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Franklin and Bache: Envisioning the Enlightened Republic

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Jefferey Smith's " Franklin and Bache " is a great book. Starting with the life of Benjamin Franklin and his intellectual development to the his grandson's formation of the Philadelphia Aurora and battle for liberty in the 1790's this book holds your attention. Smith shows how Franklin developed an elightened philosophy of liberty, equality, and classical republicanism and instilled it into his grandson. Young Benjamin Bache became the epitomie of Franklinian ethics: hard working, educated in the classics, sincerely devoted to republican government,and with a streak of revulsion to injustice.

In the 1790's as the Federalists began develpoment of their centralizing theories,and their Hamiltonian ideals of "energetic" government, government by a plutocratic elite, and commercial develpoment, Benjamin Bache was aroused. A firm republican, his Aurora preached the values of agriculture, liberty and sovereignty of the people, support for the French Revolution, and support for democratic as opposed to aristocratic government. Bache was an avid supporter of Thomas Jefferson and his ideals of liberty and republicanism.

Persecuted by the Federalist under the tyrannical Alien and Sedition Laws Bache stood steadfast in support of freedom of the press and the First Amendment. His untimely death due to yellow fever deprived the Federalists of their victim, but brought attention to the cause of liberty. Inspired by the ideals of Franklin and Jefferson for a liberal and enlightened society Bache proposed reform of the US Constitution, opposed slavery, supported penal reform, and care of the poor. If you want a good overview of the ideals of Franklin and Jefferson in the early republic this is a great buy.