LETTER FROM GOVERNOR FRANKLIN TO HIS FATHER. READ TO THE SOCIETY BY MR. W. A. WHITEHEAD. PHILADA, Dec. 24, 1774. HOND FATHER,-I came here on Thursday last to attend the Funeral of my poor old Mother,* who died the Monday noon preceding. Mr. Bache sent his Clerk Express to me on the occa sion, who reached Amboy on Tuesday evening, and I set out early the next morning, but the weather being very severe, and snowing hard, I was not able to reach here till about 4 o'clock on Thursday afternoon, about half an hour before the Corpse was to be moved for Interment. Mr. Bache and I followed as Chief Mourners, your old Friend H. Roberts and several other of your Friends were Carriers, and a very respectable number of the Inhabitants were at the Funeral. I don't mention the particu lars of her illness as you will have a much fuller account from Mr. Bache than I am able to give. Her death is no more than might be reasonably expected after the paralytic stroke she received some time ago, which greatly affected her memory and under. standing. She told me, when I took leave of her on my removal to Amboy, that she never expected to see you unless you returned this winter, for that she was sure she should not live till next Summer. I heartily wish you had happened to have come over in the fall, as I think her disappointment in that respect preyed a good deal on her spirits. I received by Mr. Bingham your two favors of the 13th and 15th of October, also one dated Nov 1st, enclosed to Mr. Bache by the Packet. 66 It gives me great pleasure to find that you have so perfect an enjoyment of that greatest of blessings, health. But I cannot help being concerned to find that notwithstanding you are so sensible that you cannot in the course of nature long expect the continuance of it," yet you postpone your return to your family. If there was any prospect of your being able to bring the people in power to your way of thinking, or of those of your way of thinking's being brought into power, I should not think so much. of your stay. But as you have had by this time pretty strong proofs that neither can be reasonably expected, and that you are looked upon with an evil eye in that country, and are in no small danger of being brought into trouble for your political conduct, you had certainly better return while you are able to bear the *Not his own Mother. 169 fatigues of the voyage, to a country where the people revere you, and are inclined to pay a deference to your opinions. I wonder none of them, as you say, requested your attendance at the late Congress, for I heard from all quarters that your return was ar dently wished for at that time, and I have since heard it lamented by many that you were not at that meeting, as they imagined had you been there you would have framed some plan for an accommodation of our differences that would have met with the approbation of a majority of the delegates, tho' it would not have coincided with the deep designs of those who influenced that majority. However mad you may think the measures of the Ministry are, yet I trust you have candour enough to acknowledge that we are no ways behind hand with them in [exhibitions?] of madness on this side of the water. However it is a disagreeable subject, and I'll drop it. I shall do what lies in my power to have Mr. Wilmot's account paid. The Assembly are to meet on the 11th of next month. I wrote a long letter to you lately and enclosed it to SecTM Pownall by the packet, which I hope will get safe to hand. In that I told you that I was anxious to have Temple bred to the law, and wished to have him sent for a year or two to the New York College. I hope to see you and him in the Spring, and that you will spend some time with me at Amboy, where I am now-happily settled in a very good house and shall always have an apart. ment at your service. I shall do our kinsman Folger all the service in my power. Mr. Westley, I expect, will call on me soon on his return from Schenectaday, when I shall pay your draft, in his favour. I have but just heard of this vessel's departure, and have it not in my power to add more than that I am ever Hon Sir, your dutiful Son, W FRANKLIN. DONATIONS ANNOUNCED JANUARY 18TH, 1849. From Hon. James G. King.-Will and Testament of the late Robert R. Randall, Esq.; and By-Laws of the Sailors' Snug Harbor. From Joseph Henry, L. L. D.-First Report of the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution to the Board of Regents, &c. 23 170 From the Missouri Historical and Philosophical Society.-Two From Prof. Stephen Alexander.-A bound volume of the Penn- From Hon. Dudley S. Gregory.-Mr. Webster's Argument be- From Wm K. McDonald, Esq.-Catalogus Collegii Neo Cæsariensis (Triennial) for 1848. From the Georgia Historical Society.-Volume III. Part 1st, of its Collections. From the Smithsonian Institution.-Volume I. of its "Contributions in Knowledge," containing "Ancient Monuments of the Mississippi Valley, by E. A. Squier, A. M., and E. H. Davis, M. D." 4to. From Hon. J. W. Miller.-Notes of a Military Reconnoissance from Fort Leavenworth, Mo., to San Diego in California by Major W. H. Emory, of the Topographical Engineers. From Mr. George Mather, N. Y.-A New Jersey Bill for thirty shillings, 1763. From Mr. Jacob G. Crane, of Elizabethtown.-The original Commission of James Parker to be Deputy Postmaster at Woodbridge, dated September 13th, 1754, and signed by Benjamin Franklin and William Hunter. From Rev. Doctor Carnahan.-Proceedings at the Centennial Anniversary of the College of New Jersey, June 1847. From the Author.-History of Scotch Plains Baptist Church, by Rev. Wm. E. Locke. From Rev. Dr. Murray.-The American Museum for February Matter of Proving the Last Will and Testament of Robert Brief History of Theological Seminary at Princeton, 1836. From Hon. Wm. A. Duer.-MS. Copies of over two hundred From Hon. Wm. A. Duer.-An Address delivered before the Societies of Columbia College by Wm. A. Duer, L. L. D. 1848. From Col. R. G. Johnson.-MS. List of Judges, Sheriffs, Clerks, Surrogates and Attorneys of the County of Salem-from the settlement to the present time. |