Page:History of the University of Pennsylvania - Montgomery (1900).djvu/187

Rh find bearing the impress of Benjamin Franklin's brain and hand. To trace, therefore, the life of any one of them, it seems unavoidable in our progress to pass on without taking some account of the others, for in thus doing we can more fully estimate his catholicity and his wisdom. He was next present at the Trustees meeting of 9 October,!753 but there lacking a quorum, "the Trustees visited the English School but did no other business." It was between this date and that of his letter to Cadwallader Golden, of 25 October, above quoted from, that he journeyed to Carlisle as one of the deputies from the Provincial Assembly to meet the Western Indians, where a treaty was concluded. It is on this occasion that the narrative of his diplomacy to prevent the Indians becoming drunk before the Treaty was concluded has place, 5 he strictly forbade the selling any liquor to them: and, when they complained of this restriction, he told them, that if they would continue sober during the treaty, he would give them plenty of rum when business was over. The results were twofold, a successful treaty, but a following night of drunken orgies. For this the older Indians in their soberness the next day apologised, but laid it upon the rum, which they said was one of the good things of the Great Spirit, who when he made it, said, " Let this be for the Indians to get drunk with," and added "it must be so." In Franklin's time his observation was that " rum had already annihilated all the tribes who formerly inhabited the sea coast."

The entry of October, 1753, above quoted is one of many testifying to the personal attention of the Trustees to the work of their Professors and Tutors, namely, 14 January, 1/52. The Trustees visited the Schools, but did no other Business. II August, 1752. The Trustees visited the Latin School, but did no other Business. 8 May, 1753. The Trustees visited the English School but did no other Business. 9 October, 1753. The Trustees visited the English School but did no other Business. 5 Bigelow, i. 229.