[tzs]

The context when Franklin said that is interesting. Pennsylvania was having trouble on the western frontier due to the French and Indian War, and the legislature wanted to put a tax on land to raise money for arms for defense.

The governor was blocking this, because the Penn family, which owned a lot of Pennsylvania land, objected. The Penn family did recognize the need for defense (although they were largely absentee landlords so not in personal danger), and offered to donate a lump sum for the arms if the legislator would agree that it did not have the power to tax Penn land.

Franklin's quote was in a letter he wrote to the governor arguing for rejection of this offer.

The "essential Liberty" he was referring to was the liberty of the legislature to legislate how it saw fit, including taxing Penn land to pay for security, and the "purchase a little temporary Safety" was the one time lump sum for arms.

That was in 1755. He did re-use the phrase 20 years later in 1775 in a more general context, closer to what people quote it for nowadays.

[cmroanirgo]

Thanks. A little context goes a long way!