The Compleated Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin (1757-1790)

by Benjamin Franklin

  What was the consequence of this monstrous pride and insolence? They first sent us small armies to subdue us, believing them more than sufficient, but soon found themselves obliged to send greater; these, whenever they ventured to penetrate our country beyond the protection of their ships, were either repulsed and obliged to scamper out, or were surrounded, beaten, and taken prisoners. An American planter who had never seen Europe was chosen by us to command our troops and continu’d during the whole war. This man sent home to England, one after another, five of their best generals, baffled, their heads bare of laurels, disgraced even in the opinion of their employers.

  But I am not vain enough to ascribe our success to superiority in any of those points. I am too well acquainted with all the springs and levers of our machine, not to see that our human means were unequal to our undertaking, and that if it had not been for the justice of our cause, and the consequent interposition of Providence in which we had faith, we must have been ruined. If I had ever before been an atheist, I should now have been convinced of the being and government of a Deity. It is He who abases the proud and favours the humble! May we never forget his goodness to us, and may our future conduct manifest our gratitude.

  England had lost by this mad war, but what is more, it had lost the esteem, respect, friendship and affection of all that great and growing people, who considered it at present as the worst and wickedest nation upon earth.

  TO THOSE TRAVELLING TO AMERICA

  A multitude of people were continually applying to me, personally and by letters, for information respecting the means of transporting themselves, families and fortunes to America. To answer this, I wrote a little essay called Information to those who would remove to America. For a man to expatriate himself is a serious business, and should be well considered, especially where the distance is so great, and the expense of removing thither with his family, and of returning if the country should not suit him, will be so heavy. Our country is open, and strangers may establish themselves in America, where they soon become citizens and are respected according to their conduct. The only encouragements we hold out to strangers are a good climate, fertile soil, good pay for labour, kind neighbours, good laws, liberty, and a hearty welcome. The rest depends on a man’s own industry and virtue. Lands are cheap, but they must be bought. All settlements are undertaken at private expense: the public contributes nothing but defense and justice.

  Mr. Strahan argued that the emigration of Englishmen to America should be discouraged. In my essay on population,121 I have proved, I think, that immigration does not diminish but multiplies a nation. Every man who comes among us and takes up a piece of land becomes a citizen, and by our Constitution has a voice in elections and a share in the government of the country. It is a fact that the Irish immigrants and their children are now in possession of the government of Pennsylvania, by their majority in the Assembly, as well as a great part of the territory; and I remember well the first ship that brought them over.

  OUR COUNTRY AFFORDS A GOOD CLIMATE, GOOD LAWS, AND CHEAP GOVERNMENT

  There is no doubt but that a body of sober, industrious and ingenious artisans, men of honest and religious principles, would be a valuable acquisition to any country; and I am certain they would meet with a kind and friendly reception in Pennsylvania and be put into possession of all rights and privileges of free citizens: But neither that government, nor any other in America that I know of, has ever been at any public expense to augment the number of its inhabitants. All who are establish’d there have come at their own charge. The country affords to strangers fine wholesome air, plenty of provisions, just and cheap government, with all the liberties, civil and religious, that reasonable men can wish for. These inducements are so great and the number of people in all the nations of Europe who wish to partake of them is so considerable that if the States were to undertake transporting people at the expense of the public, no revenues that they have would be sufficient. Men are not forc’d there into the public service.

  Mr. Ingenhousz wrote me about possible employments by commercial people and artists in America. I replied that I had been so little in America in 25 years that I was unqualified to answer. A new set of merchants had grown up into business, of whom I knew little; and the circumstances of the old ones whom I formerly knew had been much altered by time or by the war. My best advice to these commercial people was to send over a discreet, intelligent person with instructions to travel thro’ the country, observe the nature of commerce, and in what quantities and proportions; and what of the produce of the country could be purchased to make advantageous returns.

  I was asked about employment in statuary, which I hardly thought worthwhile at the present. The public, burden’d by its war-debts, would certainly think of paying those before going to the expense of marble monuments. A sculptor might indeed be easily paid in land, but land will produce him nothing without labour; and he and his workmen must subsist while they fashion their figures. Private persons are not rich enough to encourage sufficiently the fine arts; and therefore, our geniuses all go to Europe. In England at present the best history-painter is West; the best portrait-painter is Copley; and the best landscape-painter is Taylor at Bath. All are Americans. After a few years, such an artist may find employment in America, and possibly we may discover a white marble a little easier to work than that we have at present, which tho’ it bears a fine polish, is reckon’d too hard.

  The cultivators of land are made up of a respectable part of our people in Pennsylvania, being generally proprietors of the land they cultivate, out of whom are chosen the majority of our magistrates, legislators, &c. A year’s residence gives a stranger all the rights of a citizen. I am not much acquainted with country affairs, having been always an inhabitant of cities; but I imagine a good plantation of two or three hundred acres in the hands of a man who understands agriculture and will attend to it, is capable of furnishing subsistence to his family. The law is also an honourable profession with us, and more profitable than agriculture; and if acquainted with English common law, which is the basis of ours, a man might be admitted to practice immediately, and would find but little difficulty in acquiring a knowledge of our few additions to, or variations of that law. I have known in my time several considerable estates made by that profession. But the study is dry and labourious and long, that is requisite to arrive at eminence; and a man must consider whether he has the habits of application, industry and perseverance that are necessary.

  THE BOOK OF STATE CONSTITUTIONS IN FRENCH

  The extravagant misrepresentations of our political state in foreign countries made it appear necessary to give our foreign friends better information, which I thought could not be more effectually and authentically done than by publishing a translation into French, now the most general language in Europe, of the book of constitutions of individual states which had been printed by order of Congress. This I accordingly did and presented two copies, handsomely bound, to every foreign minister in Paris, one for himself, the other more elegant for his sovereign. It was well taken, and afforded a matter of surprise to many who had conceived mean ideas of the state of civilization in America, and could not have expected so much political knowledge and sagacity had existed in our wilderness. From all parts I had the satisfaction to hear that our constitutions in general were much admired. I believe that the disbursement of these numerous copies would promote the emigration to our country of substantial people from all parts of Europe and facilitate treaties with foreign courts.

  IN AMERICA, PEOPLE DO NOT INQUIRE WHAT IS HE? BUT WHAT CAN HE DO?

  I wrote my daughter and Mr. Bache about the letters of recommendation I troubled them with from time to time. I was frequently solicited for letters of recommendations by friends whom I could not refuse, tho’ I believe they did not always know well the persons they solicited for. I warned them, “When I recommend a person simply to your civilities and counsels, I mean no more than that you should give him a dinner or two, and your best advic
e if he asks it; but by no means that you should lend him money.” For many I believe went to America with very little, and with such romantic schemes and expectations as must end in disappointment and poverty. I dissuaded all I could who had not some useful trade or art by which they might get a living; but there were many in Europe who hoped for offices and public employments, who valued themselves and expected to be valued by us for their birth or quality, tho’ I told them those bear no price in our markets. In America, people do not inquire concerning a stranger, What is he? but What can he do?

  It is incredible the quantity of good that may be done in a country by a single man who will make a business of it, and not suffer himself to be diverted from that purpose by different avocations, studies or amusements. There are two opinions prevalent in Europe, which have mischievous effects in diminishing national felicity; the one, that useful labour is dishonourable; the other that families may be perpetuated with estates. In America we have neither of these prejudices, which is a great advantage to us. It is mathematically demonstrable to be an impossibility under the present rules of law and religion to perpetuate an estate, since, tho’ the estate may remain entire, the family is continually dividing. A man’s son is but half of his family, his grandson but a fourth, his great grandson but an eighth, the next but a sixteenth of his family and, by the same progression, in only nine generations the present proprietor’s part in the then possession of the estate will be but a 512TH, supposing the fidelity of all the succeeding wives equally certain with that of those now existing: Too small a portion to be anxious about, or to oppose a legal liberty of breaking entails and dividing estates, which would continue so much to the prosperity of the country.

  THE MARRIED STATE IS, AFTER ALL OUR JOKES, THE HAPPIEST. . . .

  I received an account of the family of my friend John Sargent, which I found pleasing except that his eldest son had continu’d so long unmarried. I told him that I hoped he did not intent to live and die in celibacy. The wheel of life that has roll’d down to him from Adam without interruption should not stop with him. I would not have one dead unbearing branch in the genealogical tree of the Sargents. The married state is, after all our jokes, the happiest, being comfortable to our natures. Man and woman have each of them qualities and tempers in which the other is deficient, and which in union contribute to the common felicity. Single and separate they are not the compleat human being; they are like the odd halves of scissors; they cannot answer the end of their formation.122

  THE DEATH OF MRS. STEVENSON

  The departure of my dearest friend Mrs. Margaret Stevenson, which I learned from a letter from her daughter Polly, greatly affected me. To meet with her once more in this life was one of the principal motives of my proposing to visit England again before my return to America. It had been a full quarter of a century, since 1757, that I was first acquainted with Mrs. Stevenson and her daughter. Twenty five years seems like a long period; but in looking back, how short! During the greatest part of the time I lived in the same house with my dear deceased friend, I saw and convers’d with her and Polly much and often. It is all to honours that in all that time we never had among us the smallest misunderstanding. Our friendship was all clear sunshine, without any the least cloud in its hemisphere.

  I received a kind letter of thanks from Polly on her visit to Passy following her mother’s death. Because of her visit, I pass’d a long winter in a manner that made it appear the shortest of any I ever pass’d. Such is the effect of pleasing society with friends one loves. M. le Veillard in particular told me at different times what indeed I have known long since, C’est une bien digne femme, cette Madame Hewson; une tres aimable femme.

  That year also carried off my friends Dr. Pringle and Dr. Fothergill, and Lord Kames and Lord le Despencer. Thus the ties I once had to that country, and indeed to the world in general, loosened one by one, and as time passes I shall have no attachment left to make me unwilling to follow. To those remaining old friends, I say, the fewer we become, the more let us love one another.

  I DETERMINED TO GIVE HIM A TRADE

  Then, being inform’d that my grandson, Benny, had been ill of a fever, and that he was dejected and pin’d at being so long absent from his relations, his having been four years at school at Geneva, I sent for him to come to me during the vacation of the schools. He accordingly came to Passy, where I found him well grown, and much improv’d in his learning and behaviour. He could translate common Latin readily into French; but his English had suffer’d for want of use, tho’ he readily recovered it. I had intended to send him to England to continue his education, and engag’d Mr. Jay to take him over in his company: But when it came to be propos’d to him, he show’d such an unwillingness to leave me, and Temple such a fondness for retaining him, that I concluded to keep him till I should go over myself. He behaved very well and we loved him very much.

  Benny being a very sensible and good lad, I had thoughts of bringing him up under his cousin, Jonathan Williams, and fitting him for public business, thinking he might be of service hereafter to his country; but being now convinc’d that service is no inheritance, as the proverb says, I determin’d to give him a trade that he may have something to depend on, and not be oblig’d to ask favours of offices of anybody. And I flattered myself that Benny would make his good in the world with God’s blessing. He had already begun to learn his business, a printer and a letter-founder, from masters who came to my house, and was very diligent in working and quick to learn.

  THE TREATIES WERE MET WITH GREAT DELAYS

  The definitive treaties were met with great delays, partly by the tardiness of the Dutch, but principally by the distractions in the court of England, where for some time there was no proper ministry nor any business effected. In March, the English court was in confusion by another change of ministry; Lord Shelburne and his friends resigned, and Lord North and Mr. Fox were being reconcil’d!! It was said that Mr. Oswald, who signed the preliminaries, would not return, but that Mr. David Hartley would come to France in his stead, to settle the definitive treaty. As Mr. Hartley was an old friend of mine and a strong lover of peace, I did not expect much difficulty with him. Mr. Laurens left for Bath to mend his health, while Messrs. Jay and Adams continued in Paris.

  We were also totally in the dark, having not had a line from Congress in six months, as to their opinion of the preliminary articles of the peace, which we sent by Capt. Barney in the Washington, which sail’d from L’Orient the 17TH of January 1783, and carried with our dispatches a large sum of money. These occasional interruptions of correspondence were the inevitable consequences of a state of war and of such remote situations. At length, Capt. Barney returned to France and brought dispatches for us, with the preliminary articles ratified by the Congress.

  SEEKING FURTHER AID FROM FRANCE

  I also received the resolutions of Congress empowering me to borrow another twenty million livres from France. Considering the enormous expense this extensive war had occasion’d France, I had hoped to avoid the necessity of repeating the original request of Congress for a large sum; with this view I had many consultations and considered various schemes with our banker Mr. Grand for procuring money elsewhere. As none of those schemes proved practicable, I was constrained to request at least six millions more to be added.

  The finances in France were an embarrassment, and a new loan was proposed by way of lottery, which, by some calculators, the King paid at the rate of 7 percent. The government was obliged to stop payment for a year of its own bills of exchange drawn in America and the East Indies; yet it advanced six millions to save the credit of ours. The contract showed fresh marks of the King’s kindness toward us in giving us so long a term for payment, and forgiving the first year’s interest. It was impossible for me to obtain more.

  The late failure of payment in the Caisse d’Escompte, an institution similar to the Bank of England, occasioned partly by its having gone too far in assisting the French government, and the inability of the go
vernment to support their credit, tho’ extremely desirous of doing it, was fresh proof that our not obtaining another loan was not by want of good will to assist us, as some unjustly supposed, but by a real want of the means. Money was at the time unaccountably scarce in France. The government proposed a second lottery to borrow 24 millions, and the Caisse d’Escompte continued on again with its operation, but it paid interest by the lottery plan of nearly 7 percent.

  Events at length should have convinced our people of the truth of what I long since wrote to them, that the foundation of credit abroad must be laid at home. Nothing could recover our credit in Europe and our reputation in its courts but an immediate proof of our honesty and prudence by a general provision in all the states for the punctual payment of the interest and the final regular discharge of the principal. I saw that some states opposed a measure in Congress to discharge the national debt, which had very mischievous effects in France; it discouraged a loan going on in Holland, and thereby occasioned a protest of some of Mr. Morris’s bills. Mr. Grand, however, advanc’d funds for me and the other commissioners, tho’ at his own risk, being without orders.