Whoever would overthrow the liberty of a nation must begin by subduing the freeness of speech…
Statues: The People They Salute
“In those wretched countries where a man cannot call his tongue his own, he can scarce call anything his own. Whoever would overthrow the liberty of a nation must begin by subduing the freeness of speech ... Without freedom of thought there can be no such thing as wisdom, and no such thing as public liberty without freedom of speech, which is the right of every man...”
Young Benjamin Franklin, under the pseudonym Mrs. Silence Dogood, wrote a series of letters to his brother James’ newspaper The New-England Courant, in 1722. The passage above is from one of those letters.
Pictured is a statue of young Benjamin Franklin, who came to Philadelphia in 1723 at age 17, carrying his belongings in a satchel and holding a walking stick. Young Ben had little personal property, no job, and certainly no fame, when he arrived. In the years that proceeded, that all changed 😉 The statue, dedicated on June 16, 1914, is located at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia that was founded by Benjamin Franklin.
Here’s more of the passage where the quote is found in a letter Benjamin Franklin wrote under the pseudonym “Silence Dogood” in The New-England Courant, July 9, 1722.
“This sacred Privilege is so essential to free Governments, that the Security of Property, and the Freedom of Speech always go together; and in those wretched Countries where a Man cannot call his Tongue his own, he can scarce call any Thing else his own. Whoever would overthrow the Liberty of a Nation, must begin by subduing the Freeness of Speech; a Thing terrible to Publick Traytors.”
Here’s another passage in the letter...
“But Things afterwards took another Turn. Rome, with the Loss of its Liberty, lost also its Freedom of Speech; then Mens Words began to be feared and watched; and then first began the poysonous Race of Informers, banished indeed under the righteous Administration of Titus, Narva, Trajan, Aurelius, &c. but encouraged and enriched under the vile Ministry of Sejanus, Tigillinus, Pallas, and Cleander: Queri libet, quod in secreta nostra non inquirant principes, nisi quos Odimus, says Pliny to Trajan”
Here’s some background about the letter...
On June 11 the Courant had insinuated that the Massachusetts authorities were not making proper exertions to capture a pirate vessel reported to be off the coast. Exasperated by this “High Affront,” the latest of many, the General Court the next day ordered James Franklin to be confined in jail for the remainder of the legislative session. During his brother’s imprisonment Benjamin managed the paper, and “made bold to give our Rulers some Rubs in it, which my Brother took very kindly, while others began to consider me ... as a young Genius that had a Turn for Libelling & Satyr.”
Diana Erbio is a freelance writer and author of “Coming to America: A Girl Struggles to Find her Way in a New World”. Read more in her series Statues: The People They Salute visit The Table of Contents and the Facebook Page. Please consider subscribing to her Substack (it’s free) there you’ll find essays, history and more 🤓🇺🇸
As always, a great subject for all American who love their history. Count me a huge fan!
Words of wisdom for today as well! Thank you.