large/10272/mentorbenjaminfranklin_1509_librivox_64kb_mp3/mentorbenjaminfranklin_11_hart_64kb_10
large/10272/mentorbenjaminfranklin_1509_librivox_64kb_mp3/mentorbenjaminfranklin_11_hart_64kb
English
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By his personal relations with Englishmen of note, he was the natural starting point for overtures of concord; and in the negotiations of the peace of 1782 he stood alongside the eager, impetuous, and hotly national John Adams, and courteous, high bred and determined John Jay, as chief of that remarkable triumvirate of negotiators. BY HIS PERSONAL RELATIONS WITH ENGLISHMEN OF NOTE HE WAS THE NATURAL STARTING POINT FOR OVERTURES OF CONCORD AND IN THE NEGOTIATIONS OF THE PEACE OF SEVENTEEN EIGHTY TWO HE STOOD ALONGSIDE THE EAGER IMPETUOUS AND HOTLY NATIONAL JOHN ADAMS AND COURTEOUS HIGH BRED AND DETERMINED JOHN JAY AS CHIEF OF THAT REMARKABLE TRIUMVIRATE OF NEGOTIATORS
ag end, and you may have me for what you please to give.” Yet he accepted the most important post of his life when in September, 1776, he was elected commissioner to France. There for nine years he served his country as the most popular, most sagacious, and most successful foreign minister ever appointed by the United States. [Illustration: ONE OF FRANKLIN’S INGENIOUS DEVICES FOR TEACHING THE LESSONS OF PRACTICAL WISDOM] [Illustration: FRANKLIN TEARS THE LIGHTNING FROM THE SKY AND THE SCEPTER FROM THE TYRANTS Seated beside him is the figure of America. From a sepia drawing by Fragonard, owned by Clarence S. Bement, Philadelphia] He was not merely a diplomatic representative; he was a commercial and financial agent, fitted out vessels, issued commissions, borrowed money. Well did Horace Walpole say of him that Franklin was furnishing materials for writing the History of the Decline of the British Empire. Without Franklin the two treaties of 1778 with France could not have been obtained.  ACCORDING TO THE DICTATES OF THEIR OWN CONSCIENCES AND UNDERSTANDING FRANKLIN AS A DIPLOMAT BENJAMIN FRANKLIN WAS NOW SEVENTY YEARS OLD AND SAID OF HIMSELF TO A FELLOW MEMBER OF CONGRESS I AM OLD AND GOOD FOR NOTHING BUT AS THE STOREKEEPERS SAY OF THEIR REMNANTS OF CLOTH I AM BUT A FAG END AND YOU MAY NOT HAVE ME FOR WHAT YOU PLEASE TO GIVE YET HE ACCEPTED THE MOST IMPORTANT POST OF HIS LIFE WHEN IN SEPTEMBER SEVENTEEN SEVENTY SIX HE WAS ELECTED COMMISSIONER TO FRANCE THERE FOR NINE YEARS HE SERVED HIS COUNTRY AS THE MOST POPULAR MOST SAGACIOUS AND MOST SUCCESSFUL FOREIGN MINISTER EVER APPOINTED BY THE UNITED STATES HE WAS NOT MERELY A DIPLOMATIC REPRESENTATIVE HE WAS A COMMERCIAL AND FINANCIAL AGENT FITTED OUT VESSELS ISSUED COMMISSIONS BORROWED MONEY WELL DID HORACE WALPOLE SAY OF HIM THAT FRANKLIN WAS FURNISHING MATERIALS FOR WRITING THE HISTORY OF THE DECLINE OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE WITHOUT FRANKLIN THE TWO TREATIES OF SEVENTEEN SEVENTY EIGHT WITH FRANCE COULD NOT HAVE BEEN OBTAINED
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