The White Pine news. [volume] (Ely, Nev.) 1906-1910, 1907-08-26

that, had the Declaration of Indepen-
dence been proclaimed seven months
earlier, we should have mastered
Quebec, and been in possession of
Canada" Yet, Professor Smith
points out, America profited greatly
by the northern campaigns, because
it was the invasion of Canada that
prevented Carleton from regaining
Lake Champlain in 1875, and march
ing south in force. The invasion also
forced division of the British
strength, which otherwise might have
been concentrated at New York.
Moreover, the early success at the
north heartened the patriots and
brought volunteers to their ranks.
The value of discipline was made
clear by this ardous campaigning, as
it could not have been made by a
fight like that at Bunker Hill, or an
investment like that of Boston. Lead
ers became trained military COM
manders, embattled farmers, veter-
ans hardened in the school of war.
THE Canada struggle was dress re-
hearsal for the war 1t revealed
weak points; it made plain some
things that could be done, and some
that could not; and perhaps its fall
ure was a schooling that made the
Revolution succeed"
The advantages gained from adver-
sity, continues Professor Smith, were
not exclusively military The Cana
dian enterprise drew the colonies
closer together, at the very beginning
of the greater struggles: AT the be-
| ginning of the northern campaigns
colonies addressed one another al
most as foreign states. Repeatedly
during their stress, trouble and dis
appointments, provincial jealousies
jibes and accusations did great and
evident mischief; but at It's close, be-
fore the real war began, the congress
instructed Schuyler to recommend
in the strongest terms, harmony be-
tween the officers and troops of the
different states; to discountenance
and suppress all provincial reflection.
and ungenerous jealousies of every
BILE means. discipline, order and yea
in the public service"
Concluding his narrative, Profes
it looked as if the hope of the Ameri
can diplomats to obtain the northern
province would be realized Oswald
the British agent, spoke that way
Yet he spoke with a singular reserve
and when the formal project of {
treaty was submitted by the Ameri
cans in 1882, no allusion to the mat
ter was made. Apparently, the sub
ject had simply evaporated, as i
struck by some thirsty breeze from
the desert. In fact, nobody seemed
even to note it's disappearance, ant
neither Franklin, Jay nor Adams
ever cared to explain the mystery
Very likely, indeed, they felt that any
one who desired could solve the ap-
parent riddle for himself The plain
truth doubtless was that it seemed
impossible to carry the project
through or unwise to make the at.
tempt Though Oswald had permit
ted Franklin to convince him that
England might well cede the prov
ince and Lord Shelburne had proba-
bly, thought it unnecessary to throw
cold water upon the incipient nego-
tiations by fully stating his views to
| Oswald. the British government had
at the proper time emphatically re-
| jected the idea; and our commission
ers understood now that France also
opposed it. They felt, therefore, as
congress had anticipated, that il
would be sounder policy to battle for
other points; and SO it came to pass