Benjamin Franklin; Self-Revealed, Volume 2 (of 2): A Biographical and Critical Study Based Mainly on his own WritingsBruce, Wiliam Cabell
History
Benjamin Franklin; Self-Revealed, Volume 2 (of 2): A Biographical and Critical Study Based Mainly on his own Writings
Bruce, Wiliam Cabell
Franklin, Benjamin, 1706-1790
As to the writers [he said], I can easily as well as
charitably conceive it possible, that a Man educated in
Prepossessions of the unbounded Authority of
Parliament, &c. may think unjustifiable every
Opposition even to its unconstitutional Exactions, and
imagine it their Duty to suppress, as much as in them
lies, such Opposition. But when I find them bartering
away the Liberties of their native Country for Posts,
and negociating for Salaries and Pensions extorted from
the People; and, conscious of the Odium these might be
attended with, calling for Troops to protect and secure
the Enjoyment of them: When I see them exciting
Jealousies in the Crown, and provoking it to Wrath
against so great a Part of its most faithful Subjects;
creating Enmities between the different Countries of
which the Empire consists; occasioning a great Expence
to the _Old_ Country for Suppressing or Preventing
imaginary Rebellions in the _New_, and to the new
Country for the Payment of needless Gratifications to
useless Officers and Enemies; I can not but doubt their
Sincerity even in the political Principles they
profess, and deem them mere Time-servers seeking their
own private Emolument, thro' any Quantity of Publick
Mischief; Betrayers of the Interest, not of their
native Country only, but of the Government they pretend
to serve, and of the whole English Empire.
Later, after strong representations had been made to Franklin by Cushing
that the letters could be put to no effective use, unless they could be
retained or copied, Franklin obtained leave from the gentleman, who had
entrusted them to him, to authorize Cushing to show them to any persons
that he chose. The fact that the letters were in Boston was soon noised
abroad, whereupon the Assembly required them to be laid before it, though
under its promise that they would not be printed. An occasion or pretext
for disregarding this promise soon arose, when copies were produced in the
House by a member who was said to have received them from England. Then the
Assembly adopted a series of indignant resolutions, declaring, among other
things, that the authors of the letters were justly chargeable with the
great corruption of morals, and all the confusion, misery and bloodshed
which had been the natural effects of the introduction of troops into the
Province, and that it was its bounden duty to pray that his Majesty would
be pleased to remove Hutchinson and Oliver forever from the Government
thereof. These resolutions were duly followed by a petition for the removal
which was transmitted to Franklin and by him transmitted to Lord Dartmouth,
who laid it before the King.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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