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ree, by religious animofities, which fubfifted beveen the Canadians and their neighbours; fome f whom had at different times burnt their chaels.

When Lord Howe came to America, in 1776, fted with power to treat with the colonists, a rrefpondence took place between him and Dr. ranklin, on the subject of a reconciliation. Dr. anklin was afterwards appointed, together with hn Adams and Edward Rutledge, to wait upon e commiflioners, in order to learn the extent of eir power. Thefe were found to be only to ant pardons upon fubmiffion. These were terms ich would not be accepted; and the object of e commiffioners could not be obtained.

The momentous queftion of independence was ortly after brought into view; at a time when e fleets and armies, which were fent to enforce edience, were truly formidable. With an ar 7, numerous indeed, but ignorant of discipline, d entirely unskilled in the art of war, without oney, without a fleet, without allies, and with thing but the love of liberty to fupport them, e colonifts determined to feparate from a counfrom which they had experienced a repetition. injury and infult. In this question, Dr. Frankwas decidedly in favour of the meafure propof, and had great influence in bringing over others his fentiments.

The public mind had been pretty fully prepared r this event, by Mr. Paine's celebrated pamphlet mmon Senfe There is good reafon to believe at Dr. Franklin had no inconfiderable fhare, at alt, in furnishing materials for this work.

In the convention which affembled at Philadel

phia in 1776, for the purpose of establishing a new form of government for the state of Pennsylvania, Dr. Franklin was chofen prefident. The late constitution of this state, which was the refult of their deliberations, may be confidered as a digeft of his principles of government. The fingle legiflature, and the plural executive, feem to have been his favourite tenets.

In the latter end of 1776, Dr. Franklin was appointed to affift in the negociations which had been fet on foot by Silas Deane at the court of France. A conviction of the advantages of a commercial. intercourfe with America, and a defire of weakening the British empire by dismembering it, first induced the French court to liften to proposals of an alliance. But, they fhewed rather a reluctance to the measure, which, by Dr. Franklin's addrefs, and particularly by the fuccefs of the American arms against general Burgoyne, was at length overcome; and in February 1778, a treaty of alliance, offenfive and defenfive, was concluded; in confequence of which France became involved in the war with Great-Britain.

Perhaps no perfon could have been found, more capable of rendering effential fervices to the United States at the court of France, than Dr. Franklin. He was well known as a philofopher, and his cha racter was held in the higheft eftimation. He was received with the greatest marks of respect by all the literary characters; and this refpect was extended amongst all claffes of men. His perfonal influence was bence very confiderable. To the effects of this were added thofe of various perform ances which he published, tending to establish the credit and character of the United States. To his

exertions in this way, may, in no fmall degree, be afcribed the fuccefs of the loans negociated in Holland and France, which greatly contributed to bringing the war to a happy conclufion.

The repeated ill fuccefs of their arms, and more particularly the capture of Cornwallis and his army, at length convinced the British nation of the impoffibility of reducing the Americans to fubjec tion. The trading intereft particularly became very clamorous for peace. The miniftry were unable longer to oppofe their wishes. Provincial articles of peace were agreed to, and figned at Paris on the 30th of November, 1782, by Dr. Frankin, Mr. Adams, Mr. Jay, and Mr. Laurens, on the part of the United States; and by Mr. Ofwald on the part of Great Britain. Thefe formed the pafis of the definitive treaty, which was concluded the 30th of September 1783, and figned by Dr. Franklin, Mr. Adams, and Mr. Jay, on the one part, and by Mr. David Hartley on the other.

On the 3d of April 1783, a treaty of amity and Bommerce, between the United States and Sweden, was concluded at Paris, by Dr. Franklin and the Count Von Krutz.

A fimilar treaty with Pruffia was concluded in 1785, not long before Dr. Franklin's departure from Europe.

Dr. Franklin did not fuffer his political purfuits to engrofs his whole attention. Some of his performances made their appearance in Paris. object of thefe was generally the promotion of in duftry and ceconomy.

The

In the year 1784, when animal magnetifm made great noife in the world, particularly at Paris, in was thought a matter of fuch importance, that the VOL. I.

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king appointed commiffioners to examine into the foundation of this pretended science. Dr. Franklin was one of the number. After a fair and diligent examination, in the coufe of which Mesmer repeated a number of experiments, in the prefence of the commiffioners, fome of which were tried upon themfelves, they determined that it was a mere trick, intended to impofe upon the ignorant and credulous-Mefmer was thus interupted in his career to wealth and fame, and a moft infolent attempt to impofe upon the human understanding

baffled.

The important ends of Dr. Franklin's miffion being completed by the establishment of American independence, and the infirmities of age and difeafe coming upon him, he became defirous of returning to his native country. Upon application to con grefs to be recalled, Mr. Jefferfon was appointed to fucceed him, in 1785. Sometime in September of the fame year, Dr. Franklin arrived in Philadel phia. He was fhortly after chofen member of the 1upreme executive council for the city; and foon after was elected prefident of the fame.

When a convention was called to meet in Phi ladelphia, in 1787, for the purpofe of giving more energy to the government of the union, by revifing and amending the articles of confederation, Dr. Franklin was appointed a delegate from the Stare of Pennsylvania. He figned the conftitution which they propofed for the union, and gave it the moft unequivocal marks of his approbation.

A fociety for political enquiries, of which Dr. Franklin was prefident, was established about this period. The meetings were held at his boule

Two or three effays read in the fociety were pub. lifhed. It did not long continue.

In the year 1787, two focieties were established in Philadelphia, founded on principles of the most liberal and refined humanity-the Philadelphia Society for alleviating the miferies of public prifons; and the Pennfylvania Society for promoting the abolition of flavery, the relief of free negroes unlawfully held in bondage, and the improvement of the condition of the African race. Of each of thefe Dr. Franklin was prefident. The labours of thefe bodies have been crowned with great fuccefs; and they continue to profecute, with unwearied diligence, the laudable defigns for which they were inftituted.

Dr. Franklin's increafing infirmities prevented his regular attendance in the council-chamber; and, in 1738, he retired wholly from public life.

His conftitution had been a remarkakly good one. He had been little fubject to disease, except an attack of the gout occafionally, until the year 1781, when he was first attacked with the fymptoms of the calculous complaint, which continued. during his life. During the intervals of pain from this grievous disease, he spent many cheerful hours, converfing in the inoft agreeable and inftructive manner. His faculties were entirely unimpaired, even to the hour of his death.

His name, as prefident of the Abolition Society: was figned to the memorial prefented to the Houfe of Reprefentatives of the United States, on the 12th of February 1789, praying them to exert the full extent of power vested in them by the confti tution, in difcouraging the traffic of the human fpecies. This was his laft public act. In the des bates to which this memorial gave rife, feveral at

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