94 Choate: Franklin 



of the world of human affairs, have made him at once 

 the model and the despair of all later diplomatists. 



And, finally, how transcendently fortunate were his 

 last years! Returning at last, honored of all men, to his 

 dear old home in Philadelphia, broken in health by the 

 exhaustive labors of his eighth decade, but yet with 

 strength and courage sufficient to serve his fellow citizens 

 of Pennsylvania as their president and, already in his 

 ninth decade, to take an active part in the Convention 

 that formed the Constitution of the United States, sitting 

 five hours a day there for four summer months, taking 

 a potential part in their debates, too weak and ill to 

 stand and deliver his speeches but writing them out care- 

 fully for others to read for him, and contributing the 

 ripe fruits of his wisdom and patriotism to the great 

 result. 



When that great compact of compromises and conces- 

 sions was finished, it suited no member of the Convention 

 exactly, so much had each yielded of his own opinions 

 to meet the views of the rest. But Franklin, the father 

 of them all, led the way in insisting upon the unanimous 

 and unconditional signature of all the delegates to the 

 matchless instrument of government. 



'' I consent, sir," he said, " to this Constitution because 

 I expect no better, and because I am not sure that it 

 is not the best. The opinions I have had of its errors I 

 sacrifice to the public good. I have never whispered a 



