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to the manufactures, though they know pretty well the expense of raising wheat, are unacquainted with those short methods of working, and, thence being apt to suppose more labour employed in the manufactures than there really is, are more easily imposed on in their value, and induced to allow more for them than they are honestly worth.

11. Thus the advantage of having manufactures in a country does not consist, as is commonly supposed, in their highly advancing the value of rough materials, of which they are formed; since, though six pennyworth of flax may be worth twenty shillings, when worked into lace, yet the very cause of its being worth twenty shillings is, that, besides the flax, it has cost nineteen shillings and sixpence in subsistence to the manufacturer. But the advantage of manufactures is, that under their shape provisions may be more easily carried to a foreign market; and, by their means, our traders may more easily cheat strangers. Few, where it is not made, are judges of the value of lace. forty, and perhaps get thirty, him but twenty.

The importer may demand shillings for that which cost

12. Finally, there seem to be but three ways for a nation to acquire wealth. The first is by war, as the Romans did, in plundering their conquered neighbours. This is robbery. The second by commerce, which is generally cheating. The third by agriculture, the only honest way, wherein man receives a real increase of the seed thrown into the ground, in a kind of continual miracle, wrought by the hand of God in his favour, as a reward for his innocent life and his virtuous industry.

500. TO SAMUEL COOPER

DEAR SIR,

(B. M.)

London, April 27, 1769.

I received your Favour of Feb3 27th, by Captain Carver, and thank you for giving me an Opportunity of being acquainted with so great a Traveller. I shall be glad if I can render him any service here.1

The Parliament remain fix'd in their Resolution not to repeal the Duty Acts this Session, and will rise next Tuesday. I hope my Country folks will remain as fix'd in their Resolutions of Industry and Frugality till these Acts are repeal'd. And, if I could be sure of that, I should almost wish them never to be repealed; being persuaded, that we shall reap more solid and extensive Advantages from the steady Practice of those two great Virtues, than we can possibly suffer Damage from all the Duties the Parliament of this kingdom can levy on us. They flatter themselves you cannot long subsist without their Manufactures. They believe you have not Virtue enough to persist in such Agreements, they imagine the Colonies will differ among themselves, deceive and desert one another, and quietly one after the other submit to the Yoke, and return to the Use of British Fineries. They think, that, tho' the Men may be contented with homespun stuffs, the Women will never get the better of their

1 Captain Jonathan Carver, celebrated for his travels in the interior parts of North America, was born in Connecticut, in the year 1732. He served on the frontiers in the French war, with the reputation of a good officer, till the peace of 1763, after which he travelled near the sources of the Mississippi, and on the borders of Lake Superior. He carried his manuscript journal to England, where he met with many embarrassments, and it was not published till 1778. He died in London, in 1780, neglected and in want. — S.

Vanity and Fondness for English Modes and Gewgaws. The ministerial People all talk in this Strain, and many even of the Merchants. I have ventured to assert, that they will all find themselves mistaken; and I rely so much on the Spirit of my Country, as to be confident I shall not be found a false Prophet, tho' at present not believed.

I hope nothing that has happened, or may happen, will diminish in the least our Loyalty to our Sovereign, or Affection for this Nation in general. I can scarcely conceive a King of better Dispositions, of more exemplary Virtues, or more truly desirous of promoting the Welfare of all his Subjects. The Experience we have had of the Family in the two preceding mild Reigns, and the good Temper of our young Princes, so far as can yet be discovered, promise us a Continuance of this Felicity. The Body of this People, too, is of a noble and generous Nature, loving and honouring the Spirit of Liberty, and hating arbitrary Power of all sorts. We have many, very many, friends among them.

But as to the Parliament! tho' I might excuse that which made the Acts, as being surpriz'd & misled into the Measure; I know not how to excuse this, which, under the fullest Conviction of its being a wrong one, resolves to continue it. It is decent, indeed, in your publick Papers to speak as you do of the "Wisdom and the Justice of Parliament;" but now that the Subject is more thoroughly understood, if this new Parliament had been really wise, it would not have refused even to receive a Petition against the Acts; and, if it had been just, it would have repealed them, and refunded the Money. Perhaps it may be wiser and juster another Year, but that is not to be depended on.

If under all the Insults and Oppressions you are now ex

posed to, you can prudently, as you have lately done, continue quiet, avoiding Tumults, but still resolutely keeping up your Claim and asserting your Rights, you will finally establish them, and this military Cloud that now blusters over you will pass away, and do no more Harm than a Summer Thunder Shower. But the Advantages of your Perseverance in Industry and Frugality will be great and permanent. Your Debts will be paid, your Farms will be better improv'd, and yield a greater Produce; your real Wealth will increase in a Plenty of every useful home Production, and all the true Enjoyments of Life, even tho' no foreign Trade should be allow'd you; and this handicraft, shop-keeping State, will, for its own sake, learn to behave more civilly to its Customers.

Your late governor, Mr. Pownall, appears a hearty Friend to America. He moved last week for a Repeal of the acts, and was seconded by General Conway, Sir George Saville, Mr. Jackson, Mr. Trecothic, and others, but did not succeed. A Friend has favoured me with a Copy of the Notes taken of Mr. Pownall's Speech, which I send you, believing it will be agreable to you and some other of our Friends to see them. You will observe in some Parts of it the Language a Member of Parliament is obliged to hold, on American topicks, if he would at all be heard in the House. He has given Notice that he will renew the Motion next and every Session. All Ireland is strongly in favour of the American cause. They have reason to sympathize with us. I send you four Pamphlets written in Ireland, or by Irish gentlemen here, in which you will find some excellent well-said Things. With the greatest Esteem, I am, my dear Friend,

Yours most affectionately

B. FRANKLIN.

501. TO MRS. JANE MECOM1

London, April 27, 1769.

- MRS. STEVENSON has executed your order, and sends the things in a bandbox directed to you. A new-fashioned something, that was not ready when the box was packed up, is enclosed in her letter.

I am now grown too old to be ambitious of such a station, as that which you say has been mentioned to you.2 Repose is more fit for me, and much more suitable to my wishes. There is no danger of such a thing being offered to me, and I am sure I shall never ask it. But even if it were offered, I certainly could not accept it, to act under such instructions, as I know must be given with it. So you may be quite easy

on that head.

The account you write of the growing industry, frugality, and good sense of my countrywomen, gives me more pleasure than you can imagine; for from thence I presage great advantages to our country. I should be sorry, that you are engaged in a business, which happens not to coincide with the general interest, if you did not acquaint me that you are now near the end of it. B. FRANKLIN.

502. TO THE PRINTER OF The London Chronicle

Mr. Chronicle:

SIR:

May 9, 1769.

While the public attention is so much turned towards America, every letter from thence that promises new

1 First published by Sparks.

2 Governor of Pennsylvania. — Ed.

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