Benjamin Franklin [1760 
The present war teaches us, that disputes arising in 
America may be an occasion of embroiling nations, 
who have no concerns there. If the French remain 
in Canada and Louisiana, fix the boundaries as you 
will between us and them, we must border on each 
other for more than fifteen hundred miles. The 
people that inhabit the frontiers are generally the 
refuse of both nations, often of the worst morals, 
and the least discretion; remote from the eye, the 
prudence, and the restraint of government. In- 
juries are therefore frequently, in some part or other 
of so long a frontier, committed on both sides, re- 
sentment provoked, the colonies are first engaged, 
and then the mother countries. And two great 
nations can scarce be at war in Europe, but some 
other prince or state thinks it a convenient oppor- 
tunity to revive some ancient claim, seize some 
advantage, obtain some territory, or enlarge some 
power at the expense of a neighbour. The flames 
of war, once kindled, often spread far and wide, and 
the mischief is infinite. Happy it proved to both 
nations, that the Dutch were prevailed on finally to 
cede the New Netherlands (now the province of New 
York) to us at the peace of 1674; a peace that has 
ever since continued between us, but must have been 
frequently disturbed, if they had retained the pos- 
session of that country, bordering several hundred 
miles on our colonies of Pennsylvania westward, 
Connecticut and the Massachusetts eastward. Nor 
is it to be wondered at, that people of different lan- 
guage, religion, and manners, should in those remote 
parts engage in frequent quarrels, when we find that 
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