CHAPTER II. His Reception in America-His Son's Marriage, and appointment as Governor of New Jersey-Tour through the Colonies as Postmaster-GeneralInsurrection of the Indians-Drafts a Militia Bill-Its Rejection by the Governor-Drafts a Petition to the Throne for a Change of GovernorIs Defeated for the Assembly-Sent to England again as Agent of the Colony of Pennsylvania-Parting Advice to his Daughter. To Mr Whiteford, dated Philadelphia, 7 Dec., 1762. 1762-1764. I THANK you for your kind congratulations on my son's promotion and marriage.* If he makes a good governor and husband, (as I hope he will, for I know he has good principles and a good disposition,) these events will both of them give me continual pleasure. Dr. Franklin sailed for America towards the end of August, 1762, but did not reach Philadelphia until the 1st of November of that year, and after an absence from his country of five years. A few days before sailing, his son William was named Governor of New Jersey; and very shortly after, somewhat to the father's disappointment we may infer from his last letter to Miss Stevenson, the governor married a young West Indian girl by the name of Dowes. As William had personally no pretensions to an appointment of such dignity, it is not easy to misunderstand the motives of the ministry in making it. The differences between the mother country and the colonies had already assumed such importance as to make it desirable to detach a man of Franklin's influence from the colonial party. The effort to induce The taking of the Havana, on which I congratulate you, is a conquest of the greatest importance, and will doubtless contribute a due share of weight in procuring us reasonable terms of peace. It has been, however, the dearest conquest, by far, that we have made this war, when we consider the terrible havoc made by sickness in that brave army of veterans, now almost totally ruined. To Mrs. Cath dated Phila delphia, 23 Jan., 1763. Mrs. I received with great pleasure my dear erine Greene, friend's favor of December 20th, as it informed me that you and yours are all well. Franklin admits of your apology for dropping the correspondence with her, and allows your reasons to be good; but hopes, when you have more leisure, it may be resumed. She joins with me in congratulating you on your present happy situation. I thank you for your kind invitation. I purpose a journey into New England in the spring or summer coming. I shall not fail to pay my respects to you and Mr. Greene, when I come your way. Please to make my compliments acceptable to him. him to bring his family to England and settle there having failed, the blandishments of patronage were essayed, with what expectations may be inferred from the following paragraph in a letter from Thomas Penn, one of the proprietaries, to Governor Hamilton: "I am told you will find Mr. Franklin more tractable, and I believe we shall, in matters of prerogative; as his son must obey instructions, and what he is ordered to do the father cannot well oppose in Pennsylvania." The artifice had its perfect work upon the son, who, to the infinite chagrin of the father, from that time forth became the servile instrument of the ministry, and in the due course of events a pensioned refugee in London. The ministers were not long in discovering that their compliments had been wasted upon the doctor, whose zeal and vigilance in maintaining the rights of the colonies increased with every new provocation.-ED. Formerly Miss Catherine Ray, married to Mr. William Greene, afterwards Governor of Rhode Island.—ED. I have had a most agreeable time of it in Europe. I have, in company with my son, been in most parts of England, Scotland, Flanders, and Holland; and generally have enjoyed a good share of health. If you had asked the rest of your questions, I could more easily have made this letter longer. Let me have them in your next. I think I am not much altered; at least my esteem and regard for my Katy (if I may still be permitted to call her so) is the same, and I believe will be unalterable, whilst I am, &c. 2 To Lord You require my history from the time I set Kames, dated sail for America. I left England about the end London, June, 1765.* of August, 1762, in company with ten sail of merchant ships, under a convoy of a man-of-war.† We had a pleasant passage to Madeira, where we were kindly received and entertained; our nation being then in high honor with the Portuguese, on account of the protection we were then affording them against the united invasions of France and Spain. It is a fertile island, and the different heights and situations among its mountains afford such temperaments of air, that all the fruits of northern and southern countries are produced there; corn, grapes, apples, peaches, oranges, lemons, plantains, bananas, &c. Here we furnished ourselves with fresh provisions, and refreshments of all kinds; and, after a few days, proceeded on our voyage, running southward until we got into the trade winds, and then with them westward, till we drew near the coast of America. The weather was so favorable, that there were * This letter, written after Franklin's return to London, is given here for the sake of its recapitulation of his experiences during his absence from England.-ED. † England was then at war with France.-ED. 437 few days in which we could not visit from ship to ship, dining with each other, and on board of the man-of-war; which made the time pass agreeably, much more so than when one goes in a single ship; for this was like travelling in a moving village, with all one's neighbors about one. On the 1st of November, I arrived safe and well at my own home, after an absence of near six years, found my wife and daughter well; the latter grown quite a woman, with, many amiable accomplishments acquired in my absence; and my friends as hearty and affectionate as ever, with whom my house was filled for many days, to congratulate me on my return. I had been chosen yearly during my absence to represent the city of Philadelphia in our provincial Assembly; and, on my appearance in the House, they voted me three thousand pounds sterling for my services in England, and their thanks, delivered by the Speaker. In February following, my son arrived with my new daughter; for, with my consent and approbation, he* married soon after I left England a very agreeable West India lady, with whom he is very happy. I accompanied him to his government, where he met with the kindest reception from the people of all ranks, and has lived with them ever since in the greatest harmony. A river only parts that province and ours, and his residence is within seventeen miles of me, so that we frequently see each other. In the spring of 1763, I set out on a tour through all the northern Colonies to inspect and regulate the post-offices in the several provinces. In this journey I spent the summer, travelled about sixteen hundred miles, and did not get *This apparently superfluous statement is made doubtless to explain his absence from a ceremony which took place only a few days after he left England.-ED. home till the beginning of November. The Assembly sitting through the following winter, and warm disputes arising between them and the governor, I became wholly engaged in public affairs; for, besides my duty as an Assemblyman, I had another trust to execute, that of being one of the commissioners appointed by law to dispose of the public money appropriated to the raising and paying an army to act against the Indians, and defend the frontiers. And then, in December, we had two insurrections of the back inhabitants of our province, by whom twenty poor Indians were murdered, that had, from the first settlement of the province, lived among us, under the protection of our government. This gave me a good deal of employment; for, as the rioters threatened further mischief, and their actions seemed to be approved by an ever-acting party, I wrote a pamphlet entitled "A Narrative, &c." (which I think I sent to you) to strengthen the hands of our weak government, by rendering the proceedings of the rioters. unpopular and odious. This had a good effect; and afterwards, when a great body of them with arms marched towards the capital, in defiance of the government, with an avowed resolution to put to death one hundred and forty Indian converts then under its protection, I formed an Association at the governor's request, for his and their defence, we having no militia. Near one thousand of the citizens accordingly took arms; Governor Penn made my house for some time his head-quarters, and did every thing by my advice; so that, for about forty-eight hours, I was a very great man; as I had been once some years before, in a time of public danger.* *This is a reference to the defeat of General Braddock by the French, at the battle of Monongahela. See ante, p. 323 et seq.—ED. |