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eluded British vigilance; bringing military stores; food (for

Canada was confronted by famine); four hundred soldiers; and

Bougainville himself; with a list of honors for the leaders in

Canada。 Montcalm was given the rank of Lieutenant…General and;

but for a technical difficulty; would have been made a Marshal of

France。



All this reliance upon Montcalm was galling to Vaudreuil。 This

weak man was entirely in the hands of a corrupt circle who

recognized in the strength and uprightness of Montcalm their

deadly enemy。 An incredible plundering was going on。 Its strength

was in the blindness of Vaudreuil。 The secretary of Vaudreuil;

Grasset de Saint…Sauveur; an ignorant and greedy man; was a

member of the ring and yet had the entire confidence of the

Governor。 The scale of the robberies was enormous。 Bigot; the

Intendant; was stealing millions of francs; Cadet; the head of

the supplies department; was stealing even more。 They were able

men who knew how to show diligence in their official work。 More

than once Montcalm praises the resourcefulness with which Bigot

met his requirements。 But it was all done at a fearful cost to

the State。 Under assumed names the ring sold to the King; of

whose interests they were the guardians; supplies at a profit of

a hundred or a hundred and fifty per cent。 They made vast sums

out of transport。 They drew pay for feeding hundreds of men who

were not in the King's service。 They received money for great

bills of merchandise never delivered and repeated the process

over and over again。 To keep the Indians friendly the King sent

presents of guns; ammunition; and blankets。 These were stolen and

sold。 Even the bodies of Acadians were sold。 They were hired out

for their keep to a contractor who allowed them to die of cold

and hunger。 Hundreds of the poor exiles perished。 The nemesis of

a despotic system is that; however well…intentioned it may be;

its officials are not controlled by an alert public opinion and

yet must be trusted by their master。 France meant well by her

colony but the colony; unlike the English colonies; was not

taught to look after itself。 While nearly every one in Canada

understood what was going on; it was another thing to inform

those in control in France。 La Porte; the secretary of the

colonial minister; was in the service of the ring。 He intercepted

letters which should have made exposures。 Until found out; he had

the ear of the minister and echoed the tone of lofty patriotism

which Bigot assumed in his letters to his superiors。




History has made Montcalm one of its heroesand with justice。 He

was a remarkable man; who would have won fame as a scholar had he

not followed the long family tradition of a soldier's career。

Bougainville once said that the highest literary distinction of a

Frenchman; a chair in the Academy; might be within reach of

Montcalm as well as the baton of a Marshal of France。 He had a

prodigious memory and had read widely。 His letters; written amid

the trying conditions of war; are nervous; direct; pregnant with

meaning; the notes of a penetrating intelligence。 He had deep

family affection。 〃Adieu; my heart; I believe that I love you

more than ever I did before〃; these were the last words of what

he did not know was to be his last letter to his wife。 In the

midst of a gay scene at Montreal; in the spring of 1759; he

writes to Bourlamaque; then at Lake Champlain; with acute longing

for the south of France in the spring。 For six or seven months in

the year he could receive no letters and always the British

command of the sea made their expected arrival uncertain。 〃When

shall I be again at the Chateau of Candiac; with my plantations;

my oaks; my oil mill; my mulberry trees? O good God。〃 He lays

bare his spirit especially to Bourlamaque; a quiet; efficient;

thoughtful man; like himself; and enjoins him to burn the

letterswhich he does not; happily for posterity。 Scandal does

not touch him but; like most Frenchmen; he is dependent on the

society of women。 He lived in a house on the ramparts of Quebec

and visited constantly the salons of his neighbor in the Rue du

Parloir; the beautiful and witty Madame de la Naudiere。 In two or

three other households he was also intimate and the Bishop was a

sympathetic friend。 His own tastes were those of the scholar; and

more and more; during the long Canadian winters; he enjoyed

evenings of quiet reading。 The elder Mirabeau; father of the

revolutionary leader of 1789; had just published his 〃Ami des

Hommes 〃 and this we find Montcalm studying。 But above all he

reads the great encyclopaedia of Diderot。 By 1759 seven of the

huge volumes had been issued。 They startled the intellectual

world of the time and Montcalm set out to read them; omitting the

articles which had no interest for him or which he could not

understand。 C is a copious letter in an encyclopaedia; and

Montcalm found excellent the articles on Christianity; College;

Comedy; Comet; Commerce; Council; and so on。 Wolfesoon to be

his opponenthad the same taste for letters。 The two men; unlike

in body; for Wolfe was tall and Montcalm the opposite; were alike

in spirit; painstaking students as well as men of action。



At first Montcalm had not realized what was the deepest shadow in

the life of Canada。 Perhaps chiefly because Vaudreuil was always

at Montreal; Montcalm preferred Quebec and was surprised and

charmed by the life of that city。 It had; he said; the air of a

real capital。 There were fair women and brave men; sumptuous

dinners with forty or fifty covers; brilliantly lighted salons; a

vivid social life in which he was much courted。 The Intendant

Bigot was agreeable and efficient。 Soon; however; Montcalm had

misgivings。 It was a gambling age; but he was staggered by the

extent of the gambling at the house of the Intendant。 He did not

wish to break with Bigot; and there was perhaps some weakness in

his failure to denounce the orgies from which his conscience

revolted。 He warned his own officers but he could not control the

colonial officers; and Vaudreuil was too weak to check a man like

Bigot。 Whence came the money? In time; Montcalm understood well

enough。 He himself was poor。 To discharge the duties of his

position he was going into debt; and he had even to consider the

possible selling of his establishment in France。 He had to beg

the court for some financial relief。 At the same time he saw

about him a wild extravagance。 There was famine in Canada。 During

the winter of 1758…59 the troops were put on short rations and;

in spite of their bitter protests; had to eat horse flesh。

Suffering and starvation bore heavily on the poor。 Through lack

of food people fell fainting in the streets。 But the circle of

Bigot paid little heed and feasted; danced; and gambled。 Montcalm

pours out his soul to Bourlamaque。 He spends; he says; sleepless

nights; and his mind is almost disordered by what he sees。 In his

journal he notes his own fight with poverty and its contrast with

the careless luxury of a crowd of worthless hangers…on making

four or five hundred thousand francs a year and insulting decency

by their lavish expenditure。 One of the ring; a clerk with a

petty salary; a base creature; spends more on carriages; horses;

and harness than a foppish and reckless young member of the

nouveaux…riches would spend in France。 Corruption in Canada is

protected by corruption in France。 Montcalm cries out with a

devotion which his sovereign hardly deserved; though it was due

to France herself; 〃O King; worthy of better service; dear

France; crushed by taxes to enrich greedy knaves!〃



The weary winter of 1758…59 at length came to an end。 In May the

ships already mentioned arrived from France; bringing

Bougainville and; among other things; the news that Pitt was

sending great forces for a decisive attack on Canada。 At that

very moment; indeed; the British ships were entering the mouth of

the St。 Lawrence。 Canada had already been cut off from France。

Montcalm held many councils with his officers。 The strategy

decided upon was to stand at bay at Quebec; to strike the enemy

if he should try to land; and to hold out until the approach of

winter should force the retirement of the British fleet。







CHAPTER X。 The Strategy Of Pitt



During four campaigns the British had suffered humiliating

disasters。 It is the old story in English history of caste

privilege and deadly routine bringing to the top men inadequate

in the day of trial。 It has happened since; even in our own day;

as it has happened so often before。 It seems that imminent

disaster alone will arouse the nation to its best military

effort。 In 1757; however; England was thoroughly aroused。 Failure

then on her own special element; the sea; touched her vitally。

Admiral Byngthrough sheer cowardice; as was chargedhad failed

to attack a French fleet aiding in the siege of the island of

Minorca which was held by the En

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