The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1906-01-12

ana no doubt rightfuIly, with having
been the most considerable influence IN
securing Frances intervention In our
behalf He certainly secured loans In
Vulnerable. arms and ammunition for
the struggling colonists, Whenever con-
gress needed money, which was quite
often, it drew on Franklin, and he
neyer fsiled TO meet the drafts.
His browning services as diplomat
were il signing the treaty Of peace
with Great Britain BY his influence
and tact ne secured more favorable
terms tlian could hsye been got by an
other. IT was ne VINO insisted on hold
ing the territory west Of the Allegha-
MES. at the end Of the diplomatic bat
tie il was seen that Franklin and his
fellow American ENJOYS had scored a
substantial triumph. The signing Of
that document made new nation I'M
der the sun, and the sage who mad
done SO much to bring the republic to
birth soon fastened hack to its well
coming shore Before leaving, how
ever, be ended bis diplomatic career
by signing treaty with Prussia.
The record OF this versatile man as a
statesman is fully as conspicuous as
the part be played in other fields He
was always interested in public ques-
tons He was clerk Of the Pennsyl-
vania assembly for years and after
ward member OF that body. He was
postmaster Of Philadelphia. assistant
postmaster general of the colonies and
postmaster general after independence
was declared
He was colonel ia the French and
Indian war though he participated in
no battle, He was a member Of the
Aibany convention about the time Of
that war and proposed the FIRST plan
OF union for the colonies, which was
the fogerunner Of the union under
which they gained freedom He was
member of the Continental congress,
one OF the committee appointed to draft
the Declaration OF Independence and
one Of rs signers. he was one of the
members Of the constitutional conven-
ton, where be was known as the peace
maker and where his tact and tinesse
were in daily requisltlon to bring about
an agreement between the bitterly CON
tending factions. He proposed the plan
Of congressional and senatorial repre-
sentation which finally made II posi-
bic for the factions to get together.
For time Franklin held the ONCE
that correspondent TO the goyernegship
Of Pennsylvania. He founded tho Phil
adelphia Public library he founded
the American Philosophical soclety.
lie founded school that grew into the
University Of Pennsylvania. He en-
dowed scholarships and left sum Of
money to bear interest for a hundred
years, which was partly used to build
a great manual training school IN Bos.
ton. He was ever busy 10 some work
TO benefit mankind.
His last public act was TO sign
memorial TO congress against slavery.
He was president of The antisIavery
society that drafted this memorial, by
the way, and his last paper, and one Of
his brightest, was an answer to an at
tack upon ii.
Tie died in 1900, a year after Wash
ington had been inaugurated president.
The new nation was safe. His work
was done A very inconspicuous slab
is all that marks his grave. That is as
he would have It. Let those have mon. /
uments who need them.
Perhaps no sketch Of Benjamin Frank (
lin would be complete without quoting
his epitaph, written In youth, and his
hanging remark. The epltaph runs like I
this THE body Of Benjamin Franklin,
printer, like the cover Of an old book. I
it's contents torn out and stripped Of it's X
lettering and gliding, lies here. food for