Page:Speeches, correspondence and political papers of Carl Schurz, Volume 4.djvu/370

336 appearance revived the flagging interest and waning confidence. What Franklin represented must not only be necessarily good, but also it could not be doomed to failure. What he predicted could not but come true. At the gloomiest moments his face remained serene. When he was told that Lord Howe had taken Philadelphia, he jocosely replied: “No, Philadelphia has taken Lord Howe.” When the Revolutionary cause seemed to be breathing its last, he caused the new American state constitutions to be translated into French, which were to the political philosophers of French society a new and inspiring revelation of their own theories. He lost no opportunity to represent the cause of America as the cause of progressive mankind; and having French mankind devotedly on his side, he got over all the miseries of the begging diplomat, and obtained from the French government all America wanted.

After Burgoyne's surrender the French government dropped its disguise. It formally recognized the independence of the Colonies and made treaties of alliance and of commerce with the United States. The American commissioners were, as the envoys of a friendly power, solemnly received by Louis XVI. on the 20th of March, 1778. In preparing for the great occasion Franklin thought for the first and last time of accommodating his appearance to the court ceremonial of a European monarchy. There was an unbending rule that no man should appear before the King of France except with a wig on his head and a light court sword at his side. As the great hour approached, Franklin ordered a wig. When the peruquier brought it and tried it on Franklin's head, it would not fit. “It is too small,” said Franklin. “No, monsieur,” answered the wigmaker, “your head is too big.” Franklin then resolved to do the unheard-of thing: to stand before the Majesty of France in his own hair and