North American. [volume] (Swanton, Vt.) 1839-1841, 1840-08-19

FIEIs.
HISTORY OF LOWER CANADA.
BY the Act which we have copied above,
the Province Of Quebec being separated
into Two different Governments having
each a separate and distinct local admins
tration, it becomes impossible for US to
write at the same time the History OF both
Provinces. We are therefore obliged to
lay aside the History of Upper Canada,
with which moreover we do not fatter our
selves to be intimately acquainted, and we
confine our attention TO that Of Lower
Canada. But before going at any length
into the record of the principal events Of
that Province, let US examine The princi-
pal features Of the Constitutional Act
which the English Parliament bestowed
on a foreign people, who, till that period,
had been exclusively accustomed to be
despoticaIIy governed. We mean to be
impartial and faithful to our duty as his
~torian, we intend 10 record as we'll the
faults of the Canadian people whenever
we can detect them as those OF the British
government.
Our readers must remember that at the
period we are now speaking Of, there were
very few Englishmen in the new Pro-
.tnev vr Lo"es oan~s- sndt nearly
the entire population Of that province was
of French origin, speaking exclusively the
idiom of their former mother country and
very much attached 10 the usages, GUS
toms, habits and religion of their fore
fathers. Such was the exact and real con-
diiiom OF the French inhabitants Of Lower
Canada and what is more painful to add,
education was at that period but little diff
fused in the country.
The object Of granting TO this newly
formed Province a Constitutional govern
ment, said TO be nearly similar TO that of
Great Britain, must certainly at first view
appear to have been to accustom the
Lower Canadians to British institutions,
and thereby change their habits and
customs; and in due lime TO form but one
homogeneous mass with the British settlers
who should come 10 live in that country.
Such an object based on motives Of philan-
trophy would have secured the national
interests Of England. A rejecting reader
IMMERSED in the tortuons dealings and
manRuvres OF European diplomacy; would
have supposed the change to have been
thus intended but we are satisfied that
there was no honesty in those whe were
actually forced TO grant a representative
form of government to the Canadas. Seven
years only had elapsed since they had been
forced to acknowledge the independence
of their old thirteen reJeHious C~olonies,on
whom they had inflicted the greatest pos
sible political misery. 1t had been a sad
lesson 10 them, and they had discovered
that the thirteen Colonies owed their sue
cess TO the unanimity Of their concerted
actions, whilst disunion reigned in the
Kings Council. Their policy then for the
Canadas was based upon the old kingly
adage divide and conquer" Ii became
the interest OF England 10 create two con-
fiicting interests in the two different Pro-
~yinces, and even in the same Province, so
as always to be able TO use one party a
gainst the other,a s occasion might require.
Hence the different Intentional defects Of
the constitutional act which we have laid
before our readers and which may be re-
duced 10 the three following items: LIST
the composition of the Legislative Coun-
ell 2ndly the perpeiuation Of the Feudal
Tenure in the country Sdly the endow-