the conquest of new france-第32章

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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　English；　and　Minorca　had　fallen　to

the　French。　Such　was　the　popular　clamor　at　this　disaster　that

Byng　was　tried；　condemned；　and　shot。　There　was　also　an　upheaval

in　the　government。　At　no　time　in　English　history　were　men　more

eager　for　the　fruits　of　office；　and　now；　even　in　a　great　crisis；

the　greed　for　spoils　could　not　be　shaken　off。　The　nation　demanded

a　conduct　of　the　war　which　sought　efficiency　above　all　else。　The

politicians；　however；　insisted　on　government　favors。



In　the　end　a　compromise　was　reached。　At　the　head　of　the

government　was　placed　a　politician；　the　Duke　of　Newcastle；　who

loved　jobbery　and　patronage　in　politics　and　who　doled　out　offices

to　his　supporters。　At　the　War　Office　was　placed　Pitt　with　a　free

hand　to　carry　on　military　operations。　He　was　the　terrible　cornet

of　horse　who　had　harried　Walpole　in　the　days　when　that　minister

was　trying　to　keep　out　of　war。　He　knew　and　even　loved　war；　his

fierce　national　pride　had　been　stirred　to　passion　by　the　many

humiliations　at　the　hand　of　France；　and　now　he　was　resolved　to

organize；　to　spend；　and　to　fight；　until　Britain　trampled　on

France。　He　had　the　nation　behind　him。　He　bullied　and　frightened

the　House　of　Commons。　Members　trembled　if　Pitt　turned　on　them。　By

his　fiery　energy；　by　making　himself　a　terror　to　weakness　and

incompetence；　he　won　for　Britain　the　Seven　Years'　War。



Though　Pitt　became　Secretary　of　State　for　War　in　June；　1757；　not

until　1758　did　the　tide　begin　to　turn　in　America。　But　when　it　did

turn；　it　flowed　with　resistless　force。　In　little　more　than　a　year

the　doom　of　New　France　was　certain。　The　first　great　French

reverse　was　at　a　point　where　the　naval　and　military　power　of

Britain　could　unite　in　attack。　Pitt　well　understood　the　need　of

united　action　by　the　two　services。　Halifax　became　the　radiating

center　of　British　activities。　Here；　in　1757；　before　Pitt　was　well

in　the　saddle；　a　fleet　and　an　army　gathered　to　attack　Louisbourg…

…an　enterprise　not　carried　out　that　year　partly　because　France

had　a　great　fleet　on　the　spot；　and　partly；　too；　on　account　of　the

bad　quality　of　British　leadership。　



Only　in　the　campaign　of　1758　did　Pitt's　dominance　become

effective。　With　him　counted　one　quality　and　one　alone；

efficiency。　The　old　guard　at　the　War　Office　were　startled　when

men　with　rank；　years；　influence；　and　every　other　claim　but

competence　for　their　tasks；　were　passed　over；　and　young　and

obscure　men　were　given　high　command。　To　America　in　the　spring　of

1758　were　sent　officers　hitherto　little　known。　Edward　Boscawen；

Commander　of　the　Fleet；　and　veteran　among　these　leaders；　was　a

comparatively　young　man；　only　forty…seven；　Jeffrey　Amherst；　just

turned　forty；　was　Commander…in…Chief　on　land。　Next　in　command　to

Amherst　was　James　Wolfe；　aged　thirty。

　

These　young　and　vigorous　men　knew　the　value　of　promptness　or　they

would　not　have　been　tolerated　under　Pitt。　Before　the　end　of　May；

1758；　Boscawen　was　in　Halifax　harbor　with　a　fleet　of　some　forty

warships　and　a　multitude　of　transports。　On　board　were　nearly

twelve　thousand　soldiers；　more　than　eleven　thousand　of　them

British　regulars。　The　colonial　forces　now　play　a　minor　part　in

the　struggle；　Pitt　was　ready　to　send　from　England　all　the　troops

needed。　The　array　at　Halifax；　the　greatest　yet　seen　in　America；

numbered　about　twenty　thousand　men；　including　sailors。　Before　the

first　of　June　the　fleet　was　on　its　way　to　Louisbourg。　The　defense

was　stubborn；　and　James　Wolfe；　who　led　the　first　landing　party；

had　abundant　opportunity　to　prove　his　courage　and　capacity。　By

the　end　of　July；　however；　Louisbourg　had　fallen；　and　nearly　six

thousand　prisoners　were　in　the　hands　of　the　English。　It　was　the

beginning　of　the　end。　



In　the　autumn　Wolfe　was　back　in　England；　where　he　was　quickly

given　command　of　the　great　expedition　which　was　planned　against

Quebec　for　the　following　year。　Admiral　Sir　Charles　Saunders；　who

seems