01x11 - Postmaster General Franklin

[bunniefuu]

I

live

with still I

know the truth will rise and

fall that's

just a word now to the

wise the world was made the CH each St

is a

surprise I'm looking at life my own

night I'm searching for a hero to

idolize feeling love pain as

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inocent I take my heart battle that

freed batt my Independence time de C it

on the the for your freedom bring and

patriotic voices say white never give up

you represent America hoping and praying

for a brighter day I listen to heart and

I oby how can I see it any other way I'm

looking

aling my own

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eyes here are some exciting sceds from

today's episode of Liberty's Kids Tories

they're going through the mail then we

must fix the mail system if we can't

trust the Post how will we we to freely

express ourselves this load of mail

contains several important dispatches to

General Washington they must not fall

into British

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hands dearest Sarah you wrote that you

would send a letter to me every day yet

I have not received one in ages

I pray that you are well I have not

heard from your father either but I know

mail service to the Ohio Frontier is

non-existent now here is the message I

most urgently wish you to receive please

remain in Philadelphia now that w*r has

broken out that is the best way to

ensure that our family will one day be

happily and healthily

reunited although I am comforted that

your care is in the sure hands of Dr

Franklin

I do hope dearly to hear from you soon

your loving

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mother come back here trust me you can't

get away

whoever said no news is good news wasn't

in the newspaper game there must be

something you could write about maybe

but we haven't heard from any of our

correspondence in 2 weeks look what I

found in the street letter a letter the

postman must have dropped it let me see

you shouldn't read somebody else's mail

we have to deliver it to the rightful

owner

but we are the rightful owner it's

addressed to the Pennsylvania Gazette

it's news right am I right oh boy ask

and you shall receive a report about

British troop movements the red coats

are moving south from Boston are you

sure who sent it the fox that's a

strange name could be a spy or it could

be code who cares we finally have a

story and I got it for us

maybe hre's right at least it's

something come on Moses let's dust off

the printing

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press I'm looking for a Sarah Phillips

we've got a Sarah Phillips is she here

I'm carrying a letter for her HRI go get

Sarah would you think I am your

assistant yes I'll get

Sarah you're a captain captain Hodes at

your service and you're carrying the

mail I'm on my way to rejoin General

Washington's troops in Boston I was

entrusted with this letter during my

trip to Fort Pittsburgh I bet that's

from Sarah's father we have news Captain

big news British troops are moving south

from Boston that can't be true it's true

it's right here in this

letter do you know this fox person no

but it's addressed to us we're putting

out a special edition of The Gazette to

spread the word I wouldn't do that do

you see this letter Mark looks like an F

it is an F I don't understand what does

it mean it's code there's a secret

message hidden somewhere inside I don't

see any secret message you can't see it

the real message is between the lines

written in invisible ink invisible ink

both sides are using invisible ink in

case a letter is lost or captured the

Red Coats would like nothing more than

for you to print this in your paper why

they want us to think they're moving

south so we'll be unprepared when they

spring their real plan we almost fell

for their trap you must be very careful

about the mail it can't be trusted the

British control it how does this in

invisible ink work I mean what good is a

secret message if nobody can see it

there's a special treatment we'll need a

man of science to help us I know just

the

man the letter f means fire if it was

marked with an a I'd have to treat the

letter with acid to make the invisible

ink visible gather around the invisible

ink is a mixture of Ferris sulfate and

water the heat from the candle oxidizes

the mixture and makes it possible to

read what is written that's

fantastic very clever what does The

Secret Message say exactly opposite of

what they wanted you to know the British

are not leaving Boston it will be up to

General Washington to force them out

there you are somebody wanted to see me

Sarah

Phillips yes I've carried this a long

way it's from my father he's on the Ohio

Frontier oh thank you of course and now

I must be on my way be careful all of

you it's only the second letter I've

gotten from him since I've been here

what does he say when is he coming back

is he all right he doesn't say and this

letter is 2 months old and I can't write

him back to ask there's no mail service

to the frontier and I can't even tell

mother I've heard from father because

she isn't getting the letters I sent her

she's not you write to her every day but

they're not getting through Captain

hajes said the British control the mail

I'm going to

investigate and I'm going to assistant

investigate

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Tories they're going through the mail

it's an offense an

outrage Ben someone went through my mail

it's an offense an outrage fences can be

mended Mr Adams my comments about Mr

Dickinson as critical even Petty as they

were were never meant for publication

whoever stole my letter printed it to

humiliate me and drive a wedge between

Massachusetts and Pennsylvania Here

Comes Mr Dickinson now perhaps you can

make peace with him Mr Dickinson may I

have a word with you please he's as

stubborn as I am can you blame him John

you called him a piddling genius yes in

a private letter

then we must fix the mail system if we

can't trust the Post how are we to

freely express ourselves the publication

of my letter hurt our cause and a a

division in our ranks just when it's

most important for us to show Unity of

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purpose order gentlemen

order a letter that I wrote to General

James Warren was also intercepted stolen

is a better word yes stolen by the

Tories and published in the Boston

papers a personal letter mind you full

of Blasphemous opinions and

conspiratorial outbursts you must learn

to control your temper I admit I have a

defective character however Dr Franklin

you designed the colonial postal service

at the request of the crown and now a

man can't write a word without risking

it appearing in print

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order gentlemen

order Dr Franklin since you are the

father of modern postal practices I move

you be appointed head of a committee to

devise a new Colonial Postal Service

independent of the British crown in the

meantime we mustn't use the Royal Postal

System unless you would be comfortable

with King George himself reading what

you've

written in the meantime we have to find

a way to get this load of mayo through

to New York we can't spare another

Soldier I'll take it that's very brave

of you James but it could be dangerous

I'll be careful you'll have to be more

than careful count on me sir I'm going

to have to do just that this load of

mayo contains several important

dispatches to General Washington they

must not fall into British

hands I'm going too it's not safe but

you're carrying a letter to my mother

with news of father I want to see with

my own eyes that it gets on the mailboat

for London besides I'm twice the rider

you are you are not and two are not

Sarah if our colonial army possessed an

ounce of your pluck we'd have nothing to

fear we'll see who's twice the rider I

want you both to follow Route One the

Postal Road connecting Philadelphia to

New York which I established 20 years

ago as Royal Postmaster General I set up

a series of Milestones that will lead

you to New York the Milestones are

placed at regular intervals all the way

to Boston my postal system was a model

of efficiency but that was before our

current

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troubles shouldn't we have passed

another Milestone by now or two we're in

New Jersey Maybe they don't go this far

Dr Franklin said he set them up all the

way to Boston isn't that one oh

no they're the ones who brib the postman

they're Tories they're waiting to

intercept the mail what are we going to

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do maybe we should turn around and go

back then the mail won't get through

General Washington won't get his

dispatch

maybe they let us through but there's a

British soldier with them British

soldiers are not monsters you know

that's because you're British may I

remind you you're also British okay have

it your way why don't you go ahead I

have to water my horse I'll meet you at

the blockade

hurry who now why would a pretty young

lass such as yourself be out riding

alone thank you sir you are most kind I

am not riding alone my friend James is

watering his horse he'll be along and

what is the nature of the business that

takes you to New York well you see ah

here he

comes

whoa now that he's here may we pass I'd

still like to know the nature of your

business we're visiting a sick friend

Sarah got a letter that was weeks old

saying that a dear friend of ours may

perish soon we only hope we're not too

late oh well in that case please move

along we won't detain you further thank

you kind

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sir your servant my

lady that was a shame this terod didle

you told them about our perishing

friend I know it was wrong the truth

would have done just as well I was

afraid to take the chance James you

haven't got the mailbag you think we

would have made it through if I did

but where is it where they won't find it

James what have you done with the mail

we'll sneak back for it when the Sun

goes down you are Shameless do you want

your letter to get through or

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not I want you to know that I disapprove

of your deception with all my

heart what if we get caught now that

we've lied the consequences will be

harsher I'm sure but you saw when we

rode back through they're gone

now did you hear something Sarah quit

worrying we're almost

there something you forgot to tell us

run Sarah

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ah what have we

here so you've LED your friends

here it's not much farther where we left

the horses just keep

running I told you this would be

trouble we can't make it it we've got to

keep on them they've got a load of

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mail you're coming with

us by what right are you detaining us

like she said by what right by what

right are you carrying the mail you're

you don't look like Royal postal

employees I'm sure you stole the mail

from those men I don't care if you did

so you might as well admit it they

probably stole it themselves I

purposefully set off that gunpowder

expl*si*n to distract them so we could

rescue the mail who s are you on anyway

we are volunteers we're on the side of

helpless colonists so are we and you

prove it by stealing their mail have you

ever heard of Dr Benjamin Franklin who

hasn't we're carrying the mail for him

have you some proof of that I do Dr

Franklin asked us to deliver these

letters to New York well this is

Franklin's signature so you are official

cers that is a very different matter

Congress has asked Dr Franklin to look

into the possibility of forming an

independent postal system for the

colonies did everybody hear that we're

breaking away from the Royal Postal

System

wonderful you have no idea what good

news that is those Tories wanteded the

mail I'm sure they did and may we ask

who you are you may if you can keep a

secret I can and you of course we began

some years ago as the New Jersey

Committee of correspondents we were a

volunteer organization dedicated to

spreading news throughout the colonies

our mission was to unite the colonies

through better communication we send

messages to the colonies about the

British threat we copied PR reports and

intelligence messages gathered from our

spies and we spread them throughout the

colonies now we still work

together keeping tabs on Tor Spies Like

the men who tried to steal your

mail then you'll let us carry our bag to

New York let you we'll help you we'll

Supply an armed escort all the way to

New York you see I told you my plan was

a good one but you could have gotten us

in trouble she's not kidding the British

would gladly imprison any one of us in

this room for what we're doing you do

amaze me with your courage you're too

kind he's right Sarah you showed some

real bravery why not I've got you to

inspire me even if I don't always

approve of your

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tricks all the committee of

correspondents wants to do is spread the

truth the truth is important it's

everything but if the truth they are

spread spring leads to treason and

actions against the crown it's still

truth and they should be allowed to

spread it will I don't approve of the

way you lied we wouldn't have gotten

this far I Believe In Truth not lies

look we're almost to New York because of

my lie we were almost stopped because of

your lie we're almost to New York

because of the New Jersey Committee of

Correspondence so you do approve of what

they're doing I suppose I do in spite of

myself we'll make a patriot out of you

yet I already am a patriot at least in

New York will'll be back among subjects

still loyal to the king they're not all

loyalists we've brought the mail all the

way from

Philadelphia this entire mailbag has

been unseen by British

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eyes why are we stopping off in this

Taven to brag about our

exploits this is the end of the line

Sarah

the mail is distributed here the

volunteer mail carriers divide up the

letters at the bar according to

destination points and fan out to the

different parts of town to deliver them

what about my letter to my

mother it's going to London not a part

of New York one of the volunteers takes

the overseas letters to the harbor and

puts them on the first ship headed

across the Atlantic so we've done it

yes my mother will get her letter she

will Sarah you can count on

it James I'm so happy I could kiss you

Sarah please I've suffered enough at the

hands of the

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British Dr Franklin your report is most

complete I suggest that we waste no time

in naming a Postmaster General because

of his expertise experienced and genius

and as a slap in the face to the British

crown which saw fit to remove him from

his post I put into nomination the name

of Dr Benjamin Franklin for the office

of colonial Postmaster General all in

favor all

opposed then it's unanimous may I

present to you the first man in history

to hold the title independently of any

king or Royal principality Postmaster

General

Franklin thank you fellow conspirators I

accept this honor if for no other reason

than to make the king's blood boil Dr

Franklin what will be your first

official act to establish a line of

posts from fouth in New England to

Savannah in Georgia and to employ a

fleet of trustworthy Incorruptible man

and neither rain sleep snow nor Dark Of

Night will keep them from their

appointed

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rounds 27 July

1775 dearest mother I have read your

last letter 30 times which is one time

for each day I waited for

it I'm so relieved that you received my

letter about father I am relieved that

you received any letter from me at

all thanks to James and Dr Franklin I

have a new appreciation of the

importance of the postal service and of

communication in general how can the

colonist hope to survive these difficult

times without communication even if I

don't agree with all of their stated

aims I do so admire the work that Dr

flankin has done and continues to do in

an effort to make this gigantic World a

little smaller so that even if we are

separated by geography we may all be

United in understanding Franklin named

Postmaster General of new independent

Colonial Postal

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Service through my own eyes searching

for a hero to idiz feeling the pain as

inocent looking at a my

I take my heart battle give that freedom

get

my it on the line blue never up you

represent America

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[Laughter]