The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-11-12
The Globes j4ome Jtudy Course
The Makers Of the Nation.
BY CLARK MILLS BRINK, PHI. D.

they received the provincial messenger
very haughtily and icily, and gave him
quickly to understand that the fractions
colonists could expect no favors from
them. But they little knew the temper
of the man with whom they had to deaf.
With a perseverance and serenity that
would be creditable to modern book
agent Franklin, when defeated in his
first attempt, resorted to another device.
Undismayed by his failure, he turned
from the supercilious proprietaries and
sought relief from the lords of trade,
who had control in England of colonial
affairs.
But with the lords of trade likewise
he found his task difficult. This board
was composed mainly of men whose
sympathies were with the aristoeracy.
They were not disposed very strongly
to favor distant colopists who labored
with their hands as against White-in-
gered gentlemen who were present to
plead their own cause. Yet Franklin
presented his case so skillfully, he man
aged it so adroitly that they found it
diff1cuit to give at once an adverse deci-
sion. They were dilatory and inclined
to shy. and it was three years before
they finally announced 1t was found to
be against the Pennsylvanians.
But not even yet was the sturdy
agent disheartened. He had not come to
England to be defeated. He appealed to
the privy council, composed of the dig
nitaries of the realm. With this august
body he was successful, and it was de-
cided that the proprietary estates should
bear their proportion of the public burden.
After five years of absence he returned
home to be crowned with honors Though
the question at issue was financial, 1t
involved principles that were really
political So he had served his ap-
premiership in diplomacy and had shown
himself able successfully to cope SINGLE
handed with the shrewdest and most ex-
rerienced politicians of England. During
this five years he had won place also
in the highest and most exclusive circles
of English social and intellectual life and
was known and admired everywhere as
charming conversationalist and d
learned man of science.
When he returned to Philadelphia the
war was over, but political peace had
not come. Soon the English government
announced its intention of passing the
stamp act. This was in 1854. In this same
year Franklin was again sent to England
by Pennsylvania to represent that pro-
vince in regard to the troubles that were
gathering. The emissary was discourte-
ously treated and even brutally insulted
in the presence of the privy council and
failed to induce the ministers not to pass
the proposed obnoxious measure. But the
tax was received with a storm Of oppoSi-
ton in America Franklin worked so
assiduously and skillfully that he obtain
ed hearing before the House of Com
mons, where he was examined minutely
upon the condition of American affairs.
In this famous examination he showed
such knowledge of his subject and such
tact in presenting the interests of
America that he soon made 1t evident
that the act could not be enforced. So
wise, shrewd and skillful was he also
in his intercourse with members of par
lament and the makers of public senti-
ment that within year of it's passage
Franklin had the qualification of seeing
the fatal law repealed.
But this was not the end of the con-
troversy. The king was determined on
some form of taxation, and, as conse-
quence. the irritation continued. In ITO
Franklin was made agent for Georgia,
New Jersey and Massachusetts,, so that
in sense he was a general colonial
representative. About this time Frank
lin got hold of some letters, sent by the
Tory governor of Massachusetts to the
English colonial Office and, through no
fault of his, they were printed in an
American paper Their publication stirred
up hornets nest-yes, two of them
one in Massachusetts, against the gov
ernor; the other in England, against
Franklin. He was abused, threatened,
bullied. called openly a thief. The stu
alton was such that if he had de-
Tended himself he would have injured
his cause. Therefore, in the face of the
vilest vituperation he maintained stud
led silence. There was no evidence that
Franklin obtained the documents improp-
erly, but the assumption of the English
government toward him was thenceforth
hostile. Yet he was not without his de-
tenders, even in England. The great
Lord Chatham, when Franklin was one
day present in the house of commons ana
was bitterly assailed, thus splendidly
praised him: IF 1 We're prime minister
and had the care of settling this momen-
tous business, should not be ashamed
to call to my assistance person so well
acquainted with American affairs-one
whom all Europe ranks with our Boyles
and Newtons, as an honor, not to the
English nation only, but to human nature
ITSELF
Seeing that he could no longer nope
to secure justice for the colonies in Eng
land. and that the two parties We're fast
drifting into war, Franklin. in IT'S, re-
turned home, after an absence of ten
years. He was now Sixty-nine years of
age-almost an old man. But his most