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they had settled their plantations and families in the woods, remote from each other, in confidence of lasting peace.

3. That the disputes between the late and present governors and the assembly of Pennsylvania, were occasioned and are continued chiefly by new instructions from the proprietors to those governors, forbidding them to pass any laws to raise money for the defence of the country unless the proprietary estate, or much the greatest part of it, was exempted from the tax to be raised by virtue of such laws, and other clauses inserted in them by which the privileges long enjoyed by the people, and which they think they have a right to, not only as Pennsylvanians but as Englishmen, were to be extorted from them, under their present distresses. The quakers, who, though the first settlers, are now but a small part of the people of Pennsylvania, were concerned in these disputes only as inhabitants of the province, and not as quakers; and all the other inhabitants join in opposing those instructions, and contending for their rights, the proprietary officers and dependants only excepted, with a few of such as they can influence.

4. That though some quakers have scruples against bearing arms, they have, when most numerous in the assembly, granted large sums for the king's use, (as they express it) which have been applied to the defence of the province; for instance, in 1755 and 1756, they granted the sum of fifty-five thousand pounds to be raised by a tax on estates real and personal; and 30,000 pounds to be raised by excise on spirituous liquors; be sides near ten thousand pounds in flour, &c. to general Braddock, and for cutting his roads, and ten thousand pounds to general Shirley in provisions for the New England and New York forces, then on the frontiers of New York; at the same time that the contingent expenses of government, to be otherwise provided for, were greatly and necessarily enhanced. That, however, to remove all pretence for reflection on their sect, as obstructing military measures in time of war, a number of them voluntarily quitted their seats in assembly in 1756; others requested their friends not to choose them in the ensuing election, nor did any of that profession stand as candidates or request a vote for themselves at that election, many quakers refusing even to vote at all, and others voting for such men as would and did make a considerable majority in the house who were not quakers; and yet four of the quakers, who were nevertheless chosen, refused serve, and writs were issued for new elections, when four others not quakers were chosen in their places; so that of 36 members, the number of which the house consists, there are not at the most above 12 of that denomination, and those such as are well known to be for supporting the government in defence of the country, but are too few, if they were against such a measure, to prevent it.

5. That the bill to raise money, said in the above article of news, to be "so clogged as to prevent the governor from giving his assent," was drawn in the same form, and with the same freedom from all clogs, as that for granting sixty thousand pounds which had been passed by the governor in 1755, and received the royal approbation; that the real clogs or obstructions to its passing were not in the bill, but in the above-mentioned proprietary instructions; that the governor

having long refused his assent to the bill, did, in excuse of his conduct, on lord Loudon's arrival at Philadelphia in March last, lay his reasons before his lordship, who was pleased to communicate them to one of the members of the house, and patiently to hear what that member had to say in answer, the governor himself being present; and that his lordship did finally declare himself fully satisfied with the answers made to those reasons, and give it as his opinion to the governor that he ought immediately to pass the bill, any instructions he might have to the contrary from the proprietors notwithstanding; which the governor accordingly complied with, passed the bill on the 22d of March, and the money, being 100,000l. for the service of the current year, has been ever since actually expending in the defence of the province. So that the whole story of the bill's not passing, the clogging of the bill by the assembly, and the obstinacy of the quakers preventing its passage, is absolutely a malicious and notorious falsehood,

6. The assertion of the news-writer, "that while the enemy is in the heart of the country, cavils prevent any thing being done for its relief," is so far from being true, that, 1st. The enemy is not nor ever was in the heart of the country, having only molested the frontier settlements by their parties. 2dly. More is done for the relief and defence of the country, without any assistance from the crown, than is done perhaps by any other colony in America; there having been, soon after the war broke out, the following forts erected at the province expense, in a line to cover the frontier, viz. Henshaw's fort on Delaware, fort Hamilton, fort Norris, fort Allen, fort Franklin, fort Lebanon, fort William Henry, fort Augusta, fort Halifax, fort Granville, fort Shirley, fort Little ton, and Shippensburg fort, besides several smaller stockades and places of defence, garrisoned by troops in the pay of the province; under whose protection the inhabitants, who at first abandoned their frontier settlements, returned generally to their habitations, and many yet continue, though not without some danger, to cultivate their lands; by these Pennsylvania troops, under col. Armstrong, the greatest blow was given to the enemy last year on the Ohio, that they have received during the war in burning and destroying the Indian town of Kittanning, and killing their great captain Jacobs, with many other Indians, and recovering a number of captives of their own and the neighbouring provinces; besides the garrisons in the forts, eleven hundred soldiers are maintained on the frontier in pay, being armed and accoutred, by the province, as ranging companies. And at Philadelphia fifteen iron cannon, eighteen pounders, were last year purchased in England and added to the fifty they had before, either mounted on their batteries, or ready to be mounted, besides a train of artillery, being new brass field-pieces, twelve and six pounders, with all their appurtenances in extreme good order, and a magazine stored with ammunition, a quantity of large bomb-shells, and above two thousand new small arms lately procured, exclusive of those in the hands of the people. They have likewise this summer fitted out a twenty gun province ship of war, to scour the coast of privateers, and protect the trade of that and the neighbouring provinces, which is more than any other colony to the southward of New England has done. sylvania also by its situation covers the greatest

Penn

part of New Jersey, all the government of the Delaware counties, and great part of Maryland, from the incursions of the Indians, without receiving any contribution from those colonies, or the mother-country towards the expense.

the place of their destination undiscovered, upon which depended the whole of their success. By great good luck, they nevertheless unexpectedly arrived at Kittanning, and succeeded as above. Encouraged by this fortunate event of their first attempt, the commissioners earnestly pressed that this blow might be followed by another of the same kind, so that the enemy might be kept in contiragements to the commissioners, to persist in their plan of operations, were inducements with the new governor, as they had been with his predecessor, to evade a compliance.

The above are facts, consistent with the knowledge of the subscriber, who but lately left Philadelphia, is now in London, is not nor never was a quaker, nor writes this at the request of any qua-nual apprehensions of danger. But those encou ker; but purely to do justice to a province and people of late frequently abused in nameless papers and pamphlets published in England. And he hereby calls upon the writer of that article of news to produce the letters out of which he says, he has drawn those calumnies and falsehoods, or to take the shame to himself.

WILLIAM FRANKLIN. Pennsylvania Coffee-House,

London, Sept. 16, 1757.

To what is said in the foregoing letter, concerning col. Armstrong's expedition to Kittanning, it may not be amiss to add, for the information of the reader, that it was with no small difficulty the commissioners, who were joined with the governor in the disposition of the money granted for the war, obtained the employing a part of the provincial forces as rangers. They repeatedly remonstrated to the governor, that the only effectual manner of carrying on a war with Indians was to fight them in their own way, i. e. to send parties frequently into the Indian country, to surprise them in their hunting and fishing, destroy their corn fields, burn their habitations, and, by thus continually harassing them, oblige them either to sue for peace, or retire farther into the country. The experience of many years Indian war in New England was in favour of this measure. The governor himself could not but acknowledge its expediency. There were motives, however, which, with him, outweighed all other considerations; and induced him though publicly, to approve, yet secretly to decline carrying it into execution. A militia law was the grand object he had in view, in which he aimed to have the sole nomination of all the officers. These were of course to be proprietary minions and dependants, who, by means of their power, were to awe and influence the elections, and make a change in the assembly: for draughts of such as were most likely to give opposition might easily be made and sent to garrison the frontier, Should therefore the commissioners' scheme of carrying the war into the enemy's country, be attended with success, and a stop be thereby put to their future incursions, the governor's main pretext for a militia (which was the enabling him to defend the frontier) would of consequence have no longer any appearance of weight. The commissioners, notwithstanding, obstinately persevered in urging that parties should be sent out in the manner they recommended. The governor was at length obliged to consent and give orders to colonel Armstrong for that purpose. Under-hand measures seem however to have been taken to render this project fruitless. Such delays were given from time to time to the march of the forces, after the intention of the undertaking was publicly known (which by the bye was to have been kept a secret) that the enemy might easily have received intelligence of our designs; and moreover, such a considerable number of men were added to the party as rendered it highly improbable they should reach

The darling project of a militia law was of more consequence than the preservation of the blood and treasure of people with whom he had no natural connexion. And the result is, that notwithstanding the commissioners have over and over strenuously endeavoured to have parties they have never since been able to prevail with of rangers sent again into the enemy's country, the governor to send them. On the contrary, though they could furnish ten parties for one of the Indians, the forces have been confined within is in fact undisciplining them for Indian war) the forts, taught regular military discipline (which and allowed to do scarce any thing but garrison duty. In the mean time the Indians have been suffered to come down between the forts, murder and scalp the inhabitants, and burn and destroy their settlements, with impunity. That a militia, had the governor such a one as he wishes, could not prevent these outrages, is obvious to every of this have been made in Virginia, and other goman of common understanding. Frequent trials vernments where militias have been long in use. The consequence of which was, that after the gothe enemy, taken the inhabitants from their sevevernors had, upon the news of any incursions of ral businesses and occupations (oftentimes farmers in the midst of harvest) furnished provisions and other necessaries, and marched them, at a great the enemy were fled, and perhaps doing mischief expense, to the place attacked, it was found that in another part of the frontier, at fifty or a hundred miles distance. with truth, that it would be far less expensive The people therefore say and inconvenient to them, to raise and pay a number of rangers to be continually employed in that service. And it is certain, that were but a few rangers properly employed, they would be more militia or regular forces on the continent of Ameeffectual in subduing such an enemy, than all the rica. The sending of these against scouting parties of Indians, being, as the proverb has it, setting

a cow to catch a hare.

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1756.

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For maintenance of Ohio and other Indians, Western

who had taken refuge in Pennsylvania; French deserters; soldiers' wives belonging to Braddock's army; arms and ammunition delivered to such of the frontier inhabitants as were not able

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to purchase any for their defence; relief and support of sundry of said inhabitants who were driven from their plantations by the enemy; and for expresses and other purposes for his majesty's service [The above sums were paid out of the treasury and loan office, and by money borrowed on the credit of the house of assembly before the governor could be prevailed on to pass any bills for granting an aid to his majesty.] For raising, paying, and maintaining forces; building forts; maintaining and treating

Pennsylva. Cur.

£8,195 14 8

10,000 0 0 1757. 1758.

514 10 1

2,023 5 0

5,653 13 2

Carried over £26,387 2 11

Brought over with the king's Indian allies; support of French neutrals sent from Nova Scotia; billeting and supplying with necessaries the king's regular forces; and other purposes for his majesty's service, as recommended by his ministers. [By two acts of assembly, 60,000l. and 30,000%.] For ditto by another act of assembly For ditto by ditto. [Note 2700 men were raised and employed this year in his majesty's service, by the province of Pennsylvania, in pursuance of Mr. secretary Pitt's letter.] For support of a ship of war for protection of trade, (by a duty on tonnage, &c.) for a six months' cruise For interest paid by the province for money borrowed for his majesty's service on the credit of the assembly; the charges attending the printing and signing the paper-money, and collecting, and paying the several taxes granted his majesty to the provincial treasurer and trustees of the loan office, with their and the provincial commissioners' allowances for their trouble, may at least be estimated at For sundry Indian expenses, omitted in the above

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Pennsylva. Cur. £26,387 2 11

90,000 0 0

100,000 0

100,000 0 0

6,425 15 0

5,000 0 0

38 13.0 £327,851 10 11

109,283 16 11

Sterling, £218,567 14 0

As the reader may possibly be curious to know, whether any similar disputes arose between the proprietaries and the several assemblies of the

territory, or three separate counties, it may be | to inquire into their own powers, upon a design proper to inform him, that the forbearances of to set new measures on foot, and have sent home these gentlemen in that district, were altoge- an address by one of their members, Thomas ther as remarkable as their assumptions in the Coutts' brother, who is to negotiate the matter province; and to refer him to the following ex- with the lords of trade and the ministry, to obtain tract of a genuine letter of Mr. secretary Lo- powers to some person or other, who the queen gan's to one Henry Goldney, an intimate may think fit (though Coutts designs it for himfriend of the first proprietary William Penn self) to discharge all the necessary duties of gofor a solution of all doubts concerning the dif-vernment over them. This I doubt will give the ference.

"Henry Goldney.

"PHILADELPHIA, 3d month the 12th, 1709.

"ESTEEMED FRIEND,-I was favoured last fall with thine and other friends answer to mine of 3d month last; the contents of which were extremely satisfactory, and on my part I shall not be wanting to discharge my duty to the utmost of my power; but in my opinion, since the proprietor has several times mentioned that he had proposals made to him for the purchase of a large tract of land on Susquehannah, for which he had an offer of 5000l. sterling, it would be most advisable for him to accept of any such terms, that so he may speedily have the management of his country to himself, by paying the debt there which he has contracted upon it; to which I wish thee and his other good friends would earnestly press him, for in himself I know he is in such cases somewhat too doubtful and backward. "I now design, through the greatest confidence in thy friendship both to him and me, to be very free with thee in an affair that nearly concerns him and this country in general, in which I shall request thee to exercise thy best thoughts, and, according to the result of these heartily to employ the necessary endeavours: the case is briefly as

follows:

proprietary great trouble, for when the council of trade is fully apprized, as by this means they will be, that those counties are entirely disjoined from the province, it is probable they may more strictly inquire into the proprietor's right of government and legislation with the people there: and it is much to be feared that they may advise the queen to dispose of the government of those parts some other way, which would be exceedingly destructive to the interest of the province in general. * *

"Upon the whole, what I have to propose is this, whether it would not be most advisable for the proprietor to consider in time what measures are most fit for him to take for his own and the country's interest, before the blow falls so heavy that it may prove difficult, if at all practicable, for him to ward it off; whether, therefore, it may not be most prudent to part with the government of both province and lower counties together, upon the best terms that can be obtained, before it proves too late for him to procure any. If he should hold the government of the province, nay even of the whole, during his life, he will never gain any thing by it; and, after his decease, it will be lost, or at least be put out of the hands of friends, and perhaps without any previous terms at all, when now he may be capable himself to negotiate a surrender, both to his own particular interest, and greatly to the advantage of the profession; but whenever this is done, he should remember our "This government has consisted of two parts; present lieutenant-governor, who will be a sufferer the province of Pennsylvania, and the three lower (I fear at best) by undertaking the charge; and counties on Delaware. To the first the proprie- if any thing fall of course in the way, I wish he tor has a most clear and undoubted right, both for would not quite forget an old trusty servant of his, soil and government, by the king's letters patent who has been drudging for him these ten years or royal charter; for the latter he has much less (but that is not the business.) This I thought to show; for the soil he has deeds of feofment necessary to advise thee of, considering thee as from the duke of York, but for the government one of his best and heartiest friends, and desire not so much as is necessary. After his first ar- thee to communicate the matter to such others as rival, however, in these parts, he prevailed with may be most serviceable, but by no means expose the people both of the province and those counties this letter, for I would have that kept very private. to join in one government under him, according I have wrote to the same purpose to the proprietato the powers of the king's charter, which never-ry himself very fully, but finding, by long experi theless extended to the province only, and so they ence, how little it avails to write to himself alone continued, not without many fractions, till after of matters relating to his own interest, I now the time of his last departure, when some disaffected persons took advantage of a clause, which he had unhappily inserted in a charter he gave the people, and broke off entirely from those lower counties; since which time we have had two assemblies, that of the province acting by a safe and indisputed power, but that of the other counties without sufficient (I doubt) to justify them. Last fall the assembly of those counties took occasion

choose this method, and give this early notice before the addresses from hence shall come to hand, which, with the addresses already gone from the lower counties, will certainly do our business whether the proprietor will agree to it or not, and therefore best take time while it offers. I shall commit this to thy prudence and discretion, and conclude, thy real loving friend,

"JAMES LOGAN."

HISTORICAL AND POLITICAL,

BEFORE THE REVOLUTION.

ALBANY PAPERS.

Containing, I. Reasons and Motives on which the PLAN OF UNION FOR THE COLONIES was formed; II. Reasons against partial Unions; III. And the Plan of Union drawn by Benjamin Franklin, and unanimously agreed to by the Commissioners from New Hampshire, Massachusett's Bay, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Maryland, and Pennsylvania, met in Congress at Albany, in July 1754, to consider of the best Means of defending the King's Dominions in America, &c., a War being then apprehended; with the Reasons or Motives for each Article of

the Plan.

Benjamin Franklin, was one of the four commissioners from Pennsylvania.†

E

vourite laws, powers, or points, that they think could not at other times be obtained, and so creating disputes and quarrels; one assembly waiting to see what another will do, being afraid of doing more than its share, or desirous of doing less, or refusing to do any thing, because its country is not at present so much exposed as others, or because another will reap more immediate advantage; from one or other of which causes, the assemblies of six (out of seven) colonies applied to, had granted no assistance to Virginia, when lately invaded by the French, though purposely convened, and the importance of the occasion earnestly urged upon them; considering moreover, that one principal encouragement to the

I. Reasons and Motives on which the Plan French, in invading and insulting the British

of Union was formed.

THE Commissioners from a number of the northern colonies being met at Albany, and considering the difficulties that have always attended the most necessary general measures for the common defence, or for the annoyance of the enemy, when they were to be carried through the several particular assemblies of all the colonies; some assemblies being before at variance with their governors or councils, and the several branches of the government not on terms of doing business with each other; others taking the opportunity, when their concurrence is wanted, to push for fa

*This plan was intended for all the colonies. Some of the commissioners not attending, their consent to it was not universally expressed. Governor Pownall says, "He had an opportunity of conversing with, and knowing the sentiments of the commissioners appoint

ed by their respective provinces, to attend this congress,

to which they were called by the crown; of learning from their experience and judgment, the actual state of the American business and interest; and of hearing amongst them, the grounds and reasons of that American union, which they then had under deliberation, and transmitted the plan of to England;" and he adds, in another place, " that the sentiments of our colonies were collected in an authentic manner on this subject in the plan proposed by Dr. Franklin, and unanimously agreed to in congress." See governor Pownall's Administration of the British Colonies. Vol. i. p. 13. Edit. 4. 1774, and vol. ii. 86.

Mr. [since governor] Hutchinson was one of the commissioners for Massachusetts' Bay." "Thomas Pownall, Esq. brother to John Pownall, Esq. one of the secretaries to the board of trade, and afterwards governor of Massachusetts, was upon the spot." History of the British Empire in North America, p. 25.

American dominions, was their knowledge of our disunited state, and of our weakness arising from such want of union; and that from hence different colonies were, at different times, extremely harassed, and put to great expense both of blood and treasure, who would have remained in peace, if the enemy had had cause to fear the drawing on themselves the resentment and power of the whole; the said commissioners, considering also the present encroachments of the French, and the mischievous consequences that may be expected from them, if not opposed with our force, came to an unaniinous resolution,That an union of the colonies is absolutely necessary for their preservation.

The manner of forming and establishing this union was the next point. When it was considered, that the colonies were seldom all in equal danger at the same time, or equally near the danger, or equally sensible of it; that some of them had particular interests to manage, with which an union might interfere; and that they were extremely jealous of each other; it was thought impracticable to obtain a joint agreement of all the colonies to an union, in which the expense and burden of defending any of them should be divided among them all; and if ever acts of assembly in all the colonies could be obtained for that purpose, yet as any colony, on the least dissatisfaction, might repeal its own act and thereby withdraw itself from the union, it 176

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