The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1916-03-10
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| was recently reading newspaper
travel letter of things and scenes in
Canada, and came across the follow
| ing:
Even the swiftness of travelling by
the Magic Carpet admits of visit to
that haunt of the antiquary. the Chat
teau de Ramezay, built more than 200
years ago by Claude de Ramezay
then governor of Montreal. And if the
American congressional commission
Franklin, Chase, and Carol, who
sat here for days and nights arguing
pleading. insisting that Canada should
unite with the Is states in their re-
bellion and defiance of King George
had conquered had the Canadians
yielded, what would the course of his
tory have been? How would its cur
rent have contrasted with the pres
ent?"
And that reminded me of some facts
| discovered some years ago when
studying Revolutionary history in
some original sources and made notes
which | find among my papers; and l
see that l labeled the notes with the
hyphen, Some Canadian Americans.
They follow; but before copying them
| pause to mention the fact that very
few French-Canadians are enlisting
in the Canadian regiments for the Eu-
ropean war; the fact is causing much
comment, and although Laurier, the
prominent man of that race, and the
leader of the Liberal party in the Do
minion sustains the British govern
ment warmly. yet his French compa-
trlots are backward about coming for
ward to help in this struggle The
underlying reasons do mot appear; as
Catholic France, the mother country,
and Catholic Belgium, are in the
struggle, one would naturally suppose
that the Catholic French Canadians
would spring to their aid.
Here follow my notes made years
ago:
When the American Revolution
broke out about IT'S delegation of
the Continental Congress went to
Canada, headed by Benjamin Frank
lin Their errand was to try to- per-
suade the Canadian Provinces to join
with the Colonies in resistance to
Great Britain; in those provinces
there was much sympathy with that
view; but the Roman Catholic church
had received particular privileges in
the treaty which coded Canada to
Great Britain, being those which that
church had enjoyed under the French
government. The delegation had con-
ferences with the recognized Canadi-
an leaders among whom were promi-
nent ecclesiastics of the Roman Cath
olic church; during those conferences
they mentioned the fact that Franklin
had spoken very severely against that
church, and on that ground based OBJ
lection to union with the Colonies.
They were shown that Roman Catho-
lie Maryland was in sympathy with
her sister colonies and that they would
have equality with that colony and
all their vested rights be respected.
But the high ecclesiastics were afraid
some of their privileges and influence
would be curtailed. in which view
they were probably right, as Canada
would have felt the touch and inspira-
ton of the English Colonies if she
had gone with them, and no man can
estimate the advantage it would have
given her people. The influence of
the Roman Catholic church prevailed
to keep those provinces from Joining
their fellow Americans at the south
and Canada remained loyal to Britain.
Sometime before this period man
named Hazen had crossed from Yer
mont and settled in the St. Lawrence
valley; he had already stirred so many
OF his neighbors and friends to SYM