Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1860-12-01

Benjamin Franklin on the Present Crisis.
The following curious letter from Benja-
min Franklin has never before been publish
ed, to our knowledge. It forms part of the
correspondence which passed between Frank
lin, DR.. Hartley Charles James Fox and the
Earl of Shelburne, known as the Hartley
correspondence. We are indebted for the
copy before US to Mr.. C. B. Norton, the pub
Usher, of this city. It is a curiously. apo
site letter for the times. Substitute the South
tor Great Britain, and you might imagine the
letter addressed by the shade Of Franklin to
Mr.. Breckenridge or any other rational seces-
sionist if there be another in the country, to
disabuse their minds of the impression that
our constitution was 3 fraud and our form of
government failure. What Franklin says
Of the American people, in comparison with
the people of other countries is as true now
as it was then, and the recent election sup
plies the grandeSt conceivable testimony IN
confirmation. In this letter Franklin advi-
ses the evacuation of New York by the Brit
ish troops, and the anniversary of that evRcu-
alton, partly the fruit of his advice, will oc-
cur on,MOnday next=N. 7. EOsHing Post.
'PAss1, Sept. 6, 1888.
-UMY DEAR FRIEND: Enclosed is my letter
to Mr.. Fox. 1 beg you would assure him
that my expressions of esteem for him are
not mere professions; I really think him a
great man, and l could not think so if 1 did
not believe he was at bottom and would
prove himself good one. Guard him.
against mistaken notions of the American
people. You have deceived yourselves too
long with eXpections of reaping advantage
from our little discoEtents. We are more
thoroughly an enlightened people with res
pect to our political interests than, perhaps,
any other under heaven. Every man among
US reads, and is so easy in his circumstances
as to have leisure for conversations Of i'm
provement and for acquiring information.
/ Our domestic misunderstanding, when we
have them, are of small extent though mon
strOusly magni6ed by your microscopic news
papers. He who judges from them that we
are at the point OF falling into anarchy, or
returning to the obedience of Britain, is like
one who, being shown some spots on the sun,
should fancy that the whole disc would soon
be overspread by them, and that there would
be an end of daylight. The great body OF
intelligence among our people surrounds and
overpoWers cur petty discussions, as the
suns great mass of fire diminishes and des-
| troys his spots. Do not therefore, any lon
ger delay the evacuation Of New York in the
vain hope Of a new revolution in your favor,
if such a hope has indeed had any effect in
causing that delay. 1t is now nine months
since that evacuation was promised. You
expect, with reason, that the people Of New
York should do your merchants justice in the
payment Of their old debts. Consider the in
justice you do them in keeping them so long
out of their habitations and out of their bust
ness, by which they might have been enabled
to make payment. There is no truth more
clear to me than this, that the great interest
four two countries is a thorough reconcilia-
ton. Restraints on the freedom Of commerce
and intercourse between us can afford no ad-
vantage equivalent to the mischief they viii
do by keeping up m-hhmor, and promoting
a total alienation. Let yeu and ], my dear
friend, do our best towards securing and ad-
vancing that reconciliation. We can do
nothing that in q dying hour viii afford Us
more solid satisfaction.
81 wish you a prosperous journey and q
happy sight Of your friends. Believe me
ever, with sincere and great esteem, yours
Iaffectionately, B. FRANKLIN.
ITO D. HARTLEY, Esq"