Benjamin Franklin, portrayed by Terry Lynch, talks about nation’s cornerstone document
When Hinsdaleans and other Americans observe Independence Day on July 4, they might not realize they are technically celebrating two days late.
The Declaration of Independence was signed July 2, Dr. Benjamin Franklin – portrayed by Terry Lynch – told attendees at the Hinsdale Public Library program “Designing a New Nation” on Tuesday night.
“That was actually the date that we agreed on the final draft,” he said.
Fellow founding father John Adams refused to celebrate on the Fourth, Lynch noted.
“John is a bit of a fussbudget,” he said. “He always celebrated the 2nd, even when he was president of the United States.”
The declaration is one of five documents responsible for the founding of this country, all of which were signed by Franklin. The first was the Plan of Union he wrote calling for greater cooperation among the colonies against hostile natives and their counterparts in the French and Indian War, also known as the Seven Years War.
Lynch, who had fun ribbing audience members and cracking jokes, shared familiar facts and little-known stories from the days leading up to and following July 4, 1776.
Franklin was charged with forming a militia in Pennsylvania, a colony that had been settled mostly by pacifist Quakers. The elders refused to give dispensation to men to fight, but sent Franklin to the west end of the colony to find willing participants among the Scotch-Irish community.
“They drink so much, they’re already going to hell,” he said, calling it a “most magnificent and brilliant” idea.
He said he was proud to be a British citizen until one trip to Europe (he made eight total) when he was ambushed by Parliament and accused of treason. He escaped conviction by remaining silent, but the experience illustrated America could not remain a colony of England’s.
“I also realized at this point in time it was folly to try to unite the countries together,” he said.
Once the colonists decided to form their own country, they needed to share their rationale to others.
“As all intelligent men knew, we had to tell the rest of the world why we are fighting for independence,” he said.
That explanation – the Declaration of Independence – outlined the colonists’ charges against the crown, mainly that they were being used as what modern-day citizens would call a cash machine, Lynch said. Franklin was suggested as a possible author for the document, but the job ultimately went to Thomas Jefferson for his lyrical style that could stir men’s imaginations.
“He also had a way of writing things that would be easily read out loud to others,” he added, noting that 75 percent of the population was illiterate at the time.
Franklin served as the document’s editor and changed little, with one significant exception. Jefferson had written, “We hold these truths to be sacred,” which Franklin changed to “self-evident.” He didn’t want to unintentionally alienate people by bringing religion into it.
Franklin later was charged with going to France to garner that country’s support in the war, which was a tall task, Lynch said. Franklin was asking a king to support a war to create a nation in which there would be no monarchs. His success – resulting in the Treaty of Alliance with France signed in 1778 – was due to his willingness to talk with women, who then passed along ideas to their husbands, who took credit for them.
“If you want to be a good diplomat or ambassador, you need to put your ego at the door,” he said.
The Revolutionary War came to an end in 1783 with the Treaty of Paris, which Franklin also signed. But the work was just beginning. Conversations about how to set up and govern this country, which took place over four months at the Philadelphia Convention in 1787, were filled with arguments and disagreements. But none resulted in permanent division.
“Someone you disagree with is not your enemy,” he said. “He is an American citizen, just like you.”
Eliminating ideas at the extremities and finding common ground in the middle is key to good governance, he observed.
Alexander Hamilton didn’t generate much support for his “crazy” ideas, presented over 4 1/2 hours at one session.
“Great minds have to compromise. If you are afraid to compromise, then you don’t believe in the ideas you have in the first place. If it’s a good idea, you won’t be compromising much.”
The founders created a form of government with the most power in the legislative branch, followed by the judicial branch and then the executive branch, which has the most limited powers.
“We would not form a government giving that power to one man again,” he said.
He praised the process the founders devised for making changes to Constitution – by adding amendments that are difficult to approve.
“This guarantees we will not change things willy nilly,” he said, noting that of 14,000 proposals for amendments that have gone to Congress, 33 were sent out for the states for votes and only 27 have become laws.
The Constitution ultimately was signed in September 1787.
“It is the shortest in word count and it is the longest continually flowing document of a democratic republic,” he said.
In another of his humorous stories, he noted John Hancock one-upped Franklin by taking up significant space for his signature on the document.
“I made my signature so large that (King) George can see it even if he doesn’t have his glasses on,” Hancock reportedly told Franklin.
Lynch also presented Franklin’s views on religion and slavery, along with his intelligence, sense of humor and accomplishments – and supposed humility.
“Thank you all for listening to me,” Lynch said after his 75-minute presentation. “I spoke almost as much as Hamilton.”
