the quaker colonies-第12部分

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But　this　new　governor　clashed　almost　at　once　with　the　Assembly；　tried　to　make　them　pass　a　militia　law；　suggested　that　the　province's　trade　to　foreign　countries　was　illegal；　persecuted　and　arrested　members　of　the　Assembly；　refused　to　submit　new　laws　to　it；　and　irritated　the　people　by　suggesting　the　invalidity　of　their　favorite　laws。　The　Quaker　Assembly　withstood　and　resisted　him　until　they　wore　him　out。　After　a　year　and　one　month　in　office　he　resigned　at　Penn's　request　or；　according　to　some　accounts；　at　his　own　request。　At　any　rate；　he　expressed　himself　as　delighted　to　be　relieved。　As　a　Puritan　soldier　he　found　himself　no　match　for　a　peaceable　Quaker　Assembly。

Penn　again　made　the　Council　the　executive　with　Thomas　Lloyd　as　its　President。　But　to　the　old　causes　of　unrest　a　new　one　was　now　added。　One　George　Keith；　a　Quaker；　turned　heretic　and　carried　a　number　of　Pennsylvania　Quakers　over　to　the　Church　of　England；　thereby　causing　great　scandal。　The　〃Lower　Counties〃　or　Territories；　as　the　present　State　of　Delaware　was　then　called；　became　mutinous；　withdrew　their　representatives　from　the　Council；　and　made　William　Markham　their　Governor。　This　action　together　with　the　Keithian　controversy；　the　disturbances　over　Blackwell；　and　the　clamors　of　Church　of　England　people　that　Penn　was　absent　and　neglecting　his　province；　that　the　Quakers　would　make　no　military　defense；　and　that　the　province　might　at　any　time　fall　into　the　hands　of　France；　came　to　the　ears　of　King　William；　who　was　already　ill　disposed　toward　Penn　and　distrusted　him　as　a　Jacobite。　It　seemed　hardly　advisable　to　allow　a　Jacobite　to　rule　a　British　colony。　Accordingly　a　royal　order　suspended　Penn's　governmental　authority　and　placed　the　province　under　Benjamin　Fletcher；　Governor　of　New　York。　He　undertook　to　rule　in　dictatorial　fashion；　threatening　to　annex　the　province　to　New　York；　and　as　a　consequence　the　Assembly　had　plenty　of　trouble　with　him。　But　two　years　later；　1694；　the　province　was　returned　to　Penn；　who　now　appointed　as　Governor　William　Markham；　who　had　served　as　lieutenant…governor　under　Fletcher。

Markham　proceeded　to　be　high…handed　with　the　Assembly　and　to　administer　the　government　in　the　imperialistic　style　of　Fletcher。　But　the　Assembly　soon　tamed　him　and　in　1696　actually　worried　out　of　him　a　new　constitution；　which　became　known　as　Markham's　Frame；　proved　much　more　popular　than　the　one　Penn　had　given；　and　allowed　the　Assembly　much　more　power。　Markham　had　no　conceivable　right　to　assent　to　it　and　Penn　never　agreed　to　it；　but　it　was　lived　under　for　the　next　four　years　until　Penn　returned　to　the　province。　While　it　naturally　had　opponents；　it　was　largely　regarded　as　entirely　valid；　and　apparently　with　the　understanding　that　it　was　to　last　until　Penn　objected　to　it。

Penn　had　always　been　longing　to　return　to　Pennsylvania　and　live　there　for　the　rest　of　his　life；　but　the　terrible　times　of　the　Revolution　of　1688　in　England　and　its　consequences　had　held　him　back。　Those　difficulties　had　now　passed。　Moreover；　William　III　had　established　free　government　and　religious　liberty。　No　more　Quakers　were　imprisoned　and　Penn's　old　occupation　of　securing　their　protection　and　release　was　gone。

In　the　autumn　of　1699　he　sailed　for　Pennsylvania　with　his　family　and；　arriving　after　a　tedious　three　months'　voyage；　was　well　received。　His　political　scrapes　and　mistakes　in　England　seemed　to　be　buried　in　the　past。　He　was　soon　at　his　old　enjoyable　life　again；　traveling　actively　about　the　country；　preaching　to　the　Quakers；　and　enlarging　and　beautifying　his　country　seat；　Pennsbury；　on　the　Delaware；　twenty　miles　above　Philadelphia。　As　roads　and　trails　were　few　and　bad　he　usually　traveled　to　and　from　the　town　in　a　barge　which　was　rowed　by　six　oarsmen　and　which　seemed　to　give　him　great　pride　and　pleasure。

Two　happy　years　passed　away　in　this　manner；　during　which　Penn　seems　to　have　settled；　not　however　without　difficulty；　a　great　deal　of　business　with　his　people；　the　Assembly；　and　the　Indian　tribes。　Unfortunately　he　got　word　from　England　of　a　bill　in　Parliament　for　the　revocation　of　colonial　charters　and　for　the　establishment　of　royal　governments　in　their　place。　He　must　needs　return　to　England　to　fight　it。　Shortly　before　he　sailed　the　Assembly　presented　him　with　a　draft　of　a　new　constitution　or　frame　of　government　which　they　had　been　discussing　with　him　and　preparing　for　some　time。　This　he　accepted；　and　it　became　the　constitution　under　which　Pennsylvania　lived　and　prospered　for　seventy…five　years；　until　the　Revolution　of　1776。

This　new　constitution　was　quite　liberal。　The　most　noticeable　feature　of　it　was　the　absence　of　any　provision　for　the　large　elective　council　or　upper　house　of　legislation；　which　had　been　very　unpopular。　The　Assembly　thus　became　the　one　legislative　body。　There　was　incidental　reference　in　the　document　to　a　governor's　council；　although　there　was　no　formal　clause　creating　it。　Penn　and　his　heirs　after　his　death　always　appointed　a　small　council　as　an　advisory　body　for　the　deputy　governor。　The　Assembly　was　to　be　chosen　annually　by　the　freemen　and　to　be　composed　of　four　representatives　from　each　county。　It　could　originate　bills；　control　its　own　adjournments　without　interference　from　the　Governor；　choose　its　speaker　and　other　officers；　and　judge　of　the　qualifications　and　election　of　its　own　members。　These　were　standard　Anglo…Saxon　popular　parliamentary　rights　developed　by　long　struggles　in　England　and　now　established　in　Pennsylvania　never　to　be　relaxed。　Finally　a　clause　in　the　constitution　permitted　the　Lower　Counties；　or　Territories；　under　certain　conditions　to　establish　home　rule。　In　1705　the　Territories　took　advantage　of　this　concession　and　set　up　an　assembly　of　their　own。

Immediately　after　signing　the　constitution；　in　the　last　days　of　October；　1701；　Penn　sailed　for　England；　expecting　soon　to　return。　But　he　became　absorbed　in　affairs　in　England　and　never　saw　his　colony　again。　This　was　unfortunate　because　Pennsylvania　soon　became　a　torment　to　him　instead　of　a　great　pleasure　as　it　always　seems　to　have　been　when　he　lived　in　it。　He　was　a　happy　present　proprietor；　but　not　a　very　happy　absentee　one。

The　Church　of　England　people　in　Pennsylvania　entertained　great　hopes　of　this　proposal　to　turn　the　proprietary　colonies　into　royal　provinces。　Under　such　a　change；　while　the　Quakers　might　still　have　an　influence　in　the　Legislature；　the　Crown　would　probably　give　the　executive　offices　to　Churchmen。　They　therefore　labored　hard　to　discredit　the　Quakers。　They　kept　harping　on　the　absurdity　of　a　set　of　fanatics　attempting　to　govern　a　colony　without　a　militia　and　without　administering　oaths　of　office　or　using　oaths　in　judicial　proceedings。　How　could　any　one's　life　be　safe　from　foreign　enemies　without　soldiers；　and　what　safeguard　was　there　for　life；　liberty；　and　property　before　judges；　jurors；　and　witnesses；　none　of　whom　had　been　sworn？　The　Churchmen　kept　up　their　complaints　for　along　time；　but　without　effect　in　England。　　　Penn　was　able　to　thwart　all　their　plans。　The　bill　to　change　the　province　into　a　royal　one　was　never　passed　by　Parliament。　Penn　returned　to　his　court　life；　his　preaching；　and　his　theological　writing；　a　rather　curious　combination　and　yet　one　by　which　he　had　always　succeeded　in　protec