Benjamin Franklin [173 
and that the troops may be protected by the inhabi- 
tants. This will seem to proceed from your zll-wzll 
or your tgnorance, and contribute further to produce 
and strengthen an opinion among them that you are 
no longer fit to govern them.: 
20. Lastly, invest the general of your army in the 
provinces with great and unconstitutional powers, 
and free him from the control of even your own civil 
governors. Let him have troops enough under his 
command, with all the fortresses in his possession; 
and who knows but (like some provincial generals in 
the Roman empire, and encouraged by the universal 
discontent you have produced) he may take it into 
his head to set up for himself? If he should, and 
you have carefully practised the few excellent rules 
of mine, take my word for it, all the provinces will 
immediately join him; and you will that day (if you 
have not done it sooner) get rid of the trouble of gov- 
erning them, and all the plagues attending their com- 
merce and connection from thenceforth and forever.* 
1 As the reader may be inclined to divide his belief between the wisdom 
of the ministry and the candor and veracity of Dr. Franklin it may be 
stated that two contrary objections may be made to the truth of this 
representation. The first is, that the conduct of Great Britain is made foo 
absurd for possibility; and the second, that it is not made absurd enough 
for fact. If we consider that this writing does not include the measures 
subsequent to 1773, the latter difficulty is easily set aside. The former can 
only be solved by the many instances in history where the infatuation of 
individuals has brought the heaviest calamities upon nations. 
2 A new and handsome edition of the above piece was published at 
London in 1793. 
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