Volume I Part 10 (1/2)

When a convention was called toand a the articles of confederation, Dr Franklin was appointed a delegate froned the constitution which they proposed for the union, and gave it the most unequivocal marks of his approbation

A society for political inquiries, of which Dr Franklin was president, was established about this period The s were held at his house

Two or three essays read in this society were published It did not long continue

In the year 1787, two societies were established in Philadelphia, founded on the principles of the most liberal and refined hu the miseries of public prisons: and the Pennsylvania Society for proroes unlawfully held in bondage, and the improvement of the condition of the African race_ Of each of these Dr Franklin was president The labours of these bodies have been croith great success; and they continue to prosecute, with unwearied diligence, the laudable designs for which they were established

Dr Franklin's increasing infirular attendance at the council chamber, and in 1788 he retired wholly from public life

His constitution had been a reood one He had been little subject to disease, except an attack of the gout occasionally, until about the year 1781, when he was first attacked with sy his life During the intervals of pain frorievous disease, he spent reeable and instructive manner His faculties were entirely unimpaired, even to the hour of his death

His naned to the memorial presented to the House of Representatives of the United States, on the 12th of February, 1789, praying them to exert the full extent of power vested in the the traffic in the human species This was his last public act In the debates to which this ave rise, several attempts were made to justify the trade In the Federal Gazette of March 25, there appeared an essay, signed Historicus, written by Dr Franklin, in which he communicated a speech, said to have been delivered in the Divan of Algiers, in 1687, in opposition to the prayer of the petition of a sect called _Erika_, or purists, for the abolition of piracy and slavery This pretended African speech was an excellent parody of one delivered by Mr Jackson, of Georgia All the arguro slavery are applied with equal force to justify the plundering and enslaving of Europeans

It affords, at the sauth of enuity of the author, at his advanced period of life It furnished, too, a no less convincing proof of his power of i the style of other tiainst persecution

And as the latter led many persons to search the scriptures with a view to find it, so the former caused many persons to search the bookstores and libraries for the work froreatest part of his life Dr Franklin had enjoyed an alood health, and this he entirely attributed to his exemplary temperance

In the year 1735, indeed, he had been seized with a pleurisy, which ended in a suppuration of the left lobe of the lungs, so that he was almost suffocated by the quantity of matter thrown up But from this, as well as from another attack of the sa was not in the least affected

As he advanced in years, however, he becaout, to which, in 1782, a nephritic cholic was superadded From this tiout; and for the last twelve months of his life these complaints al his distressed situation, neither his mental faculties nor his natural cheerfulness ever forsook him His memory was tenacious to the very last; and he seeeneral rule, that, at a certain period of life, the organs which are subservient to this faculty become callous; a remarkable instance of which is, that he learned to speak French after he had attained the age of seventy!

In the beginning of April following, he was attacked with a fever and complaint of his breast, which ter account of his last illness ritten by his friend and physician, Dr

Jones

”The stone, hich he had been afflicted for several years, had for the last twelvethe extree doses of laudanuate his tortures; still, in the intervals of pain, he not only a cheerfully with his family, and a few friends who visited hi business of a public as well as private nature, with various persons aited on him for that purpose; and in every instance displayed not only that readiness and disposition of doing good which was the distinguishi+ng characteristic of his life, but the fullest and clearest possession of his uncoed hi anecdotes which were the delight of all who heard him

”About sixteen days before his death, he was seized with a feverish indisposition, without any particular sy it, till the third or fourth day, when he complained of a pain in his left breast, which increased till it becah and labourious breathing During this state, when the severity of his pain soroan of complaint, he would observe, that he was afraid he did not bear therateful sense of thewho had raised hih rank and consideration a men, and made no doubt but his present afflictions were kindly intended to wean hier fit to act the part assigned him In this frame of body and mind he continued till five days before his death, when his pain and difficulty of breathing entirely left hi themselves with the hopes of his recovery, when an is, suddenly burst, and discharged a great quantity of matter, which he continued to throhile he had sufficient strength to do it; but as that failed, the organs of respiration becaic state succeeded, and, on the 17th of April, 1790, about eleven o'clock at night, he quietly expired, closing a long and useful life of eighty-four years and threeaccount of his funeral, and the honours paid to his memory, is derived from an anonymous source, but is correct

”All that was reat man was interred on the 21st of April, in the ce to Arch-street, N W corner, in order that, if a ht be seen to e

”Never was any funeral so numerously and so respectably attended in any part of the States of America The concourse of people assembled upon this occasion was immense All the bells in the city were muffled, and the very newspapers were published with black borders The body was interred a was omitted that could display the veneration of the citizens for such an illustrious character

”The Congress ordered a general hout America; the National assembly of France paid the same compliment for three days; and the commons of Paris, as an extraordinary tribute of honour to his memory, assisted in a body at the funeral oration, delivered by the Abbe Fauchet, in the rotunda of the corn- with black, illuous to the occasion

”Dr Se of Philadelphia, and David Rittenhouse, one of its members, were selected by the Philosophical Society to prepare a eulogium to the memory of its founder; and the subscribers to the City Library, who had just erected a handso their books, left a vacant niche for a statue of their benefactor

”This has since been placed there by the munificence of an estimable citizen of Philadelphia It was imported from Italy; the name of the artist is Francis Lazzarini; it is couineas

”It was the first piece of sculpture of that size which had been seen in A posture; one arht hand he holds an inverted sceptre, an emblem of anti-monarchical principles, and in his left a scroll of paper He is dressed in a Roa The resemblance is correct; the head is a copy from the excellent bust produced by the chisel of Houdon The following inscription is engraven on the pedestal:

THIS STATUE