TO JONATHAN WILLIAMS. Second Mission to England. LOVING KINSMAN, Philadelphia, 3 November, 1764. The case of the Armonica came home to-night, and the spindle, with all the rest of the work, seems well done. But, on further consideration, I think it is not worth while to take one of them to London, to be filled with glasses as we intended. It will be better to send you one complete from thence, made under my direction; which I will take care shall be good. The glasses here will serve for these cases when I come back, if it please God that I live to return, and some friends will be glad of them. Enclosed I send you that impostor's letter. Perhaps he may be found by his handwriting. We sail on Wednesday. The merchants here in two hours subscribed eleven hundred pounds to be lent the public for the charges of my voyage, &c. I shall take with me but a part of it, five hundred pounds sterling. Any sum is to be had, that I may want. My love to all. Adieu. Yours affectionately, B. FRANKLIN.* * Dr. Franklin was appointed to this second mission to England by the Assembly of Pennsylvania, October 26th, 1764, and he was instructed to depart with all convenient despatch. As the Assembly had not then in the treasury any money, that could be appropriated for this purpose, they passed a resolve, "that the expense attending his voyage, and the execution of the trust reposed in him, should be provided for in the next bill prepared by the House for raising money to defray the public debis." On the strength of this pledge, the money was loaned by the merchants, although a party had made a considerable opposition to the appointment of an agent, who was known to be hostile to the Proprietaries, and had been active in promoting petitions for a change of the Pennsylvania government. Dr. William Smith, the provost of the Philadelphia College, after TO SARAH FRANKLIN. Paternal Advice. - Devotion and Attendance at Church. On the Eve of sailing for England. Reedy Island, 7 at night, 8 November, 1764. MY DEAR SALLY, We got down here at sunset, having taken in more live stock at Newcastle, with some other things we wanted. Our good friends, Mr. Galloway, Mr. Wharton, and Mr. James, came with me in the ship from Chester to Newcastle and went ashore there. It was kind to favor me with their good company as far as they could. The affectionate leave taken of me by so many friends at Chester was very endearing. God bless them and all Pennsylvania. But My dear child, the natural prudence and goodness of heart God has blest you with make it less necessary for me to be particular in giving you advice. I shall therefore only say, that the more attentively dutiful and tender you are towards your good mamma, the more you will recommend yourself to me. why should I mention me, when you have so much higher a promise in the commandments, that such conduct will recommend you to the favor of God. You know I have many enemies, all indeed on the public account, (for I cannot recollect that I have in a private capacity given just cause of offence to any one wards wrote, "that, under whatsoever circumstances this second embassy was undertaken, it appears to have been a measure preördained in the counsels of Heaven; and it will be for ever remembered to the honor of Pennsylvania, that the agent selected to assert and defend the rights of a single province, at the court of Great Britain, became the bold asserter of the rights of America in general, and, beholding the fetters that were forging for her, conceived the magnanimous thought of rending them asunder before they could be riveted." whatever,) yet they are enemies, and very bitter ones; and you must expect their enmity will extend in some degree to you, so that your slightest indiscretions will be magnified into crimes, in order the more sensibly to wound and afflict me. It is therefore the more necessary for you to be extremely circumspect in all your behaviour, that no advantage may be given to their malevolence.* The violence of party in Pennsylvania at this time was carried to its highest extreme. An ample account of the merits of the controversy, which agitated the public mind, may be found in the author's tract, entitled "Cool Thoughts," and also in his "Preface to Galloway's Speech," and "Remarks on a late Protest," contained in the fourth volume of this work. As a leader of one of the parties, Franklin was made to bear the full weight of the displeasure and acrimonious censure of the other party. At a recent election of members of Assembly in Philadelphia, the Proprietary party had triumphed, and Franklin lost his election, after having been annually chosen fourteen years. But in the counties the popular party prevailed, so that in the Assembly there was a large majority of Franklin's friends. It being decided to petition the King for a change of government, he was fixed upon as the agent to transact the business in England. The debates on the occasion were conducted with much warmth of temper and pointed invective. The following extract from a speech of John Dickinson, which is transcribed from a manuscript copy, will serve as a sample. "Another reason," said he, "why I must oppose that gentleman's being appointed our agent, is, that no measure this House can pursue will be so likely to inflame the resentments, increase the divisions, and imbitter the discontents, of the people we represent. Some gentlemen have amused themselves with making curious calculations to show, that near one half of the freeholders in this province think very favorably of the conduct of the person proposed; but, without troubling this House with vain conclusions drawn from loose suppositions, I appeal to the heart of every member for the truth of this assertion, that no man in Pennsylvania is at this time so much the object of the public dislike, as he that has been mentioned. To what a surprising height this dislike is carried among vast numbers I do not choose to repeat. The well known fact sufficiently supports the present objection against him. Though but a few hours have elapsed since he was first proposed as an agent in this House, yet already we see remonstrances against his appointment from several hundreds of our most reputable constituents laid on the table, and we are afraid, that, if a little time was allowed, thousands would crowd to present the like testimony against him. "Why then should a majority of this House single out from the Go constantly to church, whoever preaches. The act of devotion in the Common Prayer Book is your principal business there, and if properly attended to, whole world the man most obnoxious to his country, to represent his country, though he was at the last election turned out of the Assembly where he had sat for fourteen years? Why should they exert their power in the most disgusting manner, and throw pain, terror, and displeasure into the breasts of their fellow-citizens? Excusable indeed would be their choice, if all wisdom and all virtue were lodged in his head and heart. But it is not pretended that there are not many men in Great Britain qualified and willing to defend the interests of Pennsylvania. Unhappy Pennsylvania! whose peace must be sacrificed to private connexions. Since the zeal of his friends will not suffer them to regard her tranquillity, more worthy of the trust intended him would he appear, in the eyes of many good men, should he voluntarily decline an office, which he cannot accept without alarming, offending, and disturbing his country. How would a virtuous Roman or Grecian have acted on such an occasion? Would he have fixed himself upon the reluctant necks of his countrymen, and thus have told them, 'I will rule you, and dispose of you as I please, because at present I am so fortunate as to have it in my power?' Would one of these ancient pa triots have forced himself into public employment to the hazard of the public peace? No! He would have endeavoured to serve his country in a less offensive, in a less dangerous manner, and in this manner I wish the gentleman proposed would endeavour to serve the people of Pennsylvania. Aristides submitted to the voice of Athens, and contented himself with wishing that she might never repent her sentence against him. When Roman virtue was swiftly waning, the dissolute Otho still retained so large a share as voluntarily to resign a life and an empire, that could not be preserved without misfortunes to Rome. Much are they mistaken, who think no man can serve a state, but in the glare of office. He may render the most effectual service to his fellow citizens by examples of virtue and moderation, especially where those examples are particularly necessary. The temperance and other excellent qualities of the elder Cato in private life were perhaps no less useful to the commonwealth, than his consulate and censorship; and I do not know but it may justly be said, that Epaminondas, within the walls of Thebes, gained the battle of Leuctra. Let "How many men have greatly promoted the public interests by their counsels and writings' The gentleman proposed has been called here to-day 'a great luminary of the learned world.' I acknowledge his abilities. Far be it from me to detract from the merit I admire. him still shine, but without wrapping his country in flames. Let him, from a private station, from a smaller sphere, diffuse, as I think he * W will do more towards amending the heart than sermons generally can do. For they were composed by men of much greater piety and wisdom, than our com may, a beneficial light; but let him not be made to move and blaze like a comet to terrify and to distress." Notwithstanding the tone here assumed, it does not appear that there was any personal hostility between Franklin and Dickinson. Three years afterwards, when John Dickinson's celebrated Farmer's Letters came out, Franklin republished them in England, and wrote a preface commendatory of the author and his performance; and at the beginning of the revolution they acted together and in harmony. The Muses also were made to join in the lamentation, that a philosopher should descend from his high station in the ranks of science to become a politician. The following verses have been often printed, and ascribed to various authors; but they are believed to have been from the pen of Hannah Griffiths, of Philadelphia, a poetess of considerable celebrity in her time, to whose memory there is an elegant tribute in Mr. Fisher's "Essay on the Early Poets of Pennsylvania," published in the second volume of the Memoirs of the Pennsylvania Historical Society. They were probably written at a date somewhat later than Mr. Dickinson's speech. "Inscription on a curious Stove in the Form of an Urn, contrived in such a Manner as to make the Flame descend instead of rising from the Fire; invented by Dr. Franklin. "LIKE a Newton sublimely he soared To a summit before unattained, New regions of science explored, And the palm of philosophy gained. "With a spark which he caught from the skies, He displayed an unparalleled wonder, And we saw with delight and surprise That his rod could secure us from thunder. "Oh! had he been wise to pursue The track for his talents designed, What a tribute of praise had been due "But to covet political fame Was in him a degrading ambition, "Let candor then write on his urn, But inverted descends to the centre.'" |