The weekly mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado County, Calif.) 1861-1862, 1862-03-15

Inc new amOaSS8uOT WAS benjamin
franklin, one of the foremost citizens of
the young Republic, and one of the fore
most citizens Of the older republic Of sci
ence. He was Of humble origin. Both
IN Boston, the place Of his birth, and in
Philadelphia, the place Of his adoption,
he worked as printer; nor had he failed
to derive great mental advantages from
that art preServative Of all arts, and Of
which the followers, 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 per-
ceptions were equaled only by the
cltarness of his moral PERCEPTIONS
Undrr the name of Poor Richard" he
spread through the humble medium of
an almanac, q system Of homcly ethics,
in which the virtues of frugality, industry
and Temperance were extOlled in apho-
risms of ingenious terseness His grow
ing fame soon obtained for him Offices of
trust from the Colonies and Crown; and
when, owing partly to criminal interfe-
renee and partly to criminal neglect, diff
cultics arose between the Colonies and
the Crown, he exerted himself, first to
prevent, and then to remove, such differ
ences. But the hour Of reconciliation
passed away. He then stood up for war
with the serene courage with which he
had stood out for peace. He was one Of
the committee that drafted the "Great
Declaration" He was now sent to rep.
-.,.1t Tho n,ood canuo ~ Tho Eonrf NJ
France, and at the bar Of European opinion.
An extraordinary reception awaited him.
He was justly and widely known as
man Of Science-as the Columbus of cleo
trical discovery.
The French nation is fond beyond all
other nations of striking effect and pic
turesque contrast. And naught could be
more stricking and picturesque than the
spectacle now presented. A Quaker di.
plOmatiSt was to appear at the most arti-
fetal of all Courts, new Archinedes
was to come from the land Of the Mo-
hawk and the Natchez-a Scion from a
Republic of yesterday was to recall by
his wisdom and appearance the ages Of
ancient Republics. Naughty courtiers
bent with emotion before him. Brilliant
beauty struggled for the privilege of
kiss. Painters and Sculptors spread
broadcast over the land their copies Of his
august features. The Academy rang with
applause when Targets adulatory Latin
announced that the distinguished guest
had wrested the lightning " from heaven
and the scepter from tyrants ;" and, at a
later day, q ship of war was fitted out at
a French port, under the command Of
Paul Jones, bearing, with paraeRable in-
consistency the name Of" Poor Richard" I"
The chief glory Of Franklin is, that he
is the greatest Of the pupils of Beacon !;
and he was indeed such a pupil rs Bacon
would have delighted to honor. To both
master and pupil, philosophy was not the
mystic divinity of Plato, nor the imprac-
tical vixen of the schOOlmen. But she
was an angel of benefcence and minister
Ofmercy-an Elizabeth Fry, OF 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 inOcu.
Gus descent. The maxims Of Poor Rich
ard were meant not only for the Quaker
tradesnan and his neighbors, but for the
government Of empires and the inter-
course of nations. Even the balIoh tao
tics Of chess were made to furnish the
preceptS for the higher warfare of life.
Nor did its philosophy deny its fruits
to the philosopher himself for he was Sc
rene and Gel(-reliant in the hour of tri-
umph-.when he entered Philadelphia
with q loaf of bread under his arm
when he listened-when he stood the
center Of all admiration in the Court Of
Louis.
Jealous theOlOgians have attacked the
orthodoxy of his crecd-causists have
caviled at the materialism of his precepts
but he was doubtless good man, and
he richly merits the title of the most
useful man of any age"-a title which
he would have envied beyond all the gifts
of fortune and all the laurals of fame.