ssed by his infirmity, he came out of France in
the Queen's litter, carried by her magnificent mules. Of England he
had only this to say:

"'She is doing wrong in discouraging emigration to America. Emigration
multiplies a nation. She should be represented in the growth of the
New World by men who have a voice in its government. By this fair
means she could repossess it instead of leaving it to foreigners, of
all nations, who may drown and stifle sympathy for the mother land. It
is now a fact that Irish emigrants and their children are in possession
of the government of Pennsylvania.'

"I must not fail to set down here in the hope that my sons may some
time read it, what he said to me of the treason of Arnold.

"'Here is the vindication of Poor Richard. Extravagance is not the way
to self-satisfaction. The man who does not keep his feet in the old,
honest way of thrift will some time sell himself, and then he will be
ready to sell his friends or his country. By and by nothing is so dear
to him as thirty pieces of silver.'

"I shall conclude my letter with a beautiful confession of faith by
this master mind of the century. It was made on the motion for daily
prayers in the Convention now drafting a constitution for the States.
I shall never forget the look of him as, standing on the lonely summit
of his eighty years, he said to us:

"'In the beginning of our contest with Britain when we were sensible of
danger, we had daily prayers in this room for Divine protection. Our
prayers, sirs, were heard and they were graciously answered. All of us
who were engaged in the struggle must have observed frequent instances
of a directing Providence in our affairs. And have we forgotten that
powerful friend? Or do we imagine that we no longer need His
assistance? I have lived, sirs, a long time and the longer I live the
more convincing proof I see of this truth that God governs in the
affairs of men. And if a sparrow can not fall to the ground without
His notice is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid? We
have been assured, sirs, that except the Lord build the house they
labor in vain who build it. I firmly believe this and I also believe
that without His concurring aid we shall succeed in this political
structure no better than the builders of Babel; we shall be divided and
confounded and we ourselves become a reproach and a byword down to
future ages. And, what is worse, mankind may hereafter de