the conquest of new france-第4节

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and　marched　forward　to　the　fight；　they　bore　Frontenac　in　an　easy

chair。　He　did　not　destroy　his　enemy；　for　many　of　the　Indians

fled；　but　he　burned　their　chief　village　and　taught　them　a　new

respect　for　the　power　of　the　French。　It　was　the　last　great　effort

of　the　old　warrior。　In　the　next　year；　1697；　was　concluded　the

Peace　of　Ryswick；　and　in　1698　Frontenac　died　in　his　seventy…ninth

year；　a　hoary　champion　of　France's　imperial　designs。



The　Peace　of　Ryswick　was　an　indecisive　ending　of　an　indecisive

war。　It　was　indeed　one　of　those　bad　treaties　which　invite　renewed

war。　The　struggle　had　achieved　little　but　to　deepen　the

conviction　of　each　side　that　it　must　make　itself　stronger　for　the

next　fight。　Each　gave　back　most　of　what　it　had　gained。　The　peace；

however；　did　not　leave　matters　quite　as　they　had　been。　The

position　of　William　was　stronger　than　before；　for　France　had

treated　with　him　and　now　recognized　him　as　King　of　England。

Moreover　France；　hitherto　always　victorious；　with　generals　who

had　not　known　defeat；　was　really　defeated　when　she　could　not

longer　advance。







CHAPTER　II。　Quebec　And　Boston



At　the　end　of　the　seventeenth　century　it　must　have　seemed　a　far

cry　from　Versailles　to　Quebec。　The　ocean　was　crossed　only　by

small　sailing　vessels　haunted　by　both　tempest　and　pestilence；　the

one　likely　to　prolong　the　voyage　by　many　weeks；　the　other　to

involve　the　sacrifice　of　scores　of　lives　through　scurvy　and　other

maladies。　Yet；　remote　as　the　colony　seemed；　Quebec　was　the　child

of　Versailles；　protected　and　nourished　by　Louis　XIV　and　directed

by　him　in　its　minutest　affairs。　The　King　spent　laborious　hours

over　papers　relating　to　the　cherished　colony　across　the　sea。　He

sent　wise　counsel　to　his　officials　in　Canada　and　with　tactful

patience　rebuked　their　faults。　He　did　everything　for　the

colonistsgave　them　not　merely　land；　but　muskets；　farm

implements；　even　chickens；　pigs；　and　sometimes　wives。　The　defect

of　his　government　was　that　it　tended　to　be　too　paternal。　The

vital　needs　of　a　colony　struggling　with　the　problems　of　barbarism

could　hardly　be　read　correctly　and　provided　for　at　Versailles。

Colonies；　like　men；　are　strong　only　when　they　learn　to　take　care

of　themselves。



The　English　colonies　present　a　vivid　contrast。　London　did　not

direct　and　control　Boston。　In　London　the　will；　indeed；　was　not

wanting；　for　the　Stuart　kings；　Charles　II　and　James　H；　were　not

less　despotic　in　spirit　than　Louis　XIV。　But　while　in　France　there

was　a　vast　organism　which　moved　only　as　the　King　willed；　in

England　power　was　more　widely　distributed。　It　may　be　claimed　with

truth　that　English　national　liberties　are　a　growth　from　the　local

freedom　which　has　existed　from　time　immemorial。　When　British

colonists　left　the　motherland　to　found　a　new　society；　their　first

instinct　was　to　create　institutions　which　involved　local　control。

The　solemn　covenant　by　which　in　1620　the　worn　company　of　the

Mayflower；　after　a　long　and　painful　voyage；　pledged　themselves　to

create　a　self…governing　society；　was　the　inevitable　expression　of

the　English　political　spirit。　Do　what　it　would；　London　could

never　control　Boston　as　Versailles　controlled　Quebec。



The　English　colonist　kept　his　eyes　fixed　on　his　own　fortunes。

》From　the　state　he　expected　little；　from　himself；　everything。　He

had　no　great　sense　of　unity　with　neighboring　colonists　under　the

same　crown。　Only　when　he　realized　some　peril　to　his　interests；

some　menace　which　would　master　him　if　he　did　not　fight；　was　he

stirred　to　warlike　energy。　French　leaders；　on　the　other　hand；

were　thinking　of　world　politics。　The　voyage　of　Verrazano；　the

Italian　sailor　who　had　been　sent　out　by　Francis　I　of　France　in

1524；　and　who　had　sailed　along　a　great　stretch　of　the　Atlantic

coast；　was　deemed　by　Frenchmen　a　sufficient　title　to　the　whole　of

North　America。　They　flouted　England's　claim　based　upon　the

voyages　of　the　Cabots　nearly　thirty　years　earlier。　Spain；　indeed；

might　claim　Florida；　but　the　English　had　no　real　right　to　any

footing　in　the　New　World。　As　late　as　in　1720；　when　the　fortunes

of　France　were　already　on　the　wane　in　the　New　World；　Father　Bobe；

a　priest　of　the　Congregation　of　Missions；　presented　to　the　French

court　a　document　which　sets　forth　in　uncompromising　terms　the

rights　of　France　to　all　the　land　between　the　thirtieth　and　the

fiftieth　parallels　of　latitude。　True；　he　says；　others　occupy　much

of　this　territory；　but　France　must　drive　out　intruders　and　in

particular　the　English。　Boston　rightly　belongs　to　France　and　so

also　do　New　York　and　Philadelphia。　The　only　regions　to　which

England　has　any　just　claim　are　Acadia；　Newfoundland；　and　Hudson

Bay；　ceded　by　France　under　the　Treaty　of　Utrecht　in　1713。　This

weak　cession　all　true　Frenchmen　regret　and　England　must　hand　the

territories　back。　She　owes　France　compensation　for　her　long

occupation　of　lands　not　really　hers。　If　she　makes　immediate

restitution；　the　King　of　France；　generous　and　kind；　will　forego

some　of　his　rights　and　allow　England　to　retain　a　strip　some　fifty

miles　wide　extending　from　Maine　to　Florida。　France　has　the　right

to　the　whole　of　the　interior。　In　the　mind　of　the　reverend

memorialist；　no　doubt；　there　was　the　conviction　that　England

would　soon　lose　the　meager　strip；　fifty　miles　wide；　which　France

might　yield。



These　dreams　of　power　had　a　certain　substance。　It　seems　to　us　now

that；　from　the　first；　the　French　were　dreaming　of　the　impossible。

We　know　what　has　happened；　and　after　the　event　it　is　an　easy　task

to　measure　political　forces。　The　ambitions　of　France　were　not；

however；　empty　fancies。　More　than　once　she　has　seemed　on　the

point　of　mastering　the　nations　of　the　West。　Just　before　the　year

1690　she　had　a　great　opportunity。　In　England；　in　1660；　the　fall

of　the　system　created　by　Oliver　Cromwell　brought　back　to　the

English　throne　the　House　of　Stuart；　for　centuries　the　ally　and

usually　the　pupil　of　France。　Stuart　kings　of　Scotland；　allied

with　France；　had　fought　the　Tudor　kings　of　England。　Stuarts　in

misfortune　had　been　the　pensioners　of　France。　Charles　II；　a

Stuart；　alien　in　religion　to　the　convictions　of　his　people；

looked　to　Catholic　France　to　give　him　security　on　his　throne。

Before　the　first　half　of　the　reign　of　Louis　XIV　had　ended；　it　was

the　boast　of　the　French　that　the　King　of　England　was　vassal　to

their　King；　that　the　states　of　continental　Europe　had　become　mere

pawns　in　the　game　of　their　Grand　Monarch；　and　that　France　could

be　master　of　as　much　of　the　world　as　was　really　worth　mastering。

In　1679　the　Canadian　Intendant；　Duchesneau；　writing　from　Quebec

to　complain　of　the　despotic　conduct　of　the　Governor；　Frontenac；

paid　a　tribute　to　〃the　King　our　master；　of　whom　the　whole　world

stands　in　awe；　who　has　just　given　law　to　all　Europe。〃



To　men　thus　obsessed　by　the　greatness　of　their　own　ruler　it

seemed　no　impossible　task　to　overthrow　a　few　English　colonies　in

America　of　whose　King　their　own　was　the　patron　and　the　paymaster。

The　world　of　high　politics　has　never　been　conspicuous　for　its

knowledge　of　human　nature。　A　strong　blow　from　a　strong　arm　would；

it　was　believed　both　at　Versailles　and　Quebec；　shatter　forever　a

weak　rival　and　give　France　the　prize　of　North　America。　Officers

in　Canada　talked　loftily　of　the　ease　with　which　France　might

master　all　the　English　colonies。　The　Canadians；　it　was　said；　were

a　brave　and　warlike　people；　trained　to　endure　hardship；　while　the

English　colonists　were　undisciplined；　ignorant　of　war；　and

cowardly。　The　link　between　them　and　the　motherland；　said　these

observers；　could　be　easily　broken；　for　the　colonies　were　longing

to　be　free。　There　is　no　doubt　that　France　could　put　into　the

field　armies　vastly　greater　than　those　of　England。　Had　the　French

been　able　to　cross　the　Channel；　march　on　London　and　destroy

English　power　at　its　root；　the　story　of　civilization　in　a　great

part　of　North　America　might　well　have　been　different；　and　we

should　perhaps　find　now　on　the　banks　of　the　Hudson　what　we　find

on　the　banks　of　the　St。　Lawrencevillages　dominated　by　great

churches　and　convents；　with　inhabitants　Catholic　to　a　man；

speaking　the　language　and　preserving　the　traditions　of　France。

The　strip　of　inviolate　sea　between　Calais　and　Dover　made

impossible；　however；　an　assault　on　London。　Sea　power　kept　secure

not　only　England　but　English　effort　in　America　and　in　the　end

defeated　France。



England　had　defenses　other　than　her　great　strength　on　the　sea。　In

spite　of　the　docility　towards　France　shown　by　the　English　King；

Charles　II；　himself　half　French　in　blood　and　at　heart　devoted　to

the　triumph　of　the　Catholic　faith；　the　English　people　would

tolerate　no　policies　likely　to　make　England　subservient　to

France。　This　was　forbidden　by　age…long　tradition。　The　struggle

had　become　one　of　religion　as　well　as　of　race。　A　fight　for　a

century　and　a　half　with　the　Roman　Catholic　Church　had　made

England　sternly；　fanatically　Protestant。　In　their　suspicion　of

the　system