the quaker colonies-第20部分
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one had ever ridden to it in a wheeled vehicle。 Wagons and carriages were very scarce until after the Revolution。 Carts for occasions of ceremony as well as utility were used before wagons and carriages。 For a hundred and fifty years the horse's back was the best form of conveyance in the deep sand of the trails and roads。 This was true of all southern Jersey。 Pack horses and the backs of Indian and negro slaves were the principal means of transportation on land。 The roads and trails； in fact； were so few and so heavy with sand that water travel was very much developed。 The Indian dugout canoe was adopted and found faster and better than heavy English rowboats。 As the province was almost surrounded by water and was covered with a network of creeks and channels； nearly all the villages and towns were situated on tidewater streams； and the dugout canoe； modified and improved； was for several generations the principal means of communication。 Most of the old roads in New Jersey followed Indian trails。 There was a trail； for example； from the modern Camden opposite Philadelphia； following up Cooper's Creek past Berlin； then called Long…a…coming； crossing the watershed； and then following Great Egg Harbor River to the seashore。 Another trail； long used by the settlers； led from Salem up to Camden； Burlington； and Trenton； going round the heads of streams。 It was afterwards abandoned for the shorter route obtained by bridging the streams nearer their mouths。 This old trail also extended from the neighborhood of Trenton to Perth Amboy near the mouth of the Hudson； and thus； by supplementing the lower routes； made a trail nearly the whole length of the province。
As a Quaker refuge； West Jersey never attained the success of Pennsylvania。 The political disturbances and the continually threatened loss of self…government in both the Jerseys were a serious deterrent to Quakers who； above all else； prized rights which they found far better secured in Pennsylvania。 In 1702； when the two Jerseys were united into one colony under a government appointed by the Crown； those rights were more restricted than ever and all hopes of West Jersey becoming a colony under complete Quaker control were shattered。 Under Governor Cornbury； the English law was adopted and enforced； and the Quakers were disqualified from testifying in court unless they took an oath and were prohibited from serving on juries or holding any office of trust。 Cornbury's judges wore scarlet robes； powdered wigs； cocked hats； gold lace； and side arms； they were conducted to the courthouse by the sheriff's cavalcade and opened court with great parade and ceremony。 Such a spectacle of pomp was sufficient to divert the flow of Quaker immigrants to Pennsylvania； where the government was entirely in Quaker hands and where plain and serious ways gave promise of enduring and unmolested prosperity。
The Quakers had altogether thirty meeting houses in West Jersey and eleven in East Jersey； which probably shows about the proportion of Quaker influence in the two Jerseys。 Many of them have since disappeared； some of the early buildings； to judge from the pictures； were of wood and not particularly pleasing in appearance。 They were makeshifts； usually intended to be replaced by better buildings。 Some substantial brick buildings of excellent architecture have survived； and their plainness and simplicity； combined with excellent proportions and thorough construction； are clearly indicative of Quaker character。 There is a particularly interesting one in Salem with a magnificent old oak beside it； another in the village of Greenwich on the Cohansey farther south； and another at Crosswicks near Trenton。
In West Jersey near Mount Holly was born and lived John Woolman； a Quaker who became eminent throughout the English speaking world for the simplicity and loftiness of his religious thought as well as for his admirable style of expression。 His 〃Journal；〃 once greatly and even extravagantly admired； still finds readers。 〃Get the writings of John Woolman by heart；〃 said Charles Lamb； 〃and love the early Quakers。〃 He was among the Quakers one of the first and perhaps the first really earnest advocate of the abolition of slavery。 The scenes of West Jersey and the writings of Woolman seem to belong together。 Possibly a feeling for the simplicity of those scenes and their life led Walt Whitman； who grew up on Long Island under Quaker influence； to spend his last years at Camden； in West Jersey。 His profound democracy； which was very Quaker…like； was more at home there perhaps than anywhere else。
Chapter IX。 Planters And Traders Of Southern Jersey
Most of the colonies in America； especially the stronger ones； had an aristocratic class； which was often large and powerful； as in the case of Virginia； and which usually centered around the governor； especially if he were appointed from England by the Crown or by a proprietor。 But there was very little of this social distinction in New Jersey。 Her political life had been too much broken up； and she had been too long dependent on the governors of New York to have any of those pretty little aristocracies with bright colored clothes； and coaches and four； flourishing within her boundaries。 There seems to have been a faint suggestion of such social pretensions under Governor Franklin just before the Revolution。 He was beginning to live down the objections to his illegitimate birth and Toryism and by his entertainments and manner of living was creating a social following。 There is said also to have been something a little like the beginning of an aristocracy among the descendants of the Dutch settlers who had ancestral holdings near the Hudson； but this amounted to very little。
Class distinctions were not so strongly marked in New Jersey as in some other colonies。 There grew up in southern Jersey； however； a sort of aristocracy of gentlemen farmers； who owned large tracts of land and lived in not a little style in good houses on the small streams。
The northern part of the province； largely settled and influenced by New Englanders； was like New England a land of vigorous concentrated town life and small farms。 The hilly and mountainous nature of the northern section naturally led to small holdings of land。 But in southern Jersey the level sandy tracts of forest were often taken up in large areas。 In the absence of manufacturing； large acreage naturally became； as in Virginia and Maryland； the only mark of wealth and social distinction。 The great landlord was looked up to by the lesser fry。 The Quaker rule of discountenancing marrying out of meeting tended to keep a large acreage in the family and to make it larger by marriage。 A Quaker of broad acres would seek for his daughter a young man of another landholding Quaker family and would thus join the two estates。
There was a marked difference between East Jersey and West Jersey in county organization。 In West Jersey the people tended to become planters； their farms and plantations somewhat like those of the far South； and the political unit of government was the county。 In East Jersey the town was the starting point and the county marked the boundaries of a collection of towns。 This curious difference； the result of soil； climate； and methods of life； shows itself in other States wherever South and North meet。 Illinois is an example； where the southern part of the State is governed by the county system； and the northern part by the town system。
The lumberman； too； in clearing off the primeval forest and selling the timber； usually dealt in immense acreage。 Some families； it is said； can be traced steadily proceeding southward as they stripped off the forest； and started sawmills and gristmills on the little streams that trickled from the swamps； and like beavers making with their dams those pretty ponds which modern lovers of the picturesque are now so eager to find。 A good deal of the lumbering in the interior pines tract was carried on by persons who leased the premises from owners who lived on plantations along the Delaware or its tributary streams。 These operations began soon after 1700。 Wood roads were cut into the Pines； sawmills were started； and constant use turned some of these wood roads into the highways of modern times。
There was a speculative tinge in the operations of this landed aristocracy。 Like the old tobacco raising aristocracy of Virginia and Maryland； they were inclined to go from tract to tract； skinning what they could from a piece of deforested land and then seeking another virgin tract。 The roughest methods were used； wooden plows； brush harrows； straw collars； grapevine harness； and poor shelter for animals and crops； but were the Virginia methods any better？ In these operations there was apparently a good deal of sudden profit and mushroom prosperity accompanied by a good deal of debt and insolvency。 In this； too； they were like the Virginians and Carolinians。 There seem to have been also a good many slaves in West Jersey； brought； as in the southern colonies； to work on the large estates； and this also； no doubt； helped to foster the aristocratic feeling。
The best days of the Jersey gentlemen farmers came probably when they could no longer move from tract to tract。 They
