Hooker, also, in an official report to the General-in- Chief, said : " During these operations a heavy musketry fire, with occasional discharges of artillery, continued to reach us from Geary. It was evident that a formidable adversary had gathered around him, and that he was battering him with all his might. For more than three hours, without assistance, he repelled the repeated attacks of vastly superior numbers, and in the end drove them ingloriously from the field. At one time they hac^ enveloped him on .three sides, under circumstances that would have dismayed any officer except one endowed with an iron will and the most exalted courage." As the enemy's position on Lookout Mountain and Mission Ridge threatened the communications of the Federal army, it was decided to drive him from them. On the 24th of No- vember, Geary's Division was selected by General Hooker to make an assault upon Lookout. In an hour after the order was received the troops were in motion. Crossing Lookout Creek, the Rebel pickets were surprised and captured ; and moving enthusiastically over boulders and ledges of rocks, they advanced in the face of a murderous fire until they had rounded the rugged peak and stood beneath the lofty pali- sades. The contest at the top was sharp but decisive. As the mist which enshrouded the mountain cleared away, the troops in the valley were for the first time enabled to discern the position of their comrades, and the stars and stripes, with the well-known white-star flag of the Second Division floating in the morning breeze from the beetling cliff, announced the victory. The trophies of the battle were six flags and two piece? of artillery, with over two thousand prisoners. On the 29th, General Grant, desiring to see the troops that fought the BaUk above the Clouds, rode over to Geary's camp in Wau 31 482 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION OF 18b8. hatchie Valley, and reviewed bis Division. The General-in- Chief, as a compliment to these brave men, brought with him the members of his staff and all the Generals of the combined armies of the Cumberland and the Tennessee. In the bat- tles of Mission Ridge and Ringgold, which closed the cam- paign, the Division took a conspicuous part. On the 3d of December, General Geary issued a general order to the troops of his division. Referring to the battles of the campaign in which they hafl participated, he said : "For these services I tender you my heartfelt thanks; for your bravery and endurance my warmest congratulations; for your bereavement in the loss of so many gallant comrades my sincere sympathy. In all the Division death could not have selected braver spirits, nobler hearts, than those who have laid their lives a sacrifice upon their country's altar in the re- cent engagements. Your gallant conduct has gained for you the highest appreciation and esteem of the commanding Gen- erals of the army. It behooves us to remember prayerfully that the hand of the Almighty is visible in our late victories, and that He who holds in His hands the destinies of nations, has, in His goodness, answered the humble petitions that have ascended to His heavenly throne for the triumph of our arms in the cause of our beloved country." In the spring of 1864 the Army of the Southwest was re- organized; and Grant, having been invested with the rank of Lieutenant-General, and appointed commander-in-chief, Sherman assumed command of all the forces designed to operate in the Southwestern and Southern States. Among other changes which he ordered, the llth Corps (Howard's) and the 12th (Slocum's) were consolidated, becoming in this form the 20th Corps, with General Hooker in command. General Geary was continued at the head of his old Division, with the addition of a brigade from the llth Corps. The two great campaigns of this memorable year were opened on the same day. On the 4th of May Grant moved from the Rapidan to encounter Lee, and Sherman from Chattanooga to encounter Johnston. Sherman's army was complete in all JOHN W. GEARY. 483 its appointments, and about seventy thousand strong. The events that followed can but briefly be referred to here. At the head of the division to which he was endeared, and which was endeared to him by so long a companionship in perils, hardships, sacrifices, and sufferings, Geary participated in the battles of Mill Creek, May 8th; Resaca, May 15th; New Hope Church, commencing May 26th, and continutng with but little intermission eight consecutive days; Pine Hill, June 15th; Muddy Creek, June 17th; Noses Creek, June 19th; Kolb's Farm, June 22d; Kenesaw, June 27th; Marietta, July 3d ; Peach Tree Creek, July 20th ; and the siege of Atlanta, lasting twenty-eight days, and ending in the capture of the city on the 2d of September. To use General Geary's own language: " The campaign from the opening till the fall of Atlanta was really a hundred days' fight, and may be termed a continuous battle, crowned with constant victory." General Sherman, having by these operations reached the objective point of the skilful plans he had formed at Chatta- nooga, entered at once upon other plans and dispositions. Hood was left to be confronted by Thomas, and Sherman, with one-half of his grand army, swung around upon his pivot at Atlanta, cut loose from his communications, and commenced his famous march to the sea. On the 25th of July, Hooker being relieved from command of the 20th Corps, at his own request, Williams, being senior General of division, succeeded him, Geary still remaining in charge of the Second Division. Charleston, whose defences had defied the Federal fleets, and Savannah, deemed impregnable, were uncovered, and restored to the dominion of the Federal flag. After the fall of Fort McAllister, Geary led the advance upon Savannah, received the surrender of the city at the head of his Division ; and, in recognition of his services in the capture, was appointed by Sherman Military Governor. The duties were delicate, but the General exercised his authority in such a manner as to elicit from a public meeting of the citizens presided over by the Mayor the following expression of sentiment : 484 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION F 1838. "Resolved, That Major-General Sherman, having appointed Brigadier-General Geary commander of this post, who has, by his urbanity as a gentleman and his uniform kindness to our citizens, done all in his power to protect their persons from insult, and their property from injury, it is the unani- mous desire of all present that he be allowed to remain in his present position, and that, for the reasons above stated, the thanks of the citizens are hereby tendered to him and the officers of his command.'' It was while he was in command of the city as Military Governor that he was breveted Major-General of Volunteers. His commission was dated January 12th, 1865, and the reasons assigned for his promotion in the document itself were, "fitness to command and promptness to execute" With this flattering mark of his country's approval, he pre- ferred that the very kind request of the people of Savannah might not be granted, and was accordingly permitted to take the field for the final conflict. During the subsequent opera- tions in the Carolinas, his division was engaged with the enemy at the Apalachee and Oconee rivers, at Sandsboro, Davidsboro, Salkahatchie, North and South Edisto, Red Bank, Congaree, Black River, and Bentonville. Here, in the vicinity of Goldsboro and Raleigh, the gigantic struggle that saved the republic and gave hope of freedom to the world was brought to a close. . The soldiers of the White Star Division witnessed the surrender of Johnston, partici- pated in the grand review at "Washington, after which they were disbanded, took affectionate leave of their old com- mander, and returned to their homes. The 28th Pennsyl- vania Regiment, which Geary had recruited at the beginning, continued with him to the end of the war. The regiments of his Division were among the first in the army to re-enlist as veterans. No regiment after being assigned to his brigade cr division ever left his command till duly mustered out of service. Such satisfaction was by no means a general charac- teristic of the feelings of the troops toward their commanders. It is easily accounted for in the case of General Geary. He JOHN W. GEARY. 485 required obedience, but he set the example. He counted the post of danger in the field, but he led the way. Ten thou- sand of the men who served under his command were killed and wounded during the war, but he shed his own blood as freely as he expected the same sacrifice of his subordinates. He cared, too, for the health and comfort of his troops as though they were his own children. When, in the spring of 1866, the Republican leaders began to consider the important question of selecting a candidate for the Chief Magistracy of the State, it soon became ap- parent that the name of General Geary was everywhere re- ceived with favor. His ripe experience in the conduct of civil affairs, and his distinguished services in the field, c6m- meiided him alike to the gratitude of the popular heart and the sanction of the popular judgment. After a very spirited canvass, he was elected over his competitor, Heister Clymer, by a majority of over seventeen thousand votes. He was inaugurated on the 15th of January, 1867. "What the personal sentiments were with which the duties of his high trust were assumed may be best learned from his own language : " Profoundly sensible of everything that is implied -by this manifestation of the people's confidence, and more deeply impressed with the vast importance and responsibility of the office than elevated by its attendant honors, let it be our first grateful duty to return fervent thanksgivings to Almighty God for his constant Providence and innumerable blessings to us as a people ; and especially mine to implore His aid and counsel in the discharge of civil trusts, who has been my shield and buckler amidst scenes of peril and death. That in the administration of government I may err is only what should be expected from the infirmities of the human mind; but as I enter upon the discharge of my responsible duties with a firm resolution to act with honesty and impar- tiality, I trust my errors will be regarded with charity, and treated with the gentleness of magnanimous forgiveness. I earnestly hope that my intercourse with my fellow-citizens of the Senate and House of Representatives will be so frank and 486 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION OF 1838. cordial, that our duties to. a common constituency will be pleasantly as well as faithfully discharged. Different branches of the government as we are, with distinctive duties, we are, nevertheless, parts of one organized and well-regulated sys- tem, and, as we co-operate or disagree, the interests of the State will probably be promoted or retarded. Elected by the people, and desirous to promote the welfare of every citizen, mere party differences should not be allowed to interfere with the maintenance of a generous, just, and comprehensive public policy." In his first annual message he alluded to the subject of neglect of duty and irregular practices, charged against the Legislature, in terms not to be mistaken; and in his several messages since he has almost invariably returned to it, evinc- ing thus a paramount desire to guard the rights and interests of the people, and protect the character of the government. The suppression of the great evil of special legislation ; the just limitation of the powers and privileges of great corpora tions ; the attempt to appropriate the deposits of the sinking fund for purposes foreign to the object for which the trust was created ; the disposition of railroad companies to exceed the privileges of their charters; these, and others of similar import, are the grave questions which he has endeavored to meet and adjust with a due regard to the highest welfare of the Commonwealth. In his messages to the General Assembly he has recom- mended a vigorous reduction of the State debt; the invest- ment of surplus funds in the State Treasury for the benefit of the State ; the adequate compensation of the State Treas- urer, and the increase of his bond to such an extent as would oblige his sureties to make good any possible amount of defalcation; the passage of a free railroad law, with a view to checking the spirit of monopoly, the promoting of healthful competition, and the more rapid development of resources ; the establishment of an Insurance Department for the more effectual security of such as seek that mode of protection ; the calling of a convention to revise and improve JOHN W. GEARY. 487 the Constitution of the Commonwealth; the more liberal support and efficient supervision of common schools; the tender and generous care of the families of deceased Union soldiers ; the establishment of a home for such of the sur- vivors of the Union armies as find themselves incapable of self-support with the aid of their government pension ; the proper encouragement of volunteer militia organizations; the judicious aid of the State Agricultural College; and the as- sistance of the various public charities in a spirit befitting a people who owe to that Gospel which was first preached to the poor their freedom and their civilization. Some of the evils against which his admonitions were directed have been restrained, and in a degree diminished, if not entirely removed. Some of his most important recommendations have become laws, after due consideration by the General Assembly. The record of his Executive proceedings abounds with vetoes, mainly directed against bills designed to sub- serve merely local or personal ends, which were already pro- vided for by, or were in obvious conflict with, existing general enactments. At the expiration of his first term Governor Gentry was re- nominated with a unanimity and a cordiality* that bore ample testimony to the success of his previous administration, and, despite numerous circumstances unfavorable to success, was re-elected by a majority of upwards of five thousand votes. His second term is now drawing to a close, and this is not the time, if the prescribed limits of this sketch would permit, to discuss and determine the merits of his administration. Some of the features are peculiar. For the first time in the history of the office a detailed record has been kept of every act of Executive conduct This will be left in the archives of the Department. Accompanying each of his annual mes- sages is a full list of pardons granted during the year, with the dates, causes, terms of sentence, the periods served, and the names of petitioners for the exercise of executive clemency. With one exception (Governor Pollock) he has granted fewer pardons, in proportion to the number of convictions, than any 488 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION OF 1838. of his predecessors. During the first four years of his ad- ministration the reduction of the public debt per annum has been one million six hundred and forty-eight thousand one hundred and eighty-seven dollars. As the reader has observed, the life of Governor Geary has been unusually diversified, and has extended over a field as wide as this great country. In private and subordinate sta- tions, and in public positions of civil and military trust, his career has been marked with unusual, indeed, invariable suc- cess. Though still in the prime of life, he has filled a larger measure of service than is the lot of most men who have lived out the full period of human existence. The intimacy of the author's personal relations to the Gov- ernor being known to many, that fact will justify a brief allusion to himself. He enlisted as a private in the 28th Pennsylvania Regiment, when it was first recruited, served in it till its Colonel was promoted, was then appointed as aid-de- camp on General Geary's staff', and continued in that position to the end of the war. Since Governor Geary's first inaugu- ration the author has occupied a confidential position near his person. In the preparation of this sketch, his aim has been to set down nothing in mere friendship ; indeed the apprehen- sion that on account of the intimacy of these relations he might be suspected of partiality, has, more than anything else, embarrassed him, and confined his narrative to a statement of facts, which he cannot but regard as bald and unattractive. Deeming himself especially qualified to be a witness, there is one point on which he claims the right to give his testimony, and in doing so he has only to say that, for honesty and fidelity to any trust, whether private or public, committed to him, he has seldom known the equal, and does not expect to find the superior of John W. Geary among the sons of men. In person, Governor Geary is tall, erect, and well propor- tioned. He exemplifies the old Roman idea of complete manhood: "A sound mind in a sound body." In manner, he is direct and cordial. There is nothing in his bearing that would embarrass a stranger, however humble ; and whether JOHN W. GEARY. 489 at the head of an army, or seated in the chair of the Chief Magistrate, he has ever been easily accessible to all classes of applicants for his attention. Power of application, force of will, clearness of perception, and soundness of judgment, are his distinguishing mental characteristics; and his moral nature is so well developed and strong that he has wholly escaped the vices that have destroyed many of the most gifted men. This he has partly inherited from his Puritan ancestors, and partly from the lips of a Christian mother, whose coun- sels seem never to have been forgotten. Governor Geary was married on .the 12th of February, 1843, to Margaret Ann, daughter of James R. Logan, of Westmoreland County. Three sons were the issue of this marriage, one of whom died in infancy, another, Edward R., was killed, as has been noticed, in the battle of Wauhatchie, and the remaining one is now a cadet at "West Point, in the third year of his course. Mrs. Geary died on the 28th of February, 1853, and in November, 1858, Governor Geary was married to Mrs. Mary C. Henderson, daughter of Robert R. Church, of Cumberland County, and has issue of three daughters and one son, the latter the first male child born to a Governor while exercising the executive trust. Since the first edition of this work was issued, Governor Geary retired from office, his second term having expired January 21, 1873. His last annual message, which was gen- erally regarded as his most able official communication, evinces a thorough comprehension of the varied interests of the Commonwealth ; forcibly suggests the means by which they may be most effectually promoted; and, among other gratifying statements, announces a reduction of the public debt amounting to 10,992,662.54, being a little over twenty- nine per cent, of the State's liabilities in 1866. The condition of the country and of the State during the period of his administration was such as to frequently render his official duties peculiarly difficult, New and important questions arising from the results of the Civil War were to be considered and adjusted. These responsibilities he assumed 490 GO VERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION OF 1838. and discharged with his usual firmness and intrepidity, win- ning for himself the unqualified respect and confidence of the masses of all parties. Upon his retirement, the ex-Governor fixed his residence in Harrisburg, and instead of allowing himself the relaxation he so much needed, at once began to initiate plans for busi- ness upon an extensive scale. But truly, u in the midst of life we are in death." The ceaseless strain of public service, in war and in peace, had done its work upon a constitution that seemed incapable of exhaustion or fatigue. On Saturday morning, February 8th, 1873, as he sat at breakfast with his family, his head dropped suddenly upon his breast, and in that instant "the golden bowl was broken, and the spirit returned to God who gave it." Words are inadequate to express the sensation produced in the Capital, and throughout the Commonwealth and country, by an event so unexpected and mournful. The honors of a public funeral were accorded to the distinguished dead, and now near the scene of his last official honors and responsibilities he sleeps in the bosom of the State he had served so faithfully and loved so well. JOHN F. HARTRANFT, GOVERNOR UNDER THE CONSTITUTION OF 1838. January 21, 1873, to January . JOHN FREDERICK, son, and only child, of Samuel E. and *J Lydia Bucher Hartranft, was born in New Hanover Town- sLip, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, December 16th, 1830. The family is of German descent. Its ancestors came to this country some time between the years 1734 and 1746. Being farmers, they were attracted to that fertile and beautiful section of the State, where their descendants generally have continued to reside. The parents are alike characterized for those personal vir- tues and practical habits which form the basis of a quiet, prosperous, happy life; and now, at an advanced age, are permitted to witness and participate in the honors of their distinguished son. Thirty years ago, the common-school system of Pennsyl- vania was in its infancy ; and select schools had not reached that degree of efficiency which they have since attained. Facilities for the instruction of young children were especially meagre and incomplete. The subject of this sketch received his first school lessons in his sixth .year. At the age of ten, he had the good fortune to be placed under the tuition of Dr. John F. Evai.s, and after two years with him passed suc- cessively into th3 hands of Mr. Philip Cressman and Mr. Samuel Aaron, gentlemen noted for their proficiency as educators. In his seventeenth year, he entered the prepara- tory department of Marshall College, then located at Mer- cersburg, Pennsylvania, where he continued two years, and when ready to enter the Sophomore class, was transferred to 491 492 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION OF 1838. Union College, Schenectady, New York, then under the presidency of the celebrated Dr. Eliphalet Nott. During his studies at Union, he ranked well in all his classes; but as civil engineering was to be his profession, he gave special attention to mathematics, and in that branch excelled the majority of his classmates. In three years he completed the collegiate course, graduating, in 1853, with credit for scholar- ship, and bearing from his Alma Mater the esteem of his instructors and associates. In March of his year of gradua- tion he joined an engineer corps, employed to survey a rail- road route from Wilkesbarre to the Delaware Water Gap, returning in July to attend the commencement exercises of his college, and receive his diploma. After fulfilling another brief engagement of a similar character, at the request of his father who desired his companionship and assistance in his own business he promptly abandoned a profession that had been his supreme wish, and for which his education had been specially designed. And if the history of his life teaches the young men of his native State, and of the country, any one lesson more effectually than another, it is that of filial affection and duty as the open highway to honor and distinction. In the summer of 1854, he assumed his first political trust by accepting the position of Deputy, under M. C. Boyer, Esq., who was then Sheriff of Montgomery County. The Sheriff being a Whig, the election of a Democratic Deputy was indic- ative of an unusual degree of confidence in his character and qualifications. At the next regular election, in 1855, S. D. Rudy, Esq., a Democrat, was the successful candidate for the sheriftalty; and the Democratic Deputy of his Whig pre- decessor having performed his duties to the entire satisfaction of all parties was continued in office. It often happens that insignificant causes determine the events of human destiny. The appointment of John F. Hartranft as Deputy-Sheriff of his native county may be taken as an illustration. By enlarging the sphere of his acquaintance, and identifying him with political affairs, it gave a direction to the current of his future life that he had never anticipated nor desired. JOHN F. HARTRANFT. 493 During the two terms of service as Deputy-Sheriff, he read law under the tuition of James Bojd, Esq., of the Norristown bar; arid as the rule of court required a year's study in a law- office, in order to admission, he entered the office of A. B. Longaker, Esq., and having fulfilled the condition, and passed a satisfactory examination, was duly admitted in 1859. Mean- while, having taken a lively interest in politics, his influence was felt upon all political questions which to any extent affected the feelings and views of the community; and the degree of his personal popularity, at home, will be sufficiently indicated by the fact that he was twice elected to office, being, in both instances, the candidate of the minority party. But it is upon his military, rather than his civil record that his title to the present consideration of his countrymen is securely established. Only a bare outline of this is all that prescribed limits will allow. From the date of his permanent residence in Norristown, he had manifested an active interest in military organizations ; and at the outbreak of the civil war was Colonel of the 1st Regiment of Montgomery County Militia, consisting of six companies. Under the law as it then stood, five companies constituted a regiment. The call of President Lincoln for seventy-five thousand volunteers was issued on Saturday, but by some mishap did not reach Norristown till the following Monday. Upon its receipt, Col. Hartranft immediately gave notice to the com- pany commanders of his intention to offer the services of the regiment to the Governor of the Commonwealth. The same evening the citizens of Norristown were convened, and ad- dresses were delivered, tending to excite popular enthusiasm and promote enlistment for the defence of the Union. Early next morning, the Colonel started for Harrisburg, had an interview with the Governor, and was cordially accepted. In three days seven companies were filled to the required standard, and on Saturday were reported at Harrisburg for duty. Permission was requested to recruit the remaining three companies in Montgomery County, but was not granted, for the reason that the excitement and peril produced by the 491 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION OF 1838. attack on the 6th Massachusetts in the streets of Baltimore, were deemed such as to demand the immediate presence of all available troops on the line of communication between the loyal States and the capital. Three companies were accord- ingly supplied from Camp Curtin. On Sunday night the regiment moved down to Philadelphia, reporting to General Patterson; and, as soon next morning as transportation could be procured, was forwarded to Perryville. In the meantime, connection by rail between that point and Washington had been severed. But after a brief detention, five companies were conveyed by steamer to Annapolis, where they joined the forces of General Butler; the remaining five following in the course of two or three days. The soldiers were still arrayed in citizens' dress, and carried their cartridges in their pockets. Uniforms, however, were quickly supplied; but owing to haste, or the rascality of contractors at that early stage of the war, they proved worthless. Indignant at the imposition, Colonel Hartranft hastened back to Harrisburg, made complaint to the authorities, obtained better clothing for his men, and on the 8th of May the regiment was ordered to Washington. About the 1st of June, the command, having received the necessary equipage from the general Govern- ment, was placed in camp. In discipline, the men were rapidly improving; but they were still the worst-clothed troops that Pennsylvania had sent to the field. The explanation of this circumstance is found in the fact that the regiment was hurried to the front, while the others remained till they had received suitable equipment. After a brief period in camp, Colonel Hartranft received orders to report to Colonel Heintzleman; and was assigned to the brigade commanded by Colonel William B. Franklin, which was posted with a view to covering Alexandria. Nothing worthy of note occurred till June 30th, when Colonel Hartranft's outer picket-line was attacked by a party of Confederate scouts. This was the first instance in which any portion of the com- mand was exposed to the fire of the enemy. One man was killed and one wounded. The assailants lost several killed JOHN F, EARTRANFT. 495 and wounded ; and after this exchange of shots the Rebels hastily retired, while the pickets fell back to an inner line. Preparations were then being made for a general forward movement, which soon culminated in the famous battle of Bull Run. Colonel Hartranft's regiment having been mus- tered in on the 20th of April, the period of enlistment expired just on the eve of that engagement. In view of the approarh- ing conflict, the Colonel was extremely anxious to retain the men in the service ; and to induce them to remain, he went to General McDowell's headquarters, and prevailed upon him to write a letter requesting them to waive their claim to a dis- charge till after the battle. But when the question was sub- mitted to the companies, they declined to accede to the request. Under the circumstances, their Colonel was powerless either to persuade or compel ; and as the regiment marched to the rear to be mustered out, he advanced to the front to tender his own services to McDowell, and was assigned to duty with General Franklin, on whose staff he served with conspicuous gallantry throughout that first bloody day, which covered so many loyal faces with shame and filled so many loyal hearts with mourning. Colonel Hartranft was commissioned for the three-years' service, July 27th, 1861, and, in September following, or- ganized at Camp Curtin, Harrisburg, the 51st Regiment of Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry. Some of the officers, and many privates of his three-months regiment, joined the new organization ; and subsequently proved, by heroic devotion to the flag, that their refusal to wait for the battle of Bull Run was not owing to any want of loyalty, or a craven fear of facing the enemy. The command was mustered by companies into the service of the United States, the regimental stand of colors being received on the 5th of November, from the hand of Governor Curtain, who said : " I am looking hundreds in the face, now in perfect health, who will never return to their homes, families, and friends; but their memories will be en- shrined in the hearts of the generations of future ages." It needed not the inspired foresight of a prophet to enable him 496 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION OF 1838. to utter these solemn words. The regiment left Camp Curtin on the 18th for Annapolis, Maryland. At that time Major- General Burnside was organizing an expedition there for ser- vice on the coast of North Carolina. The 51st was incor- porated with his corps, and assigned to Reno's brigade of Foster's division. On the 6th of January, 1862, the fleet conveying the troops weighed anchor and moved down the bay in three squadrons. The immediate point of attack was Roanoke Island. At early dawn of February 7th, a landing was effected, and the troops were immediately put in motion. The regiment participated in Foster's attack, which drove the enemy from their works in haste and confusion. Reno, meanwhile, had thrown him- self upon the line of retreat, so that the whole Rebel force, with its artillery and small arms, was captured. On the 13th of March, Burnside landed his forces on the bank of the Neuse River, about fifteen miles below Newbern, and marched against the city without delay. In the disposi- tions for the attack, Foster occupied the right, Reno the left, and Parke the centre of the Federal line. The defences con- sisted of "thirteen finished redans, bristling with cannon, and protected in front by an almost impassable morass filled with fallen timber." Skirmishing commenced early in the morn- ing. About noon the whole line became engaged; and the conflict continued three hours and a half with varying results. During this time the 51st Pennsylvania had been held in re- serve, within seventy-five yards of the enemy's works, and, though severely exposed and suffering, had not fired a musket. As all soldiers will readily comprehend, this was a service much more trying to their firmness and spirit than the dangers of a direct assault. At last, General Reno, growing impatient at the delay of victory, and irritated at the loss he was sus- taining, ordered up the 51st for the decisive charge. After a careful survey of the approaches by Colonel Hartranft, Lieu- tenant-Colonel Bell was directed to lead the left wing of the regiment to the attack. Crossing a ravine obstructed by fallen timber, and moving rapidly up the opposite bank, Bell JOHN F. HARTRANFT. 497 rushed upon the redan, routed the enemy, and planted his flag on the ramparts. General Reno, in his official report, speaking of the manner in which this movement was con- ducted, says: "All this was gallantly executed, and the enemy fled precipitately from all their intrenchments. Some fifty prisoners were captured in the works, many severely wounded. Upon reaching the Rebel intrenchments, I was rejoiced to see our flag waving along the entire line." This ended the fight- ing, and at 4 p. M. the Federal commander was in possession of the city. On the 16th of April, the regiment was again engaged in an action known as the battle of Camden. Colonel Hartranft was not present on that occasion, having received a furlough of twenty days that he might visit his sick family. After burying two of his children, he hurried back to the scene of duty, arriving just in time to salute his men on their return from the battle. In no other instance during the war, while it remained under his personal command, was his regiment engaged when he did not participate. In June following, the Colonel received a communication from a friend in the rear, requesting him to permit the use of his nam,e as a candidate for the office of Surveyor-General, to which he promptly returned the following reply : "CAMP KENO, June 24th, 1862. " FRIEND B. I thank you and my friends in Blair County for your kind intentions ; but I do most positively decline to have my name brought before the public as a candidate for office. I desire to serve ray country in no other position, during the continuance of the rebel- lion, than that in which it has been my fortune to serve since Presi- dent Lincoln's proclamation calling out 75,000 volunteers." Major-General Pope having been appointed to command the Army of the Potomac, and being threatened by a com- bined movement of the forces of Lee and Jackson, Burnside received orders, on the 12th of August, to hasten with his column to his support. Landing at Fredericksburg, he pushed forward two divisions to Cedar Mountain, where 498 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION OF 1838. they formed a junction with. McDowell's corps. But the united columns were not able to resist the enemy. In the retreat to the Rappahannock, Colonel Hartranft temporarily commanding Ferrero's brigade was directed to cover the rear of the Federal forces. The post was critical and respon- sible in the extreme; and while a gallant front was maintained, and every precaution taken, the Colonel's opinion was that, had not Longstreet been inevitably detained two hours, his brigade must have been cut off and captured. After con- siderable manoeuvring, Pope formed in line to receive the enemy on the same ground where McDowell had fought the battle of Bull Run. Kearney held the right and Reno the left, in that part of the field where Colonel Hartranft was immediately engaged. The line of retreat was by the Cen- treville road, and the Confederates, flushed with recent suc- cesses, were advancing to deal a more decisive blow; the Federal troops being impeded by their trains and discouraged by previous reverses. To protect the trains, and keep the road clear, Graham's Battery had been placed in good position ; and that he should be able to hold the ground was a matter of the last importance. Ferrero, having returned, and re- sumed command of the brigade as ranking Colonel, perceived the danger and the necessity of support, and with the 51st New York, the 21st Massachusetts, and the 51st Pennsylvania, made a stand that could not be shaken by the utmost efforts of the enemy. As soon as the attempt to drive him from his position had failed, Colonel Ferrero moved off with the 21st Massachusetts, supposing the other two regiments would follow; but Colonel Hartranft, having received orders to that effect from General Reno, remained till near midnight with his own regiment, and the 51st New York, under Lieu- tenant-Colonel Potter, for the purpose of checking any further effort to disturb the rear of the Federal column, when he received a second order from Reno, saying that Kearney's brigade would suffice to protect the retreat, and that he should retire to Centreville. Two days subsequent, General Reno's corps was moved on a line parallel with the road from JOHN F. HARTRANFT. 499 Centreville to Fairfax Court-House, and took a new position. The cavalry reconnoitred in front, and Colonel Hartranft, with his regiment and two batteries, held the rear during the movement. When the advance of the line became engaged, Hartranft brought forward his guns placing his infantry in support and opened fire on the enemy. While thus en- gaged, an aid arrived from Reno with an order directing him to abandon the ground he had assumed, and immediately take position on the right of the line. But convinced that he was right, he declined to obey; and mounting, rode to headquarters for the purpose of explanation. When he had Btated the facts of the situation, the General thanked him for having taken the responsibility of disobedience, declaring that by every consideration the position should be maintained, and promising to send to his support the first available rein- forcements. This particular series of engagements, in which Colonel Hartranft's command took a part so active and responsible, will be known in the history of the war as the battle of Chantilly. The days on which it was fought were, perhaps, the darkest and most disastrous that ever closed upon the republic. For the moment it seemed as though Kearney and Stevens had died in vain ; as if it were without avail that Hartranft and his gallant companions had staked their lives to cover the retreating columns, and save the capital of the nation. But it was not in vain. The soldiers who sus- tained the defeat had displayed qualities, in their heroic attempts to avert it, which gave promise of the triumphs that crowned their arms within the two succeeding years. It has been given to the highest type of men to be greater in defeat than in victory. After his defeat on this unfortunate field, Pope was relieved of the command of the Army of the Potomac, and McClellan restored. Still attached to Burnside's corps, Colonel Hart- ranft participated in the battle of South Mountain, the 14th of September. On the broad summit of the mountain, Ferrero's brigade had a very sharp encounter with the foe. The 17tb 500 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION OF 1838. Michigan, a raw but gallant regiment, first engaged, and suffered severely. General Reno, supposing it had estab- lished a line on the edge of a wood, as he had directed, ordered Colonel Hartranft forward to its support. In moving to execute the order, the regiment, unsuspicious of danger, vras suddenly and fiercely opened upon from the edge of the wood. The 17th Michigan had at first driven the enemy, but failing to make good the advantage gained, their oppo- nents returned, and, waiting till the 51st was almost upon the points of their bayonets, opened a murderous fire. As quickly as possible the Colonel withdrew his command, and reforming under the protection of a fence, returned the fire until his ammunition was spent, when he was replaced by Colonel Potter with the 51st New York. The fire was thus maintained ; and the cartridge-boxes having been refilled, the 51st Pennsylvania returned; and the enemy, pelted by Hart- ranft and Potter combined, finally retreated under cover of the darkness. It is well known that the gallant General Reno fell in this action, and it was the sad privilege of Colonel Hartranft to receive the last words of command that were issued from his lips. The battle of Antietam, on the 16th and 17th, was but a continuation of that of South Mountain. Hooker's attack on the enemy's left during the afternoon of the 16th, and that of Mansfield and Sumner on the morning of the 17th, had proved complete successes. But in the meantime the troops of the Federal left and centre had remained passive spectators of the scene. About nine o'clock, however, the Ninth Corps was ordered to advance and carry the stone bridge on the extreme right of the Confederate line. Against this position, strong by nature and fortified to the utmost by the skill of the engineer, the llth Connecticut and Cook's brigade, sup- ported by Sturgis's division, were advanced. As this column approached along the valley, it was so hotly assailed by the enemy from the opposite heights, that it was obliged to halt and reply. The troops of Sturgis gained the head of the bridge. The 2d Maryland and the 6th New Hampshire JOHN F. HARTRANFT. 501 charged at a run with fixed bayonets, but were compelled to fall back by the accurate and concentrated fire to which they were exposed. These regiments behaved with admirable spirit; but failing of success were, after repeated efforts, withdrawn. Burnside, though chagrined by the failure, would not yet relinquish the attempt, and so resolved to try again with troops that he had seen tested at Roanoke, Newbern, and Chantilly. General Ferrero came dashing up to Colonel Hartranft, and said: "General Burnside orders the 51st Pennsylvania, Colonel Hartranft, to storm the bridge." The manner of communicating the order was a marked compliment. The usual mode would have conveyed it to General Ferrero. commanding the brigade, and from him to the Colonel of the 51st Pennsylvania. In the change of mode there was a special significance. Avoiding the road by which the first assailants had suffered so severely and been repulsed, the Colonel led his command along the rear of the heights overlooking the river .till he gained a point directly opposite the bridge, when he faced about and moved down the slope directly against it. The moment the troops reached the open ground of the valley, the Rebel infantry on the heights poured upon them a destructive fire, and in cross- ing a fence that skirted the road, they suffered still more severely. At this point many men were killed, and two officers Captains Hart and Bolton were dangerously wounded. But, heedless of the death-dealing discharges, the brave fellows made directly for the bridge. Hartranft, lead- ing the attack, had paused an instant to close up the ranks, when he was joined by his gallant friend, Colonel Potter, at the head of the 51st New York. The two commanders and their regiments had on previous occasions proved each other's mettle, and now uniting, with a shout that was distinct amid the thunders of the battle, they rushed forward, and the bridge was won. Burnside's entire corps now advanced, crossed the bridge, and occupied the heights beyond. But all this gallant devotion was to no purpose. The enemy being relieved by the slackening of the fire on the left, and strength 502 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION OF 1838. ened by the arrival of a corps of fresh roops from Harper's Ferry, the Federal advance was compelled to recross the bridge, and forfeit the temporary advantage for which they had paid so dearly. The troops, however, did not retire till after a desperate contest. The 51st having exhausted its ammunition, Colonel Hartranft maintained his ground with fixed bayonets until the arrival of reinforcements obliged the enemy to withdraw. The loss of the regiment, killed and wounded, was one hundred and twenty-five, nearly one-fourth of its available strength at the opening of the conflict. Among the slain were Lieutenant-Colonel Bell and Lieu- tenants Beaver and Hunsicker, brave soldiers and estimable citizens. In view of Colonel Hartranft's services in this battle, as well as during the campaigns in !N"orth Carolina and Virginia, General Burnside entered his name on his list for promotion, as will be seen in the following letter addressed to General McClellan, September 25th, 1862 : " GENERAL : I beg to recommend for promotion as Brigadier- Generals, Colonel William S. Clark, 21st Massachusetts Volunteers ; Colonel J. F. Hartranft, 51st Pennsylvania Volunteers ; and Colonel Edward Harland, 8th Connecticut Volunteers. " These officers have served with me with faithfulness and distinc- tion in North Carolina, where they took a prominent part in three battles. Colonels Clark and Hartranft then served in General Pope's Virginia campaign under the immediate direction of General Reno, by whom they were highly praised, and lately they and Colonel Har- land have served with high credit to themselves in this campaign in Maryland. " For their arduous and faithful service, in which their bravery and skill as officers has highly distinguished them, I would most strongly recommeTid them to your favorable notice for a well-deserved promotion." "Upon the publication of General Burnside's letter, General Heintzlernan availed himself of the opportunity to congratu- late Colonel Hartranft as follows; " COLONEL : I have read General Burnside's letter recommend- ing Colonel Clark and yourself for Brigadier-Generals. JOHN F. HARTRANFT. 503 " I well recollect your gallant services on Gen \i il Franklin's staff at the first Bull Run battle, and Lave followed with interest your career in North Carolina. It will afford me much pleasure to hear that your services have been rewarded in this manner." The promotion, however, though so richly merited, was long delayed. The Government did not intend to be unjust to any of its defenders. But if the claimants were equal in merit, they certainly were not in modesty. Colonel Hart- ranft thought only of his duty in the Held, and no solicitations were made at Washington in his behalf. The failure to pursue Lee, and the delays upon various pretences which succeeded the battle of Antietam, produced general discontent throughout the country, and with the hope of a more vigorous prosecution of hostilities, McClellan was superseded by the appointment of Burnside to the command of the army. By this change General Wilcox was placed at the head of the Kinth Corps. The enemy had retired from the field of Antietam to their intrenched heights in the rear of Fredericksburg. About the middle of- December the Federal army crossed the Rappahannock, and made a general assault upon the Confederate lines. Owing to their great strength, as well as the gallantry of the defence, and prob- ably the want of hearty co-operation with the Federal com- mander on the part of some of his principal subordinates, the attack proved a decided failure, and the whole army, re- crossing the river, at once retired into winter-quarters. For two nights and a day Colonel Hartranft, commanding four regiments, held an advanced position in front of the Rebel centre, where he threw up intrenchrnents, and his troops were among the last to be withdrawn from the immediate presence of the enemy. The loss of his own regiment was twelve killed and seventy-four wounded. General Burnside, being relieved from the command of the Army of the Potomac at his own request, was assigned to duty in the Department of the Ohio. In the beginning of April, 1863, Colonel Hartranft's regiment, with other 504 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION OF 1838. troops and two divisions of the Ninth Corps, were ordered to Kentucky. During the spring, the 51st was posted at various points in the interior of the State, to protect the people against raids by the guerillas of "Wheeler. Morgan, and Pegram. In June, the corps in Kentucky, temporarily commanded by General Parke, was ordered to the support of Grant before Vicksburg. In all the operations following this change, Colonel Hartranft commanded a brigade, though he had not received promotion. In the climate of Mississippi his health soon began to suffer. When his brigade was ordered to accompany Sherman in his advance against Jackson, he was so prostrated as to be unable to keep the saddle, and was obliged to direct the movements of his troops from an am- bulance. After the fall of Vicksburg and the occupation of Jackson, the Ninth Corps was returned to Burnside's command in Kentucky. The 51st took post at Camp Nelson in order to rest and refit; was thence moved to Crab Orchard; and after recruiting there, marched across the mountains, by way of Cumberland Gap, to Knoxville. Since the return from Mis- sissippi, Colonel Hartranft had been disabled by the effects of disease, but soon after the arrival of his regiment in the Valley, he so far recovered as to be able to rejoin it, and in obedience to orders immediately assumed command of the Second Division of the Ninth Corps. Stirring times were at hand. Longstreet was moving, with a greatly superior force, to cut off and capture Burnside's entire command. As sev- eral railroads there converged, Campbell's Station was his objective point in this movement, and he had the advantage of the shortest and most direct road. But his design was discovered in time to frustrate it. Colonel Hartranft inarched all night, dragging Benjamin's Battery over roads that were almost impassable, and reached the Station in advance of the Rebel commander, the head of whose column soon after appeared and opened a heavy fire. But the Colonel tena- ciously clung to his position till the Federal army with all JOHN F. HARTRANFT. 505 its trains had passed, and then, falling back, took a new position. The fight had been obstinately maintained, not for victory, but to insure retreat for the main body of the army. In the execution of this purpose the gallant subordinate made successive stands till, under cover of the darkness, his chief escaped safely into Knoxville. In the subsequent defence of that city,- Hartranft's command held the road leading into it from Cumberland Gap, and by throwing a dam across a mill- stream, he flooded the surrounding country for more than a mile, and thus rendered his position perfectly secure. Long- street was delayed in his movements, and by the time he arrived, the Federal defences had been rendered impregnable. But by cutting oft* supplies he soon reduced the besieged to very short rations, when Sherman, dispatched by Grant with a heavy force, obliged him to raise the siege, and retire with a haste that barely saved him from destruction. Their term of service having expired, the 51st returned home, and re-enlisting, the troops were granted at Harrisburg a veteran furlough. As was their due, they were everywhere hailed with the warmest manifestations of welcome. Upon arriving at Norristown, Colonel Hartranft and staff, with the five companies recruited in Montgomery County, were re- ceived with the most cordial and flattering demonstrations. The orator of the day, among other remarks expressive of the public gratitude and appreciation, said : " It is to you, Colonel, that the regiment owes the character it bears. Your dis- cipline in the camp, your foresight on the march, your coolness, bravery, and judgment on the battle-field, have won the confidence and love of your men, and made them heroes in the fight. They knew that you never ordered where you did not lead." A few days sufficed to recruit the regiment to its maximum, and upon the expiration of the furlough, it was rendezvoused at An- napolis, where the old Ninth Corps was reassembling. A reinforcement of new recruits increased the strength of the Corps to twenty thousand men. In the absence of General Burnside, the command of the depot was intrusted to Colonel Hartranft. All the new regiments were ordered to report 506 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION OF 1838. directly to him, and to his supervision was committed the whole work of equipment and reorganization. The hero of Donelson, Shiloh, Vicksburg, and Chatta- nooga, having been appointed Lieutenant-General and Com- mander-in-Chief, was transferred from the West to the East, and immediately upon his arrival assumed in person the com- mand of the Army of the Potomac. Henceforward there was to be no more debating, and war was to be divorced from politics. The Ninth Corps was reviewed by President Lincoln as it passed through Washington to join the columns of Grant on the Rapidan. In the grand movements that were imme- diately inaugurated, the Corps took position between those of Hancock and Warren. Only about one-fourth of it was composed of veteran troops. Grant was now to meet Lee on the same ground where Hooker had been defeated. Battle was imminent, and the necessary dispositions were being rapidly made. The ground was aptly designated a wilderness, and its peculiar character was to give name to a battle that will be ever memorable in the country's history. The bloody issue was joined on the 6th of May. Owing to the dense undergrowth, Colonel Hartranft had some difficulty in getting his brigade into position. His instructions were to support Potter's division, which had been ordered to attack a part of the Rebel line that was posted in a woods; but the enemy were discovered to be on Hartranft's instead of Potter's front, and so the assault devolved upon his brigade, Potter supporting him on the flank of his movement. The fighting was necessarily uncertain amid the entanglement of the forest, and without decisive effect upon either side. In the after- noon General Wilcox, who commanded the division to which Colonel Hartranft's brigade was attached, arrived and as- sumed command, when the brigade was ordered to renew the assault. But so difficult was the ground, and so obstinate the resistance of the enerm 7 , that Hartranft rode up to Wil- cox, and said: " General, this admnce is against my judgment." Quickly assigning the reasons for his opinion, they were at JOHN F. HARTRANFT. 507 once communicated to General Bumside, who expressed his approval, and directed the order for the attack to be counter- manded. Subsequent information proved that the enemy had been heavily reinforced, and disclosed the fact that Hartranft had been fighting Longstreet aH day, to whose repulse he had recently contributed before the defences of Knoxville. Colonel Ilartranft kept his saddle throughout these opera- tions; but ordered the officers of his staff to dismount, and assist in directing the movements of the several regiments, as they were composed mostly of raw troops, and from the concealment of the enemy were peculiarly liable to be thrown into confusion. When the second advance was ordered, he rode along the entire front of his line, pausing to give special directions and encouragement to each regiment, though he was every moment exposed to the fire of the enemy's skir- mishers. The men being strangers to him, he felt it to be particularly important that his personal example should be such as would inspire them wilh firmness in themselves and confidence in their leader; and he was known to say after- ward that, as he rode along the line the morning following the battle, he heard from the troops words which assured him that he could henceforth send them anywhere, whether he went himself or not. The great battle of Spottsylvania was fought on the 12th of May. The Ninth Corps on the morning of that day moved in columns of brigades, and crossed Nye River, about a mile and a half to the left of the position from which General Grant was directing the movements of the whole army. Hancock's famous charge on the centre of the Rebel line was like a tornado. For the time being everything went down before it. Many prisoners and guns were taken. But his columns were dreadfully shattered by the assault; and the gallant enemy partially recovering from the dreadful shock, and bringing up their reserves, had returned, and were be- ginning to drive back the victorious assailants. But fortu nately, at this juncture, the head of the advance column of 508 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION OF 1838. the Ninth Corps struck the flank of the enemy, and arrested their progress. Meanwhile Colonel Hartrarift's line was severely exposed to an enfilading fire. To escape this he changed front, pushed out skirmishers, and was about to advance in force,' when he received an order from Burnside to report with his entire brigade to General Hancock. But while moving rapidly to execute the order, a countermand was received, directing him to return to the position he had just left, and attack with all his force. Before proceeding to execute the order, he desired to send out skirmishers for the purpose of feeling the enemy's position. But General Burn- side, having been recently charged with being a little dilatory in his movements, would not permit the delay. The result was the two columns met in a woods obstructed with dense undergrowth ; inevitable confusion ensued, a few prisoners were taken by both parties; but nothing decisive was accom- plished on either side. Colonel Hartranft's opinion was, that had a skirmish-line been first advanced into the woods, the position and strength of the enemy would have been ascer- tained, and they could have been shelled out with little diffi- culty. From this day was dated his commission as Brigadier- General. His own judgment upon this coincidence was, that service and honors do not always correspond. The results of his fighting on the day of his promotion had been less satisfactory to himself than in any other instance during the war. He thought he had been by far more deserving after Antietam and Campbell's Station than after Spottsylvania. To cover the whole case was probably the intent of f he Gov- ernment, and whatever may have been the motives for post- poning the recognition, no one will doubt its having been richly merited before it came. In the prosecution of the campaign portions of the Federal troops crossed the North Anna River, but after considerable fighting w r ere withdrawn, and the entire available strength of the army w T as immediately thereafter concentrated at Cold Harbor, where, on the first three days of June, was fought one of the bloodiest battles of the war. On the third day JOHN F. HARTRANFT. 509 Gen. Hartranft's brigade was posted near Bethesda Church. At six of the morning, he advanced and captured a line of works. The ultimate object of this movement was an attack upon the enemy's main line; but his judgment being that the attempt should not be made without the support of artil- lery, and the guns failing to arrive till three o'clock in the afternoon, the order of attack was countermanded by General Burnside. By declining the attempt, in the absence of artillery, an almost inevitable repulse was avoided, and many brave men were saved for a more practicable service at a future day. On the 16th of June the army crossed the James. In almost all the operations attending upon that advance, Gen. Hartranft's brigade was actively engaged. None of these were either trifling, unimportant, or free from peril. During the two days immediately succeeding the passage of the river, he was wounded in the breast by a bullet, and the losses of his brigade, by death and wounds, amounted to sixty-five officers in a corps of a hundred and five, and seven hundred and thirty privates in a force of eighteen hundred. While the mine so much talked of at the time was in course of preparation, Hartranft's brigade protected the engineers and workmen. In the six weeks he was thus occupied, his losses, in killed and wounded, were six per day. Several days be- fore the mine was completed, General Wilcox's division having been selected to make the attack, he notified General Hartranft of the fact, and informed him that his brigade would be detailed to lead the division. The night prior to the explosion the General was summoned to division head- quarters, where the plan of attack was submitted to his ex- amination. The failure that resulted has passed into history. Upon the explosion of the mine, the troops, both white and colored, moved to the assault with great gallantry; but their number being large and the crater narrow, they were pressed together in a solid mass, and presenting thus a conspicuous target, the enemy concentrated upon them their whole line of artillery and infantry fire. Under the circumstances the 510 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION OF 1838. troops could neither advance with success, nor retire with safety. Differently planned, the attempt, which proved so sad a disaster, might have resulted in a glorious victory. General Hartranft's opinion was that the troops should have been advanced in three columns one to pass directly through the crater, and the other two to the right and left of it. It is well known that the explosion produced general consterna- tion in the Rebel lines. The troops actually fled from the fort on the left of the crater, so that the column advancing against it might have entered without opposition. Besides, general attention was so fully concentrated upon the crater, that the fort on the right might certainly have been carried. These two forts secured, the central column could not have been driven out of the crater. In addition to these circumstances, the assaulting forces would have had room to form and advance in order. The plan adopted was sent down from headquarters; and as it was a matter that related directly to military science, a citizen-general could not feel himself at liberty to openly criticise its pretensions. General Hartranft had some narrow escapes amid the dangers of this day. One of his orderlies, while sitting between his knees, was mor- tally wounded, and another was instantly killed while stand- ing at his side. On the 18th of August, General "Warren's corps, after a sharp engagement, succeeded in capturing the "Weldon Rail- road. The following day General Hartranft's brigade was placed in reserve, as support to Warren in case of an attempt to recapture the prize. About five p. M. an aid from division headquarters brought him an order to report to General Ayres. He had just left Ayres, and knew that no effort was being made to disturb the lines in his vicinity; but hearing discharges of musketry on the right and front of his own position, he replied, " 1 will move in the direction of the fire ;" and galloping back found his command under arms. The facts of the situation were soon disclosed. Mahone's troops had broken through the line of Crawford's division, and were rapidly advancing. Prompt dispositions were made to receive JOHN F. HARTRANFT. 511 them, and after a spirited contest the enemy gave way and retired. The casualties, however, were unusual for so brief an action. General Hartranft's horse was killed under him. A staff officer at his side lost his horse, and was severely wounded. The Colonel of the 51st was shot through both legs, and permanently disqualified for duty. On some parts of the line the forces were engaged almost hand to hand. At five o'clock next morning, August 21st, Hartranft, in obe- dience to orders, posted his brigade directly across the rail- road, facing the enemy, and threw up breastworks. About nine A. M. the enemy advanced, driving in his pickets; but on attempting his main line were terribly repulsed by the artillery, which Warren had so posted as to command the approaches, and behind which he had concentrated his entire force of infantry. In the fighting of the previous two days, though the Federal commander had taken and held the rail- road, which was his objective point, he had received more damage than he had inflicted. In Hartranft's judgment the lesson was, never fight a battle in the woods. In the action at Reams' Station, a few days subsequent, his command was ordered to the support of Hancock, but arrived in time only to cover his retreat. The next engagement of any importance was that of Poplar Spring Church. In this battle General Hartranft volunteered to command the brigade of Colonel Humphreys that officer's term of service having expired and the offer being accepted, his own brigade was gallantly led by Colonel Harriman of the 37th Wisconsin. His com- mand held the left of the Federal line. On his right our troops attacked, and were seriously repulsed ; but owing to an intervening woods and a field of sorghum, these move- ments could not be distinguished ; and the enemy, pursuing, occupied a part of the same crest on which he was posted, when an order was sent to him from General Meade's chief of staff to retire. But believing his position to be secure, he inquired whether the order was peremptory. The aid said it was not ; but our troops having been repulsed, it was deemed prudent that he should fall back, so as to form a closer connection with the main line of the army. 512 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION OF 1$38. After this action, reports of the campaign were ordered to be sent in to headquarters. "When the army crossed the Rapidan, on the 5th of May, Hartranft's command numbered five thousand on paper about three thousand being fit for duty. During the spring and summer the 37th and 38th Wisconsin and the 13th Ohio Cavalry, dismounted, were added to the brigade ; but so severe had been its losses, that less than a thousand could be reported for service in the field. "With this veteran remnant, during the autumn, he partici- pated in the first battle of Hatcher's Run. About December 1st, 1864, General Hartranft was assigned to the command of six new Pennsylvania regiments the 200th, 205th, 207th, 208th, 209th, and 211th. On applying for permission to organize them into a division, his request was granted. The division was about five thousand strong, and was designated as the third of the Ninth Corps. The General's headquarters were at the "Avery House" not a hotel, but a farmer's mansion, in the vicinity of Petersburg. Diligent attention was given to the discipline of his troops, and every possible means was employed to promote their efficiency. Nothing of special interest occurred till March 25th a day never to be forgotten in this country, as the date of the battle of Fort Steadman. Only the briefest possible allusion can here be indulged. At four o'clock A. M., General Hart- ranft was roused from sleep by an unusual movement of his signal corps on the roof of the house. Suspecting something of importance, he jumped out of bed, and before he could dress himself, report was made that the Rebels had broken through our lines at a point near the Appomattox. Captain Dallien, staff officer of the day, was dispatched in haste to General McLaughlin's headquarters for information ; and returning, reported the capture of Fort Steadman, and the rapid advance of the enemy towards the river. Hartranft at once began to make dispositions for checking this dangerous movement. The 208th was sent to McLaughlin's support. Riding at full speed to Colonel Diven's headquarters, he JOHN F. HARTRANFT. 513 ordered him to take charge of this regiment, and make the best stand he could against any further attempts upon the left of our line. Pushing on to the camp of the 209th, nearly opposite the fort, he learned that the regiment had been with- drawn by order of General Wilcox, and upon arriving at his headquarters found that General, mounted, with his staff, his tents struck, and everything in readiness for a rearward move. Owing to the capture of his Adjutant-General, he did not know what part of his line, nor, in fact, whether any part of it, had been broken. "Wilcox's first information of the grave event of the morning was received from Hartranft, who requested him to send a staff officer to conduct the 209th to a position near the fort. Then riding back to the camp of the 200th, Hartranft immediately moved it forward in line of battle, and, without waiting to throw out skirmishers, passed it across a ravine, and up the slope of a hill in the direction of the fort, posting it on the crest recently occupied as a camp by the 57th Massachusetts. The fire of the enemy was promptly directed upon this regiment, and soon became so severe that it yielded and fell back the standard-bearer being killed, and the Colonel bringing off the colors. But the point was too important to be lost. So, rallying the men, General Hartranft sent them back, supporting them by the 209th, that had just come up and got into line. The determined efforts of the 200th had the effect of checking the enemy till reinforcements and the reserve artillery of the Ninth Corps could be brought forward and placed in position. In the meantime, the General had remained, mounted, with these advanced troops, though the exposure was so great that only one officer in four, bringing or conveying orders, had escaped being wounded. Satisfied now that the advance of the enemy toward the river had been arrested, he returned to his rear, and found that the 205th and 207th, which he had ordered to be for- warded when he left his headquarters in the morning, had passed down the ravine, and taken position directly opposite 33 514 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION OF 1838. the fort. All the regiments of his division were now in line near the fort except the 211th, which soon after arrived. At this juncture an order came to General Hartranft from General Parke, commanding the whole army that day, to retake Fort Steadman, and preparations were instantly begun for its execution. The signal was to be a certain movement of the 211th, which had replaced the 200th on the crest of the dangerous hill. But when all was ready, a second order was received, postponing the attack till the arrival of the Fifth Corps. But feeling certain of success, and fearful that he would not be able to communicate with all his regiments in time to countermand the attack, General Hartranft deter- mined to disregard the order, and advance immediately to the assault. The result more than justified his decision. Confident in themselves, their cause, and their commander, the troops moved grandly to the encounter, and had the obstacles been much more formidable than they were, the triumph could have been no less certain. The Federal loss was two hundred and fifty, killed and wounded. In killed, wounded, and prisoners, the enemy's loss was not less than three thousand; but, what was of still greater importance, the success re-established the Federal line of investment. This deserves to be regarded as the most brilliant service of General Hartranft's military career ; and that it was so con- sidered by the Government, is evident from the following documents : "HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, " March 27th, 1865. " To MAJOR-GENERAL J. G. PARKE, " Commanding Ninth Army Corps. " GENERAL : The Commanding General directs me to acknow- ledge the receipt of your letter of this date, recommending Brigadier- General Hartranft, United States Volunteers, for the Brevet of Major- General of Volunteers, for his conspicuous gallantry in recapturing Fort Steadman during the action of the 25th inst, as well as for his industry and efficiency in organizing and disciplining his division, composed of new regiments. JOHN F. HARTRANFT. 515 " In reply, I am directed to inform you that, before the receipt of your letter, a recommendation of this same effect had been made by the Commanding General to Lieutenant-General Grant, to which a response was received, that this nomination had been made to the Secretary of War, and a telegraphic answer returned, that the ap- pointment should be made. Since then the Commanding General is informed by telegraph that Brigadier-General Hartranft is brevetted Major-General, and the appointment has been forwarded by mail. Your recommendation is, however, forwarded to complete the record. "I am, General, very respectfully, " Your obedient servant, "GEORGE D. KUGGLES, " Assistant Adjutant-General." "HEADQUARTERS NINTH ARMY CORPS, " March 28th, 1865. "BREVET MAJOR-GENERAL JOHN F. HARTRANFT, " Commanding Third Division. " GENERAL : The Commanding General instructs me to transmit herewith copy of communication from Commanding General Army of the Potomac of yesterday's date, which will explain itself. "He bids me say, however, in connection therewith, that such prompt recognition of your services on 25th inst., by the President, the Lieutenant-General, and the Major-General commanding this Army, affords him the greatest pleasure, and he begs you will accept his hearty congratulations on your well-deserved promotion. " I am, General, very tespectfully, " Your obedient servant, " P. M. LYDIG, " Brevet Lieut.-Col. and A. A. General/' The final advance of the Federal army occurred April 2d, 1865. At daybreak General Hartranft's division attacked the Confederate lines immediately in front of Petersburg, and carried them, after a resistance which cost him in killed and wounded a thousand men. Many prisoners and guns were captured; and his skirmishers were the first Union 516 GOVERNORS UNDER CONSTITUTION OF 1838. troops that entered the city. In the pursuit of Lee, which followed the evacuation of Richmond, his columns advanced as far as Nottaway Court-House, but were not again engaged with the enemy. The Ninth Army Corps was the first to return to Wash- ington. Upon its arrival, General Hartranft was detailed by Secretary Stanton as special Provost-Marshal, to take charge of the conspirators about to be tried for the assassination of President Lincoln. In the performance of this service and other duties arising therefrom, he was engaged till the middle of July, when he was ordered to the Department of Ken- tucky, and appointed by General Palmer on a military com- mission for the trial of guerillas and other outlaws. In January, 1866, he was honorably mustered out of service. The esteem in which the Government held him as a man and a soldier will be best understood from the following com- munication : "WAR DEPARTMENT, " Washington, August 29th, 1866. " SIR : You are hereby informed that the President of the United States has appointed you ' Colonel of the Thirty-fourth Regiment of Infantry,' in the service of the United States, to rank as such from the twenty-eighth day of July, one thousand eight hundred and sixty-six. Should the Senate at their next session advise and consent thereto, you will be commissioned accordingly. "Immediately upon receipt hereof, please to communicate to this Department, through the Adjutant-General of the Army, your ac- ceptance or non-acceptance, and with your letter of acceptance return the oath hereinwith enclosed, properly filled up, subscribed and attested, and report your age, birthplace, and the State of which you were a permanent resident. "EDWIN M. STANTON, " Secretary of War." "COLONEL JOHN F. HARTRANFT, " 34th Regiment U. S. Infantry." This appointment was unsolicited and unexpected, and as JOHN F. HARTRANFT. 517 he had decided to resume the pursuits of civil life, it was thankfully acknowledged, but respectfully declined. In August, 1865, he was requested to permit the use of his name as a candidate for the office of Auditor-General, but did not consent till the morning of the day on which the convention assembled. He was nominated on the first bal'ot the vote being made unanimous before it was declared and elected by a majority of nearly twenty- three thousand. In 1868 he was renominated and re-elected by a handsome majority. The manner in which he discharged the duties of this trust may be inferred from his nomination for the office of Gov- ernor, April 9th, 1872, and his election, on the 10th of October, by a majority exceeding thirty-five thousand. Three times submitted to the test of the popular vote, in the course of seven successive years, his signal success, in each instance, must be re- garded as a mark of extraordinary respect and confidence on the part of the people of his native State. He was inaugurated with the usual ceremonies, January 21st, 1873. Governor Hartranft is in person tall and prepossessing. A vigorous constitution, and an active life, regulated by strictly temperate habits, have endowed him with superior powers of endurance. The balance of his intellectual and moral powers is well sustained. A few words will paint a truthful portrait. In boyhood dutiful and exemplary. At school and college thoughtful, studious, and regardful of authority. Among his fellow-students chiefly distinguished for those qualities which ripen into the leadership of men. Reserved in demeanor. Patient in investigation. Sound in judgment. Reticent in speech. Prompt and swift in exe- cution. In the very prime of manhood, he has assumed the duties of the chief magistracy, supported by the best wishes of the people of a grand Commonwealth. Governor Hartranft was married January 26th, 1854, to Sallie Douglas Sebring, daughter of William L. Sebring, of Easton. Of this marriage there were six children, of whom four are living two sons and two daughters. INDEX. Abercrombie, General, .placed in chief command against the French, 162; leads forces against forts on the lakes; detachment of army of, captures Fort Du Quesne, 163. Aberdeen, Scotland, George Keith, na- tive of, 106. Abraham, Plains of, battle on, 164. Active, The British ship, taken as a prize by four seamen ; seized by Cap- tain Houston and taken to port ; trou- ble concerning award of the prize, 311. Acrelius, quoted, 49. Adams, John, seconds motion on Inde- E:ndence, 186, 246 ; assists Patrick enry, 242 ; visits Dickinson, 249 ; de- scribes Dickinson, 250 ; letter of, quoted, 277 ; letter of McKean to, 298 ; friendship for McKean ; letter to McKean, 3u5 ; tribute to McKean, 306 ; inauguration of; succeeded by Jeffer- son, 3'J5; allied with Federal party, 343. Adams, Samuel, opposes Washington, 282; John Quincy, elected President, 346. Aix-la-Chapelle, treaty of, 147. Albany, fort near, 17 ; defence of, 111 ; Indian conference at, 129, 147 ; Gen- eral Congress at, 154, 260. Alexander, Major General, 373; Major J. B., 405. Alleghanies, The, settlers push beyond and come in contact with the French, 149 ; Virginians occupy land west of, 180. Allen, Nathaniel, commissioner, arrives, 67 ; William, Chief Justice of the Col- ony , Anne, daughter of Chief Justice, marries John Penn, 189. Allison, Rev. Francis, tutor of McKean, 289. Almanac, Poor Richard's, maxims in, 256, 257. Almond. W. B., 470. Alrichs, Jacob, appointed director of City Colony, 44 ; seeks advice of Stuy- vesant, 45 ; wife of, dies, 46 ; death of, 47. Alrichs. P^'er, farm of, seized by Ensign Stock, 52 ; to be councillor, 53 ; sent to New York to have murderers detected ; testifies before council, 55; Deputy Governor on west side of the -Dela- ware, 56 ; appointed commander and schout; to administer oath of alle- giance, 57 ; deprived of office of Judge, but reinstated, 58. Alter. Susan, marries Joseph Ritner; David, 361. America, settlements in, 17 ; forms alli- ance with France, 207 ; German emi- grants to, 308. Aniherst, General, under Abercrombie, 162 ; captures Ticonderoga and Crown Point, 163, 164; commands British army ; captures all strongholds in Canada, 166. Amsterdam, merchants of, fit out vessels, 19; chamber of, 22; city of, loans money to West India Company, 44 ; land on south bank of the Delaware sold to; commissioners of colony on Delaware, to reside in, 44 ; affects a loan ; buys territory on east side of the Delaware, 48. Amundson, John, commissioned captain in the navy; superintends construc- tion of vessels on the Delaware ; ob- tains grant of land, 36; military and naval authority bestowed upon, 36, i!7. Amyrault, Moses, professor of divinity ; instructs Penn, 70. Andre, Major, 224. Andrews, Robert, 350. Andros, Sir Edmund, made Governor; issues proclamation ; visits the Dela- ware ; holds a court at New Castle, ." : issues instructions to justices; pream- ble of instructions, 59 ; official misman- agement of; departs for England, 65. Angell, Colonel, at Fort Mercer, 20.~>. Anne, Princess, succeeds King William ; favors Penn, 116. Antes, Catharine, marries Simon Snyder, 821. Anthony, Joseph B., first teacher of Governor Pollock, 426 ; law tutor w Goveruor Packer, 435. 519 520 INDEX. Anti-Masonic party supports Ritner, 862, .'57(1 ; Burrowes Chairman of State Executive Committee of the, 370. Archives, Pennsylvania, quoted, 231. Armstrong, Colonel, destroys Indian- town of Kittanning; gallantry of; presented with medal and plate by city of Philadelphia, 161 ; collects force in Cumberland County ; ad- vances upon, and destroys Indian towns; General, sends Colonel Boquet to relieve Fort Pitt, 168. Armstrong County, Governor Johnston removes to, 405. Armitage, Saruh, marries Thomas Mc- Kean, 30H. Arnold, General Benedict, commands camp for recruits, 200; wounded at Saratoga ; assigned to command of Philadelphia, 211; Council brings charges against ; extravagance of; marries; is court-martialled; resigns commission ; corresponds with British officers, 224; ruin of, traced, 225; Reed prosecutes charges against, 225 ; treason of; goes to Virginia as British officer, 248 ; treachery in the Umstead case, 311. Arran, Lord of, forces under, joined by Penu, 71. Artillerists, Republican, of Chester County ; erect monument atPaoli, 203. Assembly, of Province, meets at Chester; passes "Great Law," 86; adjourns; met by Penn ; members of Council, and adopt new charter; number of mem- bers reduced, 87 ; grants Penn impost xi I inn imports, 88; attempts to check arbitrary rule of Blackwell ; Governor Blackwell forms party in, 105 ; sum- moned by Fletcher, 110; money de- manded of, for defence of Albany ; passes rate bill ; dissolved by Fletcher, 111 ; met by Markham ; disregards or- ganic law ; 'passes money bill and new constitution; number of members, 114; long debate of, on new constitution ; adopts constitution, 115; dissolves the union between Province and territories; number of representatives to the, dou- bled, 117; efforts in, by Governor Evans, to restore union of the territories and Province; obstinacy of, in opposing re-union; bill confirming provincial charter, not approved by the Governor, 118; draws up address to the Proprie- tor; quarrels of; dismissed by the Governor; new members elected, and business transacted with dispatch, 119; clamorous to prosecute Evans; cites offences of Evans; solicited to appro- priate money, by Gookin; new mem- bers of, elected ; passes prohibitory slave law ; act of, against slavery an- nulled by the Crown, 122 ; leaves salary of Governor in arrears; Gov. Gookin rri'tiM-s to recognize; committee of, driven from the Governor's door; adjourns without attending to any business, 124; convened by Keith; asks Governor to dissolve, 125; Gov- ernor Keith's skilful management of; passes acts forming court of equi- ty, and a militia organization, 12.S ; meets Gordon and addresses ; Keith foments difficulties in ; .meets and pre- sents address to George II., 13'2 ; draws distinction in reference to treaties with Indians, 133 ; Mr. Paris agent of; stays hurtful resolution of, 135; con- gratulatory addresses to Thomas and John Penn, 135 ; met by Gov. Thomas ; Hamilton, Speaker, takes leave of, 141 ; averse to voting money, 142 ; messages pass between Governor and; complaints of, concerning enlistment of servants ; provides for losses of mas- ters of servants ; contentions between Governor and, increase, 143 ; refuses to vote Governor Thomas his salary ; answer to Governor's complaint ; Qua- ker element strong in ; not to be sub- dued to Governor's will ; votes arrear- ages of Governor's salary, 144 ; Gov- ernor communicates death of John Penn to, 145 ; urged to provide means of defence, but refuses, 146 ; objects to defensive warfare ; votes money for gifts to the Indians, 150 ; demands that the Proprietors should bear part of expense of Indians ; has controversy with the Proprietors, 151, 152 ; urged by Hamilton to vote money for de- fence ; provides for issue of paper cur- rency, 1 53 ; borrows money for sup- port of troops, 155, 156 ; sends Frank- lin to confer with Braddock, 156 ; votes fifty thousand pounds to the king's use for protection of the frontier ; remon- strates with Governor against veto, 157 ; votes money for northern opera- tions, 158 ; Franklin takes seat in ; meeting of, 159 ; act of, for organizing militia ; money bill of, vetoed by Gov- ernor Denny, 160; passes bill levying one hundred thousand pounds upon all estates ; bill of, vetoed, 161 ; exempts Proprietary estates from taxation ; sends Franklin to England to represent grievances to the Throne against the Proprietors, 162; sends remonstrance to the Proprietors, 164 ; bill of, taxing Proprietary estates, approved by the King, 165; convened by Hamilton, 166 ; votes money to prosecute war against Indians; modifies bill to suit INDEX. 521 the Governor's views ; condemns course of Proprietors ; adjourns for fifty days ; petitions the King to assume direct gov- ernment of the Province, 173, 235; action of, in reference to taxation of the Colonies, 173 ; dines with the Gov- ernor; instructs agent in London to urge repeal of revenue act, 174 ; action of, on letters received on Colonial af- fairs relating to taxation ; urges entire repeal of tax law, 175 ; rejects decisions of Continental Congress on Wyoming controversy ; Council forbidden to ap- prove acts of, 177 ; Richard Penn's in- tercourse with, 179 ; general conference instructs the, 182 ; adopts instructions ; appoints delegates to Congress ; recom- mendations of Congress approved by, 183 ; message of John Peun to ; pro- vides pay for militia, 184; appoints committee of safety ; resolve of public meeting against the, 185; instructs delegates in Congress ; declaration of, 186 ; adjourned sessions of the ; ceases to exist ; last acts of, 188 ; passes postal law, 258. See Commonwealth, Assem- bly of the. Atchinson, George, 417. Auditor-General, Packer appointed, 438. Augur, General C. C., 477. Babb, Matthias, 335. Balance, the ship, dispatched to bring ship Mercury to New Amsterdam, 44. Baltimore, city of, included in Penn's charter, 60 ; Congress adjourns to meet at, 197 ; Congress returns to Philadelphia from, 199 ; attacked by General Ross, 316 ; guarantees bonds of railroad, 442; revolt in, 459. Baltimore, Lord, demands surrender of territory on the Delaware; lets claim rest, 47 ; throws obstacles in Penn's way, 60 ; letter to, from Penn ; con- fers with Markham about boundary, 66 ; Penn unable to agree with ; sub- mits question of boundary to home government, 101 ; applies for trans- fer of the lower counties, 136 ; claims jurisdiction over lower counties, 141. Bancroft, the historian, quoted, 22, 41, 42, 100. Bank of United States, Jackson opposes; Wolf approves, 360 ; failure of, 417 ; Bank of Pennsylvania fails, 417. Banks, General N. P., 477. Banner, The Star - Spangled, song of, composed, 316. Barbadoes, Dickinson writes pamphlet to inhabitants of, 236. Barney, Commodore, fleet of, abandoned and burned, 315. Barrett, 0., 438. Battles, Braddock's Defeat, 157 ; Quebec, 164 ; Lexington, 184, 275 ; Bunker Hill, 185 ; Brandy wine, 202, 203 ; German- town, 203; Pass of La Hoya ; Chapul te- pee ; Garita de Belen, 470 ; Bolivar, 476 ; Cedar Mountain ; Bull Run ; An- tietam, 477 ; Fredericksburg ; Chancel- lorsville ; Gettysburg, 478 ; Chicka- mauga, 479; Wauhatchie; Lookout Mountain ; Mission Ridge ; Ringgold ; 480 ; Mill Creek ; Resaca ; New Hope Church; Pine Hill; Muddy Creek; Nose's Creek ; Kolb's Farm ; Kene- saw ; Marietta ; Peach-Tree Creek ; Siege of Atlanta, 483 ; Fort McAllis- ter; Savannah; Bentonville, 484. Bladensburg, 315. Bay, The Delaware, discovered, 18; land on, conveyed to Penn, 82; Penn de- sirous of holding, 101. Bay of New York, 17 ; discovered, 18 ; Chesapeake, 17. Beekman, William, appointed vice-di- rector ; sketch of, 46 ; in charge of West India Company's revenues, 47 ; jurisdiction ends ; returns to New Amsterdam ; commissary at Esopus ; envious of D'Hinoyossa, 49. Bellefonte, 450, 451, 455. Benckes, with" Evertson, in command of squadron, 56. Benner, General Philip, 451. Berkeley, Lord, and Sir George Carteret, grant of Southern New Jersey to, 53; sell part of territory, 60 ; statutes of, 77. Berks County, Indian murders in, 162 ; Heister brothers settle in ; Joseph Heister born in, 333 ; John Andrew Shulze born in ; is pastor in, 344; Rit- ner born in, 361. Bettering House, 212. Beversreede, redoubt at, recommended, 34. Bezer, John, Commissioner, arrives, 67. Bicker, Gerrit, in command of Fort Cas- imir, 37. Biddle, Edward, delegate to Congress, 183. Bigler, William, birth of; parents of; education, 414; learns printing; pub- lishes a paper ; removes to Clearheld, 415; fine marksman; marries, 416; enters mercantile business ; large lum- ber dealer ; elected to the Senate ; re- ceives every vote in his county but one, 417 ; speaks upon resumption of specie payments ; Speaker of the Senate ; returned for a second term ; advocates building the Pennsylvania Railroad, 418; advocate of the Tyrone and Clearfield, and Philadelphia and Erie railroads ; candidate in convention for Governor ; Revenue Commissioner ; elected Governor, 420 ; administration, 622 INDEX. 420 ; opposes omnibus legislation, 421 ; renommated; illness of; defeated by the Native American party ; opinion on Kansas-Nebraska Dill ;" President Philadelphia and Erie Railroad ; elect- ed to the United States Senate ; pitted against Douglas, 422 ; travels over Kansas, and urges Free State men to action ; acts with Crittenden in his Compromise measures ; opposes seces- sion ; member of Committee on the Crittenden Compromise; member of Charleston Convention ; Chairman of Democratic Convention of 1804; de- feated for Congress ; delegate to Dem- ocratic Convention of 1868 ; living in retirement; member of Presbyterian Church, 424. Bigler, John, Governor of California, 414, 420 ; Jacob, father of, 414. Big Timber Creek, 21. Billingsport, defences at, 200. Billop, Captain Christopher, succeeds Collier, 60. Binns, John, gives incident of Governor Suyder, 318. Birmingham, brother-in-law of Gookin, 124 ; township in Bucks Countv named for, 124. Birmingham, meeting-house, battle at; wounded carried to, 202; stains of blood on floor of, 203. Blackwell, Captain John, commissioned Deputy Governor, 104 ; Penn's opinion of; Penn disappointed in reference to ; arbitrary rule of; relieved of office, 105. Blanchard, John, 451. Block, Adrian, vessel of, burned ; builds first vessel ever built in America, 19. Block, Hans, to be councillor, 53. Bloemart, Samuel, purchases tract of land, 23 ; joined by De Vries, 23. Blue Ridge, 323, 477. Board of War, established, 280, 282; members of, 280, 281. Boileau, Roland Curtin, 451. Boquet, Colonel, sent to relief of Fort Pitt ; arrives at Fort Ligonier ; attacked by Indians near Bushy Run ; lays am- buscade ; routs Indians ; arrives at Fort Pitt, 168 ; marches from Carlisle to Fort Pitt; reaches forks of the Mus- kingum, 171; strikes terror into the Indians, 172. Borden, Mary, marries Thomas McKean ; Joseph, 306. Boston, harbor, 17; Colonel isicholls ar- rives at, 51 ; vessels sent to, boarded and tea thrown into the water; harbor proclaimed a tea-pot, 181 ; port closed ; harsh measures towards, 182, 183; AVashingtpu in camp at, 275. Boundary line of Pennsylvania, 66, 67. Bowers, Theodosia, mother of President Reed, 216. Braddock, General, arrives at Alexan- dria, Va., with two regiments ; marches to Frederick, Md. ; Franklin sent to, and commissioned by, to procure trans- portation, 156, 258 ; advances on Fort Du Quesne ; scorns advice of Washing- ton, 156 ; battle with French and In- dians ; mortally wounded ; defeat of, left the frontier unprotected, 157. Bradford, William, 253. Brandon, John, 436. Breckenridge, Judge, asks to be im- peached, 326 ; official conduct investi- gated ; Governor asked to remove from office, 327. Brigadier General, eight appointed, 185. Bright, General Michael, commands militia ordered out by Governor Sny- der, 312. Brinton's Ford, on Brandywine Creek ; General Sullivan at, 202. British, The, part of army sent against Indians, 166; ministry, prosecute war with the Indians, 171 ; ministry of- fended at Massachusetts' circular let- ters, 171 ; troops withdrawn from Fort Pitt, 180; invade Pennsylvania, 201; army march into Philadelphia, 204; wanton conduct in Philadelphia; fleet follows D'Estang, 212 ; army under Cornwallis surrenders, 248 ; incite In- dians to hostilities ; army on Canada frontier unfortunate; murder sick and wounded prisoners, 314. British America, finest capital city in, 133 ; Logan's life in, a laborious one, 141 ; French power in, to be broken, 163 ; taxation of, 181 ; address of first Congress to people of, 183. Brockholls, Captain Anthony, succeeds Andros as Governor, 65 ; king's decla- ration delivered to, by Markham, 65. Brown, General Jacob, victories of, 315 ; Adjutant, ancestor of Governor Find- lay, 323 ; John, famous " Raid " of, 446, 447 ; Mr., teaches Curtin, 451. Bryan, George, appointed to attend gene- ral Congress, 173, 213 ; elected Vice- President of Council, 199 ; acting Presi- dent of Council, 211; re-elected Vice- President ; resigns ; born in Ireland ; engages in mercantile pursuits; mem- ber of Assembly j'message of, on aboli- tion of slavery, 213 ; Judge of the Su- preme Court, 214; member of Council of Censors ; death of; character of, 215. Buchanan, James, presides over meeting of Federalists, 344 ; speech of, 353, 380 ; Governor Porter friend of, 389 ; Presi- dent, 422, 443 ; Packer's letter to, 44-4 ; Geary resigns governorship to, 475 INDEX. 523 Buckshot War [commonly termed the], account of, 371, 374. Bucks County, Pennsbury Manor in, 95 ; Buckingham township in, 124 ; John Penn resides in, 189, 434, 435. Burgoyne, General, captures Fort Ticon- deroga ; surrenders at Saratoga, 203. Burrowes, Thomas H., appointed Secre- tary of Commonwealth ; friend of edu- cation, 365 ; Superintendent of Com- mon Schools ; appoints Ritner inspec- tor, 366 ; pays tribute to Wolf and Ritner, 368 ; Chairman State Execu- tive Committee of the Anti-Masonic party, 370 ; address of, on the election, 371. Bushy Run, battle with Indians near, 168. Butler, Colonel, leader of Connecticut claimants ; barbarous offer to settle dis- pute, 176. Bye, Charity, mother of Governor Packer ; Hezekiah, 434. Byllinge, Edward, Fenwick buys land for ; a Friend ; fortunes impaired ; assigns property ; put in possession of West New Jersey, 60 ; trustee for West Jersey colonists, 77. Cadwalader, General, joins Washington with brigade, 197 ; in command of Pennsylvania troops ; unable to cross the Delaware to Trenton, 198; Mary, 234. Callowhill, Thomas, father of Penn's sec- ond wife, 95. Cambria County, 468. Cambridge, Union Flag unfurled first at, 194. Cameron, Simon, 435. Campanius, the historian, quoted, 39. Canada, French from, establish trading- posts, 134, 146 ; given up to the Eng- lish, 167, 261; pamphlet on, 263; Franklin visits, 264; Wellington's veterans sent to, 315. Canal, The West Branch, opposed, 436 ; completed, 437 ; Board of Commission- ers, 438 ; the Franklin, 443. Cancer, Tropic of, 20. Canonsburg, 467. Cantwell, Captain Edmund, sent to the Delaware ; Captain and Schout, and to administer oath; made Deputy Governor, 58 ; superseded by Collier, 59. Cape Henlopen, 82. Cape of Good Hope, 20. Capital, the State, building of, com- menced ; corner-stone laid by Governor Findlay, 330. Carlisle, town of, militia march from, to Fort Du Quesne, 163, 171 ; college at, endowed, 248. Carlisle, Earl, British commissioner, 225. Carpenter's Hall, Congress meets in, 241 ; convention of deputies meets in, 295. Carpenter, Samuel, takes Lloyd's place in Council, 104. Carr, Sir Robert, commissioner, 51 ; dis- patched to the Delaware; conciliates the Swedes and Finns ; storms Dutch fort ; seizes farm of D'Hinoyossa, 52. Carr, Captain John, seizes farm of Van Sweringen, 52 ; to command on the Del- aware, 53 ; matter of sale of liquor to the Indians referred to ; order in council concerning liquor licenses made on recommendation, 54 ; receives George Fox, 55. Carrickfergus, garrison of, mutiny in, 71. Carteret, Sir George, and Lord Berkeley, grant of Southern New Jersey to, 53 ; sell part of territory, 60 ; statutes of, 77. Cartlidge, two brothers named, kill In- dian, 129. Cartwright, Sir George, commissioner, 51. Casimir, Fort, erected; rendered Fort Elsinborg useless, 35 ; Gerrit Bicker in command of; taken by Rysingh, 37 ; Swen Schute in command of; surren- ders to Stuyvesant, 41 ; Derek Smidt the herald to demand surrender of; seat of government at, 43 ; called New Castle; Indian murderer hung in chains at, 55. Cass, Lewis, minister to France ; con- verses with the King on troubles in Pennsylvania, 374. Catholics, Roman, Penn's tract against, 76. Cavaliers, The, followed Smith to Vir- ginia, 17. Centre County, Wm. F. Packer born in, 434; 435, 440, 450, 451, 465. ' Chadd's Ford, Washington at, 202. Chambersburg, 330. Champlain, Lake, 166. Charles River, 17 ; the Dutch name of Delaware river, 18. Charlestown, Mass., tea stored in, 181. Charleston, S. C., attacked by British, 195 ; enemy withdraw from, 196. Charles, Robert, appointed associate of Franklin at London, 1(34. Charles II., grants patent to Duke of York; ascends tnrone, 51; renews grant to Duke of York, 58 ; declaration of, respecting grant to Penn, 65 ; Char- ter of, to Penn, 6(> ; Penn petitions ; names Pennsylvania, 78; dies, 89, 109; succeeded by his brother James, 109. Charter, Penn's, date of, 65. Chatham, Earl of, on addresses of Con gress, 243. Chesapeake Bay, 17, 47. 524 INDEX. Chester, militia stationed at, 201 ; Ameri- can army retires to, after battle of Brandywine, '203. Chester County, artillerists of, erect a monument, 203 ; incident relating to, 319, 434. Christina, Queen, succeeds to throne of Sweden; creek named after; fort named after, 30 ; ministers of. instnict Printz, 33 ; feeble reign of; yields throne to Charles Gustavus, 40. Christina, Fort, 30; colony at, in want, 31 ; Governor Printz arrives at, 32 ; under command of Governor Rysingh ; besieged ; surrendered to Stuy vesant ; inhuman conduct of Dutch troops at, 41 ; commanded by Hudde ; called Altona, 44. Church, Robert R., 489. Church, The Established, party of, in- imical to Quaker rule, 116. Cicero, his l)e Senectute translated by James Logan, 139. Clarke, James, 438. Clay, Henry, 452. Claypoole, James, commissioners of land office, 102 ; appointed one of five com- missioners, but never acted, 103. Clearn'eld, William Bigler removes to, 415, 424 ; County of, 437. Clinton, Sir Henry, sails from Boston on secret expedition, 195 ; attacks Charles- ton, S. C., and meets with repulse ; joins Howe at New York, 196 ; takes command of British army, 206 ; evacu- ates Philadelphia and moves towards New York; fights at Monmouth, 207. Clinton County, 435, 439, 440. Clymer, George, appointed member of Congress ; signs Declaration, 187. Clymer, Heister, 486. Coaquannock, at the site of Philadel- phia, 82. Coates, Ann, 434. Cock, Peter, to be councillor, 53. Cogswell, Robert, party from Connecti- cut sail under, 31. Coleman, Henry, engaged with the Long Finn in an insurrection, 54 ; taken and transported, 54. Coleman, William, merchant; Mifflin in counting-house of, 273; member of Junto ; described by Franklin, 274. College of Commerce, the Swedish, com- mission John Amundson ; Rysingh Secretary of, 36. College, Philadelphia, authority of trus- tees suspended, 208. College, Dickinson, endowed; named in memory of John Dickinson, 248 ; Dr. Nisbet, President of, 249. Collier, Captain John, made commander on the Delaware ; usurps authority ; is deposed bv Andross, 59. Colony, the Virginia, 18, 26; first on Delaware ; attention drawn to, by de Laet, 22; of fifty souls, ruler of. 23; Hosset left in charge of, 24; young, destroyed, 26; of Connecticut, 28; passengers of ship Mercury absorbed in the, 44; year of distress in the, 46 ; evils in, due to Alrichs ; the city's, represented by Beekman, 47 ; that of, city evades payment of the revenues ; transfer of the Niew Amstet, 48; Swedes plans repossession of, 49 ; cer- emonies in the New England, 49; Needham placed in command in, 53; twelve articles for government of, 59; Upland, the heart of, 66'; ships arrive with four commissioners ; laws in force in, 67 ; Penn's influence in, puissant, 108 ; Lloyd's influence over the, 112; Peiin arrives in, 115. See Province. Colonies, the two Northern, of Delaware, 23 ; the New England, 28 ; in the New World, 29; the New England and Virginia, 31 ; importation of negroes in, a source of revenue, 123; French encroach upon, 148 ; raise troops against the French, 153 ; all to con- tribute men and money for defence of frontier, 111 ; conference of Governors of, at Albany, 129 ; encroachment of home government on, 134 ; first gen- eral Congress of, meets ; plan of gov- ernment for, prepared by Franklin, 154 ; military operations along line of, 163 ; money voted to, for expenses in French war, 166 ; taxing of, considered in Parliament, 172 ; agents of, informed that revenue was to be drawn from stamp-duty ; stamp act meets intense opposition in ; action of the, in regard to stamp act ; occasion of independence of, 173; Congress of, meets, 174; last petition of, to the King, entrusted to Richard Penn and Arthur Lee, 179 ; non-importation agreements of; action, of, on the taxation of tea; conduct of, exasperates the ministry, 181 ; sympa- thy of, towards Massachusetts, 182; Congress of, 182, 183 ; resolve against importations, 183 ; John Perm believed to sympathize with; Ministry resolve to enforce submission of; great excite- ment in, 184 : to form new govern- ments, 185 ; united, declared free, 186. Colonial Records, quoted, 95. Colonists, West Jersey, Penn's letter to; under Carteret and Berkeley, 77; and the Indians, 80, 86 ; code of laws for, 80. 'olonization, 17, 20, 21. INDEX. 525 Colve, Captain Anthony, Governor of New Netherland ; in command of military forces, 56 ; yields power to Andros, 58. Commander-in-Chief, Washington, ap- pointed, 185. Commissioners sent to Chesapeake Bay, 47 ; four arrive from England, 67 ; duties of; Penn sends letter with, to the Indians, 68. Commissioners, five, appointed, and ex- ecutive power lodged in ; instruc- tions of Penn to, 103. Commissioners to provide arms, 185; British, appointed ; attempt bribery, 225 ; to settle Wyoming controversy, meet at Trenton, 229. Committee of Safety, McKean chairman of, 296. . Common schools, system of, inaugurated, 353, 358; Burrowes, ex-officio Super- intendent, 368 ; interest of Porter in ; Shunk Superintendent, 387. See Schools. Commons, House of, Franklin before the, 261, 262. Commonwealth. See Pennsylvania. Company, The Dutch East India, em- ploy Hudson, 18; of merchants of Am- sterdam, exclusive privileges granted to, 19; West India, in contemplation ; Dutch West India, incorporated ; sub- scription to its stock open to all na- tions; divided into five branches, 20; West India, powers enlarged, 22 ; e-ivileges to patroons granted by, 23 ; utch, 30. Company, The West India, report of Stuyvesant to; the Amsterdam, make new conditions of settlement, 46. Condorcet, oration of, on Franklin, at Paris, 268. Conesto^a Creek, Indians on, 33. Couestoga, conference of Indian chiefs with Gov. Keith at, 128; Indian killed near, 129; Indian assassins traced to; massacre of Indians at, 169. Confederation, Articles of, McKean on committee to draw ; gave power to Congress, 294. Conference, general, held ; resolves of; instructs Assembly, 182 ; second, held; Reed, president of; resolves of, 184; approves Declaration of Independence, and raising militia, 186; Joseph Hies- ter a member of, 334. See Provincial Convention. Congress, the first general, meets, 154, 173, 174, 235, 291; delegates to, from Pennsylvania, 173, 235; vote in, on representation, 291 ; McKean repre sents Delaware in, 293. Congress,The Continental, decide in favor of Connecticut claimants, 177 ; action of people toward convening, 182 ; as- sembled at Philadelphia; resolves of delegates of, from Pennsylvania; presi- dent and secretary of; addresses of; adjourned ; delegates from Pennsylva- nia to second meeting, 183, 241 ; King receives address of, kindly ; action of, approved by second Pennsylvania con- vention ; second, meets ; resolves to or- ganize army, 184 ; recommends forma- tion of new governments in the colo- nies, 185; arrests John Penn, 189; agrees upon articles of war ; issues bills of credit, 194;' alarmed ; adjourns to meet in Baltimore ; invests Washing- ton with dictatorial powers; returns to Philadelphia, 199 ; establishes camp for recruits ; General Mifflin appears be- fore, 200; adjourns to meet at Lancas- ter and at York, 204 ; sends ambassa- dors to France, 207 ; returns to Phila- delphia, 211 ; refuses to listen to Brit- ish Commissioners of peace, 225 ; ap- points commission to settle Wyoming controversy, 229 ; Mifflin delegate to, 274; refuses Minim's resignation, 281, 282 ; asks inquiry into Miftiin's conduct, 281 ; confidence of, in Mifliin renewed ; party in, fault Washington ; appoints Board of War, 282 ; McKean president of; Hanson president of, 299. Congress, of the United States, decides Wyoming controversy in favor of Penn- sylvania, 177 ; Hiester member of, 339 ; Wolf member of, 351 ; debates on tariff in, 300 ; Pollock member of, 426 ; first action of, on Pacific Railroad, 427. Coningsmark, the Swedish general, father of Long Finn, 54. Connecticut, claim of, as to western boundary, 50, 175 ; authorities to meet Lovelace, 56 ; emigrants settle in Wyo- ming valley ; people of, form Susque- hanna Company ; Governor Penn pro- tests to Governor of, 176; question of claim settled, 177,229 ; warfare in, 248. Connolly, one, occupies Fort Pitt; im- prisoned by Governor Penn, 180. Constitution, of the Province ; features in, 80 ; defect in, 81 ; relinquished by Assembly ; new one prepared ; last, granted to Province and Territories, provisions of, 97 ; Assembly pass new, 114; long debate on new; adopted, 115; review of, by Franklin, 165. Constitution, of 1776, convention assem- bles for framing, 187; completed; signed ; intrusted to Council of Safety, 188; provisions of, 194; opposition to, 223, 286 ; convention to revise, 286, 301. Constitution of 1790, adopted, 286 ; Simon Snyder member of convention to frame, i2G INDEX. 809 ; Hiester member of convention to frame, 339 ; Ritner the last Governor under, 361. Constitution, of 1838, strips executive of appointing power; provision to pro- vide for death of Governor, 407 ; Gov- ernor Bigler on amending the, 421. Constitution of United States, convention of, 249, 265 ; submitted to the States for ratification; opposition to, 300; pro- visions of, reference to, 447, 448, 449, 474. Convention, Provincial, second, meets ; resolves of, 184 ; meeting in Philadel- phia recommend calling, to form new government; delegates meet and pro- vide for constitutional convention, 185, 186; elect McKean president; action of, 186. See Conference. Convention, Constitutional, assembles ; opens with divine service ; took upon itself government of Colonv ; Frank- lin president of, 187 ; elect Council of Safety, 193 ; to frame Constitution of United States ; Dickinson member of, 249; to frame constitution of '1790; Mifflin president ; Hiester member of, 286 ; to ratify Constitution of United States, 301 ; "Hiester member of, 339 ; National, meets at Harrisburg, 349; Democratic national, 443. Conway, General Thomas, forms cabal against Washington, 283. Cook, Arthur, appointed on commission of five, 103. Cornells, Cape, named by Mey, 19. Cork, Penn at, on business, 71 ; Penn im- prisoned in city of, 72. Cornwallis, Lord, pursues Washington ; restrained by Howe, 146; in Philadel- phia, 204 ; army under, surrenders, 248, 264. Coudray, Du, engineer, examines and reports on defences of Philadelphia, 200. Council, minutes, 22, 23. Council, the Provincial, met by Penn, at Philadelphia; number of dele- gates to, reduced, 87 ; law relating to marriages of negroes, passed by, 95 ; executive authority committed to, 10. r >, 117, 136, 146; Thomas Lloyd president of; three forms of exec- utive power left to the decision of, by Penn ; members from terri- tories withdrawn from, 105 ; deputa- tion of, sent to induce seceding mem- bers to return, 105-6 ; badger Penn, 111; met by Markham, 114; to con- sist of twelve members; Edward Shippen president of, 117 ; Governor Gookin testifies before, to fits of de- rangement, 121 ; in opposition to Gov. Keith, 129; had only advisory power; Gov. Keith acts independent of; state- ment of Logan on minutes of; Keith reproved by Hannah Penn, for not con- sulting, 130; Logan president of ; ad- vises with the assembly ; forbiddei executive power in legislation, 136 ; petition removal of Gookin, 124 ; John Penn, son of Richard, made president of, 153 ; government in hands of; James Hamilton president of; forbid- den te approve Acts of Assembly, 177 ; Richard Penn member of, 179. Council, the Lords of, Penn brought before ; Penn's reply to ; Penn again brought before, and reply to. 92 ; Pro- prietors before, 165 ; Franklin before, 262, 263. Council of 'Five, appointed by Penn ; Thomas Lloyd president of, 101 ; let- ter of Penn to; Nicholas Moore at head of, 102 ; Penn dissatisfied with ; relieved by five commissioners, 103. Council of Safety, new constitution in- trusted to, 183; assumes government of Colony ; Thomas Rittenhouse chair- man of; supersedes Proprietary gov- ernment, 193; formal organization of; Wharton elected president, 194; issues an order to people of Philadelphia, 196 ; stirring address of, 197. Council of Censors, Bryan member of, 215. Council, Supreme Executive, The, ap- points Board of War and Navy ; ap- propriates money ; Wharton elected president of, 200 ; title of president of, 199 ; proclamations of, 200, 201 ; adjourns to Lancaster, 204 ; returns to Philadelphia; Bryan acting president of, 211; Reed elected president of, 222 ; Reed writes to, 228 ; Moore pres- ident of, 231 ; Dickinson president of, 248; Franklin president of, 251, 265; Mifflin president of, 273, 286. Councillors, under Markham, attestation of, 66. Court-house, at New Castle, 82 ; election declared from, in Philadelphia, 199. Court, at Old Bailey, Penn tried before ; Penn fined by, 74; of Common Pleas, jurymen, in trial of Penn, brought their case; peacemakers ap- pointed at county, 87. Court, of King's Bench, Penn brought before, and discharged by, 93 ; Penn cleared before, 109. Court, Supreme, at New Castle, commis- sion of Governor Gookin refused pub- lication in, 124 ; a judge of, kicked by Gookin, 124. Craig, General, witness to bravery of Mifflin, 276. INDEX. 527 Creeks, Big Timber, 21 ; Little Timber, 21 ; Lewes Settlement made on, 23 ; Christina, 26, 30; Salem, 31, 32, 33; Conestoga, Indians on, 33 ; Neshaminy, lands near, deeds signed for ; Baker's, 88 ; French, Washington ascends, 149 ; Bald Eagle, 451. Cresap, Michael, Capt., with Daniel Greathouse, murder Indians, 180. Cresson, Solomon, beaten by Governor Evans, 121. Crittenden, [John Jordan,] compromise measure of, 423, 429, 432. Crispin, William, commissioner; ap- pointed surveyor-general ; died, 67. Croghan, Major, brave defence of Fort Stephenson, 314. Cromwell, plans recovery of Dutch Ter- ritory, 50. Crown Point, expedition against, suc- cessful, 158, 163, 1IJ4. Crown, the British, grants made by ; people at Manhattan and, 51. Cumberland, in Maryland, troops organ- ize at, to quell Whiskey Insurrection, 287. Cumberland County, Franklin procures wagons and horses in, for Braddock, 156 ; savages advance through, 158 ; Indian murders in, 162; outpost of civilization, 167 ; Boquet collects force in, 168; Ritner removes to, 361, 374; teachers' institutes in, 366. Cumberland Valley, 323; Scotch-Irish settle in, 324. Cunningham, Thomas S., 372. Curtin, Andrew Gregg, birth of, 450 ; edu- cation of; studies law; admitted to the bar, and practises law, 451 ; success in criminal causes ; advocate of Whig principles ; labors for Harrison ; can- vasses the State for Clay and for Scott ; chairman of State Central Committee ; appointed Secretary of the Common- wealth ; ex-officio Superintendent of common schools, 452 ; makes common sphool education efficient; favors county superintendency, 453 ; laments defect of well-qualified teachers; re- commends system of Normal Schools, 454 ; resumes practice of the law, 455; elected Governor, 456 ; inaugural ad- dress of, quoted, 457-459 ; message of, quoted; called upon for troops, 459; receives order from Secretary of War that the troops are not needed : directs troops to preserve their organization; asks authority from the Legislature to organize a Reserve Corps ; receives pressing appeal to forward the Re- serves to the capital, 460 ; his prompt- ness throughout the war in furnishing troops ; his devotion to the interests of the soldiers, 461 ; founds the Soldiers' Orphans' Schools ; tribute to, 462 ; his health fails; is tendered, by Lincoln, a foreign mission ; re-elected Governor ; sails for Cuba for benefit of health, 463 ; is tendered, by Johnson, a foreign mission, but declines; prominent can- didate for United States Senate ; is sup- ported for Vice- President ; appointed Minister to Russia; has a public recep- tion at Independence Hall ; banqueted at the Academy of Music, Philadel- ph ia ; sails for Russia ; supported by a number of delegates for Vice-President in Liberal Republican Convention at Cincinnati, and in the regular Repub- lican Convention at Philadelphia; in- clines to conservatism in government ; personal appearance of, 464 ; marries ; returns to this country from Russia, 465. Curtin, Roland, father of the Governor, 450. Curtis, John, Justice of the Peace, charged with use of treasonable lan- guage, 103. Dallas, Alexander J., letter of McKean to, 294. Darrah, Lydia, conveys intelligence to Washington, 206. Dartmouth, Lord, Colonial Secretary ; corresponds with Joseph Reed, 217. Dauphin County, Court House in, occu- pied by the Legislature, 330 ; Shulze merchant in, 344. Davy, Sir Humphrey, tribute of, to Franklin, 259. Davenport, Abraham, poet, song of, 351. Deal, Penn embarks at, for America, 82. Deane, Silas, ambassador to France, 207. Dean, Lieutenant- Colonel, 296. Declaration of Independence, composi- tion of the, 246, 247, 264, 296; opposed by Dickinson ; adopted, 246, 295. De Bert, Dennis, agent of Massachusetts Bay at Court of St. James ; father of Esther, 217. De Bert, Esther, marries Joseph Reed, 217 ; death of, 229. D'Estang, commander of French fleet ; arrives at mouth of Delaware, 207 ; sails for Rhode Island ; followed by British fleet ; fleet shattered in a storm ; sailed to Boston for repairs ; departs for the West Indies, 212 ; aids American cause, 248. Delany, Colonel, 283. Delaware Bay, discovered and named ; known as Newport May, and Godyn's Bay, 18; land at mouth of, purchased from the natives, 23 ; vessels arrive in, 30. Delaware River, headwaters of; first 528 INDEX. Known as South River ; named by the English; called by the Indians, Pautaxas, Mariskitton, and Mak^nsh- kisken ; by the Dutch, Zuyt or South, Nassau, Prince Hendrick, and Charles ; by the Swedes, New Swedeland Stream, Is ; first settlement on, 22 ; trade from; ship Walrus arrives in, 23; Dutch! settlements on, 26, 27 ; patroons sell lands upon ; party from Connecticut sail to, 28 ; fappegoya upon ; western bank of, claimed by the Swedes, 33 ; Hudde retained upon ; Stuvvesant sails to, 34 ; land on south bank of, bought by city of Amsterdam, 44 ; distress of colonists on the, 47 ; territory on, claimed by Virginia and Maryland, 50 ; Sir Robert Carr dispatched to, 52 ; visited by Nicholls; settlements on east side of; regulations for govern- ment on ; English authority on the, 53; deputies from, go to New York to give adhesion to Dutch power; three courts established on the ; oath of allegiance administered to inhabi- tants on, 57 ; authority of the Dutch on, ceases, 58 ; families settle on east side of, 59; Quakers settle along western shore; Penn's application for land west of, 60; territory west from, 61 ; letter of Penn to colonists on, 65 ; Penn proceeds up, on open boat, 82 ; French privateers run into the, 114; a resort for privateers of enemy, 144, 146 ; batteries planted on shore of, . 144 ; line efforts erected from, to Mary- land line, 158. Delaware, State of, northern limits, 30; territories formed, 82, 118; Dickinson elected to Congress from, 247 ; Dickin- son member of Assembly, and Presi- dent of, 248 ; Dickinson delegate from, to frame Constitution, 249 ; originally part of Pennsylvania, 289 ; establishes loan office, 291 ; constitution adopted, 297 ; McKean president of, 298. De La War, Lord, visits Delaware River, 18 ; and discovery of, 27. Denny, William, commissioned Deputy Governor; cordial reception of; in- structions of; objects to money bill; messages of, 160; rejects bill levying one hundred thousand pounds upon all estates, 161 ; presented with five hundred pounds ; disregards instruc- tions ; signs bill taxing Proprietary estates; recalled; administration of, 165. De Ruyter, with Tromp, leads Dutch j fleet agaiiut the English ; fights three j battles, and defeats his adversaries, 56. .Detroit, French force from, routed, 163; Indians attack, 167. De Tries, David Pieterzen joins Goodyn and Bloemart on the Delaware ; two vessels sent by, to the Delaware, 23 ; and whale-fishery ; commaudt-r of ves- sels, and patroon ; sets sail ; reaches mouth of the Delaware, 24; pacific policy ; concludes treaty ; sails up the river; sails for Virginia, 26 ; and whale- fishery ; sails for Holland, 27 ; opinion of; Printz, 35, 36. Dickinson, John, opposes the King's as- suming direct control of the Province, 171, 235; appointed to attend General Congress, 173, 235 ; writes Farrier's Letters, 175, 237 ; presides at monster meeting in Philadelphia, 182, 239; draws instructions to the Assembly, 182, 240; delegate to Congress, 183, 242; opposes Independence; absent, when vote on Declaration was taken ; omitted as delegate, 187; birth of; education ; studies law ; visits Eng- land; practises law in Philadelphia; member of Assembly, 234 ; essays of, 236 ; eulogies tendered to, by people of Boston ; Society of Fort St. David present address to, 238 ; drafts petition to the King, 242, 243 ; draws up ad- dress to people of Canada, 243 ; draws up second address to the King, 244; composes a manifesto, 245 ; opposes the Declaration of Independence; ab- sent when vote was taken on the Declaration, 246 ; volunteers as a pri- vate ; made brigadier-general ; rules of life ; elected to Congress from Del- aware, 247 ; member of Assembly and president of Delaware; elected presi- dent of Pennsylvania ; endows college at Carlisle, 248 ; delegate from Dela- ware to frame constitution ; writes nine letters, signed Fabius ; delegate to con- vention, to revise Constitution of Del- aware ; writes second series of letters, signed Fabius ; visited by John Adams, 249 ; library of; described by Adams; marriage; death, 250; acting Governor of two States, 289 ; letter of McKean to, 302. Dickinson, Samuel, father of President ; removes from Maryland to Delaware ; Judge of Court of Common Pleas, 234. Dickinson College, 451. Dinwiddie, Governor of Virginia, sends Washington to confer with the French, 149 ; forward in recruiting, 153. Dixon, Jeremiah, to run boundary lines ; name, world-renowned, 67. Dixon, W. Hepworth, his Biography of Penn, quoted, 91. Dock, Susan, mother of Governor Bigler, 413. Donegal, settlement of, 169. INDEX. 529 Dongan, Tho., signs certificate, 22. Donop, Count, attacks Fort Mercer; mortally wounded, 205. Dorchester Heights, fortified by Ameri- cans, 195. Dorsey, the Messrs., 381. Downingtown, militia stationed at, 201 ; in Chester county, 433. Douglass, Samuel, Attorney-General, 405. Douglass, Judge, 421, 422. Drake, Wm. E., 440. Duch6, Colonel, regiment of, escorts Gov- ernor Denny, 160. Duke of York, the, grant of territory to ; Nicholls, groom of the bed - cham- ber to, 51 ; grant of, to Berkley and Carteret, 53 ; laws of, 53, 67 ; English power surrendered to, 56 ; grant of, re- newed by Charles, 58 ; last court held under, 67 ; has Peiin discharged from Tower, 74; assumes title of James II., 74 ; Admiral Penn's dying request to, 75 ; yearly rents to be paid by Penn to, 82; duty paid to, by Penn, 83; his friendship for Penn; succeeds to the tbrone, 89. Dunmore, Governor of Virginia, lays claim to territory in Western Penn- sylvania; settlers claim protection of; refuses to hear messengers from Gov- ernor Penn, 180. Dunkirk, privateers of, capture vessel, 23. Du Quesne, Fort, French build, 149. Du Quesne, Marquis, Governor of Can- ada; remonstrates with Governors of New York and Pennsylvania, 150; fort named after, 153; operations against, 102. Dutch, the, sought the Hudson, 17 ; right of, to the Delaware, 18 ; posses- sions in New World called New Neth- erlands, 19; West India Company in- corporated, 20 ; object of colonization, 21 ; settlements on the Delaware, 26 : Company, territory of, 30 ; at mouth of the Schuylkill; opposition to the Swedes, 34; Rysingh to employ mild measures against the, 37 ; increase at Manhattan, 3!) ; Governor sails to the Delaware, 40; troops, inhuman conduct of, at Fort Christina; Swedes and Finns take oath of allegiance to, 41 ; in full possession on the Delaware, 42 ; conflict between, and English rule ; evils of government of the, 50 ; pos- sessions of, 51 ; rule of the, 52 ; Eng- lish fleet descends upon coast of the ; fleet led by De Ruyter and Tromp; great naval battle on waters of; squadron dispatched to recover New Netherlands, 56 ; authority of, on the 34 Delaware ceases, 58 ; Admiral Penn has engagements with, 60. Duyckinck, Evert A., the author, emoted, 266. Easton, conference with Indians at, 162 ; books and State papers removed to 204 ; Wolf, postmaster of, 350. East India Tea Company, excitement against; vessels of, turn back to Eng- land ; vessels of, sent to Boston, board- ed, and tea poured intothe water, 181. Eckley, John, one of five commissioners, 103. Eden, William, British commissioner, 225. Edinboro', Erie County, normal school at, 366. Edmundson, William, the preacher, holds meetings, 59. Education, McKean advocates, 304; rudi- ments of, received by Hiester, 334 ; message of Shulze on, 348; message of Eitner on, 367. Elder, Rev. John, (Colonel,) requests Governor to remove Indians from Con- estoga ; rangers of, massacre Indians, 169; Thomas, 393. Electoral College, Shulze President of, 349. Electricity, Franklin's discoveries in, 259, 261. England, peace between Holland and, 40 ; fleet of, descends upon the Dutch coast, 56 ; peace between Netherlands and, concluded, 58; three ships ar- rive from ; seal of, 60 ; Penn's de- scription of Province published in, 67 ; laws of, 67, 71 ; civil liberty in, 75 ; code of laws prepared in ; frame of government agreed upon in, 80 ; war between Spain and, declared, 166 ; treaty of peace between, and United States, 317. English, first in New Netherlands, 28 ; parties of, attempt to gain a foothold upon the Delaware, 31 ; party of, from Connecticut, settle at mouth of Salem Creek, 31 ; Van Ilpendani sent to drive the, from Delaware, 33 ; make Rysingh offers about a wife, 39 ; encroach upon the Indians, 167 ; settlements in Mury- larid ; claim discovery of territory on the Delaware ; submission of settlers to, demanded, 47 ; claim to territory oc- cupied by the Dutch, 50 ; throne, as- cended by Charles II.; commissioners issue proclamation, 51 ; New Nether- lands passes under rule of the, 52 ; laws in Colonies, digested by Nicholls, 53 ; held at bay by De Ruyter, and defeated, 56 ; soldiery sent to Hol- land, 56; New Netherlands restored 630 INDEX. to the, 5?; law essentials; ships from, arrive with commissioners, 67 ; law, offences capitally punished by, 81 ; law of primogeniture abrogated in Pennsylvania, 86; James II. promises protection to Church of, 90; people lose confidence in King James, 109 ; tne French at war with, 111 ; traders seized by the French, 150 ; Shawanese and Delaware Indians raise the hatchet against, 1 58 ; capture Quebec, 164 ; strongholds In Canada submit to rule of, lliti ; government, order a confer- ence at Albany ; Ministry order Gene- ral Congress of the Colonies in Ameri- ca, 154. Erie, city of, 442. Erie County, normal school in, 366. Europeans, three, wander up Mohawk Valley, 17 ; trade to, 33. Evans, John, succeeds Andrew Hamilton as Deputy Governor, 118 ; character of, 118, 121; arrives in the Colony; increases number of Council ; first act of, an effort to unite the Territories and Province ; withholds sanction from bill, 118; party opposed to; dismisses the Assembly ; had little respect for the Quakers; makes call for militia by proclamation, 119; despicable con- duct of, to test the Quaker faith ; ruse to frighten the Quakers futile ; wins contempt of the people ; builds fort at New Castle, and compels vessels to bring to, before it, 120; relieved by Charles Gookin ; misbehaves to Indian women; beats Cresson, 121; charges preferred against; Council charged with being accessory to misdeeds of; offences of, cited, 122 ; odious to the people, 125; misjudges the Quaker faith, 1-43. Evertson, Commodore, with Benckes, in command of squadron. 56. Ewing, Dr., Provost of University of Pennsylvania; discourse of, on death of George Bryan, 215. Fabius, letters of, 249. Fair Hill, near Philadelphia ; county- seat of Dickinson, 249. Farmer's Letters, 175, 237, 238 Farrandsville, terminus of West Branch Canal, 436. Fauche, the Abbe, delivers eulogy on Franklin, 268. Federal party, formation of; principles of, 343; dissolution of, 343, 346; news- papers of, join in support of new party, 346. Federalists, organ of, 325 ; support Jo- seph Hiestef for Governor, 32$, 329, 339; support Andrew Gregg f or Gov- ernor, 344. Fenwick, John, arrives, 59 ; buys land in trust for Byllinge, from Berkley and Carteret, 60. Ferguson, Mrs., bears proposition from Johnstone to Joseph Keed, 225, 226. Fillmore, Millard, President, 374. Findlay, William, fourth Governor of Pennsylvania; birth of; lineage, 323; thirst for knowledge; instruction of, 324 ; admirer of Jefferson ; Inspector of Militia; Major: elected to the As- sembly; proposes moving of the capi- tal to Harrisburg, 325 ; chairman of committees, 326, 327 ; votes against impeachment of judges of Supreme Court, 326 ; provisions ofiered by, to revise judiciary system ; elected State Treasurer, 327 ; substitutes current for uncurrent money received by chief clerk; Legislature refunds money to; elected Governor; resigns as State Treasurer; inquiry into official conduct of, as Treasurer, 328; Legislature re- ports official conduct of, as Treasurer, faithful ; official conduct as Governor inquired into; re-nominated for Gov- ernor, 329 ; defeated by Hiester ; elected to United States Senate ; appointed Treasurer of Mint at Philadelphia; resigns ; death of; lays corner-stone of the Capitol, 330; appoints Shulze Surveyor General, 345. Findlay, Samuel, 323; Colonel John; General James, 330. Finns, company of, sail with Minuit, 30; of company's colony, 44. Finney, David, of New Castle; McKean studies law with, 289. Fishbourne, William, treasurer, a de- faulter; forever disqualified from hold- ing office, 134. Fishbourne, Elizabeth, daughter of Wil- liam ; marries Thomas Wharton, Jr., 208. Five Nations, the Minquas, a tribe of, 33 ; chiefs hold conference, 128; treaty con- cluded with, 133. Flag, the Union, first unfurled ; descrip- tion of, 194. Florida, given up to the English, 167. Fletcher, Governor, commissioned to as- sume jurisdiction of Pennsylvania and Territories, 94, 110; writes to Governor .Lloyd ; visits the Province in great pomp ; summons the Assembly ; Penn writes to, 110; appoints Markham Deputy Governor; dissolves the As- sembly ; departs for his own colony ; occasionally visits Delaware Colony; message of, to the Assembly, 111; reasons for transferring government of Penn's colony to, 113, 114; declaration of, to Assembly, as to constitution, 118. INDEX. 531 Fort Amsterdam, party of English settle near, 28. Fort Casimir, erected ; renders Fort El- sinbcrg useless, 35; captured by Ry- singh, 37 ; capture of, fatal to the Swedes, 40; under command of Swen Sc-hute, 40, 41 ; besieged by Stuyve- sai.it; surrender of ; inhuman conduct of Dutch troops at, 41. Fort Christina, named, 30; lands south of, acquired by Stuyvesant, 35. Fort Du Quesne, named, 153 ; captured by General Forbes ; garrisoned by Pennsylvanians, 163. Fort Elsinborg, erected, 33 ; rendered useless, 35 ; seized by Stuyvesant, 40. Fort Le Bo2uf, the French establish ; headquarters of French commander at ; Washington reaches; on the site of Waterford, Erie County, 149 ; troops move from, to Fort Du Quesne, 153; captured by Indians, 167. Fort McHenry, bombarded, 316. Fort Mifflin, bombardment of, 205 ; evacuated, 206. Fort Mercer, attacked, 205. Fort Nassau, Indians occupants of, 26 ; Dutch garrison in, attacked, 28 ; Van Ilpendam at, 33; abandoned, 35. Fort Necessity, Washington retires to, and fortifies, but yields to the French, and marches out with the honors of war, 154. Fort Niagara, near the Falls; surren- dered to the English, 163 ; attacked by Indians, 117. Fort Oplandt, 24. Fort Island, mud fort upon, 205. Folger, Abiah, mother of Franklin ; Peter, 252. Fontanoy, battle of; head of Johnston family killed at, 403. Forbes, General, under Abercrombie, 162 ; seizes Fort Du Quesne, 163. Forney, John W., his sketch of Stevens, quoted, 364, 365. Forster, W. E., preface to Life of Penn, quoted, 91. Fortune, the vessel, commanded by Mey, 19. Foster, Henry D., 456. Fox, George, founder of Society of Friends ; travels through Delaware County; received at New Castle by Captain Carr, 55; visit and return home, 60. I ox, Mr., appointed to attend General Congress at New York, 173. Frankfort, Chambers at, confirm act, 30. Franklin, Benjamin, elqcted colonel, but declines, 144; is clerk and member of the Assembly ; answers manifesto oi F "opi ietors, 151 ; delegate to first General Congress ; plan of government for the Colonies, prepared by, 154, 260; biographer of, quoted, 155; sent to meet Braddock, 156, 258 ; Postmas- ter-General, 156, 258 ; commissioned by Braddock to procure transportation ; circulates notices through counties of Cumberland, York, and Lancaster ; procures wagons and horses, 156, 258; circulates dialogue to encourage en- listments, 158 ; takes command on north-western frontier, and erects forts, 159, 258; returns to Philadelphia and takes seat in Assembly, 159 ; regiment of, escorts Governor Denny, 160; snnt as commissioner to England, 162, 2(iO ; arrives in London ; lays instructions before Ministry; involved in contro- versy with Proprietors ; two associates sent to ; presents remonstrance to Pro- prietors, 164; pamphlet of, entitled Historical Review of Pennsylvania; appointed agent for Massachusetts, Maryland, and Georgia, 165, 260; agreement with Proprietors as to as- sessments ; defeated for the Assembly, 171 ; sent as agent to Court, on matter of taxation of Colonies, 173; advocates transfer of Colony to the Crown, 173, 235, 261; before committee of Pxrlia- ment, 174, 261, 262 ; delegate to Con- gress; returns from London, 183, 263; on committee to frame Declaration, 187, 264 ; votes for Declaration ; pres- ident of Constitutional Convention, 187; Ambassador to France, 207, 262; birth of, 251 ; goes to school ; learns printing, 252 ; writes anonymous arti- cles ; goes to New York and Philadel- Ehia; a vegetarian, 253 ; goes to Eug- md ; deceived by Governor Keith ; returns to Philadelphia ; moral con- victions of; establishes the Junto, 254; his skill in speaking and writing; pur- chases the Gazette; publishes pam- phlet on paper currency ; issues pro- posals for a public library ; commences publication of Poor Richard's Alma- nac, 255 ; maxims of, 256, 257 ; chosen clerk and member of Assembly, 257 ; experiments on electricity ; opposes Proprietary claims, 259 ; draws plan for an academy, 260 ; honorary de- grees conferred upon, 261 ; travels in Holland and Germany, 262 ; before committee of Privy Council, 262, 263; visits Canada, 263 ; negotiates peace; his final return home ; nattering recep- tion, 264 ; letter of; chosen president of Council ; delegate to Constitutional Convention ; moves to open Conven- tion with prayer, 205 ; college named after ; lays corner-stone of college a'. 532 INDEX. Lancaster ; retires from public employ- ments, 266, 273 ; death of; works of, 266 ; anecdote of; tributes to memory of, 267. 268 ; ode to, 268, 269 : on In- dependence, 314. Franklin, William, Governor of New Jersey; refuses to allow Moravian In- dians "to remain in his Colony, 170. Franklin, Josias, father of Benjamin, 251. Franklin County, 323, 325, 330. France, war declared between Great Britain and, 144 ; peace secured with Great Britain and, 147 ; joins Spain in war against England, 166 ; ambassador to court of, 264 ; forms alliance with America, 207, 264 ; revolution in, 249 ; Franklin's maxims in, 257 ; Monarch of, thanks Franklin, 260; at war with England, 264 ; honors to memory of Franklin in, 267. m Freame, Elizabeth, mother of Grorernor Johnston ; William, 403. Frederick, Braddock at, 156, 258. Freeport, town of, 418. Fremont, John C., nominated for Presi- dent, 375 ; General, 477. I rench, The, claim country on the Ohio, by reason of discovery by La Salle; make effort to circumvent Ohio Com- pany ; seize English traders ; ordered away by Indians ; mollify savages by presents, 150; under Contrecoeur drive English away from fort at confluence of Alleghany and Monongahela, and name it Fort Du Quesne; party of, under Jumonville, routed by Washing- ton, 153 , defeat Washington at Fort Necessity, 154; defeat Braddock, 156, 157 ; expeditions against, in Nova Sco- tia, and at Crown Point ; incite savages to murderous warfare, 158 ; erect Fort Ticonderoga ; repulse Abercrombie at Ticonderoga; routed at Frontignac; evacuate Fort Du Quesne ; force for the relief of Fort Niagara routed ; garrisoii of Fort Niagara surrender, 163; retreat from Ticonderoga and Crown Point, 163, 164; efforts to recover losses un- successful ; at Montreal surrender to the English, 166; and Indians at war with the English, 111; privateers run into the Delaware, 114; Markham is- sues proclamation against privateers of, 114, 115 ; establish trading posts on Alleghany and Ohio, 134, 146; invite Indians to conference at Montreal ; said by the Indians to be friendly to the English ; Indians promise to resist encroachments of, 134 ; endeavor to connect possessions in Canada with those on tne Mississippi ; seduce natives with presents, 146 ; Conrad Weiser sent to learn position of the, 147; rfncioach upon English Colonies, 148; build forts at Presque Isle, Le Bceuf, Venango, and Du Quesne; bury pieces of copper along the Ohio; settlers come in con- tact with; Washington sent to confer with : commandant met bv Washing- ton, 149. Friends, Society of, numbers of, arrive, 59 ; numbers flee from persecution, 60 ; Penn at meetings of, 72, 83 ; mode of address, 72; Penn arrested at meeting of, 74 ; Penn committed to prison for preaching at meeting of, 76 ; and In- dians, 78 ; assist Penn in framing laws, 80 ; accompany Penn to America, 82 ; address King James ; prisoners in England and Wales, 90 ; certificates of, as to Penn's unity, 95 ; action of, in monthly meeting, regarding slaves and Indians; freed from slavery, 90: persecuted; Lloyd attached to, 101; schism in church of, incited by Keith, 107; Keith proclaims himself as head of true; expel Keith ; influence of Penn in, puissant, 108 ; attempt of Governor Evans to frighten on day of weekly meeting of, 120; character of, mis- taken by Evans, 121, 143 ; Keith se- cures privileges to, 130 deputation of, protest against transfer of the Lower Counties, 136 ; Patrick, father of James Logan, joins, 138 ; James Logan a member of, 139 ; triumphant in the elections against Governor Thomas, 144 ; Governor Thomas appreciates, 145 ; oppose defensive war, 146 ; dele- gates from, at Indian conference at Easton, 162 ; favor the King assuming control of Province, 171. Frontignac, Count, Governor of Canada, incites Indians against the English, 111. Frontignac, French at, routed, 163. Fuller, William, a cheat, etc., 93 ; ac- cuses Penn, under oath, to the govern- ment, 93. Galloway, Joseph, speaker of Assembly ; delegate to Congress, 183. Gates, General, in command at Phila- delphia, 199; defeats Burgoyne at Saratoga, 203 ; president Board of War, 281 ; cabal to place at head of army, 283. Gazette, Pennsylvania, purchased by Franklin, 255. Gazette, United States, quoted, 334. Geary, John W., birth of; ancestry, 466 ; enters college; leaves college and teaches school ; re-enters college and graduates ; enters a mercantile house ; studies civil engineering ; studies law, INDEX. 533 467 ; admitted to the bar ; adopts the vocation of civil engineering ; goes to Kentucky to survey lines of public works ; noble act of; appointed assist- ant Superintendent and Engineer of Portage Eailroad ; raises a company of volunteers ; elected Lieutenant-Col- onel of Second Pennsylvania Regi- ment ; joins the army under General Scott ; his first experience of actual war, 468 ; wounded ; assigned to com- mand the great citadel ; elected Col- onel ; marches home ; separates with command at Pittsburg ; appointed Postmaster of San Francisco and Mail Agent of Pacific Coast; with wife and child sails for the Pacific coast ; arrives at San Francisco, 469 ; chosen first Al- calde of San Francisco ; appointed Judge of First Instance ; is, by virtue of his office, general curator; is re- elected, but four votes being cast against him, 470 ; elected Mayo/- ; de- clines re-election ; president of Board of commissioners ; chairman of Demo- cratic Territorial Committee ; is instru- mental in securing free State clause in the Constitution of California, 471 ; returns to the Atlantic States ; em- barks in farming ; tendered the Gov- ernorship of Utah, but declines ; holds interview with the President, 472 ; commissioned Governor of Kansas ; arrives at Fort Leavenworth ; makes speech to the citizens, 473 ; admin- isters the government impartially ; dis- patches to the Secretary of State the condition of Kansas, 474 ; forwards resignation to President Buchanan, 475 ; raises the regiment known as the 28th Pennsylvania ; proceeds to Har- per's Ferry ; fights battle of Bolivar ; wounded, 476 ; captures Leesburg ; promoted to Brigadier General ; as- signed to command of a brigade ; wounded at Cedar Mountain ; is ordered home for treatment of wound, 477 ; promoted to command the Second Division, Twelfth Corps ; is wounded at Chancellorsville; takes prominent part in battle of Gettysburg, 478, 479 ; goes with Division to the Southwest, 479 ; fights the midnight battle of Wau- hatchie ; complimented by General Hooker; with Division assaults and captures Lookout Mountain, 480, 482 ; issues complimentary order to his troops; engages in a series of battles from Chattanooga to Atlanta; marches with Sherman to the Sea, 483 ; leads the advance upon Savannah ; receives the surrender of the city ; appointed Military Governor o f Savannah ; citi- zens ask his retention ; engages in sev- eral battles in the Carolinas ; at grand review; bids farewell to his "White Star " Division, 484 ; elected Governor ; is inaugurated ; his inaugural address quoted, 485 ; his recommendations to the Legislature ; is re-elected, 486, 487; peculiar features of his administra- tion ; description of, 488 ; marriage of, 489 ; retires from office, 489 ; death , 490. Geary, Richard, father of John W., 466. Geary, Captain Edward R., son of Gov- ernor ; killed at battle of Wauhatchie, 480. Genet, French Minister, intemperate conduct of, 287. Georgia, Franklin agent of, at London, 165. George III. succeeds George II. ; grand- son of George II., 166 ; general confer- ence declare allegiance to, LS2 ; first Congress addresses, 183; receives ad- dress kindly, 184. Germany, father of Governor Wolf na- tive of, 350. German, emigrants settle in Pennsylva- nia ; Snyder, the first Governor, of that natidnality, 308. Gibson, James, pleads cause of Paxton Boys, 170. Ghent, Belgium, treaty of, 317. Gloucester, Mey debarked near, and built Fort Nassau, 21. Godyn's Bay, Delaware Bay known as, 18. Golden Shark, the ship, captured; held by Stuyvesant; Van EJswyck captain of, 40. Goodyn, Samuel, purchases tract of land ; purchase confirmed by Minuit ; occu- pies land as patroon ; joined by De V ries and six others, 23 ; in reference to whale-fishery, 24. Gookin, Colonel Charles, appointed Dep- uty Governor; of grave demeanor; subject to fits of derangement, 121 ; quarrels of Evans entailed upon ; de- clines to proceed against Evans ; so- licits Assembly for money, 122 ; a bach- elor; refuses to recognize the Assem- bly; drives committee from his door; removed on petition of Council ; unrea- sonable conduct of; under influence ot brother-in-law ; removed justices of New Castle County ; kicks a judge, 124; succeeded by Keith; odious to the people, 125. Gordon, Patrick, the " walking pur- chase" completed during term of, 88 ; succeeds Keith ; arrives ; meets the Assembly ; first address ; policy of, 132; punishes offending Indians; Indians pleased with speech of, 133; institutes inquiries into affairs of treas- 534 IXDEX. ury ; Assembly.decide power of, at an end, and refuse to act upon ini's-u^c of; receives new commission from the Proprietors, 134 ; death of; excellent government of Colonv, 13(3. Gordon, Thomas F., thehistorian, quoted, 151, 161, 167, 168, 170, 172, 236. Goshenhoppen, 333. Gottenburg, Printz sails from, 32. Grant, President U. S., reinstates Gov- ernor Pollock as Director of Hint, 432 ; appoints Curtin Minister to Rus- sia, 464 ; reviews General Geary's di- vision ; commander-in-chief, 482 ; en- counters Lee, 483. Grant, Colonel, defeats Cherokee Indi- ans, 166. Gray, General, attacks Wayne at Paoli and massacres his men, 203. Graydon, Alexander, memoirs of, quoted, 237 Griffin, the vessel, 30. Great Britain, war between Spain and, declared, 142; war between France and, declared, 144 ; peace secured be- tween France and, 147; resists the French ; Franklin's plan of govern- ment disapproved by the Ministry of, 155 ; rejoicing in, over defeat of the French, 164; money from, voted for defence ; Nova Scotia, Canada, Louisi- ana, and Florida given np to, by the French, 167 ; address of first Congress to, 183 ; peace between, and the United States, and treaty with, 264 ; acts of, leading to the war of 1812, 313; war declared against, 314. Greathouse, Daniel, with Capt. Michael Cresap, murder Indians, 180. Great Island, Indian town on, destroyed, 168. Great Meadows, Washington routs party of French near; Fort Necessity at; Washington attacked in, by the French at, and compelled to yield, 154. Greene, Colonel, [General,] at Fort Mer- cer, 205; goes to Rhode Island, 212; succeeds Mifflin as quarter-master-gen- eral, 281. Greensburg, Governor Johnston, born at, 404. Greenway, master of ship Welcome, 82. Gregg, Andrew, supported by Indepen- dent Republicans and Federalists as candidate for Governor, 343; offices held by, 452. Griffith, the ship, arrives on the Dela- ware, 59. Guinea, the frigate, with four other ves- sels, sails to America, 51. Gustavns Adolphus, Kingof Sweden; and Protestant religion ; mortally wounded; commended colonization, 29. Haige, William, commissioner, arrives, C7. Halifax, General Howe sails for, from Boston, 195 ; Howe goes from, to New York, 196. Halkett, Sir Peter, second in command at Braddock's defeat ; killed, 157. Hamilton, James, son of Andrew ; ar- rives from England; commissioned Lieutenant Governor ; removes griev- ances of the Indians west of the Sus- quehanna, 148 ; Governor of Canada remonstrates with ; urges measures for defence along the frontier, 150; forbid- den by Proprietors to approve money- bill unless interest at their disposal ; refuses assent to money-bill, 152 ; use- fulness impaired ; urges the Assembly to vote money for defence against the French, 153 ; convenes the Assembly; commissions delegates to General Congress, 154 ; resigns, and reasons for; relieved by Robert Hunter Mor- ris, .155; again made Deputy Gover- nor; convenes Assembly, 166; super- seded by John Penn, 169 ; President of Council ; born in Philadelphia; pos- sessed of large landed estate; adminis- tration of; never married ; died in New York ; age of, 177. Hamilton, Andrew, Speaker of Assembly, 141, 148; takes leave of Assembly; valedictory address of, 141, 142; ap- pointed Lieutenant Governor, 98, 116; opposition to, in Parliament, 116; ap- pointment of, receives royal confirma- tion ; organizes military force ; death of, 117. Hamilton, Alexander, allied with Fede- ral party, 343. Hancock, General, 479. Hanson, John, President of Congress, 299. Harlem, Washington driven from, 196. Harper, John, 412. Harper's Ferry, John Brown raid on; battle at, 476. Harris Ferry, Indians, thirty miles above, 158. Harris, John, requests Governor to re- move Indians from Conestoga, 169. Harris, Reports of, quoted, 386. Harrisburg, proposition to move capital to, 325 ; visitors to, entertained by Governor, 331; national convention meets in, 349 ; Porter erects anthracite furnace at. 388, 440 ; school at, 451. Harrison, Robert H., member of Board of War; declines to serve, 280. Harrison, General, gains victory over Te- cumseh at Tippecanoe, 314 ; fights bat- tle of Thames arid kills Tecumseh, 315 ; President, 330, 43^. Hartranft, J. F., 491. INDEX. 535 Hazard, Samuel, the historian, quoted, 30, 141. Hazlehurst, Isaac, 442. Heath, General, reviews Mifflin's brigade, 277 ; at Long Island, 279. Heckewelder, the historian, quoted, 85. Helm, Israel, to be councillor, 53. Hendrickson, Cornells, commands Un- rest ; meets three white men from fort on Hudson, 19; report of, read to States General ; demands privilege of trade, 20. Henderson, Mrs. Mary C., marries Gov- ernor Geary, 489. Henry, Patrick, eloquence of, 173, 241 ; draws draft of petition to the King ; draft not adopted ; his neglect of litera- ture, 242. Hepburn, Sarah Ann, marries Governor Pollock, 425. Hepburn, Samuel, 425. Hesse Cassel, Landgrave of, hires troops to Parliament, 195. Hessians, capture of, at Trenton, 198. Heyes, Peter, commands two vessels, 23 ; voyage of; purchases land of Indians ; returns to Holland. 24. Hickok, Henry C., 453. Hiester, Joseph, candidate for Governor ; supported by Old School Men and Federalists, 328; ancestry of; birth of; early life, 333; education; marriage; removes to Reading and enters mer- cantile business; a Whig in politics; member of State Conference ; captain of militia, 334 ; forms volunteer com- pany, 334, 335 ; marches with com- pany to New Jersey ; anecdote of, 336 ; taken prisoner; confined on prison- ship Jersey, 337 ; taken to New York ; illness of; exchanged; in battle of Germantown ; wounded ; member of Convention to ratify Federal Constitu- tion ; member of Convention to frame State Constitution ; member of the Legislature ; member of Congress ; elected Governor, 339 ; administration ; inaugural address, 340 ; extract from message of, on executive patronage ; death ; burial ; extract from last an- nual message, 341. Higginbotham, one, leads band of Mary- landers against settlers of Lancaster county, 137. Hillsborough, Earl of, writes Governor Penn to prorogue Assembly if it ap- proves circular letter of Massachusetts, 175 Hindlopen, Cape, named after town in Friesland, 19. Hinoyossa, Lt. Alexander D', sub-com- mander of vessels to the colony, 44 ; succeeds Alrichs in command of the City's Colony; in conflict of authority with Beekman ; does not recognize Stuyvesant's authority, 47 ; success- ful government of, 48 ; visits Holland ; secures for City Company entire gov- ernment on the Delaware; authority of; returns to Holland, 49 ; resists at- tack on fort ; farm of, seized by Carr, 52. Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Penn's portrait presented to, 71; me- moirs of, quoted, 91, 22,'. Hoern Kill, court established at, 57. Hollandaer, Peter, commissioned Gover- nor of New Sweden, 31 ; succeeded by Printz, 32. Holland, ships freighted with skins to, 23 ; arms of, 25 ; climate of, 26 ; peace between England and, concluded ; free from foreign war ; aggressive policy, 40. Hollister, Dennis, grandfather of Peiiu'a second wife, 95. Holme, Thomas, appointed surveyor- general, 67, 68, 102. Holmes, George, commands party from Connecticut that attacks Dutch garri- son, and is captured, 28. Hooker, General Joseph, 4~S, 479, 481, 483. Hoorn, city of, fits out vessels, 19. Hopkins, William, 372. Hospital, Pennsylvania, established, 266. Hosset, Gillis, commissary; with Hayea purchases tract of land of the Indians; left in charge of colony, 24. House of Representatives, of Pennsyl- vania, in joint convention with coun- cil, elect President and Vice-President, 199 ; action of, in reference to new con- stitution, 224 ; sends committee with Mifflin through the State to revive re- cruiting, 280 1 Mifflin speaker of, 286 ; Snyder speaker of, 309, 310 ; Findlay elected to , William Findlay elected to, 325; tries supreme judges ; judge asks, to impeach him, 326 ; act to revise judiciary system before the ; Findlay resigns seat in, 327 ; Ritner member and speaker of, 362 ; speech of Stevens in, on school system, 303, 364 ; proceedings of the, during the anti- Masonic excitement, 372, 373 ; David R. Porter, member of, 382; Packer, speaker of, 438. Houston, Captain, seizes prize-ship Ac- tive, 311. Houston, General Sam, intimate with Governor Porter, 389. Howe, General, commander of British troops ; seeks terms of capitulation ; departs from Boston, sails for Halifax, 195 ; proceeds to New York ; joined by Clinton aiid Admiral Howe ; order of 536 INDEX. Council of Safety on movements of; orders cautious policy, 196 ; with army pails for the Delaware; moves up the Chesapeake ; army debarks and marches across country, 201 ; at battle of Hrandywine, 202 ; confronted by Washington ; enters Philadelphia; puts army into winter-quarters, 203; marches against Washington at White Marsh; superseded by Clinton ; departure of, 206 ; sends flag of truce to Washington, 219 ; lands at head of Elk River, 2f9. Howe, Admiral Lord, with fleet joins British army at New York, 196 ; steers for New York from the Delaware ; takes shelter in Raritan Bay, 207. Howell, Jacob S., Secretary Council of Safety, 193. Hubley, Edward B., 437. Hudde, Andreas, supersedes Van Ilpen- dara ; adopts instructions of Pnntz, 33 ; policy of; retained as commis- sary on the Delaware by Stuyvesant ; complains of the Swedes, 34; over- reacties Printz by craft, 35 ; member of council, etc., 43; commands Fort Christina and New Gottenburg, 44. Hudson, Hendrick, discovers Bay of New York, 17, 18 ; sails in the Half Moon ; returns to Holland ; visit of, to Delaware River, 18. Hudson River, The, 17 ; first known as North River, 18 ; ships ply between it and the Delaware, 23 ; Stuyvesant summoned to, from the Delaware, 43. Hull, General, Governor of Michigan, surrenders Detroit, 314. Humphries, Charles, delegate to Con- gress, 183; votes against Declaration; omitted from new delegation, 187. Hunter's Falls, arrest of Anne Smith, alias Carson, at, 320. Huntingdon County, David R. Porter re- moves to, 381; Porter, register of, etc., 382. Hutchinson, Governor of Massachusetts ; letters of, published by Franklin, 262, 263. Independence, Declaration of, adoption of, 186, 187 ; names of committee on, 187. Indians, name of the Delaware River, 18; the Miuquas, Mohawks, Mohicans, 20; settlers trade with, 22; land pur- chased from, 22, 23 ; purchase con- firmed in presence of, 23 ; massacre by, 24; account of massacre by a native; Italians compared to, 25; lands purchased from, by Swedes and Finns, 30; the Minquas brought lu- crative trade, 33 ; the North American, grarts of; spirituous liquors given to, by the Swedes ; chiefs hold confer- ence ; stroking arm, token of friend- ship among the; the Swedes and the, in Priii tz's time; treaties with, con- firmed, 38 ; former treaties with, con- firmed, 39 ; massacre settlers on the Hudson, 43; commission to decide dif- ficulties of, 53 ; murders committed by ; uprising of, feared, 54 ; action of, in reference to murderers, 55 ; liquors not to be sold to, 58, 59 ; Penn and the, 68, 79, 80, 83; Cherokees, 166; Otta- was, 167; regulations concerning, 80; great treaty with ; the Leuni Lenape; the Mingo, 83; the Shawanese, 83, 134, 158, 167, 171; the Iroquois, 85; the Delawares, 85, 158, 171 ; grants of, 84 ; lands purchased from ; dissatis- faction of, with "walking purchase;" first murder by, 88; company formed to Christianize, 96 ; large numbers of, wait upon Penn prior to his leaving for England, 97 ; complain of Gover- nor Evans, 121 ; difficulty between ; chiefs of Five Nations meet Keith in conference ; speech at conference of, 128; one killed near Conestoga; invite Governor Keith to a confer- ence at Albany; speech of Grand Sachem to Governor Keith, 129 ; dis- turbances among, incited bv strong drink, 132 ; treaty with Five Nations ; council of, in Philadelphia ; conference with, frequent; peaceful policy towards; not excluded from testifying in court, 133; French seduce with presents; policy of Pennsylvania towards, 146 ; artfulness of; hold council at Albany ; Conrad Weiser sent among, to gain fa- vor of; passions of, aroused, 147 ; com- plain of white settlers intruding on their lands west of the Susquehanna; intruders removed from lands of, 148 ; chiefs of Six Nations order French from their lands ; Assembly vote mo- ney to secure friendship of; amount of gratuities to, in a year, 150 ; ter- rible massacres by, 158, 162 ; confer- ence with, at Easton ; Charles Thomp- son secretary to the, 162; the Chero- kee, commence hostilities; South Carolina militia led against the; re- pulse Colonel Montgomery ; Colonel Grant defeats Cherokee, 166 ; league of, under Pontiac ; forts captured by ; murders of, along the whole frontier, 167, 168; account of massacre of, by Paxton Bovs, 169,170; the Moravian, re- moved to Province Island ; two policies towards, 170; campaign against; sur- render captives, 172 ; Connecticut peo- ple purchase lands of the; Proprietors of Province purchase lauds of, 17 6 ; the INDEX. 537 Christian, move beyond the Ohio, 178 ; murder of, by Cresap and Greathouse ; Six Nations quieted by Johnson, 180; parties disguised as, throw tea into the water at Boston, 181 ; dine at Colonel Miffliu's, 277; power of, broken, 315; Six Nations, treaty with, at Philadelphia ; an orator of the, speaks of Logan, 140. Indies, western passage to, 18. Intelligencer, The Harrisburg, quoted, 3:iO. Ireland, Penn sent to, 71. Irving, Washington, quoted, 217, 218, 219, 275, 276, 278. Irvine, General, succeeds Putnam in command at Philadelphia, 199. Irwin, Archibald ; Nancy, marries Wil- liam Findlay, 325 ; Alexander, 436. Island, of New York, 17. Italians, compared to Indians, 25. Jackson, General Andrew, marches to defence of New Orleans ; victory of, 316, 346; President; appoints Gov- ernor Findlay Treasurer of the Mint, 330 ; elected President, 346 ; nullifica- tion proclamation of; opposes United States Bank ; appoints Wolf Comp- troller of the Treasury, 360 ; appoints Andrew Porter Governor of Michigan, 380. Jacobs, Indian chief, shot at Kittanning, 161. Jacobson, Marcus, [Long Finn,] incites insurrection ; taken and tried ; trans- ported to Barbadoes, 54. Jacquet, John Paul, appointed vice di- rector on the Delaware ; council of four given him as a court to try civil causes, 43 ; authority of, ceases, 44. Jamaica, Admiral Penn wins distinction in conquest of, 60. James, Duke of York, patent to, 51 ; ascends the throne : received with favor; opposed to persecution, 89; makes speech ; cause of Friends brought before, 90; zeal for Catholic church, 90, 109; communication of Penn with, 91 ; abdication of, 92 ; friend of Penn ; retires to France, 109. James River, chosen by cavaliers, 17. Janney, Samuel M., his Life of Penn quoted, 90. Jefferson, Thomas, drafts Declaration of Independence, 187, 246 ; life of, quoted, 187; on committee, 245; his opinion of Dickinson, 246; Minister to France, 264; letter of McKean to; President, 302, 325, 350 ; tribute to McKean, 306 ; orders British vessels out of United States waters, 313; leader of Republi- can party, 343; appoints Wolf post- master at Easton, 350 ; ousiness habite of, 359. Jefferson College, bestows degree on Governor Pollock, 425; Governor Geary educated at, 467. Jeffrey's Ford, on the Brandy wine; General Howe crosses at, 202. Jersey, the prison-ship, description of, 337, 338. Johnston, William Freame, birth of; ancestry, 403 ; education ; studies law, 404 ; practises law ; appointed district attorney ; elected to the House aud to the Senate ; advocates issue of relief notes ; president of the Senate, 405 ; be- comes Governor through the death of Shunk ; assumes authority ; orders an election, 406 : extract from message of, on the election ; views on tariff ques- tion, 407 ; quotes messages of Presi- dents and Governors on the tariff; message on printing the archives, 409 ; views on slavery, and injustice of the Fugitive Slave Law, 410, 411; success- ful management of finances ; re-nomi- nated, but defeated ; retires from office ; engaged in manufactures ; president of Alleghany Valley Railroad; chair- man Executive Committee of Public Safety; superintends construction of defences of Pittsburg ; becomes respon- sible for ammunition sent to West Vir- ginia; appointed collector of Port of Philadelphia; marriage; death, 412. Johnston, Alexander, father of William F. ; birth of ; surveyor, sheriff, magis- trate, etc., 403 ; death of; a centena- rian ; oldest Freemason in the United States; Elizabeth, Richard, Edward, and Colonel John W., 404; Richard M., 442. Johustone, George, British commissioner, 225 ; bears private letters to Reed; of- fers bribe to Joseph Reed, 226. Johnson., Sir William, victor over Baron Diesker on Lake George ; invited to conference with Indians at Easton, 162; succeeds General Prideaux, 163; agent of Indian affairs, 172; called upon to quit-t Indians, 180. Johnson, Andrew, President, appoints Governor Johnston collector of Phila- delphia, 412. Joncaire, De La, captain and interpreter in the French service, 150. Jones, John, tutor of Simon Snyder, 308. Jorissen, Governor, Arien, [Cornells Ja- cobsen Mey,] 22. Journal, Pennsylvania School, quoted, 366. Judiciary, act concerning, annulled ; old act revived, 134; troubles respecting the workings of the Constitution, 386 ; 538 INDEX. list of, appointed by Governor Porter, 387. Junto, established by Franklin, 254, 255. Kansas, Governor Bigler travels over, 422 ; troubles in, 473, 475. Keagy, Dr., 451. Keinier, Samuel, employer of Franklin, 253, 254. Keith, Sir William, appointed Governor ; Surveyor of Customs for Southern Provinces; salary of, as surveyor; visits to Philadelphia; has confidence in Logan ; arrives, and received with much pomp ; calls Assembly together ; courtesy to the Assembly; affable de- portment of; rewarded with ample salaries, 125 ; in doubt as to executing office after death of Penn ; commission of, renewed by Wm. Penn, Jr. ; lays doubts before the Assembly ; letter of instructions to ; refers subject of Proprietaryship to the Lord Regent; confirmed in office by the Lord Regent, 126 ; offends the Penn family, 127 ; skilful in managing the Assembly ; chancellor of court of equity ; visits Governor of Virginia; holds confer- ence with chiefs of the Five Nations; makes an elaborate address to the In- dians, 128 ; makes presents to the In- dians ; received by citizens ; prompt measures of, for arrest of Indian mur- derers; visits Albany; Sachems' ad- dress to ; sides with people and Assem- bly, 129 ; acts independent of Council ; removes Logan from office ; reproved by Hannah Penn ; directed to reinstate Logan, but refuses ; superseded ; ad- ministration of; secures privileges to Quakers ; elected to the Assembly ; foiled in wish to be speaker, 130 ; thwarted by Lloyd ; brings cavalcade to awe the Assembly ; waning power of; publishes History of Virginia; death of; widow of, neglected, and death of, 131 ; proposes duty on stamp paper, 172; deceives Franklin, 254. Keith, George, native of Scotland ; Sur- veyor-General of East New Jersey ; opens school in Philadelphia; salary of, 106 ; creates schism in the Church ; Character of; his opinion of Lloyd, 107, 108 ; proclaims himself at head of true Society of Quakers ; testi- mony of Society against him ; appeals to Society in London ; bitter enemy of Quakers ; joins Church of Eng- land; ordained a clergyman; offici- ates in England and America; death of; death-bed declaration of, 108. Kenny, Charles, incident of appointment as clerk o' oourt, 319. Kent, the county of, deed of, to Penn, 69. Kensington, Penn resides at, 116. Key of Calmar, the vessel, 30. Kieft, Sir William, 29; director of New Netherland; sends protest to Minuit; complaint about trade, 30. Kilen, Mr., 234. King's Bridge, Mifllin stationed at, 277, 278. Kirkpatrick, Rev. David, 425, 491. Kittanning, Indian town, destroyed, 161. Kittatinny Hills, forts and block-houses erected along the line of, from the Del- aware to Maryland, 158. Klein, Elmerhuvsen, member of Coun- cil, and commissary, 43. Klinginsinith, Philip, anecdote of, 419. Knap's Battery, 476. Knowles, a settler of Lancaster County, killed by Marylanders, 137. Knyphausen, General, at Brandywine battle, 202. Krause, David, 434. Krygier, Captain Martin, commands ves- sels to the Colony, 44. Kunze, Dr., 344. Laet, Jean de, work on West Indies, 22. Lafayette, General, arrives in America; wounded, 202 ; goes to Rhode Island, 212. Lake Champlain, Ticonderoga between, and Lake George, 163. Lake George, Ticonderoga between, and Champlaiu, 163. Lancaster County, Marylanders attempt to drive settlers from ; sheriff* of, sum- mons posse to resist ; invaded by Cre- sap with fifty armed men ; skirmish with invaders, and Cresap wounded and made prisoner ; another band in- vades territory, and are dispersed by sheriff; party of Marylanders release prisoners from jail; order of the King restrains both parties, 137 ; Franklin procures wagons and horses in, foi Braddock, 156; Indian murders in, 162 ; settlements in, 169. Lancaster, town of, troops put in bar- racks at, 163 ; Indians killed in work- house at, 169 ; Hessian prisoners at, 198 ; Congress and Supreme Council meet at, 204 ; funeral of President Wharton at, 210 ; Franklin College at ; visit of Franklin to, 265, 266 ; Legis- lature at, 288 ; Governor Snyder born, at, 308; capital, 325; Governor Shulze removes to, 349. La Ray, Fort, captured by Indians, 167. Law, The Great, passed by the Assem- bly ; first section of, 86. Lawrence, Alderman, Franklin declines colonelcy in favor of, 144 INDEX. 539 Laurie, Gawen, assignee to Byllinge, 60; trustee for West Jersey colonists, 77. Legislature of Pennsylvania, passes Act vesting estate of Proprietors in Com- monwealth ; sum paid to Proprietors by the, 193 ; proceedings of, in the Urn- stead case, sent to President Madison, 311 ; message of Governor Snyder to the, in the Umstead case, 312 ; Snyder's in- augural address to; custom of Executive delivering messages in person to, abol- ished, 317 ; first message to, against sla- very, 318 ; passes bill chartering forty banks, 319, 328 ; Snyder's last message to, 321 ; asks Governor McKean to re- move Judge Breckenridge, 327; passes bill to refund money to State Treasurer Findlay ; inquires into the official con- duct of Treasurer Findlay, 328 ; reports in favor of Treasurer ; inquires into of- ficial conduct of Governor Findlay, 321 ; sits in Dauphin County court-house, 330 ; members of, entertained by Gov- ernor Findlay, 331 ; message of Hiester to, on reform, 341 ; message of Shulze to, on will of majority, 346 ; approves views of Jackson on nullification ; fa- vors renewing charter of United States Bank, 360; passe.s Common School Law, 362 ; message of Ritner to, on educa- tion, 367 ; violent proceedings in, dur- . ing anti-Masonic excitement, 372, 373 ; authorizes sale of bank and bridge stock of the State ; revives State tax ; authorizes issue of relief notes, 405; messages of Governor Johnston to, on the election, the tariff, and slavery, 407, 408,409, 410, 411, 412; discussion in, on chartering Pennsylvania Central Railroad, 417, 418, 419; extra session called to avert financial crisis, 430; Petrikin member of, 434 ; votes money to soldiers' orphans' schools, 462 ; mes- sages of Geary to the, 486, 487. Lee, Richard Henry, moves Declaration of Independence, 186, 246; drafts ad- dress to people of England, 241 ; ad- dress not adopted, 242. Lee, General Charles, sent to defend New York, 195 ; at the battle of Monmouth, 207; character of, 218; corresponds with Reed, 220. Lee, General Henry, commands troops to quell Whiskey Insurrection, 287. Lee, Arthur, ambassador to France, 207. Lee, General Robert E., invades Pennsyl- vania, 478. Leesburg, Va., 477. Lebanon County, Shulze recorder, etc., of; Shulze senator from, 345. Levin, John, agent for Duke of York, calls Andros to account, 65. Lewis, Attorney General, 405. Ligonier, Fort, Colonel Boquet reaches, 168. 4 Lincoln, Abraham, 431 ; elected Presi- dent, 456 ; tenders mission to Curtin, 463. Line, Mason and Dixon's, 67. Little Timber Creek, 21. Livingston, Philip, member of Congress, 241 , 242 ; on committee to revise min- utes, 291. Lloyd, Thomas, president of Council; keeper of Great Seal, 89, 101 ; death of, 94, 111; educated at Oxford, 101; attached to the Quakers, 101, 112; embarks with Penn to America, 101 ; commissioner of land-office, 102 ; one of five commissioners ; applies to Penn to be relieved of office ; Penn's letter to, relieving him of office, 103, 104; recommends appointment of sin- gle executive, 104; refuses to deliver up the great seal, 105; again made president of Council, 105, 106 ; com- missioned Deputy Governor, 106, 111 ; George Keith's opinion of, 107,108; letter of Penn to, on public matters, 108; Fletcher writes to, 110; subser- viency to Fletcher censured by Penn, 110; where born, 111, 112; of respect- able family ; character of; last words of, 112. Lloyd, David, Speaker of the House; signs address denouncing the Governor and Proprietor ; at head of faction op- posing Governor Evans; champion of the popular party ; again elected Speaker, 119; cause of quarrel with the Governor and, 120; charges brought against, 121 ; troubles be- tween Logan and, 122 ; thwarts de- signs of Keith; elected Speaker of Assembly, 131. / Lloyd, Sarah, daughter of Thomas; marries William Moore, 283. Lloyd, Susan, daughter of Thomas; marries Thomas Wharton, Jr., 208. Loan-Office established; McKean trustee of, 291. Loe, Thomas, Quaker preacher, 70; preaches at meeting of Friends in Cork, 71. Logan, James, appointed Provincial Secretary and Clerk of Council, 98, 116; came with Penn to the Province; enjoys Penn's unlimited trust, 116; fast friend of the Proprietor, 119; charges brought against, 121 ; troubles with David Lloyd ; returns to Eng- land, and Jays troubles before the Pro- prietor, 122; confides in Governor Keith, 125 ; resists Governor Keith ; removed from office ; goes to London ; Keith directed by Hannah Penn to 540 INDEX. reinstate ; refusal of Keith to reinstate, 130 ; manages affairs of Colony with firmness ; kind hearing towards the Indians ; nominally Governor for long period ; offices held by ; sketch of, by Proud, 138, 139, 140; library of; In- dian estimate of; appearance of, 145. Logan, Robert, grandfather of James, 138. Logan, William, son of James; member of Governor's council, 140. Logan, Deborah, gives account of British in Philadelphia, 204. Logan, Indian chief, family of, mur- dered ; eloquence of, 180. Logan, Patrick, father of James; re- moves into Ireland from Scotland ; educated in University of Edinburgh ; joins Quakers, 138. Logan, James R., 489. Logan, Margaret Ann, marries John W. Geary, 489. London, Penn's sermons in, 95 ; Frank- lin arrives in, 164. Londonderry, Chester County; birth- place of McKean, 289. Long Island, Washington driven from, 196. Longstreth, candidate for Governor, 419. Lords, British House of, bill before, to change Proprietaryship to royal Gov- ernor, 115; postpones action on ap- pointing royal Governors, 116. Lossing, Benson J., works of, quoted, 232, 239. Lottery, money raised by, for defence, 144. Louis XIV., King, declares war against the Netherlands, 56. Louis XV., King, Franklin presented to, 262. Louisburg, operations against, 162. Louisiana, given up to the English, 167. Loudoun, Earl of, in chief command ; recalled, 162. Lovelace, Colonel Francis, succeeds Nicholls, 53 ; issues proclamation for arrest of Jacobsen and Coleman, 54; absent at New Haven when Dutch arrive at New York, 56 ; returns to Europe, 56, 57. Lovell, James, of Massachusetts ; chair- man Committee on Foreign Relations ; blames Washington, 282. Lower Counties. See Territories. Lowden, Richard, with party of Mary- landers, release prisoners from Lancas- ter jail, 137. Lucas, Nicholas, assignee for Byllinge, 60 ; trustee for West Jersey colonists, 77. Lurgan, place of James Logan's birth, 138. Lutzen, battle of, 29. Lycoming County, 434, 438, 439. Lyttleton, Lord, rebukes Richard Penn, 179, 180. Macaulay, Lord, his charges against Penn, refuted, 91, 92. Madison, James, motion of, in Congress, on death of Franklin, 267 ; president; replies to Governor Snyder on the Um- stead case, 311 ; declares wt.r against Great Britain, 314 ; tenders appoint- ments to Andrew Porter, 380. Manhattan, island of; settlers return to, 22 ; purchase of land confirmed at, 23 ; purchase of Heyes and Hosset con- firmed at, 24 ; present sent to Governor at, 26 ; De Vnes leaves present at, 27 ; prisoners sent to, 28 ; traders from ; overtures to authorities at, by Christina colonists, 31 ; ship Mercury ordered to, 44; Colonel Nicnolls arrives at, 51. Manning, Captain John, commands fort at New York, 56. Marcy, Wm. L., 474. Markham, William, deputy Governor, 65, 79, 101; brings letter of Penn to colonists, 65, 79 ; date of commission ; visits the Governor -at New York, and obtains letter from, 65, 66, 79 ; shows Penn's patent to Governor Brockholls ; proceeds to the Delaware; empowered to call a council ; brings letter to Lord Baltimore on settlement of boundary ; confers with Lord Baltimore, 66 ; first court under; instructions of, 67 ; makes large purchase of the Indians ; searches a site for a city; Penn's instructions to, about city ; discards Penn's location, 68; takes King's declaration to the Province; cousin of the Proprietary, 79 ; made Secretary of Province and Territories, 101 ; withdraws from Coun- cil, 106 ; commissioned Deputy Gov- ernor of the Territories, 106, 114; sub. serviency of, to Fletcher, censured by Penn, 110; meets Council and Assem- bly ; disregards organic law ; approves new Constitution, 114. Marshall, Edward, employed in the "walking purchase," 88. Martial, Christopher, Remembrancer of quoted, 212. Mary, Queen, letter of, to Fletcher, 111. Maryland, State of, English settlements in, 47 ; claims territory on Delaware, 50; northern boundary settled, 66, 67 ; country north of, granted to Penn, 78 ; religious liberty in, 81 ; controversy between, and Pennsylvania, 89 ; citi- zens of, invade Pennsylvania, 137; agreement in reference to disputed boundary line approved by the King, INDEX. 541 141 ; in council with Indians, 147 ; Governor of, invited to conference with Indians at Easton, 162 ; Franklin agent of, at London, 165; militia of, called out to quell Whiskey Insurrection, 287, 466. Massachusetts, extension of territory of, 50; Franklin agent of, at London, 165 ; proposes a general congress, 173 ; letter of Assembly of, offends Ministry, 174 ; harsh measures of Parliament to, con- demned, 182, 183. Mason, Thomas, to run boundary line; name world-renowned, 67. Masonic, fraternity, excitement against, 36-2. Masters, Miss Polly, marries Richard Penn, 179. Maverick, Samuel, Esq., commissioner, 51. McAllisterville, 462. McClellan, General George B., 422. McDermott, Josephine, marries David R. . Porter, 382. McDermott, William, 382. McFarland, Colonel George F., 462. McKean, Thomas, birth of; education ; studies law ; clerk ; deputy prothono- tary and register, 289 ; admitted to practise law ; deputy attorney -general ; clerk of Assembly ; appointed to codify laws ; member of Assembly ; declines being candidate ; names seven persons as representatives, 290 ; trustee of loan office ; member of first Congress; chal- lenged by president, 292; thanks of Assembly to ; notary public ; justice of the peace; orders use of unstamped paper ; collector of the port of New Castle ; member Continental Congress, 293 ; resides permanently in Philadel- phia ; letter on signing the Declara- tion, 294; signature omitted from the Declaration, 295 ; chairman of conven- tion of deputies ; colonel of regiment ; chairman Committee of Safety of Penn- sylvania, and of Inspection of Phila- delphia; marches with regiment to join Washington ; anecdote of, 296 ; signs parchment copy of the Declaration; writes the Constitution of Delaware in a single night, 297 ; Chief Justice of Pennsylvania ; letter to John Adams, 298 ; resignation as delegate in Con- gress for Delaware refused ; President of Congress ; resigns as president, 299 ; tribute to, 300 ; member of conven- tion to ratify Federal Constitution ; member of convention to revise State Constitution, 301 ; elected Governor ; letter to Dickinson; letter to Jefferson, 302; articles of impeachment against, 303 ; extract from messages, 304 ; friend- ship for John Adams ; letter to Adams, 305 ; death of; appearance ; marriage ; character, 306 ; honors conferred upon ; offices held by, 307 ; opposes Hundred Dollar Act ; estranged 1'rorn his party, 310; fails to remove a judge at request of Legislature, o!7; affiliates with Re- publicans ; appoints Wolf clerk of courts, 350. McKean, William, native of Ireland; father of Thomas, 289. McKean, Lajtitia, native of Ireland, mother of Thomas, 289. Mead, William, taken with Penn and tried at Old Bailey ; acquitted by jury ; fined for keeping hat on in court; imprisoned, 74. Meadville, 451. Mecklenburg, N. C., declaration, 424. Melsheimer, Rev.-M., 344. Mendenhall, Rose, Aaron, and Rose, 433. Mennonites, community of emigrants ; terms of association, 48 ; opposed to defensive war, 146. Mercer County, parents of Governor Big- ler remove to, 413. Mercersburg, William Findlay born at; described, 323. Metamequan, Indian king, signs deed for lands purchased, 88. Mexico, war with, 468, 469. Mey, Cornells Jacobsen, arrival on the American coast, 19; commands ship ; first director of New Netherlands; builds Fort Nassau, 21 ; succeeded by Van Hulst, 22. Miamis, Fort, captured by the Indians, 167. Michael, St., the Archangel, feast of, 82. Michael, Elizabeth, marries Simon Sny- der, 320. Michilimackinack, Fort, captured by In- dians, 167. Mifflin, Thomas, delegate to Congress, 183, 274 ; appears before Congress ; ex- amines defences of Philadelphia, 200 ; president of Council ; birth; of Qua- ker parentage ; education, 273 ; mer- chant ; visits Europe ; elected to the Assembly, 274 ; patriotic address of; made a major, 275; with Washington as colonel and aid-de-camp ; described by Irving; first hostile encounter; bravery of; made quartermaster-gene- ral, 276 ; described by Graydon ; brig- adier-general ; commands Pennsylva- nia troops, 277 ; anecdote of, 278 ; again quartermaster-general ; bearer of despatches to Congress ; addresses Congress, 279 ; sent by Congress through the State to make addresses ; made major-general ; member of Board of War, 280 ; resignation refused ; sue- 542 INDEX. Deeded by General Greene ; joins the army in the field ; inquiry into con- duct of, 281 ; resignation refused sec- ond time ; confidence of Congress in ; thanks voted by Congress, 282 ; classed among opponents to Washington ; let- ter of, 283 ; president of Congress ; re- ceives resignation of Washington, 284 ; reply of, to Washington's tender of resignation, 285 ; Speaker of Assem- bly : member Constitutional Conven- tion ; president Council; president of Convention, 286 ; elected Governor; at the head of militia in quelling Whis- key Insurrection, 287; last official communication ; member of Assembly ; decease; character, 288. Militia, to be raised in the State, 184 ; Carolina, repulse British, 195; lives of, spared, 200; of Philadelphia or- dered out; stationed at Downingtowu and Chester, 201 ; ordered out by Gov- ernor Ritner, 373. Millersburg, 440. Milton, 424, 425, 451. Ministry, the British, prosecute war with Indians; offended with Massachusetts circular letter, 171 ; exasperated at Colonies, 181 ; resolve to force submis- sion of Colonies, 184; order evacuation of Philadelphia ; send fleet to America, 207. Minuit, Peter, made director ; purchases land where the city of New York is built ; administration of, 22 ; succeeded by Van Twiller, 27 ; protest of Kieft to ; completes fort, 30; arts of; governs Colony with success; death of, 31. Mirabeau, tribute of, to memory of Franklin, 267. Mirick, or Merrig, Prince of Demeca ; ancestor of Thomas Lloyd, 233. Mississippi River, endeavor of French to erect a line of forts from Canada to the, 146 ; French escape to, from Fort Du Quesne, 163. Miquon, Indian name for Penn, 85; meaning of, 86. Mohawk Valley, the, 17. Money, demanded for defence of Albany, 111 ; bill passed, 114 ; solicited by Gov. Gookin, 122 ; maxim on continental, 359. Monongahela, Valley of, claimed by Vir- ginia, 180. Monmouth, battle of, 207. Montreal, captured by the English, 166. Montgomery County, Andrew and Da- vid R. Porter born in, 379 ; Francis R. Shunk born in, 392. Montcalm, General, commands French at Quebec ; fight of, with Wolfe ; death of. 164. Monteith, Mary, marries William F. Johnston, 412. Montgomery, Colonel, repulsed by Cher- okee Indians, 166. Moore, William, elected vice-president of Council, 216 ; elected president of Council ; character of; settlement of salary, 231 ; Robert Morris friend of, 232; term expires; director of Bank of Pennsylvania; chairman meeting of citizens ; elected member of Assem- bly; death of; marries Sarah Lloyd; children of; only daughter marries, 233. Moore, Nicholas, at head of Council ; chief-justice; impeached by House; expelled from the Assembly ; guiltless in the eyes of Penn, 102 ; appointed on commission, but never acted, 103. Moore, Jacob B., 470. Moore, Colonel Thomas Lloyd, son of President Moore; marries Sarah Stamper, 233. Moore, Elizabeth, only daughter of Pres- ident Moore; marries M. De Marbois; resides in Greece ; death of, 233. Moore, Robert Kearney, third child of President Moore, 233. Moravians, opposed to defensive war, 146. Morris, Robert Hunter, relieves Governor Hamilton ; disputes with Assembly ; rejects money bill, 155, 157; Assem- bly remonstrates against veto of, 157 ; declares war against the Indians; re- lieved of office ; son of Lewis Morris ; bred a lawyer ; councillor and chief- justice of New Jersey ; administration unprofitable; death of, 159. Morris, Lewis, father of Governor Mor- ris; Chief Justice of New York and New Jersey, and Governor of New Jersey, 159. Morris, Robert, delegate to Congress; signs Declaration, 187; merchant; friend of President Moore; appointed Secretary of Finance; placed at head of Bank of North America; Washing- ton appeals to, for money ; anecdote of; writes to Washington, 232 ; absent when vote was taken on Declaration, 246. Morristown, Washington encamps at, 199. Morton, John, appointed delegate to gen- eral Congress, 173, 183 ; votes for Dec- laration, 187. Monltrie, General William, with Carolina militia repulses British at Sullivan's Island, 195, 196. Mount Rock, town of, 374. Mount Pleasant, Geary born near, 466. Mowland, John, 234. Moylan, General Stephen, succeeds Mif- flin as Quartermaster-General, 279. Mud Fort, upon Fort Island, 205. INDEX. 543 Mud Island, fort on, erected, 167 ; Fort Mifflin on, 205. Muhlenberg, Dr. Henry, 344 ; Henry A., candidate for Governor, 360, 436. Muney, Indian town, destroyed, 168. Muskingum, River, Colonel Boquet reaches, and treats with the Indians, 171, 172. Naaman, Indian chief, speech of, 38. Nain, Indians at, removed to Philadel- phia, 169. Napoleon, amazes Europe; declares Eng- lish coast in blockade, 313 ; power of, broken, 315. Narragansett, Bay, storm in, disables French vessels, 212. Nassau, Dutch name for Delaware River, 18 ; fort, built, 21 ; fort, attacked, 28 ; English sail past, 31 ; Van Ilpendam at; protests between Tinicum and, 33. Native American, party, defeats Bigler, 421 ; Hazlehurst candidate of, 412. Navy, the British, Penn's father admiral in, 60, 69. Navy, Board of, appointed, 200. Needham, Captain Robert, to command the Delaware Colony, 53. Negroes, slavery of, prohibited ; act con- cerning, annulled, 122; allowed to give testimony in court, 133. Neshaminy Creek, lands near, purchased, 88. Netherlands, peace between England and, concluded, 58. New Amsterdam, force sent from, to route English settlers, 32 ; De Vries comes from, to visit Printz, 35, 36; Swedish troops sent to, 41. Newark abandoned by Washington, 196 ; skirmish at, 202. New Brunswick abandoned by AVash- ington, 196. New Castle, Fort Casimir erected near present site of, 35 ; meeting of Friends at; list of taxables of, 59; boundary line to be twelve miles from, 67 ; I'enn arrives at, 69, 82 ; town of, conveyed to Penn, 81 ; deputation of Council sent to, 106 ; fort erected by P>ans at, 120 ; "McKean collector of port of, 293. tfew Castle, County of, Penn obtains deed for, 69 ; McKean register and prothonotary of, 289, 290;" McKean trustee of loan office of, 291 ;.McKeau justice of the peace in, 293. New England, encroachments of, upon Stuyvesant, 34 ; visited by Colonel Nicholls, 51. New Gottenburg, Fort, 32. New Jersey, constitution promulgated ; experience gained by Penn in framing governn ^ut of, 78 ; Governor of, in- vited to conference with Indians at Easton, 162; retreat of enemy through. 199 ; militia of, called out to quell Whiskey Insurrection, 287. New Haven, Council to meet Lovelace at, 56. New Netherlands, first named in edict of States General, 19; ship dispatched to America ; chief power in territory of, vested in a director ; seat of gov- ernment of, established, 21 ; Minuit general director of; Minuit in service of, 30 ; passes under English rule, 52 ; reduction of, by Duke of York, 53 ; squadron dispatched for recovery of, 56 ; recovered by the Dutch ; called New Orange, 57 ; restored to the Eng- lish, 58. New Orange, named, 57. New Orleans, victory at, 316. New Port May, Delaware Bay known as, 18. New Sweden, expense of expedition against, 44. Newspapers, Washington Chronicle, The, quoted, 365 ; Public Inquirer, The ; Bellefoute Patriot, The ; Pennsylvania Intelligencer, The, 434; Gazette, The Lycoming, 435 ; Keystone, The, 437. New Swedeland Stream, the Delaware called, by the Swedes, 18. New Wales, Penn's name for Pennsylva- nia, 60. New World, possessions in ; trade in, 19 ; territory in, 21 ; authority in, 22 ; de- sire of De Vries to see, 26 ; lucrative trade in, 27 ; king of Sweden and, 29 ; aggressive policy of Sweden in, 40 ; power of Swedes ended in, 41 ; de- scendants of Swedes in, 42. New World, Dutch and English rule in, 50 ; accounts of, 334. New York, Council in, 53, 54 ; appeal to government at, 54; Dutch squadron arrives at ; fort at, surrendered, 56 ; deputies from Delaware go to ; Council at, select justices, 57 ; Markham goes to, 65 ; Governor of, invited to con- ference with Indians at Easton, 162 ; Governor of, refuses to allow Moravian Indians to enter his dominions, 170; General Congress meets at, 174 ; Gen- eral Charles Lee sent to defend, 195; General Howe proceeds to, 196 ; Frank- lin in, 253 Nicholls, Colonel Richard, English Gov- ernor, 50 ; commands expedition to possess Duke of York's territory ; to visit the New England Colonies ; in- structions of; arrives at Boston, and confers with authorities ; sails for Con- necticut ; arrives at Manhattan ; issues proclamation, 51 ; discountenance? 544 INDEX. seizure of farms ; visits the Delaware ; makes digest of laws ; his will su- preme law ; administration of; suc- ceeded by Lovelace, 53. Nieuer Amstel, ceded territory called ; Jacob Alrichs director of, 44; families in, 45; negotiations for transfer to West India Company; Finns resolve to abide in, 48 ; court established at, 57. Nisbet, Dr., president of Dickinson Col- lege, 249. Noble, Richard, arrives, 59. Normal schools, system of, inaugurated, 454, 455. Norris, Mary, marries John Dickinson, 250. Norris, Isaac, delegate to first General Congress, 154; opposes the King's as- suming direct government of Province, 171 ; daughter of, marries John Dick- inson, 250. Norristown, 379, 381. North River, 18. North, Lord, British premier; proposi- tions of, concerning peace, 225. Northampton County, Indian murders in, 102 ; Governor Wolf born in ; Wolf clerk of court in, 350. Northumberland County, Union and Snyder counties taken from, 309 ; Pol- lock born in, 424, 440. Nova Scotia, expeditions against the French in, successful, 158 ; given up to the English, 167. Ogden, Robert, 292. Ogle, Governor of Maryland, demands release of Cressap ; seizes and places in jail four settlers of Lancaster county, 137. Ohio Company, authorized by the Vir- ginia Assembly to settle beyond the Alleghanies; settlers of, meet the French, 149 ; Marquis Du Quesne re- monstrates against encroachments of, 150 ; party of, routed by the French ; Washington moves to aid of the, 153. Old School Men, branch of Republican party ; nominate Hiester for Governor, 328. Oliver, Lieut. Governor of Massachu- setts ; letters of, published by Frank- lin, 262, 263. Onas, Indian name for Penn, 85 ; mean- ing of, 86. Ontario, Lake, 166. Oplandt, Fort, 24. Orange, Prince of, New Netherlands named in honor of, 57. Ormond, Duke of, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland ; second son of, 71. Ouachtanon, Fort, captured by the In- dians, 167. Oxenstiern, prime minister of Sweden, 30. Oxford College, Penn at, 70. Packenham, General, defeated at New Orleans ; death of, 31 1>. Packer, William Fisher, birth ; ancestry, 433 ; apprenticed to learn printing ; clerk; journeyman printer; studies law, 434 ; purchases and edits Lycom- ing Gazette ; marries, 435 ; Superin- tendent of West Branch Canal ; favors re-election of Wolf; defeated for sena- tor, 436 ; publishes the Keystone at Harrisburg; member of Canal Board; appointed auditor general, 437; mem- ber of the House ; competitor returned elected by mistake ; elected speaker of the House, 438; decision sustained; elected State Senator, 439 ; prominent action in reference to Susquehanna Railroad, 440 ; speech on three-hun- dred-dollar law ; president Susquehan- na Railroad, 441 ; appointed by the Legislature to take charge of the rail- road from Erie to Ohio line ; labors for Buchanan's election ; delegate to Dem- ocratic National Conventions at Balti- more and Cincinnati ; elected Governor, 442 ; letter of, to Buchanan on admis- sion of Kansas, 443 ; extracts from mes- sages of, 442 ; on national questions. 444, 448; death, 448; appearance and character, 449. Packer, James, father of William ; Char- ity, mother ; James, grandfather ; Phil- ip, great-grandfather; Hezekiah B. ; John P., 433 ; Samuel J., 434. Paget, John, his Inquiry quoted, 91, 92. Palmer, Anthony, President of Council ; term of; a gentleman of wealth ; re- moves to colony from the West Indies ; keeps a coach, 147. Paoli, massacre at ; monument at, 203. Pappegoya, John, receives letter of Queen to Printz; marries Printz's daughter ; becomes Lieutenant Gov- ernor, 33 ; left by Printz in chief au thority, 35 ; retained power but five or six months, 36; departs for Europe, 37, 38 ; wife of, in possession of Printz Hall, 37, 38 ; passenger on ship Mer- cury, 44. Paris, Penn at, 70. Parke, Benjamin, 437. Parker, Admiral Sir Peter, joins Clinton in attack on Charleston, S. C., 195. Parker, John, ode of, to the memory of Franklin, quoted, 268. Parliament, strong party in, opposed to Penn ; passes act requiring royal as- sent to appointment of Deputy Gover- nors, 116 ; passes bill prohibiting issue INDEX. 545 of paper currency in American Colo- nies, 152 ; votes monument to General Wolfe, 164 ; considers taxing of the Colonies, 172; Franklin before, 174; action of, in reference to tax on tea, 181 ; pays annuity to descendants of Penn, 193 ; action in reference to the war, 194, 195. Partridge, Richard, sent as associate to Franklin at London, 164. Passmore, Thomas, petitions House for impeachment of justices of supreme court ; fined and imprisoned, 326. Patterson, Major-General, 373. Patton, Edward, 381. Pautaxat, Indian name for Delaware River, 18. Paxton Boys, or Rangers, massacre Indi- ans at Conestoga and Lancaster, 160 ; at Germantown ; committee sent to confer with ; return home, leaving Smith and. Gibson to plead their cause ; conduct justified, 170. Penn, William, assignee to Byllinge ; as such first gets interested in settle- ments in America ; claim of his father on the English government, 60 ; coun- try confirmed to ; protests against name of State ; to pay two beaver- skins annually for grant, 61 ; makes Markham Deputy Governor ; letter of, to Colonists ; Proprietor, 65 ; patent to, shown Governor Brockholls ; dis- pute about boundary continued till after the death of, 66 ; description of Province, 67, 79 ; letter of, to the In- dians ; instructions about site for a city, 68 ; obtains deed of release from Duke of York ; sails for the Dela- ware; arrives at New Castle; sketch of; parentage and birth, 69 ; goes to Oxford and enters Christ Church College ; joins Quakers, and expelled from college ; expelled from home ; recalled home and sent to France ; reads religious works ; returns from the Continent, 70-; has polish of French Society ; student at Lincoln's Inn ; sent to Ireland ; received with marked attention ; assists in quelling mutiny ; offered a captaincy ; portrait painted ; hears Thomas Loe preach, 71; re- nounces the world ;. constant attendant at Friends' meetings ; imprisoned, 72 ; writes to Earl of Orrery ; on universal toleration ; liberated from prison, and returns home ; expelled from home by his father; called to the Gospel minis- try, 72 ; writer of religious works, 72, 73, 75, 76; controversy with Vincent; imprisoned in the Tower; Dr. Stilling- fleet visits him in prison, 73; released from the Tower ; friendship for Duke 35 of York ; arrested and tried at the old Bailey ; makes own defence ; acquitted by jury ; fined for keeping hat on iu court ; imprisoned for non-payment of fine, 74 ; fine paid by his father; af- fecting meeting with father on his death-bed; last words of father to; comes into possession of estate; in- come of; writes tract against Popery, 75 ; accused of being a Catholic ; im- prisoned second time in Newgate; marries, 76 ; wife's love for, 76, 77 ; lives at Rickmansworth ; assists in framing constitution for West New Jersey ; trustee for Colonists ; letter of, to Colonists; Colony of West, Jersey prosperous under, 77 ; experience of, to fit him for founding a colony ; in- herits claim against British govern- ment ; petitions Charles II. to grant him a tract of country in America; patent of, signed by the king ; declara- tion of grant to ; persons in Province to yield obedience to, as Governor; letter of, to people of Province ; object in founding Colony, 78 ; and the Indi- ans, 79, 80, 83, 84, 85 ; conditions of. for settling Province, 79, 80 ; prepare! for voyage; code of laws originated with, 80 ; and religious liberty ; penaf code of ; and the constitution ; and the Province; obtains two deeds from Duke of York, 81 ; embarks for Amer- ica ; writes letter to wife and children ; house at Worminghurst, Sussex ; cares for those sick with small-pox ; arrives at New Castle: welcomed by inhab- itants; explains nature of govern- ment; changes name of Upland to Chester; visits site of Philadelphia, and is welcomed by old settlers ; visits New York, 82 ; holds " Great Treaty " with the Indians, 83, 84 ; appearance of, 83 ; called Miquon and Onas by the Indians, 85 ; great influence over Indi- ans, 86 ; walks out land with Indian chiefs ; name of, unjustly coupled with " walking purchase " ; first murder by- Indians after landing of, 88 ; friend- ship of Duke of York for, 89; em- barks for England, and reasons for, 89, 101 ; commissions Council to act in his stead, 89 ; takes lodgings at Kensington ; accused of being a Cath- olic; opposes the king's arbitrary measures, 90; Macaulay's charges against, refuted, 91, 92 ; object in fre- quenting court, 91 ; abuse of; reply to Lords of Council ; required to give sureties for appearance at court; cleared in open court ; is arrested, ami gives V>"^ 2 ; again arrested and im- prisoned ; discharged by court ; pre- 546 INDEX. pares for voyage to America ; accused Dy Fuller to the government; defers voyage ; lives in seclusion ; writes to Friends; visited by John Locke and others, 93; writes religious works; flight to France a fabrication ; brought before the king, and given his liberty ; describes interview in letter ; wife of, dies ; tribute to her worth ; govern- ment of Pennsylvania restored to ; ap- points Markham Lieutenant Governor, 94 ; reaction .in favor of ; sermons of; marries Hannah Callowhill ; embarks for Pennsylvania; arrives at Chester; with family, settles on Pennsbury Manor ; brings law before Council for regulating marriages of negroes ; mourns over state of slaves, 95; lib- erates his slaves ; will in reference to slaves, 96 ; appoints Council of State, 97 ; convenes inhabitants of Philadel- phia to bid them farewell and present charter for city; appoints Andrew Hamilton Lieutenant-Governor; ap- points Logan Provincial secretary and clerk of Council ; treachery of Stew- ard ; becomes a prisoner for debt ; Friends liquidate tne debt and set him at liberty ; anxiety of, on account of Province, 98 ; concludes to dispose of right of government in the Province to the British Crown, 98, 124; illness of, 99 ; death of, 99, 126 ; buried at Jor- dan's, in Buckinghamshire, 99 ; char- acter of, 99, 100 ; Bancroft's testimony of, 101 ; letter to Council, 102 ; letter of, to Lloyd ; commissions Blackwell Deputy Governor, 104; estimate of Blackwell ; hopes concerning Black- well not realized; proposes three forms of executive power, 105 ; letter of, to Lloyd, on establishing a public school, 106 ; letter of, on withdrawal of the Lower Counties, 107 ; letter of, to Lloyd, regretting absence, 108 ; causes of detention in England ; aban- dons project of new Colony, 109 ; Province wrested from ; respected by King William, 110; Province restored to ; preamble to patent restoring Prov- ince to, 113; commissions Markham Deputy Governor, 114 ; urges vigilance against French privateersmen ; with his family, arrives in the Colony ; de- sign of, to remain ; first objects of care in government, 115 ; recalled to Eng- land, 115, 116 ; bids the Indians a final farewell, 116; appoints Andrew Ham- ilton Deputy Governor ; appoints Lo- gan Provincial secretary and clerk of Council ; in favor with Queen Anne, lib"; opposition to government of, 110, 117 ; appoints Colonel Charles Gookin Deputy Governor, 121 ; letter of, ab;>ut troubles in Province, 123 ; stricken with paralysis, 124, 126; provisions of will,. 126 ; suit in chancery to deter- uiine devise of, 127 ; his devise of Pro- prietary rights devolves upou John, Thomas, and Ilichard Penn ; agree- ment to sell Province to the Crown void, 127. Penn, Admiral, father of William ; in the British navy, 69 ; removes to Ire- land, 70; expels his son from his house, 70, 72 ; sends son to France, 70 ; recalls son from Ireland, 77 ; on death- bed ; affecting meeting with son ; last words to son ; dying request to Duke of York to protect his son, 75. Penn, William, Jr., son of Proprietor, arrives in the Colony ; selected mem- ber of Council, 118 ; inherits father's estates in England ; land in Pennsyl- vania apportioned to each of three children; renews commission of Keith; gives letter of instructions to Keith ; not thought by Keith to be heir to the Province, 126; commissions Logan secretary of Province; death of; son Spriiigett dies, 127. Penn. Hannah, wife of Penn ; Penn makes sole executrix, and devises es- tate in Pennsylvania to her and five children, 126 ; assumes management of colonial affairs, 127 ; Logan lays grievances before ; reproves Gov. Keith, and directs him to reinstate Lo- gan, 130. Penn, John, son of Wm. Penn, one of the Proprietors, 127, 134; born in Penn- sylvania; arrives in the Province; ad- dress of Assembly to ; answers Assem- bly ; returns to England to defend Pro- prietary rights ; death of; unmarried ; leaves share of colony to his brother Thomas, 135, 136. Penn, Granville, presents portrait of Penn to Historical Society ; author of Memorials of Sir Wm. Penn, 71. Penn, Thomas, son of Wm. Penn, one of the Proprietors, 127, 134 ; arrives in the Province, 135; departs for Europe; As- sembly addresses, to which he makes answer, 143 ; patron of Library Com- pany, 255. Penn, Richard, son of Wm. Penn, one of the Proprietors, 127, 134; protests against Lord Baltimore's application for transfer of Lower Counties, 136 ; his son John arrives in the colony, 153; death of, 177. Penn, Dennis, son of Wm. Penn, dies, 127. Penn, Springett, recommends Gordon foi Governor, 132. INDEX. Penn, John, son of Richard, arrives in the colony ; made presiding officer of the Council, 153 ; delegate to General Congress. 1-54 ; supersedes James Ham- ilton as Deputy Governor ; issues proc- lamation for arrest of Paxton Boys ; requested to remove Indians from Con- estoga, 169; sends Moravian Indians to New York ; sends committee to con- fer with the Paxton Boys, 170; de- clares war against Indians, 171; As- sembly dine with, 174 ; called to Eng- land by death of his father, 177 ; re- turns to Province ; promise of, to arrest Indian murderers averts hostilities; territory of, west of the Alleghanies in- vaded by Virginia settlers ; arrests Connolly ; remonstrates with Virginia government, 180; remonstrates against Congressional action, 183, 184 ; shorn of power; born in England; inherits one third Proprietary interest, 188 ; of- fers bounties for Indian scalps ; mar- ries Anne Allen ; description of; re- mained in America during Revolution ; arrested by Congress; death of; re- mains taken to England, 189. Penn, Richard, second son of Richard, arrives in the colony ; commissioned Lieutenant Governor; action towards Susquehanna Company, 178 ; adminis- tration of; commission revoked ; born in England ; marries Polly Masters of Philadelphia; appearance of; member of Council, and naval officer; returns to England ; intrusted with last petition from the Colonies to the King, 179, 244; examined before House of Lords on American affairs, 179 ; death, and age of; superseded by John Penn, 180 ; Arnold rents house of, 224. Pennsylvania, Province of, first attempts at colonization in, 17;- soil of, first pressed by foot of white man, 18 ; ter- ritory embraced in ; royal charter granting it to Penn; named by will of the King; Penn to pay two beaver- skins every year for, 61 ; boundary line, 66, 67 ; deed of release for, from Duke of York ; the territories in distinction from, 69 ; persons in, to yield obe- dience to Penn ; letter of Penn to in- habitants of, 78 ; Penn's description of; conditions for taking up land in, 79 ; Indian trade in ; features in Constitu- tion of, 80; defect in constitution of; penal code of founder of, 81 ; Penn's passage to ; intercourse between inhabi- tants of, and Indians; representatives of, meet in Assembly, 86 ; controversy with Maryland, 89 ; Governor Fletcher assumes jurisdiction of; territories and, at variance, 94 ; townships and in- habitants in, at Penn's departure ; sway of Penn in, 102; territories withdraw from, 105 ; first free school in ; desire of Penn to make real re- public of; Lloyd Deputy Governor of j Penn agrees to withdrawal of territo- ries from, 106 ; reasons for wresting, from Penn, 113; pacific policy of, 114; article in new constitution allowing for dissolving union with territories, 115; filled with discord, 122 ; Keith familiar with political opinions in, 12' ; general prosperity in ; little money in circula- tion in ; inspectors of produce in, ap- pointed ; produce of, commands ready sale in the West Indies ; paper money issued in, 127 ; Keith foments difficul- ties in; Governor Gordon arrives in, 132 ; prosperity of, 133 ; Mr. Paris rep- resents, at court; rights of, infringed, leading to armed resistance, 135 ; agree- ment as to disputed boundary line be- tween Maryland and, 141 ; religious excitement in, produced by preaching of Whitefield, 143 ; dangers threaten the ; policy of, towards the Indians ; to look to England for protection, 146 ; distributes presents to the Indians ; In- dian tribes in central and western part of, visited by Conrad Weiser; Anthony Palmer removes to, 147 ; Governor Hamilton arrives in; Richard Peters secretary of the, 148 ; exempted from prohibitory currency bill, 152 ; to fur- nish recruits to resist the French, 155; erects forts along Kittatinny Hills at expense'of eighty-five thousand pounds, 158 ; Governor Denny arrives in, 160 ; militia of, march to Fort Du Quesne ; frontier guarded by General Stanwix, 163 ; Historical Review of, by Frank- lin ; Governor Denny active for de- fence of, 165; share of money voted to, for expense of French war, 166 ; de- plorable condition of, after Pontiac war, 169 ; Franklin advocates transfer of, to Crown, 173; commercial interests of, attended to by Richard Penn, 179; southwestern portion of, claimed by Governor of Virginia, 180 ; holds gen- eral conference, 182 ; delegates of, to Congress, 183; second convention of; number of militia to be raised in, 184 ; vote on Declaration divided ; members from, voting for Declaration, 187 ; Pro- prietary government of, suspended, 193; establishes loan office, 291. Pennsylvania, Commonwealth of, Act passed for vesting estate of Proprietors in, 193 ; British army invades, 201 ; pa- pers and books of, removed to Boston. ?04; soldiers of, revolt; university of, incorporated, 227 ; Wyoming coutro- 548 INDEX. versy decided in favor of, 22? ; Presi- dent Moore's settlement with, 231 ; aids patriot cause, 232 ; M id! i n sent through, to arouse the people, 280 ; militia of, called out to quell Whiskey Insurrec- tion, 287 ; McKenn chief justice of, 298; public improvements in, 34(i, 3:52, 383, 385; majority of Jackson in ; La- fayette visits, 346 ; high premium on Securities of; connnon-scnool system established in, 353, 358 ; deplorable condition of credit of; English bond- holders denounce, 405; Petrikin dep- uty secretary of, 434 ; troops furnished by, 459. Peters, Richard, Secretary of the Prov- ince, sent to remove intruders from In- dian lands ; gives money and offers homes to settlers, 148 ; delegate to first General Congress, 154; member of Board of War, 281. Petrikin, Henry, 434. Petti t, Sarah, 433. Philadelphia, site of, acquired by the Dutch, 34 ; boundary line south of, 67 ; located by Markliam, 68 ; inhabi- tants in, at Penn's departure, 102; Governor Fletcher's journey to, 110; annual fair at, 120; Counci'l at, 133; church erected by Whitefield in, 143 ; presents Colonel Armstrong with medal and plate, 161 ; Indians push -within thirty miles of, 162; troops quartered on inhabitants of, 163; defenceless, 166 ; frontiersmen proceed to, and create an alarm ; militia called out in, 170 ; meeting against taxation of America, held in, 181 ; meeting in, recommend calling a Congress, 182 ; second Provincial Convention in ; meeting in, after battle of Lexington, 184 ; public meeting in resolves the As- sembly incompetent, and recommends a convention to frame new govern- ment, 185; Constitutional Convention assembles in, 187; Washington with- draws in direction of; consternation in ; inhabitants warned to leave, 196 ; shops in, to be closed ; General Put- nam takes command in, 197 ; Hessian prisoners marched through, 198; Con- gress returns to, from Baltimore ; Gen- erals Irvine and Gates in command of, 199; Washington marches through, with army ; militia of, ordered out, 201 ; militia of, at battle of Brandy- wine, 202 ; General Howe enters, and goes into winter-quarters at, 203, 281, 298 ; books in library, removed to Easton, 204; 'Sir Henry Clinton ar- rives in ; tournament in : departure of Howe from, 206 ; evacuated, 207 ; destruction of property in ;, history of, quoted, 212; friends of constitution strong in, 222 ; bitter feelingin, against Tories ; riot of militia in ; academy and college of, subject of legislation, 226 ; name of college of, changed, 227 ; arrival of Franklin in, 183, 253, 254, 264 ; library company established, 2.55 ; Franklin postmaster of, 258 ; Wolf collector of, 360 ; riots in 388 ; people of, favor building Pennsylvania Railroad, 417 ; Councils of, give recep- tion to Cnrtin ; citizens of, give banquet to Curtin ; Republican convention at, 464. Philippe, Louis, 374. Pierce, Franklin, President, 472, 475. Pieterson, Evert, first schoolmaster on the Delaware, 45. Pitt, Fort, attacked by Indians, 167, 168 ; succored by Colonel Boquet, 168 ; oc- cupied by Connolly in name of Lord Dunmore, 180. Pitt, William, at head of British Minis- try, 162. Pittsburg, Governor of Virginia lays claim to, 180; death of Mrs. Findlay at, 332 ; people of, oppose building of Pennsylvania Railroad, 417; referred to, 467, 468, 469. PI a i sauce, Duke de, 233. Pollock, James, birth of; ancestry, 424; education ; graduates at Princeton ; receives honorary degrees ; studies and practises law ; district attorney ; mar- ries ; member gf Congress ; member of important committees, 425; takes leading part in first favorable action by Congress on Pacific Railroad, 426; 'delivers lecture on the Pacific Rail- road ; makes prophetic announcement; appointed president judge, 427 ; elected Governor ; inaugurated ; inaugural ad- dress, quoted, 428; message, quoted, 429 ; measures of administration ; calls extra session of the Legislature, 430 ; recommends suspension of specie pay- ments for a definite period ; resumes the practice of his profession; im- pressive leave-taking of; a member of Peace Conference; appointed director of the U. S. Mint ; resigns on accession of Johnson, 431 ; has motto "In God we trust " placed upon national coins ; true to the Union ; appearance and manner, 432 ; Curtin labors for; ap- points Curtin secretary of the Com- monwealth, 452. Pollock, William, father of Governor; Sarah, mother of Governor, 424. Polk, James K., President, 468, 469. Pontiac, chief of the Ottowas; conspi- racy of, 167. Pope, Major-Gcneral John, 477. INDEX. 549 Porter, David Rittenhouse, birth, 379 ; ancestjy, 379, 380 ; education ; clerk ; studies law ; manager of iron works ; embarks in the manufacture of iron, 381 ; member of Assembly ; prothon- otary, register, &c. ; marries ; gives at- tention to agriculture, 382; member of State Senate; elected Governor; inaugurated, 383 ; extracts from inau- gural address of, 384 ; message on pub- lic improvements, 385 ; firm reply of, to inquiry of the Senate, 386 ; list of judges appointed by, 387 ; appoints bhuuk superintendent of common schools; suppresses riots in Philadelphia ; re- ceives thanks of City Councils ; retires from public life ; resumes manufacture of iron ; erects first anthracite furnace in Middle Pennsylvania, 388 ; charac- teristics ; friend of Buchanan ; inti- mate with Gen. Sam. Houston, 389 ; visits Texas; sustains the government during the war; joins in military drill, 390; death, 391 ; appoints Shuiik secretary of State, 393. Porter, P*jbert, grandfather of David R., 379 Porter, Rev. J.L., [D.D., LL.D.,] author, 379. Porter, Andrew, father of David R. ; attracts attention of Rittenhouse ; opens English and mathematical school ; captain of marines ; colonel of Fourth ArtUlery ; battles of, 379 ; thanked by Washington at Princeton ; prepares material for siege of York- tow/i ; declines chair in the University; on boundary survey ; appointed sur- veyor-General ; declines appointment of origadier-general and secretary of war, 380. Porter, Robert ; William ; Andrew ; John E., 380; George B. ; James M., 380, 383 ; General Horace, 390. Potter, William W., 451. Potter County, 438. Presbyterian, Governor Findlay a, 332. Presque Isle, fort at, 149, troops from, routed at Niagara, 163 ; captured by Indians, 167. Prideaux, General, invests Fort Niagara ; killed ; succeeded by Sir William John- son, 163. Prince Hendrick, Dutch name for Dela- ware River, 18. Princeton, abandoned by Washington, 196 ; British reserves attacked by Washington at, 199 ; college at, 425. Printz, John, succeeds Hollandaer; in- structions of; arrives at Fort Chris- tina ; Lieutenant Colonel of cavalry; selects site for fort ; builds palace, 32 ; Pappegoya commended to ; instructions of, 33 ; builds frame building in front of Dutch fort ; Stuyyesant negotiates with ; draws up writing, 34 ; protests to Stuyvesant ; has friendly conference with Stuyvesaut; asks to be relieved of government ; sets sail for Swe- den; administration unsuccessful, 35; described by De Vries, 35, 36; has farm upon island of Tinicum ; leaves farm to his daughter, the wife of Pap- pegoya ; resignation accepted ; urged to remain until a successor could be pro- vided ; successor not invested with the absolute powers of, 36. Proprietors, John, Thomas, and Richard Penn, expenses of certain treaties to be borne by, 133 ; Governor Gordon re- ceives new Commission from ; William Penn's estate descends to, 134; Gov- ernor Thomas devoted to, 145 ; renounce the Quaker faith ; send cannon to the Delaware : hold controversy with the Assembly, 151 ; forbid approval of money bills unless interest at their dis- posal, 152; contribute five thousand pounds for defence, 158; instructions of, to Governor Denny, 160 ; Franklin in controversy with ; send message to Assembly, 164 ; estates of, taxed ; of- fended b'y Gov. Denny, and recall him, 165 ; agreement between Franklin and, concerning assessments, misinterpreted; course of, condemned, 171 ; oppose Franklin going to court as agent, 173 ; remonstrate against claims of the Sus- quehanna Company; purchase lands of the Indians ; lay out Wyoming ter- ritory into manors, 176 ; government o{, superseded ; value of estate ; act vest- ing estate of, in the Commonwealth ; annuity to descendants; sum paid to, by the 'State, 193. Provinces, the Southern, Keitk surveyor of customs of, 125. Province Island, Indians removed to, 170. Proud, Robert, the historian, quoted, 138. Putnam,, General, commands in Phila- delphia, 197, 280; fortifies Red Bank; rejoins the army ; succeeded by Gen- eral Irvine, 199 ; informs Congress of movements of the enemy, 200. Pyle's Ford, Philadelphia militia posted at, 202. Quakers. See Friends. Quebec, capture of, 164; forces at, 166. Rahl, Colonel, Hessian leader, captured ftt Trenton, 198. Railroad, Allegheny Valley, The, 412; Susquehanna, The, 440, 441 ; Pennsyi- 550 INDEX. vania, The, 440; York and Cumber- land, The, 440, 441 ; Northern Central, The, 441; Lake Shore, The, 442; Baltimore and Susquehanna, The, 441 ; Green River; Alleghany Portage, 468; Baltimore and Ohio, 417, 418; Tyrone and Clearfield, 419 ; Philadel- phia and Erie, 419, 421 ; Pacific, 426, 427 ; Pennsylvania Central, opposition chartering the; advocated by Bigler, 417, 418 ; public works sold to, 430. Ram bo, Peter, to be councillor, 53 ; pro- ceeds to New York to have sale of liquor to the Indians prohibited, 54 ; Indian conference held at house of, 55. Randolph, Peyton, President of first Con- gress, 183. Ranelagh, Lord, aids Penn in having his Province restored to him, 113. Raritan Bay, British Admiral takes shel- ter in, 207. Raritan River, British encamp on the, 199. Rawdon, Lord, in Philadelphia, 204. Rawn, Elizabeth, mother of Governor Shunk ; Casper ; Barbara, 392. Rawle, Dr. William, biography of Mif- flin, quoted, 274, 276, 281, 288. Read, Miss, marries Franklin, 253. Reading, troops quartered on inhabitants of, 163 ; military stores at, 203 ; village of, 334; Governor Hiester buried at, 341. Red Bank fortified, 199 ; works at, de- clared useless, 200; Fort Mercer at, attacked, 205. Reed, Joseph, president second Pro- vincial Convention, 184, 217 ,', elected president of Supreme Executive Coun- cil ; birth of; education ; studies law, 216 ; goes to England ; enters as stu- dent in Middle Temple ; practises law ; again visits England; marriage of; resides in Philadelphia; takes active part in popular movements ; on com- mittee of correspondence; Washing- ton's secretary, 217 ; Irving's account of, 217, 218, 219 ; chairman committee of safety ; member of the Assembly ; adjutant-general ; meets flag of truce ; action of, concerning title of Washing- ton, approved, 219 ; coolness of Wash- ington to ; writes to Washington, 220 ; campaign in New Jersey ; recommend- ed by Washington for command of the cavalry ; declines appointment of brigadier-general, 221 ; declines ap- pointment of chief-justice ; elected to Congress; declines appointment of commissioner of Indian affairs; de- clines as member of Assembly ; elect- ed member of Council and president, 272 ; message on the abolition of sla- very, 223 ; takes active part against Arnold ; charges against, 25 ; reply to Johnstone's offer of a bribe ; dis- perses rioters, 226 ; invested with ex- traordinary powers ; letter of Washing- ton to, 227 ; meets body of mutineers; takes the field at head of militia; ex- piration of term, 228 ; on commission to settle Wyoming controversy ; argu- ment of, before the commission; death of wife ; visits England ; returns ; chosen member of Congress; death of ; dying words, 229. Ree'd, Andrew, father of President, 216. Reed, Maria J., marries William Bigler; Alexander B., 415 ; Judge, 451. Reeves, Peter, Cornwallis at house of, 204. Republicans in the ascendant, 325 ; the Independent, support Gregg for Gov- ernor, 343. Republican party, branch of, styled Old School Men ; select Joseph Hiester as candidate for Governor, 328, 329; gain ascendency in Legislature, 330; principles of; formation of; dissolu- tion of, 343. Reserves, The Pennsylvania, organized, 460. Resolution, attempt to pass, requiring all laws to be referred to the king, 134, 135. Revolution, The, first blood spilled in, 184 ; Whigs espouse, 334. Rhoads, Samuel, delegate to Congress, 183. Rhode Island, religious liberty in, 81 ; action of, in reference to taxation, 173. Riley, Brigadier-General, 470. Ripley/General victories of, 315. Ritner, Joseph, birth of; receives but six months scnooling ; removes to Cumber- land County ; labors on a farm ; mar- ries; children of; removes to West- moreland County ; settles in W r ashing- ton County, 361 ; great reader ; elected to the House and made speaker ; nom- inated for Governor ; defeated ; elected Governor, 362, 437 ; preserves school system, 363 ; anecdote of; visits nor- mal school as inspector; speech of, 366; message of, on school system, 367 ; tribute to ; messages on slavery, 368 ; tribute of Whittier to, 369 ; re- nominated for Governor and defeated ; causes of defeat of, 370; action of, during the Anti-Masonic excitement, 373 ; returns to private life ; resides in Cumberland County ; becomes blind ; sight of right eye restored ; appointed director of U. "S. Mint ; delegate tc National Convention, 374 ; ardent Re- publican ; great memory ; death, 375 elected by a coalition, 436, 437. INDEX. 551 Eltner, John, father of Governor, 361. RittenhouSe, Thomas, chairman Council of Safety, 193. Rittenhouse, David, astronomer, 379, 380. River, Alleghany, French establish trad- ing-posts on, 134, 146 ; Shawanese In- dians on, summoned to Philadelphia, 134; Washington ascends, 149; In- dian town Kittanning, on the, de- stroyed, 161. River, Connecticut, The, and Delaware, territory between, 51. River, Delaware, The, Stuyvesant ordered to drive Swedes from; Van Elswyck sent to, 40 ; travellers on, 42 ; Stuyve- eant's operations on, concluded; Jac- quet Vice-Director on, 43 ; land south of, sold, 44 ; first school on, 45 ; distress upon ; English plea of discovery of; soldiers sent to ; revenues from settle- ments on, 47 ; land on east side of, transferred ; rich valleys along, 48 ; government of settlements on ; Swedish company lose possessions on ; transfer of settlements on, 49 ; territory between, and Connecticut, 51 ; Washington crosses to west bank of, 196 ; Washing- ton crosses, 198. River, Hudson, The, march of colonists towards, 50. River, Ohio, French establish trading- posts on, 134, 146 ; French bury pieces of copper along, 149 ; French claim ter- ritory on the, and tributaries, 150 ; In- dians form league with Pontiac, 167. River, South, The, Beekman commissary on, 46. River, Schuylkill, The, lands near, pur- chased of the Indians, 88; fete on banks of, in honor of repeal of Stamp Act, 174. Roberts, Colonel, commands regiment in Mexican war, 468, 469. Robinson, Patrick, clerk of court, voted a public enemy, 103. Robinson, Rev. T. H., 331. Rochester, Lord, aids Penn in having his Province restored to him, 113. Rodney, Csesar, tribute of John Adams to, 306. Rogers, Judge Moulton C., 380. Ross, George, delegate to Congress, 183 ; signs Declaration, 187. Ross, James, candidate for Governor against Snyder, 310. Ross, General, captures Washington; burns Capitol and President's house; killed, 315. Ross, Hon. John, 350; Michael, 435. Rush, Benjamin, appointed delegate to Congress ; signs Declaration, 187. Russia, Curtin, Minister to, 464. Russell, Jonathan, Commissioner at treaty of Ghent ; describes prison-ship Jersey, 337. Rutledge, John, 245, 291. Rysingh, John Claude, secretary to Chamber of Commerce ; commissioned vice-director of New Sweden ; sails in ship Aren ; arrives in Colony; not in- vested with absolute powers, 36; di- rector of Council; to use mild meas- ures with the Dutch ; assumes the of- fensive ; takes Fort Casimir ; conduct defended, 37 ; assumes the title of di- rector-general ; calls Indian council ; distributes presents to the Indians, 38 ; letter of; wants a good wife, 39 ; re- quested by gtuyvesant to repair to Manhattan ; declines to listen ; corre- spondence with Van Elswyck, 40 ; re- monstrance of, 41. Salem, families settle at, 59. Salem Creek, English settle near mouth of, 31 ; party at, driven away, 32 ; fort erected near mouth of, 33. Sandusky, Fort, captured by Indians, 167. San Francisco, 469, 470, 471, 472. Saratoga, battles at; surrender of Bur- goyne at, 203. School, the first on the Delaware, 45; free, the first in the Province, 106. Schools, common, the system of, inaugu- rated, 353, 361 ; Burrowes superintend- ent of, 366; message of Ritner on, 367; Shunk superintendent of, 388; Curtin ex-officio superintendent of; improvements in, recommended, 452, 455 ; Hickok, deputy superintendent of, 453. Schout Fiscal, duties of, 22. Schute, Swen, in command of Fort Casi- mir, 41. Scott, General, victories of, 315 ; 452, 468. Schuylkill, the river, beginning of set- tlement on, 31 ; intruders on, routed, 32 ; claimed by the Swedes, 33 ; land acquired, and fort erected near the mouth of, by the Dutch, 34 ; Governor Keith met at passage of, by citizens, 129. Schuyler, General Philip, in command of Philadelphia, 200. Scott, John, father of U. S. Senator, 382. Scott, Mrs. Mary Slough, marries Gov- ernor Snvder, 321. Scotch-Irish settle in Cumberland Val- lev 324. Scudder, Dr., 359. Seal, The Great, Lloyd keeper of, 89, 101 ; appointments under, 104. 552 INDEX. Selinsgrove, Simon 1 Snyder removes to, 309, 320. Senate of the United States, Governor Findlay elected to, 330. Senate, State, Shulze elected to, 345 ; proceedings of, during the Anti-Ma- sonic excitement, 372, 373; Porter member of, 383 ; Johnston president of, 405 ; Bigler member and speaker of, 416, 417 ; majority of Whigs in, 438. Sergeant, John, 345. Sergeants, Board of, in command of re- volting soldiers, 228. Sherman, General Wm. T., his march to the sea, 483. Bhenandoah, River, difficulty between Indians on, and those on the Susque- hanna, 128 ; Valley, 323. Ship Welcome, Penn embarks in, for America ; passengers on, die of small- pox, 82. Shippen, Edward, president of Council, 117 ; chief-justice, 224 ; impeached, 326. Shippen, Margaret, daughter of chief- justice ; marries Arnold, 224. Shippensburg, outpost of civilization during Indian war, 167. Shulze, John Andrew, birth of; educa- tion; ordained a minister; officiates as pastor ; retires from the ministry ; en- ters the mercantile business ; member of the Assembly, 344 ; a Republican ; appointed surveyor - general, but de- clines; appointed register, recorder, 7. Slocum, General Henry W., 477, 480. Smidt, Derek, herald to demand surren- der of Fort Casimir ; Schout - Fiscal and chief agent on the Delaware, 43. Smith, Ann, alias Carson, schemes to ab- duct Governor Snyder's son, 320. Smith, George, [M. D.,] History of Dela- wai County, quoted, 45 ; chairman joint committee on education ; draws bill in Legislature remodelling the school system, 365. Smith, James, delegate in Congress; signs Declaration, 187. Smith, Jane, mother of Gdvernor Find- lay, 323. Smith, Jonathan B., delegate in Con- gress ; resigns, 222. Smith, Matthew, pleads cause of Paxton Boys, 170; vice-president of Council, 216. Smith, Thomas, judge of supreme court ; impeached, 326. Smith, Samuel, sheriff of Lancaster County, resists Maryland invaders, 137. Smith, Dr. William, provost of Phila- delphia College ; hostile to Indepen- dence, 226 ; removed from head of col- k,rf> '>97 ge, aAi . Snyder, Anthony, father of Simon, 308 ; Frederick, 320. Snyder County, taken from Northumber- land, 309. Somers, Lord, aids Penn in having his Province restored to him, 113. Snyder, Simon, born at Lancaster ; re- moves to York; learns business of a tanner and currier; attends night school, 308 ; removes to Selinsgrove; opens a store ; employed as a scrivener ; elected justice of the peace ; decisions respected ; member of the Constitu- tional Convention; member 01 the House of Representatives, and speaker, 309; advocate of the Hundred Dollar Act ; nominated for Governor, but de- feated; elected Governor; re elected ; in conflict with the national authority in the Umstead case, 310; transmits proceedings of Legislature in the case INDEX. 553 to President Madison ; Madison's re- ply to, 311 ; extract from message, giving statement of the case, 312 ; ex- citing events during the administra- tion of, 313, 316 ; aids war measures ; extract from first inaugural address ; abolishes custom of delivering annual messages to the Legislature in person, 317; the first Governor to protest against slavery ; extract from message on the subject of slavery, 318; inci- dent of goodness of heart of, 318, 319 ; vetoes bill chartering Forty Banks, 319, 320, 328 ; attempted abduction of son ; chosen to the State Senate ; death of; domestic afflictions of; three times married, 320 ; names of wives ; closing paragraph of last an- nual message, 321 ; appoints Shulze surveyor-general, 345. South Carolina, Governor of, leads mi- litia against Cherokee Indians, 166 ; passes Nullification Act, 359 ; seces- sion of, 447. South River, 18. Sparks, Jared, the historian, quoted, 266. Spain, war between, and Great Britain, 142 ; joined by France in war against England, 166. Springett, Sir William, father of Penn's wife ; killed at siege of Bamber, 76. Springett, Gulielma Maria, marries Penn ; daughter of Sir William Sprin- gett ; beautiful and sweet-tempered, 76 ; love for Penn, 76, 77. St. Clair, General Arthur, escapes from Fort Ticonderoga with garrison, 203; letter of President Wharton to, 209 ; candidate for Governor ; military repu- tation, 287. St. John, Hector, work of, quoted, 266. St. Josephs, Fort, captured by Indians, 167. St. PieiTe, Legardeau de, French com- mandant at Fort Le Boeuf; meets Washington, 149 ; answers remon- strances of Washington, 150. Stamp Act, passed ; excites intense oppo- sition in the Colonies, 173, 235 ; action of people in reference to the ; repealed ; joy over repeal of the, 174, 26,1. Stamper, Sarah, marries Colonel Moore, 233. Stanwix, General, commands Southern Department ; keeps guard on frontier, 163. State. See Pennsylvania. S'ate House, at Philadelphia, dinner at, to Governor Denny, 160. States General, grant a charter; pass edict, 19 ; edict of, expires ; branch of West India Company named by, 20 ; ratify sale of land on the Delaware, 44. Stenton, near Germantown, country-seat of James Logan, 139. Stevens, Thaddeus, great speech of, on common school system, 3(i3, 364 ; bitter opponent of Governor Wolf, 364 ; an- ecdote of, 365. Stock, Ensign, seizes farm of Peter Al- richs, 52. Stockholm, bricks from, 32 ; Indian deeds recorded at, 39. Stockton. Richard, of New Jersey ; Reed studies law with ; signer of the Decla- ration, 216. Stoork, the ship, 32. Straits of Magellan, 21. Stuyvesant, Peter, succeeds to Director- snip of New Netherlands; dominions threatened ; recommends measure to West India Company, 34 ; sails to the Delaware and negotiates with Printz, 34, 35 ; complaints to, against the Swedes; acquires title to lands from the Indians; erects Fort Casimir ; has friendly conference with Printz ; Printz overreached by, 35 ; ordered to drive Swedes from the Delaware ; held Swe- dish ship as reprisal ; five armed, ves- sels sent to ; collects men and sails to the Delaware ; seizes Fort Elsirborg, 40; demands surrender of Fort Casi- mir ; besieges Fort Casimir ; Rysingh remonstrates with ; requires Swedes and Finns to take oath of allegiance to the Dutch, 41 ; hastens to the Hudson to punish savages ; leaves Derek Smidt in command on the Delaware; com- mander of ship Mercury referred to, 43, 44 ; orders ship to Manhattan, 44 ; invites Swedes to settle in one village ; Governors of colonies on Delaware under supervision of; Alrichs and Van Dyck seek advice of; visits colony ; met by Van Dyck and Swedish citi- zens ; purpose in visiting Colony, 45 ; resists demand of Lord Baltimore to surrender territory ; sends company of soldiers to the Delaware, 47 ; protests against encroachments of New England Colonies ; visits Boston, 50 ; surrenders to the English, 52. Sullivan County, 439. Sullivan, General, at battle of Brandy- wine, 202 ; militia flock to standard of, 212. Sullivan's Island, attacked by British, 195. Sumter, Fort, assault upon, 476. Sunbury, 434, 440, 441. Supreme Executive Council, organizes ; title to President of, 199. Susquehanna Company, settle in Wvo- mmg Valley; troubles produced Dy, 176. 554 INDEX. Susquehanna, River, difficulty between Indians on and those on the Shenan- doah, 128 ; number of men bearing arms west of, 158 ; McKean's family on banks of, 298 ; valley of the, 440. Sussex, Penn's house at, 82 ; McKean Deputy Attorney -General for county of, 290. Swanendael, lands named ; settlers at, massacred by the Indians, 24 ; ship at, 26 ; party at, take seven whales, 27 ; colony at. 34. Sweden, New, expense of expedition against, 44. Sweden, King of, 29 ; people of, fore- most of nations, 30 ; ships dispatched for, 31 ; warring power, 40. Swedish West India Company, incorpo- rated, 29 ; charter renewed! ; benefits extended to Germany, 30 ; College of Commerce sends Amundson to the Del- aware, 36. Swedes, company of, sail under Minuit, 30 ; monopolize trade ; western bank of Delaware and Schuylkill claimed by, 33 ; troubles with the Dutch on the Delaware, 34 ; lawless conduct of, 35 ; ill-treat natives, 38 ; feeble on the Del- aware, 39; gain advantage in capture of Fort Casimir; order to drive from the Delaware, 40 ; take oath of alle- giance to the Dutch ; power ends in the New World ; descendants of, 41 ; colo- nists, number, at surrender ; at peace with natives; love for Sweden ; at Stock- holm ; children well instructed, 42 ; the, of the Company's Colony, 44 ; invited to assemble in one village; in Nieuer Amstel ; renew oath of alle- giance, 45 ; fit out fleet to punish the Dutch, but project abandoned, 49. Taminend, the Indian Sachem, 83 ; rech of, at " Great Treaty," 84 ; signs d for lands purchased, 88. Tariff, debates on, 360. Taylor, George, delegate in Congress ; signs Declaration, 187. Taylor, Zachary, President, appoints Ritner Director of the Mint ; death of, 374. Taylorsville, where Washington crosses the Delaware, 198. Tecumseh, Indian chief, victory over, 314; killed, 315. Tennant, Rev. Gilbert, sermons of, made into cartridges, 211. Territories, or Lower Counties, repre- sentatives meet in Assembly, 86 ; mem- bers from, withdraw from Council, 105 ; article in new constitution allow- ing for dissolving union with Province, 115; final separation of, from the Province, 117 ; effort of Governor Evans to restore union of, with Prov- ince ; reunion opposed by Assembly ; erected into the State of Delaware, 118 ; the king reserves right to govern, 134; Lord Baltimore lays claim to, 141 ; McKean notary public of, 293. Thomas, George, a planter of Antigua; appointed Deputy Governor ; detained in London ; meets the Assembly ; first business attended to ; effort to or- ganize the militia, 142; differs with the Assembly ; misjudges the Quaker faith ; directed to call for volunteers ; refuses to sign appropriation bill ; con- tentions with Assembly increase, 143 ; Assembly refuse to vote salary to ; of headstrong nature ; appeals to the people ; riots incited in the interest of; adopts conciliatory policy ; Assembly vote arrearages of salary to ; calls for volunteers ; communicates the death of John Penn to the Assembly, 144 ; resigns on account of declining Health ; resignation of, received with regret ; estimate of his character by Gordon, 145 ; departs for Europe, 146 ; has twenty-one children by first wife, of whom all die of consumption ; de- scendants by second wife in Philadel- phia ; death of, 148. Thomas, General, forces under, fortify Dorchester Heights, 195. Thompson, Charles, master of Quaker free school at Philadelphia ; secretary of Congress, 162, 183 ; secretary to the Indians at conference at Easton, 162 ; secretary of general conference, 182. Ticonderoga, Fort, erected by the French ; repulse of Abercrombie at ; captured by Amherst, 163; captured by Ameri- cans, 185 ; captured by Burgoyne ; gar- rison escapes, 203. Tienpont, Joriz, second in command of ship, 21. Tinicum Island, Printz builds fort and palace on, 32 ; protests between Nas- * sau and, 33 ; Indian council on ; seat of government on, 38. Tom, William, sent to the Delaware, 58. Townsend, Charles, boast of, as to draw- ing revenue from Colonies, 174. Trappe, Shunk born at the, 392, 402. Treasury, Wolf appointed Comptroller of, 360. Treaty, The Great, time held ; tribes of Indians at ; West's picture of, referred to, 83; speech of Indian Sachem at, 84. . Trenchard, Sir John, aids Penn in having his Province restored to him, 113. Trenton, Falls near, 30; abandoned by Washington, 196; Hessian troops at, INDEX. 555 captured by Washington, 197, 198, 280 ; cannon from, tired, 199 ; commissioners to settle Wyoming controversy meet at, 229. Tricho, Catelino, testimony of, 21. Trornp, Dutch commander, battles of, 56. Trumbull, Colonel Joseph, member Board of War, 281. Trumbull's Ford, on the Brandywine; General Howe crosses, 202. Turner, Robert, commissioner of land office, 102 ; one of five commisioners, 103. Twickenham, in Montgomery County; country-seat of President Wharton ; skirmish at, 210. Umstead, Gideon, claims prize-money ; claim of, bought by Arnold ; case of, the cause of conflict between State and National authority, 311, 312. Union, the Federal, formation of, 81. Union County, taken from Northumber- land, 309. United States, convention to frame Con- stitution of the, 249, 265; peace be- tween, and treaty with Great Britain, 264 ; treaty between England and, 317. University, of Pennsylvania, incorpo- rated. 227. Unrest, The, first vessel ever built in America, 19. Upland, court established at, 57 ; meet- ings of Friends at ; district, list of tax- ables of, 59 ; Markham and Baltimore hold conference at; heart of colony, 66 ; last court at, under Duke of York ; first court held under Markham at, 67 ; Penn's location for a city ; now Ches- ter; Markham discards location of, for a city, 68. Usselincx, William, originator of Dutch Company ; lead expedition, 29. Utah, territory, 472. Valley, of Swans, 24. Valley Forge, Washington in winter- quarters at, 203 ; sufferings of the army at, 206, 281. Varnum, General, brigade of, occupies Fort Mercer, 205. Vanderbilt, Mary W., marries Wm. F. Packer ; Peter W., 435. Van Buren, President, appoints Wolf Collector of Philadelphia, 360; calls extra session of Congress for financial relief, 405 ; nominated, 442. Van Dyck, Greran, Scnout-Fiscal over Swedes and Finns, 44; successor to, suggests about Swedes ; seeks advice of Stuyvesant, 45. Van Hulst, William succeeds Mey, 22. Van Ilperdam, Jan Jansen, sent to dis- possess English intruders, 32 ; vice di- rector ; re-called, 33. Van Sweringen, farm of, seized by Cap- tain John Carr, 52. Van Tienhoven, Secretary of Bicker; de- tained by Rysingh, 37. Van Twiller, Wouter ; succeeds Minuit, 27 ; reference to, 30. Venango, Fort at, 109 ; troops move from, to Fort Du Quesne, 153 ; troops from, routed at Niagara, 163 ; captured by Indians, 167. Versailles, British embassador at, com- plains of the French encroaching upon the English Colonies in America, 148. Van Rensselaer, General, defeated at Queenstown Heights, 314. Virginia, State of, claim territory on Del- aware, 50 ; Governor Keith visits Gov- ernor of, 128 ; Keith publishes history of, 131 ; soldiers from Pennsylvania sail to Capes of, 143 ; in council with Indians, 147 ; Governor of, sends Wash- ington to confer with the French, 149 ; Governor of, invited to conference with Indians at Easton, 162 ; militia of, march to Fort Du Quesne, 163 ; action of Assembly of, on taxing the Colonies, 173 ; Governor of, claims portion of Pennsylvania ; government of, remon- strated with by Governor Penn, 182 ; Assembly of, recommends independ- ence, 186 ; militia of, called out to quell Whiskey Insurrection, 287. Wade, Edward, Robert, and John, arrive, 59. Walloons, forty families of, dispatched to America, 21. Walrus, the ship, arrives in the Delaware, 23. War, Board of, appointed ; applies for money for defence, 200. Washington, George, is sent by the Gov- ernor of Virginia to confer with French commander at Fort Le Bceuf ; ascends the Alleghany River and French creek, and reaches Fort Le Boauf; meets French commandant and ac- complishes mission, 149 ; confers with French commandant ; remonstrates with St. Pierre, the commandant, 150 ; journal and report published ; takes lead in recruiting ; routs French under Jumonville, 153 ; attacked in Fort Ne- cessity and obliged to yield ; marches out with honors of war ; at Braddock's defeat, 157 ; appointed Commander-in- Chief, 185; first unfurls Union flag; 194 ; organizes army ; fortifies Dor- chester Heights ; sends General Lee to New York, 195 ; retreat of, to Pennsyl- vania ; pursued by Cornwallis, 196 ; 556 INDEX. invested with dictatorial powers ; sends Putnam to Philadelphia, 197 ; resumes the offensive; captures Hessians at Trenton ; moves army into New Jer- sey; triumphs of, subject of eulogy in European courts, 198 ; sends letter to Congress, 200; fights battle of Brandy- wine, 202 ; confronts Howe ; withdraws towards Reading; attacks enemy at Germantown ; retires to White Marsh ; goes- into winter-quarters at Valley Forge, 203 ; garrisons forts on the Del- aware, 205 ; gets intelligence of Howe's designs from Lydia Darrah, 206 ; de- feats enemy at Monmouth, 207 ; inti- macy with Reed ; in Continental Congress, 217 ; coolness to Heed ; reconciliation with Heed, 220 ; recom- mends Reed for leader of cavalry; letters of to Reed, 221, 222, 227 ; offers bounty to soldiers ; appeals to Morris for money ; letter of Morris to, 232 ; places Mifflin at head of his military family; his habits described by Irving, 275; issues general order; wife of, ar- rives at headquarters, 276 ; withdrawal of, from Long Island, 277, 278, 279; sends despatches t Congress with Mif- flin, 279 ; Fabian policy of, stigmatized, 282 ; cabal against, 283 ; unfortunate battles, 284; resignation of, 284, 285; as President calls out militia to quell Whiskey Insurrection, 287 ; business habits o'f, 359. Washington, city of, site of, included in Penn's charter, 66 ; captured by Brit- ish, 315. Washington County, Ritner removes to, 361, 362. Waterford, town of, Erie County ; site of Fort Le Bceuf, 149. Watson, J. F., annals of, quoted, 127, 131. Wayne, General Anthony, hangs upon rear of British army ; attacked at Pa- oli, and men massacred, 203 ; soldiers under, revolt, 227 ; spies sent to, by revolters, 228. Wedderburn, solicitor - general of the Crown ; assails Franklin, 2C3. Weiser, Conrad, sent to gain favor of the Indians, 147 ; sent to remove intruders on Indian lauds; Indian interpreter, 148. Welcome, the ship, Penn takes passage in, 82. Wesel, city of, 22. West, Benjamin, his picture of the " Great Treaty," 83. Westcott, Thompson, History of Phila- delphia, quoted, 212, 214. .Westminster Review, quoted, 92. Westminster Abbey, monument in, to Ge/.era) Wolfe, 164. Westmoreland County, Ritner removes to, 361 ; Governor Johnston born in. 403 ; Governor Geary born in, and returns to, 466, 469. \\\'>t|ihalia, kingdom of, 22. West Indies, work on, 22. West India Company, in contemplation ; Dutch incorporated ; subscription to stock open to all nations, 20 ; powers enlarged, 22 ; privileges to patroons granted by, 23 ; policy of, 27 ; Swedish incorporated, 29 ; order Stuyvesant to drive Swedes from the Delaware, 40 ; report of Stuyvesant to, 46 ; jurisdic- tion of, 48 ; Swedish, remonstrate with the Dutch Company, 49. Wharton, Walter, appointed surveyor, 57. Wharton, Jr., Thomas, elected President of Council of Safety, 11)4 ; elected Presi- dent Supreme Executive Council ; title of, 199; death of; birth of; marriage of; a merchant, 208; hi? attachment, to constitution ; letter of, to Arthur St. Clair, 209; funeral of; buried at Lan- caster, 210. Wharton, Richard, emigrates to Pennsyl- vania; ancestor of President Wharton, 208. Wharton, John, father of President Wharton, 208. Wharton, G. M., grandson of President Wharton, 209. Whig, party, formation of; opposes Pro- prietarv Government; espouses cause of tire Revolution, 334. Whiskey Insurrection, account of, 287. White, Margaret, mother of Governor Geary, 466. Whiteneld, George, preaching of, creates excitement; erects church in Philadel- phia, 143. Whitman, 'Elizabeth, marries Joseph Hiester, 334. Whitman, Adam, 334. Whitehall, Penn's visits to, 109. Whittier, John G., the Quaker poet; ode of, 368. White Plains, Washington driven from, 196. White Marsh, Washington retires to, 203 ; camp at, 206. Wichetunk, Indians at, removed to Phi- ladelphia, 169. Wilcox, Joseph, draws up address to the Proprietor ; abuses Governor and Pro- prietor, 119. William and Mary, accession of, 92, 109 ; commission Governor Fletcher to as- sume jurisdiction of Pennsylvania and territories ; restore government to Penn. 94 ; commission Fletcher Governor of Pennsylvania, 110. INDEX. 557 Williamsport, 434, 435, 440, 448. Willing, Thomas, presides at meetings, 182 ; delegate to Congress, 183 ; votes against Declaration ; omitted from new delegation, 187. Willing, Richard, and Eliza, 233. Wilson, James, delegate to Congress, 183; votes for Declaration, 187. Wilson, Alexander, chief clerk State Treasury ; receives uncurreut money, 328. Wilson, Fleming, 424. Wilson, Catharine, marries Curtin, 465. Wilson, William J., 465. Wilmot, David, nominated for Governor ; author of Proviso, 442. Winchester, General, surrenders at Frenchtown, 314. Windsor Castle, Penn to deliver two beaver-skins annually at, 61. Winthrop, Governor, goes with Nicholls to Manhattan, 51. Wirt, William, Life of Patrick Henry, quoted, 242. Wolf, George, birth ; ancestry ; educa- tion ; has charge of his father's farm ; principal of an academy ; clerk ; stud- ies law ; sides with Jefferson ; advo- cates McKean's election ; postmaster at Easton ; clerk of court ; elected to the House ; defeated for the Senate, 350 ; elected to Congress ; friend of American industry ; elected Governor ; estimate of his character, 351 ; recom- mends the vigorous prosecution of the public works, 353 ; his advocacy of common schools, 353, 357, 361 ; first to establish Executive Chamber in the Capitol, 358 ; gives personal attention to details of business; criticised and, defended, 359 ; adherent of Jackson ; defeated for third term ; appointed by Jackson first comptroller of the treas- ury ; appointed by Van Buren col- lector or the port of Philadelphia; death of, 360 ; meeting with Thad'leus Stevens, 365 ; tribute to, 368. Wolf, General, under Abercrombie, 162 ; moves for reduction of Quebec; death of; monument to, in Westminster Ab- bey, voted by Parliament, 164. Worminghurst, Penn's house at, 82. Wyalusing, an Indian village, 178. Wyoming controversy, 176, 177, 229. Yates, Jasper, judge of supreme court; impeached, 326. York, Congress meets at, 204; Simon Suyder removes to, 308. York County, Franklin procures wagons and horses in, for Braddock, 156. Zuyt, Dutch name for Delaware River, 18. THE END. UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY Los Angeles This book is DUE on the last date stamped below ' L. D - ( I R {_ : NOV 21 DEC12196 1 MAR 7 1962, MAY 7 1964 NOV 6J965 SCHARGE-URiy 4-9 ..o D 136 MAR APR 17 1972 ii. JANii; 1NTERLIBRARY 1979 .OANS JUNa TWO WEEKS FROM Mf Of MCEIPt Form L9-32m-8,'58(5876s4)444 IAP UC SOUTHERN REGIONAL LIBRARY FACILITY A 001 403 341 9 3 1158 00418 9782