scalp of a
male, the bounty was one hundred and thirty-eight dollars; for the
scalp of a female fifty dollars. Of course it would be impossible,
when the scalps were brought in to decide whether they were stripped
from friendly or hostile heads.

Curiously two political parties were thus organized. The governor,
intensely inimical to Franklin, led all the loose fellows who approved
of the massacre of the friendly Indians. Franklin was supported by the
humane portion of the community, who regarded that massacre with
horror.

There was much bitterness engendered. Franklin was assailed and
calumniated as one of the worst of men. He, as usual, wrote a
pamphlet, which was read far and wide. Earnestly he urged that the
crown, as it had a right to do, should, by purchase, take possession
of the province and convert its government into that of a royal
colony. It should be remembered that this was several years before the
troubles of the revolution arose. The people were in heart true
Englishmen. Fond of their nationality, sincere patriotism glowed in
all bosoms. They ever spoke of England as "home." When the Assembly
met again three thousand citizens, influenced mainly by Franklin's
pamphlet, sent in a petition that the province might revert to the
crown. The Penns succeeded in presenting a counter petition signed by
three hundred.

The British cabinet, in its insatiable thirst for universal conquest,
or impelled by necessity to repel the encroachments of other nations,
equally wicked and equally grasping, had been by fleet and army,
fighting all over the world. After spending every dollar which the
most cruel taxation could extort from the laboring and impoverished
masses, the government had incurred the enormous debt of seventy-three
millions sterling. This amounted to over three hundred and sixty-five
millions of our money.

The government decided to tax the Americans to help pay the interest
on this vast sum. But the colonies were already taxed almost beyond
endurance, to carry on the terrible war against the French and
Indians. This war was not one of their own choosing. It had been
forced upon them by the British Cabinet, in its resolve to drive the
French off the continent of North America. The Americans were allowed
no representation in Parliament. They were to be taxed according to
the caprice of the government. Franklin, with patriotic foresight,
vehemently, and with resistless force of logic, resisted the outra