Democracy anb IReltgton.

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Modem democracy was born in 1683 in Phila-delphia, the city of brotherly love, in that spaciousand fertile region which the King of England hadmade over to William Penn in repayment of anold debt. In Pennsylvania democracy attainedboth actuality and success. Penn with his" holy experiment " was, as Fiske put it, thegreatest state founder in the New World, andeighteenth century Pennsylvania was the mostflourishing of English colonies.

The cause of William Penn 's success lay in thefact that he brought in his wake a rather unitedbody of immigrants, representing a high level ofspiritual life, people for whom democracy hadgrown to be a religious experience. Among themthe German contingent was so numerous that thequestion was raised whether English or German should be the recognised language of the State.At any rate the " Pennsylvania Dutch " (" Dutch "was still the current word for German ) contributedan important element to the soul of America ; they are in fact in this regard much more importantthan the millions of Germans who were to followthem. 1

What were the fundamental principles uponwhich Penn erected his State ?

(1) In the forefront stood the principle ofNo Compulsion, that is, freedom to the widestpossible limits. Thus Pennsylvania knew no

1 A. B. Faust, Das Deutschtum in den Vereinigten Staaten in seiner Bedeutung fur die amerikanische Kultur, Leipzig,1912. W. Hubben, Die Quaker in der deutschen Vergangen-heit, Leipzig, Qu&kerverlag, 1929, p. 100.

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