Latest / Canadian Scenery / Later events in Canada part 4

Transcript

Later events in Canada part 4 · Canadian Scenery

• 0:01
  Section thirteen of Canadian Scenery Volume one. This is a LibriVox recording. All
• 0:07
  LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer,
• 0:12
  please visit LibriVox dot org. Canadian Scenery, Volume one by Nathaniel Parker Willis
• 0:21
  Section thirteen. Later Events in Canada, Part four. The popular leaders seem
• 0:31
  now to have formed the resolution of having recourse to arms. They, as
• 0:37
  well as their organs in this country, had often asserted, and seem at
• 0:43
  length to have believed that only an effort was required to server the colonies from
• 0:49
  the mother country. This was a most hasty and inconsidered conclusion. The example
• 0:55
  of the American colonies were referred to, but they were much stronger than the
• 1:00
  Canadians are now, while the power of Britain, on the other hand,
• 1:03
  was considerably smaller. Yet it was only after a long and calamitous contest of
• 1:10
  eight years that they established their independence, and their success would have been doubtful
• 1:15
  had they not been aided by a most powerful European confederacy. The aid of
• 1:21
  the United States was indeed held forth, but the latter had been so little
• 1:26
  disposed to intermedal on such occasions that they remained neutral during the long contest between
• 1:34
  Spain and her colonies, although her situation gave them little too dread from her
• 1:38
  resentment. It was therefore very unlikely that they should now engage single handed in
• 1:45
  a contest with the whole power of Britain. The meetings in pursuance of these
• 1:49
  views were not held on so great a scale or in the same public in
• 1:55
  a stentatious manner as formerly. They were numerous, however, and breathed the
• 2:00
  most hostile spirit, renouncing all hope of redress from the parent state and pointing
• 2:07
  directly to a separation. A central committee was formed at Montreal, whose proceedings
• 2:15
  were in the Great Measure secret, and preparations were understood to be making for
• 2:21
  a general convention. It was nearly vain to attempt repressing the most violent demonstrations
• 2:27
  against the government, since no petty jury could be found to convict, and
• 2:31
  in two instances when the evidence was considered perfectly conclusive, the bills were ignored
• 2:38
  by the grand Jury. The governor, however, learning that numerous individuals holding
• 2:45
  Her Majesty's commission had taken a share in those meetings, caused letters to be
• 2:50
  written in them, demanding an explanation. On receiving none that was satisfactory,
• 2:55
  he dismissed eighteen magistrates in thirty five militias. Among the latter was Pavindal,
• 3:01
  whose answer was couched in the most debying and contemptuous terms. He, it
• 3:08
  is observed, had gone such lengths as made it impossible for him to recede
• 3:15
  without losing all his influence. He must either be put down or allowed to
• 3:20
  put down the government. In the beginning of October, the new arrangement of
• 3:24
  the two councils was carried into effect, at least to a great extent,
• 3:30
  but an excited little interest, and was rejected by the violent leaders as wholly
• 3:35
  unsatisfactory. The malcontent party became every day bolder, and association was formed under
• 3:43
  the title of the Sons of Liberty, who, without committing violence, paraded
• 3:47
  the streets of Montreal in a hostile and threatening manner. They emitted a proclamation
• 3:53
  containing the most violent expressions the wicked designs said, they of British authorities have
• 4:00
  severed all ties of sympathy for an unfeeling mother country. A glorious destiny awaits
• 4:08
  the young men of these colonies. And this was explained to be to defranchise
• 4:14
  our beloved country from all human authority except that of the bold democracy residing within
• 4:19
  its bosom. They alluded to the struggle for life and liberty, in which
• 4:25
  the day of glory arrives that will see us emerge from the long dark bondage
• 4:30
  to the splendor of light and freedom. At the same time, in the
• 4:34
  County of Two Mountains, the people determined not to obey the magistrates appointed in
• 4:40
  the room of those displaced. An organization was formed of pacificuur justices to compose
• 4:46
  differences without recourse to the constituted authorities, and in whose decision all drue patriots
• 4:54
  were required to acquiesce. Meanwhile, the militia in that district organized in a
• 5:00
  new form under officers of their own selection, including those recently dismissed, and
• 5:06
  an active training was carried on. All loyal and neutral residents were, by
• 5:12
  violent measures compelled either to join the malcontents or quit the territory throughout which British
• 5:18
  authority entirely ceased. No long time passed before this course of proceeding was imitated.
• 5:25
  In the more populous portion of the Montreal territory lying southward of the Saint
• 5:30
  Lawrence. On the twenty third of October, a meeting was held of the
• 5:34
  five counties on the rich Lieu and the Yamasca, when a petition was presented
• 5:41
  from Laccade to be admitted as a sixth The petitioners used the most intemperate language,
• 5:47
  declaring themselves prepared to sacrifice everything most dear to them in the world to
• 5:53
  emancipate from a vile slavery the land that gave them birth. They renounced all
• 5:58
  principles but those of the purest democracy, and desired to place themselves under the
• 6:02
  guidance and behind the buckler of L. J. Pavenel. At the meeting
• 6:08
  of the counties, the numbers attending were variously estimated from one thousand, five
• 6:13
  hundred to five thousand, of whom a proportion was armed. The resolutions,
• 6:18
  without absolutely announcing rebellion, went to place everything in preparation for it. The
• 6:26
  recent appointments to the two councils were declared wholly unsatisfactory, while the introduction of
• 6:31
  an armed force into the province was stigmatised as a new and enormous grievance.
• 6:39
  The six magistrates in militia were to be organized after the model of those of
• 6:44
  the Two Mountains and the example of the Sons of Liberty, was also recommended
• 6:49
  that they might be prepared to support each other with promptitude and defect, should
• 6:55
  circumstances require them to protect and defend their threatened liberties. A similar address was
• 7:00
  drawn up the following day and circulated through the province. The same course was
• 7:08
  followed of compelling by violence and threats to officers to resign their situations or leave
• 7:14
  the country. Government could not remain passive while its authority was openly set at
• 7:19
  nought and insurrection matured under its very eye. Applications were made to Sir Colin
• 7:27
  Campbell for two additional regiments, and likelies for what force could be spiffered from
• 7:33
  the upper province. Their zealous offers of the loyal inhabitants to place themselves in
• 7:40
  arms, which had been long declined from motives of prudence, were now accepted.
• 7:46
  In volunteer corps were zealously and rapidly organized. The Catholic clergy took a
• 7:51
  decided part in the support of order and peace, and an address was published
• 7:57
  by the Bishop of Montreal exhorting his flock against the violent and illegal proceedings now
• 8:03
  in progress. This among a religious people, though it did not stop the
• 8:09
  career of those who had so deeply committed themselves, had probably a powerful effect
• 8:13
  in arresting the spread of the disorder and keeping it confined, as it still
• 8:20
  was, to Montreal District. The first blow was trucked at the town now
• 8:24
  mentioned, between the sons of Liberty and a loyal association formed in opposition to
• 8:31
  them. The former were completely worsted and pursued through the streets. None were
• 8:37
  killed, but several severely hurt, particularly Brown from New York, who had
• 8:41
  assumed the title of their general. Pavendel's house when the victors attempted to burn,
• 8:48
  was saved, but the office of the Vindicator newspaper was destroyed. Exaggerated
• 8:54
  reports of this affair being spread throughout the country heightened the general ferment, and
• 9:00
  it was announced from various quarters that resistance was daily extending and assuming a more
• 9:05
  organized form. It was now obvious that unless some decisive steps were taken,
• 9:11
  the malcontent cause must continually gain new strength, and the connection of the colonies
• 9:18
  with the mother country become seriously endangered. The course deemed most effectual was immediately
• 9:26
  to arrest the most active leaders. A warrened was accordingly issued at Montreal against
• 9:31
  twenty six, of whom seven were members of Assembly, including Pavindal and Vigor.
• 9:37
  Nine were apprehended, but the arc agitator himself had disappeared, and doubts
• 9:43
  were even entertained if he were still in the province. This step necessarily led
• 9:50
  to a crisis, especially as some of the warrants were against persons residing in
• 9:54
  the heart of the disturbed territory, two being in the vicinity of Saint John
• 9:58
  on the Richelieu. A party of eighteen volunteer militia were dispatched thither to apprehend
• 10:05
  them. An oversight seems to have been committed in sending so small a force
• 10:11
  not regular, into the midst of the hostile country. They succeeded, however,
• 10:16
  in capturing the parties, and an armed body of thirty who peered near
• 10:20
  Chambley made no attempt to intercept them. Near Longueil, however, they found
• 10:26
  a field on the right of the road occupied by three hundred well armed men,
• 10:31
  protected by a high fence. From this assemblage, a fire was immediately
• 10:37
  opened upon the detachment, which from its position could not be returned with effect.
• 10:43
  Several were wounded, the rest retreated, and the two prisoners were rescued
• 10:48
  by the insurgents. The standard of insurrection having been thus openly raised, it
• 10:54
  became necessary to act with the utmost promptitude. Information was received that Pavin,
• 11:00
  Brown and Nielsen were at the villages of Saint Denis and Saint Charles under Richelieux,
• 11:05
  which had been occupied by the armed inhabitants, and accordingly, Sir John
• 11:09
  Colborne, the Commander in Chief, sent strong detachments under Colonel's Gore and Wehethral
• 11:16
  to attack these places. The former, on the twenty second of November,
• 11:22
  having conveyed his force in a steamer to Sorel, proceeded up the river against
• 11:28
  Denis, but being obliged to take a circuitious route through tracks which from the
• 11:33
  previous reign were knee deep, the troops arrived in a very jaded state.
• 11:39
  Though the whole country was in arms, no serious resistance was encountered till they
• 11:45
  reached the village, the entrance to which was defended by a large stone house
• 11:50
  strongly fortified, from which, as well as from others on each side,
• 11:54
  a heavy fire was opened. A howitzer was brought up against it, whence
• 11:58
  re shot was fired with a view to batter it down, but without effect.
• 12:03
  Captain Markham, with the advance, had gallantly cleared the way and taken
• 12:07
  an adjoining house, but was then severely wounded and obliged to quit the field.
• 12:13
  Finding that no impression could be made on the main barrier, that his
• 12:18
  ammunition was nearly exhausted, and that the troops were overpowered. With fatigue,
• 12:22
  Gore considered a retreat unavoidable. It was effected without serious inconvenience, though it
• 12:30
  became necessary to leave a cannon on the road, while his loss was six
• 12:33
  killed, ten wounded, and six missing. No blame seems to have been
• 12:37
  attached to the colonel, whose means, especially in ammunition, were scarcely adequate.
• 12:43
  But this second advantage gained by the rebel cause at the opening of the
• 12:46
  contest with a most unfortunate circumstance, and unless counteracted, might have spread this
• 12:54
  affection to the alarming extent. Meanwhile, Colonel Wetbrowl with his detachment proceeded by
• 13:01
  way of Chambley to Saint Charles, a point higher up the river. He
• 13:07
  was delayed in a similar manner by the badness of the roads, and on
• 13:11
  reaching Saint Hilaire found it necessary to procure another company from Chambley, and even
• 13:18
  to send a messenger to Montreal, we presume, for further aid. Having
• 13:22
  reason, however, to consider his communications with that place intercepted, he determined
• 13:28
  on the twenty sixth to advance to the attack. About fifteen hundred insurgents under
• 13:33
  the command of Brown had posted themselves in the village and surrounded it with a
• 13:37
  strong stockade. The English commander, on his arrival, drew up his force
• 13:43
  at a short distance in the hope of producing some defection, but none taking
• 13:48
  place, and a heavy fire being opened upon him, he pushed forward to
• 13:52
  the assault. In about an hour, the entrenchment was carried, the fortified
• 13:56
  houses and palisades were set on fire, The troops were masters of the town,
• 14:01
  and the rebels fled in every direction. The carnage was great, the
• 14:07
  entire loss of the malcontent being about three hundred. Charges have been made of
• 14:11
  severe and vindictive proceedings, which we should hope are exaggerated. Another body took
• 14:18
  up its position in his rear, with the view of cutting off his return
• 14:22
  to Chambley, But when he approached them on the twenty eighth, they broke
• 14:26
  and dispersed at the first onset end of Section thirteen, read by Elijah Fisher,