“Allah Bismillah, &c. God is great, and Mahomet is his Prophet.

"Have these Erika considered the consequences of granting their petition? If we cease our cruises against the Christians, how shall we be furnished with the commodities their countries produce, and which are so necessary for us? If we forbear to make slaves of their people, who in this hot climate are to cultivate our lands? Who are to perform the common labors of our city, and in our families? Must we not then be our own slaves? And is there not more compassion and more favor due to us as Mussulmen, than to these Christian dogs? We have now above fifty thousand slaves in and near Algiers. This number, if not kept up by fresh supplies, will soon diminish, and be gradually annihilated. If we then cease taking and plundering the infidel ships, and making slaves of the seamen and passengers, our lands will become of no value for want of cultivation; the rents of houses in the city will sink one-half; and the revenue of government arising from its share of prizes be totally destroyed! And for what? To gratify the whims of a whimsical sect, who would have us not only forbear making more slaves, but even manumit those we have.

"But who is to indemnify their masters for the loss? Will the state do it? Is our treasury sufficient? Will the Erika do it? Can they do it? Or would they, to do what they think justice to the slaves, do a greater injustice to the owners? And if we set our slaves free, what is to be done with them? Few of them will return to their countries; they know too well the greater hardships they must there be subject to; they will not embrace our holy re ligion; they will not adopt our manners; our people will not pollute themselves by intermarrying with them. Must we maintain them as beggars in our streets, or suffer our properties to be the prey of their pillage? For men accustomed to slavery will not work for a livelihood when not compelled. And what is there so pitiable in their present condition? Were they not slaves in their own countries ?

"Are not Spain, Portugal, France, and the Italian states governed by despots, who hold all their subjects in slavery, without exception? Even England treats its sailors as slaves; for they are, whenever the government pleases, seized, and confined in ships-of

war, condemned not only to work, but to fight, for small wages, or a mere subsistence, not better than our slaves are allowed by us. Is their condition then made worse by their falling into our hands? No; they have only exchanged one slavery for another, and I may say a better; for here they are brought into a land where the sun of Islamism gives forth its light, and shines in full splendor, and they have an opportunity of making themselves acquainted with the true doctrine, and thereby saving their immortal souls. Those who remain at home have not that happiness. Sending the slaves home, then, would be sending them out of light into darkness.

"I repeat the question, What is to be done with them? I have heard it suggested, that they may be planted in the wilderness, where there is plenty of land for them to subsist on, and where they may flourish as a free state; but they are, I doubt, too little disposed to labor without compulsion, as well as too ignorant to establish a good government, and the wild Arabs would soon molest and destroy or again enslave them. While serving us, we take care to provide them with every thing, and they are treated with humanity. The laborers in their own country are, as I am well informed, worse fed, lodged, and clothed. The condition of most of them is therefore already mended, and requires no further improvement. Here their lives are in safety. They are not liable to be impressed for soldiers, and forced to cut one another's Christian throats, as in the wars of their own countries. If some of the religious mad bigots, who now tease us with their silly petitions, have in a fit of blind zeal freed their slaves, it was not generosity, it was not humanity, that moved them to the action; it was from the conscious burden of a load of sins, and a hope, from the supposed merits of so good a work, to be excused from damnation.

"How grossly are they mistaken to suppose slavery to be disallowed by the Alcoran ! Are not the two precepts, to quote no more, ‘Masters, treat your slaves with kindness: Slaves, serve your masters with cheerfulness and fidelity,' clear proofs to the contrary? Nor can the plundering of infidels be in that sacred book forbidden, since it is well known from it, that God has given the world, and all that it contains, to his faithful Mussulmen, who are to enjoy it of right as fast as they conquer it. Let us then hear no more of this detestable proposition, the manumission of Christian slaves,

the adoption of which would, by depreciating our lands and houses, and thereby depriving so many good citizens of their properties, create universal discontent, and provoke insurrections, to the endangering of government and producing general confusion. I have therefore no doubt, but this wise council will prefer the comfort and happiness of a whole nation of true believers to the whim of a few Erika, and dismiss their petition.

6

"The result was, as Martin tells us, that the Divan came to this resolution: The doctrine, that plundering and enslaving the Christians is unjust, is at best problematical; but that it is the interest of this state to continue the practice, is clear; therefore, let the petition be rejected.'

"And it was rejected accordingly.

"And since like motives are apt to produce in the minds of men like opinions and resolutions, may we not, Mr. Brown, venture to predict, from this account, that the petitions to the Parliament of England for abolishing the slave-trade, to say nothing of other legislatures, and the debates upon them, will have a similar conclusion? I am, sir, your constant reader, and humble servant,

"HISTORICUS."

The effect of this satire upon the public mind was the greater, from the fact, that, at that time, vast numbers of Christians were actually held in bondage by the Algerines. By the sea-faring men of that day, and their relations on shore, the horrors of the Algerine bondage were vividly realized; they were the frequent theme of the forecastle, the fireside, the newspaper, and the novel. There were few people in a seaport town, in 1790, who were not acquainted with some one who had been chased by the pirates of the Mediterranean, or held in captivity by them. Dr. Stuber, a distinguished Philadelphian of that day, mentions that many persons searched the bookstores and libraries of the town for “Martin's Account of his Consulship, anno 1687," from which the speech of Sidi Mehemet Ibrahim was said to have been taken.

CHAPTER VI.

CLOSING SCENES.

WHEN Dr. Franklin wrote this parody upon Mr. Jackson, he was nearer the end of his life than his most observant friends could have supposed. He wrote it in an interval of ease, that lasted four weeks, during which he was so free from pain that he could discontinue the use of opium, to which he had been often compelled to resort, to relieve the intolerable anguish of his complaint. Such was the vigor of his constitution, that his appetite at once returned, his strength increased, and he was able to exert all the force of his genius.

During this interval, he received an interesting letter from his old friend, Dr. Ezra Stiles, President of Yale College, asking him to give his portrait for the college library, if he had one to spare. Having made his request, the good president proceeded to ask him a question. He said that, as long he had known Dr. Franklin, he had never learned his sentiments respecting religion. "I wish," he added "to know the opinion of my venerable friend concerning Jesus of Nazareth. He will not impute this to impertinence or improper curiosity, in one, who, for so many years has continued to love, estimate, and reverence his abilities and literary character, with an ardor and affection bordering on adoration."

Dr. Franklin replied, that, with regard to the portrait, he had not one in his possession worthy of a place in the library of Yale, but that an excellent artist had lately arrived, and, if he would undertake the work, he would cheerfully pay the expense. "But," said he, "he must not delay setting about it, or I may slip through his fingers, for I am now in my eighty-fifth year, and very infirm.” He then answered the question with respect to his religious opinions, remarking that this was the first time he had ever been questioned on the subject:

"Here is my creed. I believe in one God, the Creator of the universe. That he governs it by his Providence. That he ought to be worshipped. That the most acceptable service we render to him is doing good to his other children. That the soul of man is immortal, and will be treated with justice in another life respecting

its conduct in this. These I take to be the fundamental points in all sound religion, and I regard them as you do in whatever sect I meet with them.

"As to Jesus of Nazareth, my opinion of whom you particularly desire, I think his system of morals and his religion, as he left them to us, the best the world ever saw, or is like to see; but I appre hend it has received various corrupting changes, and I have, with most of the present Dissenters in England, some doubts as to his Divinity; though it is a question I do not dogmatize upon, having never studied it, and think it needless to busy myself with it now, when I expect soon an opportunity of knowing the truth with less trouble. I see no harm, however, in its being believed, if that belief has the good consequence, as probably it has, of making his doctrines more respected and more observed; especially as I do not perceive that the Supreme takes it amiss, by distinguishing the unbelievers in his government of the world with any peculiar marks of his displeasure.

"I shall only add, respecting myself, that, having experienced the goodness of that Being in conducting me prosperously through a long life, I have no doubt of its continuance in the next, though without the smallest conceit of meriting such goodness.

"P. S. I confide, that you will not expose me to criticisms and censures by publishing any part of this communication to you. I have ever let others enjoy their religious sentiments, without reflecting on them for those that appeared to me unsupportable or even absurd. All sects here, and we have a great variety, have experienced my good will in assisting them with subscriptions for the building their new places of worship; and, as I have never opposed any of their doctrines, I hope to go out of the world in peace with them all."

On one of the last days of this respite from suffering, he wrote a brief, last letter to his sister, apologizing for the crookedness of the lines, which, he said, was owing to the awkwardness of writing in bed.

Mr. Jefferson, who had recently returned from France, passed through Philadelphia, in March, 1790, on his way to join the government at New York as Secretary of State. He has left us an interesting, but too brief, account of his interview with Dr. Franklin on this occasion.