the conquest of new france-第6章

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was　received　into　the　Roman　Catholic　Church　and　comforted　with

the　consolations　which　it　offers　to　the　dying。　While　this　secret

was　suspected　by　the　English　people；　one　further　fact　was

perfectly　clear。　Their　new　King；　James　II；　was　a　zealous　Roman

Catholic；　who　would　use　all　his　influence　to　bring　England　back

to　the　Roman　communion。　Suspicion　of　the　King's　designs　soon

became　certainty　and；　after　four　years　of　bitter　conflict　with

James；　the　inevitable　happened。　The　Roman　Catholic　Stuart　King

was　driven　from　his　throne　and　his　daughter　Mary　and　her

Protestant　husband；　William　of　Orange；　became　the　sovereigns　of

England　by　choice　of　the　English　Parliament。　Again　had　the

struggle　between　Roman　Catholic　and　Protestant　brought　revolution

in　England；　and　the　politics　of　Europe　dominated　America。　The

revolution　in　London　was　followed　by　revolution　in　Boston　and　New

York。　The　authority　of　James　II　was　repudiated。　His　chief　agent

in　New　England；　Sir　Edmund　Andros；　was　seized　and　imprisoned；　and

William　and　Mary　reigned　over　the　English　colonies　in　America　as

they　reigned　over　the　motherland。



To　the　loyal　Catholics　of　France　the　English；　who　had　driven　out

a　Catholic　king　and　dethroned　an　ancient　line；　were　guilty　of　the

double　sin　of　heresy　and　of　treason。　To　the　Jesuit　enthusiast　in

Canada　not　only　were　they　infidel　devils　in　human　shape　upon

whose　plans　must　rest　the　curse　of　God；　they　were　also　rebels；

republican　successors　of　the　accursed　Cromwell；　who　had　sent　an

anointed　king　to　the　block。　It　would　be　a　holy　thing　to　destroy

this　lawless　power　which　ruled　from　London。　The　Puritans　of

Boston　were；　in　turn；　not　less　convinced　that　theirs　was　the

cause　of　God；　and　that　Satan；　enthroned　in　the　French　dominance

at　Quebec；　must　soon　fall。　The　smaller　the　pit　the　fiercer　the

rats。　Passions　raged　in　the　petty　colonial　capitals　more　bitterly

than　even　in　London　and　Paris。　This　intensity　of　religious

differences　embittered　the　struggle　for　the　mastery　of　the　new

continent。



The　English　colonies　had　twenty　white　men　to　one　in　Canada。　Yet

Canada　was　long　able　to　wage　war　on　something　like　equal　terms。

She　had　the　supreme　advantage　of　a　single　control。　There　was　no

trouble　at　Quebec　about　getting　a　reluctant　legislature　to　vote

money　for　war　purposes。　No　semblance　of　an　elected　legislature

existed　and　the　money　for　war　came　not　from　the　Canadians；　but

from　the　capacious；　if　now　usually　depleted；　coffers　of　the

French　court　at　Versailles。　In　the　English　colonies　the

legislatures

preferred；　of　all　political　struggles；　one　about　money　with　the

Governor；　the　representative　of　the　King。　At　least　one　of　the

English　colonies；　Pennsylvania；　believing　that　evil　is　best

conquered　by　non…resistance；　was　resolutely　against　war　for　any

reason；　good　or　bad。　Other　colonies　often　raised　the　more　sordid

objection　that　they　were　too　poor　to　help　in　war。　The　colonial

legislatures；　indeed；　with　their　eternal　demand　for　the

privileges　and　rights　which　the　British　House　of　Commons　had　won

in　the　long　centuries　of　its　history；　constitute　the　most

striking　of　all　the　contrasts　with　Canada。　In　them　were　always

the　sparks　of　an　independent　temper。　The　English　diarist；　Evelyn；

wrote；　in　1671；　that　New　England　was　in　〃a　peevish　and　touchy

humour。〃　Colonists　who　go　out　to　found　a　new　state　will　always

demand　rights　like　those　which　they　have　enjoyed　at　home。　It　was

unthinkable　that　men　of　Boston；　who；　themselves；　or　whose　party

in　England；　had　fought　against　a　despotic　king；　had　sent　him　to

the　block　and　driven　his　son　from　the　throne；　would　be　content

with　anything　short　of　controlling　the　taxes　which　they　paid；

making　the　laws　which　they　obeyed；　and　carrying　on　their　affairs

in　their　own　way。　When　obliged　to　accept　a　governor　from　England；

they　were　resolved　as　far　as　possible　to　remain　his　paymaster。　In

a　majority　of　the　colonies　they　insisted　that　the　salary　of　the

Governor　should　be　voted　each　year　by　their　representatives；　in

order　that　they　might　be　able　always　to　use　against　him　the

cogent　logic　of　financial　need。　On　questions　of　this　kind　Quebec

had　nothing　to　say。　To　the　King　in　France　and　to　him　alone　went

all　demands　for　pay　and　honors。　If；　in　such　things；　the　people　of

Canada　had　no　remote　voice；　they　were　still　as　well　off　as

Frenchmen　in　France。　New　England　was　a　copy　of　Old　England　and

New　France　a　copy　of　Old　France。　There　was；　as　yet；　no　〃peevish

and　touchy　humour〃　at　either　Quebec　or　Versailles　in　respect　to

political　rights。



Canada；　in　spite　of　its　scanty　population；　was　better　equipped

for　war　than　was　any　of　the　English　colonies。　The　French　were

largely　explorers　and　hunters；　familiar　with　hardship　and　danger

and　led　by　men　with　a　love　of　adventure。　The　English；　on　the

other　hand；　were　chiefly　traders　and　farmers　who　disliked　and

dreaded　the　horrors　of　war。　There　was　not　to　be　found　in　all　the

English　colonies　a　family　of　the　type　of　the　Canadian　family　of

Le　Moyne。　Charles　Le　Moyne；　of　Montreal；　a　member　of　the　Canadian

noblesse；　had　ten　sons；　every　one　of　whom　showed　the　spirit　and

capacity　of　the　adventurous　soldier。　They　all　served　in　the　time

of　Frontenac。　The　most　famous　of　them；　Pierre　Le　Moyne

d'Iberville；　shines　in　varied　roles。　He　was　a　frontier　leader　who

made　his　name　a　terror　in　the　English　settlements；　a　sailor　who

seized　and　ravaged　the　English　settlements　in　Newfoundland；　who

led　a　French　squadron　to　the　remote　and　chill　waters　of　Hudson

Bay；　and　captured　there　the　English　strongholds　of　the　fur　trade；

and　a　leader　in　the　more　peaceful　task　of　founding；　at　the　mouth

of　the　Mississippi；　the　colony　of　Louisiana。　Canada　had　the

advantage　over　the　English　colonies　in　bold　pioneers　of　this

type。



Canada　was　never　doubtful　of　the　English　peril　or　divided　in　the

desire　to　destroy　it。　Nearly　always；　a　soldier　or　a　naval　officer

ruled　in　the　Chateau　St。　Louis；　at　Quebec；　with　eyes　alert　to　see

and　arms　ready　to　avert　military　danger。　England　sometimes　sent

to　her　colonies　in　America　governors　who　were　disreputable　and

inefficient；　needy　hangers…on；　too　well…known　at　home　to　make　it

wise　there　to　give　them　office；　but　thought　good　enough　for　the

colonies。　It　would　not　have　been　easy　to　find　a　governor　less

fitted　to　maintain　the　dignity　and　culture　of　high　office　than

Sir　William　Phips；　Governor　of　Massachusetts　in　the　time　of

Frontenac。　Phips；　however；　though　a　rough　brawler；　was　reasonably

efficient；　but　Lord　Cornbury；　who　became　Earl　of　Clarendon；　owed

his　appointment　as　Governor　of　New　Jersey　and　New　York　in　1701；

only　to　his　necessities　and　to　the　desire　of　his　powerful

connections　to　provide　for　him。　Queen　Anne　was　his　cousin。　He　was

a　profligate；　feeble　in　mind　but　arrogant　in　spirit；　with　no

burden　of　honesty　and　a　great　burden　of　debt；　and　he　made　no

change　in　his　scandalous　mode　of　life　when　he　represented　his

sovereign　at　New　York。　There　were　other　governors　only　slightly

better。　Canada　had　none　as　bad。　Her　viceroys　as　a　rule　kept　up

the　dignity　of　their　office　and　respected　the　decencies　of　life。

In　English　colonies；　governors　eked　out　their　incomes　by　charging

heavy　fees　for　official　acts　and　any　one　who　refused　to　pay　such

fees　was　not　likely　to　secure　attention　to　his　business。　In

Canada　the　population　was　too　scanty　and　the　opportunity　too

limited　to　furnish　happy　hunting…grounds　of　this　kind。　The

governors；　however；　badly　paid　as　they　were；　must　live；　and；　in

the　case　of　a　man　like　Frontenac；　repair　fortunes　shattered　at

court。　To　do　so　they　were　likely　to　have　some　concealed　interest

in　the　fur　trade。　This　was　forbidden　by　the　court　but　was　almost

a　universal　practice。　Some　of　the　governors　carried　trading　to

great　lengths　and　aroused　the　bitter　hostility　of　rival　trading

interests。　The　fur　trade　was　easily　controlled　as　a　government

monopoly　and　it　was　unfair　that　a　needy　governor　should　share　its

profits。　But；　after　all；　such　a　quarrel