the conquest of new france-第26章

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Amherst　demanded　instant　surrender。　The　only　thing　for　Vaudreuil

to　do　was　to　make　the　best　terms　possible。　On　the　next　day　he

signed　a　capitulation　which　protected　the　liberties　in　property

and　religion　of　the　Canadians　but　which　yielded　the　whole　of

Canada　to　Great　Britain。　The　struggle　for　North　America　had

ended。



In　the　moment　of　triumph　Amherst　inflicted　on　the　French　army　a

deep　humiliation　to　punish　the　outrages　committed　by　their　Indian

allies。　In　the　early　days　of　the　war　Loudoun；　the

Commander…in…Chief　in　America；　had　vowed　that　the　British　would

make　the　French　〃sick　of　such　inhuman　villainy〃　and　teach　them　to

respect　〃the　laws　of　nature　and　humanity。〃　Washington　speaks　of

his　〃deadly　sorrow〃　at　the　dreadful　outrages　which　he　saw；　the

ravishing　of　women；　the　scalping　alive　even　of　children。

Philadelphians　had　seen　the　grim　spectacle　of　a　wagon…load　of

corpses　brought　by　mourning　friends　and　relatives　of　the　dead　and

laid　down　at　the　door　of　the　Assembly　to　show　to　pacifist

legislators　what　was　really　happening。　The　French　regular

officers；　as　we　have　seen；　had　hated　this　kind　of　warfare

Bougainville　says　that　his　soul　shuddered　at　the　sights　in

Montreal；　where　the　whole　town　turned　out　to　see　an　English

prisoner　killed；　boiled；　and　eaten　by　the　savages。　Worse　still；

captive　mothers　were　obliged　to　eat　the　flesh　of　their　own

children。　The　French　believed　that　they　could　not　get　on　without

the　savage　allies　who　committed　these　outrages；　and　they　were　not

strong　enough　to　coerce　them。　Amherst；　on　the　other　hand；　held

his　Indians　in　check　and　rebuked　outrage。　Now　he　was　stern　to

punish　what　the　French　had　permitted。　He　could　write　proudly　to　a

friend　that　the　French　were　amazed　at　the　order　in　which　he　kept

his　own　Indians。　Not　a　man；　woman；　or　child；　he　said；　had　been

hurt　or　a　single　atrocity　committed。　It　was　a　vivid　contrast　with

what　had　taken　place　after　the　British　surrender　to　Montcalm　at

Fort　William　Henry。　The　day　of　retribution　had　come。　Because　of

such　outrages；　the　French　army　was　denied　the　honors　of　war

usually　conceded　to　a　brave　and　defeated　foe。　The　French　officers

and　men　must　not；　Amherst　insisted；　serve　again　during　the　war。

Levis　protested　and　begged　Vaudreuil　to　be　allowed　to　go　on

fighting　rather　than　accept　the　terms；　but　in　vain。　The

humiliation　was　rigorously　imposed；　and　it　was　a　sullen　host

which　the　British　took　captive。



France　had　lost　an　Empire。　It　was　nearly　three　years　still　before

peace　was　signed　at　Paris　in　1763。　To　Britain　France　yielded

everything　east　of　the　Mississippi　except　New　Orleans；　and　to

Spain　she　ceded　New　Orleans　and　everything　else　to　which　she　had

any　claim。　The　fleurs…de…lis　floated　still　over　only　two　tiny

fishing　islands　off　the　Newfoundland　shore。　All　the　glowing　plans

of　France's　leadersof　Richelieu；　of　Louis　XIV；　of　Colbert；　of

Frontenac；　of　the　heroic　missionaries　of　the　Jesuit　Orderseemed

to　have　come　to　nothing。



The　fall　of　France　did　much　to　drag　down　her　rival。　Already　was

America　restless　under　control　from　Europe。　There　was　now　no

danger　to　the　English　in　America　from　the　French　peril　which　had

made　insecure　the　borders　of　Massachusetts；　of　New　York；　of

Pennsylvania；　and　Virginia；　and　had　brought　widespread　desolation

and　sorrow。　With　the　removal　of　the　menace　went　the　need　of　help

and　defenses　for　the　colonies　from　the　motherland。　The　French

belief　that　there　was　a　natural　antipathy　between　the　English　of

the　Old　World　and　the　English　of　the　New　was；　in　reality；　based

on　the　fact　of　a　likeness　so　great　that　neither　would　accept

control　or　patronage　from　the　other。　Towards　the　Englishman　who

assumed　airs　of　superiority　the　antagonism　of　the　colonists　was

always　certain　to　be　acute。　Open　strife　came　when　the　assumption

of　superiority　took　the　form　of　levying　taxes　on　the　colonies

without　asking　their　leave。　In　no　remote　way　the　fall　of　French

Canada；　by　removing　a　near　menace　to　the　English　colonies；　led　to

this　new　conflict　and　to　the　collapse　of　that　older　British

Empire　which　had　sprung　from　the　England　of　the　Stuarts。



When　Montreal　fell　there　were　in　the　St。　Lawrence　many　British

ships　which　had　been　used　for　troops　and　supplies。　Before　the　end

of　September　the　French　soldiers　and　also　the　officials　from

France　who　desired　to　go　home　were　on　board　these　ships　bound　for

Europe。　By　the　end　of　November　most　of　the　exiles　had　reached

home。　Varying　receptions　awaited　them。　Levis；　who　took　back　the

army；　was　soon　again；　by　consent　of　the　British　government；　in

active　service。　Fortune　smiled　on　him　to　the　end。　He　died　a　great

noble　and　Marshal　of　France　just　before　the　Revolution　of　1789；

but　in　that　awful　upheaval　his　widow　and　his　two　daughters

perished　on　the　scaffold。　Vaudreuil's　shallow　and　vain

incompetence　did　not　go　unpunished。　He　was　put　on　trial；　accused

of　a　share　in　the　black　frauds　which　had　helped　to　ruin　Canada。

The　trial　was　his　punishment。　He　was　acquitted　of　taking　any

share　of　the　plunder　and　so　drops　out　of　history。　Bigot　and　his

gang；　on　the　other　hand；　were　found　guilty　of　vast　depredations。

The　former　Intendant　was　for　a　time　in　the　Bastille　and　in　the

end　was　banished　from　France；　after　being　forced　to　repay　great

sums。　We　find　echoes　of　the　luxury　of　Quebec　in　the　sale　in

France　of　the　rich　plate　which　the　rascal　had　acquired。　There

were；　however；　other　and　even　worse　plunderers。　They　were　tried

and　condemned　chiefly　to　return　what　they　had　stolen。　We　rather

wonder　that　no　expiatory　sacrifice　on　the　scaffold　was　required

of　any　of　these　knaves。　Lally　Tollendal；　who；　as　the　French

leader　in　India；　had　only　failed　and　not　plundered；　was　sent　to　a

cruel　execution。



Under　the　terms　of　the　surrender　and　of　the　final　Treaty　of　Peace

in　1763；　civilians　in　Canada　were　given　leave　to　return　to

France。　Nearly　the　whole　of　the　official　class　and　many　of　the

large　landowners；　the　seigneurs；　left　the　country。　In　Canada

there　remained　a　priesthood；　largely　native；　but　soon　to　be

recruited　from　France　by　the　upheaval　of　the　Revolution；　a　few

seigneurial　families；　natural　leaders　of　their　race；　a　peasantry；

exhausted　by　the　long　war　but　clinging　tenaciously　to　the　soil；

and　a　good　many　hardy　pioneers　of　the　forest；　men　skilled　in

hunting　and　in　the　use　of　the　axe。　Out　of　these　elements；

amounting　in　1763　to　little　more　than　sixty　thousand　people；　has

come　that　French…Canadian　race　in　America　now　numbering　perhaps

three　millions。　The　race　has　scattered　far。　It　is　found　in　the

mills　of　Massachusetts；　in　the　canebrakes　of　Louisiana；　on　the

wide　stretches　of　the　prairie　of　the　Canadian　West；　but　it　has

always　kept　intact　its　strong　citadel　on　the　banks　of　the　St。

Lawrence。　New　France　was；　in　reality；　widely　separated　in　spirit

from　old　France；　before　the　new　master　in　Canada　made　the

division　permanent。　The　imagination　of　the　Canadian　peasant　did

not　wander　across　the　ocean　to　France。　He　knew　only　the　scenes

about　his　own　hearth　and　in　them　alone　were　his　thought　and

affections　centered。



The　one　wider　interest　which　the　habitant　treasured　was　love　for

the　Catholic　Church　of　his　fathers　and　of　his　own　spiritual

hopes。　It　thus　happened　that　when　France　in　revolution　assailed

and　for　a　time　overthrew　the　Church　within　her　borders；　the　heart

of　French　Canada　was　not　with　France　but　with　the　persecuted

Church；　she　hated　the　spirit　of　revolutionary　France。　Te　Deums

were　sung　at　Quebec　in　thanksgiving　for　the　defeats　of　Napoleon。

In　language　and　what　literary　culture　they　possessed；　in

traditions　and　tastes；　the　conquered　people　remained　French；　but

they　had　no　allegiance　divided　between　Canada　and　France。　To　this

day　they　are　proud　to　be　simply　Canadians；　rooted　in　the　soil　of

Canada；　with　no　debt　of　patriotic　gratitude　to　the　France　from

which　they　sprang　or　to　the　Britain　which　obtained　political

dominance　over　their　ancestors　after　a　long　agony　of　war。　To　the

British　Crown　many　of　them　feel　a　certain　attachment　because　of

the　liberty　guaranteed　to　them　to　pursue　their　own　ideals　of

happiness。　In　preserving　their　type　of　social　life；　their　faith

and　language；　they　have　shown　a　resolute　tenacity。　To　this　day

they　are　as　different　in　these　things　from　their　fellow…citizens

of　British　origin　in　the　rest　of　Canada　as　were　their　ancestors

from　the　English　colonies　which　lay　on　their　borders。



The　French　in　Canada　are　still　a　separate　people。　From　time　to

time　a　nervous　fear　seizes　them　lest　too　many　of　their　race　may

be　lost　to　their　old　ideals　in　the　Anglo…Saxon　world　surging

about　them。　Then　they　listen　readily　to　appeals　to　their　racial

unity　and　draw　more　sharply　than　ever　the　lines　of　division

between　themselves　and　the　rest　of　North　America。　They　remain　a

fragment　of　an　older　France；　remote　and　isolated；　still　dreaming

dreams　like　those　of　Frontenac　of　old　of　the　dominance　of　their

race　in　North　America　and　asserting　passionately　their　rights　in

the　soil　of　Canada　to　which；　first　of　Europeans；　they　came。　At

the　mouth　of　the　Mississippi　in　the　Louisiana　founded　by　Louis

XIV；　along　the　St。　Lawrence　in　the　Canada　of　Champlain　and

Frontenac；　with　a　resolution　more　than　half　pathetic；　and　in　a

world　that　gives　little　heed；　men　of　French　race　are　still　on

guard　to　preserve　in　America　the　lineaments　of　that　older　France；

long　since　decayed　in　Europe；　which　was　above　all　the　eldest

daughter　of　the　Church。





BIBLIOGRAPHICAL　NOTE



While　the　present　narrative　is　based　for　the　most　part　on　more

recondite　and　widely　scattered　sources；　the　most　accessible

volumes　relating　to　the　period　are　the　following　works　of　Francis

Parkman　（Boston：　many　editions）：　〃La　Salle　and　the　Discovery　of

the　Great　West；　Frontenac　and　New　France　under　Louis　XIV；　A　Half

Century　of　Conflict〃　（2　vols。）；　and　〃Montcalm　and　Wolfe〃　（2

vols。）。　To　these　should　be　added；　as　completing　the　story；　George

M。　Wrong；　〃The　Fall　of　Canada〃　（Oxford；　1914）　which　dwells　in

detail　on　the　last　year　of　the　struggle。　All　these　volumes

contain　adequate　references　to　authorities。　The　last　of　Parkman's

works　was　published　more　than　twenty…five　years　ago　and　later

research　has　revised　some　of　his　conclusions；　but　he　still

commands　great　authority。　In　〃The　Chronicles　of　Canada〃　（Toronto；

191316）　half　a　dozen　volumes　relate　to　the　period；　each　of　these

volumes；　which　embody　later　research　and　are　written　in　an

attractive　style；　contains　a　bibliography　relating　to　its　special

subject：　C。W。　Colby；　〃The　Fighting　Governor〃　＇Frontenac＇；　Agnes

C。　Laut；　〃The　Adventurers　of　England　on　Hudson　Bay〃；　Lawrence　J。

Burpee；　〃The　Pathfinders　of　the　Great　Plains〃；　Arthur　G。　Doughty；

〃The　Acadian　Exiles〃；　William　Wood；　〃The　Great　Fortress〃

＇Louisbourg＇；　〃The　Passing　of　New　France〃；　and　〃The　Winning　of

Canada。〃　Lawrence　J。　Burpee's　〃Search　for　the　Western　Sea〃

（Toronto；　1908）　deals　with　the　work　of　La　Veren