The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1879-10-29
FISKE'S LECTURES.
No. III. The Struggle Between France
and England.

No. III. The Struggle between franco
and England.
A stormy night would seem to bea wet
blanket for an historical disquisition, and but
few persons dealing in the abstract could call
out an audience last evening. Yet such has
been the success of these lectures from liter
airy standpoint that the full quota OF ticket
holders were present and many more new pa
irons braved the storm. We are pleased to
note,the increasing interest in sthese delightful
lectures
The speaker began by making social and
intellectual comparison between the French
and English people in Europe. The one stu
diously dwarfed freedom of thought, liberty OF
conscience and the principle of self-govern--
ment. The other kept alive the legacies OF
the Aryan family, encouraged the town
meeting and strove to lnculcate the IDEAS OF
entire liberty of intellectual development On
this basis, divided as they were, these two
great nations met in the field Of tourney.
America was the prize to be gained and both
stripped for the fight in dead earnest. France
had already planted herself firmly in Canada,
and in the South, while England colonies
fringed the coast of the broad Atlantic. The
child in Canada, and sought to make it another
France. He introduced their land system of
of segnories, and proprietaries that had long
been in vogue across the water. he Hooded
the country with emissaries from his court
whose duty it was to keep weather eye open
for gossip, and when they saw anything pecul-
lar they lost no time to tell of the sights. An
intendant presided over the colonies and
with an argus eye noted each ripple above the
water of social life. A vast system of espionage
prevailed. Then too complicated parapher-
MALTA of laws hung over them like an iron
al m hpp1ma
inhabitants torequest the privilege OF sneezing
aloud. The clothing was too heavy for the
child and it did not grow as fast as 1t might.
The English colonies left to themselves by
their sovereign at home grew like weed.
Nobody in power sought to tighten the reign
of authority and beyond "a few commercial
statutes they were practically independent.
They simply asked to be let severely alone. They
took no espionage in theirs, and indeed the
king knew better than to enforce it. Thus the
little colony on the coast grew and grew, be-
yond all anticipation, till the French polti-
Clans grew to be jealous. New England had
outstripped New France in this peaceful race
for supremacy, because she was not handi-
capped by the heavy weight OF seryie con-
science or soggy intellect.
missionaries were next touched upon and men,
ton made Of the martyred disciples of Loyola.
The story of their patience, energy, virtue,
piety and sufferings finds fitting analogue in
the early Christian fathers
To counterfeit the growing English colonies
| the French leaders found that they must resort
| to stratagem and they made an alliance with
| the Indians to assist them in their design. In
| this work the Jesuits were most efficient fac
| tors The French desired to keep the English
| back of the Alleghanies but the thought was
| too chimerical for serioas consideration. They
| busted themselves then in fomenting discord
between the English colonists and the abort
| gines.
Here followed an interesting description Of
the two great families, Algonquin and Iro
| quos the two tribes who weresto be used in the
checkered game. The story of their lives and
customs was detailed in a delightful manner
and all the tribal relations which were potent
| in placing them in the fighting traces. The
| French made use of the Agolquins and the1
| they began the squabbe. Devastation reigneG
| supreme. The Indians burned and murdered
New England became aroused and tried to re
| taliate. Sir Wm Phipps was sent to capture
the Canadian strongholds with we'll organ
| lied expedition, but they returned with, file;
| in their ear. In Europe France and England
| were cutting each others Threats and it became
| a general scrimmage Pitt, the great wa
minister, led long-headed policy to victory
| and at last New England found itself mistres
of the situation. Intelligence had triumphe'
| over bigotry. The town meeting had put it
foot on the neck of an aristrocracy.
The next lecture will be given Friday even
ing on the Thirteen English Colonies"
most interesting topic,