Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-03-21
cape Breton, Acadia. Canada and the


valleys and her possession of the mouths
and coast line Of the Mississippi and the
Mobile rivers Spain. though far weaker
than Britain or France. was firmly plant
ed in Florida. Central America and the
rich islands in the gulf.
when Pitt became minister at last,
by the popular voice and his own trans
cendent eloquence, in spite Of the jealousy
a hostile monarch, the condition of Eng
land and of the British colonies was in
deed dark and ominous. France held
the dominant portion, for she could sweep
right round our colonies ever line Of
at least 1,5OO miles. She had magnificent
naval bases at Cape Breton on the ST.
Lawrence river. Lakes Champlain and
Ontario, and she had fortresses in Louis
bourg, Quebec. Mont cal. Frontenac
DuQuesne, st. Francois on the Ohio and
others. She had the vast range OF Canada
and the whole Mississippi valley on the
northwest. and she led and subsidized the
Indian tribes over that boundless area
| The French fortresses were far superior
to the British. France had superb soldiers
and a hero of genius in the Marquis of
Montcalm. And her colonial territories
were not detached ana independent, but
under the direct control Of an absolute
monarch.
1.-The British colonies lay on a long
and narrow seabOard, in breadth never
more than 300 miles from the Atlantic
westward. and in New England hardly
200 miles across. They were continuous
and not spread ever such vast and
separate areas as the French colonies,
but. on the other hand, they were d.
vided into thirteen self-governed and not
very cordial groups. with hardly any
common American patriotism or sense of
fellow-citizenship with each other. They
were loyal subjects of King George and
regarded Britain as their natural home
and their lawful head and protector. In
the British colonies. for the most part,
were defended by an irregular and will
equipped militia, which had little of an
army except personal courage
Mainly from these causes the condi-
ton of the British colonies in 1855 was
disastrous. Their detached and i'll man.
aged expeditions to break through the
ring wrought round them by the organ
lied strategy CT the French generals had
ended in defeat and ruin. George Wash
fngton saved the remnant of BraddOck' S
| force. Braddock was cut to pieces.
Oswego on Lake Ontario was captured.
New York. Pennsylvania, Maryland and
Virginia were harried by savage Indians
subsidized by France. and on all sides
the British colonies seemed about to pass
under the practical domination of the
French. They were jealous and hostile.
disorganized and dishearten by a long
series of disasters and disputes.
''In December. 17S6. William Pitt be-
came practically prime minister, with al
| most absolute authority for war and di-
plomacy, and within four years he had
made one of the most marvellous revolu-
lions in all modern history. Great Britain
had expanded into world empire, and
the whole or the North American CONT
nent had been secured in effect to the
English race and tongue. Cape Breton and
the great port and fortress at Louisbourg
were taken. Quebec was captured, and
| the two French and English heroes fell
almost side by side. Then Montreal fell.
and the control of all Canada soon fol-
lowed; the French forts along the Ohio
and the lakes became English; Fort Du-
Quesne became Pittsburg-and with 1t the
command of the western plains. BY this
marvellous series of combined strokes
within four years it was finally decided.
| II may repeat words of my own, which
l am proud to find quoted by an American
woman in a book issued by the Colonial
ed that the English language. common
law. literature and blood, should be set
| tied on the continent Of America, from
the Atlantic to the Pacific, from the Arc
tic ocean to the Gulf of Mexico
::
This was the first great service 70
America. which justifies our remembrance
Of Chatham even on this day that is con-
For the details of this stupendous achieve
ment 1 must refer you to two recent books,
neither of which was issued. l regret to
say. when l wrote my little sketch of
Chatham's life. The book have just cited
Will give you a true insight into the mar
velous knowledge into men and things
that Pitt possessed. into his indefatigable
power Of work and concentration. into
his grasp of details and his practical wis
dom, foresight and caution which make
him the peer of Frederick and of WASH
ington. The book is the Correspondence
of William Pitt, when secretary of state
naval commissioners in America, edited
under the auspices of the National So
ciety of the Colonial Danes of America
by Gertrude Selwyn Kimballe. 2 vols
Svo, New York, Macmillan Company, 1906
Read those 127 letters of Pitt il you de-
sire to understand how great man
thinks out. plans and orders a vast and
nation.
Another essay based on contemporary
documents In our own record Office Is by
Mr.. Hubert Hall, the learned director of
the Royal Historical Society. His paper
Is to be found in the American Historical
Review of 1901.
For the politics and the strategy of
other book England and the Seven
Years War, study of combined strategy
by Julian Corbett. LII. NJ. with maps
mans. 1907. Here we shall find in con-
junction with Capt. Mahan's Sea Power
scientific account Of the vast combina-
ton of military and naval strategy on a
measure Of chathams genius. When we