Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1876-03-13
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN.

lied as \ man of the next world. Ben
iamiu Franklin was emphatically man
of this world. Not that Franklin lacked
religion and homely practical piety, but
he had none Of Edwards intense depth
Of religious experience, God was to him
q bene6cent being, aiding good men in
their hard struggles with the facts of
life. and not pitless to those who stun
bled in the path of duty, or even to those
who widely diverged from it, The heav-
en- of Edwards was as far above his spir
itual vision as the hell of Edwards was
below his soundings of the profundities
Of human wickedness but there never
was person who SO swiftly distinguish
ed an honest man from rogue, or who
was more quick to see that the rogue
was at war with the spiritual constitu-
ton of things. He seems to have learn
cd his morality in u practical way. All
his early slips from the straight line of
duty were but experiments. from which
he drew lessons in moral wisdom. If he
happened occasionally to lapse into vice.
he made the experience of vice new
fortress to defend his virtue; and he
came out of the temptations of youth
and middle age with a character gener-
ally recognized as one of singular solid
ity. serenity and benignity His intel
lect, in the beautiful harmony of his fac
ulties. his conscience, in the instructive
sureness of its perception of the relations
Of duties, and his heart, in its subordi
nation of malevolent to benefcent emo
tions-all showed how diligent he had
been in the austere self-culture which
eventually raised him to the first rank
among the men of his time Simplicity
was the fine result of the complexities
which entered into his mind and charac-
ter He was a man who never used
words except to express positive thoughts
or emotions, and was never tempted to
misuse them for the purposes of decla-
nation. He kept his style always on
the level of his character. In announc-
ing his scientific discoveries, as in his
most private letters. he is ever simple
In breadth of mind he is probably the
most eminent man that our country has
produced; for while he was the greatest
diplomatist, and one of the greatest
statesmen and patriots of the United
States, he was also discoverer in sci
ence, benignant philanthropist, and {
master in that rare art of so associatine
words with things that they appeared
identical. Edwards represents. human.
ly speaking. the somewhat doleful doc
trine that the best thing good mai
can do is to get out. as soon as he de
Gently can, of this world into one which
is inmeasurably better, by devoting al
his energies to the salvation of his owl
particular soul. Franklin, on the con
trary, seems perfectly content with thi
world, as long as he thinks he can bet
ter it. Edwards would doubtless hav
considered Franklin a child of wrath
but Francis Bacon would have haileC
him as one of that band of explorer
who, by serving nature, will in the enc
master her mysteries and use thei
knowledge for the service of man. In
deed, the cheerful, hopeful spirit whicl
runs through Franklin's writings, eve
when he was tried by obstacles whicl
might have tasked the proverbial pa
thence of Job, is not one of the least 0
his claims upon the consideration 0
those who rightfully glory in haVin
such genius for their countryman. Tn
spirit which breathes through franklin
life and works is that which has inspir
ed every pioneer OF our Western wastes
every poor farmer who has tried to max
both ends meet by the exercise of rigi
economy, every inventor who has al
tempted to serve men by making ma
chimes do half the drhdgery of thei
work, every statesman who has strive
to introduce large principles into on
somewhat confused and contradictor
legislation, every American diplomats
who has upheld the character of hi
country abroad by sagacity in managin
men, as well as by integrity in the mai
purpose Of his mission, and every hon
est man who has desired to diminish tn
evil there is in the world and to increas
every possible good that is conformabl
to good sense. Franklin Is doubtle.
our Dir. Worldly Wiseman, but hi
worldly wisdom ever points to the Chris
tian's prayer that Gods will shall
done on earth as 1t is done in HEAVIER
-HorPer's Magazine.
; Frederick Billings. Esq, Of Wood
stock, has written a letter in response /
i IL