father-in-law. But, nevertheless, Penn obtained the restitution of his colony, which for the moment had been withdrawn from him, and returned to Pensylvania. He met the representative assemblies, promising much. They disbelieved and distrusted him, and required further securities. "He gave," says Gordon, "evasive answers,' but offered to leave the nomination of the deputy-governor to themselves. They declined it, and went upon a new charter of privileges." In consequence of this, Penn, after resisting as long as he was able, granted a second charter; and what approbation his conduct, as respects this so granted charter, was supposed to deserve, the people of the province shall declare for themselves. The practical conclusion from all such dissension is, that no subject ought to be intrusted with any of the powers of government.

"Notwithstanding that Mr. Penn is celebrated as the wisest of legislators, the assembly, about the year 1704, unanimously came to nine resolutions, in which they complain with great grief of him, 'for undermining his own foundations, and by a subtle contrivance laid deeper than the capacities of some could fathom, finding a way to lay aside the Act of Settlement, and dissolve his second charter.' He was likewise charged with having extorted from the province great sums of money. They complained also of the abuses of surveyors, the clerks of the courts, and justices of the peace, who, they said, were all put in by the proprietary, so that he became his own judge in his own cause. These and other matters were the heads of a representation, or rather remonstrance, drawn up and sent to Mr. Penn, then in England, in which he is

represented as an oppressor, and as falsifying his word, in almost every respect, with the provincials."*

In this dispute there seemed to be wrong on both sides, but the practical result for my purpose is the same.

While Penn was doing the least mischief, and most good, that a proprietary ruler could effect, James, Duke of York, his friend and patron, carried confusion, and distress, and trouble into every colony he could possibly meddle with. With him and his grasping avarice, and cruel bigotry, my purpose does not lead me to deal. The vices and errors which he evinced we need not fear: from the experience of his failures, therefore, we cannot derive any instruction. Direct, open, barefaced tyranny, like his, will not be in our times attempted. The danger which besets us takes the shape of mischievous meddling

-a pretended beneficence, but real mischief-a pursuit of gain under the guise of philanthropy and patriotism. Colonizing and other societies, pretending pious and charitable aims, and extraordinary sympathy with suffering humanity-this is the shape the evil genius of colonization assumes in our days, and is unfortunately but too successful in duping the ignorant and unwary. The scheme is usually carefully devised, and artfully conducted. The projector of some such scheme, while enunciating to all the separate instruments he intends eventually to employ, the peculiar benefit each is to derive from his proposal, invariably begins with the capitalist who must set them all in motion, and whispers in his ear, that this admirable project is sure to be a

* Gordon, History of American Revolution, vol. i. p. 91.

safe and profitable mode of investment for his unemployed thousands. The wily projector then proceeds to whiten his nose by pouring into the enchanted ear of some amiably ambitious prelate winning descriptions of rising churches, and multiplied parishes, and troops of ordained clergymen, and young hierophants seeking ordination. From the lordly diocesan he next turns to Sir Thomas Leatherbreeches, the squire, and explains how, by selected couples taken from his troublesome parish, he can keep down the powers of increase, and check alike population and the rates. To the gentlemen of small fortune and a large family he is touchingly eloquent on the subject of the uneasy classes. In the fairy lands which lie so far away, young would-be husbands line the shores, and breathe soft sighs to the advancing bark which brings them wives, and perhaps a cargo of assorted goods. The girls whom he sees fading and cheerless, and wan and miserable, he fills with ecstasy, by vivid pictures of this new paradise for marriageable maidens; while the youths of the house are lured by histories of solid fortunes made with "ease and alternate labour," by gay scenes of exciting sport, diversified and relieved by just so much of highly profitable business as is needed to make a man happy and rich. To the unemployed engineer he talks of surveys without end, and canals, and bridges, and railroads, and mines. The over-stocked profession of the law, in both its branches, is not safe from the witchery of his delusions: judges are needed in new colonies, and every young barrister soon rises to wealth and power. And disease will come into fairy-land, but only just enough

to make it the happy home of the young doctor and his too teeming wife. The clever artisan is quickly made to understand that these are the very circumstances which confer importance and dignity on the man of real knowledge. In these happy lands men take their rank by their usefulness and true science; and who possesses that in a degree to compete with the skilful artisan? At last, the poor ignorant, hard-handed, ill-fed working man is touched by tales of unceasing beer, and illimitable cheese, and beef and mutton at discretion, and five shillings a day, and a master hat in hand. This series of enticements skilfully, and by the great conjuror, is prepared to lay the ground for a scheme of shares, in which premiums, and discounts, and fluctuations, and fabulous wealth, and crowds rushing to be shareholders, are all made to perform their part, and the public are pleased, the projector succeeds—and all the misery that follows-who knows it-who cares about it? The game has been played, and the miserable dupes are disregarded and forgotten.

This game, fraught with severe disappointment to thousands, and the cause of great suffering and loss, as well as disappointment, was several times enacted during the colonization of America. Exactly the same lures were held out as we have witnessed of late years, and the very plans which were then tried and failed, are again attempted. We have seen nothing like the great Carolina scheme of Empire, with its caciques and landgraves, and other orders of nobility; but we have before our eyes every day deceptive promises of great wealth easily attained, pious professions, such as were pretended

by the vicious courtiers of Charles II., and vain devices for the relief of great distress. But we may be assured, that under the most favourable circumstances, they who plant a colony have much severe labour to undergo, great privations and suffering to encounter. By labour and patience, courage, prudence, and skill, a comfortable home, and cheerful prospects, may be attained. In this there is no romance; but here we see the hard realities, from which we cannot escape, by going to a new colony, no matter how beautiful the climate, how fertile the soil, how wise the government of that colony may be. That a great difference results from the mode in which the colony is managed is certain; but the really important result which ever recurs upon inquiry into the history of every colony is, that from the management of the concerns of the colony, the colony cannot be relieved; and that all who, under any pretence, propose to do this for a colony, mislead the people who go out as colonists, as well as those who expend their money to send them there. A joint-stock company which makes the attempt will fail, and will do mischief; and so will all separate projectors who seek to form a proprietary government. The whole history of American colonization proves this assertion, if we begin with Raleigh, and end with Oglethorpe. The last of these was almost a man of our days; our grandfathers certainly might have seen him. He was sincerely benevolent, and active, as well as wellintentioned. He wished to make his good wishes effective, and, like all who had preceded him in the planting of colonies, he failed, because he undertook to do for the colonists what they could do best for themselves.