form
my judgment of civil society by what I have lately seen, I
should never advise a nation of savages to admit of
civilization. For, I assure you, that in the possession and
enjoyment of the various comforts of life, compared with
these people, every Indian is a gentleman; and the effect of
this kind of civil society seems to be the depressing
multitudes below the savage state, that a few may be raised
above it."

Yet let it not be supposed that the effects of the fall were not
visible here, or that man's inhumanity to man had ceased. There were
bickerings, and heart burnings, and intense political struggles, in
which the strong endeavored to extend their power, and the weak
endeavored to throw off the shackles with which they were bound.
William Penn complains of the ambitious politicians who he said
thought--"nothing taller than themselves but the trees." John Adams
denounced in severest terms the tricks of the petty politicians; and
speaking of the more ambitious ones who sought the positions of
governor or custom-house officers, he writes:

"These seekers are actuated by a more ravenous sort of
ambition and avarice."

For twenty years Franklin continued a prosperous but uneventful life,
as an active business man in Philadelphia. His integrity, his
sagacity, and his prosperity, rapidly increased the esteem in which he
was held. But still he was engaged in business as a printer and a
shop-keeper, which would not now give him admission into what he
called the higher circles of society.

He not only edited, printed and published his newspaper, but he also
kept books for sale and a small quantity of stationery, and also was a
binder of books. He made and sold ink; was an extensive dealer in
rags; and soap and feathers could be purchased at his shop. We find in
his advertisements the announcement of coffee and other groceries for
sale.

And still his printing office gradually became the nucleus for the
gathering of the most intelligent and influential men. If any
important project was on foot, it was deemed essential to consult
Benjamin Franklin. His Gazette proved a great success, and was
incomparably the ablest paper published in the colonies.[15]

[Footnote 15: Life and Works of John Adams, Vol. ii, p. 165.]

Franklin's editorials were very sparkling, and are considered as among
the most brilliant of his intellectual efforts. He was almost
invariably good n