clocks, go from the motion men give them; and as gov. ernments are made and moved by men, so by them they are ruined too. That therefore which makes a good government must keep it; viz. men of wisdom and virtue ; qualities, that because they descend not by worldly inheritances, must be carefully propagated by a virtuous education of youth. &c.

"The true design of government is to support power in reverence with the people, and to secure the people from the abuse of power-for liberty without obedience is confusion; and obedience without liberty is tyranny." To effect this, a wise constitution must always be directed by a virtuous ad

ministration.

In 1682, William Penn obtained of the Duke of York a release of all right, title, and claim which he had or might be supposed to have, to the province of Pennsylvania, together with another conveyance of all claims to the territory lying upon the River Delaware, called by the Dutch "the three lower counties," as were described under NewYork. These counties lying upon the west side of Delaware Bay, extended from the south boundary of the province, to Cape Henlopen, beyond or south of Lewistown, which by the duke were conveyed to William Penn, by two deeds; the first containing the town of New-Castle, and a district of twelve miles round it, as far as the River Delaware'; and the second comprehended that tract of land from "twelve miles south of New-Castle to Hoer-Kill, otherwise called Cape Henlopen, divided into two counties, Kent and Sussex; called the teritories of Pennsylvania.

I have been the more particular in defining these grants, on account of the dispute which arose hereafter between Pennsylvania and Delaware, concerning these lands, in the long controversy that attended the settlement of their

boundary, and which was not fully closed until the year.

1732.

In August 1682, William Penn, after thus having arranged his claims by these conveyances from the Duke of York, embarked on board the ship Welcome, of 300 tons, Robert Greenway master, together with a number of his friends, and set sail for America. Before the ship left the Downs, he wrote an epistle to England, containing; a valedictory salutation to all faithful friends, &c. as well as a reproof to the unfaithful, and a visitation to the enquiring. In their passage the small pox-broke out in the ship, and destroyed about thirty of their number, which rendered the scene peculiarly trying, and the kind attention of the proprietary, peculiarly interesting and acceptable. After a passage of six weeks, the ship arrived safe off Little Egg-Harbour in New-Jersey, and in passing up the Delaware, the news of the arrival of the proprietary, soon spread though the country: all classes of people, English, Dutch, and Swedes, of all ages and sexes, hailed the proprietary as he passed, with acclamations of joy, and on the 24th of October, he landed at New-Castle, where he was cordially received, and where the next day he met the people at the court-house, and explained the designs of his visit in an affectionate address, assuring them of the free enjoyments of their spiritual and temporal rights, liberty of conscience and civil freedoms ; he recommended to them temperance, sobriety and peace.*

On the 4th day of December, William Penn called together a deputation of the freemen from the whole colony, to meet at Chester, in General Assembly, to promote the best interest of the province. Nicholas Moore was chosen speaker, who was president of the society of

* The nations who dwelt here, were English, Dutch, and Swedes; these each, had their different prejudices, as well as modes of religious worship, amongst which these Quakers were about to mix.

free traders. The buisness of the assembly was interesting and agreeable to all parties, the deportment of the proprietary, was courteous and dignified, and was closed by an address from the Swedes, in which they expressed their highest satisfaction, and assured him," that they would love, and serve, and obey him with all they had; declaring that it was the best day they ever saw."

This assembly passed an act of union, by which the three lower counties were annexed to the province, with some general amendments to the frame of government, and by an act of settlement, the whole was approved and ratified. The Dutch, Swedes, &c. were all naturalized, and the laws agreed upon in England, were passed in due form. The whole business of the colony was closed in three days. [See the preamble together with the body of laws for Pennsylvania passed at this assembly, in Appendix G.] Whilst this assembly was making preparation to meet, the proprietary visited New-York, and as soon as the session was ended he visited Maryland, where he received the respectful attention of Lord Baltimore, and the first characters of the colony. The object of this visit was to prepare the way for the settlement of the boundary lines between the two colonies. The subject was introduced; but on account of the season, deferred until spring, and the proprietary returned to Chester, and commenced the purchase of the land belonging to the natives, where he proposed to build his capital, Philadelphia, the seat of brotherly love. William Penn not only paid the Indians a valuable consideration for such lands as he obtained, but he accompanied his purchases with such salutary and wholesome counsel and advice, as proved useful to the natives and endeared him strongly to their affections, and attached them firmly to his interest.

In New-England we have witnessed the time (first vol.) when it was judged necessary to hang Quakers, lest

by their pacific principles they should endanger the safety of the colonies; but William Penn rendered this very pacific principle, when supported by the principles of equity and justice, the very palladium of his colony. The peace that William Penn concluded with the Indians in 1682, lasted more than seventy years, and rendered a Quaker the idol of their affections, until the government was so far shared by other religious sects, as to render it impossible for the Quakers to continue to maintain these principles of strict justice; then the scene changed, and Pennsylvania had her Indian wars, as well as the other colonies. But the affection with which they ever held in grateful remembrance their friend and benefactor William Penn, lived through his life, and lives to this day in the hearts of their descendants. In proof of this, a chief of the Five Nations, at a council held at Conistoga in Pennsylvania, by Governor Keith, thus expressed himself—“ We shall never forget the counsel that William Penn gave us, and though we cannot write, as the English do, we can keep in memory what is said in our councils." 1721. The speaker proceeded to compliment Governor Keith by saying, "We love you even as if you were William Penn himself,” adding "brother Onas, (which in their language signifies a pen, and by which they call all the governors of Pennsyl- · vania,) we love to hear the former treaties made with William Penn repeated to us again."

Thus after brightening the chain of friendship, by which the illustrious Penn had bound them to his colony, the council was dissolved with mutual assurances of a desire that the chain might continue to grow bright, as the sun shining in his lustre, without a cloud, so long as sun and moon should endure.

Thus we see, that even the heart of the savage may be softened into the most grateful remembrance of kindness and benevolence, and that religion, when supported upon

the true principles of the gospel, may call forth the strongest acts as well as expressions of justice, friendship, and peace. I shall not attempt to enquire whether that system of treatment, by which William Penn soothed the savage into peace in Pennsylvania, could have softened the ferocity of the savages of the north and east, and could have blunted the edge of that hatchet the French were continually whetting with a spirit of war and revenge. Facts are the subject of this narrative, reflections and opinions are left open and free for every reader; let them be free, but tempered with candour.

In less than one year after the proprietary came into the province, about thirty ships arrived, with passengers to settle the colony; these were generally Quakers, whose first concern was, like the Puritans of New-England to plant churches, and make provision for the enjoyment of their religion. Many of these people were rich, and they were generally, sober industrious people, of competent livings, and in good repute. These people came out with cool deliberation, determined to subdue the country by their industry, and enjoy the fruits of their labour. They were provident, and cautious at their removal, generally laying in stores for support, until they could realise the fruits of their labours; hence the reason why they were so healthy, as well as comfortable in their settlements. In two years from this time more than fifty sail of shipping arrived from different parts of England, Holland, and Germany, with settlers for the new colony. At this time a colony of Palatines, from Germany, came over and settled German town, about six or seven miles from Philadelphia; these were German Quakers, who had become converts to the preaching of William Ames, an Englishman. This little colony fled to these abodes of peace, and were thus providentially preserved from the judgments which soon after befel their country, upon an invasion of the French, who