Page:History of the University of Pennsylvania - Montgomery (1900).djvu/444

440 encing people was without its equal in the Province, and whose pen was feared if not respected by all, could only have arisen to this prominence from unworthy motives, many said ; and for them to impute to him now sinister designs for his aggrandize- ment was to be expected. In the heats of party strife, suspicions as to another's motives may be fused in one's imagination only. The elections took place, and Franklin, after having received fourteen consecutive elections to the Assembly, being honored with them during his six years residence abroad, 3 was now defeated, but only by a minority of twenty-five out of a total vote of four thousand. However, the elections generally assured a continued majority in the Assembly opposed to Proprietary rule, and so soon as it convened in October, he was appointed to " embark immediately for Great Britain to join with and assist the present agent in transacting the affairs of this Province for the ensuing year," 4 and to bear their petition for a change of government. This turn of affairs, so unlocked for, gave much chagrin to the Proprietary party. Instead of committing him to private life at the public election as they hoped, he was now raised to a position of imminent danger to them. Great excite- ment prevailed. The elation of the popular party at this happy stroke of policy intensified the disappointment of the other side ; but these latter were powerless to thwart the appointment and could only vent their thoughts in a Protest " against the appoint- ment of the person proposed as an agent of the Province," 8 which paper bears the marks of Dr. Smith's authorship ; but only ten members of the Assembly signed it, including Thomas Willing and George Bryan who had just been elected in the place of Franklin and his associate Samuel Rhoads. The appointment was made on 26 October ; Franklin at once prepared to fulfill his mission. There being no funds in the treasury to assure him of the payment of his expenses, the deficiency was to be " pro- 3 " In none of the fourteen elections you mention did I ever appear as a can- didate. I never did, directly or indirectly, solicit any man's votes. For six of the years in which I was annually chosen, I was absent, residing in England." Remarks, Bigelowiii. 361. 4 Penna. Gazette, I November, 1764. 5 Smith i. 344,587.