Know their own good, or, knowing it, pursue!
Those who govern, having much business on their hands, do not generally
like to take the trouble of considering and carrying into execution new
projects. The best public measures are therefore seldom adopted from
previous wisdom, but forc'd by the occasion.
The Governor of Pennsylvania, in sending it down to the Assembly,
express'd his approbation of the plan, "as appearing to him to be drawn
up with great clearness and strength of judgment, and therefore
recommended it as well worthy of their closest and most serious
attention." The House, however, by the management of a certain member,
took it up when I happen'd to be absent, which I thought not very fair,
and reprobated it without paying any attention to it at all, to my no
small mortification.
In my journey to Boston this year, I met at New York with our new
governor, Mr. Morris, just arriv'd there from England, with whom I had
been before intimately acquainted. He brought a commission to supersede
Mr. Hamilton, who, tir'd with the disputes his proprietary instructions
subjected him to, had resign'd. Mr. Morris ask'd me if I thought he must
expect as uncomfortable an administration. I said, "No; you may, on the
contrary, have a very comfortable one, if you will only take care not to
enter into any dispute with the Assembly." "My dear friend," says he,
pleasantly, "how can you advise my avoiding disputes? You know I love
disputing; it is one of my greatest pleasures; however, to show the
regard I have for your counsel, I promise you I will, if possible, avoid
them." He had some reason for loving to dispute, being eloquent, an
acute sophister, and, therefore, generally successful in argumentative
conversation. He had been brought up to it from a boy, his father, as I
have heard, accustoming his children to dispute with one another for his
diversion, while sitting at table after dinner; but I think the practice
was not wise; for, in the course of my observation, these disputing,
contradicting, and confuting people are generally unfortunate in their
affairs. They get victory sometimes, but they never get good will, which
would be of more use to them. We parted, he going to Philadelphia, and I
to Boston.
In returning, I met at New York with the votes of the Assembly, by which
it appear'd that, notwithstanding his promise to me, he and the House
were already in high contention; and it was a continual battle between
them as long as he retain'd the government. I had my share of it; for,
as soon as I got back to my seat in the Assembly, I was put on every
committee for answering his speeches and messages, and by the committees
always desired to make the drafts. Our answers, as well as his messages,
were often tart, and sometimes indecently abusive; and, as he knew I
wrote for the Assembly, one might have imagined that, when we met, we
could hardly avoid cutting throats; but he was so good-natur'd a man
that no personal difference between him and me was occasion'd by the
contest, and we often din'd together.
One afternoon, in the height of this public quarrel, we met in the
street. "Franklin," says he, "you must go home with me and spend the
evening; I am to have some company that you will like;" and, taking me
by the arm, he led me to his house. In gay conversation over our wine,
after supper, he told us, jokingly, that he much admir'd the idea of
Sancho Panza, who, when it was proposed to give him a government,
requested it might be a government of blacks, as then, if he could not
agree with his people, he might sell them. One of his friends, who sat
next to me, says, "Franklin, why do you continue to side with these
damn'd Quakers? Had not you better sell them? The proprietor would give
you a good price." "The governor," says I, "has not yet blacked them
enough." He, indeed, had labored hard to blacken the Assembly in all his
messages, but they wip'd off his coloring as fast as he laid it on, and
plac'd it, in return, thick upon his own face; so that, finding he was
likely to be negrofied himself, he, as well as Mr. Hamilton, grew tir'd
of the contest, and quitted the government.
[13] These public quarrels were all at bottom owing to the
proprietaries, our hereditary governors, who, when any expense was to be
incurred for the defense of their province, with incredible meanness
instructed their deputies to pass no act for levying the necessary
taxes, unless their vast estates were in the same act expressly excused;
and they had even taken bonds of these deputies to observe such
instructions. The Assemblies for three years held out against this
injustice, tho' constrained to bend at last. At length Captain Denny,
who was Governor Morris's successor, ventured to disobey those
instructions; how that was brought about I shall show hereafter.
[13] My acts in Morris's time, military, etc.--[Marg. note.]
But I am got forward too fast with my story: there are still some
transactions to be mention'd that happened during the administration of
Governor Morris.
War being in a manner commenced with France, the government of
Massachusetts Bay projected an attack upon Crown Point, and sent Mr.
Quincy to Pennsylvania, and Mr. Pownall, afterward Governor Pownall, to
New York, to solicit assistance. As I was in the Assembly, knew its
temper, and was Mr. Quincy's countryman, he appli'd to me for my
influence and assistance. I dictated his address to them, which was well
receiv'd. They voted an aid of ten thousand pounds, to be laid out in
provisions. But the governor refusing his assent to their bill (which
included this with other sums granted for the use of the crown), unless
a clause were inserted exempting the proprietary estate from bearing any
part of the tax that would be necessary, the Assembly, tho' very
desirous of making their grant to New England effectual, were at a loss
how to accomplish it. Mr. Quincy labored hard with the governor to
obtain his assent, but he was obstinate.
I then suggested a method of doing the business without the governor, by
orders on the trustees of the Loan Office, which, by law, the Assembly
had the right of drawing. There was, indeed, little or no money at that
time in the office, and therefore I propos'd that the orders should be
payable in a year, and to bear an interest of five per cent. With these
orders I suppos'd the provisions might easily be purchas'd. The
Assembly, with very little hesitation, adopted the proposal. The orders
were immediately printed, and I was one of the committee directed to
sign and dispose of them. The fund for paying them was the interest of
all the paper currency then extant in the province upon loan, together
with the revenue arising from the excise, which being known to be more
than sufficient, they obtain'd instant credit, and were not only
receiv'd in payment for the provisions, but many money'd people, who had
cash lying by them, vested it in those orders, which they found
advantageous, as they bore interest while upon hand, and might on any
occasion be used as money; so that they were eagerly all bought up, and
in a few weeks none of them were to be seen. Thus this important affair
was by my means compleated. My Quincy return'd thanks to the Assembly in
a handsome memorial, went home highly pleas'd with the success of his
embassy, and ever after bore for me the most cordial and affectionate
friendship.
The British government, not chusing to permit the union of the colonies
as propos'd at Albany, and to trust that union with their defense, lest
they should thereby grow too military, and feel their own strength,
suspicions and jealousies at this time being entertain'd of them, sent
over General Braddock with two regiments of regular English troops for
that purpose. He landed at Alexandria, in Virginia, and thence march'd
to Frederictown, in Maryland, where he halted for carriages. Our
Assembly apprehending, from some information, that he had conceived
violent prejudices against them, as averse to the service, wish'd me to
wait upon him, not as from them, but as postmaster-general, under the
guise of proposing to settle with him the mode of conducting with most
celerity and certainty the despatches between him and the governors of
the several provinces, with whom he must necessarily have continual
correspondence, and of which they propos'd to pay the expense. My son
accompanied me on this journey.
We found the general at Frederictown, waiting impatiently for the return
of those he had sent thro' the back parts of Maryland and Virginia to
collect waggons. I stayed with him several days, din'd with him daily,
and had full opportunity of removing all his prejudices, by the
information of what the Assembly had before his arrival actually done,
and were still willing to do, to facilitate his operations. When I was
about to depart, the returns of waggons to be obtained were brought in,
by which it appear'd that they amounted only to twenty-five, and not all
of those were in serviceable condition. The general and all the officers
were surpris'd, declar'd the expedition was then at an end, being
impossible, and exclaim'd against the ministers for ignorantly landing
them in a country destitute of the means of conveying their stores,
baggage, etc., not less than one hundred and fifty waggons being
necessary.
I happened to say I thought it was a pity they had not been landed
rather in Pennsylvania, as in that country almost every farmer had his
waggon. The general eagerly laid hold of my words, and said, "Then you,
sir, who are a man of interest there, can probably procure them for us;
and I beg you will undertake it." I ask'd what terms were to be offer'd
the owners of the waggons; and I was desir'd to put on paper the terms
that appeared to me necessary. This I did, and they were agreed to, and
a commission and instructions accordingly prepar'd immediately. What
those terms were will appear in the advertisement I publish'd as soon as
I arriv'd at Lancaster, which being, from the great and sudden effect it
produc'd, a piece of some curiosity, I shall insert it at length, as
follows:
"Advertisement.
"LANCASTER, April 26, 1755.
"Whereas, one hundred and fifty waggons, with four horses to each
waggon, and fifteen hundred saddle or pack horses, are wanted for the
service of his majesty's forces now about to rendezvous at Will's Creek,
and his excellency General Braddock having been pleased to empower me to
contract for the hire of the same, I hereby give notice that I shall
attend for that purpose at Lancaster from this day to next Wednesday
evening, and at York from next Thursday morning till Friday evening,
where I shall be ready to agree for waggons and teams, or single horses,
on the following terms, viz.: 1. That there shall be paid for each
waggon, with four good horses and a driver, fifteen shillings per diem;
and for each able horse with a pack-saddle, or other saddle and
furniture, two shillings per diem; and for each able horse without a
saddle, eighteen pence per diem. 2. That the pay commence from the time
of their joining the forces at Will's Creek, which must be on or before
the 20th of May ensuing, and that a reasonable allowance be paid over
and above for the time necessary for their travelling to Will's Creek
and home again after their discharge. 3. Each waggon and team, and every
saddle or pack horse, is to be valued by indifferent persons chosen
between me and the owner; and in case of the loss of any waggon, team,
or other horse in the service, the price according to such valuation is
to be allowed and paid. 4. Seven days' pay is to be advanced and paid in
hand by me to the owner of each waggon and team, or horse, at the time
of contracting, if required, and the remainder to be paid by General
Braddock, or by the paymaster of the army, at the time of their
discharge, or from time to time, as it shall be demanded. 5. No drivers
of waggons, or persons taking care of the hired horses, are on any
account to be called upon to do the duty of soldiers, or be otherwise
employed than in conducting or taking care of their carriages or horses.
6. All oats, Indian corn, or other forage that waggons or horses bring
to the camp, more than is necessary for the subsistence of the horses,
is to be taken for the use of the army, and a reasonable price paid for
the same.
"Note.--My son, William Franklin, is empowered to enter into like
contracts with any person in Cumberland county.
"B. Franklin."
"To the inhabitants of the Counties of Lancaster, York and Cumberland.
"Friends and Countrymen,
"Being occasionally at the camp at Frederic a few days since, I found
the general and officers extremely exasperated on account of their not
being supplied with horses and carriages, which had been expected from
this province, as most able to furnish them; but, through the
dissensions between our governor and Assembly, money had not been
provided, nor any steps taken for that purpose.
"It was proposed to send an armed force immediately into these counties,
to seize as many of the best carriages and horses as should be wanted,
and compel as many persons into the service as would be necessary to
drive and take care of them.
"I apprehended that the progress of British soldiers through these
counties on such an occasion, especially considering the temper they are
in, and their resentment against us, would be attended with many and
great inconveniences to the inhabitants, and therefore more willingly
took the trouble of trying first what might be done by fair and
equitable means. The people of these back counties have lately
complained to the Assembly that a sufficient currency was wanting; you
have an opportunity of receiving and dividing among you a very
considerable sum; for, if the service of this expedition should
continue, as it is more than probable it will, for one hundred and
twenty days, the hire of these waggons and horses will amount to upward
of thirty thousand pounds, which will be paid you in silver and gold of
the king's money.
"The service will be light and easy, for the army will scarce march
above twelve miles per day, and the waggons and baggage-horses, as they
carry those things that are absolutely necessary to the welfare of the
army, must march with the army, and no faster; and are, for the army's
sake, always placed where they can be most secure, whether in a march or
in a camp.
"If you are really, as I believe you are, good and loyal subjects to his
majesty, you may now do a most acceptable service, and make it easy to
yourselves; for three or four of such as can not separately spare from
the business of their plantations a waggon and four horses and a driver,
may do it together, one furnishing the waggon, another one or two
horses, and another the driver, and divide the pay proportionately
between you; but if you do not this service to your king and country
voluntarily, when such good pay and reasonable terms are offered to you,
your loyalty will be strongly suspected. The king's business must be
done; so many brave troops, come so far for your defense, must not stand
idle through your backwardness to do what may be reasonably expected
from you; waggons and horses must be had; violent measures will probably
be used, and you will be left to seek for a recompense where you can
find it, and your case, perhaps, be little pitied or regarded.
"I have no particular interest in this affair, as, except the
satisfaction of endeavoring to do good, I shall have only my labour for
my pains. If this method of obtaining the waggons and horses is not
likely to succeed, I am obliged to send word to the general in fourteen
days; and I suppose Sir John St. Clair, the hussar, with a body of
soldiers, will immediately enter the province for the purpose, which I
shall be sorry to hear, because I am very sincerely and truly your
friend and well-wisher,