Part of the problem here is that you have a garbled quote. This is from Botta's book on the Revolution which, believe it or not, was the primary source for many histories on the Revolution for over a hundred years, even though Botta was an Italian, it was written in Italian and the author had never even been to America. The book is actually pretty good, but is filled with fractured quotes and apocryphal information. Here is the real letter that Franklin wrote:
....Depend upon it, my good friend, that every possible step was
taken to prevent the passage of the Stamp Act. But the tide was too
strong against us. The nation was provoked by American claims of
Independence, and all parties joined in resolving by this act to
settle the point. We might as well have hindered the sun's setting.
But since it is down, my friend, and it may be long ere it rises
again, let us make as good a night of it as ve can. We may still light
candles. Frugality and industry will go a great way towards
indemnifying us. Idleness and pride tax with a heavier hand than kings
and parliaments. If we can get rid of the former, we may easily bear
the latter. Our country produces, or is capable of producing, all the
necessaries of life; the wasting superfluities come from hence. Let us
have but the wisdom. 'to be content for a while with our own, and this
country will soon feel, that its loss, in point of commerce, is
infinitely more than its gain in taxes.
Extract of a letter from a North American (Dr. Franklin) to his friend in America (Charles Thomson,) dated July 11, 1765
As you can see Botta botched the quote and took it out of context. The metaphor is that stopping the Stamp Act was as impossible as stopping the sun from setting. This then becomes an ongoing metaphor for inevitable British policy.
Franklin was not shy about chiding native Americans for being punch-swilling layabouts and prancing posers. The British made the same sorts of criticisms. For example, take the song Yankee Doodle:
Yankee Doodle went to town a-riding on a pony, Stuck a feather in
his cap and called it macaroni!
The British taxes in many cases were pretty small taxes and it was more pride that made the Americans get angry about them the monetary effect.
Franklin felt that the Revolution was brewing because Americans were scape-goating Britain, when in fact it was their own laziness that was the reason for their economic problems.
