Benjamin Franklin

Thus Ireland was forbid the woollen manufacture and remains poor: but this has given to the French the trade and wealth Ireland might have gained for the British empire.

Which is best (supposing your case) to have a total separation, or a change of the seat of government?--It by no means follows, that promoting and advancing the landed interest in America will depress that of Britain: the contrary has…

No, never, unless compelled by force of arms.

Because any young couple, that are industrious, may easily obtain land of their own, on which they can raise a family.

They may be so, if they are sober and diligent; as they are better paid for their labour.

But in case a governor, acting by instruction, should call on an assembly to raise the necessary supplies, and the assembly should refuse to do it, do you not think it would then be for the good of the people of the colony, as well as…

If an assembly could possibly be so absurd, as to refuse raising the supplies requisite for the maintenance of government among them, they could not long remain in such a situation; the disorders and confusion occasioned by it must soon…

But who is to judge of that, Britain or the colony?

They entered into general combinations to eat no more lamb; and very few lambs were killed last year.

The people will all spin, and work for themselves, in their own houses.

Though the parliament may judge of the occasion, the people will think it can never exercise such right, till representatives from the colonies are admitted into parliament; and that, whenever the occasion arises, representatives will be…

Have not instructions from hence been sometimes sent over to governors, highly oppressive and unpolitical?

Can any thing less than a military force carry the stamp act into execution?

You will find, that if the act is not repealed, they will take very little of your manufactures in a short time.

The first, as cloth, &c. with a little industry they can make at home; the second they can do without, till they are able to provide them among themselves; and the last, which are much the greatest part, they will strike off immediately.

The people have already struck off, by general agreement, the use of all goods fashionable in mournings, and many thousand pounds worth are sent back as unsaleable.

Supposing the stamp act continued and enforced, do you imagine that ill-humour will induce the Americans to give as much for worse manufactures of their own, and use them, preferably to better of ours?

It is my opinion the people will either continue in that situation, or find some way to extricate themselves, perhaps by generally agreeing to proceed in the courts without stamps.

It is therefore a heavy tax on the poor, and a tax upon them for being poor.

But what do you imagine they will think were the motives of repealing the act?

I suppose they will think, that it was repealed from a conviction of its inexpediency; and they will rely upon it, that while the same inexpediency subsists, you will never attempt to make such another.

I don't doubt at all, that if the legislature repeal the stamp-act, the colonies will acquiesce in the authority.

The proceedings of the assemblies have been very different from those of the mobs, and should be distinguished, as having no connection with each other.

Not as a tax, but as a regulation and conveniency; every assembly encouraged it, and supported it in its infancy, by grants of money, which they would not otherwise have done; and the people have always paid the postage.

Our legal method of compulsion is by imprisonment: the Indians cannot and will not imprison one another; and if we attempt to imprison them, I apprehend it would be generally disliked by the nations, and occasion breaches.