1From Benjamin Franklin to Samuel Cooper, 4 June 1773 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : British Museum; letterbook draft: Library of Congress I can now only acknowledge the Receipt of your much esteem’d Favours of March 15 and Apr. 23. which gave me great Satisfaction. By the next Opportunity I purpose to write to you fully, and among other Things give you my Thoughts on the Warming of your Meeting-house. I send you a french Pamphlet containing some liberal Sentiments on...
2From Benjamin Franklin to Samuel Cooper, 14 April 1770 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : British Museum I suppose Govr. Pownall acquaints you with what has pass’d this Session relating to our American Affairs: All Europe is attentive to the Dispute between Britain and the Colonies; and I own I have a Satisfaction in seeing that our Part is taken every where; because I am persuaded that that Circumstance will not be without its Effect here in our Favour. At the same time the...
3From Benjamin Franklin to Samuel Cooper, 27 October 1779 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Henry E. Huntington Library; ALS (draft) and copy: Library of Congress It is a long time Since I have had the Pleasure of hearing from you. The Intelligence you were us’d to favour me with, was often useful to our Affairs. I hope I have not lost your friendship, together with your Correspondence. Our Excellent Mr. Winthrop I see is gone. He was one of those old friends for the sake of...
4From Benjamin Franklin to Samuel Cooper, 22 April 1779 (Franklin Papers)
ALS (draft) and copy: Library of Congress I received your valuable Letter by the Marquis de la Fayette; and another by Mr. Bradford. I can now only write a few Words in Answer to the latter, the former not being at Hand.— The Depreciation of our Money must, as you observe, greatly affect Salary Men, Widows & Orphans. Methinks this Evil deserves the Attention of the several Legislatures and...
5From Benjamin Franklin to Samuel Cooper, 9 December 1780 (Franklin Papers)
Press copy: American Philosophical Society; copy: Library of Congress Since mine of the 2 Instant, your Grandson has desired me to order that he may have a Room & fire &c. to himself. This will cost 300 Livres a year more, and I have doubts about putting his Father to such an Additional Expence without knowing his Mind or yours. I should be glad to receive some general Directions. Mr. Adams...
6From Benjamin Franklin to Samuel Cooper, 26 December 1783 (Franklin Papers)
Press copy of ALS and transcript: Library of Congress I have received your Favour of the 16th October, and am much oblig’d by the Intelligence it contains.— I am happy to hear that your Government has agreed to furnish Congress with the Means of discharging the National Debt. The Obstruction that Measure met with in some of the States, has had very mischievous Effects on this side the Water;...
7From Benjamin Franklin to Samuel Cooper: Extract, 28 June 1782 (Franklin Papers)
Reprinted from William Temple Franklin, ed., Memoirs of the Life and Writings of Benjamin Franklin … (3 vols., 4to, London, 1817–18), II , 378–9. Our public affairs are in a good situation here. England having tried in vain to make a separate peace with each of the powers she is at war with, has at length agreed to treat for a general peace with them altogether; and at Paris. If we all...
8From Benjamin Franklin to Samuel Cooper, 27 April 1769 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : British Museum I received your Favour of Feb. 27. per Capt. Carver, and thank you for giving me an Opportunity of being acquainted with so great a Traveller. I shall be glad if I can render him any Service here. The Parliament remain fix’d in their Resolution not to repeal the Duty Acts this Session, and will rise next Tuesday. I hope my Country-folks will remain as fix’d in their...
9From Benjamin Franklin to Samuel Cooper, 1 May 1777 (Franklin Papers)
ALS (draft): American Philosophical Society It was with great Pleasure I received lately the Letters of my Friends from Boston by Capt. Adams. They were the first that got to hand since I left America. I thank you for your kind Congratulations on my safe Arrival here, and for your good Wishes. I am, as you supposed, treated with great Civility and Respect by all Orders of People; but it gives...
10From Benjamin Franklin to Samuel Cooper, 5 February 1771 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : British Museum I have just received your kind Favour of Jan. 1. by Mr. Bowdoin, to whom I should be glad to render any Service here. I wrote to you some Weeks since in Answer to yours of July and November, expressing my Sentiments without the least Reserve in Points that require free Discussion, as I know I can confide in your Prudence not to hurt my Usefulness here by making me more...
11From Benjamin Franklin to Samuel Cooper, 2 December 1780 (Franklin Papers)
L : Henry E. Huntington Library; copy: Library of Congress I received your kind Letter of the 8th. of September, and am much oblig’d by the Intelligence it contain’d.— Please to make my Compliments of Congratulation acceptable to Mr. Hancock, on his being chosen the first Governor of his free Countrymen. I am persuaded he will fill the Seat with Propriety and Dignity. Dr. Lee’s Accusation of...
12From Benjamin Franklin to Samuel Cooper, 20 May 1783 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Henry E. Huntington Library The Bearer, M. de Bannes is exceedingly well recommended to me by Persons of the first Distinction in this Country. He goes over to America with a View of seeing the Country, & of being serviceable to the Government here, who may here after probably confer on him one of the Counsulships. He appears to be a sensible Young Man, and will I doubt not, make himself...
13From Benjamin Franklin to Samuel Cooper, 24 February 1769 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : British Museum I received your Favour by Mr. Jefferies. I should have been glad if in any thing I could have serv’d him here. The Part I took in the Application for your Degree, was merely doing Justice to Merit, which is the Duty of an honest Man whenever he has the Opportunity. I did that Duty indeed with Pleasure and Satisfaction to myself, which was sufficient: But I own the Pleasure...
14From Benjamin Franklin to Samuel Cooper, 8 June 1770 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : British Museum This letter contains Franklin’s first extant response to the Boston Massacre. He mentions it in closing, almost in passing, but news of it certainly underlay his discussion of the larger issue of a standing army in America. That discussion led him on to the argument, more carefully worked out than ever before, that for a century past Parliament had usurped an authority...
15From Benjamin Franklin to Samuel Cooper, 25 July 1773 (Franklin Papers)
LS : British Museum; ALS (letterbook draft): Library of Congress I wrote to you on the 7th Instant pretty fully, and am since favor’d with yours of June 14. I am much pleased with the Proposal of the Virginia Assembly, and the respectful manner in which it has been received by ours. I think it likely to produce very salutary Effects. I am glad to know your Opinion that those Letters came...
16From Benjamin Franklin to Samuel Cooper, 24 August 1783 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Reprinted from Earl P. L. Apfelbaum, Public Auction (June 3–4, 1976). <Passy, August 24, 1783: Recommends M. Bertaud, a surgeon, to Cooper’s> Notice and Civilities, and request you would assist him with your good Counsel & Advice. You will thereby much oblige, Dear Sir, Your most obedient & most humble Servant Only the second sheet of this letter was reproduced as an illustration; it is...
17From Benjamin Franklin to Samuel Cooper, 25 February 1774 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : British Museum I thank you much for your respected Favours of Nov. 10. Dec. 17. and 20. and for the satisfactory Intelligence they contained. I condole with you most sincerely on your great Loss. I have written a pretty full Account to the Speaker of the Treatment their Petition and their Agent have received here. My Letter went in Symes, and probably you may have seen it before this can...
18From Benjamin Franklin to Samuel Cooper, 7 April 1782 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Library of Congress This will be delivered to you by Mr. le Comte de Segur, (Son of the Marquis de Segur Ministre de la Guerre) a Young Nobleman whose amiable Qualities and sensible Conversation will I am sure give you Pleasure. I therefore make no Apology for the Liberty I take of introducing him to you, recommending him to your Civilities and Friendship, and requesting you would do the...
19From Benjamin Franklin to Samuel Cooper, 30 September 1769 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : British Museum Your Favour of Aug. 3 has given me great Pleasure. I have only time now to acknowledge the Receipt of it, but purpose to write fully by the next Opportunity. I am just returned from France, where I found our Dispute much attended to, several of our Pamphlets being translated and printed there, among the rest my Examination, and the Farmer’s Letters with two of my Pieces...
20From Benjamin Franklin to Samuel Cooper, 26 December 1782 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Archives du Ministère des affaires étrangères; extract: Library of Congress I have received several kind Letters from you, which I have not now before me, and which I shall answer more particularly hereafter. Your Grandson was well not long since, & I hear good Account of him. I hope his Improvements will answer your Expectations. We have taken some good Steps here towards a Peace. Our...
21From Benjamin Franklin to [Samuel Cooper], [25 October 1776]: extract (Franklin Papers)
Extract: Massachusetts Archives Being once more order’d to Europe, and to embark this day, I write this Line &c. As to our publick Affairs, I hope our People will keep up their Courage. I have no Doubt of their finally succeeding by the Blessing of God, nor have I any Doubt, that so good a Cause will fail of that Blessing. It is computed here that we have already taken a Million Sterling from...
22From Benjamin Franklin to Samuel Cooper, 7 July 1773 (Franklin Papers)
LS : British Museum; letterbook draft: Library of Congress I received your very valuable Favours of March 15, and April 23. It rejoices me to find your Health so far restored, that your Friends can again be benefitted by your Correspondence. The Governor was certainly out in his Politicks, if he hoped to recommend himself here by entring upon that Dispute with the Assembly. His imprudence in...
23From Benjamin Franklin to Samuel Cooper, 8 April 1782 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: Library of Congress The Prince de Broglie, Son of the Marechal Duc de Broglie has desired of me a few Letters of Introduction. With regard to Boston I cannot do better than to present him to you, who have a Pleasure in showing Civilities to Strangers of Merit, & who can introduce him to the principal Persons civil & military of your State. You already love with reason the French Nation;...
24From Benjamin Franklin to Samuel Cooper, 30 December 1770 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : British Museum The letter below belongs with those above to Cooper of June 8 and to Cushing of December 24, for in each Franklin discusses a different aspect of the constitution as he sees it. In the earliest he stresses the colonists’ recourse of petitioning their sovereign for protection against an arbitrary and corrupt Parliament. In the second he argues that Parliament has no right...
25From Benjamin Franklin to Samuel Cooper, 15 May 1781 (Franklin Papers)
Press copy: American Philosophical Society; AL (draft): Library of Congress I received your kind Letter of Feb. 1 by Col. Johonot. Your Sentiments of the present State of our Affairs appear to me very judicious, and I am much oblig’d by your free Communication of them. They are often of Use here: for you have a Name and Character among us, that give weight to your Opinions. The End of Col....
26From Benjamin Franklin to Samuel Cooper, 13 January 1772 (Franklin Papers)
ALS : British Museum; draft: American Philosophical Society I have now before me your several Favours of July 10, Aug. 23, and Nov. 5. A long Journey I took in the Summer and Autumn for the Establishment of my Health, prevented my answering sooner the two first. I hope the State of your Health also is mended by your Retirement into the Country, as mine has sensibly been by that Journey. You...
27From Benjamin Franklin to Samuel Cooper, 16 March 1780 (Franklin Papers)
LS : Henry E. Huntington Library I received your kind Favour by Capt. Chavagnes, which I communicated to the Minister of the Marine, who was much pleased with the Character you give of the Captain. I have also yours of Nov. 12. by your Grandson, who appears a very pretty promising Lad, in whom I think you will have much Satisfaction. He is in a Boarding School just by me, and was well last...
28From Benjamin Franklin to [Samuel Cooper], 27 February 1778 (Franklin Papers)
Copy: University of California Library, Berkeley; transcript: Massachusetts Historical Society At length our Treaties of Commerce and Alliance with France are Compleated, and signed. They go over to Congress by this Conveyance. Their great Principle declared in the Preamble, is perfect Equality and Reciprocity of Conditions, the advantages mutual, Commerce free &c. France guarantees the...