lady that you allow me to love; the same tender affections and intentions, ingenuity, industry, economy, &c., &c., &c. Embrace that good dame for me very warmly, and the amiable daughter. My best wishes attend the whole family, whom I shall never cease to love while I am To the Duke de la Rochefoucauld, dated Philadel 15 B. FRANKLIN. Your friendly congratulations on my arrival and reception here were very obliging. The latter was, as you have heard, extremely flatphia, April, 1787. tering. The two parties in the Assembly and Council, the constitutionists and anti-constitutionists, joined in requesting my service as counsellor, and afterwards in electing me as President. Of seventy-four members in Council and Assembly, who voted by ballot, there was in my first election but one negative, besides my own; and in the second, after a year's service, only my own. And I experience, from all the principal people in the government, every attention and assistance that can be desired towards making the task as little burdensome to me as possible. So I am going on very comfortably hitherto with my second year, and I do not at present see any likelihood of a change; but future events are always uncertain, being governed by Providence or subject to chances; and popular favor is very precarious, being sometimes lost as well as gained by good actions; so I do not depend on a continuance of my present happiness, and therefore shall not be surprised, if, before my time of service expires, something should happen to diminish it. These States in general enjoy peace and plenty. There have been some disorders in the Massachusetts and Rhode Island governments; those in the former are quelled for the present; those of the latter, being contentions for and against paper money, will probably continue some time. Maryland too is divided on the same subject, the Assembly being for it, and the Senate against it. Each is now employed in endeavouring to gain the people to its party against the next elections, and it is probable the Assembly may prevail. Paper money in moderate quantities has been found beneficial; when more than the occasions of commerce require, it depreciated and was mischievous; and the populace are apt to demand more than is necessary. In this State we have some, and it is useful, and I do not hear any clamor for more. There seems to be but little thought at present in the particular States, of mending their particular constitutions; but the grand Federal Constitution is generally blamed as not having given sufficient powers to Congress, the federal head. A convention is therefore appointed to revise that constitution, and propose a better. You will see by the enclosed paper, that your friend is to be one in that business, though he doubts his malady may not permit his giving constant attendance. I am glad to see, that you are named as one of a General Assembly to be convened in France. I flatter myself, that great good may accrue to that dear nation from the deliberations of such an assembly. I pray God to give it his blessing. I sympathize with you and the family most sincerely, in the great loss sustained by the decease of that excellent * It must be indeed a heavy one. My best wishes attend those that remain, and that the happiness of your woman. * The Duchess d'Enville, mother of the Duke de la Rochefoucauld.W. T. F. VOL. III.-32 sweet domestic society may long continue without such another interruption. I send herewith a volume of the Transactions of our Philosophical Society for you, another for M. de Condorcet, and a third for the Academy. The war had interrupted our attempts to improve ourselves in scientific matters, but we now begin to resume them. The bearer of this is Mr. Paine, the author of a famous piece, entitled "Common Sense," published here with great effect on the minds of the people at the beginning of the Revolution. He is an ingenious, honest man; and as such I beg leave to recommend him to your civilities. He carries with him the model of a bridge of a new construction, his own invention, concerning which I intended to have recommended him to M. Peyronnet, but I hear he is no more. You can easily procure Mr. Paine a sight of the models and drawings of the collection appertaining to the Ponts et Chaussées; they must afford him useful lights on the subject. We want a bridge over our river Schuylkill, and have no artist here regularly bred to that kind of architecture. My grandsons are very sensible of the honor of your remembrance, and desire me to present their respects. To the Marquis de Chastellux, dated Your most pleasing letter, accompanied by the invaluable present of your Journal,* and Philadelphia, translation of Colonel Humphreys's poem, 17 April, 1787. came to hand but lately, though dated in June last. I believe they have been in the West Indies. They have given me a great deal of pleasure in the perusal, as *Journal of Travels in America.-ED. every thing of yours always did. The portrait you have. made of our country and people is what in painting is called a handsome likeness, for which we are much obliged to you. We shall be the better for it, if we endeavour to merit what you kindly say in our favor, and to correct what you justly censure. I am told the Journal is translated into English, and printed in one of the States, I know not which, not having seen the translation. The newspapers tell us, that you are about to have an Assembly of Notables, to consult on improvements of your government. It is somewhat singular, that we should be engaged in the same project here at the same time; but so it is, and a convention for the purpose of revising and amending our federal constitution is to meet at this place next month. I hope both assemblies will be blessed with success, and that their deliberations and counsels may promote the happiness of both nations. In the State of Pennsylvania, government, notwithstanding our parties, goes on at present very smoothly, so that I have much less trouble in my station than was expected. Massachusetts has lately been disturbed by some disorderly people; but they are now quelled. The rest of the States go on pretty well, except some dissensions in Rhode Island and Maryland respecting paper money. Mr. Paine, whom you know, and who undertakes to deliver this letter to you, can give you full information of our affairs, and therefore I need not enlarge upon them. I beg leave to recommend him to your civilities. I have fulfilled all your commissions to the ladies here, who are much flattered by your kind remembrance of them. CHAPTER XI. Freedom of Commerce-Herschel and his Discoveries-Folly of WarPicture of Franklin during the Session of the Convention to frame a New Constitution-Speech in Favor of opening the Convention daily with Prayer-Speech against allowing Salaries to Executive Officers-Advises the Adoption of the Constitution. To the Abbé Morellet, dated Philadel 1787. I RECEIVED, though long after they were written, your very agreeable favors of October phia, 22 April, 30th, 1785, and February 9th, 1786,* with the pieces enclosed, productions of the Auteuil† Academy of Belles Lettres. Your kind and friendly wishes and congratulations are extremely obliging. It gives me an infinite pleasure to find, that I still retain a favorable place in the remembrance of the worthy and the good, whose delightful and instructive society I had the happiness of enjoying while I resided in France. But, though I could not leave that dear nation without regret, I certainly did right in coming home. I am here in my niche in my own house, in the bosom of my family, my daughter and grandchildren all about me, among my * See " Mémoires de l'Abbé Morellet," Tom. I. p. 298.-ED. †The residence of Madame Helvetius, with whom the Abbé Morellet Cabanis, La Roche, and other literary friends passed much of their time.W. T. F. |