with solicitous care, may sometimes open a source of serious evils..

The unhappy man, who has long been treated as a brute animal, too frequently sinks beneath the common standard of the human species. The galling chains, that bind his body, do also fetter his intellectual faculties, and impair the social affections of his heart. Accustomed to move like a mere machine, by the will of a master, reflection is suspended; he has not the power of choice; and reason and conscience have but little influence over his conduct, because he is chiefly governed by the passion of fear. He is poor and friendless; perhaps worn out by extreme labor, age, and disease.

Under such circumstances, freedom may often prove a misfortune to himself, and prejudicial to society.

Attention to emancipated black people, it is therefore to be hoped, will become a branch of our national policy; but, as far as we contribute to promote this emancipation, so far that attention is evidently a serious duty incumbent on us, and which we mean to discharge to the best of our judgment and abilities.

To instruct, to advise, to qualify those who have been restored to freedom, for the exercise and enjoyment of civil liberty, to promote in them habits of industry, to furnish them with employments suited to their age, sex, talents, and other circumstances, and to procure their children an education calculated for their future situation in life; these are the great outlines of the annexed plan, which we have adopted, and which we conceive will essentially promote the

public good, and the happiness of these our hitherto too much neglected fellow-creatures.

A plan so extensive cannot be carried into execution without considerable pecuniary resources, beyond the present ordinary funds of the Society. We hope much from the generosity of enlightened and benevolent freemen, and will gratefully receive any donations or subscriptions for this purpose, which may be made to our treasurer, James Starr, or to James Pemberton, chairman of our committee of correspondence.

Signed, by order of the Society,

B. FRANKLIN, President.

MDLXXI

TO M. LE VEILLARD

PHILADELPHIA, 13 November, 1789.

DEAR FRIEND:-This must be but a short letter, for I have mislaid your last and must postpone answering them till I have found them; but to make you some amends I send you what is done of the Memoirs, under this express condition however, that you do not suffer any copy to be taken of them, or of any part of them, on any account whatever, and that you will, with our excellent friend the Duke de la Rochefoucauld, read them over carefully, examine them critically, and send me your friendly, candid opinion of the parts you would advise me to correct or expunge; this in case you should be of opinion

that they are generally proper to be published; and if you judge otherwise, that you would send me that opinion as soon as possible, and prevent my taking further trouble in endeavoring to finish them. I send you also the paper you desire respecting our payment of old English debts.

The troubles you have had in Paris have afflicted me a great deal. I hope by this time they are over, and every thing settled as it should be, to the advantage both of the king and the nation.

My love to good Mme. Le Veillard and your children, in which Sec'y Benjamin joins; and believe me as ever, your affectionate friend,

B. FRANKLIN.

MDLXXII

TO M. LE ROY

PHILADELPHIA, 13 November, 1789.

It is now more than a year since I have heard from my dear friend Le Roy. What can be the reason? Are you still living? Or have the mob of Paris mistaken the head of a monopolizer of knowledge for a monopolizer of corn, and paraded it about the streets upon a pole.

Great part of the news we have had from Paris, for near a year past, has been very afflicting. I sincerely wish and pray it may all end well and happy, both for the king and the nation. The voice of Philosophy I apprehend can hardly be heard among those tumults. If any thing material in that way had

occurred, I am persuaded you would have acquainted me with it. However, pray let me hear from you a little oftener; for, though the distance is great, and the means of conveying letters not very regular, a year's silence between friends must needs give uneasiness.

Our new Constitution is now established, and has an appearance that promises permanency; but in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.

My health continues much as it has been for some time, except that I grow thinner and weaker, so that I cannot expect to hold out much longer.

My respects to your good brother, and to our friends of the Academy, which always has my best wishes for its prosperity and glory. Adieu, my dear friend, and believe me ever yours most affectionately, B. FRANKLIN.

MDLXXIII

TO M. DE CHAUMONT

PHILADELPHIA, 14 November, 1789.

MY GOOD AND DEAR OLD FRIEND:-Your very valuable son came to this town lately with the full intentions of taking his passage for France in obedience to the commands of his much respected father and mother, and supposing that his presence there would be useful to the affairs of the family. But on his communicating his purpose to me and acquainting me at the same time with the present situation

VOL. XII.-II.

of his demand upon Congress, where your accounts against them have been examined and approved, and the payment only delayed till by the operation of our new Constitution the Congress shall be furnished with money to discharge them, I could not help thinking it would be more advisable for him to postpone his voyage two or three months when he might hope to see his business here completed to his and your satisfaction, than to leave it in its present state, which might occasion a much longer delay; for the Impost Law, passed at the last session of Congress, being now in full force through all the States of the Union [imperfect] importation of goods in [imperfect] duties are paid having lately been immensely great, the flow of money into the treasury must be proportionable, so that when they meet again, which will be early in January next, they will find themselves in possession of a very considerable sum; and as their debt to you was one of the earliest they contracted, I suppose it will of course be one of the first they will think of discharging; and I have promised him to use my best interest and endeavors with them for that purpose. He has accordingly thought fit to take my advice, and I hope it will be approved by you and his good mother, and that this short delay will not occasion any great inconvenience; whereas if he should be absent when the first payments are made, his affair might be postponed for another year. We hope indeed that when he does visit you, you will not think of detaining and fixing him in France; for we are not willing to part with him; his behavior having been such,