. Benjamin Franklin: his autobiography : with a narrative of his public life and services. s, inasmuch as, in its consequences, he couldnot but perceive it involved the almost certain suc-cess of his country. A powerful government wasnow pledged to defend the American claim to ex-istence as a separate nation ; for the rupture betweenGreat Britain and France was weighed in the ne-gotiation as a sure event. He had also the gratifi-cation to find the act of the government endorsedby the people, for on his way to Versailles, and onhis return, he was greeted with the most enthusias-tic popular accl
. Benjamin Franklin: his autobiography : with a narrative of his public life and services. s, inasmuch as, in its consequences, he couldnot but perceive it involved the almost certain suc-cess of his country. A powerful government wasnow pledged to defend the American claim to ex-istence as a separate nation ; for the rupture betweenGreat Britain and France was weighed in the ne-gotiation as a sure event. He had also the gratifi-cation to find the act of the government endorsedby the people, for on his way to Versailles, and onhis return, he was greeted with the most enthusias-tic popular acclamations ; and whenever he appearedin Paris, a similar enthusiasm exhibited the popularfeeling. This favorable disposition toward his coun-try he knew w as in no small degree to be attributed tohis own personal eftbrts and character. Hereditaryhatred to Great Britain, and the consciousness thatin the last treaty with that power concessions hadbeen made which were humiliating to the pride ofFrance, made both government and people disposedto befriend America; and the hope of disabling by. LIFE OF FRANKLIN. 501 dismemberment a powerful rival was all the advan-tage that the government counted upon. But thisreason would have sufficed only to make war toler-able to a people already tax-ridden. Frankhn madeit popular. His pen and his tongue had also madethe cause of the United States to appear not only just,but hkely to be successful with those to whom themost powerful of tests was to be applied—demandsfor money and credit. Testimonies to his personal influence came fromevery quarter. In a previous part of this work wehave detailed the efforts made to negotiate with orthrough him in London. If the British ministrythen esteemed him a man whom it was worth theirwhile to secure, subsequent events had not abatedtheir behef in his importance. He had so accuratelyinformed those who consulted him upon the state ofthe public mind in America, and so truly represent-ed the claims and opinions
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