North American. [volume] (Swanton, Vt.) 1839-1841, 1840-05-13

| f'"t" "'"tS fH AteIT J0n0F THESE poor
devils stake house at game of berian.
From what the rebels tell them, they are
assured that we cannot long hold out, Us
they are 10 cannonade us from the heights
OF Abraham and Poinle-Levi, and TO bonn.
bard us from the fefry-house al 81. Char
les River yet The greatest part of the
habitanfs dread zee may stand out.n
On the 6rst the British officer remarks,
page 1855 -
A Canadian fellow came over from
Pointe-Levi 10 day. as he preiends, on
what captain Laforce said 10 the pack he
chased on shore the other day. He saws
the rebels are II 600; he pre,ends TO be
| ignorant, but be is known 10 be uauricn.
As he is looked on as spy, he is con-
! fined"
That the catholic clergy and the no.
| blesse OF the province were in favor of
British asrendancy, we have already grant
ed, but. we have commended that the mas
OF the people was for supporting the Amer,
lean cause. Happily we find ourselves fully
supported in this position by the following
paragraph from the British Officers Jour
nal. Two days after the siege of Quebec
had been raised, that is TO say the 18th Of
May, the gates Of the city being open,
throngs Of people came in and here is
that officers description of them page
1888 -
May 7h.-Every thing was quiet In
he night. This morning many priests have
come to town from the adjacent parishes,
with cheerful countenances, to pay their
respects 10 the governor, and make their
obeisance to the bishop. Their distin-
gushed loyalty will ever rebound TO their
honor; great number Of people are flock
ing INTO town, many tctth guilty .faces.'
And in the next line the same author,
after having pulled up the loyalty Of the
Catholic Priests, speaks in the following
strain of the bone and siae,rs Of the coun-
try, we mean the peasants -
The peasants, with their eyes on the
ground, come sneaking in, with few
eggs, milk, butter, &c. meanly cringing
and submissive, conscious that their base
conduct merits chastisement" Ask one
the price OF his butter-.M mon cher mon
sieur, repond-a, c'est a Vous .taire ie
prir, ce qne rous ptaira, me contentera."
After having quoted some extracts from
General Bourgoyne's private correspon-
dence, and from his testimony before a
committee of the House OF Commons in
England, to prove the disafection of the
| Canadians TO the British crown, we shall
proceed to discuss the question whether
the Canadians are, or are not, Priest
ridden people.
In consulting Bisset's History OF George
III, we find in vol. LIST, page Ss4, that
Mr.. Fox, who could be justly called the
greatest statesman in England, made
motion, on the end February, l776, TO
inquire into the causes of the ill-success OF
His Majesiy's arms in North America
also into the causes OF the detection Of the
Canadians. This motion OF course was
smothered by the friends OF Lord North's
coercive measures. Those who supported
Lord North's plan for forcing the Amer
leans to submit TO their ubiquitous meas
ures, dreaded such an investigation, lest il
should prove that The great majority Of the
inhabitants of North America, were desir-
Gus OF subverting the authority Of Eng
land.
What will the detrac,ors OF the Cam
adams say when they shall have read the
following extract from lieut.. col. Bout-
eoyne's private correspondence 30 Lord
Germaine. dated Quebec, 18th May, l777.
win they say that the Canadians were not
attached to the cause of Liberty, and that
they willingly aided Great Britain against
the United States , Let US see =
+" cannot speak with so much conf |
dence OF the military assistance ! am 20
look for from the Canadians. The only |
corps yet instituted. or that am inform !
ed can at present be instituted, are three
independent companies of 100 men each,
Differed BY SeignenTs Of the country who
arc well chosen, but they have not been
able 20 engage many volunteers. The men
are principally drafted from the militia, ae-
cording TO late regulation Of the legislative /
council. Those have yet seen, afford no
r -. II ari