people being destroyed a few days ago within a mile of one of their forts." He also objects to the lack of respect in the tone of the Assembly's addresses to the Governor. "It is altogether imputed to B. Franklin, their principal penman, who I have sometimes thought intended to render the Assembly contemptible, and subject our religious Society to the imputation of want of respect for authority, as a factious sort of people; and I fear he has gained his point."

It is the injustice to the Indians to which the trouble is to be attributed. "The five Indian nations who conquered the Delawares sold some part of the ancient inheritance of these last to the Proprietors, some few years since, alleging the right of sale to be in them as conquerors, and the goods were divided amongst the five nations principally, to the discontent of the Delawares, who still judge themselves justly entitled to some equivalent for their land, which either the inattention of the Proprietors or their want of information induced them to disregard; and it is pretty much in this land, and land fraudulently obtained, that the barbarities are committed."

"The consternation in which this Province hath been thrown by the Indians is not diminished. The Assembly have sold their testimony as Friends to the people's fears, and not gone far

enough to satisfy them. The Indians have complained without redress, and are now up in arms and have destroyed many people.

The ancient methods of dealing with the Indians upon principles of equity and justice seem neglected, the spirit of war and destruction endeavoring to break loose, in order to reduce this pleasant populous Province to its ancient wilderness condition."

"4th month 9th, 1756.-Had some labor amongst Friends to endeavor to prevent a cruel Indian war; and had also a conference with the present and late Governor along with J. P. (John Pemberton) upon the present position of affairs; they received us with candor, but our labor was ineffectual, for on the 10th, a day to be remembered through many generations with sorrow, the Governor agreed to proclaim war against the Delawares, and delivered the hatchet into the hands of some of the Indians."

As the address of twenty Friends to the Assembly had predicted, a large number refused to pay the war tax of 1755. Others were quite willing to do so. The differences were evidently acute. "The Assembly here have passed a law imposing a tax upon the inhabitants of this Province; and as a great part of the money is to be laid out for military purposes many solid Friends

can not pay it, which is likely to bring such a breach and division as never happened among us since we were a people."

The Friends who refused to pay the tax thought it peculiarly hard that they were forced to suffer heavy losses through the action of their fellow-members of the Assembly. These Assemblymen and their friends pointed out on the other hand that these taxes had been paid in the past, and that it was ultra-conscientiousness which prevented the willing support of the government in this hour of peril. The question was a difficult one. Quakers had hitherto refused a direct war tax and paid everything else, even when war expenditures were mingled with others. The stricter Friends considered that this tax, though disguised, was of the objectionable sort, while others did not so place it. The difference accentuated itself by condemnatory criticisms, and in 1757 the Yearly Meeting appointed a committee of thirty, who reported that it was a matter for individual consciences to determine, and not for the Meeting's decision.

“We are unanimously of the judgment that it is not proper to enter into a public discussion of the matter; and we are one in judgment that it is highly necessary for the Yearly Meeting to recommend that Friends everywhere endeavor

to have their minds covered with frequent charity towards one another." The Meeting unanimously adopted this report. This appeal seems to have been successful, and we hear no more of the difference.*

The situation is explained in two letters from James Pemberton to Samuel Fothergill, one dated 11th mo. 1756, the other 1st mo. 1757:

Our situation is indeed such as affords cause of melancholy reflection that the first commencement of perse. cution in this Province should arise from our brethren in profession, and that such darkness should prevail as that they should be instruments of oppressing tender consciences which hath been the case. The tax in this county being pretty generally collected and many in this city particularly suffered by distraint of their goods and some being near cast into jail.

The number of us who could not be free to pay the tax is small compared with those who not only comply with it but censure those who do not.

Notwithstanding the feeling against the Proprietors, the Yearly Meeting insists on their having their just dues promptly. "It should be earnestly recommended to the several Quarterly and Monthly Meetings to use their utmost endeavors to excite the several members of their

*Further information on this matter will be found in John Woolman's Journal, Whittier's edition, pages 124, et seq.