The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-09-08
THE FALL OF NEW FRANCE

Englishmen and Frenchmen, ene- mics for centuries but now firm friends and allies, have found in war the full realization of the entente cordiale which has been the dream of their statesmen. It was not so long ago that ''Frenchman' was a term of opprObrium in England, but it has now become a synonym for valor.
 It was in America, where the old quarrel between England and France was waged so furiously, that the reap proachnnent between Frenchman and Britisher was first effected. On Sept. 8, 1760, just 156 years ago, the last act was staged in the great drama by which Britain was made the dominant power in North America. About a year before that Wolfe had won his glorious victory at Quebec. De Lewis, who succeeded to the French com mand. fought gallantly to restore the fading prestige of France, but in vain The endorsements which had been promised, and which might have turned the tide in Frances favor, did not come. Hemmed up in Montreal, the little army of F'renchmen were soon brought to the realization that their cause was lost. De Vaudrouil last Governor General of New France, drew up articles of equalization, which on Sept he forwarded to the tent of General Amherst, the British com- mander. The French commander, by this surrender, gave up not only Mon- treal. but surrendered to England all the French possessions in the New World, except Louisiana, and the islands of St. Pierre and Miquelon.
 At the time of equalization there were about 1000 Frenchmen in New France. They had fought gallantly against the ever-increasing English tide, but the neglect and indifference of their mother country made a mockery of their bravery
 The French soldiers and military and civil officers captured in Montreal were sent to France, on the condition that they were not to serve against the English during the war. Those Canadians who wished to leave were permitted to do so, but nearly all elected to remain.
 The hereditary hostility between Britishers and Frenchmen, based largely on religious and linguistic diff ferences, was not to be overcome in a day, and, indeed, has never been completely wiped out. Within Is years after the final capitulation of New France, however, the French Canadians had become sufficiently satisfied with the new regime as to refuse to join the colonies to the south in their revolt against Great Britain. Benjamin Franklin and other distin- guished Americans visited Montreal during it's occupation by the Conti- mental troops, and brought to bear upon the F,rench-Canadians all the persuasiveness. of which they were ca pable. Only a few listened, and the masses of the Frenchmen of Canada remained indifferent. The religious privileges and immunities granted by the British government satisfied the French h-Canadians, and they stead- fastIy refused to take part in what seemed to them family quarrel be- tween Englishmen.
 The early English settlers in Can- ada usually remained aloof from their French neighbors. but gradually as they came to understand each other, an entente 'cordiale grew up which was to serve as an example and an inspiration to the netherlands of both peoples This friendship between the British and French of Canada has at times been disturbed-even during the
 present war-by quarrels over lan- guage or religion, but at worst these have seldom been more than the pass ing pickering of friends.