the canadian dominion-第3部分

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the　Governor　from　〃the　most　considerable　of　the　persons　of　property〃　in　the　province。

The　new　Governor　was　a　blunt；　soldierly　man；　upright　and　just　according　to　his　lights；　but　deeply　influenced　by　his　military　and　aristocratic　leanings。　Statesmen　thousands　of　miles　away　might　plan　to　encourage　English　settlers　and　English　political　ways　and　to　put　down　all　that　was　French。　To　the　man　on　the　spot　English　settlers　meant　〃the　four　hundred　and　fifty　contemptible　sutlers　and　traders〃　who　had　come　in　the　wake　of　the　army　from　New　England　and　New　York；　with　no　proper　respect　for　their　betters；　and　vulgarly　and　annoyingly　insistent　upon　what　they　claimed　to　be　their　rights。　The　French　might　be　alien　in　speech　and　creed；　but　at　least　the　seigneurs　and　the　higher　clergy　were　gentlemen；　with　a　due　respect　for　authority；　the　King's　and　their　own；　and　the　habitants　were　docile；　the　best　of　soldier　stuff。　〃Little；　very　little；〃　Murray　wrote　in　1764　to　the　Lords　of　Trade；　〃will　content　the　New　Subjects；　but　nothing　will　satisfy　the　Licentious　Fanaticks　Trading　here；　but　the　expulsion　of　the　Canadians；　who　are　perhaps　the　bravest　and　best　race　upon　the　Globe；　a　Race；　who　cou'd　they　be　indulged　with　a　few　priviledges　wch　the　Laws　of　England　deny　to　Roman　Catholicks　at　home；　wou'd　soon　get　the　better　of　every　National　Antipathy　to　their　Conquerors　and　become　the　most　faithful　and　most　useful　set　of　Men　in　this　American　Empire。〃*

*　This　quotation　and　those　following　in　this　chapter　are　from　official　documents　most　conveniently　assembled　in　Shorn　and　Doughty；　〃Documents　relating　to　the　Constitutional　History　of　Canada；　1759…1791〃；　and　Doughty　and　McArthur；　〃Documents　relating　to　the　Constitutional　History　of　Canada；　1791…1818〃。


Certainly　there　was　much　in　the　immediate　situation　to　justify　Murray's　attitude。　It　was　preposterous　to　set　up　a　legislature　in　which　only　the　four　hundred　Protestants　might　sit　and　from　which　the　seventy　thousand　Catholics　would　be　barred。　It　would　have　been　difficult　in　any　case　to　change　suddenly　the　system　of　laws　governing　the　most　intimate　transactions　of　everyday　life。　But　when；　as　happened；　the　Administration　was　entrusted　in　large　part　to　newly　created　justices　of　the　peace；　men　with　〃little　French　and　less　honour；〃　〃to　whom　it　is　only　possible　to　speak　with　guineas　in　one's　hand；〃　the　change　became　flatly　impossible。　Such　an　alteration；　if　still　insisted　upon；　must　come　more　slowly　than　the　impatient　traders　in　Montreal　and　Quebec　desired。

The　British　Government；　however；　was　not　yet　ready　to　abandon　its　policy。　The　Quebec　traders　petitioned　for　Murray's　recall；　alleging　that　the　measures　required　to　encourage　settlement　had　not　been　adopted；　that　the　Governor　was　encouraging　factions　by　his　partiality　to　the　French；　that　he　treated　the　traders　with　〃a　Rage　and　Rudeness　of　Language　and　Demeanor〃　anda　fair　thrust　in　return　for　his　reference　to　them　as　〃the　most　immoral　collection　of　men　I　ever　knew〃as　〃discountenancing　the　Protestant　Religion　by　almost　a　Total　Neglect　of　Attendance　upon　the　Service　of　the　Church。〃　When　the　London　business　correspondents　of　the　traders　backed　up　this　petition；　the　Government　gave　heed。　In　1766　Murray　was　recalled　to　England　and；　though　he　was　acquitted　of　the　charges　against　him；　he　did　not　return　to　his　post　in　Canada。

The　triumph　of　the　English　merchants　was　short。　They　had　jumped　from　the　frying　pan　into　the　fire。　General　Guy　Carleton；　Murray's　successor　and　brother　officer　under　Wolfe；　was　an　even　abler　man；　and　he　was　still　less　in　sympathy　with　democracy　of　the　New　England　pattern。　Moreover；　a　new　factor　had　come　in　to　reenforce　the　soldier's　instinctive　preference　for　gentlemen　over　shopkeepers。　The　first　rumblings　of　the　American　Revolution　had　reached　Quebec。　It　was　no　time；　in　Carleton's　view；　to　set　up　another　sucking　republic。　Rather；　he　believed；　the　utmost　should　be　made　of　the　opportunity　Canada　afforded　as　a　barrier　against　the　advance　of　democracy；　a　curb　upon　colonial　insolence。　The　need　of　cultivating　the　new　subjects　was　the　greater；　Carleton　contended；　because　the　plan　of　settlement　by　Englishmen　gave　no　sign　of　succeeding：　〃barring　a　Catastrophe　shocking　to　think　of；　this　Country　must；　to　the　end　of　Time；　be　peopled　by　the　Canadian　race。〃

To　bind　the　Canadians　firmly　to　England；　Carleton　proposed　to　work　chiefly　through　their　old　leaders；　the　seigneurs　and　the　clergy。　He　would　restore　to　the　people　their　old　system　of　laws；　both　civil　and　criminal。　He　would　confirm　the　seigneurs　in　their　feudal　dues　and　fines；　which　the　habitants　were　growing　slack　in　paying　now　that　the　old　penalties　were　not　enforced；　and　he　would　give　them　honors　and　emoluments　such　as　they　had　before　enjoyed　as　officers　in　regular　or　militia　regiments。　The　Roman　Catholic　clergy　were　already；　in　fact；　confirmed　in　their　right　to　tithe　and　toll；　and；　without　objection　from　the　Governor；　Bishop　Briand；　elected　by　the　chapter　in　Quebec　and　consecrated　in　Paris；　once　more　assumed　control　over　the　flock。

Carleton's　proposals　did　not　pass　unquestioned。　His　own　chief　legal　adviser；　Francis　Maseres；　was　a　sturdy　adherent　of　the　older　policy；　though　he　agreed　that　the　time　was　not　yet　ripe　for　setting　up　an　Assembly　and　suggested　some　well…considered　compromise　between　the　old　laws　and　the　new。　The　Advocate　General　of　England；　James　Marriott；　urged　the　same　course。　The　policy　of　1768；　he　contended　eleven　years　later；　had　already　succeeded　in　great　measure。　The　assimilation　of　government　had　been　effected；　an　assimilation　of　manners　would　follow。　The　excessive　military　spirit　of　the　inhabitants　had　begun　to　dwindle；　as　England's　interest　required。　The　back　settlements　of　New　York　and　Canada　were　fast　being　joined。　Two　or　three　thousand　men　of　British　stock；　many　of　them　men　of　substance；　had　gone　to　the　new　colony；　warehouses　and　foundries　were　being　built；　and　many　of　the　principal　seigneuries　had　passed　into　English　hands。　All　that　was　needed；　he　concluded；　was　persistence　along　the　old　path。　The　same　view　was　of　course　strenuously　urged　by　the　English　merchants　in　the　colony；　who　continued　to　demand；　down　to　the　very　eve　of　the　Revolution；　an　elective　Assembly　and　other　rights　of　freeborn　Britons。

Carleton　carried　the　day。　His　advice；　tendered　at　close　range　during　four　years'　absentee　residence　in　London；　from　1770　to　1774；　fell　in　with　the　mood　of　Lord　North's　Government。　The　measure　in　which　the　new　policy　was　embodied；　the　famous　Quebec　Act　of　1774；　was　essentially　a　part　of　the　ministerial　programme　for　strengthening　British　power　to　cope　with　the　resistance　then　rising　to　rebellious　heights　in　the　old　colonies。　Though　not；　as　was　long　believed；　designed　in　retaliation　for　the　Boston　disturbances；　it　is　clear　that　its　framers　had　Massachusetts　in　mind　when　deciding　on　their　policy　for　Quebec。　The　main　purpose　of　the　Act；　the　motive　which　turned　the　scale　against　the　old　Anglicizing　policy；　was　to　attach　the　leaders　of　French…Canadian　opinion　firmly　to　the　British　Crown；　and　thus　not　only　to　prevent　Canada　itself　from　becoming　infected　with　democratic　contagion　or　turning　in　a　crisis　toward　France；　but　to　ensure；　if　the　worst　came　to　the　worst；　a　military　base　in　that　n