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looks on one fide towards Europe, and on the other towards America: the image of the auguft Franklin furmounts it, and points out the following infcription: "Men, love your fellow-men! Be "free! Promote commerce and the arts; but, a"bove all, cultivate humanity."

Legiflator of mankind! thy countryman, the Americans, obey thee; France liftens to thy voice, fhe repeats thy accents; the univerfe awakes at the found!

The light scattered over the world by the philo fopher of nature, from the city of Philadelphia not only excited the fcintillations of private, but it alfo kindled the fire of public, virtue, which composes the life of nations.

From the banks of the Delaware and the Schuyl kill, Franklin attentively furveyed the conduct of England, marked her errors and her imprudence, aroufed that just discontent which her cruelties infpired, obferved how far the patience of the peo ple could be stretched, reinforced the principles of liberty, but yet preached up peace and moderation, until that day fhould arrive, in which vi olence and injustice were no longer to be fuffered, and a revolution was to be expected as an inevita ble event. His wifdom prophefied the approach of liberty, and accomplished it; his fellow countrymen, the Americans who felt the iron hand of defpotifm, but yet scarcely dreamed of independence, were already, in the calculations of his genius, the first free citizens of the uni-! verse.

The minifters of England were well acquainted with the afcendency of this great man, and were alarmed at his influence. In conformity to their

fyftem of corruption, they were determined to bring him over to their views, and were perfuaded that, by beftowing one of the lucrative employments upon him, which they had the difpofal of in the colonies, his private intereft would induce him to affift them in fubjugating his country

men.

He was accordingly appointed Director General of the Poft Office belonging to the English colonies in America*.

In this employment he perceived that he could be useful to the people and to himfelf; for it furifhed him with a better opportunity of commuicating his principles throughout the continent. He well knew that his labours would accelerate he freedom of America; he was authorised by is office to visit all the provinces without the least ufpicion whatever; he thus was enabled to found he difpofitions of the inhabitants, to augment heir horror for oppreffion, and to induce them o reconquer the rights of man and of citizens.

Franklin undoubtedly forefaw, while deftroyng an oppreffive government, the favours of which he turned to the public advantage, that he hould make great facrifices in regard to his own rivate intereft; but his natural fimplicity and prudent œconomy had enabled him to accumulate i fortune fufficient to infure his independence; nd he always dreaded great opulence, either to imfelf or his fellow-citizens.

He had always two great ideas in contemplatin: The firft was, to elevate England and all her olonies to the principles of civil liberty; and if He was entrusted with the fouthern department only. TRANS.

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that did not happen, at leaft to at leaft to give freedom to his native country. Had the former fcheme fucceeded (and it gave him the greater degree of pleasure,) the parliament of England was to have had a full national and colonial representation. The King was to have carried the legal wifhes of the fellow-citizens of the two continents into execution, and the perfect combination of the legiflative power of all, and the executive power of one,

would have realized to Great Britain that noble conftitution deftined to form the happinefs of France.

But if it were impoffible thus to infure the felicity of the whole empire, and if the system of colonial oppreflion was to be continued, then he thought that a grand example ought to be fet by America to the world, that the caufe of the people ought to be avenged, and that Liberty ought to hoift her ftandard in another hemisphere.

Thus all the views of this great man were in perfect coincidence with the principles of truth and of juftice; for whatever might be the laft determination of the oppreffors, they themfelves "would either become citizens, or enable their fellow flaves to become fo, by establishing the first free government that ever exifted in the world.

Such was the pofition of public affairs when Franklin was fent to England by the "affembly of Pennsylvania, in order to defend the colonies against the enterprifes of the court. He did not diffemble his opinions to the English miniftry, who, at that period, were employing their ufual perfidious arts of bribery and corruption, in order

to exact feveral new and vexatious impofts from his countrymen.

Franklin announced to them the infallible refult of their proceedings.

The Americans were alarmed, and protefted with one accord against this act of tyranny. Theit conduct appeared to the generous patriots of England (where there are many good citizens, altho' they are not fuffered to rule the nation) to be dictated by the juft rights derived from oppreffion; but it feemed to be the revolt of flaves, who wished to free themfelves from the authority of a mafter, in the eyes of the fervile minions of the fovereign, who are more numerous, and who are lways employed by the government.

Amidst these important conjunctures, Franklin s ordered to the bar of the Houfe of Commons; he obeys. How great appeared that man, the defender of liberty, before an ariftocracy who monopolize the independence of a nation! He was anacquainted with the queftions which were to be put to him, but his mind was ever prepared. Not fingle vague idea, not an ufelefs or unneceffary word; thoughts fimple, but vaft; fentiments loyal, but yet generous; the boldeft affertions; the moft convincing realons; the moft pofitive denials, afforded no triumph to his enemies. With a mafculine eloquence and undifguifed truth, he proved all the first acts of the American infurrection to be legitimate, and afferted that all the projects that could be fuggefted by English violence, would be abortive and without effect.

"Either let us be free together," fays he, " or we fhall be fo without, and even in fpite of you. If you do not annul your oppreffive laws, we

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"fhall continue to make new ones independent of you. If you endeavour to fubjugate us, we shall triumph. Your armies? They are not numerous. enough? Your navy? All the navies upon "earth are not capable of making us fubmit to <6 your will. Make your election between our love and our hate; we have already made our "choice between the liberty that is to combine 06 us, and thofe chains with which we are to be "manacled."

This affords but a feeble image of the dignified conduct of Franklin in the face of all England Cyneas beheld at Rome, in that Senate which go verned Italy, an affembly of Gods, and trembled! Franklin beheld at London, in that fenate which commanded the feas of two worlds, a corrupted legiflature, and was undifmayed. The ambaffa dor of Theffaly fpoke in the name of a King, and what was a King before the Roman people! But the agent of Philadelphia spoke as a man in the name of men, whom he was about to render free! and free men have ever been refpected as the fir of human beings by the English!

He retired honoured by the nation, but detefted by the Court, convinced that a parliament fok to the miniftry would fmite America with the fceptre of defpotifm, and support their wrongs by the fwords of mercenaries, that his countrymen would be forced to defend their own rights, to confummate their independence, and to vindicate the caufe of human nature.

Returned to his native continent, he revolved all thefe ideas in his bofom at Philadelphia, Washington and Adams enter into his views; the first congress is convocated and affembled; Frank

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