the conquest of new france-第10部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



chiefly　in　sports　and　agriculture；　hard　drinking　and　politics。

When　only　twenty…seven　he　was　already　a　leader　among　the　Whigs；

at　thirty…two　he　was　Secretary　for　War；　and　before　he　was　forty

he　had　become　Prime　Minister；　a　post　which　he　really　created　and

was　the　first　Englishman　to　hold。　Friendship　with　France　marked　a

new　phase　of　British　policy。　Walpole's　baffled　enemies　said　that

he　was　bribed　by　France。　His　shrewd　insight　kept　France　lukewarm

in　its　support　of　the　Stuart　rising　in　1715；　which　he　punished

with　great　severity。　But　it　was　as　a　master　of　finance　that　he

was　strongest。　While　continental　nations　were　wasting　men　and

money　Walpole　gloried　in　saving　English　lives　and　English　gold。

He　found　new　and　fruitful　modes　of　taxation；　but　when　urged　to

tax　the　colonies　he　preferred；　as　he　said；　to　leave　that　to　a

bolder　man。　It　is　a　pity　that　anyone　was　ever　found　bold　enough

to　do　it。



Walpole's　policy　endured　for　a　quarter　of　a　century。　He　abandoned

it　only　after　a　bitter　struggle　in　which　he　was　attacked　as

sacrificing　the　national　honor　for　the　sake　of　peace。　Spain　was

an　easy　mark　for　those　who　wished　to　arouse　the　warlike　spirit。

She　still　persecuted　and　burned　heretics；　a　great　cause　of

offense。　in　Protestant　Britain；　and　she　was　rigorous　in　excluding

foreigners　from　trading　with　her　colonies。　To　be　the　one

exception　in　this　policy　of　exclusion　was　the　privilege　enjoyed

by　Britain。　When　the　fortunes　of　Spain　were　low　in　1713；　she　had

been　forced　not　merely　to　cede　Gibraltar　but　also　to　give　to　the

British　the　monopoly　of　supplying　the　Spanish　colonies　with　negro

slaves　and　the　right　to　send　one　ship　a　year　to　trade　at　Porto

Bello　in　South　America。　It　seems　a　sufficiently　ignoble　bargain

for　a　great　nation　to　exact：　the　monopoly　of　carrying　and　selling

cargoes　of　black　men　and　the　right　to　send　a　single　ship　yearly

to　a　Spanish　colony。　We　can　hardly　imagine　grave　diplomats　of　our

day　haggling　over　such　terms。　But　the　eighteenth　century　was　not

the　twentieth。　From　the　treaty　the　British　expected　amazing

results。　The　South　Sea　Company　was　formed　to　carry　on　a　vast

trade　with　South　America。　One　ship　a　year　could；　of　course；　carry

little；　but　the　ships　laden　with　negroes　could　smuggle　into　the

colonies　merchandise　and　the　one　trading　ship　could　be　and　was

reloaded　fraudulently　from　lighters　so　that　its　cargo　was

multiplied　manyfold。　Out　of　the　belief　in　huge　profits　from　this

trade　with　its　exaggerated　visions　of　profit　grew　in　1720　the

famous　South　Sea　Bubble　which　inaugurated　a　period　of　frantic

speculation　in　England。　Worthless　shares　in　companies　formed　for

trade　in　the　South　Seas　sold　at　a　thousand　per　cent　of　their　face

value。　It　is　a　form　of　madness　to　which　human　greed　is　ever

liable。　Walpole's　financial　insight　condemned　from　the　first　the

wild　outburst；　and　his　common　sense　during　the　crisis　helped　to

stem　the　tide　of　disaster。　The　South　Sea　Bubble　burst　partly

because　Spain　stood　sternly　on　her　own　rights　and　punished

British　smugglers。　During　many　years　the　tension　between　the　two

nations　grew。　No　doubt　Spanish　officials　were　harsh。　Tales　were

repeated　in　England　of　their　brutalities　to　British　sailors　who

fell　into　their　hands。　In　1739　the　story　of　a　certain　Captain

Jenkins　that　his　ear　had　been　cut　off　by　Spanish　captors　and

thrown　in　his　face　with　an　insulting　message　to　his　government

brought　matters　to　a　climax。　Events　in　other　parts　of　Europe　soon

made　the　war　general。　When；　in　1740；　the　young　King　of　Prussia；

Frederick　II；　came　to　the　throne；　his　first　act　was　to　march　an

army　into　Silesia。　To　this　province　he　had；　he　said；　in　the　male

line；　a　better　claim　than　that　of　the　woman；　Maria　Theresa；　who

had　just　inherited　the　Austrian　crown。　Frederick　conquered

Silesia　and　held　it。　In　1744　he　was　allied　with　Spain　and　France；

while　Britain　allied　herself　with　Austria；　and　thus　Britain　and

France　were　again　at　war。



In　America　both　sides　had　long　seen　that　the　war　was　inevitable。

Never　had　French　opinion　been　more　arrogant　in　asserting　France's

right　to　North　America　than　after　the　Treaty　of　Utrecht。　At　the

dinner…table　of　the　Governor　in　Quebec　there　was　incessant　talk

of　Britain's　incapacity；　of　the　sheer　luck　by　which　she　had

blundered　into　the　occupation　of　great　areas；　while　in　truth　she

was　weak　through　lack　of　union　and　organization。　A　natural

antipathy；　it　was　said；　existed　between　her　colonies　and　herself；

she　was　a　monarchy　while　they　were　really　independent　republics。

France；　on　the　other　hand；　had　grown　stronger　since　the　last　war。

In　1713　she　had　retained　the　island　of　Cape　Breton　and　now　she

had　made　it　a　new　menace　to　British　power。　Boston；　which　had

breathed　more　freely　after　the　fall　of　Port　Royal　in　1710；　soon

had　renewed　cause　for　alarm　in　regard　to　its　shipping。　On　the

southern　coast　of　Cape　Breton；　there　was　a　spacious　harbor　with　a

narrow　entrance　easily　fortified；　and　here　France　began　to　build

the　fortress　of　Louisbourg。　It　was　planned　on　the　most　approved

military　principles　of　the　time。　Through　its　strength；　the

boastful　talk　went；　France　should　master　North　America。　The　King

sent　out　cannon；　undertook　to　build　a　hospital；　to　furnish

chaplains　for　the　service　of　the　Church；　to　help　education；　and

so　on。　Above　all；　he　sent　to　Louisbourg　soldiers。



Reports　of　these　wonderful　things　reached　the　English　colonies

and　caused　fears　and　misgivings。　New　England　believed　that

Louisbourg　reflected　the　pomp　and　wealth　of　Versailles。　The

fortress　was；　in　truth；　slow　in　building　and　never　more　than　a

rather　desolate　outpost　of　France。　It　contained　in　all　about　four

thousand　people。　During　the　thirty　years　of　the　long　truce　it

became　so　strong　that　it　was　without　a　rival　on　the　Atlantic

coast。　The　excellent　harbor　was　a　haven　for　the　fishermen　of

adjacent　waters　and　a　base　for　French　privateers；　who　were　a

terror　to　all　the　near　trade　routes　of　the　Atlantic。　On　the

military　side　Louisbourg　seemed　a　success。　But　the　French　failed

in　their　effort　to　colonize　the　island　of　Cape　Breton　on　which

the　fortress　stood。　Today　this　island　has　great　iron　and　other

industries。　There　are　coal…mines　near　Louisbourg；　and　its　harbor；

long　deserted　after　the　fall　of　the　power　of　France；　has　now　an

extensive　commerce。　The　island　was　indeed　fabulously　rich　in

coals　and　minerals。　To　use　these　things；　however；　was　to　be　the

task　of　a　new　age　of　industry。　The　colonist　of　the　eighteenth

centurya　merchant；　a　farmer；　or　a　fur　traderthought　that　Cape

Breton　was　bleak　and　infertile　and　refused　to　settle　there。

Louisbourg　remained　a　compact　fortress　with　a　good　harbor；　free

from　ice　during　most　of　the　year；　but　too　much　haunted　by　fog。　It

looked　out　on　a　much…traveled　sea。　But　it　remained　set　in　the

wilderness。



Even　if　Louisbourg　made　up　for　the　loss　of　Port　Royal；　this　did

not；　however；　console　France　for　the　cession　of　Acadia。　The　fixed

idea　of　those　who　shaped　the　policy　of　Canada　was　to　recover

Acadia　and　meanwhile　to　keep　its　French　settlers　loyal　to　France。

The　Acadians　were　not　a　promising　people　with　whom　to　work。　In

Acadia；　or　Nova　Scotia；　as　the　English　called　it；　these　backward

people　had　slowly　gathered　during　a　hundred　years　and　had

remained　remote　and　neglected。　They　had　cleared　farms；　built

primitive　houses；　planted　orchards；　and　reared　cattle。　In　1713

their　number　did　not　exceed　two　or　three　thousand；　but　already

they　were　showing　the　amazing　fertility　of　the　French　race　in

America。　They　were　prosperous　but　ignorant。　Almost　none　of　them

could　read。　After　the　cession　of　their　land　to　Britain　in　1713

they　had　been　guaranteed　by　treaty　the　free　exercise　of　their

religion　and　they　were　Catholics　to　a　man。　It　seems　as　if　history

need　hardly　mention　a　people　so　feeble　and　obscure。

Circumstances；　however；　made　the　role　of　the　Acadians　important。

Their　position　was　unique。　The　Treaty　of　Utrecht　gave　them　the

right　to　leave　Acadia　within　a　year；　taking　with　them　their

personal　effects。　To　this　Queen　Anne　added　the　just　privilege　of

selling　their　lands　and　houses。　Neither　the　Acadians　themselves；

however；　nor　their　new　British　masters　were　desirous　that　they

should　leave。　The　Acadians　were　content　in　their　old　homes；　and

the　British　did　not　wish　them　to　help　in　building　up　the

neighboring　French　stronghold　on　Cape　Breton。　It　thus　happened

that　the　French　officials　could　induce　few　of　the　Acadians　to

migrate　and　the　English　troubled　them　little。　Having　been

resolute　in　acquiring　Nova　Scotia；　Britain　proceeded　straightway

to　neglect　it。　She　brought　in　few　settlers。　She　kept　there　less

than　two　hundred　soldiers　and　even　to　these　she　paid　so　little

attention　that　sometimes　they　had　no　uniforms。　The　Acadians

prospered；　multiplied；　and　quarreled　as　to　the　boundaries　of

their　lands。　They　rendered　no　military　service；　paid　no　taxes；

and　had　the　country　to　themselves　as　completely　as　if　there　had

been　no