Discussion of final paragraphs The article as it now stands emphasizes the final two paragraphs of Franklin s essay I argue this gives it undue weight We noted that the essay was cited by Adam Smith David Hume Samuel Johnson Richard Price and William Godwin It influenced Thomas Malthus in An Essay on the Principle of Population and through Malthus Charles Darwin This is clearly a more substantial statement on its historical importance through out history and the world The fact that Franklin s aversion to non WASP immigration is something abhorrent to Western mores today is worthy of note but it was merely a footnote that Franklin threw in the end It wasn t the main topic of his work The article is about his work and the modern reaction to a single paragraph shouldn t dominate the article