The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1934-01-12

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN Upper left)
DEBORAH BAcHE Upper right
THOMAS JEFFERSON Uower left),
FRANKLIN BACHE (Lower right
The silhouettes of Franklin, jefferson and
Franklin Bache are in the collection of his de-
scendant, Franklin Bache, and have never be-
fore been reproduced. That of Deborah Bache
is in the collection of L. Vail
their work himself; 1t revived in him delightful
memories Of his own adventurous, hard child
hood" Thus Benny Bache was pointed toward
his later career a printer and a journalist.
But France had done something else for him.
There he absorbed some of those democratic
principles flor the French Revolution was al
ready in the air) which were to make him a
future fighter against aristocracy in American
government.
Then Franklin wrote an attack on the Society
Of the Cincinnati which also an attack on
Washington. John Adams denounced him in con-
gress as a traitor who had sold himself to
France. Although .Franklin's prestige in Europe
was undiminished his ellow-countrymen had be-
gun to suspect him. Finally in 1855 came "per-
mission" from congress for him to return home
this permission in reality being recall since
Thomas jefferson was sent as ambassador to
France to replace him.
So Benjamin Franklin and Benny Bache came
back to their native land, Franklin to go to the
Constitutional convention there to labor nightly
as a conciliator among the warning elements
who were trying to write charter of govern
ment for the new nation, and Benny to enter
the University of Pennsylvania. When Washing
ton was elected President, Franklin went back
to his library. Nothing was left to him but his
library. All his other kingdoms, the salons Of
France and those of England, where he had
tbroned 1t as prophet; the far-off chancelleries
Of Europe, where he had reigned as master; the
American assemblies, where he had laid down the
law; and the associations and the lodges and
the declarations and the conventions. where his
proposals had carried the crowd-all this was
ended. He would never see them again. Others
reigned in his stead"
So the career of one of the really great men
Of the earth ended in anti climax. But he was
still the teacher and comrade and inspiration Of
the grandson whom he had desired to make his
masterpiece. He set up a type foundry and
printing house for Benny, although the former
had to be given up later. But in the latter the
two colaborated In the publication of children's
books They also printed Latin and Greek books,
but found no sale for them. Then on April II,
$780, Franklin died. Toward the last he had
taken Benny's hands in his and spent long hours
In happy dreaming"
Franklin was given q fine funeral, the finest
ever held in Philadelphia. Both Europe and
America mourned his passing. Everybody wept
as the occasion required. Only Benny wept as
one weeps when life does not seem worth living
any longer. /. He had lost his grandfather
and his youth. He had lost great deal Per-
haps he had lost everything. Nothing remained
to him but to serve his country"
There was soon need for his beginning to do
that. Already there was dissatisfaction with the
way the Federalists were running the country,
but the opposition to them was still unorganized.
The Republican, later the Democratic party, had
not yet been organized. The capital of the coun-
try was moved from New York to Philadelphia,
which was soon boiling with politics, as a later
capital washington, did from the day it was
founded and occupied by the government In
the meantime Benny had married Miss Margaret
Markoe and soon there was family for him to
support.
Bache decided to publish newspaper with
a bookshop on the side. The Federalists already
had their organ, Fennos Gazette of the United
States. He approached Robert Morris on the
subject of patronage for his proposed newspaper
but Morris tried to dissuade him. Next he con-
suited Thomas jefferson, who seemed friendly
enough, but soon afterwards aided Philip Fren-
eau found the National Gazette as the organ Of
the Republican elements.
Undiscouraged, Bache went ahead and in the
fall of 1870 established the General Advertiser,
dedicated to Truth. Decency and Utility. 1t had
several competitors most of which were exceed
ingly dull but prosperous Bache wasn't much of
a writer but he was good newspaper man In
the sense that he got most Of the news such
there was and printed it. Says Fay: when he
started his paper, Benny Rache had only one
idea: to follow in the footsteps of his grand
father and keep on following them He had no
money but his father provided him with little.
He had no subscribers; he collected them
by one He had no news: he CLEANED it every
where. He had no doctrine; he reproduced his
grandfather's. He was a Franklinian. He had no
circle Of his own; but he had the street
which his workshop opened. Market street. the
main street of Philadelphia, full of merchants,
poor people and travellers, overlooking with the
life of America. :"
But great events were on the way. Hamilton
and Jefferson, though fellow-members of Wash
ington's cabinet at opposite poles as to theo
ries of government The feud between them in
creased Under various pseudonyms they attacked
each other In Fenno's Gazette of the United
States and In Freneau's National Gazette. $50
the fight went on over the heads Of the crowd,
to the great regret Of Mr. Washington. who ex-
erfed himself to make his ministers break away (;
to the great disgust of levelheaded people, and
to the great establishment of the vulgar. !.
The crowd could only feel that there was dis
cord in high quarters. These personal Quarrels