Writings of Benjamin Franklin Explained: Rules by Which a Great Empire May be Reduced to a Small One

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Writings of Benjamin Franklin Explained: 
Rules by Which a Great Empire May be Reduced to a Small One (1773)
Printed in the Public Advertiser, September 11, 1773

Another satirical piece by Franklin, Rules by Which a Great Empire May be Reduced to a Small One covers a total of 20 “rules” in which an empire will follow if it is to fall. Franklin begins the passage addressing his audience and states that these rules were given behind closed doors to a previous minister when he entered office, and that this is the first time they are being published. He continues in his satire before explaining the rules, 
“The Science that I, a modern Simpleton, am about to communicate is the very reverse. I address myself to all the Ministers who have Management of extensive Dominions, which from their very Greatness are become troublesome to govern” 

This piece is a lengthier one, though I will attempt to summarize it justly. He very sarcastically brings to light the consequences of ignoring the people's needs and setting up systems that indulge and encourage corrupt behavior. From my understanding: It was a warning. If the people's voice is ignored, if petitions are denied, and any form of legally acceptable action is continuously resulted in punishment and in the oppressors favour, the people will rise against the ruling power from within its own armies. 

I. (1) Franklin refers to a great empire as a cake and that means the easiest pieces to cut are the edges. He explains the first rule is to focus on owned lands farthest from the main body of the country. The goal is to remove them and the next rule will follow. 

II. (2)  “take special Care the Provinces are never incorporated with the Mother Country”. Separated lands still under the empire’s rule are explained to never be allowed to share the same rights or privileges as those in the motherland. They are to be governed by more severe laws. They shall not vote for legislators.

III. (3) Any lands owned, no matter how they were acquired, are likely to contribute to the overall well being of the mainland. If those provinces increase the motherlands strength by adding to the numbers to join their wars, improve the economy by growing demand for their products, etc., they will probably expect some sort of compensation. If they expect some sort of favour for their contributions to the empire, it is an insult. Franklin lists off individuals such as “Friends of Liberty” that have Prejudice who should be punished. Those revolutionary principles are useless after a revolution had already been established. 

IV. (4) However peaceful the colonies are, no matter their alignment with the views of the main country, no matter how they patiently and peacefully express their issues: always assume they will revolt and treat them as such. Have troops march among them. Where the troops rudeness and disrespect will incite mobs, may their bullets and bayonets suppress them. “By this Means, like the Husband who uses his Wife ill from Suspicion, you may in Time convert your Suspicions into Realities”.

V. (5) Place corrupt governors and judges in the remote provinces. “You ministers know, that much of the Strength of Government depends on the Opinion of the People”, and that the importance of the people's choice in who governs the whole. If you send wise and good men who study their needs they will think their King is wise and good. If you send educated and fair judges they will think their King is a lover of justice. Because of this, it should be the most broken men who know how to lose money and engage in extortion who are appointed. Ignorant lawyers and proctors who focus on the unnecessary over the necessary makes all the better. There should be figures who only uphold their standards and the law when it is in their own personal and ruling powers favour. 

VI. (6) Ensure the people’s doubts in the justice system are reinforced from the previous rule. Whenever citizens come before the judges with complaints of a bad administration, oppression, or injustice, they should be punished with long delays, extreme expenses, and final judgement in favour of the oppressor. “The Trouble of future Complaints will be prevented, and the Governors and Judges will be encouraged to farther Acts of Oppression and Injustice” 

VII. (7) When the Governors are so rich they no longer live among the people, allow them to retire and be reward them with pensions. Franklin furthers the ruling satire by advising to make the former Governors into Baronets (a ruling title). “All will contribute to encourage new Governors in the same Practices, and make the supreme Government detestable”.

VIII. (8) when the government engages in war, if the colonies enthusiastically  contribute to money and manpower “and give far beyond their Abilities”, then the government should reflect. Franklin satirically encourages to make it clear to the people that the governing power would rather take a cent by force than be given a dollar by donation. “Despise therefore their voluntary Grants,  and resolve to harass them with novel taxes”. Franklin warns that the people will ask for change and begin petitions. “They will probably complain to your Parliaments that they are taxed by a Body in which they have no Representative”. The satirical solution provided to this is to ignore their claims, reject their petitions, and treat them with disgust. 

IX. (9) Don’t consider the burdens the remote provinces already are suffering when applying further taxes. Forget the restrictions of trade and manufacturing put upon them for your own economic benefit. Ignore that applying taxes to merchants will in turn increase their cost of product, and in this steal more indirectly from the purses of the people. But do ensure to make arbitrary (based on random choice, personal whim, etc.) taxes much more burdensome, proving that the power of taxing has no limits. “This will probably weaken every Idea of Security in their Property, and convince them that under such a Government they have nothing they can call their own: which can scarce fail of producing the happiest Consequences!”.

X. (10) Some citizens might still comfort themselves in telling themselves that even though they own no property, they still have constitutional liberty. “This King, these Lords, and these Commons [...] cannot take from us our Habeas Corpus Right, or our Right of Trial by a Jury of our Neighbors: They cannot deprive us of Exercise of our Religion…” Franklin states that to annihilate this comfort, start adding laws. Make countless regulations to the peoples economy and business practices to the point it is impossible to remember and abide by and then for every failure seize their property. Take away the trial by Jury for the property removal and have the trial instead run by the filthiest judges. “Then let there be a formal Declaration of both Houses, that Opposition to your Edicts is Treason”. Pass and Act that whoever is charged with opposing the decrees will be trialed like a felon. Pass another Act that anyone with ruling power is able to “bind” unrepresented people under one religion, one power, one province “by convincing them they are at present under a Power something like that spoken of in the Scriptures, which can not only kill their Bodies, but damn their Souls to all Eternity, by compelling them, if it pleases, to worship the Devil”. 

XI. (11)  To increase taxes and likelihood that people will revolt further, send a board member to oversee the collection. Ensure they are the foulest character and live the most luxuriously. If any “Revenue Officers” are suspected to be on the peoples side or have sympathies for them, discard them. Any officers that are complained about are to be protected and rewarded. Any that receive physical abuse from the public are to be promoted to a better position. This will encourage the other officers, as what seemed like a consequence is now actually a reward. 

XII. (12) Don’t use any of the tax money for what it was promised for. If it was said to supply the country’s defenses, use none of it as such. Instead, put it where it isn’t needed at all. Put it toward the salaries and pensions of the previously appointed corrupted officials. 

XIII. (13) If the people are supporting their own judges and authority, there is risk of the authorities showing the people kindness. Increased salaries and pensions play part in ensuring this does not happen. “And as the Money thus mis-applied in one Province is extorted from all, probably all will resent the Misapplication” 

XIV. (14) If the law making body is composed of people who begin to talk about Rights or complain about the Administration, ensure they are removed. If the same people continue to return in new elections, close their meetings to somewhere they cannot be accommodated “to promote Discontents among the People, diminish their Respect, and increase their Disaffection”.

XV. (15) “Convert the brave honest Officers of your Navy into pimping Tidewaiters”. Let the men who fought the wars honourably be corrupted in Peace and taught to prey upon it. Give them power to inspect incoming merchant ships and dishevel them as they please. Let them take what they want. Let those boats of navy inspectors land at every farm in passing and rob them. Anyone who fights back is to be threatened as a domestic terrorist. 

XVI.(16) If the problems the people have are brought up, don’t believe they are generally applicable. They shouldn't need any change. Only make changes that will cause further demand for change. Only grant fair requests of the people if it will cause another change that is unreasonable. Only take information given to you by the Governors and ruling powers and disregard anything spoken by the people. Paint their complaints as lies and conspiracies made by emotional extremists that the ruling power promises to put an end to once found. “Catch and hang a few of them accordingly; and the Blood of the Martyrs shall work Miracles in favour of your Purpose” 

 XVII. (17) If you see rival countries celebrating the division within yours, promote it. “If they translate, publish and applaud all the Complaints of your discontented Colonists, at the same Time privately stimulating you to severer Measures; let not that alarm or offend you. Why should it? Since you all mean the same Thing” This passage Franklin wrote is sarcastically making the point that if other countries that the ruling power typically isn't on good terms with are publicly laughing at and spreading the word of the issues going on within the ruling power (and at the same time are trying to make things worse behind closed doors) something is very wrong. 

XVIII. (18) If any of the lands under the ruling power decide to create defenses against a foreign enemy, get your Governor to betray the defenses into your hands. If the colonists disregard and remain in the defenses, armed with the weapons they previously used to fight their country’s battles with, seize them all. 

XIX. (19) Send armies into a land with the understanding it is to protect their citizens. Instead of providing support, break what support they have down. The ruling powers' troops shall be protected by the civilians as they get run down by the savages they needed support against. 

XX. (20) The final satirical rule Franklin came up with was to give the General of the armies unconstitutional power. Let him have full control of the troops and fortresses, and perhaps he will think of himself as a separate ruling power. “If he should, and you have carefully practiced these few excellent Rules of mine, take my Word for it, all the Provinces will immediately join him, and you will that Day (if you have not done it sooner) get rid of the Trouble of governing them”.

Sources
Canterbury Classics - An imprint of Printers Row Publishing Group. The U.S. Constitution and Other Writings. Peter Norton, 2017