hey had to show, first, that French ownership involved no serious
danger to the English possessions; second, that it brought positive
advantages. To the first proposition they said that the French had fully
learned their lesson of inferiority, and that a few forts on the
frontier would easily overawe the hostile Indians. To the second
proposition, they elaborated the arguments of William Burke. Franklin
replied that the war-parties of braves would easily pass by the forts in
the forests, and after burning, pillaging, murdering, and scalping,
would equally easily and safely return. Nothing save a Chinese wall the
whole length of the western frontier would suffice for protection
against savages. Then, with one of those happy illustrations of which
he was a master, he said: "In short, long experience has taught our
planters that they cannot rely upon forts as a security against Indians;
the inhabitants of Hackney might as well rely upon the Tower of London,
to secure them against highwaymen and house-breakers." The admirable
simile could neither be answered nor forgotten.

Concerning the positive desirability of leaving the French as masters of
Canada to "check" the growth of the colonies, Franklin indignantly
exclaimed: "It is a modest word, this '_check_' for massacring men,
women, and children!" If Canada is to be "restored on this principle,
... will not this be telling the French in plain terms, that the horrid
barbarisms they perpetrate with Indians on our colonists are agreeable
to us; and that they need not apprehend the resentment of a government
with whose views they so happily concur." But he had the audacity to say
that he was abundantly certain that the mother country could never have
any occasion to dread the power of the colonies. He said:--

"I shall next consider the other supposition, that their growth may
render them _dangerous_. Of this, I own, I have not the least
conception, when I consider that we have already _fourteen separate
governments_ on the maritime coast of the continent; and, if we
extend our settlements, shall probably have as many more behind
them on the inland side." By reason of the different governors,
laws, interests, religions, and manners of these, "their jealousy
of each other is so great, that, however necessary a union of the
colonies has long been, for their common defence and security
against their enemies, and how sensible soev