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a record of it, to which recourfe may be had, in cafe of failure by the mafter in any point of performance. This defire among the masters to have more hands employed in working for them, induces them to pay the paffages of young perfons, of both fexes, who, on their arrival, agree to ferve them one, two, three, or four years; those who have already learned a trade, agreeing for a fhorter term, in proportion to their skill, and the confequent immediate value of their fervice; and those who have none, agreeing for a longer term, in confideration of being taught an art their poverty would not permit them to acquire in their own country.

The almoft general mediocrity of fortune that prevails in America, obliging its people to follow fome business for fubfiftence, thofe vices that arise ufually from idleness, are in a great measure prevented. Induftry and conftant employment are great prefervatives of the morals and virtue of a nation. Hence bad examples to youth are more rare in America, which must be a comfortable confideration to parents. To this may be truly added, that serious religion, under its various denominations, is not only tolerated, but refpected and practifed. Atheism is 'unknown there; infidelity rare and fecret; fo that perfons may live to a great age in that country without having their piety fhocked by meeting with either an atheift or an infidel. And the Divine Being feems to have manifefted his approbation of the mutual forbearance and kindness with which the different fects treat each other, by the remarkable profperity with which he has been pleafed to favour the whole country.

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ΕΙΝΑΙ,

FINAL SPEECH OF DR. FRANKLIN IN THE
LATE FEDERAL CONVENTION*.

MR. PRESIDENT,

I CONFESS that I do not entirely approve of this conftitution at prefent: but, Sir, I am not fure I fhall never approve it; for having lived fo long, I have experienced many inftances of being obliged by better information, or fuller confideration, to change opinions even on important fubjects, which I once thought right, but found to be otherwife. It is, therefore, that the older I grow, the more apt I am to doubt my own judgment, and to pay more refpect to the judgment of others. Moft men, indeed, as well as moft fects in religion, think themselves in poffeffion of all truth, and that whenever others differ from them, it is fo far error. Steele, a proteftant, in a dedication, tells the pope, that "the only "difference between our two churches, in their "opinions of the certainty of their doctrines, is, "the Romish church is infallible, and the church

of England never in the wrong." But, though many private perfons think almoft as highly of their own infallibility as of that of their fect, few exprefs it fo naturally as a certain French lady, who, in a little difpute with her fifter, faid, I don't know how it happens, fifter, but I meet with nobody but myself that is always in the right. Il n'y a que moi qui a toujours raifon. In thefe fentiments, Sir, I agree to this conftitution, with all

Our reafons for afcribing this fpeech to Dr. Franklin, are its internal evidence, and its having appeared with his name, during his life-time, uncontradicted, in an American periodical publication.

its faults, if they are fuch; because I think a general government neceffary for us, and there is no form of government but what may be a bleffing, if well administered; and I believe farther, that this is likely to be well administered for a course of years, and can only end in defpotism, as other forms have done before it, when the people fhall become fo corrupted as to need defpotic government, being incapable of any other. I doubt, too, whether any other convention we can obtain, may be able to make a better conftitution. For when you affemble a number of men, to have the advantage of their joint wisdom, you inevitably affemble with those men, all their prejudices, their paffions, their errors of opinion, their local interefts, and their selfish views. From fuch an affembly can a perfect production be expected? It therefore aftonishes me, Sir, to find this fyftem approaching fo near to perfection as it does; and I think it will aftonish our enemies, who are waiting with confidence, to hear that our councils are confounded, like those of the builders of Babylon, and that our states are on the point of feparation, only to meet hereafter for the purpose of cutting each other's throats.

Thus I confent, Sir, to this conftitution, becaufe I expect no better, and because I am not fure that this is not the beft. The opinions I have had of its errors, I facrifice to the public good. I have never whispered a fyllable of them abroad. Within these walls they were born; and here they fhall die. If every one of us, in returning to our constituents, were to report the objections he has had to it, and endeavour to gain partisans in fupport of them, we might prevent its being generally received, and thereby lofe all the falutary effects and great advantages refulting naturally in our favour among foreign nations, as well as among

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among ourselves, from our real or apparent unanimity. Much of the ftrength and efficiency of any government, in procuring and securing happinefs to the people, depends on opinion; on the general opinion of the goodness of that government, as well as of the wifdom and integrity of its governors.

I hope, therefore, that for our own fakes as a part of the people, and for the fake of our pofterity, we fhall act heartily and unanimously in recommending this conftitution, wherever our inHuence may extend, and turn our future thoughts and endeavours to the means of having it well administered.

On the whole, Sir, I cannot help expreffing a with, that every member of the convention, who may ftill have objections, would with me, on this occafion, doubt a little of his own infallibility, and, to make manifeft our unanimity, put his name to this inftrument.

[The motion was then made for adding the laft formula, viz.

Done in Convention, by the unanimous confent, &c. which was agreed to, and added accordingly.]

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SKETCH

SKETCH OF AN ENGLISH SCHOOL:

FOR THE CONSIDERATION OF THE TRUSTEES OF THE PHILADELPHIA ACADEMY *.

IT is expected that every scholar to be admitted into this fchool, be at leaft able to pronounce and divide the fyllables in reading, and to write a legible hand. None to be received that are under years of age.

FIRST, OR LOWEST CLASS.

Let the firft clafs learn the English Grammar rules, and at the fame time let particular care be taken to improve them in orthography. Perhaps the latter is beft done by pairing the fcholars; two of those nearest equal in their spelling to be put together. Let thefe ftrive for victory; each propounding ten words every day to the other to be fpelled. He that fpells truly moft of the other's words, is victor for that day; he that is victor most days in a month, to obtain a prize, a pretty neat book of fome kind, ufeful in their future ftudies. This method fixes the attention of children extremely to the orthography of words, and makes them good fpellers very early. It is a fhame for a man to be fo ignorant of this little art, in his own language, as to be perpetually confounding words of like found and different fignifications; the confcioufnefs of which defect

*This piece did not come to hand till the volume had been fome time at the prefs. This was the cafe also with feveral other papers, and must be our apology for any defect that may appear in the arrangement.

makes

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