User:Robbie/Franklin here: Difference between revisions

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<h3>If Franklin Were Here . . . </h3>

<blockquote>On September 17, 1787, the delegates to the Constitutional Convention signed the Constitution, having worked since May in confidentiality to draft it. At the end of the session, they left Independence Hall to dine at a nearby tavern, passing through a curious crowd. One of them, Mrs. Powel of Philadelphia, asked Benjamin Franklin,

"Well Doctor, what have we got, a republic or a monarchy?"

— "A republic," replied the Doctor, "if you can keep it."<ref>Based on an anecdote contributed by James McHenry, delegate from Maryland, to The records of the federal convention of 1787, Max Ferrand, ed. III:85.</ref></blockquote>

This anecdote gets quoted often, especially in recent months. Here on this substack, we take it as a hint and wonder why Franklin might have added "if you can keep it" to the statement of fact that the new Constitution would establish a republic, not a monarchy. What was on his mind? Why did he think the people might someday loose their republic that they had just founded? We ask such questions, not expecting knowledge about ~~Franklin's~~ thinking, which we cannot know. We ask such questions ~~expecting~~ to construct in our own ~~actual thinking~~ what Franklin might have had in mind, ~~our~~ wanting ~~thereby~~ to ~~experience~~ some insight or comprehension that will help us hone and expand what we actually think about our own present situations. Can we, informed and imaginative, a part of the American people circa 2025, better understand how to keep our republic, by speculating about why Benjamin Franklin said just after he and his colleagues signed the draft Constitution establishing a republic if you the people could keep it?

~~* * *~~

This anecdote gets quoted often, especially in recent months. Here on this substack, we take it as a hint and wonder why Franklin might have added "if you can keep it" to the statement of fact that the new Constitution would establish a republic, not a monarchy. What was on his mind? Why did he think the people might someday loose their republic that they had just founded? We ask such questions, not expecting Franklin to answer, giving us knowledge about his thinking, which we cannot know. We ask such questions wanting to construct in our own ideas about what Franklin might have had in mind, thereby wanting to achieve some insight or comprehension that will help us hone and expand what we actually think about our own present situations. Can we, informed and imaginative, a part of the American people circa 2025, better understand how to keep our republic by speculating about why Benjamin Franklin said just after he and his colleagues signed the draft Constitution establishing a republic if you the people could keep it?

~~How did~~ Franklin ~~view~~ the prospects for the government to be instituted by the new Constitution~~? Fortunately, we have good sources for addressing that question~~. Next to George Washington, a delegate from Virginia who presided over the Convention deliberations, Franklin, a delegate from Pennsylvania, had the most gravitas in public opinion. He was 81, suffering from the gout, and participated in the deliberations with attentive reserve, an elder statesman who spoke up as needed to keep unity among the delegates, promoting compromises when serious deadlocks were arising. At the start the concluding session, Franklin gave a short speech to initiate the signing of the Constitution by the assembled delegates.<.p>

Of course, one brief anecdote will not sustain our speculative efforts. Franklin had a well-documented role in the actual signing of the draft Constitution on September 17th. The record of it may give us insight into how Franklin viewed the prospects for the government to be instituted by the new Constitution. Next to George Washington, a delegate from Virginia who presided over the Convention deliberations, Franklin, a delegate from Pennsylvania, had the most gravitas in public opinion. He was 81, suffering from the gout, and participated in the deliberations with attentive reserve, an elder statesman who spoke up as needed to keep unity among the delegates, promoting compromises when serious deadlocks were arising. At the start the concluding session, Franklin gave a short speech to initiate the signing of the Constitution by the assembled delegates.<.p>

Of course, given Franklin's prominence as a Founding Father, the function of the speech on the culminating session of the Convention, and the mystique of the Constitution American history, interpreters have paid much attention to his words.

@@ Line 4: / Line 4: @@
 <h3>If Franklin Were Here . . . </h3>
 <blockquote>On September 17, 1787, the delegates to the Constitutional Convention signed the Constitution, having worked since May in confidentiality to draft it. At the end of the session, they left Independence Hall to dine at a nearby tavern, passing through a curious crowd. One of them, Mrs. Powel of Philadelphia, asked Benjamin Franklin,<br>
   "Well Doctor, what have we got, a republic or a monarchy?"<br>
 — "A republic," replied the Doctor, "if you can keep it."<ref>Based on an anecdote contributed by James McHenry, delegate from Maryland, to <i>The records of the federal convention of 1787,</i> Max Ferrand, ed. III:85.</ref></blockquote>
-<p>This anecdote gets quoted often, especially in recent months. Here on this substack, we take it as a hint and wonder why Franklin might have added "if you can keep it" to the statement of fact that the new Constitution would establish a republic, not a monarchy. What was on his mind? Why did he think the people might someday loose their republic that they had just founded? We ask such questions, not expecting knowledge about Franklin's thinking, which we cannot know. We ask such questions expecting to construct in our own actual thinking what Franklin might have had in mind, our wanting thereby to experience some insight or comprehension that will help us hone and expand what we actually think about our own present situations. Can we, informed and imaginative, a part of the American people circa 2025, better understand how to keep our republic, by speculating about why Benjamin Franklin said just after he and his colleagues signed the draft Constitution establishing a republic if you the people could keep it?</p>
-<p class="cent">*  *  *</p>
+<p>This anecdote gets quoted often, especially in recent months. Here on this substack, we take it as a hint and wonder why Franklin might have added "if you can keep it" to the statement of fact that the new Constitution would establish a republic, not a monarchy. What was on his mind? Why did he think the people might someday loose their republic that they had just founded? We ask such questions, not expecting Franklin to answer, giving us knowledge about his thinking, which we cannot know. We ask such questions wanting to construct in our own ideas about what Franklin might have had in mind, thereby wanting to achieve some insight or comprehension that will help us hone and expand what we actually think about our own present situations. Can we, informed and imaginative, a part of the American people circa 2025, better understand how to keep our republic by speculating about why Benjamin Franklin said just after he and his colleagues signed the draft Constitution establishing a republic if you the people could keep it?</p>
-<p>How did Franklin view the prospects for the government to be instituted by the new Constitution? Fortunately, we have good sources for addressing that question. Next to George Washington, a delegate from Virginia who presided over the Convention deliberations, Franklin, a delegate from Pennsylvania, had the most gravitas in public opinion. He was 81, suffering from the gout, and participated in the deliberations with attentive reserve, an elder statesman who spoke up as needed to keep unity among the delegates, promoting compromises when serious deadlocks were arising. At the start the concluding session, Franklin gave a short speech to initiate the signing of the Constitution by the assembled delegates.<.p>
+<p>Of course, one brief anecdote will not sustain our speculative efforts. Franklin had a well-documented role in the actual signing of the draft Constitution on September 17th. The record of it may give us insight into how Franklin viewed the prospects for the government to be instituted by the new Constitution.  Next to George Washington, a delegate from Virginia who presided over the Convention deliberations, Franklin, a delegate from Pennsylvania, had the most gravitas in public opinion. He was 81, suffering from the gout, and participated in the deliberations with attentive reserve, an elder statesman who spoke up as needed to keep unity among the delegates, promoting compromises when serious deadlocks were arising. At the start the concluding session, Franklin gave a short speech to initiate the signing of the Constitution by the assembled delegates.<.p>
 <p>Of course, given Franklin's prominence as a Founding Father, the function of the speech on the culminating session of the Convention, and the mystique of the Constitution American history, interpreters have paid much attention to his words.
 </p>