your moderation appears in it, since the nat-
ural affectiqn ofa parent has not induced you to
exaggerate his virtues. I shall always mourn
his loss with you, a loss not easily made up to his
country.
How differently constituted was his noble and
generous mind from that of the miserable cal-
umniators you mention !
merit in himself, he was not jealous of the ap-
pearance of merit in others, but did justice to
their characters with as much pleasure, as these
people do injury : It is now near two years
since your friendship induced you to acquaint
me with some of their accusations. 1 guessed
easily at the quarter from whence they came :
to disturb public operations, by private resent-
ment or contentions, | passed them over in si-
lence, and have not till within these few days
Informed that the practice of abusing me con-
tinues, and that some heavy charges are lately
made against me, respecting my conduct in the
treaty, written from Paris, and propagated a-
mongst you, | have demanded of all my col-
leagues that they do me justice, and I have no
doubt of receiving it from each of them. I did
not think it necessary to justify myself to you,
by answering the calumnies you mentioned. 1
knew you did not believe them. It was impos-
sible that I should, at this distance, combine
with any body to urge the redemption of the
paper on those unjust terms, having no interest
in such redemption. It was impossible that I
should have traded with the public money,
since | have not traded with any money, either
separately or jointly with any other person, di-
rectly or indirectly, to the value oi a shilling,
since my being in France. And the Fishery,
which it was said I had relinquished, had not
then come in question, nor had I ever dropped
a syllable to that purpose, in word or writing ;
but was always firm in this principle, that hav-
ing had a common right with the English to the
Fisheries, while connected with that nation,
and having contributed equally with our blood
and treasure, in conquering what had been
gained from the French, we had an undoubted
right, in breaking up our partnership, to a fair
division. As to the two charges of age and
weakness, | must confess the first ; but I am not
quite so clear in the latter; and perhaps
my adversaries may find that they presumed a
little too much upon it when they ventured to
attack me.
But enough of these petty personalities—I
quit them to rejoice witb you in the peace God
has blessed us with, and in the prosperity it gives
us a prospect of. The definitive treaty was
signed the 3d inst. We are now friends with
England, and with all mankind. May we never
see another war! for, in my opinion, there nev-
er was a good war or a bad peace.
Adieu, and believe me ever,
My dear friend,
Yours most affectionately,
B. FRANKLIN.
|
|