To Josiah Tucker, dated London, REVEREND SIR,-Being informed that some severe strictures on my conduct and character 12 Feb., 1774. had appeared in a new book published under your respectable name, I purchased and read it. After thanking you for those parts of it that are so instructive on points of great importance to the common interest of mankind, permit me to complain, that, if by the description you give in pages 180, 181, of a certain American patriot, * The proposition made to the colonies by Mr. Grenville, says M. Laboulaye, much resembles the one which, twenty years later, M. de Calonne addressed to the Assembly of Notables, and which a piquant caricature represented by a ministerial orator addressing a flock of turkeys in the following terms: "Gentlemen, I have invited you to meet me to know with what sauce you would prefer to be eaten." "But we do not wish to be eaten," reply the honorable notables. "Gentlemen," retorted the minister, "you dodge the question." The colonists were either to submit to a stamp duty or to anything else they pre.erred that would yield an equivalent of revenue, but be taxed they should, and that too, contrary to the fundamental principles and policy of the British Constitution, without representation. The proposal and its alternative were universally rejected by the colonists, but the ministry were needy, felt strong, and were far from appreciating the strength of the sentiment they were outraging. They passed the Stamp Act, despite the firm remonstrances of the American Assemblies and the strenuous opposition of Franklin. To mitigate the ill feeling such a measure was likely to provoke,-and when it became known to the colonists their indignation knew no bounds,-Mr. Grenville invited the colonial agents in London to name such persons in the respective colonies as they deemed suitable for the office of stamp distributors. All the agents fell into the trap, not excepting the wary doctor himself, who named his old friend John Hughes for Pennsylvania. This qualified sanction of the offensive act became the source of much annoyance to him. His enemies appealed to it as evidence of his infidelity to the interests of the colonies. They represented him as having encouraged the offensive legislation, and as having applied for the position of stamp distributor. Dr. Tucker, then Dean of Worcester, a fervent and rather meddlesome parson, of whom Warburton is reported to have said, “his trade of a dean is his religion, and his religion is a trade," in a treatise which he felt called upon to publish on the colonial troubles, reiterated these charges. The correspondence that follows was one of the consequences.-ED. whom you say you need not name, you do, as is supposed, mean myself, nothing can be further from the truth than your assertion, that I applied or used any interest, directly or indirectly, to be appointed one of the stamp officers for America. I certainly never expressed a wish of the kind to any person whatever; much less was I, as you say, “more than ordinarily assiduous on this head." I have heretofore seen in the newspapers insinuations of the same import, naming me expressly; but, being without the name of the writer, I took no notice of them. I know not whether they were yours, or were only your authority for your present charge; but now they have the weight of your name and dignified character, I am more sensible of the injury; and I beg leave to request, that you will reconsider the grounds on which you have ventured to publish an accusation, that, if believed, must prejudice me extremely in the opinion of good men, especially in my own country, whence I was sent expressly to oppose the imposition of that tax. If on such reconsideration and inquiry you find, as I am persuaded you will, that you have been imposed upon by false reports, or have too lightly given credit to hearsays in a matter that concerns another's reputation, I flatter myself that your equity will induce you to do me justice, by retracting that accusation. In confidence of this, I am, with great esteem, Reverend Sir, your most obedient and most humble servant, B. FRANKLIN. To Benjamin Franklin, dated Monday, 21 Feb., 1774. SIR,-The letter which you did me the honor to send to Gloucester, I have just received in London, where I have resided many weeks, and am now returning to Gloucester. On inquiry, I find that I was mistaken in some circumstances relating to your conduct about the Stamp Act, though right as to the substance. These errors shall be rectified the first opportunity. After having assured you, that I am no dealer in anonymous newspaper paragraphs, nor have a connexion with any who are, I have the honor to be, Sir, your humble servant, J. TUCKER. Tucker, dated Tuesday, 22 Το Josiah Reverend Sir,—I received your favor of yesterday. If the substance of what you have Feb., 1774. charged me with is right, I can have but little concern about any mistakes in the circumstances; whether they are rectified or not, will be immaterial. But, knowing the substance to be wrong, and believing that you can have no desire of continuing in an error, prejudicial to any man's reputation, I am persuaded you will not take it amiss, if I request you to communicate to me the particulars of the information you have received, that I may have an opportunity of examining them; and I flatter myself I shall be able to satisfy you that they are groundless. I propose this method as more decent than a public altercation, and suiting better the respect due to your character. With great regard, I have the honor to be, Reverend Sir, your most obedient humble servant, B. FRANKLIN. To Benjamin Franklin, dated Glouces 1774. SIR,-The request made in your last letter is so very just and reasonable, that I shall ter, 24 Feb., comply with it very readily. It has long appeared to me, that you much exceeded the bounds of morality in the methods you pursued for the advancement of the supposed interests of America. If it can be proved, that I have unjustly suspected you, I shall acknowledge my error with as much satisfaction as you can have in reading my recantation of it. As to the case more immediately referred to in your letters, I was repeatedly informed, that you had solicited the late Mr. George Grenville for a place or agency in the distribution of stamps in America. From which circumstance I myself concluded, that you had made interest for it on your own account; whereas I am now informed, there are no positive proofs of your having solicited to obtain such a place for yourself, but that there is sufficient evidence still existing of your having applied for it in favor of another person. If this latter should prove to be the fact, as I am assured it will, I am willing to suppose, from several expressions in both your letters, that you will readily acknowledge that the difference in this case between yourself and your friend, is very immaterial to the general merits of the question. But, if you should have distinctions in this case, which are above my comprehension, I shall content myself with observing, that your great abilities and happy discoveries deserve universal regard; and that, as on these accounts I respect and esteem you, so I have the honor to be, Sir, your very humble servant, J. TUCKER. Το Josiah Reverend Sir,—I thank you for the frankness with which you have communicated to me the particulars of the information you had received, relating to my supposed application to Mr. Grenville for a place in the American stamp-office. As I deny that either your former or latter informations are true, it seems incumbent on me, for your satisfaction, to relate all the circumstances fairly to you, that could possibly give rise to such mistakes. Some days after the Stamp Act was passed, to which I Mr. had given all the opposition I could, with Mr. Grenville, I received a note from Mr. Whately, his secretary, desiring to see me the next morning. I waited upon him accordingly, and found with him several other colony agents. He acquainted us, that Mr. Grenville was desirous to make the execution of the act as little inconvenient and disagreeable to America as possible; and therefore did not think of sending stamp officers from this country, but wished to have discreet and reputable persons appointed in each province from among the inhabitants, such as would be acceptable to them; for, as they were to pay the tax, he thought strangers should not have the emolument. Whately therefore wished us to name for our respective colonies, informing us, that Mr. Grenville would be obliged to us for pointing out to him honest and responsible men, and would pay great regard to our nominations. By this plausible and apparently candid declaration, we were drawn in to nominate; and I named for our province Mr. Hughes, saying, at the same time, that I knew not whether he would accept of it, but, if he did, I was sure he would execute the office faithfully. I soon after had notice of his appointment. We none of us, I believe, foresaw or imagined, that this compliance with the request of the minister would or could have been called an application of ours, and adduced as a proof of our approbation of the act we had been opposing; otherwise I think few of us would have named at all; I am sure I should not. This, I assure you, and can prove to you by living evidence, is a true account of the transaction in question, which, if you compare with that you have been induced to give of it in your book, I am persuaded you will see a difference that is far from being "a distinction above your comprehension." |