Thus  it  is  observed  that,  while  the  founders  of  this

*  These  tests  affected  the  franchise  of  the  Quakers  more  seriously  than
any  other  sect  or  class.  Not  only  did  they  refuse  to  make  oath  by  reason
of  religious  scruple,  but  many  of  them — a  great  majority  in  fact — were
Tories  pure  and  simple ;  and  therefore,  though  the  Supreme  Executive
Council  was  willing  to  accommodate  them  by  accepting  a  "  solemn  affirma-
tion "  instead  of  the  hated  oath,  they  refused  even  that.  When  Sir  Henry
Clinton  evacuated  Philadelphia  with  the  British  forces  in  1778  over  three
thousand  of  the  inhabitants  went  with  him  to  New  York.  These  were
almost  without  exception  Quakers  or  adherents  of  the  Penn  family.
8          HISTORY    OF    ANDREW   JACKSON

republic  set  up  a  system  of  "popular  self-government,"
the  character  of  the  new  regime  was  distinctly  modified
by  the  definition  they  gave  to  the  word  "people"  itself
in  the  sense  of  suffrage  or  voting  power.  It  is  safe  to
say  that  an  effort  now  to  restore  their  definition  of  that
word  then  would  precipitate  a  revolution  compared  to
which  that  of  1776  would  seem  tame  and  feeble.
