the conquest of new france-第3章

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There　were　thirty…four　in　sight；　a　few　large　vessels；　some　mere

fishing　craft。　It　was　a　spectacle　well　calculated　to　excite　and

alarm　the　good　people　of　Quebec。　They　might；　however；　take

comfort　in　the　knowledge　that　their　great　Frontenac　was　present

to　defend　them。　A　few　days　earlier　he　had　been　in　Montreal；　but；

when　there　had　come　the　startling　news　of　the　approach　of　the

enemy's　ships；　he　had　hurried　down　the　river　and　had　been

received　with　shouts　of　joy　by　the　anxious　populace。



The　situation　was　one　well　suited　to　Frontenac's　genius　for　the

dramatic。　When　a　boat　under　a　flag　of　truce　put　out　from　the

English　ships；　Frontenac　hurried　four　canoes　to　meet　it。　The

English　envoy　was　placed　blindfold　in　one　of　these　canoes　and　was

paddled　to　the　shore。　Here　two　soldiers　took　him　by　the　arms　and

led　him　over　many　obstacles　up　the　steep　ascent　to　the　Chateau

St。　Louis。　He　could　see　nothing　but　could　hear　the　beating　of

drums；　the　blowing　of　trumpets；　the　jeers　and　shouting　of　a　great

multitude　in　a　town　which　seemed　to　be　full　of　soldiers　and　to

have　its　streets　heavily　barricaded。　When　the　bandage　was　taken

from　his　eyes　he　found　himself　in　a　great　room　of　the　Chateau。

Before　him　stood　Frontenac；　in　brilliant　uniform；　surrounded　by

the　most　glittering　array　of　officers　which　Quebec　could　muster。

The　astonished　envoy　presented　a　letter　from　Phips。　It　was　a　curt

demand　in　the　name　of　King　William　of　England　for　the

unconditional　surrender　of　all　〃forts　and　castles〃　in　Canada；　of

Frontenac　himself；　and　all　his　forces　and　supplies。　On　such

conditions　Phips　would　show　mercy；　as　a　Christian　should。

Frontenac　must　answer　within　an　hour。　When　the　letter　had　been

read　the　envoy　took　a　watch　from　his　pocket　and　pointed　out　the

time　to　Frontenac。　It　was　ten　o'clock。　The　reply　must　be　given　by

eleven。　Loud　mutterings　greeted　the　insulting　message。　One

officer　cried　out　that　Phips　was　a　pirate　and　that　his　messenger

should　be　hanged。　Frontenac　knew　well　how　to　deal　with　such　a

situation。　He　threw　the　letter　in　the　envoy's　face　and　turned　his

back　upon　him。　The　unhappy　man；　who　understood　French；　heard　the

Governor　give　orders　that　a　gibbet　should　be　erected　on　which　he

was　to　be　hanged。　When　the　Bishop　and　the　Intendant　pleaded　for

mercy；　Frontenac　seemed　to　yield。　He　would　not　take；　he　said；　an

hour　to　reply；　but　would　answer　at　once。　He　knew　no　such　person

as　King　William。　James；　though　in　exile；　was　the　true　King　of

England　and　the　good　friend　of　the　King　of　France。　There　would　be

no　surrender　to　a　pirate。　After　this　outburst；　the　envoy　asked　if

he　might　have　the　answer　in　writing。　〃No！〃　thundered　Frontenac。

〃I　will　answer　only　from　the　mouths　of　my　cannon　and　with　my

musketry！〃



Phips　could　not　take　Quebec。　In　carrying　out　his　plans；　he　was

slow　and　dilatory。　Nature　aided　his　foe。　The　weather　was　bad；　the

waters　before　Quebec　were　difficult；　and　boats　grounded

unexpectedly　in　a　falling　tide。　Phips　landed　a　force　on　the　north

side　of　the　basin　at　Beauport　but　was　held　in　check　by　French　and

Indian　skirmishing　parties。　He　sailed　his　ships　up　close　to

Quebec　and　bombarded　the　stronghold；　but　then；　as　now；　ships　were

impotent　against　well…served　land　defenses。　Soon　Phips　was　short

of　ammunition。　A　second　time　he　made　a　landing　in　order　to　attack

Quebec　from　the　valley　of　the　St。　Charles　but　French　regulars

fought　with　militia　and　Indians　to　drive　off　his　forces。　Phips

held　a　meeting　with　his　officers　for　prayer。　Heaven；　however；

denied　success　to　his　arms。　If　he　could　not　take　Quebec；　it　was

time　to　be　gone；　for　in　the　late　autumn　the　dangers　of　the　St。

Lawrence　are　great。　He　lay　before　Quebec　for　just　a　week　and　on

the　23d　of　October　sailed　away。　It　was　late　in　November　when　his

battered　fleet　began　to　straggle　into　Boston。　The　ways　of　God　had

not　proved　as　simple　as　they　had　seemed　to　the　Puritan　faith；　for

the　stronghold　of　Satan　had　not　fallen　before　the　attacks　of　the

Lord's　people。　There　were　searchings　of　heart；　recriminations；

and　financial　distress　in　Boston。



For　seven　years　more　the　war　endured。　Frontenac's　victory　over

Phips　at　Quebec　was　not　victory　over　the　Iroquois　or　victory　over

the　colony　of　New　York。　In　1691　this　colony　sent　Peter　Schuyler

with　a　force　against　Canada　by　way　of　Lake　Champlain。　Schuyler

penetrated　almost　to　Montreal；　gained　some　indecisive　success；

and　caused　much　suffering　to　the　unhappy　Canadian　settlers。

Frontenac　made　his　last　great　stroke　in　duly；　1696；　when　he　led

more　than　two　thousand　men　through　the　primeval　forest　to　destroy

the　villages　of　the　Onondaga　and　the　Oneida　tribes　of　the

Iroquois。　On　the　journey　from　the　south　shore　of　Lake　Ontario；

the　old　man　of　seventy…five　was　unable　to　walk　over　the　rough

portages　and　fifty　Indians　shouting　songs　of　joy　carried　his

great　canoe　on　their　shoulders。　When　the　soldiers　left　the　canoes

and　marched　forward　to　the　fight；　they　bore　Frontenac　in　an　easy

chair。　He　did　not　destroy　his　enemy；　for　many　of　the　Indians

fled；　but　he　burned　their　chief　village　and　taught　them　a　new

respect　for　the　power　of　the　French。　It　was　the　last　great　effort

of　the　old　warrior。　In　the　next　year；　1697；　was　concluded　the

Peace　of　Ryswick；　and　in　1698　Frontenac　died　in　his　seventy…ninth

year；　a　hoary　champion　of　France's　imperial　designs。



The　Peace　of　Ryswick　was　an　indecisive　ending　of　an　indecisive

war。　It　was　indeed　one　of　those　bad　treaties　which　invite　renewed

war。　The　struggle　had　achieved　little　but　to　deepen　the

conviction　of　each　side　that　it　must　make　itself　stronger　for　the

next　fight。　Each　gave　back　most　of　what　it　had　gained。　The　peace；

however；　did　not　leave　matters　quite　as　they　had　been。　The

position　of　William　was　stronger　than　before；　for　France　had

treated　with　him　and　now　recognized　him　as　King　of　England。

Moreover　France；　hitherto　always　victorious；　with　generals　who

had　not　known　defeat；　was　really　defeated　when　she　could　not

longer　advance。







CHAPTER　II。　Quebec　And　Boston



At　the　end　of　the　seventeenth　century　it　must　have　seemed　a　far

cry　from　Versailles　to　Quebec。　The　ocean　was　crossed　only　by

small　sailing　vessels　haunted　by　both　tempest　and　pestilence；　the

one　likely　to　prolong　the　voyage　by　many　weeks；　the　other　to

involve　the　sacrifice　of　scores　of　lives　through　scurvy　and　other

maladies。　Yet；　remote　as　the　colony　seemed；　Quebec　was　the　child

of　Versailles；　protected　and　nourished　by　Louis　XIV　and　directed

by　him　in　its　minutest　affairs。　The　King　spent　laborious　hours

over　papers　relating　to　the　cherished　colony　across　the　sea。　He

sent　wise　counsel　to　his　officials　in　Canada　and　with　tactful

patience　rebuked　their　faults。　He　did　everything　for　the

colonistsgave　them　not　merely　land；　but　muskets；　farm

implements；　even　chickens；　pigs；　and　sometimes　wives。　The　defect

of　his　government　was　that　it　tended　to　be　too　paternal。　The

vital　needs　of　a　colony　struggling　with　the　problems　of　barbarism

could　hardly　be　read　correctly　and　provided　for　at　Versailles。

Colonies；　like　men；　are　strong　only　when　they　learn　to　take　care

of　themselves。



The　English　colonies　present　a　vivid　contrast。　London　did　not

direct　and　control　Boston。　In　London　the　will；　indeed；　was　not

wanting；　for　the　Stuart　kings；　Charles　II　and　James　H；　were　not

less　despotic　in　spirit　than　Louis　XIV。　But　while　in　France　there

was　a　vast　organism　which　moved　only　as　the　King　willed；　in

England　power　was　more　widely　distributed。　It　may　be　claimed　with

truth　that　English　national　liberties　are　a　growth　from　the　local

freedom　which　has　existed　from　time　immemorial。　When　British

colonists　left　the　motherland　to　found　a　new　society；　their　first

instinct　was　to　create　institutions　which　involved　local　control。

The　solemn　covenant　by　which　in　1620　the　worn　company　of　the

Mayflower；　after　a　long　and　painful　voyage；　pledged　themselves　to

create　a　self…governing　society；　was　the　inevitable　expression　of

the　English　political　spirit。　Do　what　it　would；　London　could

never　control　Boston　as　Versailles　controlled　Quebec。



The　English　colonist　kept　his　eyes　fixed　on　his　own　fortunes。

》From　the　state　he　expected　little；　from　himself；　everything。　He

had　no　great　sense　of　unity　with　neighboring　colonists　under　the

same　crown。　Only　when　he　realized　some　peril　to　his　interests；

some　menace　which　would　master　him　if　he　did　not　fight；　was　he

stirred　to　warlike　energy。　French　leaders；　on　the　other　hand；

were　thinking　of　world　politics。　The　voyage　of　Verrazano；　the

Italian　sailor　who　had　been　sent　out　by　Francis　I　of　France　in

1524；　and　who　had　sailed　along　a　great　stretch　of　the　Atlantic

coast；　was　deemed　by　Frenchmen　a　sufficient　title　to　the　whole　of

North　America。　They　flouted　England's　claim　based　upon　the

voyages　of　the　Cabots　nearly　thirty　years　earlier。　Spain；　indeed；

might　claim　Florida；　but　the　English　had　no　real　right　to　any

footing　in　the　New　World。　As　late　as　in　1720；　when　the　fortunes

of　France　were　already　on　the　wane　in　the　New　World；　Father　Bobe；

a　priest　of　the　Congregation　of　Missions；　presented　to　the　French

court　a　document　which　sets　forth　in　uncompromising　terms　the

rights　of　France　to　all　the　land　between　the　thirtieth　and　the

fiftieth　parallels　of　latitude。　True；　he　says；　others　occupy　much

of　this　territory；　but　France　must　drive　out　intruders　and　in

particular　the　English。　Boston　rightly　belongs　to　France　and　so

also　do　New　York　and　Philadelphia。　The　only　regions　to　which

England　has　any　just　claim　are　Acadia；　Newfoundland；　and　Hudson

Bay；　ceded　by　France　under　the　Treaty　of　Utrecht　in　1713。　This

weak　cession　all　true　Frenchmen　regret　and　England　must　hand　the

territories　back。　She　owes　France　compensation　for　her　long

occupation　of　lands　not　really　hers。　If　she　makes　immediate

restitution；　the　King　of　France；　generous　and　kind；　will　forego

some　of　his　rights　and　allow　England　to　retain　a　strip　some　fifty

miles　wide　extending　from　Maine　to　Florida。　France　has　the　right

to　the　whole　of　the　interior。　In　the　mind　of　the　reverend

memorialist；　no　doubt；　there　was　the　conviction　that　England

would　soon　lose　the　meager　strip；　fifty　miles　wide；　which　France

might　yield。



These　dreams　of　power　had　a　certain　substance。　It　seems　to　us　now

that；　from　the　first；　the　French　were　dreaming　of　the　impossible。

We　know　what　has　happened；　and　after　the　event　it　is　an　easy　task

to　measure　political　forces。　The　ambitions　of　France　were　not；

however；　empty　fancies。　More　than　once　she　has　seemed　on　the

point　of　mastering　the　nations　of　the　West。　Just　before　the　year

1690　she　had　a　great　opportunity。　In　England；　in　1660；　the　fall

of　the　system　created　by　Oliver　Cromwell　brought　back　to　the

English　throne　the　House　of　Stuart；　for　centuries　the　ally　and

usually　the　pupil　of　France。　Stuart　kings　of　Scotland；　allied

with　France；　had　fought　the　Tudor　kings　of　England。　Stuarts　in

misfortune　had