the canadian dominion-第7部分

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re　better　trained　and　better　equipped。　In　July　the　British　forces　on　the　Niagara　were　decisively　beaten　at　Chippawa。　Three　weeks　later　was　fought　the　bloodiest　battle　on　Canadian　soil；　at　Lundy's　Lane；　either　side's　victory　at　the　moment　but　soon　followed　by　the　retirement　of　the　invading　force。　The　British　had　now　outbuilt　their　opponents　on　Lake　Ontario；　and；　though　American　ships　controlled　Lake　Erie　to　the　end；　the　Ontario　flotilla　aided　Drummond；　Brock's　able　successor；　in　forcing　the　withdrawal　of　Exert　forces　from　the　whole　peninsula　in　November。　Farther　east　a　third　attempt　to　capture　Montreal　had　been　defeated　in　the　spring；　after　Wilkinson　with　four　thousand　men　had　failed　to　drive　five　hundred　regulars　and　militia　from　the　stone　walls　of　Lacolle's　Mill。

Until　this　closing　year　Britain　had　been　unable；　in　face　of　the　more　vital　danger　from　Napoleon；　to　send　any　but　trifling　reenforcements　to　what　she　considered　a　minor　theater　of　the　war。　Now；　with　Napoleon　in　Elba；　she　was　free　to　take　more　vigorous　action。　Her　navy　had　already　swept　the　daring　little　fleet　of　American　frigates　and　American　merchant　marine　from　the　seas。　Now　it　maintained　a　close　blockade　of　all　the　coast　and；　with　troops　from　Halifax；　captured　and　held　the　Maine　coast　north　of　the　Penobscot。　Large　forces　of　Wellington's　hardy　veterans　crossed　the　ocean；　sixteen　thousand　to　Canada；　four　thousand　to　aid　in　harrying　the　Atlantic　coast；　and　later　nine　thousand　to　seize　the　mouth　of　the　Mississippi。　Yet；　strangely；　these　hosts　fared　worse；　because　of　hard　fortune　and　poor　leadership；　than　the　handful　of　militia　and　regulars　who　had　borne　the　brunt　of　the　war　in　the　first　two　years。　Under　Ross　they　captured　Washington　and　burned　the　official　buildings；　but　under　Prevost　they　failed　at　Plattsburg；　and　under　Pakenham；　in　January；　1815；　they　failed　against　Andrew　Jackson's　sharpshooters　at　New　Orleans。

Before　the　last…named　fight　occurred；　peace　had　been　made。　Both　sides　were　weary　of　the　war；　which　had　now；　by　the　seeming　end　of　the　struggle　between　England　and　Napoleon　in　which　it　was　an　incident；　lost　whatever　it　formerly　had　of　reason。　Though　Napoleon　was　still　in　Elba；　Europe　was　far　from　being　at　rest；　and　the　British　Ministers；　backed　by　Wellington's　advice；　were　keen　to　end　the　war。　They　showed　their　contempt　for　the　issues　at　stake　by　sending　to　the　peace　conference　at　Ghent　three　commissioners　as　incompetent　as　ever　represented　a　great　power；　Gambier；　Goulburn；　and　Adams。　To　face　these　the　United　States　had　sent　John　Quincy　Adams；　Albert　Gallatin；　Henry　Clay；　James　Bayard；　and　Jonathan　Russell；　as　able　and　astute　a　group　of　players　for　great　stakes　as　ever　gathered　round　a　table。　In　these　circumstances　the　British　representatives　were　lucky　to　secure　peace　on　the　basis　of　the　status　quo　ante。　Canada　had　hoped　that　sufficient　of　the　unsettled　Maine　wilderness　would　be　retained　to　link　up　New　Brunswick　with　the　inland　colony　of　Quebec；　but　this　proposal　was　soon　abandoned。　In　the　treaty　not　one　of　the　ostensible　causes　of　the　war　was　even　mentioned。

The　war　had　the　effect　of　unifying　Canadian　feeling。　Once　more　it　had　been　determined　that　Canada　was　not　to　lose　her　identity　in　the　nation　to　the　south。　In　Upper　Canada；　especially　in　the　west；　there　were　many　recent　American　settlers　who　sympathized　openly　with　their　kinsmen；　but　of　these　some　departed；　some　were　jailed；　and　others　had　a　change　of　heart。　Lower　Canada　was　a　unit　against　the　invader；　arid　French…Canadian　troops　on　every　occasion　covered　themselves　with　glory。　To　the　Canadians；　as　the　smaller　people；　and　as　the　people　whose　country　had　been　the　chief　battle　ground；　the　war　in　later　years　naturally　bulked　larger　than　to　their　neighbors。　It　left　behind　it　unfortunate　legacies　of　hostility　to　the　United　States　and；　among　the　governing　classes；　of　deep…rooted　opposition　to　its　democratic　institutions。　But　it　left　also　memories　precious　for　a　young　peoplethe　memory　of　Brock　and　Macdonell　and　De　Salaberry；　of　Laura　Secord　and　her　daring　tramp　through　the　woods　to　warn　of　American　attacks；　of　Stony　Creek　and　Lundy's　Lane；　Chrystler's　Farm　and　Chateauguay；　the　memory　of　sacrifice；　of　endurance；　and　of　courage　that　did　not　count　the　odds。

Nor　were　the　evil　legacies　to　last　for　all　time。　Three　years　after　peace　had　been　made　the　statesmen　of　the　United　States　and　of　Great　Britain　had　the　uncommon　sense　to　take　a　great　step　toward　banishing　war　between　the　neighbor　peoples。　The　Rush…Bagot　Convention；　limiting　the　naval　armament　on　the　Great　Lakes　to　three　vessels　not　exceeding　one　hundred　tons　each；　and　armed　only　with　one　eighteen…pounder；　though　not　always　observed　in　the　letter；　proved　the　beginning　of　a　sane　relationship　which　has　lasted　for　a　century。　Had　not　this　agreement　nipped　naval　rivalry　in　the　bud；　fleets　and　forts　might　have　lined　the　shores　and　increased　the　strain　of　policy　and　the　likelihood　of　conflict。　The　New　World　was　already　preparing　to　sound　its　message　to　the　Old。



CHAPTER　II。　THE　FIGHT　FOR　SELF…GOVERNMENT

The　history　of　British　North　America　in　the　quarter　of　a　century　that　followed　the　War　of　1812　is　in　the　main　the　homely　tale　of　pioneer　life。　Slowly　little　clearings　in　the　vast　forest　were　widened　and　won　to　order　and　abundance；　slowly　community　was　linked　to　community；　and　out　of　the　growing　intercourse　there　developed　the　complex　of　ways　and　habits　and　interests　that　make　up　the　everyday　life　of　a　people。

All　the　provinces　called　for　settlers；　and　they　did　not　call　in　vain。　For　a　time　northern　New　England　continued　to　overflow　into　the　Eastern　Townships　of　Lower　Canada；　the　rolling　lands　south　of　the　St。　Lawrence　which　had　been　left　untouched　by　riverbound　seigneur　and　habitant。　Into　Upper　Canada；　as　well；　many　individual　immigrants　came　from　the　south；　some　of　the　best　the　Republic　had　to　give；　merchants　and　manufacturers　with　little　capital　but　much　shrewd　enterprise；　but　also　some　it　could　best　spare；　fugitives　from　justice　and　keepers　of　the　taverns　that　adorned　every　four　corners。　Yet　slowly　this　inflow　slackened。　After　the　war　the　Canadian　authorities　sought　to　avoid　republican　contagion　and　moreover　the　West　of　the　United　States　itself　was　calling　for　men。

But　if　fewer　came　in　across　the　border；　many　more　sailed　from　across　the　seas。　Not　again　until　the　twentieth　century　were　the　northern　provinces　to　receive　so　large　a　share　of　British　emigrants　as　came　across　in　the　twenties　and　thirties。　Swarms　were　preparing　to　leave　the　overcrowded　British　hives。　Corn　laws　and　poor　laws　and　famine；　power…driven　looms　that　starved　the　cottage　weaver；　peace　that　threw　an　army　on　a　crowded　and　callous　labor　market；　landlords　who　rack…rented　the　Connaughtman's　last　potato　or　cleared　Highland　glens　of　folks　to　make　way　for　sheep；　rulers　who　persisted　in　denying　the　masses　any　voice　in　their　own　governmentall　these　combined　to　drive　men　forth　in　tens　of　thousands。　Australia　was　still　a　land　of　convict　settlements　and　did　not　attract　free　men。　To　most　the　United　States　was　the　land　of　promise。　Yet；　thanks　to　state　aid；　private　philanthropy；　landlords'　urging　and　cheap　fares　on　the　ships　that　came　to　St。　John　and　Quebec　for　timber；　Canada　and　the　provinces　by　the　sea　received　a　notable　share。　In　the　quarter　of　a　century　following　the　peace　with　Napoleon；　British　North　America　received　more　British　emigrants　than　the　United　States　and　the　Australian　colonies　together；　though　many　were　merely　birds　of　passage。

The　country　west　of　the　Great　Lakes　did　not　share　in　this　flood　of　settlement；　except　for　one　tragic　interlude。　Lord　Selkirk；　a　Scotchman　of　large　sympathy　and　vision；　convinced　that　emigration　was　the　cure　for　the　hopeless　misery　he　saw　around　him；　acquired　a　controlling　interest　in　the　Hudson's　Bay　Company；　and　sought　to　plant　colonies　in　a　vast　estate　granted　from　its　domains。　Between　1811　and　1815　he　sent　out　to　Hudson　Bay；　and　thence　to　the　Red　River；　two　or　three　hundred　crofters　from　the　Highlands　and　the　Orkneys。　A　little　later　these　were　joined　by　some　Swiss　soldiers　of　fortune　who　had　fought　for　Canada　in　the　War　of　1812。　But　Selkirk　had　reckoned　without　the　partners　of　the　North…West　Company　of　Montreal；　who　were　not　prepared　to　permit　mere　herders　and　tillers　to　disturb　the　Indians　and　the　game。　The　Nor'Westers　attacked　the　helpless　colonists　and　massacred　a　score　of　them。　Selkirk　retorted　in　kind；　leading　out　an　armed　band　which　seized　the　Nor'Westers'　chief　post　at　Fort　William。　The　war　was　then　transferred　to　the　courts；　with　heart…breaking　delays　and　endless　expense。　At　last　Selkirk　died　broken　in　spirit；　and　most　of　his　colonists　drifted　to　Canada　or　across　the　border。　But　a　handful　held　on；　and　for　fifty　years　their　little　settlement　on　the　Red　River　remained　a　solitary　outpost　of　colonization。


Once　arrived　in　Canada；　the　settler　soon　found　that　he　had　no　primrose　path　before　him。　Canada　remained　for　many　years　a　land　of　struggling　pioneers；　who　had　little　truck　or　trade　with　the　world　out　of　sight　of　their　log　shacks。　The　habitant　on　the　seigneuries　of　Lower　Canada　continued　to　farm　as　his　grandfather　had　farmed；　finding　his　holding　sufficient　for　his　modest　needs；　even　though　divided　into　ever　narrower　ribbons　as　le　bon　Dieu　sent　more　and　yet　more　sons　to　share　the　heritage。　The　English…speaking　settler；　equipped　with　ax　and　sickle　and　flail；　with　spinning　wheel　and　iron　kettle；　lived　a　life　almost　equally　primitive　and　self…contained。　He　and　his　good　wife　grew　the　wheat；　the　corn；　and　the　potatoes；　made　the　soap　and　the　candles；　the　maple　sugar　and　the　〃yarbs；〃　the　deerskin　shoes　and　the　homespun…cloth　that　met　their　needs。　They　had　little　to　buy　and　little　to　sell。　In　spite　of　the　preference　which　Great　Britain　gave　Canadian　grain；　in　return　for　the　preference　exacted　on　British　manufactured　goods；　practically　no　wheat　was　exported　until　the　close　of　this　period。　The　barrels　of　potash　and　pearl…　ash　leached　out　from　the　ashes　of　the　splendid　hardwood　trees　which　he　burned　as　enemies　were　the　chief　source　of　ready　money　for　the　backwoods　settler。　The　one　substantial　export　of　the　colonies　came；　not　from　the　farmer's　clearing；　but　from　the　forest。　Great　rafts　of　square　pine　timber　were　floated　down　the　Ottawa　or　the　St。　John　every　spring