The Burd Papers (Volume 1); Extracts from Chief Justice William Allen's Letter Book (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1897. Excerpt: ... AN ANSWER TO MR. FRANKLIN'S REMARKS ON A LATE PROTEST. A day or two after Mr. Franklin's departure for England, having seen his remarks in the hands of a gentleman, I gave them a cursory perusal; but found them so replete with bitter calumnies and gross evasioi.s, that I judged them unworthy of any f urther notice. But being since told that his deluded part.izans have begun to consider this neglect of his performance, as an argument of its unanswerable nature; I shall bestow a few hours (since no abler hand has thought it worth while) in order to convince them, if possible, that the real design of this their redoubted champion was not to elucidate, but to disguise and conceal the truth; which, it must be allowed, according to his usual custom, he has very artfully, but not honestly done. He sets out with telling us, that he has generally passed over with a silent disregard, the nameless pieces that have been written against him. The publick knows what sort of disregard he has shown to the pieces written against him, and to their supposed authors. At present I pass on to the more material parts of his performance, which for my own sake I could have wished a little more methodical, and that the calumny-part had not been so indiscriminately blended with what he would have to pass as the argumentative part. I must, however, try to separate them as well as I can, for the greater clearness in writing; and shall begin with hie remarks on the Protest, before I proceed to his shameful abuse of the Protestors. His first remark is that--"the mode of protesting by "the minority, against the proceedings of the majority "of the house of assembly, is quite new among us;--is "unknown to the practice of the house of commons, or "of any house of representatives in America, ...