威廉·佩恩的迫害

卡尔读者1682年8月30日，我在欢迎号上航行。在我们到达宾夕法尼亚州之前，100名乘客中有31人死于天花。如果古丽和我一起去，她很可能就是受害者之一。我三岁时得了天花，我在船上幸免于难，因为我有免疫力。我们的穿越花了八个星期。1682年10月27日，我们抵达特拉华州，特拉华州的许多水湾和沼泽地点缀着宾夕法尼亚州秋天的绚丽色彩。看到这片处女地，一个新的、更好的生活的前景如此成熟，以如此鲜艳的色彩展现自己，是多么令人兴奋啊。我的表弟兼副州长威廉·马卡姆（William Markham）为费城和宾夕法尼亚庄园（Pennsybury Manor）选址，费城是我的首都，宾夕法尼亚庄园是我的乡村庄园，也是我的家。我在欢迎仪式上只租了一间小屋和一个木铺位，所以我不得不带上我们自己的食物开始我们的生活。我打算和我的家人在宾西伯里好好生活，所以我带了大量的食物、床上用品和衣服，还有三匹纯种母马、一匹白马、工作动物、公寓的家具和配件、门和窗框。我有两个完整的磨坊，一个是谷物磨坊，另一个是木材磨坊。这两个行业都很重要。回到英国，我们的新女儿出生后不久就去世了，我写信给古丽安慰她。亲爱的妻子，请记住，你是我年轻时的挚爱，也是我生命中的欢乐；我最爱的人，也是最值得我所有世俗安慰的人。上帝知道，你也知道，这是上天的安排。在我被送到宾夕法尼亚州的时候，大约有3000名来自西泽西的瑞典人、荷兰人、芬兰人和贵格会教徒，以及生活在特拉华河附近的和平部落Lenni Lenape居住在这里。我渴望见到所有不同的人。所有的人都有一种内在的光，这不是信仰的问题，而是事实，就像这些外国人和本地人一样。这是生命本身，这道光，因此，当这道光燃烧时，任何人都不能被剥夺良心的自由，即使是那些还没有打开快乐之门的人。我想让所有已经在宾夕法尼亚州的人都明白，从今以后，他们将作为自由人生活在一个自由政府之下。黄昏时我们降落在新城堡，没有人知道我们是谁。当我们让人们知道我来了，他们第二天为我设计了一个欢迎仪式，他们给了我一根树枝、一些土壤和一碗河水作为我地位的象征。我惊讶地看到他们是多么乐意地欢迎我，我希望善良的种子能在他们的欢迎中显现出来。在我的演讲中，我告诉人民，目前我派来统治他们的人将继续担任他们的职务，但将尽快建立一个人民政府，享有他们所希望的一切自由。我会保证所有人的自由。我不确定他们是否相信我，因为我也习惯于空洞的演讲，但我会尽我最大的努力让它成为现实。他们似乎至少听了我要说的话。我几乎一到宾夕法尼亚州，旧的困难就以新的形式继续着。我可能暂时躲过了英国的迫害，但镇压的方法跟着我来到了新世界。我的好朋友巴尔的摩勋爵乔治·卡尔弗特（George Calvert）坚持认为，我在纽卡斯尔周围的较低的县是他的，他说，我们之间的分界线比实际的分界线更北。我做的第一件事就是写信给他，说我们应该见面解决关于下级县的争端。我对他没有敌意，希望公平地对待他。他把我推迟到十二月。这让我有机会了解我的人民和殖民地，并结交朋友。我去了纽约和新泽西，与这两个殖民地建立了友好关系，我很高兴地发现我的老朋友托马斯·鲁迪亚德（Thomas Rudyard）被任命为新泽西州副州长，他因藐视《公约法》而与我一起被捕。这确保了两个殖民地之间的友谊。我参观了彭斯伯里庄园的遗址，发现威廉·马卡姆（William Markham）选择了一个再好不过的地点，就在河边，有大量的沙子、砾石和木材可用于建筑材料，一个如此美丽和平静的地点，它本可以成为第一个创造地点。在那里，我们将创造一个美好的庄园。当我看到我们的家时，我又非常想念古力和孩子们，但我想象我们在那里的房子里，我想象孩子们在大草坪上奔跑玩耍，在河里游泳。我看到这个庄园是一个伟大的庄园，从白兰地到白面包的谷物被烘烤，厨房为我们和我们的客人生产各种各样的食物。现在，我的梦想是宾夕法尼亚庄园所能实现的一切。我回到了纽卡斯尔，成立了一个委员会来批准我们在英国商定的法律。经过一番辩论，甚至有点敌意，我们这样做了，guaranteeing the rights and freedoms desired to all in Pennsylvania. Calvert, as a Lord of government, used the usual means of thrusting himself forward while demeaning others. He pushed his claim so hard that he took up arms against some of my citizens, invading the lands of common farmers and forcing them to swear allegiance to him at gun point. Under Colonel George Talbert, the Marylanders took up arms. They and bravely evicted a widow from her home in the Lower Counties when she refused to pledge loyalty to Lord Baltimore. With three armed men and fifteen woodsmen, they attacked the woman's home and drove her out in a magnificent display of military power, but even against such a small force, as a pacifist I was nearly helpless to do anything. I would not allow my colony to take up arms. With another show of great bravado, these same men then went after Joseph Bowle and nearly rode him down on his own property, driving him away because he would not pledge loyalty to Baltimore. Pennsylvania was a pacifist, Quaker colony, so I could not respond in kind. I would not bring the means of repression to Pennsylvania. I wrote a letter to James, Duke of York, complaining of Baltimore's actions. They insulted the Duke, as well as me. Once I wrote, George Talbert withdrew his men from the Lower Counties in haste. Again, my connections at court saved me, for Lord Baltimore feared quo warranto proceedings as much as any Governor, most likely because he deserved them, and such behavior against another chartered English colony could be cause for such action. Baltimore wished to strangle my colony by closing off its sea access through the Delaware Bay, thereby making his colony all the greater through exclusive trade and Pennsylvania a weak sister, a place not worth living. I met with him and offered to buy the land I already owned, but he proved utterly unwilling to give up his claim. "I have no desire to infringe upon your rights," I told him. "I hope you have none to infringe on mine. You will have what you want and more, and I hope you will give me what I want." "I am in the right, Mr. Penn," he said. "I will not allow you to diminish the greatness of Maryland by false claims." "They are not false, but proven through deed of the King." "That is simply not so." He pushed to make a false thing so by repeating it over and over as true, the usual method of liars. I worked hard to establish the colony despite his schemes. Next, I was anxious to meet with the Indians. They would be citizens as well and deserved my attention. With a sight of the new land, open to all possibilities, I realized those who lived there were children of that land, natural reflections of its purity and goodness. It is hard for an Englishman to understand a Frenchman or a German, but to understand a child of nature is easy, since there has been no corruption from decadent institutions and at heart we are all children of nature. William Markham had purchased Pennsybury Manor's forty-five hundred acres for me from them, giving the Indians twenty-one hundred feet of wampum, twenty guns, forty pounds of shot, two barrels of powder, two hundred knives, forty axes, forty scissors, liquor and cloth. They knew I would treat them fairly after this generosity. Most of all, I wanted to understand them and befriend them to avoid conflict with them, so I studied their language. I met Chief Tamenend at Shackamaxon outside of Philadelphia. It was a spot used for their councils, a flat land near the river with tall, majestic trees for shade and protection and a few English country homes. I was much impressed with Tamenend and his people. He sat on the ground alone, with the first men of his tribe arrayed in a half-moon behind him and another half-moon of the lesser men behind that. He had all the authority and grace of a king, and his people were generally tall, straight and well-built, of singularly fine proportion. I went unarmed to the Indians, explaining Quakers were men of peace and friendship and wanting to prove it and gain their trust. With a peaceful heart, there is no need for weapons. "We will not fight you even if you fight us," I told Tamenend. "God will not allow it, and we will die before we shed another's blood." "It's best to live in peace," Tamenend agreed. "If you mean it, we can be as true as you are." "I have given up fighting with weapons forever," I said. I made him a pledge that Quakers and Indians would live side-by-side in peace, with promises of kindness and good neighborhood. I said the Indians and English were to live in love, as long as the sun gave light. I presented them with many gifts, of the like they received for Pennsybury Manor, and I was most struck that they were similar to Quakers in their dealings, quiet and grave, hesitant to use words, and honest and plain and open. These were people I could deal with. Chief Tamenend I especially respected for his grave manner and obvious wisdom. I had attempted to learn their language, and now was given further instruction. I was told "Sepassing Land" was their name for that part of Bucks County I had purchased for Pennsbury Manor. They greeted each other with the word "Itah," and in their lives they were the most merry creatures that live, feasting and dancing almost perpetually. We played games at the council, with great contests for jumping, jumping, jumping, almost endlessly, and then running, running, running. I think I surprised and pleased them that I was proficient at both. The Indians were in a natural state, far from the corruption of Europe, living with the woods as their larder. It was obvious they had separated from civilization at some time, or had been forced from it. We sweat and toil to live; their pleasure feeds them, I mean, their hunting, fishing and fowling. Freedom, as my old professor and philosopher John Locke said, was the natural condition of mankind, and I found it their natural condition and very easily fit myself and the feelings in my heart in with them. I had come upon the very proof of John Locke's doctrine. I could not admire these people more, for they had the freedom I wished to establish in Pennsylvania. The Dutch, Swedes and English had taught them drunkenness, which was contrary to their natural state, and I wished to let them know not all white men were harmful as those they had encountered so far. Tamenend, who was a realist, worked with me, although he said he did not wish to sell any land to anyone. He confided that he wanted all white men to go away, but I believe I convinced him I was his friend, and a good man to know, and I think I saw friendly amusement in his eyes when he looked at me. "You are like no white man I ever knew," he said to me. "Maybe I should pinch you to see if you are real." "All is real, except my hair," I said, lifting off my hat and wig to show my bald head. The demonstration brought peals of laughter from the Indians, and we parted on good terms. From what I had seen of Pennsylvania so far, I was much pleased with it. I could say, without vanity, I led the greatest colony in America, with people of all types and dispositions, even the lowest, slaves. The Germans who came were shocked to find we English tolerated slavery, although the Quakers were moving against it. The German began a movement to abolish it. Great manors, like mine at Pennsbury, used slaves, but it was a wrong I knew we must right. I thought long and hard about how we could change the laws without offending the great Lords who held sway over me. It was a project that would take much time. We had in our first year professional men, tradesmen, artisans of all race and type, every human kind on earth. I encouraged all to come by offering land cheaply and by deeming there would be no quitrents paid until 1684. It put me further in financial straits not to collect my taxes. I had to borrow yet more money, but I believed it was better to have Pennsylvania settled and working industriously than to have it empty and idle. Lord Baltimore made trouble over this immediately. He encouraged the Lower Counties not to pay my taxes at all, since he disputed my claim to the area and wished to inflame the settlers against me. My promise of a popular government had come true March 12, 1683 when the first elected Assembly and Provincial Council organized themselves into governing bodies. I had thought Quakers would dominate the bodies, but the Assembly elected its first speaker a Quaker by just one vote. I believed these were good men elected to these bodies, intent on furthering my Holy Experiment, and it was then they made their fine offer of payment to me of an excise tax on liquor and custom tax on molasses, which I declined out of concern for the health of the colony. They relieved me of the duty of paying for the government of Pennsylvania out of my own pocket by empowering the collection of taxes for government needs, although they did not collect taxes at once, and we enacted an improved Frame of Government that gave more power to the governing bodies and less to me as Governor. Although we had these hard-won successes in standing Pennsylvania on its own two feet, we still had problems with Baltimore in the south. At one point, he sent Talbert into Philadelphia itself to demand the city swear allegiance to Maryland, but he left without obtaining it. Lord Baltimore returned to England, and through his connections at court was pressing his claim to deny me access to the sea. Should he succeed, it would destroy all I had worked for, barely before it had begun. I was alarmed that Quakers were still jailed, tortured and hanged in England, and my loneliness with Guli's absence was so great it was nearly unbearable. I left Pennsylvania after just under two years there, too soon, my work not yet done. There was no other choice for me. If Baltimore succeeded back in England, Pennsylvania would be snatched from me. If the Quakers were imprisoned or killed, the intent of my colony would die with them. As I looked to the east, I could smell the stench of Newgate. I had to return to that stench after my short stay, my work in Pennsylvania now in the hands of others.