Benjamin Franklin [175 
A. 1 mean its inexpediency on several accounts; 
the poverty and inability of those who were to pay 
the tax, the general discontent it has occasioned, and 
the impracticability of enforcing it. 
Q. If the act should be repealed, and the legisla- 
ture should show its resentment to the opposers of the 
Stamp Act, would the colonies acquiesce in the au- 
thority of the legislature? What is your opinion 
they would do? 
A. 1 don’t doubt at all that if the legislature re- 
peal the Stamp Act, the colonies will acquiesce in the 
authority. 
(Q. But if the legislature should think fit to ascer- 
tain its rights to lay taxes, by any act laying a small 
tax, contrary to their opinion, would they submit to 
pay the tax? 
A. The proceedings of the people in America have 
been considered too much together. The proceed- 
ings of the assemblies have been very different from 
those of the mobs, and should be distinguished as 
having no connection with each other. The assem- 
blies have only peaceably resolved what they take to 
be their rights; they have taken no measures for op- 
position by force, they have not built a fort, raised 
a man, or provided a grain of ammunition, in order 
to such opposition. The ringleaders of riots, they 
think ought to be punished; they would punish them 
themselves, if they could. Every sober, sensible man, 
would wish to see rioters punished, as, otherwise, 
peaceable people have no security of person or estate; 
but as to an internal tax, how small soever, laid by 
the legislature here on the people there, while they 
i04 Fin