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
[32] John Adams admits in his Diary that Deane was "active, diligent,
subtle and successful, having accomplished the great purpose of his mission
to advantage." After the recall of Deane from France, Franklin wrote of him
to Henry Laurens: "Having lived intimately with him now fifteen months, the
greatest part of the time in the same House, and been a constant witness of
his public Conduct, I can not omit giving this Testimony, tho. unasked, in
his Behalf, that I esteem him a faithful, active, and able Minister, who,
to my Knowledge, has done in various ways great and important Service to
his Country, whose Interests I wish may always, by every one in her employ,
be as much and as effectually promoted." On other occasions, Franklin spoke
in equally laudatory terms of the abilities and services of Deane. But when
Deane, soured by the persistent malevolence of Arthur Lee and the injustice
of Congress, was weak enough to fall away from "the glorious cause,"
Franklin gave him up. "I see no place for him but England," he wrote to
Robert Morris. "He continues, however, to sit croaking at Ghent chagrined,
discontented, and dispirited." Franklin, however, was too nice a judge of
conduct, and of the balanced considerations, which have to be taken into
account in passing upon it, not to refer later to Deane as "poor, unhappy
Deane,"--language such as he would have been the last man in the world to
use with regard to a perfidious scoundrel like Benedict Arnold.
[33] The Diary of John Adams shows that shortly after he arrived in France
Franklin took pains to lay before him the lamentable situation created by
the impracticable tempers of the Lees and Izard. It would have been well
for the reputation of Adams if this conversation had resulted in a thorough
understanding between Franklin and himself, but the bias that he brought to
France as a member of the Adams-Lee faction in Congress and the inability
of his egotistical, jealous, suspicious and bustling, though honorable and
fearless, nature, to reconcile itself to the overshadowing fame and
influence of Franklin at the French Court drew him into working relations
with Lee and Izard, which abundantly verified all that Franklin had said to
him about them. "There are two men in the world," he declares in his Diary,
"who are men of honor and integrity, I believe, but whose prejudices and
violent tempers would raise quarrels in the Elysian fields, if not in
Heaven." At times the vanity of Adams--easily mortified, easily elated as
all vanity is--was humbled by some fresh proof of the dwarfing prominence
of Franklin. "Neither Lee nor myself is looked upon of much consequence,"
he observes in his Diary. On another occasion, when Arthur Lee suggested
that the papers of the mission should be kept in a room in his own house,
Adams objected for the reason, among others, that nine tenths of the public
letters would ever be carried where Dr. Franklin was. These were but
temporary reactions.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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