CHAPTER XII.

Negotiations with Lord Howe for a Reconciliation with the Colonies

Franklin's Curtain Lecture to John Adams.

1776.

To Lord I RECEIVED safe, the letters your Lordship so Howe,* dated

kindly forwarded to me, and beg you to accept Philadelphia, July 20th, thanks. 1776.

The official despatches, to which you refer me, contain nothing more than what we had seen in the

my

* Lord Howe, the commander of the British fleet of one hundred and twenty sail which arrived in the waters of New York in the early part of July, 1776, was appointed with his brother, General William Howe, joint commissioner to try to negotiate a reconciliation with the colonies. Franklin's English friends had profited by the opportunity of Lord Howe's appointment to send over to him various parcels, which his lordship sent to Franklin with the following polite communication :

LORD HOWE TO BENJAMIN FRANKLIN.

'Eagle, June 20th, 1776. "I cannot, my worthy friend, permit the letters and parcels, which I have sent in the state I received them, to be landed, without adding a word upon the subject of the injurious extremities in which our unhappy differences have engaged us.

“You will learn the nature of my mission, from the official despatches, which I have recommended to be forwarded by the same conveyance. ReVOL. II.--31

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act of Parliament, viz. offers of pardon upoa submission, which I am sorry to find, as it must give your Lordship pain to be sent so far on so hopeless a business.

Directing pardons to be ofered the colonies, who are the very parties injured, expresses isdeed that opinion of our ignorance, baseness, and insensibility, which your uninformed and proud nation has long been pleased to entertain

taiping ai the eartestness I ever expressed to see our serences acoon. modated, I sha scocerve, * I Deer w. be espositca sbe sciocias I was once togbe so expect the most Battering bepes of pering serviceable in the ccecs of the King's pacemai scüctade. by pecoceag the esabuse. ment of asceg peace and to with the eciccies. But, if the deep-rooted pre-dices of America, ad the necessity for prevestig ber tide from passag isto foreign channels, rust teep us st" a dirited pecce, I shall, from every pricate 35 wei 3 pcbe motre, post heartbeat, that this is not the moment wheresa those great ccrees of sy ambidea are to be attained; api bat I am to be doczer deprived of an opportunity to assure you persocally of the regard wo which I am rour sincere ai faithful humble serrat,

HOWE "PS.—I was disappointed of the opportunity I expected for sending this letter at the time it was dated, and have ever since been prevested by carms and contrary winds som getung bere to intor Gent. Howe of the commission with which I Bare the satisfaction to be charged, and of his being joined in it. "O# Sandy Hock, Isth of Jay."

The carrier that brought this acte brought another documeat, addressed to each of the Royal Governors, and which he stried a Declaration. This was simply an announcement that he and his brother had been empowered by his gracious sovereiga to grant pardons bosh to individua's and to colonies who stood in need of tben. These deciarations were distributed as widely as possible for the purpose of swing dissessica am.ng the patriots.

Congress ordered the document to be printed in the newspapers. " that the few who still remain suspended by a hope founded either on the justice or moderation of their late King, may now at length be convinced that the valor alone of their country is to save their liberties."

Dr. Frankan exhibited his le:ter also to Congress, who, after a day's de.beration, resoived" that Dr. Frankin may, if he thinks proper, return a reply to the letter he received from Lord Howe.” Tois letter is the reply which the Doctor thought proper to write.

of us; but it can have no other effect than that of increasing our resentment. It is impossible we should think of submission to a government, that has with the most wanton barbarity and cruelty burnt our defenceless towns in the midst of winter, excited the savages to massacre our farmers, and our slaves to murder their masters, and is even now bringing foreign mercenaries to deluge our settlements with blood. These atrocious injuries have extinguished every remaining spark of affection for that parent country we once held so dear; but, were it possible for us to forget and forgive them, it is not possible for you (I mean the British nation) to forgive the people you have so heavily injured. You can never confide again in those as fellow subjects, and permit them to enjoy equal freedom, to whom you know you have given such just cause of lasting enmity. And this must impel you, were we again under your government, to endeavour the breaking our spirit by the severest tyranny, and obstructing, by every means in your power, our growing strength and prosperity.

But your Lordship mentions "the King's paternal solicitude for promoting the establishment of lasting peace and union with the colonies." If by peace is here meant a peace to be entered into between Britain and America, as distinct states now at war, and his Majesty has given your Lordship powers to treat with us of such a peace, I

may venture to say, though without authority, that I think a treaty for that purpose not yet quite impracticable, before we enter into foreign alliances. But I am persuaded you have no such powers. Your nation, though, by punishing those American governors, who have created and fomented the discord, rebuilding our burnt towns, and repairing as far as possible the mischiefs done us, might yet recover a

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great vidare of our regart, and the greatest part of our growing commerce, w.th all the advantage of that additional strength to Le derived from a friendship with us; but I know tou weil her aboarding pride and deficient wisdom, to believe sie wu ever take such salutary measures. Her furdness for coequest, as a warlike nation, her lust of dointiiun, as an ambitious one, and her thirst for a gainful Thonopoly, as a commercial one, (none of them legitimate Cauxs of war,) will all join to hide from her eyes every view of her true interests, and continually goad her on in those ruinous distant expeditions, so destructive both of lives and treasure, that must prove as pernicious to her in the end, as the crusades formerly were to most of the nations of Europe.

I have not the vanity, my Lord, to think of intimidating by thus predicting the effects of this war; for I know it will in England have the fate of all my former predictions, not to be believed till the event shall verify it.

Long did I endeavour, with unfeigned and unwearied zeal, to preserve from breaking that fine and noble China vase, the British empire; for I knew, that, being once broken, the separate parts could not retain even their share of the strength or value that existed in the whole, and that a perfect reunion of those parts could scarce ever be hoped for. Your Lordship may possibly remember the tears of joy that wet my cheek, when, at your good sister's in London, you once gave me expectations that a reconciliation might soon take place. I had the misfortune to find those expectations disappointed, and to be treated as the cause of the mischief I was laboring to prevent. My consolation under that groundless and malevolent treatment was, that I retained the friendship of many wise and good men in that

country, and, among the rest, some share in the regard of Lord Howe.

The well-founded esteem, and, permit me to say, affection, which I shall always have for your Lordship, makes it painful to me to see you engaged in conducting a war, the great ground of which, as expressed in your letter, is "the necessity of preventing the American trade from passing into foreign channels.” To me it seems, that neither the obtaining or retaining of any trade, how valuable soever, is an object for which men may justly spill each other's blood; that the true and sure means of extending and securing commerce is the goodness and cheapness of commodities; and that the profit of no trade can ever be equal to the expense of compelling it, and of holding it, by fleets and armies.

I consider this war against us, therefore, as both unjust and unwise; and I am persuaded, that cool, dispassionate posterity will condemn to infamy those who advised it; and that even success will not save from some degree of dishonor those, who voluntarily engaged to conduct it. I know your great motive in coming hither was the hope of being instrumental in a reconciliation; and I believe, when you find that impossible on any terms given you to propose, you will relinquish so odious a command, and return to a more honorable private station.

With the greatest and most sincere respect, I have the honor to be, my Lord, your Lordship's most obedient humble servant. *