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Although the parliament of Great Britain had repealed the stamp-act, it was only upon the prin ciple of expediency. They still insisted upon thei right to tax the colonies; and, at the same time tha the stamp-act was repealed, an act was passed, de claring the right of parliament to bind the colonie in all cases whatsoever. This language was used even by the most strenuous opposers of the stamp act; and, amongst others, by Mr. Pitt. This righ was never recognized by the colonists; but, as they flattered themselves it would not be exercised, thewere not very active in remonstrating against it Had this pretended right been suffered to remain dormant, the colonists would cheerfully have fur nished their quota of supplies, in the mode to which they had been accustomed; that is, by acts of thei own assemblies, in consequence of requisitions from the secretary of state. If this practice had beer pursued, such was the disposition of the colonie towards the mother country, that, notwithstanding the disadvantages under which they labored, from restraints upon their trade, calculated solely fo the benefit of the commercial and manufacturing interests of Great Britain, a separation of the twi countries might have been a far distant event The Americans, from their earliest infancy, wer taught to venerate the people from whom they wer descended; whose language, laws, and manners were the same as their own. They looked up to them as models of perfection; and, in their preja diced minds, the most enlightened nations of Eu rope were considered as almost barbarians, in com parison with Englishmen. The name of an Eng

lishman conveyed to an American the idea of every thing good and great. Such sentiments instilled into them in early life, what but a repetition of unjust treatment could have induced them to entertain the most distant thought of separation? The duties on glass, paper, leather, painter's colors, tea, &c. the disfranchisement of some of the colonies; the obstruction to the measures of the legislature in others, by the king's governors; the contemptu ous treatment of their humble remonstrances, stating their grievances and praying a redress of them, and other violent and oppressive measures, at length excited an ardent spirit of opposition. Instead of endeavoring to allay this by a more lenient conduct, the ministry seemed resolutely bent upon reducing the colonies to the most slavish obedience to their decrees. But this tended only to aggravate. Vain were all the efforts made use of to prevail upon them to lay aside their designs, to convince them of the impossibility of carrying them into effect, and of the mischievous consequences which must ensue from a continuance of the attempt. They persevered with a degree of inflexibility scarcely paralleled.

The advantages which Great Britain derived from her colonies were so great, that nothing but a degree of infatuation, little short of madness, could have produced a continuance of measures calculated to keep up a spirit of uneasines, which might occasion the slightest wish for a separation. When we consider the great improvements in the science of government, the general diffusion of the principles of liberty amongst the people of Europe, the effects which these have already produced in France, and the probable consequences which will result from them elsewhere, all of which are the offspring of the American revolution, it cannot appear

strange, that events of so great moment to the hap piness of mankind, should have been ultimately occasioned by the wickedness or ignorance of a British ministry.

Dr. Franklin left nothing untried to prevail upon the ministry to consent to a change of measures. in private conversations, and in letters to persons in government, he continually expatiated upon the im policy and injustice of their conduct towards Ame rica; and stated, that, notwithstanding the attachment of the colonists to the mother country, a repetition of ill treatment must ultimately alienate their affections. They listened not to his advice. They blindly persevered in their own schemes, and left to the colonists no alternative, but opposition or unconditional submission. The latter accorded not with the principles of freedom, which they had been taught to revere. To the former, they were compelled, though reluctantly, to have recourse.

Dr. Franklin, finding all efforts to restore harmony between Great Britain and her colonies useless, returned to America in the year 1775; just after the commencement of hostilities. The day after his return, he was elected by the legislature of Pennsylvania a member of congress. Not long after his election a committee was appointed, consisting of Mr. Lynch, Mr. Harrison, and himself, to visit the camp at Cambridge, and, in conjunction with the commander in chief, to endeavor to convince the troops, whose term of enlistment was about to expire, of the necessity of their continuing in the field, and persevering in the cause of their country.

In the fall of the same year he visited Canada, to endeavor to unite them in the common cause of liberty; but they could not be prevailed upon tooppose the measures of the British government.

M. Le Roy, in a letter annexed to Abbe Fauchet's eulogium of Dr. Franklin, states that the ill success of this negociation was occasioned, in a great de gree, by religious animosities, which subsisted between the Canadians and their neighbors, some of whom had at different times burnt their chapels.

When Lord Howe came to America, in 1776, vested with power to treat with the colonists, a correspondence took place between him and Franklin, on the subject of a reconciliation. Dr. Franklin was afterwards appointed, together with John Adams and Edward Rutledge, to wait upon the com missioners, in order to learn the extent of their powers. These were found to be only to grant pardons upon submission. These were terms which would not be accepted; and the object of the com➡ missioners could not be obtained.

The momentous question of independence was shortly after brought into view, at a time when the fleets and armies, which were sent to enforce obedience, were truly formidable. With an armv, nu

merous indeed, but ignorant of discipline, and entirely unskilled in the art of war, without money, without a fleet, without allies, and with nothing but the love of liberty to support them, the colonists determined to separate from a country, from which they had experienced a repetition of injury and insult. In this question, Dr. Franklin was decidedly in favor of the measure proposed, and had great influence in bringing over others to his senti

ments.

The public mind had been pretty fully prepared for this event, by Mr. Paine's celebrated pamphlet, Common Sense. There is good reason to believe that Dr. Franklin had no inconsiderable share, at least, in furnishing materials for this work.

In the convention which assembled at Philadel

deliberations, may be considered as a digest of i principles of government. The single legislatu and the plural executive, seem to have been his vorite tenets.

In the latter end of 1776, Dr. Franklin was pointed to assist in the negociations which had be set on foot by Silas Deane at the court of Fran A conviction of the advantages of a commercial i tercourse with America, and a desire of weake ing the British empire by dismembering it, first i duced the French court to listen to proposals of alliance. But they shewed rather a reluctance the measure, which, by Dr. Franklin's addres and particularly by the success of the Americ arms against general Burgoyne, was at length ov come; and in February 1778, a treaty of allian offensive and defensive, was concluded; in cos quence of which France became involved in i war with Great Britain.

Perhaps no person could have been found, mo capable of rendering essential services to the Un ed States at the court of France, than Dr Franki He was well known as a philosopher, and his ch racter was held in the highest estimation. He w received with the greatest marks of respect by a the literary characters; and this respect was e tended among all classes of men. His personal i fence was hence very considerable. To the fects of this were added those of various perform ances which he published, tending to establish th credit and character of the United States. To h exertions in this way, may, in no small degree, t

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