The Life of Benjamin Franklin: With Many Choice Anecdotes and admirable sayings of this great man never before published by any of his biographersWeems, M. L. (Mason Locke)
Philosophy
The Life of Benjamin Franklin: With Many Choice Anecdotes and admirable sayings of this great man never before published by any of his biographers
Weems, M. L. (Mason Locke)
Franklin, Benjamin, 1706-1790; Statesmen -- United States -- Biography
But though many private persons think almost as highly of their own
infallibility, as of that of their sect, few express it so naturally
as a certain French lady, who, in a little dispute with her sister,
said, "_I don't know how it happens, sister, but I meet with nobody
but myself that is always in the right_." In these sentiments, sir, I
agree to this constitution, with all its faults, if they are such;
because I think a general government necessary for us, and there is no
form of government but what may be a blessing, if well administered;
and I believe farther, that this is likely to be well administered for
a course of years, and can only end in despotism, as other forms have
done before it, when the people shall become so corrupted, as to need
despotic government, being incapable of any other. I doubt too,
whether any other convention we can obtain, may be able to make a
better constitution. For when you assemble a number of men, to have
the advantage of their joint wisdom, you assemble with those men, all
their prejudices, their passions, their errors of opinion, their local
interests, and their selfish views. From such an assembly, can a
perfect production be expected? It therefore astonishes me, sir, to
find this system approaching so near to perfection as it does; and I
think it will confound our enemies, who are waiting with confidence,
to hear that our councils are confounded, like those of the builders
of Babel, and that our states are on the point of separation, only to
meet hereafter for the purpose of cutting each other's throats.
Thus I consent, sir, to this constitution, because I expect no better,
and because I am not _sure that this is not the best_. The opinions I
have had of its errors, I sacrifice to the public good. I have never
whispered a syllable of them abroad. Within these walls they were
born, and here they shall die. If every one of us, in returning to our
constituents, were to report the objections he has had to it, and
endeavour to gain partisans in support of them, we might prevent its
being generally received, and thereby lose all the great advantages
resulting naturally in our favour among foreign nations, as well as
among ourselves, from our real or apparent unanimity. Much of the
efficiency of any government, in procuring and securing happiness to
the people, depends on the general opinion of the goodness of that
government, as well as of the wisdom and integrity of its governors.
I hope, therefore, that for our _own sakes_, as a part of the people,
and for the sake of _our posterity_, we shall act heartily and
unanimously, in recommending this constitution, wherever our influence
may extend, and turn our future thoughts and endeavours to the means
of having it well administered.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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