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forced by that of Dr. Fothergill, that I wrote an an. nonymous pamphlet, calculated to shew the injustice and impolicy of a war with the colonies, previous to the meeting of a new parliament. "As I then lived at Leeds, he corrected the press himself; and, to a passage in which I lamented the attempt to estab. lish arbitrary power in so large a part of the British empire, he added the following clause, "To the imminent hazard of our most valuable commerce, and of that national strength, security, and felicity, which depend on union and on liberty.” "The unity of the British empire, in all it's parts, was a favourite idea of his. He used to compare it to a beautiful China vase, which if once broken, could never he put together again; and so great an admirer was he at that time of the British constitution, that he said ❝he saw no inconvenience from it's being extended over a great part of the globe." He was, however, at this time regarded by government with such jealousy, that he was dismissed from his office of postmaster-general, and it was proposed to arrest him as a fomenter of rebellion. The Doctor, however, de parted for America in the beginning of 1775, privately, and before it was suspected that he had such an intention. Being elected a delegate to the continental congress, he had a principal share in bringing about the revolution, and declaration of independency. In 1776, Dr. Franklin was deputed by congress to persuade the Canadians to throw off the British yoke; but they had been so much disgusted with the hot-headed zeal of the New Englanders, who had burnt some of their chapels, that they refused to listen to the proposals, tho' enforced by every argument which he could urge. On the arrival of Lord Howe in America, he entered into

a correspondence with him on the subject of recon. ciliation. In these Letters he strongly expresses his opinion of the temper of the British nation, to which and not to any particular designs of the court or ministry, he imputed the fatal extremity which was then arrived. He was afterwards appointed, with two others, to wait on the English commissioners, and learn the extent of their powers. As these were found to extend only to a grant of pardon on submission, he joined his colleagues in considering them as insufficient. The momentous question of independ ence was soon after investigated, at a time when the fleets and armies, which were sent to enforce obedienc, were truly formidable. With a numerous army, 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 conceived they had experienced a repetition of injury and insult. In this question, Dr. Franklin was decidedly in favour of the measure proposed, and had great influence in bringing over others to his opinions. He afterwards sat as

president of the convention assembled for the purpose of establishing a new government for the state of Pennsylvania. On this occasion, his idea of the best form of a constitution seemed to be that of a single legislative and a plural executive. In the latter end of the same year, Dr. Franklin was made choice of to assist in the negotiation which had been commenced by Silas Deane, at the court of France. This important commission was readily accepted, tho' he was in his 71st year. He brought to effect the treaty of alliance offensive and defensive in 1778, which produced an immediate war between France and

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England. In 1777 he was appointed plenepo. tentiary from Congress to the French court. Having at length seen the full accomplishment of his wishes, by the conclusion of the peace in 1783, which confirmed the independence of America, he requested to be recalled, and was succeeded by Mr. Jefferson. Before he left Europe, however, he effected a treaty of amity and commerce between the United States and Sweden; and a similar treaty was concluded also with Prussia. These treatises are replete with benevo lence, and perhaps an unparallelled instance of this kind may be found in the 23d article of the latter. "If war should arise between the contending parties, all merchant and trading vessels, employed in exchanging the products of different places, and thereby rendering the necessaries, conveniences, and comforts of human life more easy to be obtained, and more general, shall be allowed to pass free and unmolested and neither of the contracting powers shall grant or issue any commission to any private armed vessels, empowering them to take or destroy such trading vessels, or to interrupt such commerce." The article concerning the treatment of prisoners of war is also remarkable for it's truly benevolent spirit. The whole treaty is a singular phænomenon in the history of nations. Military powers uniting to alleviate the miseries of war, to lessen the horrors of blood-shed, and relieve the distresses of their enemies, is the best lesson of humanity which a philosophical king, acting in concert with a philosophical patriot, could possibly give to the princes and statesmen of the earth.

Privateering is certainly totally contrary to the principles of equity and morality. The practice is altogether robbery, and is as much a violation of justice as any other species of theft or plunder whatever. The

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states of America have put in practice the benevolent principles of our author for abolishing privateering, by offering in all their treaties articles of this nature. Would it were universally adopted by all nations on the earth! Franklin arrived safe at Philadelphia in September 1785, and was received amidst the acclamations of a vast multitude, who conducted him in triumph to his own house. He was afterwards twice elected president of the assembly. In 1787, he was appointed a delegate from Pennsyl vania, for revising the articles of confederation; and signed the new constitution in the name of the State. In concluding the deliberations on this important transaction, he delivered a truly wise and patriotic speech recommending perfect unanimity in adopting the resolutions of the majority, tho' not entirely con formable to the opinions of individuals, as was the case with respect to himself. The high regard in which he was held by his fellow-citizens appeared in his being chosen president of various societies, among which were the "Philadelphia Society for al leviating the miseries of Prisons," and of the "Pennsylvania Society for promoting the Abolition of Sla very." His last public act was signing a memorial on this subject, Feb. 12, 1789. Dr. Franklin

during the greatest part of his life had been very healthy. He had, however, in 1735, been attacked by a pleurisy, which ended in a suppuration on the left lobe of the lungs, so that he was nearly suffocated by the quantity of matter thrown up. But from this, as well as another attack, he recovered so completely that his breathing was not afterwards in the least affected. As he advanced in years, however he became subject to fits of thegout, to which, in 1782, a nephritic colic was superadded. His memory was

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uniformly tenacious, and his faculties were entirely, unimpared, even to the hour of his death. The following account of his last illness was written by his friend and physician Dr. Jones.

"The stone, with which he had been afflicted for several years, had for the last twelve months confined him chiefly to his bed; and during the extreme pain. ful paroxysms, he was obliged to take large doses of laudanum to mitigate his tortures; still, in the inter. vals of pain, he not only amused himself with reading and conversing cheerfully with his family, and a few friends who visited him, but was often employed in doing business of a public as well as a private nature, with various persons who waited on him for that purpose; and in every instance displayed, not only that readiness and disposition of doing good, which was the distinguishing characteristic of his life, but the fullest and clearest possession of his uncommon mental abilities; and not unfrequently indulged himself in those jeux d' esprit and entertaining anecdotes which were the delight of all who heard him.

"About sixteen days before his death, he was seized with a feverish indisposition, without any particular symptoms attending it, till the third or fourth day, when he complained of a pain in the left breast, which increased till it became extremely acute, attended with a cough and laborious breathing. During this

state, when the severity of his pains sometimes drew forth a groan of complaint, he would observe, that he was afraid he did not bear them as he ought, acknowledged his grateful sense of the many blessings he had received from that Supreme Being, who had raised him from small and low beginnings to such high rank and consideration among men, and made no doubt but his present afflictions were kindly in

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