it suggested, that they may be planted in the wilderness, where
there is plenty of land for them to subsist on, and where they may
flourish as a free state.--But they are, I doubt, too little disposed
to labour without compulsion, as well as too ignorant to establish
good government: and the wild Arabs would soon molest and destroy, or
again enslave them. While serving us, we take care to provide them
with every thing; and they are treated with humanity. The labourers
in their own countries are, as I am informed, worse fed, lodged,
and clothed. The condition of most of them is therefore already
mended, and requires no farther improvement. Here their lives are in
safety. They are not liable to be impressed for soldiers, and forced
to cut one another's christian throats, as in the wars of their
own countries. If some of the religious mad bigots, who now tease
us with their silly petitions, have, in a fit of blind zeal, freed
their slaves, it was not generosity, it was not humanity, that moved
them to the action; it was from the conscious burthen of a load of
sins, and hope, from the supposed merits of so good a work, to be
excused from damnation.--How grossly are they mistaken, in imagining
slavery to be disavowed by the Alcoran! Are not the two precepts, to
quote no more, "Masters, treat your slaves with kindness--Slaves,
serve your masters with cheerfulness and fidelity," clear proofs to
the contrary? Nor can the plundering of infidels be in that sacred
book forbidden; since it is well known from it, that God has given
the world, and all that it contains, to his faithful mussulmen, who
are to enjoy it, of right, as fast as they can conquer it. Let us
then hear no more of this detestable proposition, the manumission
of christian slaves, the adoption of which would, by depreciating
our lands and houses, and thereby depriving so many good citizens
of their properties, create universal discontent, and provoke
insurrections, to the endangering of government and producing general
confusion. I have, therefore, no doubt that this wise council will
prefer the comfort and happiness of a whole nation of true believers,
to the whim of a few erika, and dismiss their petition."
The result was, as Martin tells us, that the divan came to this
resolution: "That the doctrine, that the plundering and enslaving the
christians is unjust, is at best problematical; but that it is the
interest of this state to continue the practice is clear; therefore,
let the petition be rejected."----And it was rejected accordingly.
And since like motives are apt to produce, in the minds of men,
like opinions and resolutions, may we not venture to predict, from
this account, that the petitions to the parliament of England for
abolishing the slave-trade, to say nothing of other legislatures and
the debates upon them, will have a similar conclusion.
HISTORICUS.
_March 23, 1790._
FOOTNOTE:
[101] American Museum, Vol. IX. p. 336. _Editor._
_Account of the highest Court of Judicature in Pensylvania, viz.
The Court of the Press[102]._
_Power of this Court._
It may receive and promulgate accusations of all kinds, against all
persons and characters among the citizens of the state, and even
against all inferior courts; and may judge, sentence, and condemn to
infamy, not only private individuals, but public bodies, &c. with or
without enquiry or hearing, at the court's discretion.
_Whose Favour, or for whose Emolument this Court is established._
In favour of about one citizen in five hundred, who, by education, or
practice in scribbling, has acquired a tolerable style as to grammar
and construction, so as to bear printing; or who is possessed of a
press and a few types. This five hundredth part of the citizens have
the privilege of accusing and abusing the other four hundred and
ninety-nine parts, at their pleasure; or they may hire out their
pens and press to others, for that purpose.
_Practice of this Court._
It is not governed by any of the rules of the common courts of
law. The accused is allowed no grand jury to judge of the truth of
the accusation before it is publicly made; nor is the name of the
accuser made known to him; nor has he an opportunity of confronting
the witnesses against him, for they are kept in the dark, as in the
Spanish court of inquisition. Nor is there any petty jury of his
peers sworn to try the truth of the charges. The proceedings are also
sometimes so rapid, that an honest good citizen may find himself
suddenly and unexpectedly accused, and in the same morning judged and
condemned, and sentence pronounced against him, that he is a rogue
and a villain. Yet if an officer of this court receives the slightest
check for misconduct in this his office, he claims immediately the
rights of a free citizen by the constitution, and demands to know his
accuser, to confront the witnesses, and to have a fair trial by a
jury of his peers.
_Foundation of its Authority._
It is said to be founded on an article in the state constitution,
which establishes the liberty of the press--a liberty which every
Pennsylvanian would fight and die for, though few of us, I believe,
have distinct ideas of its nature and extent. It seems, indeed,
somewhat like the liberty of the press, that felons have, by the
common law of England, before conviction; that is, to be either
pressed to death or hanged. If, by the liberty of the press, were
understood merely the liberty of discussing the propriety of public
measures and political opinions, let us have as much of it as you
please; but if it means the liberty of affronting, calumniating, and
defaming one another, I, for my part, own myself willing to part with
my share of it, whenever our legislators shall please so to alter the
law; and shall cheerfully consent to exchange my liberty of abusing
others, for the privilege of not being abused myself.
_By whom this Court is commissioned or constituted._
It is not by any commission from the supreme executive council, who
might previously judge of the abilities, integrity, knowledge, &c.
of the persons to be appointed to this great trust, of deciding upon
the characters and good fame of the citizens: for this court is above
that council, and may accuse, judge, and condemn it at pleasure.
Nor is it hereditary, as is the court of dernier resort in the
peerage of England. But any man who can procure pen, ink, and paper,
with a press, a few types, and a huge pair of blacking balls, may
commissionate himself, and his court is immediately established in
the plenary possession and exercise of its rights. For if you make
the least complaint of the judge's conduct, he daubs his blacking
balls in your face wherever he meets you; and, besides tearing your
private character to splinters, marks you out for the odium of the
public, as an enemy to the liberty of the press.
_Of the natural Support of this Court._
Its support is founded in the depravity of such minds, as have not
been mended by religion, nor improved by good education.
There is a lust in man no charm can tame,
Of loudly publishing his neighbour's shame.
Hence,
On eagles' wings, immortal scandals fly,
While virtuous actions are but born and die.----DRYDEN.
Whoever feels pain in hearing a good character of his neighbour, will
feel a pleasure in the reverse. And of those who, despairing to rise
to distinction by their virtues, are happy if others can be depressed
to a level with themselves, there are a number sufficient in every
great town to maintain one of these courts by their subscription. A
shrewd observer once said, that in walking the streets of a slippery
morning, one might see where the good-natured people lived, by the
ashes thrown on the ice before the doors: probably he would have
formed a different conjecture of the temper of those whom he might
find engaged in such subscriptions.
_Of the Checks proper to be established against the Abuses of Power
in those Courts._
Hitherto there are none. But since so much has been written and
published on the federal constitution; and the necessity of checks,
in all other parts of good government, has been so clearly and
learnedly explained, I find myself so far enlightened as to suspect
some check may be proper in this part also: but I have been at a
loss to imagine any, that may not be construed an infringement of
the sacred liberty of the press. At length, however, I think I have
found one, that, instead of diminishing general liberty, shall
augment it; which is, by restoring to the people a species of liberty
of which they have been deprived by our laws, I mean the liberty of
the cudgel! In the rude state of society, prior to the existence
of laws, if one man gave another ill-language, the affronted person
might return it by a box on the ear; and if repeated, by a good
drubbing; and this without offending against any law: but now the
right of making such returns is denied, and they are punished as
breaches of the peace, while the right of abusing seems to remain in
full force; the laws made against it being rendered ineffectual by
the liberty of the press.
My proposal then is, to leave the liberty of the press untouched, to
be exercised in its full extent, force, and vigour, but to permit the
liberty of the cudgel to go with it, _pari passu_. Thus, my fellow
citizens, if an impudent writer attacks your reputation--dearer
perhaps to you than your life, and puts his name to the charge, you
may go to him as openly, and break his head. If he conceals himself
behind the printer, and you can nevertheless discover who he is, you
may, in like manner, way-lay him in the night, attack him behind, and
give him a good drubbing. If your adversary hires better writers than
himself to abuse you more effectually, you may hire brawny porters,
stronger than yourself, to assist you in giving him a more effectual
drubbing. Thus far goes my project, as to _private_ resentment and
retribution. But if the public should ever happen to be affronted, as
it ought to be, with the conduct of such writers, I would not advise
proceeding immediately to these extremities, but that we should in
moderation content ourselves with tarring and feathering, and tossing
them in a blanket.
If, however, it should be thought, that this proposal of mine may
disturb the public peace, I would then humbly recommend to our
legislators to take up the consideration of both liberties, that of
the press, and that of the cudgel; and by an explicit law mark their
extent and limits: and at the same time that they secure the person
of a citizen from assaults, they would likewise provide for the
security of his reputation.
FOOTNOTE:
[102] Ut supra, Vol. VI. p. 295. _Editor._
END OF VOLUME THE SECOND.
JAMES CUNDEE, PRINTER,
_Ivy-Lane, Paternoster-Row._
INDEX.
A.
_Accent_, or emphasis, wrong placing of, a fault in modern tunes, ii. 345.
_Accidents_ at sea, how to guard against, ii. 172.
_Adams_, Mr. Matthew, offers the use of his library to Franklin, i. 16.
_Addison_, Franklin an assiduous imitator of, in his youth, i. 13.
_Advice_ to youth in reading, ii. 378.
to emigrants to America, iii. 398.
to a crafty statesman, 430.
to a young tradesman, 463.
to a young married man, 477.
to players at chess, 490.
_Æpinus_, his hypothesis of magnetism, i. 412.
_Agriculture_ takes place of manufactures till a country is fully settled,
iii. 107.
the great business of America, 393.
_Air_, some of the properties of, ii. 226.
its properties with respect to electricity, i. 204.
properties of its particles, 205. ii. 1.
its currents over the globe, i. 207.
resists the electric fluid and confines it to bodies, 241.
its effects in electrical experiments, 253.
its elasticity not affected by electricity, 254.
its friction against trees, 270, 323.
has its share of electricity, 333.
its electricity denser above than below, 335.
in rooms, electrified positively and negatively, 353.
attracts water, ii. 1.
when saturated with water precipitates it, 2.
dissolves water, and, when dry, oil, 4.
why suffocating, when impregnated with oil or grease, _ibid._
supports water, 5, 46, 49.
why less heated in the higher regions than near the earth's surface,
6.
how it creates hurricanes, _ibid._
winds, 8.
whirlwinds, 10.
effects of heat upon, 50.
its effects on the barometer, 92.
condensed, supposed to form the centre of the earth, 119, 127.
noxious, corrected by vegetation, 129.
observations on the free use of, 213.
rare, no bad conductor of sound, 337.
fresh, beneficial effects of, in bed-rooms, iii. 495.
_Air-thermometer_, electrical, experiments with, i. 336.
_Albany_ plan of union, short account of, i. 127.
its singular fate, 129.
papers relating to, iii. 3.
motives on which formed, 4.
rejects partial unions, 6.
its president and grand council, 9.
election of members, 12.
place of first meeting, 13.
new election, _ibid._
proportion of members after three years, 15.
meetings of the grand council and call, 16.
allowance to members, 17.
power of president and his duty, 18.
treaties of peace and war, _ibid._
Indian trade and purchases, 19.
new settlements, 21.
military establishments, 23.
laws and taxes, 24, 26.
issuing of money, 25.
appointment of officers, 27.
rejected in England, 29.
_Almanack._ _See Poor Richard._
_Alphabet_, a new one proposed, ii. 357.
examples of writing in it, 360.
correspondence on its merits, 361.
_Amber_, electrical experiments on, i. 403.
_America_, North, air of, drier than that of England and France, ii. 140.
why marriages are more frequent there than in Europe, 385.
why labour will long continue dear there, _ibid._
argument against the union of the colonies of, under one government,
401.
state of toleration there, 457.
reflections on the scheme of imposing taxes on, without its consent,
iii. 30.
thoughts on the representation of, in the British parliament, 37.
interest of Great Britain with regard to, 39.
forts in the back settlements of, no security against France, 99.
wars carried on there against the French, not merely in the cause of
the colonies, 105.
preference of the colonies of, to the West Indian colonies, 113.
great navigable rivers of, favourable to inland trade, 118.
what commodities the inland parts of, are fitted to produce, 119.
the productions of, do not interfere with those of Britain, 123.
union of the colonies of, in a revolt against Britain, impossible but
from grievous oppression, 132.
reasons given for restraining paper-bills of credit there, 144.
intended scheme of a bank there, described, 155.
attempts of Franklin for conciliation of Britain with, 286.
feeling of, as to Britain, in May 1775, 346.
conciliation of Britain with, hopeless, 355.
account of the first campaign of the British forces against, 357.
application of, to foreign courts, for aid in its independence, 360.
credit of, with that of Britain, in 1777, compared, 372.
true description of the interest and policy of, 391.
information to those emigrating thither, 398.
terms on which land may be obtained for new settlements there, 409.
_Americans_, their prejudices for whatever is English, i. 144.
_Anchor_, a swimming one proposed, ii. 181, 185.
_Ancients_, their experimental learning too often slighted, ii. 146.
_Anecdote_ of Franklin's early spirit of enterprise, i. 11.
of a Swedish clergyman among the Indians, iii. 386.
of an Indian who went to church, 389.
_Animal_ food, Franklin's abstinence from, i. 20.
return to, 47.
humorous instance of abstinence from, 49.
heat, whence it arises, ii. 79, 125.
magnetism, detected and exposed, i. 150.
_Animalcules_, supposed to cause the luminous appearance of sea-water,
ii. 89.
_Animals_, how to kill them by electricity, i. 415.
_Antifederalists_ of America, comparison of, to the ancient Jews,
iii. 410.
_Apprentices_ easier placed out in America than in Europe, iii. 407.
indentures of, how made in America, 408.
_Argumentation_, bad effects of, as a habit, i. 17.
best method of, 22.
_Armies_, best means of supporting them, ii. 400.
_Armonica_, musical instrument so called, described, ii. 330.
manner of playing on it, 334.
_Asbestos_, specimen of, sold by Franklin to Sir Hans Sloane, i. 60.
letter relating to it, iii. 513.
_Astrology_, letter to the Busy-body on, iii. 448.
_Atmosphere_ sometimes denser above than below, ii. 6.
electrical, its properties, i. 294.
_Aurora borealis_ explained, i. 212.
conjectures respecting, 257, ii. 69.
query concerning, i. 293.
B.
_Badoin_, Mr. letters from, i. 314, 324.
_Ballads_, two, written by Franklin in his youth, i. 16.
_Balls_ of fire in the air, remark concerning, ii. 337.
_Barometer_, how acted on by air, ii. 92.
_Barrels_ for gunpowder, new sort proposed, i. 376.
_Bass_, unnecessary in some tunes, ii. 343.
_Bathing_ relieves thirst, ii. 104.
observations on, 211.
_Battery_, electrical, its construction, i. 193.
_Baxter_, Mr. observations on his enquiry into the nature of the soul,
ii. 110.
_Beccaria_, character of his book on electricity, i. 310.
_Beer_, not conducive to bodily strength, i. 62.
_Bells_, form in consecrating them at Paris, i. 384.
_Belly-ache_, dry, lead a cause of, ii. 220.
_Bermuda_, little thunder there, i. 216.
_Bermudian_ sloops, advantages of their construction, ii. 173.
_Bernoulli_, Mr. his plan for moving boats, ii. 179.
_Bevis_, Dr. draws electricity from the clouds, i. 429.
_Bible_, anecdote of its concealment in the reign of Mary, i. 7.
travestied by Dr. Brown, 31.
_Bills_ of mortality, reasonings, formed on those for capital cities,
not applicable to the country, ii. 383.
_Birth_, noble, no qualification in America, iii. 400.
_Bishops_, none in America, and why, ii. 456, 458.
_Black clothes_ heat more and dry sooner than white, ii. 108.
not fit for hot climates, 109.
_Blacksmith_, trade of, hereditary in Franklin's family, i. 4.
_Blindness_ occasioned both by lightning and electricity, i. 228.
_Boats_, difference of their sailing in shoal and deep water, ii. 160.
management of, best understood by savages, 176.
how rowed by the Chinese, 177.
methods of moving them by machinery, _ibid._
improvement of Mr. Bernoulli's plan for moving them, 179.
proposal for a new mode of moving them, _ibid._
double, advantage of, 173, 174.
one built by Sir W. Petty, _ibid._
_Bodies_, electrified negatively, repel each other, ii. 294.
effect of blunt, compared with pointed ones, i. 172, 223.
_Body_, human, specifically lighter than water, ii. 208.
political and human, compared, iii. 115.
_Boerhaave_, his opinion of the propagation of heat, ii. 58.
of steam from fermenting liquors, 59.
_Boiling_ water, experiments with, i. 332, 344, 345.
pot, bottom of, why cold, 387.
_Bolton_, Mr. experiment by, i. 346.
_Books_ read by Franklin in his youth, i. 15, 18, 20, 21.
_Boston_, the birth-place of Franklin, i. 8.
why quitted by him in his youth, 27,
its inhabitants decrease, ii. 210.
preface to proceedings of the town meeting of, iii. 317.
_Boyle's_ lectures, effect of, on Franklin, i. 79.
_Braddock_, general, defeat of, i. 131.
_Bradford_, printer at Philadelphia, i. 34, 102.
_Brass_, hot, yields unwholesome steams, ii. 249
_Brientnal_, Joseph, a member of the Junto club, i. 83.
_Brimstone_, when fluid, will conduct electricity, i. 256.
_Bristol waters_, an alledged fact concerning, ii. 95.
_Britain_, incapacity of, to supply the colonies with manufactures,
ii. 386.
_British empire_, an union of several states, iii. 310.
_Brown_, Dr. acquaintance of Franklin's, i. 30.
travestied the bible, 31.
_Bubbles_ on the surface of water, hypothesis respecting, ii. 48.
_Buchan_, earl of, letter to, on the price of land for new settlements
in America, iii. 409.
_Buildings_, what kind safest from lightning, i. 379.
_Bullion_, causes of its variation in price, iii. 153.
_Bunyan's_ Voyages, a book early read by Franklin, i. 15, 28.
_Bur_, cause of, round a hole struck through pasteboard, i. 280.
_Burnet_, governor, his attention to Franklin in his youth, i. 44.
_Busy-body_, essays under the title of, i. 86. iii. 422.
C.
_Cabinet-work_, veneered in England, shrinks and flies in America,
ii. 140.
_Cables_, why apt to part when weighing anchor in a swell, ii. 167.
this defect of, remedied, 168.
_Cabot_, Sebastian, his commission from Henry VII., iii. 348.
_Calvinism_, Franklin educated in the principles of, i. 79.
_Campaign_ in America, account of the first, iii. 357.
_Canals_, observations on their depth, ii. 159.
_Canada_, importance of, to England, i. 136.
visited by Franklin, 147.
its extent, iii. 20.
pamphlet on the importance of, 89.
easily peopled without draining Britain, 139.
_Cancers_, specific for, i. 260, 261.
_Candles_ lighted by electricity, i. 176.
distance at which the flame of, may be seen, ii. 90.
_Cann_, silver, a singular experiment on, i. 307.
_Canoes_ of the American Indians, their advantages, ii. 176.
_Canton_, Mr. John, experiments by, i. 286, 346.
draws electricity from the clouds, 428.
_Capitals_, their use in printing, ii. 352.
_Caribbees_, possession of, only a temporary benefit, iii. 142.
_Carolina_, South, see _Lightning_.
_Cavendish_, lord Charles, his electrical experiments, i. 348.
_Cayenne_ would be a great acquisition to Britain, iii. 140.
_Centre_ of the earth, hypothesis concerning, ii. 119, 127.
_Cessions_ from an enemy, on what grounds may be demanded, iii. 93.
_Chapel_, nickname for a printing house, i. 63.
_Character_, remarks on the delineation of, iii. 445.
_Charcoal-fires_, hurtful, ii. 235.
_Charging_ and discharging, in electricity, explained, i. 190.
a number of bottles at once, how done, _ibid._
_Charters_ of the colonies could not be altered by parliament, iii. 332.
_Chess_, morals of, iii. 488.
not an idle amusement, _ibid._
teaches various virtues, 489.
advice to those who play, 490.
too intense an application to, injurious, 500.
_Chimnies_, different kinds of, enumerated, ii. 228.
inconvenience of the old-fashioned ones, 229.
defect of more modern ones, 230.
have not long been in use in England, 277.
Staffordshire, described, 285.
have a draft of air up and down, 289.
may be used for keeping provisions in summer, 290.
may be of use to miners, 291.
funnels to, what the best, 292, 295.
method of contracting them, 317.
smoky. See _Smoky_.
_China_, provision made there against famine, ii. 407.
_Chinese_ wisely divide the holds of their vessels by partitions, ii. 171.
how they row their boats, 177.
their method of warming ground floors, 292.
improvement in this method suggested, 293.
their method of making large paper, 349.
_Circle_, magical, account of, ii. 327, 328.
_Cities_, spring water gradually deteriorates in, i. 163.
do not supply themselves with inhabitants, ii. 384.
_Clark_, Dr. of Boston, quoted, on the instigation of the American
Indians against the English, iii. 95, 100, 102.
_Clothes_, wet, may preserve from lightning, i. 213.
will relieve thirst, ii. 104.
do not give colds, _ibid._
imbibe heat according to their colour, 108.
white, most suitable for hot climates, _ibid._
_Clothing_ does not give, but preserves, warmth, ii. 81.
_Clouds_, at land and at sea, difference between, i. 207.
formed at sea, how brought to rain on land, 208.
driven against mountains, form springs and rivers, 209.
passing different ways, accounted for, 211.
electrical, attracted by trees, spires, &c. 213.
manner in which they become electrised, 257, 305.
are electrised sometimes negatively and sometimes positively, 274,
277, 284, 292.
electricity drawn from them, at Marly, 420.
by Mr. Cauton, 428.
by Dr. Bevis, 429,
by Mr. Wilson, _ibid._
how supported in air, ii. 5.
how formed, 7.
whether winds are generated or can be confined in them, 57.
have little more solidity than fogs, _ibid._
_Club_, called the Junto, instituted by Franklin, i. 82.
rules of, ii. 366, 369.
questions discussed in, 369.
_Coal_, sea, letter on the nature of, ii. 128.
_Cold_, why seemingly greater in metals than in wood, ii. 56, 77.
sensation of, how produced, 57.
only the absence of heat, 81.
produced by chemical mixtures, _ibid._
evaporation. See _Evaporation_.
_Colden_, Mr. his remarks on Abbé Nollet's letters, i. 430.
meteorological observations, ii. 51.
observations on water-spouts, 53.
_Colds_, causes of, ii. 214, 230.
_Coleman_, William, a member of the Junto club, i. 84, 89.
_Colica pictorum_, caused by lead, ii. 219.
_Collins_, John, an early friend of Franklin's, i. 17, 27, 41, 43, 44.
_Collinson_, Mr. some account of, iii. 514.
_Colonial_ governments in America of three kinds, iii. 50.
_Colonies_, the settlement of, does not diminish national numbers,
ii. 391.
their prosperity beneficial to the mother country, iii. 113.
are intitled to distinct governments, 303.
American, preferable to the West Indies, _ibid._
not dangerous to Britain, 132.
aids to government, how given by, 225, 226.
originally governed by the crown, independent of Parliament,
291.
not settled at the expence of Britain, 348.
_Colonists_ in America, double their number in 25 years, iii. 113.
from Britain, their rights, 299.
_Colours._ See _Clothes_.
_Comazants_, or corposants, are electrical appearances, i. 248.
_Commerce_, influence of, on the manners of a people, ii. 400.
is best encouraged by being left free, 415.
should not be prohibited in time of war, 417.
by inland carriage, how supported, iii. 116.
_Common-sense_, by Paine, Franklin supposed to have contributed to,
i. 148.
_Compass_, instances of its losing its virtue by lightning, i. 248.
how to remedy the want of, at sea, ii. 191.