FRANKLIN, Benjamin (1706-1790). HIGHLY-IMPORTANT LONG AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED ('B. FRANKLIN') TO LORD KAMES ('My dear Friend'), London, 25 February 1767, written as Franklin later states for the purpose of engaging Kames in a discussion of 'the weighty Points in dispute between Britain and the Colonies' (cf. letter of 28 Feb. 1768 below). He tells him about his examination before the House of Commons. 'It becomes a Matter of great Importance that clear Ideas should be formed on solid Principles, both in Britain and in America, of the true political Relation between them, and the mutual Duties belonging to that Relation'. Anticipating the coming conflict he ends 'But America, an immense Territory, favour'd by Nature with all Advantages of Climate, Soil, great navigable Rivers and Lakes, &c. must become a great Country, populous and mighty; and will in a less time than is generally conceiv'd be able to shake off any Shackles that might be impos'd on her, and perhaps place them on the Imposers. In the mean time, every Act of Oppression will sour their Tempers ... and hasten their final Revolt'. Subscribed 'I am with increasing Esteem and Affection, My dear Friend', and marked 'copy' in Franklin's hand at the head of the first page, 6½ pages, folio (321 x 203mm), (inner blank margin of each sheet reinforced, folds of last sheet strengthened, but in fine condition), endorsed on verso of last sheet 'Copy of former Letter' (in Franklin's hand) and 'Letters from Doctor Franklin' in another hand.).In this long letter Franklin states the case of the American colonies, appealing to Lord Kames, 'I know none whose Knowledge, Sagacity and Impartiality, qualify them so thoroughly for such a service as yours do. You may thereby be the happy Instrument of great Good to the Nation and pf preventing much Mischief and Bloodshed. I am fully persuaded with you, that a consolidating Union, by a fair and equal Representation of all the Parts of this Empire in Parliament, is the only firm Basis on which its political Grandeur and Stability can be founded'. Franklin explains the American view, that their provincial Assemblies will not make laws contrary to their own judgment, following acts passed by the British Parliament. That in fact the American Assemblies are in no way inferior to Parliament. 'It is a common but mistaken Notion here, that the Colonies were planted at the Expence of Parliament, and that therefore the Parliament has a Right to tax them, &c. The Truth is, they were planted at the Expence of private Adventurers, who went over there to settle with Leave of the King given by Charter. On receiving this Leave and these Charters, the Adventurers voluntarily engag'd to remain the King's Subjects ... in a Country which had not been conquer'd by either King or Parliament, but was possess'd by a free People ... Parliament had no hand in their Settlement ...'. He explains that although the colonies have submitted to British customs duties 'except by a few Smugglers', but that 'internal taxes laid on them by Parliament are and ever will be objected to, for the Reasons that you will see in the mentioned Examination'. He ends by praising the new edition of Kames' Principles of Equity, 'I have never before met with any thing so satisfactory on the Subject'.The heading of 'Copy' at the beginning of this letter has never been fully explained. It seems almost certain however, that the original letter sent on 25 February miscarried and that Kames never received it. In his letter of 28 February 1768, one year later, Franklin writes about the lost letter sent 'about this time twelvemonth', written for the purpose of engaging Kames helpfully in a discussion of 'the weighty points in dispute between Britain and the Colonies'. Having finally discovered that the original had been lost, he sent this replacement copied from his letter-book and entirely autograph on 21 February 1769. Mysteriously another copy of this same letter, almost, but not entirely identical, was sent to Kames, dated 11 April 1767 (see following lot below). This second copy however, is scribal, but signed by Franklin, who also himself wrote the date and the address panel.Published in The Papers of Benjamin Franklin, ed. L.W.Labaree, vol. 14 pp.62-71.

FRANKLIN, Benjamin (1706-1790). HIGHLY-IMPORTANT LONG AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED ('B. FRANKLIN') TO LORD KAMES ('My dear Friend'), London, 25 February 1767, written as Franklin later states for the purpose of engaging Kames in a discussion of 'the weighty Points in dispute between Britain and the Colonies' (cf. letter of 28 Feb. 1768 below). He tells him about his examination before the House of Commons. 'It becomes a Matter of great Importance that clear Ideas should be formed on solid Principles, both in Britain and in America, of the true political Relation between them, and the mutual Duties belonging to that Relation'. Anticipating the coming conflict he ends 'But America, an immense Territory, favour'd by Nature with all Advantages of Climate, Soil, great navigable Rivers and Lakes, &c. must become a great Country, populous and mighty; and will in a less time than is generally conceiv'd be able to shake off any Shackles that might be impos'd on her, and perhaps place them on the Imposers. In the mean time, every Act of Oppression will sour their Tempers ... and hasten their final Revolt'. Subscribed 'I am with increasing Esteem and Affection, My dear Friend', and marked 'copy' in Franklin's hand at the head of the first page, 6½ pages, folio (321 x 203mm), (inner blank margin of each sheet reinforced, folds of last sheet strengthened, but in fine condition), endorsed on verso of last sheet 'Copy of former Letter' (in Franklin's hand) and 'Letters from Doctor Franklin' in another hand.). In this long letter Franklin states the case of the American colonies, appealing to Lord Kames, 'I know none whose Knowledge, Sagacity and Impartiality, qualify them so thoroughly for such a service as yours do. You may thereby be the happy Instrument of great Good to the Nation and pf preventing much Mischief and Bloodshed. I am fully persuaded with you, that a consolidating Union, by a fair and equal Representation of all the Parts of this Empire in Parliament, is the only firm Basis on which its political Grandeur and Stability can be founded'. Franklin explains the American view, that their provincial Assemblies will not make laws contrary to their own judgment, following acts passed by the British Parliament. That in fact the American Assemblies are in no way inferior to Parliament. 'It is a common but mistaken Notion here, that the Colonies were planted at the Expence of Parliament, and that therefore the Parliament has a Right to tax them, &c. The Truth is, they were planted at the Expence of private Adventurers, who went over there to settle with Leave of the King given by Charter. On receiving this Leave and these Charters, the Adventurers voluntarily engag'd to remain the King's Subjects ... in a Country which had not been conquer'd by either King or Parliament, but was possess'd by a free People ... Parliament had no hand in their Settlement ...'. He explains that although the colonies have submitted to British customs duties 'except by a few Smugglers', but that 'internal taxes laid on them by Parliament are and ever will be objected to, for the Reasons that you will see in the mentioned Examination'. He ends by praising the new edition of Kames' Principles of Equity, 'I have never before met with any thing so satisfactory on the Subject'. The heading of 'Copy' at the beginning of this letter has never been fully explained. It seems almost certain however, that the original letter sent on 25 February miscarried and that Kames never received it. In his letter of 28 February 1768, one year later, Franklin writes about the lost letter sent 'about this time twelvemonth', written for the purpose of engaging Kames helpfully in a discussion of 'the weighty points in dispute between Britain and the Colonies'. Having finally discovered that the original had been lost, he sent this replacement copied from his letter-book and entirely autograph on 21 February 1769. Mysteriously another copy of this same letter, almost, but not entirely identical, was sent to Kames, dated 11 April 1767 (see following lot below). This second copy however, is scribal, but signed by Franklin, who also himself wrote the date and the address panel. Published in The Papers of Benjamin Franklin, ed. L.W.Labaree, vol. 14 pp.62-71.

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FRANKLIN, Benjamin (1706-1790). HIGHLY-IMPORTANT LONG AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED ('B. FRANKLIN') TO LORD KAMES ('My dear Friend'), London, 25 February 1767, written as Franklin later states for the purpose of engaging Kames in a discussion of 'the weighty Points in dispute between Britain and the Colonies' (cf. letter of 28 Feb. 1768 below). He tells him about his examination before the House of Commons. 'It becomes a Matter of great Importance that clear Ideas should be formed on solid Principles, both in Britain and in America, of the true political Relation between them, and the mutual Duties belonging to that Relation'. Anticipating the coming conflict he ends 'But America, an immense Territory, favour'd by Nature with all Advantages of Climate, Soil, great navigable Rivers and Lakes, &c. must become a great Country, populous and mighty; and will in a less time than is generally conceiv'd be able to shake off any Shackles that might be impos'd on her, and perhaps place them on the Imposers. In the mean time, every Act of Oppression will sour their Tempers ... and hasten their final Revolt'. Subscribed 'I am with increasing Esteem and Affection, My dear Friend', and marked 'copy' in Franklin's hand at the head of the first page, 6½ pages, folio (321 x 203mm), (inner blank margin of each sheet reinforced, folds of last sheet strengthened, but in fine condition), endorsed on verso of last sheet 'Copy of former Letter' (in Franklin's hand) and 'Letters from Doctor Franklin' in another hand.).

In this long letter Franklin states the case of the American colonies, appealing to Lord Kames, 'I know none whose Knowledge, Sagacity and Impartiality, qualify them so thoroughly for such a service as yours do. You may thereby be the happy Instrument of great Good to the Nation and pf preventing much Mischief and Bloodshed. I am fully persuaded with you, that a consolidating Union, by a fair and equal Representation of all the Parts of this Empire in Parliament, is the only firm Basis on which its political Grandeur and Stability can be founded'. Franklin explains the American view, that their provincial Assemblies will not make laws contrary to their own judgment, following acts passed by the British Parliament. That in fact the American Assemblies are in no way inferior to Parliament. 'It is a common but mistaken Notion here, that the Colonies were planted at the Expence of Parliament, and that therefore the Parliament has a Right to tax them, &c. The Truth is, they were planted at the Expence of private Adventurers, who went over there to settle with Leave of the King given by Charter. On receiving this Leave and these Charters, the Adventurers voluntarily engag'd to remain the King's Subjects ... in a Country which had not been conquer'd by either King or Parliament, but was possess'd by a free People ... Parliament had no hand in their Settlement ...'. He explains that although the colonies have submitted to British customs duties 'except by a few Smugglers', but that 'internal taxes laid on them by Parliament are and ever will be objected to, for the Reasons that you will see in the mentioned Examination'. He ends by praising the new edition of Kames' Principles of Equity, 'I have never before met with any thing so satisfactory on the Subject'.

The heading of 'Copy' at the beginning of this letter has never been fully explained. It seems almost certain however, that the original letter sent on 25 February miscarried and that Kames never received it. In his letter of 28 February 1768, one year later, Franklin writes about the lost letter sent 'about this time twelvemonth', written for the purpose of engaging Kames helpfully in a discussion of 'the weighty points in dispute between Britain and the Colonies'. Having finally discovered that the original had been lost, he sent this replacement copied from his letter-book and entirely autograph on 21 February 1769. Mysteriously another copy of this same letter, almost, but not entirely identical, was sent to Kames, dated 11 April 1767 (see following lot below). This second copy however, is scribal, but signed by Franklin, who also himself wrote the date and the address panel.

Published in The Papers of Benjamin Franklin, ed. L.W.Labaree, vol. 14 pp.62-71.

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