Marshall, Humphrey - 1858

Benjamin Franklin’s Letter.

The following is a copy of the original letter from Benjamin Franklin noticed a few weeks ago as having come into the possession of the editor of the Greensburg Argus.  The reader will discover by this letter that the printer philosopher was an early advocate of the old Whig doctrine of Home Protection, and that he in his day viewed the matter pretty much as the Tariff advocate of latter times did. He took high grounds, and gave his views in the plain, simple and forcible style peculiar to the man leavened with a little wholesome advice for home consumption. The arguments put forth by him eighty-six years ago are just as applicable now as then, and are worth considering in these times of National and individual bankruptcy.

The letter was addressed to

Mr. HUMPHREY MARSHALL,

                    West Bradford,

                                        Chester County.

Sir:--
I duly received your Favours of the 4th of October and the 7th of November. It gave me Pleasure to hear, that tho' the Merchants had departed from their Agreement of Non-Importation, the Spirit of Industry and Frugality was likely to continue among the People. I am obliged to you for your Concern on my Account The Letters you mention gave me great offence here; but that was not attended with the immediate ill Consequences to my Interest that seem to have been hoped for by those that sent copies of them hither.

If our Country People would well consider, that all they save in refusing to purchase foreign Gewgaws, & in making their own Apparel, being apply’d to the Improvement of their Plantations, would render those more profitable, as yielding a greater Produce. I should hope they would persist resolutely in their present commendable Industry and Frugality. And there is still a farther Consideration. The Colonies that produce Provision grow very last. But of the Countries that take off those provisions, some do not increase at all, as the European Nations
and others, as the West India Colonies, not in the same proportion. So that tho' the Demand at present may be sufficient, it cannot long continue so. Every Manufacturer encouraged in your Country, makes a part of a Market for Provisions within ourselves and saves so much Money to the Country as must otherwise be exported to pay for the Manufactures he supplies.

Here in England it is well known and understood, that wherever a Manufacture is established which employs Number of Hands, it raises the Value of Lands in the neighboring Country all around it partly by the greater Demand near at hand for the Produce of Land, and partly from the Plenty of Money drawn by the Manufactures to that Hart of the Country. It seems therefore the Interest of all our Farmers and Owners of Lands, to encourage our young Manufactures in preference to foreign ones imported among us from distant Countries.

I'm much obliged by your kind Present of curious Seeds. They were welcome Gifts to some of my Friends. I send you herewith some of the new Barley lately introduced into this Country, & now highly spoken of. I wish it may be found of Use with us.

I was the more pleas'd to see in your letter the Improvement of our paper, having had a principal share in establishing that Manufacture among us many Years ago, by the encouragement I gave it.

If in anything I can serve you, here, it will be a Pleasure to Your obliged Friend

and humble Servant,

B. FRANKLIN.

~ Bedford Inquirer, 01-Jan-1858, Page 2, Columns 1 & 2