the conquest of new france-第31章

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the　interests　of　New　France。　Now　it　was　Montcalm's　day　and　the

desire　to　help　him　was　real。　France；　however；　could　do　little。

Ministers　were　courteous　and　sympathetic；　but　as　Berryer；

Minister　of　Marine；　said　to　Bougainville；　with　the　house　on　fire

in　France；　they　could　not　take　much　thought　of　the　stable　in

Canada。



This　Berryer　was　an　inept　person。　He　was　blindly　ignorant　of

naval　affairs；　coarse；　obstinate；　a　placeman　who　owed　his

position　to　intrigue　and　favoritism。　His　only　merit　was　that　he

tried　to　cut　down　expenditure；　but　in　regard　to　the　navy　this

policy　was　likely　to　be　fatal。　It　is　useless；　said　this　guardian

of　France's　marine；　to　try　to　rival　Britain　on　the　sea；　and　the

wise　thing　to　do　is　to　save　money　by　not　spending　it　on　ships。

Berryer　even　sold　to　private　persons　stores　which　he　had　on　hand

for　the　use　of　the　fleet。　If　the　house　was　on　fire　he　did　not

intend；　it　would　seem；　that　much　should　be　left　to　burn。　The　old


Due　de　Belle…Isle；　Minister　of　War；　was　of　another　type；　a　fine

and　efficient　soldier。　He　explained　the　situation　frankly　in　a

letter　to　Montcalm。　Austria　was　an　exigent　ally；　and　Frederick　of

Prussia　a　dangerous　foe。　France　had　to　concentrate　her　strength

in　Europe。　The　British　fleet；　he　admitted；　paralyzed　efforts

overseas。　There　was　no　certainty；　or　even　probability；　that

troops　and　supplies　sent　from　France　would　ever　reach　Canada。

France；　the　Duke　said　guardedly；　was　not　without　resources。　She

had　a　plan　to　strike　a　deadly　blow　against　England　and；　in　doing

so；　would　save　Canada　without　sending　overseas　a　great　army。　The

plan　was　nothing　less　than　the　invasion　of　England　and　Scotland

with　a　great　force；　the　enterprise　which；　nearly　half　a　century

later；　Napoleon　conceived　as　his　master　stroke　against　the　proud

maritime　state。　During　that　winter　and　spring　France　was　building

a　great　number　of　small　boats　with　which　to　make　a　sudden　descent

and　to　land　an　army　in　England。



If　this　plan　succeeded；　all　else　would　succeed。　Montcalm　must

just　hold　on；　conduct　a　defensive　campaign　and；　above　all；　retain

some　part　of　Canada　since；　as　the　Duke　said　with　prophetic

foresight；　if　the　British　once　held　the　whole　of　the　country　they

would　never　give　it　up。　Montcalm　himself　had　laid　before　the

court　a　plan　of　his　own。　He　estimated　that　the　British　would　have

six　men　to　his　one。　Rather　than　surrender　to　them；　he　would

withdraw　to　the　far　interior　and　take　his　army　by　way　of　the　Ohio

to　Louisiana。　The　design　was　a　wild　counsel　of　despair　for　he

would　be　cut　off　from　any　base　of　supplies；　but　it　shows　the

risks

he　was　ready　to　tale。　In　him　now　the　court　had　complete

confidence。　Vaudreuil　was　instructed　to　take　no　military　action

without　seeking　the　counsel　of　Montcalm。　〃The　King；〃　wrote

Belle…Isle　to　Montcalm；　〃relies　upon　your　zeal；　your　courage　and

your　resolution。〃　Some　little　help　was　sent。　The　British　control

of　the　sea　was　not　complete；　since　more　than　twenty　French　ships

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；　Counc