1c. Benjamin Franklin [1775 
their detriment. In the last war, it is true, Britain 
sent a fleet and army, which acted with an equal 
army of ours, in the reduction of Canada; and 
perhaps thereby did more for us than we in the pre- 
ceding wars had done for her. Let it be remem- 
bered, however, that she rejected the plan we 
formed in the Congress at Albany, in 1754, for our 
own defence, by a union of the colonies; a union 
she was jealous of, and therefore chose to send her 
own forces; otherwise her aid to protect us was not 
wanted. And from our first settlement to that 
time, her military operations in our favor were small, 
compared with the advantages she drew from her ex- 
clusive commerce with us. We are, however, willing 
to give full weight to this obligation; and as we are 
daily growing stronger, and our assistance to her be- 
comes of more importance, we should with pleasure 
embrace the first opportunity of showing our grati- 
tude by returning the favor in kind. 
But, when Britain values herself as affording us 
protection, we desire it may be considered, that we 
have followed her in all her wars, and joined with her 
at our own expense against all she thought fit to 
quarrel with. This she has required of us; and 
would never permit us to keep peace with any power 
she declared her enemy; though by separate treaties 
we might well have done it. Under such circum- 
stances, when at her instance we made nations our 
enemies, whom we might otherwise have retained 
our friends, we submit it to the common-sense of man- 
kind, whether her protection of us in these wars was 
not our just due, and to be claimed of right, instead 
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