On this day 250 years ago The Pennsylvania Gazette published an anonymous letter from London dated February 19, 1774, that some scholars speculate was written by Franklin himself, recounting Benjamin Franklin’s mistreatment by the Privy Council on January 29, 1774. [See my prior post for that day.] The letter began:

The Ministerial People here are outrageously angry with Dr. Franklin. They took Occasion, when he was attending the Committee of Council with the Petition of the Massachusetts-Bay, to set the Solicitor-General upon him, who, leaving the Business that was before their Lordships, in a virulent Invective of an Hour, filled with Scurrility, abused him personally, to the great Entertainment of Thirty-five Lords of the Privy-Council, who had been purposely invited as to a Bull-baiting, and not one of them had the Sense to reflect on the Impropriety and Indecency of treating, in so ignominious a Manner, a Public Messenger, whose Character in all Nations, savage as well as civilized, used to be deemed sacred, and his Person under public Protection, even when coming from an Enemy; nor did one of them check the Orator’s Extravagance, and recal him to the Point under Consideration, but generally appeared much delighted, chuckling, laughing, and sometimes loudly applauding. I did not before think it possible for any Persons in their Stations to behave in a Manner so extremely unbecoming, especially when sitting in a judicial Capacity.

And the anonymous letter ended with this ominous intelligence from London:

Fleets and Troops are talked of, to be sent to America, but what they are to do when they come there, I am at a Loss to know, except it be to seize Individuals, and send them hither to be punished. God give us all a little more Wisdom.

Source: https://founders.archives.gov/?q=%22April%2020%2C%201774%22&s=1111311111&sa=&r=1&sr=#BNFN-01-21-02-0043-fn-0004