The Coolidge examiner., 1934-01-12

i the first exponents of those
principles But now a scholarly
historian, whose opinions based
upon patient and dligent study, certainly should
be more acceptable than the windy, vote catching
platitudes of campaign orator. tells us that the
true Fathers OF American Democracy" were two
men named Franklln-Benjamin Franklin, whose
memory we honor on January II, his birthday,
and Benjamin Franklin Bache, his grandson
This historian is Bernard Fay, Frenchman who
divides his time between France and America
and his thesis is uttered In the book 1.-The Two
Franklins Fathers of American Democracy"
published recently by Little, Brown and Com
pany.
So much has been written about Benjamin
Franklin Qncluding Mr.. Fays previous book
Benjamin Franklin: The Apostle of Modern
Times" which has been pronounced "incompar-
ably the best biography of Franklin yet pub
lishedD that there seems to be little left to add
TO the record Of his life and services to the
American nation. But very little has ever been
said about his grandson, or the historical impor-
tance of Benjamin Franklin Bache
Students Of the history of American Journal
Ism have known him the founder of the Phil
adelphia General Advertiser, which later became
the Aurora, in which, while attempting to break
the power of the Federalist party he attacked
the symbol Of Federallst faith, President George
Washington, even going to the lengths of declar-
Ing that IF ever a nation was debauched by
man, the American nation has been by Washing
ton" He attacked John Adams and his attacks
on the second President OF the United States
led directly to the passage OF the Alien and Sed-
ton laws, under which statutes Bache was ar
rested for libel but was not prosecuted But
Bache was more than a "scurrilous young Jour-
nalist who yapped at the Father of His Country"
Fay presents him as the man who carried on
the 'fathering" Of Democratic principles In this
country after that other father" Franklin, was
dead and Of bringing about second American
Revolution" one OF which most Americans are
unaware. In the preface to his book, Fay says: /:
"A revolution is a change Of mind There have
been few more radical changes Of mind than the
one which took place In America between 1890
and 1900. But when historians describe the down.
fall Of the Federalists and the victory Of the new
DemocraticRepublcan party during these years
they always speak In terms Of Jefferson and
Hamilton. They do not exhibit change of mind
They merely stage a picturesque fight between
two very great men, and two very attractive
men.
"As see the matter while Hamilton opposed
this change and Jefferson made use of 1t, 1t was
other men who effected this change Of mind
propose to deal mostly with these other mer
and, above all, with one of them who strikes me
as the most outspoken the most reckless the
most generous. and the most neglected. His
name was Bache."
Benny Bache as Fay likes to call him. was
born on August II, 1769 the son of Sarah
Franklin and Richard Bache a Philadelphia
merchant. described as "simpleminde man.
friendly and jovial, with nothing of a great
man about him." So IL Benny Bache had any
elements OF greatness In him, he didn't get 1t
from his father. He got II from his mother, who
passed to him some Of the greatness of her
father.
The boy soon became a favorite Of his grand
fathers, so when Franklin went to Paris in 1776
10 negotiate alliance with France for the re-
belous colonies he took his seven-year-old grand
son along with him. There the boy soon became
too French" so his grandfather. resolved to
make him "a Presbyterian as well as a Repub-
lican" sent him to Geneva for his education
Franklin had another grandson in Paris with
him-Temple Franklin, the illegitmate son of his
own illegitimate son, William Franklin.
But Temple Franklin was an aloof, frigid sort
of boy, so far as real affection for his grand
father was concerned. Therefore Franklin in
17S3 brought Benny back from Geneva and de-
lighted by the warmth of feeling that was imme
diately apparent between them, he decided to
make the young man his masterpiece" So for
two years Benny Bache breathed the intoxicating
air of Passy, Paris and Versailles where he was
made much of as the grandson of Franklin. the
'oracle of two worlds" He shared in his grand
fathers talks with the philosophers and the sci
EXISTS who came to see Franklin and he fol-
lowed his grandfather's footsteps in pursuing
those interests which made Franklin "the most
versatile American"
Then Franklin decided ain order to round off
Bennys philosophical apprenticeship. to make
printer out of him. At the outset from Novem
ber. 1854, to March, 1856. he gave him as his
master a printer and type founder NJ Emery
who came to Passy every day. He supervised
their work himself; it revived in him delightful
memories of his own adventurous hard child
hood" Thus Benny Bache was pointed toward
his later career as printer and a journalist
But France had done something else for him
There he absorbed some of those democratic
principles tfor the French Revolution was al
ready in the air) which were to make him
future fighter against aristocracy in American
government.
Then Franklin wrote an attack on the Society
of the Cincinnati which was also an attack on