the age of invention-第3节

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ot　only　of　Philadelphia；　but　of　the　world。　In　1769　the　original　society　was　consolidated　with　another　of　similar　aims；　and　Franklin；　who　was　the　first　secretary　of　the　society；　was　elected　president　and　served　until　his　death。　The　first　important　undertaking　was　the　successful　observation　of　the　transit　of　Venus　in　1769；　and　many　important　scientific　discoveries　have　since　been　made　by　its　members　and　first　given　to　the　world　at　its　meetings。

Franklin's　appointment　as　one　of　the　two　Deputy　Postmasters　General　of　the　colonies　in　1753　enlarged　his　experience　and　his　reputation。　He　visited　nearly　all　the　post　offices　in　the　colonies　and　introduced　many　improvements　into　the　service。　In　none　of　his　positions　did　his　transcendent　business　ability　show　to　better　advantage。　He　established　new　postal　routes　and　shortened　others。　There　were　no　good　roads　in　the　colonies；　but　his　post　riders　made　what　then　seemed　wonderful　speed。　The　bags　were　opened　to　newspapers；　the　carrying　of　which　had　previously　been　a　private　and　unlawful　perquisite　of　the　riders。　Previously　there　had　been　one　mail　a　week　in　summer　between　New　York　and　Philadelphia　and　one　a　month　in　winter。　The　service　was　increased　to　three　a　week　in　summer　and　one　in　winter。

The　main　post　road　ran　from　northern　New　England　to　Savannah；　closely　hugging　the　seacoast　for　the　greater　part　of　the　way。　Some　of　the　milestones　set　by　Franklin　to　enable　the　postmasters　to　compute　the　postage；　which　was　fixed　according　to　distance；　are　still　standing。　Crossroads　connected　some　of　the　larger　communities　away　from　the　seacoast　with　the　main　road；　but　when　Franklin　died；　after　serving　also　as　Postmaster　General　of　the　United　States；　there　were　only　seventy…five　post　offices　in　the　entire　country。

Franklin　took　a　hand　in　the　final　struggle　between　France　and　England　in　America。　On　the　eve　of　the　conflict；　in　1754；　commissioners　from　the　several　colonies　were　ordered　to　convene　at　Albany　for　a　conference　with　the　Six　Nations　of　the　Iroquois；　and　Franklin　was　one　of　the　deputies　from　Pennsylvania。　On　his　way　to　Albany　he　〃projected　and　drew　a　plan　for　the　union　of　all　the　colonies　under　one　government　so　far　as　might　be　necessary　for　defense　and　other　important　general　purposes。〃　This　statesmanlike　〃Albany　Plan　of　Union；〃　however；　came　to　nothing。　〃Its　fate　was　singular；〃　says　Franklin；　〃the　assemblies　did　not　adopt　it；　as　they　all　thought　there　was　too　much　PREROGATIVE　in　it　and　in　England　it　was　judg'd　to　have　too　much　of　the　DEMOCRATIC。〃

How　to　raise　funds　for　defense　was　always　a　grave　problem　in　the　colonies；　for　the　assemblies　controlled　the　purse…strings　and　released　them　with　a　grudging　hand。　In　face　of　the　French　menace；　this　was　Governor　Shirley's　problem　in　Massachusetts；　Governor　Dinwiddie's　in　Virginia；　and　Franklin's　in　the　Quaker　and　proprietary　province　of　Pennsylvania。　Franklin　opposed　Shirley's　suggestion　of　a　general　tax　to　be　levied　on　the　colonies　by　Parliament；　on　the　ground　of　no　taxation　without　representation；　but　used　all　his　arts　to　bring　the　Quaker　Assembly　to　vote　money　for　defense；　and　succeeded。　When　General　Braddock　arrived　in　Virginia　Franklin　was　sent　by　the　Assembly　to　confer　with　him　in　the　hope　of　allaying　any　prejudice　against　Quakers　that　the　general　might　have　conceived。　If　that　blustering　and　dull…witted　soldier　had　any　such　prejudice；　it　melted　away　when　the　envoy　of　the　Quakers　promised　to　procure　wagons　for　the　army。　The　story　of　Braddock's　disaster　does　not　belong　here；　but　Franklin　formed　a　shrewd　estimate　of　the　man　which　proved　accurate。　His　account　of　Braddock's　opinion　of　the　colonial　militia　is　given　in　a　sentence：　〃He　smil'd　at　my　ignorance；　and　reply'd；　'These　savages　may；　indeed；　be　a　formidable　enemy　to　your　raw　American　militia；　but　upon　the　King's　regular　and　disciplin'd　troops；　sir；　it　is　impossible　they　should　make　any　impression。'〃　After　Braddock's　defeat　the　Pennsylvania　Assembly　voted　more　money　for　defense；　and　the　unmilitary　Franklin　was　placed　in　command　of　the　frontier　with　full　power。　He　built　forts；　as　he　had　planned；　and　incidentally　learned　much　of　the　beliefs　of　a　group　of　settlers　in　the　back　country；　the　〃Unitas　Fratrum；〃　better　known　as　the　Moravians。

The　death　struggle　between　English　and　French　in　America　served　only　to　intensify　a　lesser　conflict　that　was　being　waged　between　the　Assembly　and　the　proprietors　of　Pennsylvania；　and　the　Assembly　determined　to　send　Franklin　to　London　to　seek　judgment　against　the　proprietors　and　to　request　the　King　to　take　away　from　them　the　government　of　Pennsylvania。　Franklin；　accompanied　by　his　son　William；　reached　London　in　July；　1757；　and　from　this　time　on　his　life　was　to　be　closely　linked　with　Europe。　He　returned　to　America　six　years　later　and　made　a　trip　of　sixteen　hundred　miles　inspecting　postal　affairs；　but　in　1764　he　was　again　sent　to　England　to　renew　the　petition　for　a　royal　government　for　Pennsylvania；　which　had　not　yet　been　granted。　Presently　that　petition　was　made　obsolete　by　the　Stamp　Act；　and　Franklin　became　the　representative　of　the　American　colonies　against　King　and　Parliament。

Franklin　did　his　best　to　avert　the　Revolution。　He　made　many　friends　in　England；　wrote　pamphlets　and　articles；　told　comical　stories　and　fables　where　they　might　do　some　good；　and　constantly　strove　to　enlighten　the　ruling　class　of　England　upon　conditions　and　sentiment　in　the　colonies。　His　examination　before　the　House　of　Commons　in　February；　1766；　marks　perhaps　the　zenith　of　his　intellectual　powers。　His　wide　knowledge；　his　wonderful　poise；　his　ready　wit；　his　marvelous　gift　for　clear　and　epigrammatic　statement；　were　never　exhibited　to　better　advantage　and　no　doubt　hastened　the　repeal　of　the　Stamp　Act。　Franklin　remained　in　England　nine　years　longer；　but　his　efforts　to　reconcile　the　conflicting　claims　of　Parliament　and　the　colonies　were　of　no　avail；　and　early　in　1775　he　sailed　for　home。

Franklin's　stay　in　America　lasted　only　eighteen　months；　yet　during　that　time　he　sat　in　the　Continental　Congress　and　as　a　member　of　the　most　important　committees；　submitted　a　plan　for　a　union　of　the　colonies；　served　as　Postmaster　General　and　as　chairman　of　the　Pennsylvania　Committee　of　Safety；　visited　Washington　at　Cambridge；　went　to　Montreal　to　do　what　he　could　for　the　cause　of　independence　in　Canada；　presided　over　the　convention　which　framed　a　constitution　for　Pennsylvania；　was　a　member　of　the　committee　appointed　to　draft　the　Declaration　of　Independence　and　of　the　committee　sent　on　the　futile　mission　to　New　York　to　discuss　terms　of　peace　with　Lord　Howe。

In　September；　1776；　Franklin　was　appointed　envoy　to　France　and　sailed　soon　afterwards。　The　envoys　appointed　to　act　with　him　proved　a　handicap　rather　than　a　help；　and　the　great　burden　of　a　difficult　and　momentous　mission　was　thus　laid　upon　an　old　man　of　seventy。　But　no　other　American　could　have　taken　his　place。　His　reputation　in　France　was　already　made；　through　his　books　and　inventions　and　discoveries。　To　the　corrupt　and　licentious　court　he　was　the　personification　of　the　age　of　simplicity；　which　it　was　the　fashion　to　admire；　to　the　learned；　he　was　a　sage；　to　the　common　man　he　was　the　apotheosis　of　all　the　virtues；　to　the　rabble　he　was　little　less　than　a　god。　Great　ladies　sought　his　smiles；　nobles　treasured　a　kindly　word；　the　shopkeeper　hung　his　portrait　on　the　wall；　and　the　people　drew　aside　in　the　streets　that　he　might　pass　without　annoyance。　Through　all　this　adulation　Franklin　passed　serenely；　if　not　unconsciously。

The　French　ministers　were　not　at　first　willing　to　make　a　treaty　of　alliance；　but　under　Franklin's　influence　they　lent　money　to　the　struggling　colonies。　Congress　sought　to　finance　the　war　by　the　issue　of　paper　currency　and　by　borrowing　rather　than　by　taxation；　and　sent　bill　after　bill　to　Franklin；　who　somehow　managed　to　meet　them　by　putting　his　pride　in　his　pocket；　and　applying　again　and　again　to　the　French　Government。　He　fitted　out　privateers　and　negotiated　with　the　British　concerning　prisoners。　At　length　he　won　from　France　recognition　of　the　United　States　and　then　the　Treaty　of　Alliance。

Not　until　two　years　after　the　Peace　of　1783　would　Congress　permit　the　veteran　to　come　home。　And　when　he　did　return　in　1785　his　people　would　not　allow　him　to　rest。　At　once　he　was　elected　President　of　the　Council　of　Pennsylvania　and　twice　reelected　in　spite　of　his　protests。　He　was　sent　to　the　Convention　of　1787　which　framed　the　Constitution　of　the　United　States。　There　he　spoke　seldom　but　always　to　the　point；　and　the　Constitution　is　the　better　for　his　suggestions。　With　pride　he　axed　his　signature　to　that　great　instrument；　as　he　had　previously　signed　the　Albany　Plan　of　Union；　the　Declaration　of　Independence；　and　the　Treaty　of　Paris。

Benjamin　Franklin's　work　was　done。　He　was　now　an　old　man　of　eighty…two　summers　and　his　feeble　body　was　racked　by　a　painful　malady。　Yet　he　kept　his　face　towards　the　morning。　About　a　hundred　of　his　letters；　written　after　this　time；　have　been　preserved。　These　letters　show　no　retrospection；　no　looking　backward。　They　never　mention　〃the　good　old　times。〃　As　long　as　he　lived；　Franklin　looked　forward。　His　interest　in　the　mechanical　arts　and　in　scientific　progress　seems　never　to　have　abated。　He　writes　in　October；　1787；　to　a　friend　in　France；