Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
(unpublished)
Wioming, 25 Feb. 1786.
May it please your Excellency,
On your Election to the elevated office of President, to the Supreme
Executive Council of this Common Wealth, every soul here acquainted with your
Excellencies Character and capable of sentiment and reflection exulted on the
joyous occasion from a conception that something favorable to this settlement
might yet be hoped through the instrumentality of such a known friend to the
sacred rights of mankind, whose election wrought in our imaginations the
affectionate epithet of a political Father, who would impartially consider and
weigh the opposite claims of his Children dispensing his smiles or his frowns,
according to their adherence, or nonadherence to those pure original Laws
which can neither be superceded nor abrogated by human Tribunals.
In the character of a Father then would we address your Excellency and
complain of our grievances, we know your attention has for many years been
occupied with greater and more national concerns which renders it possible, if
not probable that you may not be duely apprized of our many and complicated
sufferings.
The dispute which has for a number of years subsisted betwixt this State and
that of Connecticut respecting territory, the arguments which have been urged on
both sides of the question, and the decree of Trenton are matters well known to
your Excellency; we would humbly crave your attention therefore only to such
facts as you may not have been duly apprized of, which have rendered our
situation nearly wretched and desperate.
We have no hopes from the avaricious land schemers of this State, who have
been seeking to sheath the sword in our bosoms, and have stripped us nearly of
our all, and whom we have reason to think wish our utter extirpation through
whose insinuations the Legislature have been made to believe that we are a
People who desire no Law and deserve little Mercy.
Our anarchal and local situation have indeed brought hither from the
different States some licentious Characters by which we have been denominated
a bad People by our enemies, who have had the advantage of us in
Representation, and exparte hearings before Council and Assembly, and who
wish to mislead to our prejudice those Honorable Bodies as well as the good
people of this State at large.
This true that the most unexceptionable Characters amongst us influenced
by the Law of selfpreservation have fought in defence of their lives, their
Families and their all when attacked by merciless Assailants—such defence has
been judg’d highly criminal by those who judg’d the actions of others good or
bad as they feed or oppose their own avarice—with such Characters revenge
stands for justice; accordingly we find that the most innocent Persons among us
who have occasion to travel through the State if they have been defensive actors
must be loaded with vexatious suits under pretence of Debt or Criminality but
for no other purpose than to add a pecuniary distress to the already distressed.
Could we free from such vexatious but expensive prosecutions send an
Agent who could be honour’d with an interview with your Excellency we could
be able to exhibit such incontestible facts relative to our sufferings both from the
landjobbers and a former Assembly (influenced by them,) as your Excellency
would hardly imagine and could your Excellency in some way furnish a
protection for such an Agent, we shall duly acknowledge the Favour, and readily
embrace the opportunity, and we would hope by the means to furnish your
Excellency with such kind of knowledge as may through your wise and paternal
influence terminate in a just and amicable settlement of these unhappy and
ruinous disputes.
We would beg leave to mention to your Excellency that we have noticed a
late Act of Assembly Entitled “An Act for quieting the disturbances at Wioming,
&c.,” but how far it respects us we are unable fully to determine. We send a
Petition to the Hon’ble Assembly accompanied with this, praying for an
explanation, &c.
We wish to have an existence in the world above that of Slaves or beggars,
and we ardently wish as good Citizens to injoy the blessings of the glorious
Constitution of this State, and to have the Laws operate among us and
administered on Constitutional principles, as these are the ideas, may it please
your Excellency, we have ever express’d in our Addresses, Petitions and
Remonstrances to the Honble Council and General Assembly since the Decree of
Trenton, conformable to which has been the general tenor of our conduct
however misconstrued by our Enemies.
We submit to your Excellency the propriety of the above requests.
Our best wishes attend your Excellency in all your important trusts—may no
faction in the State over which you Preside disturb your tranquility at the eve of
life, which we hope will be crowned with every reward which a long and most
useful life has merited. We are, may it please your Excellency, with due esteem
and respect your Excellencies Most obedient Humble Servants,
John Franklin,
Wm. Hooker
Smith,
Jno.
Jenkins.
in behalf of the
People.
His Excellency, Benjamin Franklin.
Endorsed: Letter from the Wyoming people to Council.
To John Franklin, William Hooker Smith, and John Jenkins (unpublished)
Philad June 11. 1786
Gentlemen,
I received in its time your Letter of the 25th of February last, written in
behalf of the People settled at Wyoming, and requesting a Protection of
Government for an Agent who might be sent hither, to explain your Grievances,
&c. The Request appear’d to us to be reasonable, and such a Protection would
have been immediately sent, but that we were told the Gentleman who brought
your Letter Captain being in Town, and well acquainted with your Affairs, the
giving him a Hearing might possibly answer your purpose as well, and spare you
the Expence and Trouble of sending a special Agent. He was accordingly heard
before the Council, and had an Opportunity of conversing separately with
several of the Members as well as with the Members of Assembly, and gave so
clear and so affecting an Account of the Situation of your People, their present
Disposition, and former Sufferings, as enclin’d the Government in general to
show them every kind of reasonable Favour. The Assembly accordingly took the
necessary previous Steps for a Compliance with your Request respecting a
separate County which will probably be compleated at their next Session. But as
there may be other Matters necessary to be consider’d and discuss’d, in order to
establish solid and lasting Quiet, the Council have since judged that it might still
be useful if your first Proposal of sending an Agent hither were agreed to, and if
one or more, chosen and appointed by the People should accordingly be here
about the Beginning of the Session, which was fixt for the 22d of August next.
You may therefore now acquaint the Settlers, that upon Information of such
Appointment, a Passport or Safe Conduct under the great Seal, for the Person or
Persons so appointed shall be sent to you, giving him or them perfect Security in
coming, residing here, and returning, from all Arrests on Suits of any kind, and
full Freedom and Protection from every Hindrance, Restraint or Molestation
whatsoever.
Be assured, Gentlemen, that it will be a great Pleasure to the whole Council,
as well as to myself in particular, if we can be instrumental by just and reasonable
Measures, in promoting the Happiness of so great a Body of our People as the
Settlers at Wyoming consist of. I am, Gentlemen, Your Friend and humble
Servant.
B F.
In Council
Messrs John Franklin Wm Hooker Smith and John Jenkins
Endorsed: 1786 June 11th To Messieurs John Franklin William Hooker Smith and
John Jenkins at Wioming Entered.
To John Franklin, J. Jenkins, et al. (unpublished)
Gentlemen
Your Letter of the tenth Instant praying a protection from Government to
You persons while Coming to this City and Remaining here in waiting upon the
Legislature as Agents for the settlers at Wioming has Been Received and the
protection You desire, Granted, as far as Our Authority can extend.
Tis Not improper however to observe, that this will Apply only in Instances
of Criminal Proscecutions, processes for Debt Cannot be suspended or an Any
Manner interfered with.
Given in Council under the hand of his Excellency Benjamin Franklin Esqr
President, and the seal of the state at philadelphia this twenty first Day of August
in the Year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty six and of the
Commonwealth the Eleventh
Benjn Franklin
Attest John Armstrong Jr.
To John Franklin John Jenkins, or Other the Agents of the settlers at Wyoming
From John Franklin and John Jenkins (unpublished)
Philadelphia Sept. 4th 1786
Sir
We have the honour to Inform your Excellency and the Honble Council that
your letter of the 21st of August last, under the hand of your Excellency and Seal
of the State, granting Protection to the Agents for the Setlers of Wyoming, We
Receivd. Pursuant thereto we arrived at this City last evening for the purpose of
Representing the Said setlers in Council and Assembly according to our
appointment and Agency.
We shall feel ourselves happy to have a hearing in Answer to any Crimes
alledgd against the People, we have the honour to Represent. And to lay such
matters before the Honble Council or Assembly as shall be agreeable to the
Instructions given us by our Constituents, and productive of the general good of
the whole, at such times as an oppertunity shall offer, consistent with Decency,
rule, and good order. We are may it please your Excellency, your most Obedient
and humble Servants
John
Franklin
John
Jenkins
His Excellency Benjamin Franklin Presdt.
Addressed: His Excellency Benjamin Franklin / President in Council /
Philadelphia
Endorsed: 1786 Septr. 4th From John Franklin and John Jenkins Agents for the
setlers at Wioming hond by Mr Elliott