his early life were
renewed. His absence for several weeks awakened great anxiety, and his
return was greeted with a general welcome (1842).

The most painful event of his political career sprung from a
disagreement with the nephews of Sir George Arthur, and especially with
Mr. Montagu, the colonial secretary. A narrative of this dispute,
written by Franklin on his return to England, was issued for private
circulation just after he started on his last voyage of discovery.[228]
This account traces minutely the progress of a quarrel which all parties
concerned are anxious to forget. The power acquired by Mr. Montagu in
colonial affairs was considered by Franklin incompatible with their
relative position. Inferior officers had been dismissed on his
imperative advice, who complained that they were sacrificed because they
stood in his path and thwarted his plans. Franklin partly shared in
their suspicions, and appointed persons to offices who were unconnected
with the Arthur party, and as a counterpoise to their influence. The
immediate cause of the final rupture was the restoration of a colonial
surgeon, dismissed on a charge of culpable negligence. His neighbors,
believing the penalty unjust, remonstrated in his favor, and Franklin
complied with their request. This Mr. Montagu severely condemned, as
fatal to the dignity of government, and ascribed the lenity of Sir John
to the influence of Lady Franklin. He then announced to the governor, in
a formal manner, that thenceforth he should confine his own services to
the routine of his office, and that a cordial co-operation might be
expected no longer. The details of business, formerly prepared to the
governor's hands, were left to himself: trifles exhausted his attention:
his pleasure was asked with affected formality, and his enquiries
answered with studied reserve. In a dispute with the governor in
reference to a matter of fact, Mr. Montagu addressed him (17th of
January, 1842)[229] in the following style:--"I trust," said he, "your
excellency will also pardon me for submitting to you--and I beg to
assure you that I do so under a deep conviction of the necessity of
supporting my statement--that while your excellency and all the members
of your government have had such frequent opportunities of testing my
memory as to have acquired for it the reputation of a remarkably
accurate one, your officers have not been without opportunity of
learning that your excellency could not al