THE QUAKERS, GERMANS, AND THE PROPRIETORS.
Quakers Emigrate to America.--Their Hostility to the Proprietors
after Penn.--Indian Outbreaks.--Quakers refuse to bear Arms.--Defence
of their Own Homes left to non-Quakers.--Quakers oppose the
Formation of a Militia.--Penn’s sons Forsake Quaker Faith.--Attitude
of the Germans.--Christoph Sauer’s German Newspaper.--Its
Influence.--Controls the Germans.--Their Influence is a menace to
English Rule.--Their Influence in Politics.--Sauer’s partisan Appeals
to the Germans.--Asserts English intent to enslave Them.--English
fear a German Colony.--War between France and Great Britain.--Efforts
to stop German Emigration.--Taxing Emigrants.--Fails to have any
effect on Emigration.--They continue to come.
During the first half of the eighteenth century, the influence of
the Quaker element predominated, and it can scarcely be said that it
was always exerted for the best interests of the province after Penn
died. The German Quakers never cut much of a figure in the affairs of
the colony; it was left to the English Quakers to concern themselves
about its domestic affairs. The latter at their former home in England
owed their origin to a revolt against English religious thought, in
consequence of which they became the subjects of much persecution.
After many of them had emigrated to Pennsylvania, where they were
assured of religions freedom, it was not long before they arrayed
themselves in opposition to the civil power.
The peace of the new province was often threatened by foes from within
and from without. The wars between England and France frequently
threatened the peace of all the colonies, and the Indians were a
menace to the settlers all the time. They would start out on frequent
raids, among the inhabitants, and would sometimes perpetrate cruel
massacres, against which it was of the highest importance to guard, by
an efficient militia, the organization of which the Quakers opposed
to a man. The Indians knew that the civil authorities could not rely
on the Quakers for any armed assistance, because they were opposed
to war, and the bearing of arms. This left the defence of the colony
to the non-Quaker population, and to the civil authorities to which
the Quakers refused loyal support. The Quakers were an embarrassing
influence in the Colonial Assembly, to which they were frequently
elected by the aid of the German votes, especially of those in
Northampton county. It has been said that the organization of this
county, was primarily, for the purpose of divorcing the German vote
from Quaker control, in behalf of whose candidates it was usually cast,
in obedience to the influence of the Quakers of Philadelphia and Bucks
counties.
The Quaker opposition to the organization of a militia, to protect
the province against the Indians and the French, who were making
war on the border, while the defence of their own homes was left to
the poorly armed non-Quakers, was such a perversion of common sense
and of justice, as to embitter all classes against a people whose
religious tenets could justify such rank injustice and selfishness.
This attitude of the reputed mild-mannered Quakers, brought them into
unfriendly relations with most of the other colonists in Pennsylvania,
as well as into hostile collision with the proprietary government. The
Quakers had not much respect for the sons of the original proprietor.
Penn’s sons were in control at this time, and it is interesting to
note, that none of them remained in fellowship with the Quakers after
their father’s death. After his death all the proprietary governors
were non-Quakers, and this fact no doubt, had the tendency to increase
the spirit of insubordination, of the Quaker element against the civil
authority.
For the sake of the truth of history, it must be remarked, that the
Germans who had not much affection for English rule, too often took
sides with the Quakers in opposing the English, and thereby frustrated
designs of the lawful authorities, intended for the general welfare.
In 1739 Christoph Sauer began to publish a German newspaper at
Germantown, which gained a large circulation among the Germans, and
controlled their political actions entirely, which was often in
opposition to the ruling class.
The Germans however when the security of the province was threatened by
the French, or the homes of the settlers were menaced by their savage
foes, were always among the first to take up arms in defence of both;
while their Quaker neighbors not only refused to take up arms, to
defend the homes of the colonists when threatened by hostile savages,
but opposed the creation of a militia for that purpose.
It is difficult to reconcile this attitude of the Quakers towards the
civil authorities, and their refusal to perform their obligations to
the government which was ever ready to protect them, with the duties
of good citizenship, which was one of the tenets of their faith. Their
disregard of some of the most important civil obligations, seem to
contradict the teachings of the sect, of a rigid morality, unbending
personal integrity, and living a simple and sincere life, of all of
which they were marked exemplars.
The Quakers were however, foremost in the work of many reforms. They
entered their protest early against the infliction of the death
penalty, for the commission of minor offences such as larceny, etc. The
mild laws laid down by Penn for the government of his province, and the
satisfactory results springing therefrom are the best proofs of their
utility. The Quakers were also the first to raise their voice against
slavery in the colonies, although it required the teachings of more
than two hundred years, and at the end a prodigious civil war, to wipe
that institution from our American system.
While the Quakers in Penn’s province in the early years of its history
could not always be commended for their fidelity to the constituted
authorities, yet they deserve much credit for many commendable virtues.