Benjamin Franklin: “There cannot be a stronger natural right than that of a man's making the best profit he can of the natural produce of…”

Believing therefore, that it is my duty, I shall honestly speak my mind in the following paper.

Many quarrels and wars have arisen between the colonies and Indian nations, through the bad conduct of traders, who cheat the Indians after making them drunk, &c. to the great expence of the colonies both in blood and treasure.

But let us take a cool view of the general state of our affairs, and perhaps the prospect will appear less gloomy than has been imagined.

By our greatly encreasing the demand and consumption of British manufactures, their price is considerably raised of late years; the advantage is clear profit to Britain, and enables its people better to pay great taxes; and much of it…