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ed on by private perfons to advantage; and if not, it is a folly to think of forcing nature. Great establishments of manufacture, require great numbers of poor to do the work for fmall wages; thofe poor are to be found in Europe, but will not be found in America, till the lands are all taken up and cultivated, and the excefs of people who cannot get land want employment. The manufacture of filk, they fay, is natural in France, as that of cloth in England, because each country produces in plenty the first material: but if England will have a manufacture of filk as well as that of cloth, and France of cloth as well as that of filk, thefe unnatural operations must be supported by mutual prohibitions, or high duties on the importation of each other's goods; by which means the workmen are enabled to tax the home confumer by greater prices, while the higher wages they receive makes them neither happier nor richer, fince they only drink more and work lefs. Therefore the governments of America do nothing to encourage fuch projects. The people, by this means, are not imposed on, either by the mer chant or mechanic: if the merchant demands too much profit on imported fhoes they buy of the fhoemaker; and if he afks too high a price, they take them of the merchant; thus the two profeffions are checks on each other. The fhoemaker, however, has, on the whole a confiderable profit upon his labour in America, beyond what he had in Europe, as he can add to his price a fum nearly equal to all the expences of freight and commiffion, rifque or infurance, &c. neceffarily charged by the merchant. And it is the fame with every other mechanic art. Hence it is that artifans generally live better and more easily in America than in Europe; and such as are good œconomists make a comfortable provision for age, and for their children. Such may therefore remove with advantage to America.

In the old long-fettled countries of Europe, all arts, trades, profeffions, farms, &c are so full, that it is difficult for a poor man who has children to place them where they may gain, or learn to gain a decent livelihood. The artisans, who fear creating future rivals in bufinefs, refuse to take apprentices, but upon conditions of money, maintenance, or the like, which the parents are unable to comply with. Hence the youths are dragged up in ignorance of every gainful art, and obliged to become foldiers, or fervants, or

thieves, for a fubfiftence. In America, the rapid increase of inhabitants takes away that fear of rivalship, and artisans willingly receive apprentices from the hope of profit by their labour, during the remainder of the time ftipulated, after they shall be inftructed. Hence it is eafy for poor families to get their children instructed; for the artifans are fo defirous of apprentices, that many of them will even give money to the parents, to have boys from ten to fifteen years of age bound apprentices to them, till the age of twenty-one; and many poor parents haye, by that means, on their arrival in the country, raised money enough to buy land fufficient to establish themselves, and to fubfift the rest of their family by agriculture. These contracts for apprentises are made before a magiftrate, who regulates the agreement according to reason and justice; and having in view the formation of a future useful citizen, obliges the mafter to engage by a written indenture, not only that, during the time of service ftipulated, the apprentice shall be duly provided with meat, drink, apparel, washing and lodging, and at its expiration with a complete new fuit of clothes, but also that he shall be taught to read, write and caft accounts; and that he shall be well inftructed in the art or profeffion of his master, or some other, by which he may gain a livelihood, and be able in his return to raise a family, A copy of this indenture is given to the apprentice or his friends, and the magiftrate keeps a record of it, to which recourse may be had, 'in case of failure by the mafter in any point of performance. This defire among the masters to have more hands employed in working for them, induces them to pay the paffages of young perfons, of both fexes, who, on their arrival, agree to ferve them one, two, three, or four years; those who have already learned a trade, agreeing for a fhorter term, in proportion to their skill, and the confequent immediate value of their service; and those who have none, agreeing for a longer term, in confideration of being taught an art their poverty would not permit them to acquire in their own country.

The almost general mediocrity of fortune that prevails in America, obliging its people to follow fome business for subfiftence, those vises that arise usually from idleness, are in a great measure prevented. Industry and conftant employ

ment are great prefervatives of the morals and virtue of a nation. Hence bad examples to youth are more rare in America, which must be a comfortable confideration to parents. To this may be truly added, that ferious religion, under its various denominations, is not only tolerated, but refpected and practifed. Atheism is unknown there; infidelity rare and fecret; fo that perfons may live to a great age in that country without having their piety shocked by meeting with either an Atheist or an infidel. And the Divine Being feems to have manifested his approbation of the mutual forbearance and kindness with which the different fects treat each other, by the remarkable profperity with which he has been pleafed to favour the whole country.

FINAL SPEECH OF DR. FRANKLIN IN THE LATE FEDERAL CONVENTION*,

MR. PRESIDENT,

I CONFESS that I do not entirely approve of this confti

tution at prefent: but, Sir, I am not sure I fhall never approve it; for having lived long, I have experieneed many inftances of being obliged by better information, or further confideration, to change opinions even on important subjects, which I once thought right, but found to be otherwife. It is, therefore, that the older I grow, the more apt I am to doubt my own judgment, and to pay more refpe&t to the judgment of others. Moft men, indeed, as well as most fects of religion, think themfelves in poffeffion of all truth, and that whenever others differ from them, it is so far error. Steel, a proteftant, in a dedication, tells the Pope, that "the only difference between our two churches, in their opinions of the certainty of their doctrines, is, the Romish church is infallible and the church of England never in the wrong." But, though many private perfons think almost as highly of

*Our reafons for afcribing this fpeech to Dr. Franklin, are its internal evidence, and its having appeared with his name, during his life-time, uncontradicted, in an American periodical publication.

their own infallibility as of that of their fect, few exprefs it fo naturally as a certain French lady, who, in a little difpute with her fitter, faid, I don't know how it happens, sister, but I meet with nobody but myself that is always in the right. Il n'y a que moi qui a tonjours raifon In these fentiments, Sir I agree to this conftitution, with all its faults, if they are fuch: because I think a general government neceflary for us, and there is no form of government, but what may be a blefling, if well adminiftered; and I believe farther, that this is likely to be well adminiftered for a courfe of years, and can only end in defpotifm, as other forms have done before it, when the people shall become fo corrupted as to need defpotic government, being incapable of any other. I doubt too, whether any other convention we can obtain, may be able to make a better conftitution. For when you affemble a number of men, to have the advantage of their joint wifdom, you affemble with those men, all their prejudices, their paffions, their errors of opinion, their local interefts, and their selfish views. From fuch an affembly can a perfect production be expected? It therefore aftonishes me, Sir, to find this fyftem approaching fo near to perfection as it does; and I think it will aftonifh our enemies, who are waiting with confidence, to hear that our councils are confounded, like those of the builders of Babilon, and that our ftates are on the point of feparation, only to meet hereafter for the purpose of cutting each other's throats.

Thus I confent, Sir, to this conftitution because I expect no better, and because I am not sure that this is not the best. The opinions I have had of its errors, I facrifice to the public good. I have never whispered a fyllable of them abroad. Within thefe walls they were born; and here they fhall die. If every one of us, in returning to our conftituents, were to report the objections he has had to it, and endeavour to gain partifans in fupport of them, we might prevent its being generally received and thereby lose all the falutary effects and great advantages refulting naturally in our favour among foreign nations, as well as among ourfelves, from our real or apparent unanimity. Much of the ftrength or efficiency of any government, in procuring and fecuring happiness to the people, depends on opinion; on the general opinion of the goodness of that government, as well as of the wisdom and integrity of its governors.

I hope, therefore, that for our own fakes as a part of the people, and for the fake of our pofterity we shall act heartily and unanimoufly in recommending this conftitution, wherever our influence may extend, and turn our future thoughts and endeavours to the means of having it well administered.

On the whole, Sir, I cannot help expreffing a wifh, that every member of the convention, who may still have objec tions, would with me on this occafion, doubt a little of his own infallibility, and to make manifeft our unanimity, put his name to this inftrument.

[The motion was then made for adding the last formula, viz.

Done in Convention, by the unanimous confent, &c. which was agreed to, and added accordingly.]

SKETCH OF AN ENGLISH SCHOOL.

FOR THE CONSIDERATION OF THE TRUSTEES OF THE PHI

LADELPHIA ACADEMY.

*

It is expected that every fcholar to be admitted into this

school, be at least able to pronounce and divide the syllables in reading, and to write a legible hand. None to be received that are under years of age.

FIRST, OR LOWEST CLASS.

Let the first clafs learn the English Grammar rules, and at the fame time let particular care be taken to improve them in orthography. Perhaps the latter is beft done by pairing the scholars; two of those nearest equal in their spelling to be put together. Let these ftrive for victory; each propounding ten words every day to the other to be fpelled. He that fpells truly most of the others words, is victor for that day; he that is victor most days in a month, to obtain

*This piece did not come to hand till the volume had been fome time at the prefs. This was the cafe also with feveral other papers, and must be our apology for any defect that may appear in the arrangement.

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