Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1860-09-15
MAcAULAy on FRANAIiN.

A
] A better sketch Of our own immorta
Ben. Franklin than this, from the pen o
Macaulay, we do not remember to have seer
or read 1t is richly worth the attention
Of every reader 10 the land:
| 1.-THE new ambassador was Benjamin
Franklin, one of the foremost citizens of thu
young Republic, and one Of the foremos
citizens of the older Republic Of Science
He was of humble origin. Both in Boston
the place Of his birth, and in Philadelphia
the place Of his adoption, he had worked
las printer; nor had he failed to derive
(great mental advantages from that art "pre
servative of all arts" and Of which the fol
lowers, like ships that bear spices and odors
from the East. retain something Of those
precious cargoes which they are employed
to distribute.
The clearness Of his intellectual peitcp.
tons was equaled by abe .elealness Of hi:
moral perceptions Under he name 81
"Poor Richard" he spread abroad through
the humble medium of an almanac, sys.
tein. of homely ethics, in which the virtues
Of fragality, industry and temperance were
extolled in aphorisms of ingenious terseness.
His growing fame soon obtained ior him
offices OF trust from the Colonies and the
Crown, and when, owing partly to Grimm
al neglect, difficulties arose between tbs
Colonies of the Grown, he exerted himself,
first to prevent, and then to remove such
differences. But the Lour of reconciliation
passed away. He was one Of the con, nit
tee that drafted the "Great Declaration. =
He was now sent to represent the good
cause at the Court cf France and at the bar
Of European opinion. An extraordinary
reception awaited him. He was justly and
widely known as an eminent man ofscience
and as the Columbus of electrical discoy-
cry. The French nation is found beyond all
other nations, OF striking effect and pictur-
esquecontrast. Aud naught could be- more
striking and picturesque than the spectacle
now presented. A Quaker diplomatist was
to appear at the most artificial of Courts
new Archimedes was to come from the
land of the Mohawk and the Natchez Ia
Scion from A Republic of yesterday was
to recall by his wisdom and appearance, the
sages Of the ancient Republic. Naughty
courtiers bent with emotion before him.
Brilliant beauties struggled for kiss
Painters and sculptors spread broadcast oy-
er the land their copies of his august fea-
lures. The Academy rang with applause
when Turgot's adulatory Latin annou, eed
that the distinguished guest had wrestled
the lightning from heaven and the soeptre
from tyrants and at latter day, ship
of-waf was fitted out at French port I'M
der the command Of Paul Jones, bearing
with pardonable inconsistency, the name OF
Poor Richard.
The chief glory Of Franklin is. that he is
the greatest of the pupils of Bacon; and he
was indeed such pupil as Bacon would
have delighted to honor. To both master
and pupil, Philosophy was not the mystic
divinity Of Plato, nor the impracticable vix-
en- Of the schoolmen. But she was an an
gel Of benifcence and minister of mercy
an Elizabeth Fry or Florence Nightingale.
Her mission was to relieve human suffering
and to advance the good of mans estate
OF these principles, Franklin's long career
was a triumphant application. No sooner
had the electric spark slid down the kite
string than the lightning rod was invented
for its innocuous descent. The maxims Of
Poor Richard were meant not only for the
Quaker tradesman and his neighbors, but
for the goyernD.ent Of empires and the in
tercourse Of nat;esss Even the barren tao
ties Of chess were made to furnish precepts
for the higher warfare of life.
Nor did bis philosophy deny its choicest
fruits to the philosopher himself; for he
was serene and selfreliant in the hour Of
the triumph; when he entered Ppbiladel
phia will loaf of bread under his arm;
when he listened unmoyed, to the pitiless
sarcasm of Meddiburne; when he stood the
center Of all admiration in tho splendid court
of Louis.
Jealous theologians have attacked the or
thcdoxy Iof his creed; casuists have caviled
at the materialism of his ethical precepts;
but be was doubtless good man; he was
unquestionably great man, and he richly
merits the title Of "the most useful .pan Of
any age"-a title which he would have en-
We'd beyond all tho gifts Of fortune aad all
the laurels of fame"