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discussion, a great deal of denunciation and ridicule, together with a little commendation.

Some letters told of how the Whigs in England read and commended the spirit and force of the papers, how some Tories ridiculed and denounced them, how some Englishmen called the members of Congress traitors and how others thought them merely fools; but nothing of an authentic or official nature was received.

From the inception of the struggle against the mother country Charles Carroll of Carrollton felt sure that the effect would be war first and independence as a result of the war. With that idea firmly in his mind, he had his committees go right on with their work of preparation.

Just before the proceedings of the first American Congress reached Great Britain the King suddenly dissolved Parliament, and issued writs for a general election. It was а move of peculiarly shrewd "politics," for the Ministry had every reason to believe that the proceedings of Congress would be conciliatory, tending to allay the heat of the English public against the colonies; and by thus prematurely forcing a new election while the public was still excited against America; it was hoped that the Government majority would be increased - a theory which proved eminently successful in practice. When the proceedings of the Congress was transmitted to Parliament, they came before men prepared to give them no heed, and were referred, with a great mass of other papers, to a committee which Edmund Burke happily styled "the Committee of Oblivion." Franklin, who was then in London, drew up what he termed an anecdote" of the King's speech for the meeting of this Parliament. It afforded great amusement to the friends of America, but didn't get into print. This

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is what the ever-humorous Franklin thought the King should say in his address to parliament:

My Lords and Gentlemen, It gives me much concern that I am obliged at the opening of this Parliament to inform you that none of the measures adopted by the last Parliament in respect to the disturbances of my American colonies have produced those salutary effects, which relying upon the supposed wisdom of their deliberations I had been induced to expect. I therefore sent that Parliament, a packing rather abruptly, and have called you in their place to pick a little advice out of your wise heads upon some matters of the greatest weight and importance relating to a sort of Crusade that I have upon my hands. I must needs tell you that the business if you chuse to undertake it for me, will be a seven or ten years job at least. You must know then that my ministers have put me upon a project to undertake the reduction of the whole continent of North America to unconditional submission. They have persuanded me to coax you into this project by representing it to you as a matter to be done in a twinkling, and to make you believe that my subjects in America whom you have always hitherto considered as brave men, are no better than a wretched pack of cowardly run-a-ways, and that 500 men with whips will make them all dance to the tune of Yankee Doodle; but I will tell you no such thing because I am very sure if you meddle with it that you will find it a very different sort of business.

Now, Gentlemen of the House of Commons, I give you this fair notice for yourselves and your Constituents. If you undertake this job it will cost you at the least farthing a good round sum of forty or fifty millions; forty or fifty thousands of your Constituents will get knocked on the head and then you are to consider what the rest of you will be gainers by the bargain even if you succeed. The trade of a ruined and desolated

country is always inconsiderable, its revenue trifling; the expense of subjecting and retaining it in subjection, should that connexion which we wish most ardently to maintain be dissolved, should my Ministers exhaust your treasures and waste the blood of your Country men in vain will they not deliver you weak and defenceless to your natural enemies?

You must know this is not the first time that the Serpent has been whispering into my ear, Tax America. Cost what it will, make them your hewers of wood and drawers of water. Let them feel that your little finger is thicker than the loins of all your ancestors. But I was wiser than all that. I sent to Lord Rockingham and the advice that he gave me was this, not to burn my fingers in the business. That it was ten to one against our making any hand of it at all, that they were not worth shearing and at best that we should raise a cursed outcry and get but little wool. I shall remember his last advice to me as long as I live. Speak good words to them and they will be thy Servants forever.

And now my Lords and Gentlemen, I have stated the whole matter fairly and squarely before you. It is your own business and if you are not content as you are, look to the rest for yourselves. But if I were to give you a word of advice it should be to remind you of the Italian Epitaph upon a poor fool that killed himself with quacking" I was well, I would be better, I took Physick and died."

No one could prove who produced this humorous speech but it was so like the act of Franklin that all familiar with affairs felt well assured.

Copies reached this country and the reading of them was much enjoyed. When a copy was handed to Mr. Carroll he read it carefully and smilingly said:

"What a man! Nothing is serious enough to suppress the humor that bubbles up in Franklin."

CHAPTER XI

NEWS FROM ENGLAND-TRIP OF THE COMMISSIONERS TO CANADA

Arriving home from Philadelphia in the late Fall and quickly resuming his duties on the Committee of Safety, the Committee of Correspondence and the other committees connected with his patriotic duties, Charles Carroll of Carrollton was frequently asked by his neighbors what he thought would be the reply to the papers sent by the Continental Congress to the British ministry. His answer invariably was:

"The papers will have no effect whatever. The King, Parliament and English people are against making any concession to the colonies." "But the speeches of Burke, Barie and Lord Chatham?"

"They indicate nothing whatever. They represent only the Whig minority that has no influence with the government or with the people. Their splendid efforts rather hinder than help our cause. Whatever we get we must fight for. Our people should clearly understand that."

From Philadelphia he came directly to Annapolis where he met his father and together they went over the situation carefully and weighed the cost and the risks fully.

Christmas arrived with no news from London. Christmas in Maryland has always meant the entire week from Christmas Eve to New Year. Charles Carroll of Carrollton spent the first part of Christmas at Doughoregon Manor and rode to Baltimore where he met many public men and fully discussed the crisis through which the colonies were passing. He

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