Our American affairs wear a better aspect now than at any time heretofore. Our councils are perfectly united; our people all armed and disciplined. Much and frequent service as militia has indeed made them all soldiers. Our enemies are much diminished, and reduced to two or three garrisons; our commerce and agriculture flourish. England at length sees the difficulty of conquering us, and no longer demands submission, but asks for peace. She would now think herself happy to obtain a federal union with us, and will endeavour it; but perhaps will be disappointed, as it is the interest of all Europe to prevent it. I last year requested of congress to release me from this service, that I might spend the evening of life more agreeably in philosophic leisure; but I was refused. If I had succeeded, it was my intention to make the tour of Italy, with my grandson, pass into Germany, and spend some time happily with you, whom I have always loved, ever since I knew you, with uninterrupted affection. We have lost our common friend the excellent Pringle! How many pleasing hours you and I have passed together in his company! I must soon follow him, being now in my seventy-seventh year; but you have yet a prospect of many years of usefulness still before you, which I hope you will fully enjoy; and I am persuaded you will ever kindly remember your truly affectionate friend, B. FRANKLIN. To Miss Alexander. Passy, June 24, 1782. I AM not at all displeased that the thesis and dedication with which we were threatened are blown over, for I dislike much all sorts of mummery. The republic of letters has Sir John Pringle, Bart., born in Roxburghshire, in 1707, Physician to the Queen's household, afterwards to the King, and president of the Royal Society; died in 1782. He wrote “ Observations on the Diseases of Army,” &c. &c. .. gained no reputation, whatever else it may have gained, by the commerce of dedications; I never made one and never desired that one should be made to me. When I submitted to receive this, it was from the bad habit I have long had, of doing every thing that ladies desire me to do: there is no refusing any thing to madame la Marck, nor to you. I have been to pay my respects to that amiable lady, not merely because it was a compliment due to her, but because I love her; which induces me to excuse her not letting me in; the same reason I should have for excusing your faults if you had any. I have not seen your papa since the receipt of your pleasing letter, so could arrange nothing with him, respecting the carriage. During seven or eight days, I shall be very busy: after that you shall hear from me, and the carriage shall be at your service. How could you think of writing to me about chimneys and fires, in such weather as this! Now is the time for the frugal lady you mention to save her wood, obtain plus de chaleur, and lay it up against winter, as people do ice against summer. Frugality is an enriching virtue; a virtue I never could acquire in myself: but I was once lucky enough to find it in a wife, who thereby became a fortune to me. Do you possess it? If you do, and I were twenty years younger, I would give your father one thousand guineas for you. I know you would be worth more to me as a menagére, I am covetous and love good bargains. Adieu, my dear friend, and believe me ever, yours most affectionately, B. FRANKLIN. To Mr. Hutton.g Passy, July 7, 1782. MY OLD AND DEAR FRIEND, A LETTER written by you to M. Bertin, ministre d' etat, containing an account of the abominable murders com 6 JAMES HUTTON, son of Doctor Hutton, (who in the early part of his life had been a bookseller) was for many years secretary to the Society mitted by some of the frontier people on the poor Moravian Indians, has given me infinite pain and vexation. The dispensations of Providence in this world puzzle my weak reason; I cannot comprehend why cruel men should have been permitted thus to destroy their fellow-creatures. Some of the Indians may be supposed to have committed sins, but one cannot think the little children had committed any worthy of death. Why has a single man in England, who happens to love blood, and to hate Americans, been permitted to gratify that bad temper, by hiring German murderers, and joining them with his own, to destroy, in a continued course of bloody years, near 100,000 human creatures, many of them possess→ ed of useful talents, virtues, and abilities, to which he has no pretension! It is he who has furnished the savages with hatchets and scalping knives, and engages them to fall upon our defenceless farmers, and murder them with their wives and children, paying for their scalps, of which the account kept in America, already amounts, as I have heard, to near two thousand! Perhaps the people of the frontiers, exasperated by the cruelties of the Indians, have been induced to kill all Indians that fall into their hands without distinction: so that even these horrid murders of our poor Moravians may be laid to his charge. And yet this man lives, enjoys all the good things this world can afford, and is surrounded by flatterers, who keep even his conscience quiet, by telling him he is the best of Princes! I wonder this, but I cannot therefore part with the comfortable belief of a divine providence; and the more I see the impossibility, from the number and extent of Moravians. He died April 25, 1795, in his 80th year, at Oxstead Cottage, Surrey; and was buried in the Moravian cemetry at Chelsea. He was a well known character, and very generally esteemed. He was a faithful brother of the Moravian fraternity fifty-five years; the latter part of his life was spent literally in going about doing good, and his charities were confined to no sect. of his crimes, of giving equivalent punishment to a wicked man in this life, the more I am convinced of a future state, in which all that here appears to be wrong shall be set right, all that is crooked made straight. In this faith let you and I, my dear friend, comfort ourselves; it is the only comfort in the present dark scene of things that is allowed us. I shall not fail to write to the government of America, urging that effectual care may be taken to protect and save the remainder of those unhappy people. Since writing the above, I have received a Philadelphia paper, containing some account of the same horrid transaction, a little different, and some circumstances alleged as excuses or palliations, but extremely weak and insufficient. I send it to you inclosed. With great and sincere esteem, I am ever, my dear friend yours most affectionately. B. FRANKLIN. To Sir Joseph Banks, President of the Royal Society London. Passy, Sept. 9, 1782. DEAR SIR, I HAVE just received the very kind, friendly letter, you were so good as to write to me by Dr. Broussonnet. Be assured that I long earnestly for a return of those peaceful times, when I could sit down in sweet society with my English philosophical friends, communicating to each other new discoveries, and proposing improvements of old ones; all tending to extend the power of man over matter, avert or diminish the evils he is subject to, or augment the number of his enjoyments. Much more happy should I be thus employed in your most desirable company, than in that of all the grandees of the earth projecting plans of mischief, however necessary they may be supposed for obtaining greater good. I am glad to learn by the doctor that your great work goes on. I admire your magnanimity in the undertaking, and the perseverance with which you have prosecuted it. I join with you most perfectly in the charming wish you so well express, "that such measures may be taken by both parties as may tend to the elevation of both, rather than the destruction of either." If any thing has happened endangering one of them, my comfort is, that I endeavoured earnestly to prevent it, and gave honest, faithful advice, which, if it had been regarded, would have been effectual. And still if proper means are used to produce, not only a peace, but what is much more interesting, a thorough reconciliation; a few years may heal the wounds that have been made in our happiness, and produce a degree of prosperity of which at present we can hardly form a conception. With great and sincere esteem, and respect, I am, dear sir, your most obedient, and most humble servant, B. FRANKLIN. To Mr. F. Hopkinson, Philadelphia. Passy, Dec. 24, 1712. I THANK you for your ingenious paper in favour of the trees. I own I now wish we had two rows of them in every one of our streets. The comfortable shelter they would afford us when walking, from our burning summer suns, and the greater coolness of our walls and pavements, would, I conceive, in the improved health of the inhabitants, amply compensate the loss of a house now and then by fire, if such should be the consequence: but a tree is soon felled; and as axes are at hand in every neighbourhood, may be down before the engines arrive. You do well to avoid being concerned in the pieces of personal abuse, so scandalously common in our newspapers, that I am afraid to lend any of them here, 'till I have examined and laid aside such as would disgrace us; and subject us among strangers to a reflection like that used by a gentleman in a coffee-house to two quarrellers, who after a mutually free use of the words, rogue, villain, rascal, scoundrel, &c. seemed as if they would refer their dispute to him: I know |