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fence and, to effect these things, a power was given to make laws, laying fuch duties, impofts, or taxes, as they fhould find neceffary, and as would be leaft burthenfome to the people. All laws were to be fent to England for the king's approbation; and unless difapproved of within three years, were to remain in force. All officers in the land or fea fervice were to be nominated by the prefident-general, and approved of by the general council; civil officers were to be nominated by the council, and approved by the prefident. Such are the outlines of the plan propofed, for the confideration of the congress, by Dr. Franklin. After feveral days difcuffion, it was unanimoufly agreed to by the commiflioners, a copy tranfmitted to each affembly, and one to the king's council. The fate of it was fingular. It was difapproved of by the ministry of Great Britain, because it gave too much power to the reprefentatives of the people; and it was rejected by every affembly, as giving to the prefident-general, the reprefentative of the crown, an influence greater than appeared to them proper, in a plan of government intended for freeinen. Perhaps this rejection, on both fides, is the ftrongeft proof that could be adduced of the excellence of it, as fuited to the fituation of America and Great-Britain at that time. It appears to have fteered exactly in the middle, between the oppofite interefts of both.

Whether the adoption of this plan would have prevented the separation of America from Great Britain, is a queftion which might afford much room for fpeculation. It may be faid, that, by enabling the colonies to defend themselves, it would have removed the pretext upon which the tamp-act, tea-act, and other acts of the British parliament, were paffed; which excited a fpirit

of

of oppofition, and laid the foundation for the feparation of the two countries. But, on the other hand, it must be admitted, that the reftriction laid by Great-Britain upon our commerce, obliging us to fell our produce to her citizens only, and to take from them various articles, of which, as our manufactures were difcouraged, we stood in need, at a price greater than that for which they could have been obtained from other nations, muft inevitably produce diffatiffaction, even though no duties were impofed by the parliament; a circumftance which might still have taken place. Befides, as the prefident-general was to be appointed by the crown, he muft, of neceffity, be devoted to its views, and would, therefore, refuse his affent to any laws, however falutary to the community, which had the moft remote tendency to injure the interefts of his fovereign. Even fhould they receive his affent, the approbation of the king was to be neceffary; who would indubitably, in every inftance, prefer the advantage of his home dominions to that of his colonies. Hence would enfue perpetual difagreements between the council and the prefident-general, and thus, between the people of America and the crown of Great-Britain:

While the colonies continued weak, they would be obliged to fubmit, and as soon as they acquired ftrength they would become more urgent in their demands, until, at length, they would fhake off the yoke, and declare themselves independent.

Whilft the French were in poffeffion of Canada, their trade with the natives extended very far; even to the back of the British fettlements. They were difpofed, from time to time, to establish posts within the territory, which the English claimed as their own. Independent of the injury to the fur-trade, which was confiderable,

the

the colonies fuffered this further inconvenience, that the Indians were frequently inftigated to commit depredations on their frontiers. In the year 1753, encroachments were made upon the boundaries of Virginia. Remonftrances had no effect. In the enfuing year, a body of men was fent out under the command of Mr. Washington, who, though a very young man, had, by his conduct in the preceding year, fhewn himself worthy of fuch an important trust.

Whilft

marching to take poffeffion of the poft at the junction of the Allegany and Monongahela, he was informed that the French had already erected a fort there. A detachment of their men marched against him. He fortified himself as ftrongly as time and circumftances would admit. A fuperiority of numbers foon obliged him to furrender Fort Neceffity. He obtained honourable terms for himself and men, and returned to Virginia. The government of Great-Britain now thought it neceffary to interfere. In the year 1755, General Braddock, with fome regiments of regular troops, and provincial levies, was fent to difpoffefs the French of the pofts upon which they had feized. After the men were all ready, a difficulty occurred, which had nearly prevented the expedition. This was the want of waggons. Franklin now stepped forward, and with the affiftance of his fon, in a little time procured a hundred and fifty. Braddock unfortunately fell into an ambufcade, and perifhed, with a number of his men. Washington, who had accompanied him as an aid-de-camp, and had warned him, in vain, of his danger, now dif played great military talents in effecting a retreat of the remains of the army, and in forming a junction with the rear, under colonel Dunbar, upon whom the chief command now devolved.

With fome difficulty they brought their little body to a place of fafety; but they found it neceffary to deftroy their waggons and baggage, to prevent them from falling into the hands of the enemy. For the waggons which he had furnished, Franklin had given bonds to a large amount. The owners declared their intentions of obliging him to make a reftitution of their property. Had they put their threats in execution, ruin muft inevitably have been the confequence. Governor Shirley, finding that he had incurred thefe debts for the fervice of government, made arrangements to have them dif charged, and releafed Franklin from his disagreeable fituation.

The alarm fpread through the colonies, after the defeat of Braddock, was very great. Preparations to arm were every where made. In Pennfylvania, the prevalence of the quaker intereft prevented the adoption of any system of defence, which would compel the citizens to bear arms. Franklin introduced into the affembly a bill for organizing a militia, by which every man was allowed to take arms or not, as to him fhould appear fit. The quakers, being thus left at liberty, fuffered the bill to pass; for although their principles would not fuffer them to fight, they had no objections to their neighbours fighting for them. In confequence of this act a very refpectable militia was formed. The fenfe of impending danger infused a military spirit in all, whofe religious tenets were not opposed to war. Franklin was appointed colonel of a regiment in Philadelphia, which confifted of 1200 men.

The north-western frontier being invaded by the enemy, it became neceffary to adopt meafures for its defence. Franklin was directed by the governor to take charge of this business. Á

power

power of railing men, and of appointing officers to command them, was vefted in him. He foon levied a body of troops, with which he repaired to the place at which their prefence was neceffary. Here he built a fort, and placed the garrifon in fuch a pofture of defence, as would enable them to withstand the inroads, to which the inhabitants had previously been expofed. He remained here for fome time, in order the more completely to discharge the truft committed to him. Some business of importance at length rendered his prefence neceffary in the affembly, and he returned to Philadelphia.

The defence of her colonies was a great expence to Great Britain. The most effectual mode of leffening this was, to put arms into the hands of the inhabitants, and to teach them their use. But England wifhed not that the Americans fhould become acquainted with their own ftrength. She was apprehenfive, that, as foon as this period arrived, they would no longer fubmit to that monopoly of their trade, which to them was highly injurious, but extremely advantageous to the mother country. In comparifon with the profits of this, the expence of maintaining armies and fleets to defend them was trifling. She fought to keep them dependent upon her for her protection, the best plan. which could be devised for retaining them in peaceable fubjection. The leaft appearance of a military fpirit was therefore to be guarded againft, and, although a war then raged, the act organizing a militia was difapproved of by the miniftry. The regiments which had been formed under it were disbanded, and the defence of the province entrufted to regular troops.

The difputes between the proprietaries and the people continued in full force, although a war

was

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