From Benjamin Franklin to Cadwalader Evans, 13 July 1765
To Cadwalader Evans
ALS: Frederick R. Kirkland, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (1955)
London, July 13. 1765
Dear Doctor,
I received your obliging Favours of March 15. and May 21.7 and thank you for the Intelligence they contain, and for your kind Congratulations.
The Proceedings of those mad People on the Frontiers,8 and the Countenance they receive, with the little care taken to suppress them, are really astonishing. But they and their Abetters are filling up fast the Measure of their Iniquity, and Justice will ere long overtake them all.
The unsettled State of the Ministry for sometime past has retarded all Public Business, and among the rest, ours:9 but as soon as the new Hands are got into their Geers, we shall proceed with all Diligence; and I really, as yet, see nothing to make me doubt an agreable Termination.
My Respects to your good Brother and Sister,1 believe me with sincere Regard Dear Friend, Yours affectionately
B Franklin
Dr. Evans2
7. For Evans’ letter of March 15, 1765, see above, pp. 82–4. His of May 21 has not been found.
8. BF is referring to the attack of James Smith and his “Black Boys” on a pack train (in which his friends the Whartons were deeply interested) at Sideling Hill, March 5–6, 1765; see above, p. 92 n. Evans had mentioned the incident in his letter of March 15.
9. The Rockingham administration came into office July 10, 1765, replacing George Grenville and his followers.
1. Evans’ brother was Rowland Evans (c. 1718–1789); he had been one of the “Old Ticket” candidates for Philadelphia Co., defeated for election to the Assembly in 1764; above, XI, 390, 394. His wife was the former Susanna Foulke of Gwynedd. PMHB, VIII (1884), 182, 407 n.
2. In Biblioteche Civiche e Raccolte Storiche, Torino, is a detached address page that belongs either with this letter or some later one from BF to Evans. It reads: “To / Dr Cadwalader Evans / Philadelphia / via new York / per Packet / Free / B Franklin.”