the canadian dominion-第7节

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England　had　struck　at　France；　regardless　of　how　the　blow　might　injure　neutrals。　Now　the　United　States　sought　to　strike　at　England　through　the　colonies；　regardless　of　their　lack　of　any　responsibility　for　English　policy。　The　〃war　hawks〃　of　the　South　and　West　called　loudly　for　the　speedy　invasion　and　capture　of　Canada　as　a　means　of　punishing　England。　In　so　far　as　the　British　North　American　colonies　were　but　possessions　of　Great　Britain；　overseas　plantations；　the　course　of　the　United　States　could　be　justified。　But　potentially　these　colonies　were　more　than　mere　possessions。　They　were　a　nation　in　the　making；　with　a　right　to　their　own　development；　they　were　not　simply　a　pawn　in　the　game　of　Britain　and　the　United　States。　Quite　aside　from　the　original　rights　or　wrongs　of　the　war；　the　invasion　of　Canada　was　from　this　standpoint　an　act　of　aggression。　〃Agrarian　cupidity；　not　maritime　right；　wages　this　war；〃　insisted　John　Randolph　of　Roanoke；　the　chief　opponent　of　the　〃war　hawks〃　in　Congress。　〃Ever　since　the　report　of　the　Committee　on　Foreign　Relations　came　into　the　House；　we　have　heard　but　one　wordlike　the　whippoorwill；　but　one　eternal　monotonous　toneCanada；　Canada；　Canada！〃

At　the　outset　there　appeared　no　question　that　the　conquest　of　Canada　could　be；　as　Jefferson　forecast；　other　than　〃a　mere　matter　of　marching。〃　Eustis；　the　Secretary　of　War；　prophesied　that　〃we　can　take　Canada　without　soldiers。〃　Clay　insisted　that　the　Canadas　were　〃as　much　under　our　command　as　the　Ocean　is　under　Great　Britain's。〃　The　provinces　had　barely　half　a　million　people；　two…thirds　of　them　allied　by　ties　of　blood　to　Britain's　chief　enemy；　to　set　against　the　eight　millions　of　the　Republic。　There　were　fewer　than　ten　thousand　regular　troops　in　all　the　colonies；　half　of　them　down　by　the　sea；　far　away　from　the　danger　zone；　and　less　than　fifteen　hundred　west　of　Montreal。　Little　help　could　come　from　England；　herself　at　war　with　Napoleon；　the　master　of　half　of　Europe。

But　there　was　another　side。　The　United　States　was　not　a　unit　in　the　war；　New　England　was　apathetic　or　hostile　to　the　war　throughout；　and　as　late　as　1814　two…thirds　of　the　army　of　Canada　were　eating　beef　supplied　by　Vermont　and　New　York　contractors。　Weak　as　was　the　militia　of　the　Canadas；　it　was　stiffened　by　English　and　Canadian　regulars；　hardened　by　frontier　experience；　and　led　for　the　most　part　by　trained　and　able　men；　whereas　an　inefficient　system　and　political　interference　greatly　weakened　the　military　force　of　the　fighting　States。；　Above　all；　the　Canadians　were　fighting　for　their　homes。　To　them　the　war　was　a　matter　of　life　and　death；　to　the　United　States　it　was　at　best　a　struggle　to　assert　commercial　rights　or　national　prestige。

The　course　and　fortunes　of　the　war　call　for　only　the　briefest　notice。　In　the　first　year　the　American　plans　for　invading　Upper　Canada　came　to　grief　through　the　surrender　of　Hull　at　Detroit　to　Isaac　Brock　and　the　defeat　at　Queenston　Heights　of　the　American　army　under　Van　Rensselaer。　The　campaign　ended　with　not　a　foot　of　Canadian　soil　in　the　invaders'　hands；　and　with　Michigan　lost；　but　Brock；　Canada's　brilliant　leader；　had　fallen　at　Queenston；　and　at　sea　the　British　had　tasted　unwonted　defeat。　In　single　actions　one　American　frigate　after　another　proved　too　much　for　its　British　opponent。　It　was　a　rude　shock　to　the　Mistress　of　the　Seas。

The　second　year's　campaign　was　more　checkered。　In　the　West　the　Americans　gained　the　command　of　the　Great　Lakes　by　rapid　building　and　good　sailing；　and　with　it　followed　the　command　of　all　the　western　peninsula　of　Upper　Canada。　The　British　General　Procter　was　disastrously　defeated　at　Moraviantown；　and　his　ally；　the　Shawanoe　chief　Tecumseh；　one　of　the　half　dozen　great　men　of　his　race；　was　killed。　York；　later　known　as　Toronto；　the　capital　of　the　province；　was　captured；　and　its　public　buildings　were　burned　and　looted。　But　in　the　East　fortune　was　kinder　to　the　Canadians。　The　American　plan　of　invasion　called　for　an　attack　on　Montreal　from　two　directions；　General　Wilkinson　was　to　sail　and　march　down　the　St。　Lawrence　from　Sackett's　Harbor　with　some　eight　thousand　men；　while　General　Hampton；　with　four　thousand；　was　to　take　the　historic　route　by　Lake　Champlain。　Half…way　down　the　St。　Lawrence　Wilkinson　came　to　grief。　Eighteen　hundred　men　whom　he　landed　to　drive　off　a　force　of　a　thousand　hampering　his　rear　were　decisively　defeated　at　Chrystler's　Farm。　Wilkinson　pushed　on　for　a　few　days；　but　when　word　came　that　Hampton　had　also　met　disaster　he　withdrew　into　winter　quarters。　Hampton　had　found　Colonel　de　Salaberry；　with　less　than　sixteen　hundred　troops；　nearly　all　French　Canadians；　making　a　stand　on　the　banks　of　the　Chateauguay；　thirty…five　miles　south　of　Montreal。　He　divided　his　force　in　order　to　take　the　Canadians　in　front　and　rear；　only　to　be　outmaneuvered　and　outfought　in　one　of　the　most　brilliant　actions　of　the　war　and　forced　to　retire。　In　the　closing　months　of　the　year　the　Americans；　compelled　to　withdraw　from　Fort　George　on　the　Niagara；　burned　the　adjoining　town　of　Newark　and　turned　its　women　and　children　into　the　December　snow。　Drummond；　who　had　succeeded　Brock；　gained　control　of　both　sides　of　the　Niagara　and　retaliated　in　kind　by　laying　waste　the　frontier　villages　from　Lewiston　to　Buffalo。　The　year　closed　with　Amherstburg　on　the　Detroit　the　only　Canadian　post　in　American　hands。　On　the　sea　the　capture　of　the　Chesapeake　by　the　Shannon　salved　the　pride　of　England。

The　last　year　of　the　war　was　also　a　year　of　varying　fortunes。　In　the　far　West　a　small　body　of　Canadians　and　Indians　captured　Prairie　du　Chien；　on　the　Mississippi；　while　Michilimackinac；　which　a　force　chiefly　composed　of　French…Canadian　voyageurs　and　Indians　had　captured　in　the　first　months　of　war；　defied　a　strong　assault。　In　Upper　Canada　the　Americans　raided　the　western　peninsula　from　Detroit　but　made　their　chief　attack　on　the　Niagara　frontier。　Though　they　scored　no　permanent　success；　they　fought　well　and　with　a　fair　measure　of　fortune。　The　generals　with　whom　they　had　been　encumbered　at　the　outset　of　the　war；　Revolutionary　relics　or　political　favorites；　had　now　nearly　all　been　replaced　by　abler　menScott；　Brown；　Exertand　their　troops　were　better　trained　and　better　equipped。　In　July　the　British　forces　on　the　Niagara　were　decisively　beaten　at　Chippawa。　Three　weeks　later　was　fought　the　bloodiest　battle　on　Canadian　soil；　at　Lundy's　Lane；　either　side's　victory　at　the　moment　but　soon　followed　by　the　retirement　of　the　invading　force。　The　British　had　now　outbuilt　their　opponents　on　Lake　Ontario；　and；　though　American　ships　controlled　Lake　Erie　to　the　end；　the　Ontario　flotilla　aided　Drummond；　Brock's　able　successor；　in　forcing　the　withdrawal　of　Exert　forces　from　the　whole　peninsula　in　November。　Farther　east　a　third　attempt　to　capture　Montreal　had　been　defeated　in　the　spring；　after　Wilkinson　with　four　thousand　men　had　failed　to　drive　five　hundred　regulars　and　militia　from　the　stone　walls　of　Lacolle's　Mill。

Until　this　closing　year　Britain　had　been　unable；　in　face　of　the　more　vital　danger　from　Napoleon；　to　send　any　but　trifling　reenforcements　to　what　she　considered　a　minor　theater　of　the　war。　Now；　with　Napoleon　in　Elba；　she　was　free　to　take　more　vigorous　action。　Her　navy　had　already　swept　the　daring　little　fleet　of　American　frigates　and　American　merchant　marine　from　the　seas。　Now　it　maintained　a　close　blockade　of　all　the　coast　and；　with　troops　from　Halifax；　captured　and　held　the　Maine　coast　north　of　the　Penobscot。　Large　forces　of　Wellington's　hardy　veterans　crossed　the　ocean；　sixteen　thousand　to　Canada；　four　thousand　to　aid　in　harrying　the　Atlantic　coast；　and　later　nine　thousand　to　seize　the　mouth　of　the　Mississippi。　Yet；　strangely；　these　hosts　fared　worse；　because　of　hard　fortune　and　poor　leadership；　than　the　handful　of　militia　and　regulars　who　had　borne　the　brunt　of　the　war　in　the　first　two　years。　Under　Ross　they　captured　Washington　and　burned　the　official　buildings；　but　under　Prevost　they　failed　at　Plattsburg；　and　under　Pakenham；　in　January；　1815；　they　failed　against　Andrew　Jackson's　sharpshooters　at　New　Orleans。

Before　the　last…named　fight　occurred；　peace　had　been　made。　Both　sides　were　weary　of　the　war；　which　had　now；　by　the　seeming　end　of　the　struggle　between　England　and　Napoleon　in　which　it　was　an　incident；　lost　whatever　it　formerly　had　of　reason。　Though　Napoleon　was　still　in　Elba；　Europe　was　far　from　being　at　rest；　and　the　British　Ministers；　backed　by　Wellington's　advice；　were　keen　to　end　the　war。　They　showed　their　contempt　for　the　issues　at　stake　by　sending　to　the　peace　conference　at　Ghent　three　commissioners　as　incompetent　as　ever　represented　a　great　power；　Gambier；　Goulburn；　and　Adams。　To　face　these　the　United　States　had　sent　John　Quincy　Adams；　Albert　Gallatin；　Henry　Clay；　James　Bayard；　and　Jonathan　Russell；　as　able　and　astute　a　group　of　players　for　great　stakes　as　ever　gathered　round　a　table。　In　these　circumstances　the　British　representatives　were　lucky　to　secure　peace　on　the　basis　of　the　status　quo　ante。　Canada　had　hoped　that　sufficient　of　the　unsettled　Maine　wilderness　would　be　retained　to　link　up　New　Brunswick　with　the　inland　colony　of　Quebec；　but　this　proposal　was　soon　abandoned。　In　the　treaty　not　one　of　the　ostensible　causes　of　the　war　was　even　mentioned。

The　war　had　the　effect　of　unify