Benjamin Franklin Papers

From Benjamin Franklin to Anthony Benezet, 14 July 1773

To Anthony Benezet

ALS (letterbook draft): Library of Congress

London, July 14. 1773

Dear Friend,

I received your Favour of April 24. with the Pamphlets for which I thank you. I am glad to hear that such humane Sentiments prevail so much more generally than heretofore,6 that there is Reason to hope Our Colonies may in time get clear of a Practice that disgraces them, and without producing any equivalent Benefit, is dangerous to their very Existence.

I hope e’re long to have the Pleasure of seeing you, and conversing with you more fully on that and other Subjects than I can now do by writing. In the mean time believe me ever Dear Friend Yours most affectionately

B F.

Mr Antho Benezet,

[Note numbering follows the Franklin Papers source.]

6On April 28 Benezet had sent Dr. Fothergill a copy of his letter to BF of April 24, now lost, and had mentioned that he was asking BF as Pa. agent to work for acceptance of the provincial act against importing slaves. With his letter to Fothergill he enclosed a number of copies of Benjamin Rush’s Address to the Inhabitants of the British Settlements, upon Slave-Keeping (Philadelphia, 1773). George S. Brookes, Friend Anthony Benezet (Philadelphia, 1937), p. 303. He doubtless sent the same pamphlet to BF.

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