North American. [volume] (Swanton, Vt.) 1839-1841, 1840-09-02

have Influenced the members Of that
House to disregard so shamefully the rights
Of the people; and. to the disgrace Of the
Provincial Legislature Of Lower Canada,
this act, which gave to the Governor the
unlimited power of sUspending at his mere
will and discretion, the Habeas Corpu,
Act, was continued year after year ti
1912. To cloathe the Executive govern
ment with extraordinary and despotic
powers, To impress upon the minds of the
people of England who were then a, war
with the existing government Of France
that the French Canadians were imbibing
those principles promulgated in France,
were the main objects OF The minority par
~, whose ultimate views were 10 create q
deep distrust ia His Malesty's government
as 10 the loyalty and attachment OF the
Canadian people TO their present form OF
government In the conduct of these re-
representatives., is a striking proof that even
the most intelligent and considerable men
may in an evil hour have been thought
lessly deceived. How many veterans o: that
day, have in The course OF their afterlife
regretted their political error, and found
out the trap into which they had been led
by the insidious and hypocritical protesta-
tons OF friendship Of a certain party,
whose principal and sole object was to
ruin the Canadians.
The means having been amply furnish
ed through the creduliiy and good faith Of
the majority Of the members OF the House
Of Assembly, victim was now only want
ed, and it was very soon found.
The propagation Of the Provincial Le-
gisla,ure took place on the end day of May
During this year no event of import
ance occurred, except the horrible and
disgusting affair of poor unfortunate David
McLane. This individual was an Ameri-
can citizen, who had been Merchant Of
good standing at Providence, 10 the State
Of Rhode-lsand. II appears that on the
5lh day of June 1876, McLane came to
Montreal and took lodgings at public
house kept by o countryman OF his, named
Elmer Gushing. In the course OF con
versation with his host, McLane, it would
appear, told him that he would confde to
him great secret, if he (Cushing) would
solemnly promise not 10 divulge il, and
not TO expose his [ McLane's) person. To
this Gushing readily acceded, and McLane
Immediately told him that he was employ
ed by the French Minister in the United
STATES to redeem Canada from the British
Crown, and TO re-unite it to ifs former
mother country, and TO effect that
purpose, he had $4,000 Green Mountain
Boys ready to enter the Province at the
first signal, bit that the project was TO be
delayed till the following Spring, (l797)
so as TO have navy capable Of co-opera-
ting with the inland army. Such were
the plans which Elmer Gushing pretended
that McII.anr communicated 10 him. II
would be entirely useless TO carry our rea-
ders through all The pretended good rea-
sons which urged Cushing to reveal this
confidential conversation OF McLane, but
TO satisfy our readers on this score we
shall give an extract which we take from
a pamphlet published by Elmer Cushing
himself in 1926 at Stanstead, in which he
acknowledges that, Judas-like, money was
his sole object in betraying his poor IN
| fortunate and probably TOO enthusiastic
countryman.
The extract which we give below is
taken from page % Of his pamphlet. The
| Mr.. Sewell to whom he alludes, was the
brother OF the then Attorney General OF
the Province. who lately died Chief Justice
of the country. Mr.. Stephen Sewell who
enticed Cushing TO reveal The great plot
OF McLane, was afterwards rewarded by
the Colonial Government.
But let Us hear Cushing himself, and see
how puch biood-money ne received for
those disclosures which made him vile