always asked to write the great documents of the
Revolution. He would have put a joke into the Declaration of
Independence, if it had fallen to him to write it.... His jokes, the
circulating medium of Congress, were as helpful to the cause as Jay's
conscience or Adams's fire; ... but they were out of place in formal,
exact, and authoritative papers."[37]

[Note 37: _Life of Franklin_, ii, 85.]

A document which cost Dr. Franklin much more labor than this declaration
was a plan for a union of the colonies, which he brought forward July
21, 1775. It was the "first sketch of a plan of confederation which is
known to have been presented to Congress." No final action was ever
taken upon it. It contained a provision that Ireland, the West India
Islands, the Canadian possessions, and Florida might, upon application,
be received into the confederation.

Franklin's duties in Congress were ample to consume his time and
strength; but they were far from being all that he had to do. Almost
immediately after his return he was made chairman of a committee for
organizing the postal service of the country. In execution of this duty
he established in substance that system which has ever since prevailed;
and he was then at once appointed postmaster-general, with a salary of
L1000 per annum. When franking letters he amused himself by changing the
formula, "Free: B. Franklin" into "B. Free, Franklin."

He was next made chairman of the provincial committee of safety, a body
which began its sittings at the comfortable, old-fashioned hour of six
o'clock in the morning. Its duty was to call out and organize all the
military resources of Pennsylvania, and generally to provide for the
defenses of the province. It worked with much efficiency in its novel
and difficult department. Among other things, Franklin devised and
constructed some ingenious "marine _chevaux de frise_" for closing the
river approaches to Philadelphia.

In October, 1775, he was elected a member of the Assembly of the
Province. But this did not add to his labors; for the oath of allegiance
had not yet been dispensed with; he would not take it, and resigned his
seat.

In September, 1775, Franklin, Lynch of South Carolina, and Harrison of
Virginia, as a committee of Congress, were dispatched to Cambridge,
Massachusetts, to confer with Washington concerning military affairs.
They rode from Philadelphia to the leaguer around Boston in thirteen
days. Their business was achie