Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1853-02-02
GEOGRAPHICAL.
DIR. Franklin, John Adams and Lord
Howe.

Howe.
In 1776, Lord Howe having intimated
to Congress, verbally, by General SuIlf-
van, who had been his prisoner, his de-
sire to confer with some of the members
IN private unofficial way, on the subject
of putting an end to their difficulties, Ben
jamin Franklin, John Adams, and Edward
Rutledge, were sent as q committee to
hear what he had to say, The English
Government saw with dismay that Con-
gress was taking higher ground, and aim
ing at something more than rebellion, and
Royalist emissaries were endeavorinr to
corrupt private individuals, and produce
distraction in the councils of the Ameri-
cans. On the 9th of Sept, of the above
year. (thc very day on which Congress
had resolved to call their country the U.
States,) the three gentlemen proceeded
from Philadelphia to Staten Island, where
Lord Howe then lay. At Brunswick
there was such poor accommodations, that
DIR. Franklin and Adams were obliged to
occupy one bed-almost as large as the
little room it WAS in, which was without
chimney, and had but one window. A
very pleasant characteristic anecdote
has grown out of these narrow accommo-
datlOns. Adams, who was very much
afraid of the night air, went and shut the
window, which was open. '' Oh cried
Franklin, g don't shut the window we
shall be suffocated." The Doctor knew
something more about oxygen and carbon
than his friend, who said he feared for his
health. The air, within this ROOM re-
piled Franklin, g will soon be worse than
the exterior night air: oPe., tlo-.'r tuuow
and como to bed. and l will convince you.
believe you are not acquainted with my
theory of colds" Adams then opened
the window, and jumped into bed, and
then informed the Doctor he had read his
letters to DR.. Cooper, in which he insist
ed that no one got cold by going into cold
air, but that the theory seemed hard to
believe. 1.-The Doctor then" says Ad
ans, began harraugc upon air and
cold. and respiration and perspiration
with which | was so much amused that |
soon fell asleep, and left him and his phi
losophy together; but l believe they
were equally sound and insensible within
few minutes af er me /; for the last words
l heard were pronounced as if he was
more than half asleep" The Doctor
could not convince his friend, who says
he believes with DR.. Jones, Franklin 5
physician, that the latter at last fell IL sa-
crifce, not to the stone, but to his own the
ory, having caught a cold, which choaked
him. by sitting in a draught, at an open
window.
Next day the three delegates proceeded
on their journey. When they arrived be-
fore Staten Island, they found that Lord
Howe had sent an officer as hostage for
their security. But, either because
one was NO pledge for three, or that
they resolved to put from them as far as
possible, anything like an assumption that
they were me rely rebels, who would, ma
turally, be more aPprehensive than others,
in such predicament, they unanimously
agreed that they cared nothing for the
hostage, and would take him back with
themselves. This was a trait of magma
nimity which was not lost on Howe, who
coming down to the waters edge, and see
ing his officer brought back, said, " Gen
tlemen, you pay me very high compli-
ment, and you may depend upon it, [ will
consider it as the most sacred of things"
The house they all met in, says Adams,
was as dirty as stable but his lord
ships room looked gay with n carpet of
moss and green sprigs-after the ancient
Elizabethan fashion of England and in
it the delegates were entertained with
good " bread bread, good claret, cold
ham, tongues and mutton"
In the conversation which ensued, Lord
Howe said he could not treat with Con-
gress, which the British Government did
not recognize but would treat with indi-
viduals Of influence. He made no expli-
cit proposition for peace. The main point
OF his observations was, that the Colonies
should return to their allegiance that
when they had done so, the King would
cause the offensive acts of Parliament to
be revised, &c. If Howe designed to
make any personal impressions favorable
to his cause, he could not have been con-
fronted with more unpromising subjects
than those now before him. They told
him that return to the old allegiance
was out of the question ; that independ-
ence was declared; that the Colonies had
adopted it, and that any future amity with
Britain was to be on the footing Of equali-
ty. During the conversation his lordship
must have seen how hopeless thing it
was to try and win any of the delegates.
He alluded, with an appearance of great
feeling, to his elder brother, killed in the
late French war in America, and express
ed his gratitude to the State of Massachu-
settes, which erected monument to his
memory in Westminster Abbey Such
was his gratitude, he said, that If Ameri-
ca should fall, che should feel and lament