FRANKLIN. 
Politics continued to be a great obje6t of his attention, 
as it can fcarcely fail to be of every public-fpirited man 
in a popular government. In 1747 he was eleited a re- 
prefentative of the city of Philadelphia to the general 
afTembly of the province. At that time a contett fiib- 
tifled between the afTembly and the proprietaries, ch.iefly 
with refpeft to the claim of the latter to have their pro¬ 
perty exempted from the public burthens. Th.e principles 
of Franklin in favour of equality of rights led him to take 
the popular lide of the queflion ; and he obtained fuch 
an influence, that he was regarded as the head of the party 
in oppolition to the governors, who were always in the 
proprietary interefl. Tliis influence did not arife from 
liis eloquence, for lie fpoke feldom, and never in the way 
of harangue. But his (hrewd obfervation.', and plain 
good fenfe, often difconcerted the mod elabora_te fpeeches 
on the other Tide, and decided the queflion. 
Senfible of the gieat importance of liberal education 
in the members of a free Rate, he drew up a plan for an 
academy to be founded in Philadelphia, fuited to the date 
of an infant country, yet providing for that future exten- 
fion which might be necelTary when tlie country itfelf 
fliould have attained that advancement, to which his pro¬ 
phetic eye was always diredled. His plan was carried 
into efledl in the beginning of 1750 by means of a fub- 
fcription, to which ilte proprietors were afterwards libe¬ 
ral contributors. He himfelf took great interefl in the 
rifing inftitution, and vigilantly watched over its progrefs. 
He was alfo greatly inftrumental towards the foundation 
of the Philadelphia hofpital. The ability and pumSluality 
he had difplayed in his office of poftmafler caufed him, 
in 1753, to be railed to the important employ of deputy 
poflmader-general for the BrltUh colonies; and the re¬ 
venue foon felt the benefit of his attentions. In 1754, 
w hen tlie depredations of the Indians upon the frontiers 
had excited , Tiich an alarm through the colonies, that 
commidioners from a number of them held a meeting at 
Albany for the purpofe of a defenfive union, Franklin 
attended with the plan of a general government in the 
colonies for this purpofe, to be adminidered by a prefident 
nominated by the crown ; and by a grand council chofen 
from the reprefentatives of each colony, veded with ex- 
tenfive powers. This plan was unanitnoudy agreed to by 
the conimiffioners piefent, and copies of it were tranf- 
miited to each afTembly, and to the privy council in Eng. 
land. It was, however, finally rejected, and that upon 
fingular grounds. The Englilh miniflry thought it gave 
too much power to the reprefentatives of the people ; 
while each alTeinbly objefted to it as augmenting the au¬ 
thority of the crown. Thefe contradi6lory objedlions 
were, perhaps, good evidences of the w ifdom and mode¬ 
ration of the plan. When the expedition of general 
Braddock, *. 1755, to difpoflefs the Trenclr of fome of 
their encroachments, was in preparation, a difficulty arofe 
from the want of waggons. Franklin dept forward to 
obviate it, and in a fliort time procured one hundred and 
fifty. The unfortunate id'ue of this expedition having 
caiifed their dedruclion, he was in danger of a ruinous 
lofs on this account, but was relieved from his obligations 
by the interference of the governor. He was afterwards 
indrumental in forming a militia bill ; and he was ap¬ 
pointed colonel of the Philadelphia regiment of twelve 
hundred men, and took a diare in providing for the de¬ 
fence of the north-wedern frontier. The militia was 
however focn difbanded by orders from England ; and 
Franklin, in 1737, lailed for London, in the capacity of 
9gent for Pennfylvania, the afTembly of which was in- 
volvjed in warm difputes with the proprietary. After 
feveral debates before the privy council, it was agreed 
that the proprietary lands diould take their fhare in a tax 
for the public fervice, provided that Franklin would en¬ 
gage that the aflediuent diould be fairly proportioned. 
The meafure was accordingly carried into ed'eit. He re¬ 
mained at the Britifh court as ag^nt for his province ; 
and his reputation caufed him alfo to be entruded with 
VoL. Vin. No. 480. 
IB 
the like commidion from MafTachudets, Maryland, and 
Georgia. The continual moledation received by the 
Britidi colonies from the French in Canada induced him 
to write a forcible pamphlet, pointing out the advantages 
of a conqued of that province by the Englifli. The fub- 
fequent expedition againd it, and its retention under the 
Britifh government at the peace, were probably much 
iiiduenced by his reafonings. His pliilofophical merit 
was now duly recognifed iu Europe., He was received 
into the royal fociety of London, and into other feientific 
focieties on the continent ; and the degree of do6lor of 
laws was conferred upon him at St. Andrevv’s, Edin¬ 
burgh, and Oxford. Amidd his political avocations, he 
found time to cultivate experimental pliilofopliy, and to 
entertain correfpondences with many perfons of eminence. 
In 1762 he returned to Aniei ica, and was welcomed by 
the thanks of the alTembly of Pennfylvania fur his fer- 
vices, which alfo received a handfome pecuniary recom- 
pence. He refumed his feat in that body, to which he 
had been annually elected during his abfence, and conti¬ 
nued to didinguifh himfelf as a friend to the caufe of the 
people. The part he look againd the proprietary inte- 
red occafioned the lofs of his eleftion in 1764; but fo 
powerful were his friends in tlie alTembly, Wat he '.vas 
immediately re-appointed agent for the province, and in 
confequence again vifited England, T his was at the pe¬ 
riod when the danip aft excited fnch commotions in 
America; and Dr. Franklin was called to the bar of the 
houfe of commons to give evidence refpe6ling the dilpo- 
fiiion of the people to fubmit to it. The lirength and 
clearnefs of his reprefentations had a material eftecl in 
producing the repeal of that obnoxious meaftire. In 
1766 and S767 he paid vifits to Holland, Germany, and 
France, in which countries he alfo met v/ith a didiii- 
guidied reception. Soon after the year 1775 he returned 
to America, and was defied by the legiflature of Penn¬ 
fylvania a delegate to congrefs. 
On the arrival of lord Howe in America, in 1776, he 
entered upon a correfpondence with him on the fubjeft 
of reconciliation. One of his letters firongly exprelTes 
his opinion of the temper of the Britifli nation, to which, 
and not to any particular defigns of the court or miniflry, 
he imputed the fatal extremity then reforted to. He 
was afterwards appointed with two others to wait upon 
the Englifli comniifiioners, and learn the extent ot their 
powers ;'and as thefe only went to the granting pardon 
upon fubniilTion, he joined his colleagues in confidering 
them as infufficient. When the queflion of a declaration 
of independence was agitated, he was decidedly in its 
favour, and contributed much to bring over the public 
to the fame fentiments. He afterwards fat as prefident 
of the convention alTembled for the purpofe of eftablifli- 
ing a new government for the flate of Pennfylvania. On 
this occafion his idea of the bell form of a conflitution 
feenied to be'that of a Tingle legiflative and a plural ex¬ 
ecutive. When it was thought advifable by the con¬ 
grefs to open a negociation with France, Dr. Franklin 
was fixed upon as one of the relidents at that court. 
The choice was judicious, both on account of his poli¬ 
tical abilities, and the high charadter he fuflained as a 
philofopher, which fecured him refpeft in a country 
where feientific reputation always bore a peculiar value. 
He brought to eftedl the treaty of alliance offenfive and 
defenfive in 1778, which produced an immediate war be¬ 
tween France and England. He was alfo highly fer- 
viceable to his country in keeping up its credit by his 
publications and perfonal influence. He was one of the 
commiflioners who, on the part of the United States, 
figned the provifional articles of peace in 1782, and the 
definitive treaty in 1783. Before he left Europe, he 
concluded a treaty with Sw'eden, and witli Pruflia. In 
the latter are feveral moll liberal and humane ftipula- 
lions in favour of the freedom of commerce, and the fe- 
curity of private prpperty during war, conformable to 
the principles he always maintained oh thofe fubjedts. 
E He 
