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"Ben Franklin"
Benjamin Franklin, Autobiography: Page 95
of 154
others, and to promote several of my workmen, who had behaved well, by
establishing them with printing-houses in different colonies, on the same terms
with that in Carolina. Most of them did well, being enabled at the end of our
term, six years, to purchase the types of me and go on working for themselves,
by which means several families were raised. Partnerships often finish in
quarrels; but I was happy in this, that mine were all carried on and ended
amicably, owing, I think, a good deal to the precaution of having very
explicitly settled, in our articles, every thing to be done by or expected from
each partner, so that there was nothing to dispute, which precaution I would
therefore recommend to all who enter into partnerships; for, whatever esteem
partners may have for, and confidence in each other at the time of the contract,
little jealousies and disgusts may arise, with ideas of inequality in the care
and burden of the business, etc., which are attended often with breach of
friendship and of the connection, perhaps with lawsuits and other disagreeable
consequences.
I had, on the whole, abundant reason to be satisfied with my being established
in Pennsylvania. There were, however, two things that I regretted, there being
no provision for defense, nor for a compleat education of youth; no militia, nor
any college. I therefore, in 1743, drew up a proposal for establishing an
academy; and at that time, thinking the Reverend Mr. Peters, who was out of
employ, a fit person to superintend such an institution, I communicated the
project to him; but he, having more profitable views in the service of the
proprietaries, which succeeded, declin'd the undertaking; and, not knowing
another at that time suitable for such a trust, I let the scheme lie a while
dormant. I succeeded better the next year, 1744, in proposing and establishing a
Philosophical Society. The paper I wrote for that purpose will be found among my
writings, when collected.
With respect to defense, Spain having been several years at war against Great
Britain, and being at length join'd by France, which brought us into great
danger; and the laboured and long-continued endeavour of our governor, Thomas,
to prevail with our Quaker Assembly to pass a militia law, and make other
provisions for the security of the province, having proved abortive, I
determined to try what might be done by a voluntary association of the people.
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