"My Dear Sir,--It gives me exceeding great pleasure to have the opportunity of congratulating you on your return home, and to a land of Peace; and to express to you my heartfelt wishes that the remainder of your days may be to you a time of happy ease and rest. Should Fate prolong my life to the extent of yours, it would give me the greatest felicity to have the evening scene some resemblance of what you now enjoy. "In making you this address I have an additional pleasure in reflecting, that, so far as I have hitherto gone, I am not conscious of any circumstance in my conduct that should give you one repentant thought for being my patron and introducer to America. "It would give me great pleasure to make a journey to Philadelphia on purpose to see you, but an interesting affair I have with Congress makes my absence at this time improper. "If you have time to let me know how your health is, I shall be much obliged to you. "I am, dear Sir, with the sincerest affection and respect, "Your obedient, humble servant, "Thomas Paine. "The Hon'ble Benjamin Franklin, Esquire. "My address is Messrs. Lawrence and Morris, Merchants." To this came the following reply, dated Philadelphia, September 24th: "Dear Sir,--'I have just received your friendly congratulations on my return to America, for which, as well as your kind wishes for my welfare, I beg you to accept my most thankful acknowledgments. Ben is also very sensible of your politeness, and desires his respects may be presented. "I was sorry on my arrival to find you had left this city. Your present arduous undertaking, I easily conceive, demands retirement, and tho' we shall reap the fruits of it, I cannot help regretting the want of your abilities here where in the present moment they might, I think, be successfully employed. Parties still run very high--Common Sense would unite them. It is to be hoped therefore it has not abandoned us forever."*