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the moravians in georgia(莫罗维恩在乔治亚)-第32章

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prepared for defence。On the 20th; officers went through the town; taking 

the   names   of   all   who   could   bear   arms;   freeholders   and   servants   alike。 

Three   of   them   came   to   the   Moravian   house   and   requested   names   from 

Toeltschig。 He answered 〃there was no one among them who could bear 



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arms;     and   he   would     get  no   names     from    them。〃They      said;   〃it  was 

remarkable that in a house full of strong men none could bear arms;  he 

should   hurry  and   give them  the   names;   they  could   not   wait。〃 Toeltschig 

answered; 〃if they wanted to go no one would stop them; there would be 

no names given。〃They threatened to tell Mr。 Causton; Toeltschig approved; 

and said he would do the same; and they angrily left the house。 

     Ingham accompanied Toeltschig to Mr。 Causton; who at once began to 

argue the matter; and a spirited debate ensued; of which the following is a 

resume。 

     Causton。〃Everybody must go to the war and fight for his own safety; 

and   if   you   will   not   join   the   army  the   townspeople   will   burn   down   your 

house; and will kill you all。〃 

     Toeltschig。〃That may happen; but we can not help it; it is against our 

conscience to fight。〃 

     Causton。〃If you do not mean to fight you had better go and hide in the 

woods; out of sight of the people; or it will be the worse for you; and you 

had better go before the enemy comes; for then it will be too late to escape; 

the townspeople will certainly kill you。〃 

     Toeltschig。〃You   forget   that   Gen。   Oglethorpe   promised   us   exemption 

from military service; and we claim the liberty he pledged。〃 

     Causton。〃If   the   Count;   and   the   Trustees   and   the   King   himself   had 

agreed on that in London it would count for nothing here; if war comes it 

will be FIGHT OR DIE。If I were an officer on a march and met people 

who would not join me; I would shoot them with my own hand; and you 

can expect no other treatment from the officers here。〃 

     Toeltschig。〃We are all servants; and can not legally be impressed。〃 

     Causton。〃If the Count himself were here he would have to take his gun 

on   his   shoulder;   and   all   his   servants   with   him。   If   he   were   living   on   his 

estate    at  Old   Fort  it  would    make    no   difference;   for   the  order   of  the 

Magistrates must be obeyed。If the English; to whom the country belongs 

must fight; shall others go free?〃 

     Toeltschig finally yielded so far as to tell him the number of men in 

their company; 〃it could do no harm for we could be counted any day;〃 but 

their names were resolutely withheld; and service firmly refused。 



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     Then   the   townspeople   took        up   the   cry。Should     they   fight   for   these 

strangers who would not do their share toward defending the land? They 

would mob and kill them first!They only injured the colony at any rate; for 

they worked so cheaply that they lowered the scale of wages; and besides 

they received money from many people; for their services; but spent none 

because they made everything they needed for themselves! 

     Still the Moravians stood firm in their position; indeed they could do 

nothing       else   without      stultifying     themselves。The         instructions     from 

Zinzendorf and the leaders of the Church at Herrnhut; with the approval of 

the lot;  were definite;    they  should take  no   part in   military  affairs;   but 

might pay any fines incurred by refusal。 To Oglethorpe and to the Trustees 

they    had    explained     their   scruples;    making     freedom     of   conscience      an 

essential consideration of their settling in Georgia; and from them they had 

received   assurances   that   only   freeholders   were   liable   to   military   duty。 

Therefore they had claimed no land as individuals; but had been content to 

live;   and   labor;   and   be   called   〃servants〃;   paying   each   week   for   men   to 

serve in   the night   watch; in place of the   absent owners   of the   two   town 

lots。In Savannah their views were well known; and to yield to orders from 

a   Magistrate;   who   openly   declared   that   promises   made   by   the   Trustees; 

who had put him in office; were not worth regarding; and who threatened 

them with mob violence; would have been to brand themselves as cowards; 

unworthy members of a Church which had outlived such dire persecution 

as that which overthrew the ancient Unitas Fratrum; and recreant to their 

own   early   faith;   which   had   led   them   to   abandon   homes   and   kindred   in 

Moravia; and seek liberty of conscience in another kingdom。That Georgia 

needed armed men to protect her from the Spaniards was true; but equally 

so   she   needed   quiet   courage;   steady   industry;   strict   honesty;   and   pious 

lives to develop her resources; keep peace with her Indian neighbors; and 

win   the   respect   of   the   world;   but   these   traits   were   hardly   recognized   as 

coin   current   by   the   frightened;   jealous   men   who   clamored   against   the 

Moravians。 

     On the 28th; it was demanded that the Moravians help haul wood to 

the   fort   which   was   being   built。They   replied   that   their   wagon   and   oxen 

were   at   the   officers'   service   without   hire;   and   that   they   would   feed   the 



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animals; but personally they could take no share in the work。 This angered 

the   people   again;   and   several   of   the   members   began   to   wonder   whether 

they might perhaps comply so far as to assist; as a matter of friendship; in 

hewing   logs   for   the   fort;   refusing   the   wages   paid   to   others。The   lot   was 

tried; and absolutely forbade it; which was well; for it developed that the 

people were watching for their answer; having agreed that if they helped 

on the fort it would be a proof that they COULD do what they chose; and 

were simply hiding behind an excuse in refusing to fight。 

     But    the   tension    was    not   relaxed;    and   on   the   2nd    of  March;     the 

Moravians met to decide on their further course。 Should they keep quiet; 

and wait for times to change; or should they go away? It was referred to 

the   lot;   and   the   paper   drawn   read   〃GO   OUT   FROM AMONG   THEM。〃 

This   meant      not   merely   from   the    city;  but   from   the   province;     for  Mr。 

Causton       had    told   them     that   they    would     be    subject    to   the   same 

requirements if they were living in the adjoining country。 

     On the strength of this they wrote a letter to Mr。 Causton; rehearsing 

their    motives     in   coming     to   Georgia;     and   the   promises      made     them; 

reiterating   their   claim   for   liberty   of   conscience;   and   concluding;   〃But   if 

this   can   not   be   allowed   us;  if   our   remaining   here   be   burdensome   to   the 

people;   as   we   already   perceive   it   begins   to   be;   we   are   willing;   with   the 

approbation of the Magistrate; to remove from this place; by this   means 

any tumult that might ensue on our account will be avoided; and occasion 

of offense cut off from those who now reproach us that they are obliged to 

fight for us。〃 

     When   it   came   to   this   point   Mr。  Causton   found   himself  by  no   means 

anxious to drive away some thirty of his best settlers; who stood well with 

Oglethorpe and the Trustees; and had given him all their trade for supplies; 

so he began to temporize。〃They trusted in God; and he really did not think 

their house would be burned over their heads。〃 Toeltschig said that was the 

least part of it; they had come for freedom; and now attempts were made 

to force them to act contrary to the dictates of their consciences。Then he 

declared that he had no power in the matter of their leaving; that must be 

settled between the Count; the Trustees; and themselves; but he could not 

permit them to go until he received an order from the Trustees。Meanwhile 



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he would do what he could to quiet the people's dissatisfaction with them。 

     As their debt to the Trustees was not yet fully paid; Causton's refusal 

bound them  in Savannah   for the time being;  according to   their bond; so 

they had to turn elsewhere for help。 Early in February; they h
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