Governor Evans, been severely reprimanded, and giving promise of future good behavior, was dismissed with the jeers of the captors. After this spirited action the fort no longer impeded the navigation of the Delaware.1 On the 27th of June, 1707, the Governor in company of several friends and servants set out on a journey to the Indians, occasioned by a message from the Conestogo and other Indians upon the Nantikokes' designed journey to the five nations. He visited in turn the following places: Pcquehan on the Pequea, Dekonoagah on the Susquehanna, about nine miles distant from Pequehan, Conestogoe and Peixtan, had friendly intercourse with them and seized one Nicole, a French Indian trader, against whom heavy complaints had been made. His capture was attended with difficulties, but he was finally secured and mounted upon a horse with his legs tied under the belly! From the articles of remonstrance, addressed to the proprietary by the Assembly, mentioned below, it seems, however, that the Governor's conduct among the Indians was not free from censure, it being described as "abominable and unwarrantable." The unhappy misunderstanding between the Governor and his Secretary Logan on the one hand, and the Assembly on the other, almost paralyzed legislative action and led to the most lamentable exhibition of ill temper on the part of the Assembly, which first produced articles of impeachment against Logan, and afterwards, determined to have Evans removed, a remonstrance against both addressed to William Penn. The language of that instrument was intemperate, many of its charges exaggerated, and some unfounded. "This remonstrance was not only unjust, but also unwise and inconsiderate; for it tended to produce the very steps which they were desirous to guard against; by provoking the Governor to relinquish a troublesome and ungrateful province to the crown of England, which had long wished to repossess it." In the beginning of this year, 1709, Governor Evans was removed and Charles Gookin appointed his successor. Gookin was a native of Ireland and somewhat advanced in years. He had been formerly in the army nd was, in the language of Penn, a man of pure morals, mild temper and moderate disposition. When he arrived, the legislature was in session. The Assembly, instead of waiting for the propositions of the Governor, hastened to present to him a statement of grievances in which they repeated the weightiest of their complaints against his predecessor, and demanded immediate satisfaction. In vain Gookin endeavored to convince them that he had no right to sit in judgment over the acts of his predecessor. These beginnings were not promising. Lloyd was almost ways at the head of the Assembly and Logan had as much influence on 1 Proud. Gordon. 4 Ebling. 2 Col. Rec. II.—393. 3 Col. Rec. II.-390. Gookin as on his predecessor. The spirit of discontent which reigned in the Assembly probably originated in the embarrassment of Penn, whose means were now greatly curtailed by his generosity towards his province and the cause of the Quakers. Already in 1707 he was involved in a heavy lawsuit with the executors of his former steward, who preferred large claims against him, the injustice of which he could not sufficiently prove, since even the Court of Chancery could not liberate him from imprisonment until he had satisfied the complainants. The income of his European estate was inadequate to pay his other debts and he had to borrow £6600 sterling, for which he mortgaged his province. The knowledge of his situation may have prompted the Assembly to extort more privileges from him and to limit his prerogative. On the other hand, necessity compelled him to be attentive to the collection of his revenue from the province and to increase it as much as possible. This conduct of the Assembly, however, contributed not a little to disgust him with the whole undertaking. Repeatedly urged to restore the province to the crown, but long struggling against the abandonment of the brilliant hopes he had cherished to found a religious nation and a model of true freedom, his growing necessities and the constant opposition of the legislature of Pennsylvania finally compelled him to take that step. Several circumstances which occurred during the administration of Gookin, contributed to produce this resolution. The Queen required the aid of the province towards the conquest of Canada, in which the New England colonies assisted her with zeal. Pennsylvania was required to furnish and support 150 men at an estimated expense of £4000. The Assembly voted a free gift to the queen of £800. To this was added the Governor's salary of £200, which, however, they would not allow until he should have passed the bills presented to him and redressed their grievances, which bore chiefly on the retention of Logan. The latter being about to visit England on the proprietary's business, at the next sitting of the Assembly, demanded a trial, instead of granting which the Assembly ordered the sheriff to take him into custody; the Governor prevented his arrest by issuing a supersedeas. This put the Assembly quite out of temper and arrested all business besides the entering on their minutes of a protest against the Governor's illegal and arbitrary measures. Logan went to London, fully justified his conduct, and returned to the province confirmed in his office and enjoying more than ever the favor of the governinent. Penn addressed a touching letter to the Assembly, in which he detailed and described their unjust and illegal pretensions, taxed them with ingratitude, took the part of Logan, and finally informed them that, if they should persist in their opposition to his government, he must seriously 2 Ebeling. Gordon. 1 Ebeling. consider what he should do with regard to his province and his determination should be governed by the conduct of the future Assembly. This letter effected an instantaneous change in the minds of the people; a new Assembly was chosen [1710;] harmony of action ensued between this Assembly and Gookin; they completed by their laws the organization of the courts of justice, and voted to the Queen the sum of £2000, although they were well informed of her determination to go to war with France. In the month of June, 1711, the Governor visited Conestogo and as the inutes of his journey exhibit the first official account of actual settlers in Lancaster County, they are given in full: AT CONESTOGO, June 18, 1711. PRESENT: The Hon. Charles Gookin, Esq., Lieut. Governor, and Joseph Growdon, Richard Hill, Griffith Owen, Caleb Pusey, Esqs. A present of 50 pounds of powder, 1 piece of Stroudwater, 1 piece of Duffils, 100 pounds of shot-being laid upon the floor, the Governor, by Indian Harry, the Interpreter, thus spoke: "Governor Penn, upon all occasions, is willing to show how great a regard he bears to you; he therefore has sent this small present (a forerunner of a greater one to come next spring) to you, and hath required me to acquaint you that he is about to settle some people upon the branches of the Potomac, and doubts not but the same mutual friendhip which has all along as brothers passed betwixt the inhabitants of this Government and you, will also continue betwixt you and those he is about to settle; he intends to present five belts of wampum to the Five Nations, and one to you of Conestogo, and requires your friendship to the Palatines, settled near Pequae." To which they answer: That they are extremely well pleased with the Governor's speech; but s they are at present in war with the Toscororoes and other Indians, they think that place not safe for any Christians, and are afraid if any damage should happen to these, the blame may be laid upon them, that settlement being situated betwixt them and those at war with them. As the Palatines, they are, in their opinion, safely seated, but earnestly desire that the death of Le Tore may be now adjusted, for that they shall not think themselves safe till it is. JULY 18TH, Tuesday about twelve. The Senoquois and Shawnois met the Governor and Council. Opessalı, chief of the Shawnois, by Martin Chartier, interpreter, thus spoke: "Were it possible for us by presents, or any other way, to atone for The lives of those men our young people unadvisedly slew, we would be artly willing to make satisfaction, and such a condescension would forever be gratefully remembered and more eagerly engage us, and for the future render us more careful. The uneasiness we had on that ac count was such that we could not sleep until the last time the Governor and his people were up here, and which time we had some hopes givu us of adjusting the matter, since the murderers are all dead, save one. who is gone to Messassippi." To which the Governor answered: That the laws of England were such that whosoever killed a must run the same fate; yet considering the previous circumstances that murder, the length of the time since the account, the distance of place where acted from the Government, and before my coming her and the persons all, save one, who is absconded since, are dead, I ar willing to forbear further prosecution on enquiring into it, but with caution you if any such thing hereafter falls out, you may be assured shall as well know how to do justice, as I have now showed you mercy For which they return the Governor their hearty thanks, and Opess assures that if hereafter any such thing should happen, he himself work be exccutioner, and burn them that should dare do it. The Senequois acquaint: "That Opessah being thereto solicited by John Hans Steelinan, had se out some of his people, either to bring back or kill Francis De Le To: and his company. Opessah, he affirms, was entirely innocent, for tha John Hans came to his cabin, where he and his young people (who wer there going a hunting,) were in council, told him that some of his slave and dogs (meaning Le Tore and company) were fled, therefore desires him forthwith to send some of his people to bring them back or ki them, and take goods for their trouble, at which motive Opessah beir. surprised, told him that he ought, by no means, to discourse after th manner before young people who were going to the woods, and might by accident, meet those people, and therefore ordered him to desist, ut ly denying his request.” The Senoquois also acquainted the Governor that Le Tore had take a boy from them, and had sold him at New York, and requested th Governor would enquire after him, that he might hear from him again "The expedition to Canada proved most disastrous. Colonel Nicho son, under whom served Colonels Schuyler, Whiting, and Ingoldsby, mu tered at Albany two thousand colonists, one thousand Germans, from th palatinate, and one thousand of the Five Nation Indians, who commence their march towards Canada on the twenty-eighth of August. The troo from Boston, composed of seven veteran regiments, of the duke of Mar borough's army, one battallion of marines, and two provincial regiment amounting to six thousand four hundred men, sailed on board of sat eight vessels, the thirtieth of July, and arrived off the St. Lawrence the fourteenth of August. In ascending the river, the fleet, by the w 1 Gordon. skilfulness of the pilots, or the obstinacy and distrust of the Admiral, was tangled amid rocks and islands on the northern shore, and ran immiLent hazard of total destruction. Several transports, and near a thou l men perished. Upon this disaster the remainder bore away for Cape Breton, and the expedition, by the advice of a council of naval and military officers, was abandoned on the ground of the want of provisions, And the impossibility of procuring a seasonable supply. The admiral sailed directly for England, and the colonists returned to Boston, whilst Colonel Nicholson, thus deserted, was compelled to retreat from Fort George. The want of skill, fortitude, and perseverance are eminently Conspicuous in the British commanders of this enterprise." In 1712, William Penn entered into an agreement with the Queen to rede to her the province of Pennsylvania and the Lower Counties for the sum of £12,000 sterling. But before the legal forms were completed an popletic stroke prostrated his vigorous mind and reduced him to the Prebleness of infancy.1 Queen Anne died on the first of August, 1714, and was succeeded by George the First. Governor Gookin [1716] arrayed against himself all the Quaker interest in the province in consequence of construing a provision in the statute of 7 and 8 William III., "that no Quaker, by virtue thereof, could be qualified or permitted to give evidence in any criminal case, or serve on uries, or hold any place or office of profit in the Government." This t had been made perpetual in Great Britain, and was extended to the Colonies for five years by an act of Parliament of 1 George I. In the pinion of Gookin, the extension of this act to the provinces repealed the provincial law and disqualified the Quakers from giving testimony in eriminal cases, from sitting on juries, and from holding any office. Notwithstanding the desertion of his Council and the remonstrances of the Assembly, Gookin tenaciously adhered to his construction of the statute. His good genius had now entirely abandoned him, for he now charged Richard Hill, speaker of the Assembly, Isaac Norris and James Logan ..th disloyalty to the King and devotion to the pretender. These allegations were utterly unfounded and the Assembly, whither the parties harged had carried their complaint, completely exonerated them, [1717.] Expostulation with Gookin having proved vain, his Council unanimously oned in an address to William Penn, praying his recall. He met the Assembly for the last time in March, 1717, and extorted from their comassion the sum of two hundred pounds, a valedictory donation.1 Sir William Keith, on the first of May, 1717, superseded Governor Gookin. kin. He was the son of Sir William Keith of the North of Scotland, i held for some time the office of the King's surveyor of the customs 2 Logan MSS. 1 Gordon. |