Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1896-07-23
FRANKLlN'S MlSHAP.
Ee Paid the Penalty of Humor. and the
Honor Fell to Jefferson.

When the time came for the peo-
pie of the 10 united colonies to pro-
claim to the world that they were
free and that they held themselves
absolved from all allegiance to the
British crown, and that all political
connection between them and Great
Britain was totally dissolved, COM
mittee of the continental congress
was appointed to draw up declara-
ton of independence. The members
of this committee were Benjamin
Franklin of Pennsylvania, John
Adams of Massachusetts, Roger
Sherman of Connecticut, Robert r.
Livingston of New York and Thorn
as jefferson of Virginia. Why was
it that their colleagues committed
the writing of the Declaration of In
dependence to Thomas Jefferson and
not to Benjamin Franklin? The
Virginian was not the most promi-
nent man even of his own section,
and, although his reputation could
not fairly be termed local, it was
but little more, while the name of
Franklin of Pennsylvania was we'll
known throughout the whole CIV
ilized world.
Franklin was not only the fore
most citizen of Philadelphia, where
the congress was sitting; he was
the most experienced publicist and
the most accomplished man of let
tiers in all the Is colonies, and he
was especially we'll equipped for the
drawing up of an appeal to Europe,
as he had but just returned from
London, where he had been plead
ing the cause of his countrymen
with indomitable courage and in
disputable skill. Yet Franklin was
not asked to write the Declaration
of Independence, and, although he
and Adams made few verbal
amendments, the credit of that great
state paper belongs to Jefferson.
And why was it that this response
bility was placed on Jefferson and
not on franklin
think the explanation lies in the
fact that franklin was humorist
Not only was Franklin's sturdy
common sense felt to be too plain q
homespun for wear in the courts of
Europe when the thought needed
to be attired in all the lofty rhetoric
that the most fervid enthusiasm
could produce, but also, l fear me
greatly, his colleagues were afraid
that Franklin would have his joke.
1t would be good joke, no doubt
probably very good joke-but the
very best of jokes would not be in
keeping with the stately occasion.
They were acute, those leaders of
the continental congress, and they
knew that every man has the de-
fects of his qualities, and that hu-
morist is likely to be lacking in rev
erence, and the writer of the Decla
ration of Independence had theme
which demanded the most reveren-
tial treatment.
So it was that Benjamin Franklin
had to pay the penalty of humor in
the last century just as Abraham
Lincoln had to pay it in this GEN.
fury. Because Lincoln was swift to
seize upon an incongruity and be-
cause he sought relief for his abid-
ing melancholy in playfulness there
were not few who refused to take
him seriously.
Even after his death there were
honest folk who held the shrewdest
and Hottest of our statesmen to have
been little better than q buffoon.
OF the three greatest Americans
Franklin, Washington and Lincoln
two were humorists, and it is, per-
haps, his deficiency in humor which
makes Washington seem more re-
mote from us and less friendly than
either of the others.-Chioago Trib-
une.