siege. He says the Spaniards might have taken it; and that it is now a place of no value to England. That its supposed use as a port for a fleet to prevent the junction of the Brest and Toulon squadrons, is chimerical. That while the Spaniards are in possession of Algeziras, they can with their gun-boats, in the use of which they are grown very expert, make it impossible for any fleet to lie there. Tuesday, 20. My grandson went to court. No news there, except that the Spanish fleet against Algiers is sailed. Receive only one American letter by the packet, which is from the college of Rhode Island, desiring me to solicit benefactions of the king, which I cannot do, for reasons which I shall give them. It is inconceivable why I have no letters from congress. The treaties with Denmark, Portugal, &c. all neglected! Mr. Hartley makes the same complaint. He is still without orders. Mr. Hammond called and dined with me; says Mr. Pitt begins to lose his popularity; his new taxes, and project about the navy bills, give great discontent. He has been burnt in effigy at York. His East-India bill not likely to go down; and it is thought he cannot stand long. Mr. Hammond is a friend of Mr. Fox ;—whose friends, that have lost their places, are called Fox's Martyrs. Wednesday, July 21. Count de Haga1 sends his card to take leave. M. Grand tells me he has bought here my bust with that of M. D'Alembert or Diderot, to take with him to Sweden. He set out last night. Thursday, 22. Lord Fitzmaurice, son of Lord Shelburne, arrives; brought me sundry letters and papers. He thinks Mr. Pitt in danger of losing his majority in the house of commons, though great at present; for he will not have wherewithal to pay them. I said, that governing by a parliament which must be bribed, was employing a very expensive machine, and that the people of England would in time find out, though they had not yet, that since the parliament must always do the will of the minister, and be paid for doing it, and the people must find the money to pay them, it would be the same thing in effect, but much cheaper, to be governed by the minister at first hand, without a parliament. Those present seemed to think the reasoning clear. Lord Fitzmaurice appears a sensible, amiable young man. Tuesday, 27. Lord Fitzmaurice called to see me. His father having requested that I would give him such instructive hints as might be useful to him, I occasionally mentioned the old story of Demosthenes' answer to one who demanded what • The king of Sweden. was the first point of oratory? Action. The second? Action. The third? Action: which I said had been generally understood to mean the action of an orator with his hands, &c. in speaking; but that I thought another kind of action of more importance to an orator, who would persuade people to follow his advice, viz. such a course of action in the conduct of life, as would impress them with an opinion of his integrity as well as of his understanding. That this opinion once established, all the difficulties, delays, and oppositions, usually occasioned by doubts and suspicions, were prevented; and such a man, though a very imperfect speaker, would almost always carry his points against the most flourishing orator, who had not the character of sincerity. To express my sense of the importance of a good private character in public affairs more strongly, I said the advantage of having it, and the disadvantage of not having it, were so great, that I even believed if George III. had had a bad private character, and John Wilkes a good one, the latter might have turned the former out of his kingdom.—Lord Shelburne, the father of Lord Fitzmaurice, has unfortunately the character of being insincere; and it has hurt much his usefulness; though in all my concerns with him, I never saw any instance of that kind. [This Journal does not appear to have been continued further at this period; it is to be regretted that it is not more extensive.] In the year 1784, when animal magnetism made considerable noise in the world, particularly at Paris, it was thought a matter of such importance that the king appointed commissioners to examine into the foundation of this pretended science. Dr. Franklin, at the particular request of his majesty, signified to him by a letter from the minister, consented to be one of the number. After a fair and diligent examination, in the course of which Doctor Delon, a pupil and partner of Mesmer, repeated a number of experiments, in the presence of the commissioners, some of which were tried upon themselves, they determined that it was a mere trick, intended to impose on the ignorant and credulous; and gave in their report accordingly to his Majesty; which was afterwards published for the information of the public. Mesmer, and his associate Delon, were thus interrupted in their career to wealth and fame; and a most insolent attempt to impose upon the human understanding, baffled. Some time after, Dr. Franklin, in a letter to his friend Dr. Ingenhausz, thus notices the subject. "Mesmer continues here, and has still some adherents, and some practice. It is surprising how much credulity still subsists in the world. I suppose all the physicians in France put together, have not made so much money, during the time he has been here, as he alone has done! And we have now a fresh folly. A magnetiser pretends, that he can, by establishing what is called a rapport between any person and a somnambule, put it in the power of that person to direct the actions of the somnambule by a simple strong volition only, without speaking or making any signs; and many people daily flock to see this strange operation." of The important ends of Dr. Franklin's mission to Europe being attained by the establishment and acknowledgment of American independence; and the infirmities age and disease increasing upon him, he became more and more desirous of being relieved from his public situation, and of returning to his native country. Upon a renewed application to congress to be recalled, he at length obtained his request, and Mr. Jefferson was appointed to succeed him; a more able and suitable successor, in every respect, could not have been found. The following letters passed on this occasion, between Dr. Franklin, and the French minister for foreign affairs. TO HIS EXCELLENCY COUNT DE VERGENNES, &c. &c. SIR, Passy, May 3, 1785. I have the honor to acquaint your Excellency, that I have at length obtained, and yesterday received, the permission of congress to return to America. As my malady makes it impracticable for me to pay my devoirs at Versailles personally, may I beg the favor of you, Sir, to express respectfully for me to his Majesty, the deep sense I have of all the inestimable benefits his goodness has conferred on my country; a sentiment that it will be the business of the little remainder of life now left me, to impress equally on the minds of all my countrymen. My sincere prayers are, that God may shower down his blessings' on the King, the Queen, their children, and all the royal family, to the latest generations! Permit me, at the same time, to offer you my thankful acknowledgments for the protection and countenance you afforded me at my arrival, and your many favors during my residence here; of which I shall always retain the most grateful remembrance. VOL. I. 3 A My grandson would have had the honor of waiting on you with this letter, but he has been some time ill of a fever. With the greatest esteem and respect, and best wishes for the constant prosperity of yourself, and all your amiable family; I am, Sir, your Excellency's most obedient and most humble servant, B. FRANKLIN. [Answer to the foregoing :] A son Excellence Mons. Franklin. A Versailles, le 22 Mai, 1785. J'ai appris avec beaucoup de peine, Monsieur, votre retraite et votre prochain départ pour l'Amérique. Vous ne devez pas douter que les regrets que vous laisserez, ne soient proportionnés à la considération dont vous jouissez à si juste titre. Je puis vous assurer, Monsieur, que l'estime que le Roi vous porte, ne vous laisse rien à désirer, et que sa Majesté apprendra avec une véritable satisfaction, que vos compatriotes ont récompensé d'une manière digne de vous, les importuns services que vous leur avez rendus. Je vous prie, Monsieur, de me conserver une part dans votre souvenir, et de ne jamais douter de la sincérité de l'intérêt que je prends à votre bonheur : il a pour principe les sentimens d'attachement que je vous ai voués, et avec lesquels j'ai l'honneur d'être, Monsieur, votre très-humble et très-obéissant serviteur, De Vergennes. One of the last public acts of Dr. Franklin in Europe, as plenipotentiary from congress, took place on the 9th of July, 1785, when he concluded and signed (jointly with other American commissioners) a treaty of amity and commerce between the United States of America and the King of Prussia. This treaty is remarkable as containing a strong and lasting testimony of Dr. Franklin's wonted philanthropy. In it was introduced for the first time, (and, to the disgrace of governments, perhaps for the last) that benevolent article against the molestation of the persons and property of unarmed citizens in time of war; and against privateering. The establishing of this principle as the future law of nations, was a favorite object of Dr. Franklin. In the beginning of the year 1783, he formally proposed the same to the British government, through the medium of one of its envoys, as appears by his letter to Mr. Oswald of the 14th Jan. 1783, to which is subjoined his motives and arguments at length, in favor of this improvement of the law of nations. The article then proposed was nearly the same as that which he afterwards actually introduced, and constituted as part of the treaty with Prussia. It runs thus: Article 23. "If war should arise between the two contracting parties, the merchants of either country then residing in the other, shall be allowed to remain nine months to collect their debts and settle their affairs, and may depart freely, carrying off all their effects without molestation or hindrance. And all women and children, scholars of every faculty, cultivators of the earth, artizans, manufacturers, and fishermen, unarmed, and inhabiting unfortified towns, villages, and places; and in general all others whose occupations are for the common subsistence and benefit of mankind, shall be allowed to continue their respective employments, and shall not be molested in their persons; nor shall their houses or goods be burnt or otherwise destroyed, nor their fields wasted by the armed force of the enemy, into whose power, by the events of the war, they may happen to fall but if any thing is necessary to be taken from them for the use of such armed force, the same shall be paid for at a reasonable price. And all merchant and trading vessels, employed in exchanging the products of different places, and thereby rendering the necessaries, conveniences, and comforts of human life, more easy to be obtained, and more general, shall be allowed to pass free and unmolested; and neither of the contracting powers shall grant or issue any commission to any private armed vessels, empowering them to take or destroy such trading vessels, or interrupt such commerce." During Dr. Franklin's residence in France, notwithstanding the important and multifarious concerns attending his public situation, he nevertheless found time to write several papers on philosophical and other subjects; which will appear, in their appropriate places, in a subsequent volume, containing a selection of his most approved political, philosophical, and miscellaneous writings. A few days before he left Passy, he received an additional proof of the personal esteem entertained for him at the court of France, by the following letter from the Marechal Due de Castries, the Minister of the Marine. A son Excellence Mons. Franklin, &c. &c. Versailles, le 10 Juillet, 1785. Je n'ai appris, Monsieur, que depuis très-peu de jours, les dispositions que vous avez faites pour votre départ. Si j'en eusse été informé 'See PRIV. CORR. Part 3. |