the canadian dominion-第6部分

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　its　management。　The　Assembly；　which　was　proving　hard　to　control；　was　twice　dissolved　in　three　years。　Naturally　the　Governor's　arbitrary　course　only　stiffened　resistance；　and　passions　were　rising　fast　and　high　when　illness　led　to　his　recall　and　the　shadow　of　a　common　danger　from　the　south；　the　imminence　of　war　with　the　United　States；　for　a　time　drew　all　men　together。


While　the　foundations　of　the　eastern　provinces　of　Canada　were　being　laid；　the　wildernesses　which　one　day　were　to　become　the　western　provinces　were　just　rising　above　the　horizon　of　discovery。　In　the　plains　and　prairies　between　the　Great　Lakes　and　the　Rockies；　fur　traders　warred　for　the　privilege　of　exchanging　with　the　Indians　bad　whiskey　for　good　furs。　Scottish　traders　from　Montreal；　following　in　the　footsteps　of　La　Verendrye　and　Niverville；　pushed　far　into　the　northern　wilds。*　In　1788　the　leading　traders　joined　forces　in　organizing　the　North…West　Company。　Their　great　canoes；　manned　by　French…Canadian　voyageurs；　penetrated　the　network　of　waters　from　the　Ottawa　to　the　Saskatchewan；　and　poured　wealth　into　the　pockets　of　the　lordly　partners　in　Montreal。　Their　rivalry　wakened　the　sleepy　Hudson's　Bay　Company；　which　was　now　forced　to　leave　the　shores　of　the　inland　sea　and　build　posts　in　the　interior。

*　It　is　interesting　to　note　the　dominant　share　taken　in　the　trade　and　exploration　of　the　North　and　West　by　men　of　Highland　Scotch　and　French　extraction。　For　an　account　of　La　Verendrye　see　〃The　Conquest　of　New　France〃　and　for　the　Scotch　fur　traders　of　Montreal　see　〃Adventurers　of　Oregon〃　（in　〃The　Chronicles　of　America〃）。


On　the　Pacific　coast　rivalry　was　still　keener。　The　sea　otter　and　the　seal　were　a　lure　to　the　men　of　many　nations。　Canada　took　its　part　in　this　rivalry。　In　1792；　when　the　Russians　were　pressing　down　from　their　Alaskan　posts；　when　the　Spaniards；　claiming　the　Pacific　for　their　own；　were　exploring　the　mouth　of　the　Fraser；　when　Captain　Robert　Gray　of　Boston　was　sailing　up　the　mighty　Columbia；　and　Captain　Vancouver　was　charting　the　northern　coasts　for　the　British　Government；　a　young　North…West　Company　factor；　Alexander　Mackenzie；　in　his　lonely　post　on　Lake　Athabaska；　was　planning　to　cross　the　wilderness　of　mountains　to　the　coast。　With　a　fellow　trader；　Mackay；　and　six　Canadian　voyageurs；　he　pushed　up　the　Peace　and　the　Parsnip；　passed　by　way　of　the　Fraser　and　the　Blackwater　to　the　Bella　Coola；　and　thence　to　the　Pacific；　the　first　white　man　to　cross　the　northern　continent。　Paddling　for　life　through　swirling　rapids　on　rivers　which　rushed　madly　through　sheer　rock…bound　canyons；　swimming　for　shore　when　rock　or　sand　bar　had　wrecked　the　precious　bark　canoe；　struggling　over　heartbreaking　portages；　clinging　to　the　sides　of　precipices；　contending　against　hostile　Indians　and　fear…stricken　followers；　and　at　last　winning　through；　Mackenzie　summed　up　what　will　ever　remain　one　of　the　great　achievements　of　exploration　in　the　simple　record；　painted　in　vermilion　on　a　rock　in　Burke　Channel：　Alexander　Mackenzie；　from　Canada；　by　land；　the　twenty…second　of　July；　one　thousand　seven　hundred　and　ninety…three。　The　first　bond

had　been　woven　in　the　union　of　East　and　West。　Between　the　eastern　provinces　a　stronger　link　was　soon　to　be　forged。　The　War　of　1812　gave　the　scattered　British　colonies　in　America　for　the　first　time　a　living　sense　of　unity　that　transcended　all　differences；　a　memory　of　perils　and　of　victories　which　nourished　a　common　patriotism。

The　War　of　1812　was　no　quarrel　of　Canada's。　It　was　merely　an　incident　in　the　struggle　between　England　and　Napoleon。　At　desperate　grips；　both　contestants　used　whatever　weapons　lay　ready　to　their　hands。　Sea　power　was　England's　weapon；　and　in　her　claim　to　forbid　all　neutral　traffic　with　her　enemies　and　to　exercise　the　galling　right　of　search；　she　pressed　it　far。　France　trampled　still　more　ruthlessly　on　American　and　neutral　rights；　but；　with　memories　of　1776　still　fresh；　the　dominant　party　in　the　United　States　was　disposed　to　forgive　France　and　to　hold　England　to　strict　account。

England　had　struck　at　France；　regardless　of　how　the　blow　might　injure　neutrals。　Now　the　United　States　sought　to　strike　at　England　through　the　colonies；　regardless　of　their　lack　of　any　responsibility　for　English　policy。　The　〃war　hawks〃　of　the　South　and　West　called　loudly　for　the　speedy　invasion　and　capture　of　Canada　as　a　means　of　punishing　England。　In　so　far　as　the　British　North　American　colonies　were　but　possessions　of　Great　Britain；　overseas　plantations；　the　course　of　the　United　States　could　be　justified。　But　potentially　these　colonies　were　more　than　mere　possessions。　They　were　a　nation　in　the　making；　with　a　right　to　their　own　development；　they　were　not　simply　a　pawn　in　the　game　of　Britain　and　the　United　States。　Quite　aside　from　the　original　rights　or　wrongs　of　the　war；　the　invasion　of　Canada　was　from　this　standpoint　an　act　of　aggression。　〃Agrarian　cupidity；　not　maritime　right；　wages　this　war；〃　insisted　John　Randolph　of　Roanoke；　the　chief　opponent　of　the　〃war　hawks〃　in　Congress。　〃Ever　since　the　report　of　the　Committee　on　Foreign　Relations　came　into　the　House；　we　have　heard　but　one　wordlike　the　whippoorwill；　but　one　eternal　monotonous　toneCanada；　Canada；　Canada！〃

At　the　outset　there　appeared　no　question　that　the　conquest　of　Canada　could　be；　as　Jefferson　forecast；　other　than　〃a　mere　matter　of　marching。〃　Eustis；　the　Secretary　of　War；　prophesied　that　〃we　can　take　Canada　without　soldiers。〃　Clay　insisted　that　the　Canadas　were　〃as　much　under　our　command　as　the　Ocean　is　under　Great　Britain's。〃　The　provinces　had　barely　half　a　million　people；　two…thirds　of　them　allied　by　ties　of　blood　to　Britain's　chief　enemy；　to　set　against　the　eight　millions　of　the　Republic。　There　were　fewer　than　ten　thousand　regular　troops　in　all　the　colonies；　half　of　them　down　by　the　sea；　far　away　from　the　danger　zone；　and　less　than　fifteen　hundred　west　of　Montreal。　Little　help　could　come　from　England；　herself　at　war　with　Napoleon；　the　master　of　half　of　Europe。

But　there　was　another　side。　The　United　States　was　not　a　unit　in　the　war；　New　England　was　apathetic　or　hostile　to　the　war　throughout；　and　as　late　as　1814　two…thirds　of　the　army　of　Canada　were　eating　beef　supplied　by　Vermont　and　New　York　contractors。　Weak　as　was　the　militia　of　the　Canadas；　it　was　stiffened　by　English　and　Canadian　regulars；　hardened　by　frontier　experience；　and　led　for　the　most　part　by　trained　and　able　men；　whereas　an　inefficient　system　and　political　interference　greatly　weakened　the　military　force　of　the　fighting　States。；　Above　all；　the　Canadians　were　fighting　for　their　homes。　To　them　the　war　was　a　matter　of　life　and　death；　to　the　United　States　it　was　at　best　a　struggle　to　assert　commercial　rights　or　national　prestige。

The　course　and　fortunes　of　the　war　call　for　only　the　briefest　notice。　In　the　first　year　the　American　plans　for　invading　Upper　Canada　came　to　grief　through　the　surrender　of　Hull　at　Detroit　to　Isaac　Brock　and　the　defeat　at　Queenston　Heights　of　the　American　army　under　Van　Rensselaer。　The　campaign　ended　with　not　a　foot　of　Canadian　soil　in　the　invaders'　hands；　and　with　Michigan　lost；　but　Brock；　Canada's　brilliant　leader；　had　fallen　at　Queenston；　and　at　sea　the　British　had　tasted　unwonted　defeat。　In　single　actions　one　American　frigate　after　another　proved　too　much　for　its　British　opponent。　It　was　a　rude　shock　to　the　Mistress　of　the　Seas。

The　second　year's　campaign　was　more　checkered。　In　the　West　the　Americans　gained　the　command　of　the　Great　Lakes　by　rapid　building　and　good　sailing；　and　with　it　followed　the　command　of　all　the　western　peninsula　of　Upper　Canada。　The　British　General　Procter　was　disastrously　defeated　at　Moraviantown；　and　his　ally；　the　Shawanoe　chief　Tecumseh；　one　of　the　half　dozen　great　men　of　his　race；　was　killed。　York；　later　known　as　Toronto；　the　capital　of　the　province；　was　captured；　and　its　public　buildings　were　burned　and　looted。　But　in　the　East　fortune　was　kinder　to　the　Canadians。　The　American　plan　of　invasion　called　for　an　attack　on　Montreal　from　two　directions；　General　Wilkinson　was　to　sail　and　march　down　the　St。　Lawrence　from　Sackett's　Harbor　with　some　eight　thousand　men；　while　General　Hampton；　with　four　thousand；　was　to　take　the　historic　route　by　Lake　Champlain。　Half…way　down　the　St。　Lawrence　Wilkinson　came　to　grief。　Eighteen　hundred　men　whom　he　landed　to　drive　off　a　force　of　a　thousand　hampering　his　rear　were　decisively　defeated　at　Chrystler's　Farm。　Wilkinson　pushed　on　for　a　few　days；　but　when　word　came　that　Hampton　had　also　met　disaster　he　withdrew　into　winter　quarters。　Hampton　had　found　Colonel　de　Salaberry；　with　less　than　sixteen　hundred　troops；　nearly　all　French　Canadians；　making　a　stand　on　the　banks　of　the　Chateauguay；　thirty…five　miles　south　of　Montreal。　He　divided　his　force　in　order　to　take　the　Canadians　in　front　and　rear；　only　to　be　outmaneuvered　and　outfought　in　one　of　the　most　brilliant　actions　of　the　war　and　forced　to　retire。　In　the　closing　months　of　the　year　the　Americans；　compelled　to　withdraw　from　Fort　George　on　the　Niagara；　burned　the　adjoining　town　of　Newark　and　turned　its　women　and　children　into　the　December　snow。　Drummond；　who　had　succeeded　Brock；　gained　control　of　both　sides　of　the　Niagara　and　retaliated　in　kind　by　laying　waste　the　frontier　villages　from　Lewiston　to　Buffalo。　The　year　closed　with　Amherstburg　on　the　Detroit　the　only　Canadian　post　in　American　hands。　On　the　sea　the　capture　of　the　Chesapeake　by　the　Shannon　salved　the　pride　of　England。

The　last　year　of　the　war　was　also　a　year　of　varying　fortunes。　In　the　far　West　a　small　body　of　Canadians　and　Indians　captured　Prairie　du　Chien；　on　the　Mississippi；　while　Michilimackinac；　which　a　force　chiefly　composed　of　French…Canadian　voyageurs　and　Indians　had　captured　in　the　first　months　of　war；　defied　a　strong　assault。　In　Upper　Canada　the　Americans　raided　the　western　peninsula　from　Detroit　but　made　their　chief　attack　on　the　Niagara　frontier。　Though　they　scored　no　permanent　success；　they　fought　well　and　with　a　fair　measure　of　fortune。　The　generals　with　whom　they　had　been　encumbered　at　the　outset　of　the　war；　Revolutionary　relics　or　political　favorites；　had　now　nearly　all　been　replaced　by　abler　menScott；　Brown；　Exertand　their　troops　were　better　trained　and　better　equipped。　In　July　the　British　forces　on　the　Niagara　were　decisively　bea