Harper's encyclopædia of United States history from 458 1906, based upon the plan of Benson John Lossing .. . THE FRANKLIN MEDALLION. The latter challenged Whately to mortal combat. They fought, but were unhurt. _ _ __ _ Another duel was likely to ensue, when Kiiiff a netition from Massachusetts for Dr. Franklin, to prevent bloodshed, pub- ^ *^ 421 FKANKLIN, BENJAMIN licly said: I alone am the person whoobtained and transmitted to Boston theletters in question. This frank andcourageous avowal drew upon him thewrath of the ministry. He was summonedbefore the privy council (Jan. 8, 1774)to
Harper's encyclopædia of United States history from 458 1906, based upon the plan of Benson John Lossing .. . THE FRANKLIN MEDALLION. The latter challenged Whately to mortal combat. They fought, but were unhurt. _ _ __ _ Another duel was likely to ensue, when Kiiiff a netition from Massachusetts for Dr. Franklin, to prevent bloodshed, pub- ^ *^ 421 FKANKLIN, BENJAMIN licly said: I alone am the person whoobtained and transmitted to Boston theletters in question. This frank andcourageous avowal drew upon him thewrath of the ministry. He was summonedbefore the privy council (Jan. 8, 1774)to consider the petition. He appeared withcounsel. A crowd was present—not lessthan thirty-five peers. Wedderburn, thesolicitor-general (of whom the King said,at his death, He has not left a greaterknave behind him in my kingdom),. FRANKLINS PRKaS. abused Franklin most shamefully with un-just and coarse invectives, while not anemotion was manifested in the face of theabused statesman. The ill-bred lords ofthat day seconded Wedderburns abuse byderisive laughter. Instead of treatingFranklin with decency. At the end ofthe solictors ribald speech the petitionwas dismissed as groundless, scandal-ous, and vexatious. I have never beenso sensible of the power of a. good con-science, Franklin said to Dr. Priestley,with whom he breakfasted the next morn-ing. When he went home from the coun-cil he laid aside the suit of clothes hewore, making a vow that he would neverput them on again until he should signthe degradation of England by a dismem-berment of the British Empire and the in-dependence of America. He kept his word, and, as commissioner for negoti-ating peace almost ten years afterwards,he performed the act that permitted himto wear the garments again. Franklin, in England in 1774, was aperfect enigma to the British
Size: 1502px × 1664px
Photo credit: © The Reading Room / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookauthorwilsonwoodrow18561924, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900
