Benjamin Franklin

Whereas in America, men bred to close employment in their private affairs, attend with ease to those of the public, when engaged in them, and nothing fails through negligence.

All this is paid by the people, who are oppressed by taxes so occasioned, and thereby rendered less able to contribute to the payment of necessary national debts.

In America, salaries, where indispensible, are extremely low; but much of the public business is done gratis.

The honour of serving the public ably and faithfully is deemed sufficient.

In England it is universally deemed a non-entity, and whoever pretends to it is laughed at as a fool, or suspected as a knave.

Whereas England, ever unquiet, ambitious, avaricious, imprudent, and quarrelsome, is half of the time engaged in war, always at an expence infinitely greater than the advantage to be obtained by it, if successful.

Indeed, there is scarce a nation in Europe, against which she has not made war on some frivolous pretext or other, and thereby imprudently accumulated a debt, that has brought her on the verge of bankruptcy.

But the most indiscreet of all her wars, is the present against America, with whom she might, for ages, have preserved her profitable connection only by a just and equitable conduct.

She is now acting like a mad shop-keeper, who, by beating those that pass his doors, attempts to make them come in and be his customers.

America cannot submit to such treatment, without being first ruined, and, being ruined, her custom will be worth nothing.

England, to effect this, is increasing her debt, and irretrievably ruining herself.

America, on the other hand, aims only to establish her liberty, and that freedom of commerce which will be advantageous to all Europe; and by abolishing that monopoly which she laboured under, she will profit infinitely more than enough to…

England, on the contrary, an old, corrupt, extravagant, and profligate nation, sees herself deep in debt, which she is in no condition to pay; and yet is madly, and dishonestly running deeper, without any possibility of discharging her…

The Indian men, when young, are hunters and warriors; when old, counsellors; for all their government is by the council or advice of the sages; there is no force, there are no prisons, no officers to compel obedience, or inflict punishment.

This made it clear to me that my suspicion was right; and that whatever they pretended of meeting to learn good things, the real purpose was to consult how to cheat Indians in the price of beaver.

If they met so often to learn good things, they would certainly have learned some before this time.

But if I go into a white man's house at Albany, and ask for victuals and drink, they say, Where is your money? and if I have none, they say, Get out you Indian dog.

The great business of the continent is agriculture.

And although the crops of last year were generally good, never was the farmer better paid for the part he can spare commerce, as the published price currents abundantly testify.

These workmen all demand and obtain much higher wages than any other part of the world would afford them, and are paid in ready money.

The whale-men indeed have been deprived of one market for their oil; but another, I hear, is opening for them, which it is hoped may be equally advantageous; and the demand is constantly increasing for their spermaceti candles, which…

It is true, that in some of the states there are parties and discords; but let us look back, and ask if we were ever without them?

Such will exist wherever there is liberty; and perhaps they help to preserve it.

By the collision of different sentiments, sparks of truth are struck out, and political light is obtained.

The different factions, which at present divide us, aim all at the public good: the differences are only about the various modes of promoting it.