Extract of a letter from Dr. Franklin to the President of Congress dated

With respect to the British Court we should I think be constantly on our guard and impress strongly on our minds that tho it has made peace with us it is not in truth reconciled to us or to its loss of us but flatters itself with hopes that some change in the affairs of Europe or some disunion among ourselves may afford them an opportunity of recovering their dominion, punishing those who have most offended and recuring our future dependence. It is easy to see by the general turn of the Ministerial news papers (light things indeed as straws or feathers but like them they shew which way the wind blows) and by the malignant improvement their ministers make in all the foreign courts of every little accident or dissention among us, the rist of a few Soldiers in Philadelphia the resolves of some town meetings, the reluctance to pay taxes &c all which are exaggerated to represent our governments as so many anarchies of which the people themselves are weary, the Congress as having lost its influence being no longer respected. I say that is easy to see by this conduct that they bear us no good will and that they wish the reality of what they are pleased to imagine. They have too numerous a royal progeny to provide for some of whom are educated in the military line. In these circumstances we cannot be too carefull to preserve the friendships we have acquired abroad and the union we have established at home, to secure our credit by a punctual discharge of our obligations of every kind and our reputation by the wisdom of our councils since we know not how soon we may have a fresh occasion for friends for credit and for reputation.