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Les diagrammes suivants lllustrent la m*thode. y errata id to nt ne pelure, ipon * 1 2 3 32X i 1 2 3 ■:. •-.•-:: 5 6 T H E CONTEST I N AMERICA BETWEEN Great Britain and France^ WITH n Its Confequences and Importance j Giving an Account of the Views and Designs of the French^ with the I N T E R E s T s of Great Britah?, and the Situation of the Brit'ijh and French Colonies, in all parts of America : IN WHICH A proper BARRIER between the two Nations in North America is pointed out, with a Method to Profecute the WAR, fo as to obtain that neceflary fecurity for our Colonies. By an Impartial Hand. ,'7"! que fauperibus prodeji^ locupktihus aque ; Jique negltSium fueris, Jenibujque nocebit, HoR. Epift. i. LONDON: Printed for A. M i l l a r in the Strand. M,DCC,LVII. CONTENTS. Sect. I. nr'U E fttuation of the Britijh colonies in -^ North AmerJcay particularly with regard to the encroachments of the French^ a:id the co7idu£i of the prefent ivar. pag, 1 7 I. Some tranjatlions in our colonies which gave occafion to th French encroachmentSy 2 r II. A triple union of our colonies in North America propofed, to retrieve our prefent loffcs^ and to prevent the like for the future ^ 38 III. ne expedience and neceffiiy of raifing and. uniting the force of our colonies in the prefent fttuation of affair s^ and the fatal effeSis of negle^ing ity . . 45 IV. Obflacks to this union of our colonies con- ftdered^ 6^ Sect. II. The views and deftgns of the French in Ame- rica^ 69 Sect. lit. The fttuation of the French colonies^ and their abilities to accomplifh thofe deftgns^ no "Dangerous confequences of fuffering the French to be in poffeffion of Nova Scotia, or any other cglony on thefea-coajl of North America^ i^i g A compa- CONTENTS. y1 comparative view of thejituation of the tijoo nations in America^ 136 Refle5Iions on the prefent fituation of the French in America^ 140 Sect. IV. Of the Frontiers of the Britifh fettkments in North America •, the encroachments qf the French upon them \ and a proper Barrier be- five en the tivo nations^ 149 I. 0/ C now N- Point, and the fever a! pajfcs to Canada, * 150 II. Of the pajfes to the great Lakes, and par- ticularly of Niagara, i6.> III. Of the river 0\\\o^and Fort du Quefne, 1 7 6 IV. Confequences of the French encroachments, and method to prevent them^ by a Barrier be- tween the two nations^ - .191 S E c T. V. ' " T'he fatal effects of fuffering the French to ft tie on our frontiers in i^merica^ the caufes cf the ■prefent war^ 215 A brief anfwer to the French vindication of their proceedings in America^ ' 2 2 f X. u- r. T H E [iii] PR E F A C E. WH E N we have fo many Contefii In this nation among friends, we hope they will not forget the Contefl with their foes ; nor think it im- proper or unfeafonable to take a view of what feems to have given rife to them all, the Contcjl in America het\i>ccn Great Bri^ tain and France, Tiiis is a conteft, in which the whole nation, as well as a few contend- ing parties, is concerned and interefted. Among our many ccntefls then we have endeavoured to write one for All 5 one that concerns all, and one that may ferve for all other contefts, V it Is attended to. And in doing this, wt have endea- voured to accommodate It to All, if fuch a thing is poflible. It is not only the fub- jedl itfelf, but the manner in which we have endeavoured to treat It, that makes us hope at leaft, It will be looked upon as a matter of general and public concern, without the leaft regard to any private a views .s [iv] views or intcrefl: whatever, and far Icls a refped to parties. We have no other concern in any party difputes, by writing this Cofite/l, but to wifli what we feem now to have reafon to hope for, that the ma- nagement of fuch important concerns, as thofe we treat of, may be intruftcd to thofe who will take the mod care of them. Dettir Digniori, It is true indeed, that no one can put pen to paper on thefe that are now reckon- ed political fubjedls ; without being fuf- pedted of fome finifter defign in them, or at leaft of writing with a view to favour fome party or other. This our political writers have brought upon themfelves, and upon all others who would endeavour to inform the public of any thing relating to thofe matters. They feem to write againft our party difputes, that have been fuch an obftrudtion to public affairs, only to countenance their favourite party. What is worfe, they and many others among us feem to write rather with a fpirit of defa- mation, than with a view to information. If they treat of any fubjed: that concerns the flate, they muft abufe their rulers, or o fellow I fellow citizens, inftcad of informing their readers. This is fo far from being our defign, that we cannot but reprehend it in others. Our only defign is, to make our colonies in America, and their fituation, better known both to thcmfclves, and to the nation at home; to give fomc account of thofe countries in America, that the two nations are contending for, and of our difputes about them, which feem to be but too little known to any of us ; and to con- fider the way of recovering our lofles in them : and if any among us fliould think themfelves hurt by fuch an inquiry, we are forry that their intereft: fliould inter- fere fo much with the public intereft. I am but too apprehenfive indeed, that thefe our contefts in America, and all ac- counts of them, are reckoned by many to be prejudicial to the greatcft blefllng any nation can enjoy, peace. It was this that has made m ^ hitherto refift the frequent foUicitations of many to give fomc account of thofe matters, that they were pleafed to think I had taken ibme pains to be ac- quainted with. But fince our peace is fuf- ficiently broke at prefent, the only way to a 2 reflore p 'I »|i ! t II :^' h [ vi] rcl'carc it fccms to be, to profccute the vvnr in luch a manner, as to obtain a fu in and fecurc peace from it at lail. How that i". to be done, is the chief kibjedt of our in- quiry, which we imagine may be more conducive to the peace of this nation, than any thin^i; ehe that may be propofed fur that purpofe ; and may perhaps be a means of preven Jng the many vvarti it is other- wife threatned with on account of its colo- loiiics, as well as the fatal eifedts and con- fcquences of them. This you may per- haps fee fume reafons for in the following account, of' the views and dejigns of the French in all parts of America ; and of the fatal ef'cBs (f fufferin^tkem to fettle on our frontiers there ; to prevent which was the chief defign of our endeavouring thus to reprefent them, and to point out tiie con- fequencesof them. It was from the fe views and defigns of the French, and by fuffering them to (^^A^ on the frontiers of our colo- nics in America, that they brought on the prefcnt war j and we feem to have no way to put a happy end to this, or to prevent ma- ny mere fucli wars on the fame accounts, but to fccurc ourfelves againft them ia time, [ vil 1 time, when it may be done j the way of do- ing which is tlie chief dcfign, fcopeand ten- dency of oiu- dircoiirfe to reprcfent. The importance of thus fecurini; our plantations murt: appear to all, who are the lead acquainted with them, or the concerns of the nation in them. It is fufticient only to mention the fum total of the yearly produce of our plantations, that centers in Britain, to be convinced of their importance at fird fight; which fum, upon a mode- rate computation, appears to amount to at lead five, if not fix, millions fterling a year. Befides this, the plantations breed and maintain an incredible number of feamen and mariners, not Icfs perhaps than ^o or 50,000 a year, wliich are both the treafury and bulwark of the nation. They employ like wife nigh two thoufmd fail of ihips a year -, great numbers of which are built in the plantations for the more immediate fervice of Britain. It is this that makes this nation both profperous at home, and confiderable abroad. The x^merican colonies are now become a great fource of that wealth, by which this nation maintains itfelf, and is refpedled i-. I: > ni' [ viii ] refpcdted by others. They aic likewife the great fupport, not only of the trade and commerce, but even of the fafety and de- fence of Britain itfelf. It is from them chiefly that Britain has thofe conftant fup- plies of feamen and mariners, on which its very exiftence as a nation feems entirely to depend — It ought never to be forgot, what was {o vei y obfervable in the beginning of our naval equipments in January and February 1754, when our fliips were detained by along continuance of contrary winds from returning from America, our fleets, fo neceflTary to prevent an invaflon, could not be mann'd, 'till thofe 0)ips arri- ved from the plantations — But if we give up any part of our plantations, or fufl^er them to fall into the hands of the French, tlicir trade and commerce, fliipping and feamen, mufi: profper and encreafe, as much as ours would decline and dccreafe ; and let any one confidcr, from the inva- flon this nation was lately threatned with, what would be the confequence of fuch events ! A fmall ballance might then have turned the fcales entirely againfl: us in their favour, which they mufl: undoubtedly foon have i I Hi [ ix ] have by being fuffered to fecurs their pre- fent pretenfions in America. But however important thofe our con- cerns in America may be, it mufl be own- ed, that the whole nation has been very neglectful of them. We feem to have paid no regard to them, *till the French opened cur eyes about them, and made us take notice of them, whether we would or not. And even then, when we were cer- tainly threatned with the lofs of the great- eft part of all North America, (which will plainly appear, I believe, from what is fhown in the following difcourfe, to en- danger the lofs of all our colonies there) many feemed to reckon this a matter of very little confequence, as fome would perfwade us ftill, if they could find any arguments for that purpofe. You have brought this nation into a war, fay they, for a port or two in Nova Scotia, or an Indian fort on the river Ohio. This is what we were conftantly told by the am- baflador of our enemy himfelf— thefe are Indian affairs — of little confequence — which I do not underftand, nor trouble myfelf with, faid he on many occafions. But "< nil?: 1% h I ■ t! it I ! U if !'-:|! >! i \ i ; ?i ; I I But if you will look into the following difcoLirfc, you will fee 1 believe very plain- ly, that this port or two, or thofe Indian affairs of fo little confequence, amount to no lefs than nineteen parts in twenty of all the continent of North America, which is much more than all Europe put together. But by fuch arguments as thefe we were almofl lulled into a fatal fleep, 'till we Hiould have had nothing but perdidon be- fore our eyes, as foon as they were opened. It is to prevent the like miftakes for the future, that we have endeavoured thus to reprcfcnt them. The refult of this contcil: in America between the two nations mull furely be, to gain a power and dominion, that mufl fooner or later command all that conti- nent, with the whole trade of it, if not many other branches of trade -, which muft all fall into the hands of France, fooner or later if we fufterherto fecureher prefent en- croachments on the Britifli dominions in North America, as will plainly appear from the foilowing difcourfe. This is the fubjedt of the coated in America. And when the two nations, who want neither cou- rage ving lain- diaa [it to )fall ichis ther. were I we n be- cned. )r the LLIS to lerica y be, rnuft conti- it not mud ler or nt en- Ions in from ubjedt when cou- rage rage nor affedion to their caufe, have fuch a pledge as this at flake, there is no wonder to fee conftant jealoufies, and fre- quent ruptures between them. But they who are negligent in it, I am afraid, muft fuffer bv it. This we have learned alrea- dy from fatal experience ; which we hope it cannot be taken amifs to endeavour to prevent for the future. Not to mention any other confequences of the negle(5l of our affairs in America, it was certainly this that has brought the nation into this prefent war. The French indeed would endeavour to per- fwade the world of the very reverfe, and tell us, it vvas the too great at- tachment of the nation to its intereft in America, that has made them kindle this war in Europe. But if we inquire into the real truth of the matter, it will appear to every one, that it was rather the little regard that this nation has all along paid to its Concerns in America, by which our frontiers there were left open and defence- lefs, and our colonies unguarded and ex- pofed to the invafions of the French from all quarters, that has made them take this opportunity to fejze a great part of the b Britifh h . ! , I ' )|l (i H\ ! I -I I Britilh dominions there j which the nation has (6 far negledted, that the French and others feem to think, they did not belong to it for that reafon. If Nova Scotia had been fettled, or othcrwife fecured, after the treaty of Utrecht, when it was re- ftored to this nation, there would have been no occafion for the late difputes or the prefent war about it. The territories and fubje(3:ion of the fix nations of Indians in North America, which include the Great Lakes, river Ohioy and many other places, that had been conftantly contefted between the two nations, from their firft fettlement in America, were by that treaty likewife given up by France to Britain. Before that the French had endeavoured to extend themfelves into thofe inland parts of North America, and to bring the pofleflbrs and proprietors of them under their fubjec- tion ; which they now gave up all pre- teniions to, and relinquiflied to Britain, that had a more juft, and prior right to them. But all thofe countries have been fo far negleded by this nation, that one would imagine, it had no concern in them. Even the French that had quitted their ' claims ■Mj H \ xlii ] claims to them, were allowed to make as much, or rather more ufe of them, than we did ourfelves. It was for this reafon, that the French revived their claims to them, and feem to have imagined, that all thofe countries that they had given up, or never had any right or title to, belonged to them ; or at leaft that Britain would never conteft them, in the manner they were refolved to do, and enter into a war on that account, fince the whole nation feem- ed to pay fo little regard to them. But as foon as the eyes of our people came to be opened about thofe things, for which they were beholden to the French, the only queftion with them feems to be, who were the authors of all this negledl and mifcondudt ? This every one would put off from themfelves, and lay upon thofe who are obliged to bear all, it feems, the Mijiiftry, But it is to be feared, if the miniflry, or any others, are to be loaded with all the faults, bad policy, negledls and mifcondudl of this nation, efpecially in America, they will be more than man can bear, or anfwer for. It would appear, that fome others have a b a hand m u,.. [ xiv ] hand at leaft in the management of our concerns in America, if not of the more important affairs of government, as well as the miniftry. The people of Britain feem to have their fhare in the manage- ment of public affairs, efpecially relating to America, as well as the government. If we would do juftice to our caufe then, vye (hould conlider the conduct of the one, as well as the other. And if that is duely inquired into, it is to be feared, that it; will appear, the government has had ra- ther too little concern in our affairs in A,merica, inflead of being the fole authors of all the mifcondu(5i: in it. This would appear to be the cafe, froni the firfl part of our inquiry, concerning the TranfaSiioiis in our colonies that gave oc^ cafion to the French Encroachments ; which are plainly the caufe of all our prefent loiTes and misfortunes in them, and of the difficulties the nation is brought into about theni. And in thefe it will appear, that the people have had a much greater hand, than the miniftry. It may be faid perr. haps, that a government ought to influ- ence and overrule all the adtions of the people, and to be anfwerable for them. But [XV] But that does not appear to be (o eafily done iti a Britidi government, nor fo agree- able to its conftitution. The happy con- futation of the Britifli government allows its fubjeds many liberties and privileges, the abufe of which, for their own private intcrefl, contrary to the public welfare, they have to anfwer for much more than the government. If the goverment inter- pofes its authority over them, there is as great a clamor, or rather greater, about the breach of liberties and privileges, as about the negledt of public concerns. It is to be hoped then, that the people and the colonies themfelves will conli- der this, fo as to give fome attention to the public affairs that they are concerned in, and not let the private views of any, or party difputes of others, interfere with the public intereft and welfare ; which is but too often the cafe where the people have any thing to do with public affairs : and that the government likewife will attend a little more clofely to the concerns of the nation in America. But let us not confine our inquiries about fuch important concerns to perfons, but extend them to things. Let us inquire 8 into \m m n \ : ill ) ^ m [ .vvi ] into our condudl itfelf, and the realbns for it, inftead of the authors of it. If either our miniftry or our people have beeii guilty of what others may reckon mifcon- dudl, it was perhaps by atfling according to the beft of their judgement, and doing what they thought was right, as well as many others. If their condudl has been amifs then, it proceeds perhaps from wrong principles or falfe notions, inftead of neg- ligence. Let us inquire then into the no- tions and principles by which this nation feems to regulate all its condud: with re- gard to its colonies ; which opinions of the people muft influence the meafures of the miniftry, and every one elfe. Such an inquiry may not only account for the pad condut5t of the nation in America, but may help to retbrm the future perhaps, which is of much more confequence. The falfe notions then that this nation feems to have entertained concerning its colonics, which appear to have influenced many opinions and meafures relating to them, and to have been a great caufe of the neglect of them above reprefented, and coiifeqiieiitly of our prefent loffes and dif- turbances I ;nced iS [ xvli ] turbanccs in tlR^oi, may be rcJuccJ to the following heads : I. It is well known, that our colonies in America are rather more under the tuition and intluence of the merchants ia Britain, than the government perhaps ; and that' all public meafures relating to them are very much influenced by the opinions of our merchants about them. But the only things that they feem to attend to are the profits of trade. When we talk of thofe remote and inland countries in Ame- rica, What do they produce, or what will they fetch ? fay they. This, it is true, is neceflary to be confidered likewife, but it is not the only thing to be attended to. The great thing to be confidered by all flates is power and dominion, as well as trade. Without that to fupport and pro- tedt our trade, it muft foon be at an end. But if we confider the vafl: extent of thofe inland countries in North America, and the numbers of natives in them, with the ftill greater numbers of people they muft maintain, the power they muft neceflarily give to any ftate polTefi'ed of them muft appear to be very great, and fufiicient to command all the trade of America, It is by wmmmdti IT !' t), s'm [ xviii ] by ading upon this principle, of gaining a power and dominlcn, that the French have gained fiich a trade with it ; have overrun our colonies in the manner they have done, and niufl foon worm us out of them altogether ; fo long as we mind no- thing in Britain but trade, and nothing in America but planting. It is for want of attending to this in time that tlie trade of this nation now fufFers fo much, and mufl- be foon ruined altogether, if we continue to adt on thefe principles. . :j 2. But even in point of trade, and im- mediate returns to Britain, thofe inland countries in North America are much* more valuable, than any feem to reckon them. It is generally imagined, that they are fo remote, that nothing can be brought from them to Britain. But we fee by the accounts of them what a prodigious and extenfive water-carriage there is all over them, by which any commodities almoft may be brought from them to conveni- ent ports for a Britifli market. It was but a few years ago, and in this prefent age, that we feem to have reckoned any places worth feating in our tobacco colo- nics, beyond the falls of the rivers, or the naviga- [xix] navigation for Biitifli velTcls, becaufe it was imagined, vvc could not bring tobacco from them : but now thofe places arc be- come the center*of thcfe colonies, an 1 to- bacco is made and brought to Britain from beyond the Apalachcan mountains, and has been for fome years. But if vvc can bring fuch a cumberfome and bulky commodity as tobacco from thence, how much eafier will it be to tranfport other lighter commodities from the remoteft parts of thofe inland countries, efpecially by the navigation they afford j and there is no doubt, but that many fuch commo- dities hereafter mentioned, might be made in them ; not to mention the great quan- tities of fkins and furrs, the richefl commo- dities in all North America, that are got in them without cither rifque or chart^e : ■* to ' with which alone the French colonies are able to make fuch a figure, and to vie with us, in the manner they have lately done. 3. Many others again feem to pay little regard to the colonies in any refpedt, and look upon them only as a drain of people out of the nation, that might be more ufeful at home perhaps ; by which this c nation I : m t ^^ I nation may be exhaufted of its people, as Spain has been, fay they. But let them confidcr, what thofe people do that go to the colonies. They are certainly the great and principal fupport of all the trade and manufadlures of the whole na- tion, without which the people in Britain would make but a poor figure, if they could even fubfifl as an independent nation. Every one that fettles in the plantations maintains at lead fix people in Britain, in the opinion of the beft judges *. " And " the continual motion and intcrcourfe « our people have into the colonies, may be compared to bees of a hive which go out empty, but come back again " loaded -, by which means the foundation ** of many families is laid."'f' Bcfides, our colonies are a great receptacle of num- bers of foreigners from all parts, who both ftrengthen and enrich the Britifli do- minions, without taking any people from Britain. But on the contrary, when the trade of the colonies is thriving and prof- it i J 'X ■M I f(!'i •'il. n of ionies mea- ves. colo- fome fpare d im- ey are rench, is is a ,11 that jf ma- Britain to fee, ve ap- one of or can kitain, as to Their to pay er turn ^fs and i after- them brd to make [ xxix ] make them for their own ufe in the plantations, and far lefs for Britain. This is a matter of fad that muft be obvious to all who have duely attended to fuch thit.gs in our colonies thcmfelves j which 1 am forry I cannot make others fo fenfible of, as the importance of the fubjedt really requires. But they may cafily percieve this by attending to the flate of our northern colonies on the con- tinent, where they neither do nor can in their prefent fituation make any commo- dity for Britain ; and by comparing it with our fouthern colonies, where they make the greateft plenty of one of the groflefl and cheapeft commodities perhaps that is made any where, I mean tobacco. In the laft of thefe there are but few people ex- tended all over a wide and fpacious coun- try nigh 250 miles between the fea and mountains, abounding with great plenty of fruitful lands, fit to produce this or any other commodity for a Britilli market ; but in the northern colonies, there are great numbers of people hemmed in with- in a hundred miles between the fea and mountains, by which their good lands (that d 2 are M lit !i:'lli: fii . i < 1 i: ; I' hi:; :ai J :.i I A ',l!i ! i 11 1 ii-i \ r ?•' ; t ' ;S'^ [ XXX ] tre fcarcc, as their lands in general arc but mean) are too valuable to make any of thefe or other grofs and cheap commodi- ties upon them for Britain. Lands fit to produce fuch commodities are already worth from forty Shillings to five pounds an acre in moft of our northern colonies, as they arc more or lefs convenient ; whereas the lands that have produced to- bacco, or any commodity for Britain, have been fold generally for five pounds a hun- dred acres, or at moft ten pounds. The only proper lands almoft we hear of in New-Tork in particular, for making hemp and flax, are on the Mohawks river, where we are told that fome lands are worth 40I an acre, and upwards. This is as dear as lands are in England, where thofe com- modities are not made on that account, even to be confumed here ; and how can they ever be expedled to be made, fo long 8S this is the cafe, in America, and bear the charges of tranfporting fuch grofs and bulky commodities from thence to Britain. This is owing to the French having fcized the vaft trails of fertile lands in that pro- vince. % HI, ebut \y of nodi- fit to ready :)und8 onieSj ient ; ed to- , have bun- The of in hemp iwberc h4ol estr as corn- count, bw can o long d bear )fs and kitain. fcized \t pro- vince, [ xxxi ] vince, on the lakes Champkin, Ontario, and Erie, &;c. by which the reft are (o dear/ ' Where lands are dear and fcarce, and the people numerous, that is, where they are hemmed in and confined from extend- ing themfclves, their good lands are and muft be taken up entirely in producing corn and the ncceflaries of life, and the people become farmers as they are in Bri- tain, inftcad of being planters to make any commodity that is v^ranted in Britain, as vfQ fee they are in our northern colonies j whereas in the fouthern colonics or any others, where they make fuch commodi- ties for Britain, their whole labour is and muft be chiefly beftowed upon them alone, and they muft getthe necefTaries of life with little or no labour, from what the earth produces in a manner of itfelf, or at leaft with little labour and culture, otherwife they could not live by making thofe grofs and cheap commodities for Britain. For this reafon wherever they make fuch com- modities, they muft have the greateft plen- ty of land, and a large range, as they call it, for their ftock of creatures, which in a manner muft maintain themfelves, inftead of i m' ■'m :i ■i 1 V ill [ xxxii ] of being maintained by the labour of men, where fuch labour is beilowed upon ma- king thefe commodities. A tobacco plan- ter in Virginia and Maryland^ for example, where the lands in general are much better than in any part of North America, reckons he fhould have fifty acres of land for every worker, as they generally run. Where they are confined to lefs, they either leave oflf making tobacco, as all our white peo- ple have done in a great meafure in the lower parts of thofe countries, to make the ne- ceiTaries of life, corn, provifionsandcloath- ihg ; or are obliged to remove to and be- yond the Apalachean mountains, where they may have; plenty of good and frefh lands J as a great part of the poor people in the tobacco colonies have been obliged t^odooflate. If they are confined then within the Apalachean mountains, as they n(iuft be by the French encroachments upon the Ohio, they will foon be forced to leave of making fuch plenty of tobacco as they have done, or any other fuch cheap commodity for Britain 5 and will not be able to make them there, and fend them to Britain, fo cheap as they are made in other i men, 3n ma- plan- :ample, 1 better reckons r every Where er leave te peo- e lower the ne- cloath- and be- where id frefli r people obliged ed then as they chments orced to bacco as :h cheap II not be nd them made in other [ xxxlli ] other parts of Europe, while they have no fecurity for the trade but to make them cheaper. As it is, there are none hardly in all our colonies that make tobacco or other commodities for Britain, but flaves, whofe maintenance is made to coft fo lit- tle : the white people cannot get necefTa- ries by fuch employments, but are obliged to make them themfelves, unlefs they have great plenty of good and fredi wood lands fit for the purpofe ; which wood lands arc to a planter in North America what a dunghill is to a farmer in Britain, that they cannot do without, at leaft unlefs they have large (locks, which our planters there feldom or never have. '^ • • * > The engroflers and foreftallers of lands then in our colonies, whether it is by large patents, proprietary or charter grants, or French encroachments, if they enhance and raife the price of lands, as they gene- rally do, deprive Britain of moll of the be- nefits and advantages of its colonies, and mull do it in a manner entirely at laft. This is the way by which the northern colonies never have and never will make any commodity for Britain, in their prefent fituation. . if m i I ! f xxxif ] fituation. The country indeed is more improved in them, in farming, trades, ma- nufa^ftures and towns, but thcfe improve- ments turn to no account to Britain, but on the contrary interfere with it. The only commodities made in thefe northern colonies for Britain are, fidi, fome iron, and (hips, which are not the produce of lands ', their lands are neither in fufHcient plenty, nor cheap enough for thofe pur- pofes. The chief ftaple of thofe northern colo- nies, if ever they are put in a fituation to make any commodity for Britain, mufl be hemp and flax, which cofl this nation nigh half a million fterling a year, and that chiefly in money, whilft they might fave that fum yearly by making thefe two com- modities only in the plantations. But to put our colonies in a fituation to make thefe and other commodities to any ad- vantage, the people that are already in them fhould be extended all over Sagado" hoc, lake Champlai?2, lake Onlan'oy and the greateft part of lake Erie, with the river Ohio y otherwife they are too confined to be real planters of commodities that are wanted ,4 i I'M- The rthern \ iron, luce of fficient fe pur- 1 colo- tion to luftbe m nigh d that ht favc J com- But to ) make ly ad- ady in 'agado" nd the e river incd to lat are wanted [ XXXV ] wanted in Britain, and miiH become no- thing but a fct of farmers and manufa<5tu- rers, as the people in Britain arc. This they already are iri the northern colonies, by being confined to towns, and villages, or in forts and garrifons, to defend them- felves againft the French and Indians, that furround them on all fides. To make a commodity for Britain, the people muft extend themfelves up and down the woods, where there are good and conve- nient lands for that purpofe, as they are in the tobacco and rice colonies ; which they can never do, if they are hemmed in and furrounded on all fides by an enemy. By this we may perceive a very falfe no- tion that every one almoft feems to enter- tain of our colonies, to wit, that we have colonies and land enough already, if not too much. This is fo far from being true, that, to make our colonies turn to the account they might and would be of to Britain, the people that are already in them fhould be extended over twice as much land as they now occupy ; unlefs you would make a lex agraria in them, and take many people's lands and proper- e ' ties HI ) ' I! Iff r I i |l ! m 'tM ■ r I ■y'i :: i I'f [ XXXVI ] lies from them for the public ufe, and dU vide the ni among the people in general, Xvhen they do not cultivate them, as is but too much the cafe in all our colo- nies. *• But if our colonies want room to make commodities for Britain at prefent, how much more will they do it hereafter ! The niirriber of people in them is o.bferved to •be doubled every age, or thirty odd years, and when that happens, they muft become artirts inftead of planters, and manufac- turers of Britifh commodities, as cloathing and other necelTaries, othcrwife they can never be fupplyed with them, unlefs they have great room to produce commodities enough to purchafe them. Thefe colo- nies will then be a conftant charge and expence to Britain, efpecially if the French furround them, as they now do, while they will be little or no advantage to it, but ra- ther a lofs perhaps by interfering with Britain in its ftaple commodities. Even at prefent all the returns of our colonieson the continent of America to Britain does i-iot amount to above ten or twelve {hil- lings u head perhaps, for all the people in them eral, IS is :olo- nake how The ed to /ears, come lufac- thing y can ; they )dities colo- ; and rench e they ut ra- with Even lies on 1 does ; fhil- ple in them -n -1 [ xxxvil ] them" taken together, which is not Tuffi-' cienttocloaththem, befidesthe many other" necelTaries and fuperfluities they want and get from Britain. ■■■ *■ < •■ rU, ■'■ If all thole things are rightly confidered, the French encroachments and polltflions in America muft appear in a very different light, and prove of much worfe confe- quence to Britain, than any among us fecm to apprehend. They may perhaps be an improvement to the colonies in arts, trades, manufactures and towns, but that will deprive Britain of all the advantages of them. The colony of Canada alone, rnlignificant as fome reckon it, and as it has hitherto been indeed, has deprived Britain of the labour of nigh one half of the people it has in North America, by confining them to towns and townfhips for their fecurity and defence, by which they are obliged to beflow their labour on manufadtures, inflead of cultivating their lands for Britain — If this is rightly confidered, there is not fuch an objedtion again ft our taking ^ebeCy or any other place in Canada ^ as moft people feem to imagine— That indeed is a confiderable en* : • *; e 2 terprize ■If i ; ■ ti 'iiiit'iii'illi ! '■'■■! [ xxxviii ] terprize, which, like all others of that kind, is not to be undertaken without due deli- beration ; for which reafon we coniider both fome of the advantages and difad- vantages of it in the following difcourfe ; the laft of which appear to me to be very inconfiderable, if any at all ; efpecially if we confidcr, that this may prove the (hort- eft way to root the French out of all their other encroachments, and bring them to reafon very foon, if that is to be done indeed by any other means. -i - -- -^ 6. But the diredlion of all thofe things is entrufted to many people in our colo- nies, who have but few or no opportunities of being acquainted with them. They have not that intercourfe and correfpond- ance. with the more improved parts of the world, that is neceflary to inform them of many things relating to their own more immediate concerns at home, and far lefs with foreign affairs : with regard to which, they may be faid never to look hardly be- yond the fmoak of their own chimnics. Of this we have many flagrant inftances in the condudl of their affairs with the French. They feem never to have been apprized .1 I ti If.!' IMi dnd, deli- ifider lifad- urfe ; 5 very ally if (hort- l their em to 5 done things ir colo- tunities They fpond- of the n them n more far lefs which, dly be- limnics. (lances vith the ve been pprized i [ xxxix ] apprized of the defigns of the French .upon them, 'till they were at their very doors ; and to be ftill lefs acquainted with the rights and claims of the nation in America, which they feem hardly to ex- tend beyond their private plantations ; by which they have let the French overrun the Britifh dominions all around ihem, in the manner they have done, with little or no oppofition from our colonies, who were chiefly concerned in preventing them. When the government demanded an ac- count from the colonies of the encroach- ments that were, or were likely to be, made upon them, they feem to have ap- prehended none, fo long as their own plan- tations vere fafe in the mean time 5 which appears to have been the occafion of the fatal fccurity we were in, and of the little regard that was fhown to the protedion of our dominions in America, after the late war ; when all our difturbances and loffes in them might eaiily have been forefeen, by any that were acquainted with the views and uefigns of the French, and as eafily prevented by a due attention to them in time. It il |i:!t:-^!li| :ii^.. [xl] It was for thcfe reafons, that wc have been at this pains to point out the views and dcfignsofthe French upon our colo- nics, and to reprefent their fituation with' regard to them, for the information of our people both at home and abroad. It was? certainly for want of due information^ and a right opinion concerning thofo things in time, that this nation has been led into fiich difficulties about them ; and it is to be feared, that a continuation of the like meafures, founded on the like opinions, mufi: be produdlive of much worfe confequences. For thefe and many other reafons, it is the opinion of all, that nothing is more wanted, than to give thi^ nation fome juil: accounts of its colonies^ and a true information of the fituation of its affairs in America ; as well as to fhow the colonies themfelves the fituation that they are in, and the defigns of the Frencb upon them ; both which they feem to be fo little acquainted with, or at leafl to pay fb little regard to. . v;. , > . , . . ct : This is a thing that we may fay is always, and has been long wanted, which we have entertained fome defign to do for many 4 i '9 1 ' ((/ :!|ft!: have views colo- with' dF our t was? jation; thofo s been I ; and tion of he like • much d many ill, that rive thi^ oloniesy' ation of tofhoW on that French mto be to pay ■•'*■ [ xii ] ..... many years, but could never before be pre- vailed upon to comply with it. The many different opinions about thofe things, and the ftill more different views and interefts of others, make it impoffible for any man to fatisfy all parties about them, or to give his opinion of them, without being fub- jedtto both cenfure and abufc perhaps fof his pains. Thofe things are reckoned to relate to policies of ftate, which private peo- ple have nothing to do with ; at lealT: they can cxpedl but little fatisfadtion from being concerned in them, efpecially in fuch criti- cal conjundures. For thefe and many other reafons I had deftroyed what I had wrote on thefe and other things relating to Ame- rica, with an intent never to be concerned with them again ; and it is not without reludance that I now am. But the loffrs we have fuftained in America, the vaft territories the French have overrun and feemingly fecured there, with the threat- ning fituation we feem to be in on that ac- count, prevailed upon me at laft to put pen to paper again, in this curfory manner, about thofe things that I had formerly Ipent fome time upon • and to confider the . method i -4 Ml .^ 5'' method of repairing thofe our lofles, before it might be too late, and out of our power perhaps to do it. In doing this our only defign was to give a bare narration of matters of fadt, chiefly relating to the fituation and import- ance of thofe countries that the French have overrun and lay claim to in America, that we might be able to form fome better judgement of them, than what feems to have been hitherto formed at leaft by ma- ny. Such a reprefentation of fadls, relating to things that fo nighly concern this na- tion, mud always be of fome ufe and fer- vice to it, let thofe countries belong to whoever they will ; and it is only thofe matters of fadt that we pay any regard to, or intend to reprefent. It is from them alone, and from numbers of fuch fadts, that we can form any jufl opinions of matters of fuch confequence, or the import- ance of them ; which, it muft be owned, are but little underftood by many, who daily give their opinions about them, and would influence our meafures relating to them. This I (liould be very forry to do, any farther than was confident with the general and public intereft and welfare of I the I merica, e better ems to by ma- relating :his na- and fer- slong to y thofe gard to, n them :h fadts, ions of import- owned, ly, who em, and lating to ry to do, with the welfare of the [ xliii ] the whole nation both at home and abroad; which can never fufFcr furely by a fair re- prefentation of matters of fadt. All that we intend by fach a reprefentation, par- ticularly of the PVench encroachments, is, to (how what and where they are, and the confequences of them ; and it is furely much better to fee the confequences of fuch things in time, than to feel them ; as no one can doubt but we muft do fome time or other, if the French are allowed to re- main in poffeffion of the many encrpach- ments they have made upon us, which we fee no way attempted as yet to difpoifefs them of. The msmncr in which I have done this, I can neither commend, nor altogether condemn. The greatnefs and importance of the fubjedl would have required and ad- mitted a much fuller and more explicit account of it. But 1 had fpent as much time upon it, if not more, than my other affairs would well permit ; which is the reafon, why I have not yet been able to offer to the public the fecond part of this difcourfe, relating to tha rights and titles of the two nations in America, that was f partly 1 it' I I! 'iil \r :■! 1 :i ■I ' 1'' 'r I l! •i mf [ xliv ] partly drawn up with a defign to be printed herewith ; altho' the fubftance of it is to be found in this part, which has fwelled it to this fizc. It was not the defire of appearing in public, which has become fo very difa- greeable, that it has hitherto determined me againfl it, but the importance of the fubjedt, whilfl it feems to be fo little under ftood by many at leaft, that has made me attempt to give this account of it. And how- ever I may have done that, I doubt not but there will be objections to it. The many different opinions about thofe things are never to be reconciled, 'till we come to have a more perfect knowledge of them. And it cannot be expeded, that any one perfon fhould be thoroughly ac- quainted with every particular at lead re- lating to fo many vaft and extenfive regions as thofe we treat of, which are fo little known to any. This we hope may be a fufficient excufe for any imperfedlions or errors that may appear in our account of them. One objedion to what we have advan- ced, we cannot but take notice -of here, relating to the number of people fuppofed to i';,;|'l)t;y [xlv] ig in difa- edme bjedty 'ftood tempt how- )t not The things come ge of that ly ac- ift re- egions little be a jns or unt of dvan- ■ here, )pofed to ».-' -* .1 to be raifcd and now in arms in our colo- number mi ght not nies. Their particular perhaps be (o proper to be thus publicity rcprefented, efpecially at this prefent. They are faid, however, to be many more now than we make them. But this we have only by very late advices, and (ince our following accounts were wrote, which were moftly drawn up laft winter, after our American troops were dilbanded, and before we heard of any more being raifed. But it is not our defign to give an account of our force there at prefent, but to re- prefent the manner in which we have all along adted in America in general, and the fatal confequences of it j which it is to be hoped we fhall amend fome time or other, when our eyes come to be opened. If we have done that already, it is fo much the better. But it cannot be doubted, that we have hitherto adled in the weak manner we have reprefented, by which we have fuftained fuch lofTes 5 which it is our only defign to reprefent in general, with- out fo particular a regard to our numbers of troops at this or any other time. And if we have adled in that manner before, we may perhaps do the fime again. What has been maybe. Tht:? we imagine it is f 2 more ^ 1 1 ft' •tit ''I 't.r, ■■■ [ xlvi ] more prudent to caution ftgainA, that we may be upon our guard, than to magnify our force and ftrength, as fome would en- deavour to do. It was by trufting too much to our ftrength, and defpifing our enemies, which is always dangerous, that has led us into our prefent difficulties from them. So at the beginning of the laft campaign in America, we were told that we had 16,000 troops there j notwithftand- ing which we loft Ofwego, and did nothing beiides. And many accidents at leaft may happen, that may make our lofs as great in this campaign perhaps j which we feem not to be well prepared againft, if they fhould happen, as far as we can fee at leaft. Even if we (hould fucceed in all the fchemes that are faid to be intended, how are they to recover Niagara, or Forf du ^lefne^ the only two things al- moft we have to do ? You may fay the French will give them up for other pla- ces : but I don't fee, that they are fo very complying, unlefs they are forced to it. So likewife the people of Fenfylvania are faid to have amended their former condudt, as here reprefented, and to have ' ■' raifed ';!f'.'' iden- g too y our J, that 5 from le lad d that iftand- othing ft may s great e leem if they fee at in all .ended, ra, or igs al- fay the er pla- fo very it. ylvania former ;o have raifed % f i [ xItH ] raifed conf^derable fuppU^Si {or oppofing the enemy ; which v\^e ftiould be glad tq fee the good effects of, rather than to hear tell of it. It is certain, that We have yet feen nothing but Ic^lTcs. upon loffcs, with very difmal and threatning confequences of them, unlefs they are prevented in time. If our coljonies continue in the divided ftatp they have been in, and wc ftill remain inadlive in America on that and other accounts, both they and this nation will have reafon to repent it perhaps as long as they have, a being. If the French once fecurc themfelves in thofe places that they have ufurped on our frt)ntiers in America, we fcem to have no way ever to be free from conftant danger, and perpetual foarces of wars, charges and expences from them. They have already overrun thofc countries only with a hand- full of ragamuffins in Canada, and what may we not expedt from ftanding armies, and redoubtable fortifications ereded every where upon our frontiers ? Which we nuifl: expedl to fee very foon, unlefs they are rooted out of their encroachments in f , • ; 6 ': ■ J !. time, t 'i hi I til if. ii I ■ ' ■ .i i "i u "It- . I xlviii ] time, which 1 cannot yet fee that wc arc likely to do. The method of doing this is not fo much our bufmefs to inquire into, or our dcfign to reprefent. We could not, how- ever, pafs over fomc account of it in the following difcourfe, where it inevitably came in our way. The great difputc about that feems to be, Whether it (hould be done with Britilh troops, or the forces of our colonics ? We are not at all con- cerned which it is done with, providing it is done. But the diverfity of opinions about the way of doing it feems to make us do nothing in it. All our preparations, as we have faid, feem to have little tend- ency to root the French out of their en- croachments in the inland parts of Ame- rica ; the chief thing for which the na- . tion engaged in this war. How expedi*. ent it may be to do that with Britifh troops, fent from hence to thofe remote inland parts of America, through fo many difficulties, with fo many charges and delays, let us learn from thofe we have fent there. This may at leaft be faid, that it might be done with much leis charge by not fo or our t, how- ; in the cvitably difpute i (hould c forces all con- roviding opinions to make irationSy ;1e tend- leir en- f Amc- the na- expcdi* Britifh remote fo many ges and ve have dd, that s charge by [ xlix ] by the forces of our colonies, than by troops fent from Britain ; altho' there 19- no doubt, but thefe lad are more to be re- lyed upon, if they could be fpared for that purpofe, when they are or may be fo much wanted for other purpofes j or if the nation thinks it convenient to be at the extraordinary charge of fending troops to America, when it is already faid to be involved in an expence of ten millions (lerling a year ; which it is likely to be tired of, before its bulinefs may perhaps be done in America. And we may far- ther fay, that the number of people in our colonies feems to be almofl the only ad- vantage we have over our enemy, and that it is certain we have made little or no ufe of this advantage ; which was our reafon for confidering it, and reprefenting it, in the manner we have done. If any will give us a better account of obtaining the defired ends we propofe by it, we (hall reckon ourfelves obliged to them, as well as many others perhaps. •Si quid novijli redlius ijiis^ Candidus im^erti- A ■•ft 11'^ r :• hi (111 I J.' ''iWi "ml iU" I' •It ffH • ^ ' « i » "fii J IT .*!«<.'( . <».,,>< 1 .i tJ •}<> / ■ ) t — ;, iHJl J *Jn- I ,.t t/f* •• :.' t ERRATA. . Pag. 22. lin. 28, they were, r^/i^/, it was. 27. 1. 14. Maurice, r. Montanus. 28. 1. 3. thefe, r, thoft. • — I. 28. take, r. taken. i ,_. ICO. I. 10. crowns, r. Jivres. loi. 1. 23. r. ftrengthen themfelves. 126. 1. 2c. ^ele that. 129. L u/t. 4 or 1; 00,000, r. 2 or 300,000. 1. 1 2. de/e daily. 159. 1. 23. weller, r. weftcrn. 176. 1 19. add, Virginia. 186. 1. 12. ter, r. water. ' 210. 1. 12. filuation with them, r. fituation with themfelves. 237. 1. 26. IFahnchr, r. M:amis, nigh the river Wabache. » - - • • ;^i ■(, ; ■i;,'Hfc;.iiv . i t ■•*■ THE CONTEST I N AMERICA f _ . BETWEEN GREAT BRITAINandFRANCE. ,000. ■w > .lation with 1 the river ' ^ r. • /,, S E C T. I. The fituation of the Brit'ijb colonies in North America^ particularly with regard to the en- croachments of the French^ and the condu^ of the prejent war, TH E (late and condition of the Bri- tifh colonics in America is now be- come a matter of general inquiry, as it is of the utmoft concern to this nation, and that more now perhaps than ever. Thofc American colonies, that have been long known to the moft intelligent to be a great fource of the trade and commerccj and naval B power I ! i'\ !.' I ■ I- n 1 1 '?:(. [ '8. ] power, on which this nation To much depends^ arc now marked out as Huch by its declared enemies, are become the objed both of their envy and refentment, and are made the means of accomplifhing the ruin of this nation, if poffible, from being. its great fupport and ad- vantage. Our enemies not only endeavour to wreft fome of the mod impor-taat pacts of them ourof our hands, to prefcribe law« to the whole nation, and bounds and limits to it upon its own eerritori€s •, but they have alrea- dy over-run fuch a part of the Britifli domini- ons in North America, that if they remain in poiTeflion of their ufurpations and encroach- ments there, this nation feems to have no fecurity left for any. of its colonics in Ame- rica, and muft be at a greater expence to pro- tect and' fupport what the French are pleafed to leave it, than all it may be worth perhaps. It the profperity and wellfare of this nation then depends fo much upon iis colonies, as no one feems to doubt of, the profperity, fafety^ and licurlty, of the colonies depend upon the prefent critical fituation of affairs, which de- fer ves the moft ferious regard and attention. This is the more neceffary to be confidercd, as the flatc of our colonies,, or our prefent fi- tuation in them, is fo little underftood in ge- neral, that fome fecm. to think our affairs there tp be in a manner defperatc, and pad retriev- ing^* t] ^.^ ,.£1 -ll I :pends,, declared )f their 2 nieans ition, if and ad- avour to pacts ot laws to nits to it ve alrea- domini- emain rn ;ncroach- have no in Ame- :e to pro- 'C plealed perhaps. kis nation lies, as no |y, fafety^ ipon the hich de- [attention. ►nfidercd, Iprefent fi- ►od in ge- ■airs there [ft retriev- iog^i [ '9 1 ing; while others would perfuade us, that the/ arc- in no manner of danger : and among the many different opinions that are daily gi- ven, about the proper method of conducing our affairs in America, cr carrying on the war there, you will hardly fee any two of them that agree. Many depend upon the number of people in our colonies, and feem to reft fecure in them, without making nny ufe of them ; while others feem to think, that all the people we have there will be of little fervice in their prefent fuuation. For thtfe and many other reafons the true fituation of our colonies is' highly neceflary to be inquired into, not only to recover our prefent lofles in them, but to prevent the hke for the future. Many things relating to our colonies in America feem to defer ve and require a more particular account of them, but there are three things that require our more immediate care and attention, to wit, iw2} (' [ 20 ] force of our colonies is likewife fo difunited by the many fmall provinces, and different dates or ^overnmentSj into which they are divided, that .hey feem hardly capable to dettnd them- themkives iiiilead of mailing head againli an enemy. Cur colonies in /\merica feem to be in the fame fituation that Britain was of old, when it was divided into fo many different Hates or kingdoms, with fuch different views and interefts, that they all fell an eafy conqueft to a much inferior force of the Romans that invaded them. Upon thar ','ccafion Cafar ob- ferves very juftly, *' while every one fought *' for themfdves, they were all eafily over- '* come : " and our colonies feem to be threatened with the fame fate, unlefs fome pro- per meatures are taken to unite their force to- gether for their n mutual defence ; the neceflity of which, and way of doing it, are chiefly intended to be reprefented in the prefent dif- courfe. In doing this, it was impoflible to avoid fome acccunts of things that may be reckoned per- haps rather of a private nature, than of a more general and public concern. But where the private concerns of any interfere with the public wellfare, they ought certainly to be ta- ken notice of on that account. It is fufpedl- ed, that the private influence our colonies have been very much under has been the occa- fion of all the ioffes we have fuftained, and are threat- 's r' ■'■ .J "I , [ 21 ] threatened with in them. This is taken no- tice of by our enemies themfclves, who tell us, if the EngliOi had as great a regard for their king and their country, and the public well- fare, as they have for their own privrre intereft, they might long ago have been mafters of all the moll important places in America * -, whereas for want of fuch a public fpirit they are now threatened with the lofs of the greateft part of it, that muft in time endanger the whole. But in rcprefenting thofe things, it is to be hoped, that we have done it in fuch a manner, and for fuch purpofes, which was our only view and defign at lead, that they may turn out as much, for the intereft of thofe more immediately concerned in them, as for the general intereft and wellfare of the whole nation. I. Some tranfaSliom in our colonies which gave occajion to the French encroachrtients. The firlV and principal of the French en- croachments on the Britifh territories is Crowtt- Point : and it may not be improper to inquire how they came by a place that is likely to coft this nation fo many millions, if it has not al- ready. There are many particulars relating to this, which we have not now time to in- * Vid. du Tertre hifl. des Antilles, torn. III. quire •"f:,r il '"llllli \^M t ''r^\^ lIU;: t 2'2 ] quire into, but in general it was as follows, by the bell information we have been able to procure. When the French firfl: attempted to fettle at Crowff' Point, on the eaft fide of the lake, opofite to where their fort now Hands, in or about the year 1726, as well as I remember, they were drove from thence by the colony of the Majfachufei*s Bay m New-England •, the only colony we have that either ever has or is able to oppofe any of their defigns in any part of America ; and this they did, only by or- dering them to be gone from that place, as I have been informed. But loon after this came on the difpute between Majfaebufets Bay and New-Hampjhire about their bounds, which feems to have cngroffed the whole attention of thofe colonies, and to have contributed at lead to their negled of this place, if it was not the caufe of its falling into the hands of the French. The iirue of this conteft was, lake Cham- plain, and all the territories thereabouts, were adjudged to NewHamp/hire, (a fmall and in- confiderable colony at that time, however thriving, it is hoped, if the French do not put a (lop to it) which they were no ways able to maintain and defend. By this means, while two were contending for the bone, the French ran away with it, and eftablifhed themfelves at Crozvn^ i ivs, by Die to 4 ) fettle e lake, , in or ember, lony of d-, the as or is ny part by or- :e, as I lis came B{ty and which ntion of uted at fit was z hands Cham- :s, were and in- lowever not put able to , while French Ifelves at Crovjn* I 23 } Crown- Point in the midft of thefe' qliarrelJ amon<» ourfelves, without any confiderable oppoficion that I have heard of, but fomepro- tefts again ft it -, particularly by the five nations, of Indians,, who feemed to know the confe- quence of this place, that was their original abode and habitation, better than we did. The defence and fecurity of this importane place has fince devolved entirely upon the co-' \o[\y o^ New Yorky in whofe province it is fuppofcd, although not determined, to be. But becaufc the former fettlement of tha French at Old Fort^ on the eaft fide of lake Champlainy was removed about the year 1730 or 3 1, to fort Frederic at Crown-Point ; the peo« pie of New-England, the only colony able to defend it,feem to have imagined, that they had no farther concern in it, .as being on the other fide of the lake out of their diftrid, although but half a mile farther from them ; for which reafon they left it to one who was not able to oppofe the French atityif theyhad attempted it; What made the colony of New-Tor k more unable to guard themfelves againft thefe and other encroachments of the French, was, not only the divifion of their government by taking the whole province of iyiftyj^r^j entirely from it, juft about the very time that the French fettled at Crown-Pointy but ftill more fo per- haps,, the fuit that, thefe two colonies have been :n-^vm 1 '■ ^ !i : -"'mi :v I ! ,!■ . * 1 1 ■ i H i been fo hotly engaged in both before and finer ; which fcems to have engroffed their attention much more than the French either at Crcub-n- Point or Niagara^ and to have coft them more perhaps than would have been fuf- ficient to have prevented the French fettling there at all, or to have difpoirefied them, if they had attempted it •, and thereby to have faved all the immenfe charges the nation has incurred, and is Hill liable to incur, on thofe accounts. The heats and animofities between thefe two colonics, and their feveral parties in both of them, feem to have carried them as great lengths as they ought to do againft a de- clared and inveterate enemy ; while at the fame time the French were upon their bor- ders, and were fecuring their frontiers, as they have done. But if they did not difpof- fefs ihe French, they have difpolTefled one an- other over and over again, and that with open violence, i o look into their tranfadlions for fever.ii years paft, of which they have printed fuch folio volumes, one would think they had been at open war with one another for thefe for- ty years paft -, and have now a war to main- tain againft the French, when they feem both to have been exhaufted by war with one an- another. To get a redrefs of luch grievances they apply to England, where they have fuftained a 3 law- L -ij J 1.- 'fuit, as bad perhaps as war itfclf, that had lalled five and thirty years, the lad time I heard it plead, when they had not yet come to the merits of the caufe ! altho* this whole difpute about their bounds and limits, (which, with the like difputcs every where al- mod, have coft more than might have fettled the bounds and limits of all the Britifh domi- ons in America) depends upon two very fimple points, neither of which, that are plain fadts*, feem to be fo much as known to our people in America, who are fo little acquaint- ed with their domeftic concerns, and far more with their foreign affairs. C When * The words in the charter of Ne-tv Jerfey^ on which the difpuie between that province and New- York about their bounds depends, are, •* and to the northward, as far " as the Nortberntmfi Branch of the faid bay or river (of *' Dclaivare), which is in 41 <» 40* of latitude." Here are two places then, the 'Northernmoji Branch of De.'aivare rinjer^ and the latitude 4 1 ° 40', that are both mentioned in defcribing the bounds of this grant ; and as thefe two do nor coincide togeiher, the queilion is, which is to be miide the boundary, according to this defcription of it in the charter ? 'J 1 - By the words of the charter it is p'ain, that the boundary thereby intended is the Northernmojl Branch of Delaivare river ; and that the latitude there mentioned is only a fur- ther defcription of that branch of the river, and not of the abfolute bounds of the grant, independent of fuch a branch of the river. — The words, ivhich is in latitude 41** 40', mean, nvhkh branch of the ri-vtr is in that lati- tude. mm '' 'ill'- v: ,11 1 ^l: M ,: ■■'\ M L'lf ;:i! t ■ '('( I I Hi |4 it I : •'(: t!| 'ii# * '■ ii. r 26 1 When this is the pradlice in our colonics, [lovv is it pofTible, but that the French fhould over-run them ! If cither of thofe colonies, and far more both of them, had paid the tenth tude, and not which bounds of the province fhall be in that latitude, as many fcem to imagine. . • . • But when we come to lay off the bounds of this pro- vince, it appear?, that there is no branch of DdaTxave river whatever in the latitude 41'' 40*, foutid by obferva- tion, as appears from all thefurvcys of it ; and ccnfequently the fpot on Delaware river in that latitude, be where it will, can ne'ver he the place intended hy the grattt to be the hounds of Ksxv-Jerfey, as nuny would make it. To determine the bounds of this gr mt then agreeable to the charter, the firft thing is to know what is the N'jrthrr?:- moft branch of Delanvare river there meant ? Which plainly appears to be the river Lccha, or weftcrn branch of Dela- nvar^y as it is called with refped to tl.c eailcrn branch. That lies at the foot of the mountains, as far north as the country was known, when this ch.-^rter was gran;cd atleafl, cr indeed till very lately, and u the northerr "^oft branch of Delaware here meant This is likewise ttie northern- moft branch of that river that can be fuppofed to be confi- dcrablc enough to make it be pitched upon for the bounds of fo extenfjve and general a grant. The river Delaware has but two cor.fiderable branches, efpecially that uerc then known, to wit, th« Schuylkill^ and this wefttrn branch, which lye north and fouth of one another, and the lall fcems phinly to be the mrthemmojl branch , that can be fuppofed to have been known or taken fuch notice of, as to be made the bounds of the whole country, when this grant was made. What puts this out of doubt to me at leall, is, that thi« LOr- ■;■'■' [ ^-7 ] p.irt of t!ic rcL^ird and attention to Cro'-jon- Poiut cr Nin^^ar^y upon their frontiers with the French, as they have to Frederic Phillips's Millsy Little Mini/ink IJland^ and C 2 WA' rorthet-nmoft br.inch nf Delaware river was taken (o be er- adly in the latitude 41° 4.0', when this cliartcr was granted. They hid then no furvcys of th's country, nor any obfer- vatious of the latitu.e, hut were obliged to depend upon the draughts and maps they had of the country, in all which we fee the upper forks or noi thernmoft branch of Delaware rver laid down in the latitude menrioncd in this charter. 'J'his will plainly appear upon confuting and comparing the maps of V>fchc>-^ De JVit, Allard^ Dankers^ Maurice^ Sfcci^, -eller^ Kciiht Lea, and 5^«f.v's map of the bounds of Penfylvania. Bcfides, it appears, t-.;at the bounds of PeHf^lvanla were defcribed in the charter of it, chiefly from the map oi Nicww-Nederlandt by Vijcher \ and there is all reafoa to believe, that they would make ufe of the fame map in defcribing the bounds of New-Jerfey the very year there- after, th.it being the bed map of the country then extant. But in this map oi n/cher the upper forks of the river De- laware, altho' very ill laid down, are plainly made to be ia la'itude 41" 40'. It was by this means, that the bounds of this grant were placed in thofe odd minutes of latitude ; whereas if it had been intended to have fixed them in a certain lati- tude independent cf any place, there is all reafon to bo* lieve, that fuch a general and extenfive grant would have been bounded by fome even degree of latitude in thofe wellern parts, as we (ee it is in the eaftern parts on Hud- font river, where it is bounded by the latitude 41°. — \i this latitude of 41S 40' was a miibke, it is no more than what -If ! I 1 1 U I ' \ .fj y. 1 M [ a ] U^nvdyiVU'.a plantation upon tbclr ovfn boieitrs with one another, it is plain, that neither ot thefc important places would ever have been in the hands of the French, and neither they nor this nation would have had any occafionto have entered into this prefent war on that or any other account perhaps. But what would any one fay or think of this matter, if they fhould hear, that one of thofe colonies, and the chief of them, fhould have had as great a civil war within itfelf, as it had with its neighbours : and not only fo, but as obftinate a difpute likewife at the fame time with its mother country ; which fecms to have been the cafe, ever fince Zeftger^s trial in NezV'Tork, as far as I can learn at Jeaft, from all hands and both rides'— Which fide may be in the right, or which in the wrong, in thofe difputes, is none of our bufinefs to inquire -, but there can be no manner of doubt, that the public intereft is negledled, and fufFers by them, which is all we have to confider, or in- what muft be expedlcd, before we had any certain obfer- vations of the latitude. — It was ufual then, to take all thofe remote places in the woods and inland parts of Ame- rica to be more diftant than they really are, whence the forks of Delaware, as well as many other pl:.ce5 in Ame- rica, were take i to be nigh a degree of latitude fartlier north, than they are fince found to be by obfervation. But this was never known, 'till after the year 17 19, when thofe parts were furveyed, and the latitude cblerved. tend I'M '^1 . '•.M m [29] tciKl to repn fent, tor the Take and welfare of both fides. " ' ' * ' But I would not have any one imagine, that our colonies are only to be blamed for all the n)ifconduct ia them, however blamable they may be. The merchants in England had their fhare in this, as well as in mod other tranfadions in our colonies — When a very wife and necef- fary regulation was propofed in Dieto-Tork^ to fettle OfivegOj that impnrtant plice v/?. have all heard fo much about of uue (would any one believe it), it met with hU tht oppofitiim from the merchants in Enidanc^, with u!t the mifreprcfentations of tUat ani the '•'vhol'j pro- vince, that could be dcvifed -,* by w'Jiich i.hey put off that defign for fome yc^rs, l^nd neJrfv^r they nor their abettors fc^m ever ro have con- curred heartily in it at laft ; one caufe poOibly of our late lofs of it.* ITie private reafons of this their condud, for they ccald cerr.ainly have no public reafons for it, were, a .rurpiny of thein had engroffed the whole trade of ii'p- plying the colony, as v*as preiei)Jed, v/ith goods for the Indian 'L.fad.', which they fold in wholefale to the Frcn jh, inile^d of retailing them to our people, or the Indians.* And for that reafon tney and the reft who were con- • See feveral memorials on this fubjeft in Coldens hif- tory of the five nations, cerned V !'.'■«■ !:T mi M\% [ so ] cerned in this clandeftine trade widi the French, chofe rather that the French fhouid be convenient to them at Crown-Poini^ than that the Englifli (hould fettle at Ofwego ! Hence the French got fo peaceable and quiet pof- feflion of that place (that now cofts fo much blood and treafure to recover) rather by our connivance, than our oppofition : and the fix nations of Indians told us flatly, that the French built their Forts with Englifo Strouds^f the goods we fupplied them with ; and remon- ftrated againft it, as prejudicial to our intereit and their welfare. Notwithftanding this care the Indians feem to have taken of our affairs, more than we have done ourfelves, many people abufed them there in the moft fca.idalous manner, taking in their very Corn Fields in furveys of lands, that the Indians had voluntarily granted them — captivating foms of the Indian youths for (laves — felling them water for rum — with many more fuch pradices I do not doubt ; but a particular account of thefe three 1 have from good authority, with many aggravating circumftances, too grofs to bepublickly told — All this was on and about the time that the French fettled and fecurcd themfelves at Crown-Point and Niagara, And can any one Wit' 1*111' , I -j- Ibid, page 19. imagine, ■■'i*. ■ ■1 ifr-''' K [ 31 3 . imagine, that all thofe praflices did not con- tribute to it ? Not to mention our (hameful defertion of the five nations at many times I could point out. We (hould have many morefuch things to take notice of, if this was either a place or a proper time to do k. We cannot, however, pafs over another hke difpute in our colonies about the river Obio ; which is fuppofed by many, who feem hardly to have heard of any other places in our colonies, 'till they were fo alarmed about this, to have been the folc occa- fior; of the prefeat war with the French. But if they will look a little farther, they will find, that the French ufurpationK^f the river Obio in 1 753 -and 1 754 was only a confequence, iind a ncceflary confequence, thit could not well be prevented, of their bemg fufFered to fecure Crewn-Pomf, sind Niagara^ feveral years before, from the caufes we have reprefented ; <^ither of which places, or Neva Scotia^ arc of more immediate confequence to them than the civer Obio.^^' '-i -^ ' : '''-^ - Our party difputes, however, feemtohavc contributed not a little to the French getting poffeffion of that river likewife. For altho' the people and aflembly of Penfihania would not allow Fort du ^efne on the river Obio to be in their province in j 754, after the French had fcized it, yet in 1750 and 1751 they or ■ their L .^O lf<' k -ii their traders at lealt, claimed it as their folc privilege and property, and carried their pre- tenfions fo far, as to give the Indians fuch bad impreflions of the people of Virginia^ that they would not allow our people from Virginia to come nigh that river for fome time. Their petty debates ran fo high, that fome people, I have been told, loll their lives by them, and an infurredion or revolt of the Indians was to be apprehended from them. This brought on a difpute between the two pro- vinces, which could only be decided by fet- tling their bounds and limits. This fettlement again was oppofed by the proprietor of Mary- landy who might have been injured by it. Thus our own private difputes fubfifted, when the French put an end to them, by fcizingall the places in difpute. . - .. , Thefe difputes between pur feveral colonies, and unfettled claims of different proprietors, were the chief occafion of the river Ohio^ and all other places, being fo ill fecured and fet- tled, when the French took poffefTion of them. Many people who would otherwife have taken grants of thofe lands, knew not who they were to obtain them from, or to hold under. The bounds of Firginia, Maryland and Penjilvaniay the three colonies that make the middle divi- fion of the Britilh dominions in North Ame- rica hereafter mentioned, all joined together about \T \fi [33l about Fori du ^tefne on the Obioy and were un- determined between them, as they ftill are. The Obio Company agahi had a large grant at the fame place, Vy'hic!i was as undetermined as the reft. Here were four different proprietors then to interfere with one another at t is im- portant place, which is the chief frontier of all thofe colonies, and of the whole Britifh domi- nions perhaps in all North America ; and fhould have been fecured in the very firft place. But now there were none to do this important bufmefs 5 notwithftanding the many colonies we have in America, and particularly hereabouts, about the forks of the Ohio, where the greateft ftrength perhaps that we have in America might be exerted, if it was rightly condu^5ted. Propofals were made, and in time, to have remedied all thofe inconveniences, and to have prevented the many fatal confequences of them, that have fince enfued, which were then forefeen in 1751, but all to no purpofe. It was propofed ; I . That thefe three colonies, Virginia, Mary- land and Penfylva7iia, fhould unite together, to keep up a joint intereft on the Ohio, where they had feveral fettlements 5 particularly by a good and refpedable fort at or about the forks of the Ohio, the place where Fort die Sjiefnc is fince erefled by the French. D 2. To w~~ I' Mil .[ 34 J 7. To lay off their feveral bounds, that peo- ple might know who to fettle under. 3. To determine the bounds of the 0/jh Company^ that they might not interfere with other fettlers. 4. To fettle a tariff of trade with the Indians ; and appoint officers to fee it com- plied with. 5. To unite all the Indians on and about the river Ohio in one body, fubjed to fome rule and order, made for their welfare, and the Englifh intereft. And what was fo proper then, may not ap- pear improper perhaps another time. If thofe things had been done, they would certainly have prevented, or fruftrated, the attempt of the French upon the Ohioy and all the many fatal confequences of it : and they may per- haps be as ferviceable for that purpofe another time. But many obflacles then came in the way to all thofe defijgns ; which we hope will be confidered and removed. The chief feemed to be the difpute between the proprietors of Maryland and Penfyhania about their bounds ; and the jarring interefts and conteds between our different colonies. But wc hope, they will decide their difputes among themfelves, rather than let the French doit for them. Many who are little acquainted with, and ill informed of thofe things, feem to have laid the [ 35 J the whole blame of all this upon the Ohio Com- pany. But, alas ! they appear to know little of the matter. If that company had been as much to blame as fome people would make them, they Were by far the leaft of four con- cerned. The eftablilhment of that company was furely well intended, and for the mod laudable and commendable purpofes. For this they ^had only the promife of a grant of 200,000 acres of land, not yet paiTed the feals, I am told, upon the fame conditions nearly that all private people obtain fuch grants every day j only they were to have feven years allowed them to fettle thofe lands, (which private people are obliged to fettle in three years), upon condition that they would tran- fport a certain number of people, and build a fort upon the lands to be granted \ and upon their complying with that, they were to have 300,000 acres of land more. Now what are 500,000 acres of land in that country? If it had been ten or an hundred times as much, the government ought to have given it to any that would have taken it upon thofe terms ; and a company is furely much abler to com- ply with the conditions of fuch grants, and to fettle the country, than private people ; to whom luch things are only entrulled in our colonies. We hope then to fee many Ohio D 2 Companies, m ■mi . ' ' . ■■i I M-i ■ "ft ■w 1'36 3 Companies^ inftcad of fuppre fling the prefent one. All that appears or has been found incon- venient in this company, and from all fnch large grants, is, the charge of furveying them, it feem?, will not quit coft ; by which their bounds lie undetermined, and others who might fettle before them, are liable to be ejefted by them, when they come to lay off their grants. This is a real inconvenience from all fuch large grants, efpecially when they have a number of years allowed to afcer- tain their bounds. The only way to remedy this inconvenience, as far as I can fee, is, to let the grants extend to certain diftances from any place or places thit the granter or grantees fhall pitch upon ; which diftances they may lay off at any convenient time, and others may eafily judge of in the mean time, fo as to fettle round them, and not to trefpafs upon them. The 'Ohio company's grant then was no more than a grant of land made by the go- vernment to fettle the country about the river Ohio^ and it was not the only grant of many that were made for that purpofe; akho' the French would pretend the contrary, and tell us, we had no other claim nor intereft there, but from this company. But by their leave it appears, from the books of the fecretary's office in Virginia^ that *ve had no lefs than 3,oococo [ 37 ] 3,000000 of acres of land granted in that colony alone, wc^ft of the Allegany Mountains^ upon the branches of the river Ohio -, befides the feveral other fettlements made there by the people of Peyifyhania ; long before they took pofleflion of this country, and of our forts and fettlements in it, driving our people out of it, in 1753, and 54, by for#e «?^ arms. Thus much we could not but take notice of here, to fliow from matter of fadl, as well as from the reafon of the thing, that is plain and obvious, the ufe and neceffity of a better union of our colonies. This we have reprefented by particular inftances iikewife, that we may fee where th it union is mod wanted, and how it fhould be efFedled. The parties here mw»n- tioned are thofe that are to fupport not only one another, but the whole Britifli interefl in North America, whofe union is chiefly wanted for that purpofe, not only at this prefent junc- ture, but at all times : while they are thus at variance with one another, froin the frivolous pretences, or private views, that we have thus reprefented. This we have done in order to fhow the ufe and nccefTity of an accommo- dation of thofe differences among ourfc^lves ; as well for the interefl of the parties concerned, as for the welfare of the whole nation that is concerned in them j efpecially now when we have I )• ■^4 f, (oi 'i I" «» i( ' 1 ' i / '■ .! ■i'^l , (if 'ISi -i ' [ 3S J have fuflained fo many lofles, and are thrcatncd with fo many more, occafioned entirely by our parly difputes, II. A triple union of our colonies in North America propofed^ to retrieve our prej'ent loJffSy and to prevent the like for the fu- ture. ^ The union of our colonies is a fubjed much talked of, but feems to be little underftood, to make it turn to any account at Icaft, if thoroughly confidcred. Some fuch union is no doubt nccefTary j fince all our lofles and misfortunes in them feem plainly to have pro- ceeded from the want of it. For this reafon a general union of all our colonies is propofed, which we fear might only ferve to divide and difunite them, more perhaps than they are already. But not to mention any grand and general union of our colonies, or of fo many diftant and remote provinces, with fo many very different views and interefts, that might never perhaps take place, nor be executed to any purpofe, like other grand defigns and projeds; let us only confider what is feafible and prac- ticable in the mean time, and what fcems to be abfolutely neceflary to oppofe the enemy in their prefent fituation ; to provide for the mutual fecurity and defence of our colonies at all [ 39 ], all times-, and to guard againft fuch furprizes for the future, as they have lately met with. P^ur this purpofe we fliould divide our feve- ral colonies in North America into certain parts, whofe fituation is much the fame, and whofe intereft, that rules every thing, is more eafily connefled -, by which their mutual union is confcquently more eafily accomplilhed, and complied with when eftabliflied. But other- wife, if we talk of a union of all our colonics together, when is it ever likely to take place, or to be attended with the defired ends ? What mutual intereft, connedion, or depend- ance, have New England and Carolina^ Virgi- ma and Nova Scotia, &c. for example. This is a union that might be neceflary, like a convention of ftatcs, upon particular and ex- traordinary occafions, but like fuch conventions that we fee in all dates, whofe fituation, views and interefls, connexions and defigns, are fo very different, it might be attended with as little benefit perhaps, as it would be tedious and difficult to bring about. For this reafon we fliall propofe another fort of union of our colonies, that appears to me as abfqlutely ne- cefTary at firfl fight, if we would ever confider their fecurity and defence, as it is eafily ac- compliflied at this prefent, if they hr.ve any manner ofregardfortheirownintereft and fafety. For this purpofe we Ihould confider, how our ;i!),>t:* " i|': r;«M, .■'If. ^i >l|,:!(» 1 #.< |!"i ,,.' t ' P', ^v';^..!, ' ''■■4. , ; [ 40 ] our colonics on the continent of North Ame- rica arc, or ought to be, divided. They are ufiialiy divided into the northern and fouthcrn colonies -, which only regards their trade, but not their fecunty and protediion. With re- gard to this, we fhould confider all thofe re- mote and diftant provinces, and different colo- nies, as making only three, or at molt four different countries, with regard to their natu- ral bounds and fituation, or fituation with rcfpect to an enemy. For this purpofe we fhould divide our many colonies on the continent of North America into three, the Northern^ Middle^ and South- ern. Under the firft I include Nova Scotiuy New England^ New Torky and Nezu Jerfey. In the middle divifion are Penfyhania^ Mary^ landy and Virginia. And in the fouthern divi- lion we include North and South Carolina and Georgia. Thefe three divifions make three different and dillinffc countries ; leparated from one another by natural boundaries ; different in fituation, climate, foil, produds, &c. while the feveral colonies included in thefe divifions, which we look upon as diff^erent countries, are all one and the fame country in thefe refpeds, as well as in point of fituation with regard to an enemy •, and make only different provinces of thofe three countries, that differ from one 8 another Ame- ley arc )uthern ie, but 'ith re- -jofe re- lit colo- oil tour ir natu- on with ur many A.merica \ South' a Scotidy 7 Jerfey. a^ Mary^ ern divi- lina and different om one Cerent in c. while ivifions, ries, are refpedls, •egard to )rovinces rom one another [41 ] another only as the fouthern and northern parts of every couriry generally do j being Separated from each other only by land- marks, as different parts o'i the fame country com- monly are. Now inftead of a general union of fo many different provinces, if we lliould advife only a union of thofe that are included in thefc three divifions, I cnnot fee any thing that Ihould hinder it from taking place immedi- ately, and always fubfifting, for their mutual defence antl fecurity at lead. Whatever othec more general union may be thought proper, if any fuch is, this triple union is at leaft ab- folutely neceffary for their fafety and protec- tion, and fhould always fubfifl under any other union of our colonies that may be propofed— * The great inconvenience arifing from the di- vifion of the Britifli dominions in North Ame- rica is, that the divifions are generally too fmall for their fafety and defence, however convenient they may be for the fake of govern- ment •, but by thus uniting feveral of thefe divifions together for the purpofes at lead of defence, if for nothing elfe, this inconvenience may be removed, without producing any other that might arife from changes of forms of government, alterations of conftitutlons, &c. All the colonies in this tr'rple union have a natural connexion and intereft in one ano- E ther If ■ 1 1<*. i» m mW- H:;|| ;j w B'ffi ■1,1 i'? m'M I I 1 ■ 1" "1 I'l 1 lilll H'i ill' Mi 1' /'I'i'i ii ii ^^^1 * " ■ '1 \* H: ' - n ^Hi f 1 1 ^m r t ^H I''' '''' i' ' ifi; i' ^1 ' !• ■ ^ 'S H| 1 ' i- ' '!' Hi ■ 1 'I'm '!■ Hi ' "•-■'ii- ; ^^^^'i 'm . ! t '•'{ s w ,. . •||; ■ ■!■ .■■f' 1 1. 1, i'. i [■ " '- .K:,. » > •j , s .,1 i' ,{ 1 iiMii ' ''if i:;';:i:|f , " III ■ • , .-< i i ' ,!i 1 "^r;.!'H.. ijiilr-'li^iyf i 'ilii Llilli'Riiff [ 42 ] ther, and in the fame places ; by which they miifl mi>re readily unite to defend them. But if wc popofe to the fouthern colonics to attack Crozvn- Point, Nia^tira^ or Canada^ they art not only inconvenient for that purpofe, and would fpend more time, charges, provi- fions, fiic. in getting to the place of aflion, than might be neceffary to do all their bufinefs nighernoniL*, in their own precindls; but they likevvife think they have nothing to do with thofe places that are fo remote from them : as the northern colonics, on the other hand, think they are as little concerned or interefted in the river Ohio^ Mijfifipt, &:c. This is what makes our colonies fo backward to ftir and unite together to defend each others frontiers. But the frontiers of all thofe included in this triple tin: en are one and the fame ; they have all one intereft and concern in them, which- ever province they may be in •, and they will and muft unite together to defend and fecure thofe frontiers at all times, as well as to root the French out ot them at prefcnr. Such an union then may becafily efft^led, if tlic difunited parties have any manner of regard to their fafety or welfare in any refpeifi:. And let us fee what may be done by fuch a tj'iplc tmion of our colonies •, which may be called a real uniof?, if eflablifhed, fo far at lead as relates to the chiei [43 1 chief thing piopofcd and wanted fru.i It, the fecurity of their frontiers. It would take up too much room, and mere time than we have to fpare, to reprefent the fituations of all thofe fcveral colonies, with the mutual interciV, connexion, and dcpendancc of thofe that are included in each of thefe three divifions upon one arother. Thiit I think may be pretty well "Adged of, as far at leall as relates to our prefent purpofe, only from confidering their ficuation in a map. And all the ufe we fliall make of it is, to (how how by fuch an union properly condudted, they might make head againft the enemy at pre- fent, and oppofe their defigns at all times. •' '» This I think may be eafily colle(5led from comparing their fituation, with the fituation of the enemy. The chief force of the French is now and at all times aflembled about Crown : Point, Montreal, and Fort Frontenac \ which places lie oppofite to the middle of New^ England, with Nova Scofia on one hand, and New Tork and New Jerf^y, clofe adjoining on the other. Is it not very natural then, for thoie four colonies to be united together for their mutual fecurity and defence, againft ari enemy in fuch a fituation, both now and here- after ? And is it not the intereft of every one of them to join and concur immediately in fuch a union of their force together for their E 2 mutual i} >^ ¥M "•m^, m I,; I ■ iV .,1 I ! -ill! il hi i I' I . i : '::lf f 44l mutual fecurlcy and defence ? If any in them may think othervvife, they don't know what their interefl is, or won't confider it in a true light •, for which reafon they (hould be compelled to comply with it for their own good, as well as the reft hereafter mentioned. If thofe colonies had been fo united at the beginning of ouf late difturbancef, and the force in thofe four alone had been muftcred together, by each fupplying their eUablifhed <5uot3, our prefent diilurbances might have been quelled, and nipped in the very bud. And it is to be feared, that, without fuch a union of thofe colonies, we fhali hardly be able to make head againft the enemy at laft, ^nd recover our loflts from them, fince they have gained fo much ground upon us. ; At the fame time, the force of Penfylvama^ Mdry-Iand and Virginia, fhould be fent againft Fort du ^efne on the river Ohio •, and always united together to fecure, fortify, and garrifon that place ; which lies dirc6tly oppofite to the center of thefe three colonies, with an eafy ac- ceis to it from them all ; and is the chief frontier that they have to defend and protedl. This was propofed, and if it had been done, before the French invaded thofe colonies, it is plain, they muft have marched out of them as foon as they came into them, and have pre- vented all the loiTcs the nation has fuftaincd, and [45] and may fuftain on that account. And I do not fee any other way, either to recover our loflcs in them at prefent, or to fc^cure them hereafter, but by the fame means. The three Southern colonies again, North and South Carolina^ and Georgia^ are oppofed to the French on the Mijftfipi^ but have enough to do to defend themfelves, and will want :.r- fiftance from the other colonies, inftead of lending them any, if ever they fhould be at- tacked. To guard againft fuch an attack, (which we fhould apprehend from the numbers of men and troops we fee the French are daily fending to the Miflifipi, where they fent 2000 regular troops immediately after the treaty of jiixy and had 10 or 12000 men there by the accounts of their deferters before the prefent war *) thefe colonies fhould keep up two good and rcfpedable forts ; one at fort Moor^ or Augufta ; and another among the Cherokees at leaft ; if not a third among the Creek Indi- ans likewife \ unlefs this lad Ihould be found to be at too great a diftance to defend, as it fecms to be. To do this efFeflually, the colony of Virgin * Sinc "'! i|. r 46 1 ttia, in the middle divifion, fliould perhaps join with thefe fouthern colonies in maintain- ing their forts among the Cherokees, where Vir' ginia has an intercft ; as Penfylvania, in this middle divifion likewife, fliould join with New York and New Jerfey^ to recover and fe- cure Niagara -, which is clofe upon the borders of that province, if not within it, as 1 fufpcv^t it may be found to be, and is the chief fron- tier and barrier to it againft all the invafions and encroachments of the French. All this is not only very proper and conve- nient, but fo manifeftly neceflary, efpecially in the prefent fituation of affairs, that I won- der it has never been done before now, or that any fhould have occafion to propofe it at this day. We talk of the numbers of people in our colonies, but what do they fignify inpoint of defence, unlefs they are united to- gether, which might be fo eafily done. If we confider the fituation of our colonies in this light, that we have reprefented them in, it is every way as good and promifing, as It is otherwife difmal and threatening. The chief force of the French lies in Canaday where the principal force we hfiVe likewife, which is in our northern colonies, is ready to oppofe them, and convenient to attack them. Here we have not lefs than 80 or 100,000 men at lealt fit to take the field, while they have not above 12 or 15,000 at moll ?rhaps ntain- ■e Fir' in this I \;ith md fe- )orders fufpcvil f fron- vafions conve- pecially I won- or that at this people fignify ited to- colonies Id them fing> as The I Canada, ikewife, IS ready attack. In 80 or lie field, ;,r!00 at nioll [ 47 ] moft, esdufive of European troops on both fides. - . The next mofl: confiderable body of the French is aflennbled about fort du ^efne on the river OhiOy from their garrifons there, and their ftraggling fettlements about lake Erie, and the Illiims. What their numbers may be is uncertain : they are not, however* above one or two thoufand French at mofl:, by all accounts, altnough they have the Indi- ans there at prefent to join them ; many of whom would join us, as they have always done, if we had a force there to fupport them. But whatever their numbers are, we have a vaftly greater force there to oppofe them, not lefs than three or fourfcore thoufand men, in the middle divifion of our colonies above mentioned ; out of all v/hich a fufficient force might be raifcd furely to repel all the French that are upon the Ohio, or nigh it. If they had been ordered to do this at firft, it is ima- gined it might have been done long ago, and all the lofles the nation has fuftaincd on that ac- count might have been thereby prevented \ as the many greater lofTes it will fuftain, by let- ting the river Ohio continue in the hands of the French, may itill be prevented by the fime means-, which appears to be the only v;ay to do it, or the only way at leaft in which it is like- ly ever to be done. Our >i m^: HhI ■■■m ,, ■•■iii i'"' . lit ''ih! l!,. I ' ■■■: ■ Ml P:' 111 '•! 'il ^ -.1, I' I 4 1 48 ] Our fouthern colonies indeed are but weak, in comparifon of the northern colonies, but the French on the Mijfifipi are much more fo like- wife. There are twice or thrice as many men in North Carolina alone, mod of which are fit to bear arms, as in all Louijiana put together, befides what we have in South Caroline^ and Georgia* They have indeed many negroes in South Carolina^ which are a clog to them, and for that reafon they will want fuccours. If the French have fent the force to the Mijfifipi^ that many' imagine, it is certainly neceflary to {end a force after them to Carolina, If the force we have in America mififht be rightly employed in this manner, thofe wc may fend from Britain might be as well dif- pofed of. We fee below, that the force of the French in N. America is like an army fupport- cd by two wings, ^ehcc 2Lnd New Orleans \ either or both of which places, as may be thought mod proper, a force once embarked is convenicni; to attack ; while our force in America goes againft the main body of the enemy, at Crown-Pointy and fort du ^lefne^ foi which it is as convenient. All this is {o plain and obvious, that it need not be infifted upon *, we (hall only con- fider the expediency and necefTity of fome fuch meafures, and the fatal cfFedts of negledting them, in the prefent fituation of aflfairs. JII. The [49 ] in. The expediency ajid nccejfity of raif.ng mid uniting the fcrce of our colonies in the prefent fttmtion of affairs ^ and the fatal effects of ne^ gUtling it. All that is propofed by the above mention- ed union of our colonies, is only ajun6tion of their force for their mutual fafcty and de* fence j which might be as proper and conf e- nicnt at all times, as it fecms to be abfolutcly neccflary at the prefent time. We talk much of driving the trench out of their encroach* ments, but it does not feem to be fo eafily done. We have been three years only going to attack them, and have not yet been able even to do that. On the contrary, they gain ground upon us every where j while we feem to do nothing but fit ftill and look on. We hear many things propoicd, or rather talked of, but we iliould be glad to fee fome- thing done. Surely it is high time. In the mean time we fhould be glad even to hear any thing propofed, that was likely to fucceed. Our ftrength and dependance feems to be our numbers ol men in North America-, but what life do we make of them ^ I don't fee any of them hardly employed ! — Not even in fervices upon which their all feems to deptfnd ; as well as the whole concerns of the nation in Amcri- lica I This i^the only advantag, we have over F our m&l vki l-lf^'l^' .t '1 III i'l '«i; .; Li ii: iiiJEi' iM : i V' ■V":>| , .'.I 1" .! d if not impradicable to do it. Is this the way to drive the French out of America? To recover our loft territories from them ? — Or even to hinder them from over-running all that continent ? — To fecure our colonies, and hinder dieir encroachments for the future? — Or ever to expcd an honour- able peace from them ? — It was for thefe pur- poles, that we went to war, and if we don't purfue them, what occafion had we for fuch a war ? This was wrote fome time ago. There JS, r 5' J There may be fchemes laid for thofe pur- pofes, deeper than we can fee through ; other- wife they mull be of little fignification. Our only aim feems to be, to take Crown Point, and have aflembled no force but for that purpofe. But what confcquence is that of, fuppofe we Ihould take it ? It would hinder the French from cutting our throats, you will fay, at prefent, but it will not do it hereafter. They will carry their point, notwithftanding we fhould take Crown-Point, This is not - their point in view, and far lefs the only one we (hould have in view. Their great point is, to fccure Niagara and fort du ^efie, by which they will fecure all the inland parts of North America, and almoft that whole conti- nent ; and have all the reft of it at their command, when they pleafe. And if they can keep you employed about Crown- Point, till they do that, they may laugh at you when you have taken it. Whereas, if we were to fecure thefe places, we Ihould lofe little cr no- thing by Crown- Point, For this reafon we have been at no fmall pains to explain the confequence and impor- tance of many places, as well as of Crown- Point ; which few feem to have any notion of. It is true, Crown-Point is an important place to gain, and a way to diftrefs the French, if wc Ihould carry it 5 but it is not the way to F z get ^m:: ifp', ■{ mm ;'ijlir''''i iS! itill!' ' "1" { 1. ^i| » ni;;iiM»i||:|| ' : *' \' rib" ■ <■ 'I '■ ■Am t'! 'Illlri * 1 ' t 1' ■", ■.! 'I' ' . 11. 1 ill " ' ll.il i ;*jv rl I :f-r [50 get the better of them, ^ind root them out of their encroachments, the only thing we want. To attack the French at Croivn-Poini^ Mon- treal^ or i^tebec^ places that we might do very well without, is like attacking them in Flan- ders ; to take the bull by the horns -, while we have fo many ways to circumvent tliem, and to carry every point we want, without any of thofe more expenlive, precarious, and frnc- lefs exploits. If you would root the French out of Ame- rica altogether indeed, take Crown-Pointy Montr^aly and Quebec ; which may not be \o * eafily done perhaps, nor fo much for our purpofe. But if you would recover your lof- fes, fecure yourfelves, and prevent the farther progrefs of the French, or their future en- croachments, take A^.vz^^r^ and Fort du §uefne. This we apprehend might not be fo difficult to do, as to attack Canada^ whilft it would do all that we want. Whereas, if they keep us wholly employed in attacking Canada^ Cape Breton, or any other place, which they would employ us about for fome time at leaft ; if we fucceed at lad, which may be very precari- ous ; yet thfy will carry all they wantj if we Jeave them in pofTefllon of Niagara^ and the river Ohio. It may be faid perhaps, we fhall take thofe place*; at laft •, but I can fee grea?: danger in fo m^iiy delays ; efpecially ifwecon- fidcv [ 53 ] fider our engagements elfewhere, as well aa in America. Now it we confider the fituation of our co- lonies here reprefented, howcafy might it be,to take Fort du ^lefne^ and feciire the river Ohio at leaft ? By which we might have accefs toiV/- a^ara \ root them out of all their encroachments about lake Erie ; and drive their force from our frontiers, fo as to have nothing to fear from it. — By this one Hep likewife we Ihould recover and fecure all the Indians of North America, and retrieve our loft credit with thofe people, who do us fo much mifchief, and the French fo much fervice j the great point we have to gain. We are not afraid, I hope, that every one is to meet with the fate of the unfortunate ge- neral Braddock^ or ever to attempt thofe places any more, becaufc he mifcarried at them. We were not then fo well acquainted with thofe places, nor our own ftrength or fituation, as it is to be hoped we are now, or may be ; to which every piece of intelli- gence may contribute fomething. For this purpofe our northern coIonies,with the forces in them may eafily keep the French at home to defend themfelves on their their own frontiers, if not take their frontier places from them : while the middle divifion ot our colonies above mentioned, with what- ever riiii 4m 111 ^i" '1 ' ' t 'I Ti ■, ■ I :l 1 ■ ■ !i,:i:i r54i ever force they could niufter, might afTemblc upon the Ohio, and attack Fori du ^efne, Thefe middle colonies have not lefs than fc- vcnty or eighty thoufand fencible men in them, if not more; and could fuch a number of men be of no fervice to recover our lofles and their own ; or to oppofe a thoufand or twelve hundred men the French have upon the Ohio ? I do not hear of one of them em- ployed for that purpofe, if it be not to keep two or three forts at bay with the Indians -, at as great an expencc perhaps firft and laft, as it would take to drive the French from the Ohio altogether, by one ftroke of their whole force joined together : by which likewife all their encroachments upon us, Niagara, Lake Erie, k Detroit, &c. muft fall into our hands ; and we might recover by this one ftep all we want in N. America, in the fame manner that the French took it from us. This, that we have reprefented, feems to be the way to condudl, and difpofe of the fu- perior force we vaunt of in America -, which is otherwife like an unwieldy machine that is not to be managed, nor made any ufe of; and that at all times, as well as the prefent. From what has been faid, I hope, no one will imagine, that 1 pretend thereby to pro- pofe meafures, and far lefs to prefcribe rules, to the right honourable their general and com- I' ii ■■ [ 55 1 commander in America, to whofe fupcnor Ikill and conduct the diredion of thofc things is entruftcd, with fuch juft and general ap- plaufe and fatisfadlion. Our only view and defign is, to ftrcngthiu his hands \ by making every one unite and concur with him *, other- wife we are atraid of little fuccefs. And when they do that, I hope they will rather take his advice, than mine, who am no ways ac- quainted with fuch military operations ; what- ever little intelligence I may have gained of the fituation of our colonies, which he has fo much better opportunities to know. Our colonies and others perhaps may imagine, that every thing is to be done at home^ and that Britain is to take the whole burthen of protecting and defending them. But we fear they may have occafion enough to exert and employ all the force they can, if they exped to be effedually protected and defend- ed — Britain has many affairs to manage at home, that more nighly concern it; and others again in many parts of Europe, which muft be attended to •, while it is led into difficulties and diftreffes for its colonies. The colonies then mufl: exert thcmfelves, both in their ov;n defence, and in the intereft of their mother country ; if ever we expefl to fee them in any manner of fafety again, or the troubles in them brought to a happy conclufion. I They IN IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) h A '/ :/. V 1.0 I.I 1.25 lis ■ 10 u^ ^ ^ 12.2 I; U 11.6 V] vS / Hiotographic ^Sciences Corporation V ^^ 37 ^; 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 lV 6^ '^ '•rt \H^ > 4 m !IU [ 56 ] They know furely, that their welfare de- pends upon the profperity of Britain — Do they complain of high duties upon their commo- dities ? They cannot expedl to be free from them, when there are fuch high taxes in Bri- tain. And there muft always be fuch taxes from long and tedious wars, the occafion of them. Our colonies feem to be very defirous and tenacious of their liberties and priviiedges : but how long do they expe 1 1- • ' I( m "'Am [60] thofc Joflcs, or even to prevent many more fuch, but by the fame meafures now. This is the way in which our enemy has adted ; they have raifed the whole force of their Colo- nies, and how are we to oppofe them, but to do the fame in eur colonies ? If we have or may have other engage- ments elfewhere, and nigher home, this will give us an opportunity to attend to them, and comply with them -, for which purpofe let us get rid of our engagements in America, and unite our force together, wherever it may be want- ed for other purpofes : a thing that might have been done long ago, with half the ex- pence it has fmce coH:, if it had been only ordered : and a thing that mufl be done at laft, if we ever expert to do any thing, as far as I can perceive at leaft. All that we have got, or can expedb, by delaying it, is, to make ic ten times more difficult and chargeable to do, as we have already done. The enemy are every day pouring in troops into all parts of America, while we have none to fpare to fend after them, that are likely to do any thing at leail, and make no ufe of the numbers of men we have there ? Without fome fuch meafure at leaft, what do we do, but protrad a tedious and expen- five war, that is as great a load and burthen to the nation as it is a difcredit and dishonour to it i without any view of an end to fuch an in- glorious t 6' ] glorious and cxpenfive war; or any profpe^ from it at lad but ruin and deftrudtion every where j — We arc furrounded by a dangerous enemy on all fides, who do us all the mifchief in their power, and we do not (o much as arm our people in their own defence, not even to prevent their throats from being cut ! This we are likely to hear many more accounts of, from the great force the French have fent to America of late, and raifed there together, than the many tragical fcenes that have been com- mitted by the inconfiderable force they have had there hitherto. It cannot be alledged, that there are no men to be raifed in our colonies, lince the contrary is fo well known. They raifed nigh 10,000 men the laft year in all our colonies put toge- ther* fufficient not only to have faved Ofwego^ but to have done all that was wanted perhaps, or at leafl to have put an end to the bufinefs this year, if they had had orden for that pur- pofe. But it is neither our bufinefs nor de- fign to inquire into pad conduct, but to pro- vide for the future. If our colonies raifed fuch a force before, voluntarily and of their own accord, how much greater force might they not raife by exprefs orders for that purpofe ; which is all that feemsto be wanted, to retrieve ail our loffes in America, to root our enemy out of all their encroachments there, and to bring them to reafon very foon \ all that was ?; :v >-. wanted ^-n;:': [ 62 ] T^^nted by this war; which we fecm to have no other way to accomphfh ! — If we do not attempt this at lead, what do we do but carry on a war, without Co much as endeavouring to anfwer any of the ends of it ?— If it had been intended to give up thofe countries in America, that the French have overrun, we could not take a more effedual way to do it, than what has been taken — And it would have been much better furely to have done that at firft, before we incurred fuch an expence for them, and loft the honour and glory of the nation with them. : We are am u fed indeed with an intended expedition to America, which we wifh all fuc- cefs to. But what if that Ihould fail ? Or what if the French ftiould attack fome of our morel m- portant colonies, while we are attempting fome trifling place of theirs ? And what if they (hould have fent more :nen to America, than we have done? They have certainly many more to fpare tor that purpofe. What fituation would our af- fairs in America be in th. n ? We fliould meet with nothing but difgrace and difhonour, with Jofs upon lofs every where; which there would be no way to prevent, but by raifing our force in America. , , -^ - - " - - - Five or' dx thoufand men indeed might !iave done the bufmefs in America very e^fily at lirft, but we have now let that opportunity Hip, it is to be feared. The French have been fending ♦ * « • •^^ >*!,V have do not t carry souring f it had tries in jn, we do it, would /e done jxpence f of the itended 1 all luc- Dr what loreim- ig lome f Ihould Nc have to fpare our af- d meet r, with would r force might y e^fily rtunity /t been fending , 1 63 ] fending mcil to all parts of America for thcfc three years paft, and have raifed all the men they have there to join them •, and we fee what a convenient fituation they are in every where' to aflcmble their whole force together ; which mud be fuperior even to the force that we pro- pof'*. to fend to attack them in their entrench- ments and fortifications. What have we to do then, but to raife the force of our colonics Jikewife, either to join thofe fent from Britail^i' or to make adiverfion in favour of one anothtrf By this we might do ourbufinefsat once, bf-' fore it is too late, and out of our power t6 do' it at any rate •, which it Would otherwife feenri' likely to be very foon. Without this we on^' ly employ ^ few men at'a'tirne t6 be madc^ a facriffce bf-, and feem tcyaft 'as' if we were- afraid of Kurtihg an ehemy, that has done vti' ail the mHchief in their poW^i*, and threatctt' us with the lofs of every thrng that is tJ'P confedu^Hce or concern to us.' ^' ^ •— ^ ^^ It was the like dilatory li'.d backward pro- ceedings ih 'the beginning of the laft war,' that kept the nation fo long in itj and run It* into fuch a dbbt by it, for no manner of piir-' pofe*, biir' the fame meaRires in this war are likely to be attended with much worfe con'fe- quences : we gained nothing by that, as indeed we had nothing to gain by it from the Spani-' ards at lead -, but we have much to lofe irf this i*tr. 1 ^ A' j l;i»;'> [641 this war, and feem to be in a fair if not a cer* tain way to do it, ufnlels we prevent it in time» before it may be too late. The confequence of fuch lolTes mud be, the nation will be de- prived of its very refources ; by which, and by which alone, it is able to recover itfelf after fo many lolTes and misfortunes, and expenfive wars, or even to hold out under them. The colonies are the great fources from which this nation draws its fubftance, and fupports itfelf under fuch burdens and opprefllons from debts and taxes ; and if it is deprived of them, it mud be deprived of its very vitals, and the only means it has either to recover or fupport itfelf i not to mention its naval power. Our enemy feeing this (Irike at the very root of our profperity and felicity, with a view to cut us oflf both root and branch, if pofllble ; which we feem tacitly to fubmit to, or do not ufe our endeavours at leail to prevent ! It feems to be the only inquiry of many> who may be the authors of fuch meafures, and who not ; which is none of our buQnefs or de- fign to inquire into, and would avail but little to the nation perhaps, if we did. Our only defign is to prevent fuch calamities, if polTible } to which we imagine a fair account and re- prefentation of them may be fomewhat at lead: conducive. In giving fuch an account we do lioc inquire into condudt, but only reprefent matters >t a cer- in time, equence Ibede- ch, tnd 'elf after cpcnfive 1. The lich this »rts itfelf irn debts hem, ic and the • fupport tr. Our otof our ^0 cut us which ufe our >f many, ires, and :fs or de- but little )ur only poiHble •• and re- X at lead Int we do reprefcnt matters [ 65 1 natters of fa6b as we find them, as far as they have come to our knowledge. This we ima- gine is the bcft way to amend our conduifl, if ic has been amifs. For doing this we claim only the privilege di(5tated to all mankind by that golden rule^ no manjhouldfet idle, and fee his country fuffer. But in complying with, that we do not ftudy to make others fufFerwith it ; but on thecontrary^ would ad vife and aflift them, as far as is in our po- wer at lead, to prevent the wrongs the nation complains of, as well as the vengeance it is apt to take upon thofe, whoever they are, that may fo fenfibly wrong it. And for either of thefe purpofes we can do nothing better, than in- quire into the ft ate of cur affairs in America^ in orde^; to retrieve them, before it may be too iate i for which purpofe, an inquiry into the iituatioh, importance and confcquence, of thofe countries there, that the enemy has overrun, with the ways of recovering theni, fecms to be the moll proper inquiry, either to obtain fuch defired ends •, to redrefs the griev- ances of the nation ; or to prevent the ruin with Which it is btherwife threatned; IV. OBSTACLES to this union of our '• '- ' '■ Colonies confidered, ' -» We fee fome difficulties indeed in all this that has been propofed, as plain and reafonable II as xw- %k^^^. :^.^:^. ^^:ii [ 66 ] \ as it othcrwife appears •, which we cannot but animadvert upon, fince thofe difiicultics, who- ever may make them, (»rc fo plainly repug- nant to the public intcrefl: and welfare. In the firll place, they fay, intereft rules all the world, ami why fliould it not rule our co- lonies likcwilt: ? If we make any propofal to i^irle Englishmen, without allowing them fome fbare and intcreil in it, we fear ou- propofals will be all in vain. As long as the colony of tJe^'-En^!i>!(i can defend their own frontiers, that they aic told only belong to them, by the forts of Majfaihujels^ Pelham^ Shirley^ and Sievem, ^i: if they, are even allowed thefe, we fear they will have but lictle regard to lake Cha'/nplaiuy Crown- Pointy or Lake Ontario, that lie on their neighbours frontiers, unlefs th^y are allowed fome intcreit in them. This they have a right to by their charter, which extends from Tea wO fea, while they have been hemmed in by other colonies wkhin loo miles of the Tea. By this means, that refpcdlable colony, that is the only fupport and fccurity of all the reft we have there, and is only able tooppofe the defigns of our enemy, is confined from exert- ing itfelf, and prevented from being of the general fervice it might otherwife be. It is confined in a manner to the fea coaft, has hardly land fufficient to fupport the people in it, Jnftead of producing any commodities for Britain ; Brliain •, by which it is obliged to interfere with Britain and the other colonies in trade and manufadlures, while the French overrun all thofc countries about it» which the people o{ NeW'Eiig!cnl would have fettled and fecu- red long ago, if they had been only allowed to do it. But at the time when the French feized mod of their prefenc encroachmenrs on us, about the year 1730, both Britain and many of th« colonies feemedto be in a flate of warfare with ,Neiv- England. This is a difficulty, you may imagine, that is eafily removed by ikclnr.ng a Peace between them : but that perhaps may be as difficult to do, as even to make a peace be- tween Britain and France at this prefent^ There are difficulties in this lb great, that I do not know how to propofe them, and far lefs to re- move them. But is there no way to be thought of, to allow thofe Chcrter Cclomei to extend any farther, or as far as they can .'' Surely the fecurity of the Britifh dominions, of all lake Chnmplain^ lake Ontario^ Niagara, Sec. depends very much upon it j whatever objections there may be to it. ' — . . , . , .; This is an obftaclc that feems to ftrike at the very root of our progrels and improve- ments in North America, efpecially in the charter colonies •, and there are others that eciually retard and obflrudl it in all this nonh- H 2 crn 'W^^' V^'^'.i ,^:H - J I'l iii'h ■■■lai [ 68 ] cm divlfion of our colonies abovcmenfioned. There are difputes fubfifting between the crown and the people there, that arc enough to ovcrfet every thing that could be propofcd, and far more undertaken, for either of their interefts. There is no wonder then to fee the frcnch overrun our colonies, as they have done, while thefe difputes engrofs the attention pf the public fo much, and crofs and thwart ^11 public meafures that can be propofed. But to fee if any thing can be done in thefe northern colonies-, the chief thing is furely to flrengthen the colony of New-Tork as much ;is poflible ; which, we are forry to fee, fome would rather endeavour to divide and weaken, contrary to the general and public intereft and welfare of the whole nation both at home and abroad, and the chief thing the nation has to attend to perhaps in all America. How far this colony, and the whole nation in America, has been weakened already, by feperating New Jerfey from it, I would rather leave to others to (how, who may be better acquainted with it. This we may fafely fay, as far as I can fee, that, however convenient fuch a divifion may be for the good of government, if it has proved fo, as it was faid to be for a governor, when it was made, we can at lead fee nothing in fuph a divifion confiftent with the fafety and fccurity fecurity of thofe colonies, and far lefs with the ftrength of the nation in America. ,. • The province oi" Nezv I'ork is not above 12 or 15 miles broad, if lb much, in the chief and principal part of it niih the fca-coafl, and not above 60 or 70 within land ; whilft ic ha5 a frontier to defend, from Montreal to the Sti'aits of the lakes and farther, that is im- menfe.. not lefs than 1000 miles and upwards in 1 ngth from eaft to well, befides its great breadth from north to fouth : and that at a great diftancc from the feat of governmcnr, which is at the very remotefl: extremity of the J rovince from this frontier. This again is the whole frontier of the Bri- tifh dominions in America, that is and has been pppofed to the French, and liable to their con- ftant incurfions and encroachments. It is on this frontier that Crozvn- Point, Lake Cham^ plain, fort Frontcnac, Ofwcg-Oy Niagara^ De- troit, and all the moft important places in North America, and encroachments of the French, are ficuated. All thefe places arc left entirely to this fingle little colony to defend and fecLire, while we have fo many more po- tent ones on all fides of it : — We might have defied the dice furely to have thrown our af- fairs in North America into a worle fituation, than they are by the dividon of our colonics. if u [ 70 3 IF thofe things are rightly confidercd, how neceirary will it appear, to let not only New Jerfey, but New-England likewife, have fome ihare and intereft in thofe frontiers. The French indeed have contra(5lcd them into a pretty narrow compals of late, but they are pot more fecure on that account. If it belonged to us to make fuch proper re- gulations, as might be mod conducive to the public fafety and fecurity, we fliould rather think, that Conne£!icut^ if not Rbode-'Jlan J like- wife, fhould be joined to New-Tcrk^ inftead of feparating New-Jerfey from it. And if the French continue in poflelfion of Crown- Pointy fome fuch regulation may not only be proper, but abfcluteiy ncceflary j I mean, for their mutual fafety and defence. While this little colony of New Tork had all this extenfive frontier to deft-nd, and all thofe important places on it to proted' and fe- fecure, or guard againft an enemy, it has had the whole weight and burden of the manage- ment of the fix nations, on whom the intereft of Britain in America depends, as much as it does upon this colony itfelf. In fhort, the the whole intereft of the nation in America, fo far as regards the French encroachments, feems to depend upon, and to have been left to this little colony alone. ; If thofe things are confidered, how necelTa- I, how y Nev) 'C fome The into a hey are oper re- e to the d rather ^j}d like- ^ inftead And it* f Crown- : on! y be nean, for York had and all and fe- t has had manage- |e intereft uch as it ort, the erica, fo ts,feems ft to this necelTa- [ 7» ] ry and requifite will a union of our colonics appear to be ! It is for want of this alone, that the French have been able to oppofe all our more numerous and potent colonies in America, and to over-run them as they have done V becaufe they had in fa6t none to deal with, but this one fingle colony of New-Tork alone, which is no way equal to the ta(k, however thriving it may be. , When fuch important concerns depend upon this one colony, it has been divided and diftraded in itfelf ; oppofed 'by its neighbours ; weakened and divided ; bur- dened with expcnfive law-fuits ; and in feuds and diflentions with the government at home ; by which the French have been in a manner allowed to over run our frontiers without any oppofition from us j and tl"ie nation is now put to luch an expencc both of blood and treafure to recover them. Hlnc ilLe lachrym^: '• - If you would oppofe the dcfigns of the French in America theii, either now or here- after •, recover your lolfcs and territories from them ♦, put a ftop to their encroachments, and exorbitant growing power •, fecure yourfelves againft it •, protedt and defend your colonies j or prevent the loPies and misfortunes, expen- ces and chanies, dangers and difficulties, that they may and will bring this nation into; I repeat ¥>'■ [ 7^ 1 repeat it again, Tiow or never Jlren^then the co- iony of New -York — Hie labor ^ hoc opus eji. Many judicipus and reafonablc propofals have been made for this purpofe, particularly by doflor Colden^ and Mr. Kennedy ; which fince they have never been regarded, I forbear io mention them, or any others, as too exten- five for my defign. > '. ^ ; i' ■ - '' « , We come next to confider the middle divi- fion of our coionies above mentioned, and the obftrudtions that occur to their union. Here "we have a mod difagreeable fubjeft to confider^ the religious principles of mankind ; which likewife, with every thing that could well be thought of, have confpircd to ruin our affairs in America, and njuft certainly endanger the lofs of our colonies altogether, unlets thofe caufes of their danger and difgrace arc reme- died and removed in time. This will plainly appear from what has al- ready happened. The firft motions of the enemy in our late difturbances, their chief en- croachments upon us, about lake Erie^ and the river Ohio, lye in the province of Penjyhania.^ that has as many, if not more people in it than all this middle divifion of our colonies put toge- ther, and both from this and its fituation with regard to the enemy fliould be the ftrength and bulwark of the nation in that part •, whilfl: this colony either difclaims the ufe of arms, or 2 is ire rcme- is ^o divided by a rnixt'jrluUicude of people of fo many different natiohs arid perfuafiohs, that it can make no ufe of them, nor exert the great force and ftrengtn it might otherwife'be fecurc in,, from fucli a number of people in fo fmall a compafs. Here then Jies our weak •fide i which the enemy, even the Indians, knew lb well, that tKey have taken the ad- vantage of it all along; and feeitied to be the great caufe of their bold and defperate atterilpt upon the Ohio, They told ui therel ^*^Itho* ." they were fenfible the Englifh could raife ".twp men for tl^cir one ; yet they knew, •* their motions were top iQow and dilatbry'to *' prevent any undertaking of theirs. -7- Thfcy " ^xpj^fted ' to fight the Englifti for three "years, (as they have done) in whicH time "they, ^c^uld conquer :"* knowing our de- fencelefs ftate there. And for all I can yet fee, they are like to make their words gpodiv:/'.; ^.v"."'-..**" ' ■;•"*' ''"''-': This we do not fay with deGgn to prejudice a people, to whom the nation is much indebt- ed fpr a flouriftiing colony they Have planted, in one of the moft important parts of ^he Bri- lifh (Jominions in North America. On the contjrary, we mean only to (how them their undoubted error, for their own good and the welfare of the whole nation, that depends much • Waftiington's journal, page 15, 17. ..s :;;;., ■ m n upon upon them ; which they have now the fairefl: opportunity to (how, if they are not blind to all fenfe and reafon,. as well as their own inte- reft, in more refpeAs than one. . They are fituated in the very midft of the Britifh dominions in America *, oppoHte to all the inland frontiers of them *, are nigh and convenient to all thofe inland parts, much more fo than any other Britifli colony ; have ♦ a ready accefs to them ; and numbers of men to defend them ; while they are defended and fecured themfelves by the other colonies on J the fide of the fea ; and have nothing to fear but a handful! of French, lately fettled on their borders. Is it not their bufinefs then, as much as it is their intereft, to root them out.? If they do not, will they not encreafe , and multiply ? to the perpetual difturbance and annoyance of them and all their neigh- bours, and the ruin of the Britifli intereft in . America entirely, if not of the whole concerns of the nation there? *" ^"' ' ' '"'* ''' ' ^ This is a matter of weighty concern and fe- . rious confideration. And furely if they would . confider rightly of it, no people in the world . perhaps ever had a fairer opportunity offered them, not only to fecure their own intereft and , properties, but to gain every thing elfe that is valued and efteemed among men ; the ap- plaufe and praife of their prince j the thanks • I and e faireft Olind to wn intc* ft of the itc to all nigh and ts, much y ., have rs of men nded and Dlonie^ on ng to fear fettled on inefs then, root them )t encreafe iifturbancc icir neigh- intereft in |le concerns t u ^ and efteem of their neighbours; the fafety and welfare of their country ; the rewards of the great and bleiTings of the poor \ with eve- ry thing elfe that muH* necefTarily be the fruits of thefe great and laudable attainments. Sure- ly if they ad like men, they will never lofe an opportunity of acquiring fuch honour and glory, and fo much good both for themfelvcs and their pofterity ; which in their prefent fituation they may both have fo much need •of*-'"-'*' ■— --i^ ■ '-.-^ - • . -5.r w But on the contrary, if they lofe this oppor- tunity, and fuffer themfelves to be blind to their own intereft, as well as the intereft of the whole nation, by fitting flili with their hands in their bofom, while they and their neighbours are in danger of having their throats cut every day; will it not be faid, as it has already been faid, that they are a chief caufe of all the loOes and misfortunes the whole nation has fuffered, and may fuffer on their account ; and that they pofTcfs fuch a fine and fpacious, fruitful and fiourifhing country, in the midft and moft convenient place of all the Briti(h dominions in America, to oppofe their declared enemy, for no other •end and purpofe, but to let that enemy over- run it, and endanger or ruin the whole nati- on and all its colonies by it Weigh thefe I 2 * two I ^l.f^f*I ^^■i s- :IM Mi two together, and fee which you will chooft— One of themi am afraid you muft choofe.' .. . All then who have any regard for that dnce thriving and flourilhing colony of Fen^ Jyhmia-^ will not only advife and, perfUade thehi^ for their own fafety and welfare/ afe •wdl as their very being- in a manner, to throw off' that impradicable principle (not to, fay Jwdrfciof it ) of living in the midft of , the ►French without tihe ufe of arms, but..i^iU compel them to it, if they continue obftinate. 'If.'they: havi no o'ccafion. for arms* nowr^ they ^e^y^fdon may and willy and >ma(ytibr|pg the nation- into many more dif|icultiea atg^in petr haps, J if they continue in that perfudfiOit. If they liad accepted: of the offer that wa&jn^de them irtiany years ago, to build a fort' ol), their frontiers, upon the very place where fortdu ■^efnff now (lalnds, th«. place would not have been in the ^hands of thi. French, and th^y would not have had both tlieir own.ind their neighbours throats cue by a mercilcft enemy* ^s they have had^ and this natioil wpuld not have fuflainM the lofsdf fo much, blood and treafure, as it has, and is likdy to iuftain^sOn that account. ; - . Penfyhania is both by its fituation, and num- bers of people, the chief frontier of all the Bri- tifly dominions in all North America :.the whole Concerns of the natioii m the inland parts of America, r 77 ] America, and the fecuricy of that whole con- tinent, depend much upon it. And if the people will not defend fuch an intercft, it muft be given to thofe that will, otherwife it will infallibly be loft. I fay it and foffee it plain- !y,who have forfeen and foretold all the prefenc Jofles we fuftain on thofe and the like accounts, as any one might do, who will be at the pains to confider our fituation in America, and compare it with that of the French. It is in vain to plead the different principle by which you have lived fo peaceably, and throve fo well, among the Indians : that is hot the way to live and thrive among the French. And it is ftill more inconfiftent, to be holding councils and aflemblies for years together, to fee whether you fhall repel an ene- my, or fuffer them to keep quiet poffefTion o^ his majefty's dominions, at your very doors ; becaufe you may imagine, contrary to pldirt evidence perhaps, that yoii have no concern in them. — If the cafe was fo, is not yout houfe in danger, when your neighbour's is on fire ? * . It is not only now, but for ever hereafter, when the French offer to fettle any where on or about lake Erie, or the river Ohio, that the colony of Penfylvania muft join at leaft in oppofing them •, however diftant they may be from their limits, which terminate hereabouts; other- IH 1 ^1 \p. ■u - f 7S ] othcrwife thofc important places muft be loft to Britain. -— There is no other Bricifh pro- vince, either convenient or able to recover, iccure or defend the river Ohio^ and the grcateft part of lake £r/>, which are the chief aim of the French to fccure, both now and always, but Penfyhania alone. This will plainly appear, if we take a view of the pro- vinces round this. I'M 7": •> •: ' .| Ncw-Jerfey, that borders on Pcnfyhaffia to the call, has no intereft here, nor within ioine hundreds of miles of it. And New- Ycrk is in the fituation above reprefented, having more to do already than it is able to do. .Maryland adjoining to Penfyhania on the fouth has no intereil neither on the river Ohio\ which their province does not extend to, but ends in a point at the mountains. Hence they have no inland frontier at all hardly, by which they neglect thofe frontiers fo much. But if they do not join with the reft, both in recovering and fecuring the river Ohio^ they will Toon be in jeopardy, ard the firft that muft fufFer. The road from fort du ^efne leads diredlly into Maryland, The next province' on which the recovery and fecurity of the Ohio depends, is Virginia^^ which is not nigh fo convenient to it, as cither Maryland or Penfylvania, The people of P'ir- ginia pafs through part of both thefe provin- ces [ 79 ] ces to go to the Ohio. Fort dii ^^tefnCy and the other principal places on the OhiOy are in Penfylvaniay and not in Virginia, There is but a fmall corner of the province q{ Virginia,, which runs out north-weft from the reft of the province, like a fingle point, that borders upon the principal places of the Ohio^ at a great diftance from the chief inhabited parts of the country •, while thofe places aie oppoGte to the very center of Penfylvania^ and not far from it. With this Virginia has not an half, by all ac- counts, of the fencible people, that Penfylvania has. They are likewife clogged with negroes 5 have a large and important fea-coaft to defend j anu have a large fouthern frontier upon the CherokeeSy and weftward to the MiJJifi^i^ to fettle and fecure •, all which Penfylva- nia is free from. This is the way by which the Ohio was loft, when it was left to Virginia alone. Not but that this province fhould bear a principal hand in defending the river Ohio^ and all other places upon or to the fouthward of lake ErlSy lee them be in Penfylvania^ or where they will. They have a large and ex- tenfive concern both north, fouth, and \yeft of this -, whereas Penfylvania ends a little be- yond fort dii ^efne^ if not at it : unlefs fome way could be found out to extend thofe pro- prietary colonies, as well as the charter colonies. For all thefe rcafons, we fee how much de- pends upon Penfylvania \ no lefs than the fc- l!!i;i cuntv m ii 'tt [ 80 ] cur it y of the grcatcll and bcft part of all North America; which rnull be loft, unlcfs they defend it, and their own province with it. This I know is a harlh dodlrine, di/Hculc to teach, and more fo to learn, but it is a true one, and mud be obferved ; otherwifc all the interior parts of North America, here fo often reprcfented, muft be given up to the French •, which 1 do not fee how they are ever to be rooted out of indeed, unlefs the colony of ■Pinfylvania joins with others for that purpofe. uAnd if that was to be the cafe, what becomes of Penfyhania ? Will the French fpare it, ,think you, becaufe the people will not fight ? They may think as they will, but I think I can fee plainly, that the French have not only taken a great part of it already, at leaft a third, if not oneHalf of that province, but that they mufl and will keep that and all the reft with it, whenever they may want it, unlefs the people learn to light, and that obftinately too —Let them not depend upon others to do it for them— There art none to do it — Every one has enough to do with their own concerns, and they muft mind theirs, or give them up altogether. AH this they may plainly fee, by comparing the prefent fituation of affairs in Europe and America together. What we have faid is not out of prejudice, or any other defign that can be excepted to ; but on ihe contrary, we have been thus parti- cular [ 8i ] cular In reprefenting the fitiuitlon of tlils pro** VKRf, out oF regard to lb thriving a culoiiy, which might he the great Itrtngth and ilcurity ot many otthcinolt important concerns ofthe Willie n^ition in America, it" rightly contlufted 5 while it oiherwife Ictni'i to be in imminent danger of bfing loll, and many other impor- tant places with it. \i the French remain in pofleflion ot that important place, fort du ^eftie, the firfl thing they will do, no doubr, will be to convert it intoallrongand rcdoutable for trefsj which will give the people of P^w/y/i't?;//^ a greater occafion for the ufe of arms than any others perhaps in all America befides ; and they feem to have no way to prevent that neceflity^ but to ufe their arms now, before it may be too late. Here then we may fee the incredible bad fituation of our colonies, with regard to an enemy. Many feem to inquire and wonder, how it is poflTible for a hand full of French to over-run them* as they do ; but if they were to know the truth, they would fee it could hardly be prevented, without fome new regu- lation in our colonies. The charter colonics of New- England poflefs the whole fca coaft iri the northern parts, for 500 miles and up- wards, while they have no concern in the in* land parts : and the proprietary colonic'^j A'Vw-y^?/^v, Feiijyhaniay and Mar\Iandy pf- ' K \ fcfa iit.k \%\ [ 82 ] fefs all the reft of the fea-coaft to Chefapeak buy aimoft, for 4 or 500 miles farther, while they imagine they have no concern in the in- land parts of America neither. Thefe char- ter and proprietary colonies are diredlly op- pofed to the enemy, and all their encroach- ments, while they imagine they have no con- cern with them. Their private concerns end, where the public and great concerns of the nation begin. By this means the only two colonies we have to oppofe the French, or prevent their encroachments, are New-Tork^ and VirginLf ; the one burdened as above re- prefented, the other more encumbered per- haps with negroes^ and at a great diilance from the enemy, every way incapable and in- convenient to oppofe them. The only two confiderabic bodies of men in all our colonies are in New-England and Pen^ fyhania ; which, by being oppoied directly to the enemy, might at all times oppofe and prevent any of their defigns, if rightly con- dydled \ but as they are, the one is confined and hemmed in, as if defigned to be kept from adling, while the other will not ad at any rate : by which they are both in a manner loft to the nation, at leaft in its concerns in the in- land parts of America. The other proprie- tary colonies, New-Jerfey and Maryland^ that abound likewifc with men, feem to think I them- ^efapeak , while the in- e char- illy op- croach- no con- rns end, of the inly two inch, or 30ve re- red per- diftance i and in- )f men in md Pen- [redly to |ofe and tly con- :onfined :pt from |ny rate : loft to the in- )roprie- ind, that to think thcm- - r 83 1 themfelves fecure, when the French orcr-rim all North America. But if they all a6t as they have done, they had better give up their grants and charters to their own country, than to the French •, which the proprietors of Carolina were obliged to do but a few years ago, only on account of a few Indians. But how much more formidable muft they be, when all the Indians in North America are joined by the French, as they already are or foon muft be, unlefs all our colonies unite to prevent it. It is by this means that the French over-run our colonies, and ever muft do, while they continue in this fituation. And it is in vain to pretend to hide this from the French ; they have feen it long ago, as much as we feel it ; which even their officers told us on the Ohiot the caufe of their bold and otherwife defperate attempt upon that place. The only ufe that can be made of this our fituation, is not to huddle it up, as it has been, but to fee it, and amend it. One would have thought it was not in na- ture for the Britifti dominions in America to have been put in the fituation they are. They are in pofleflion of the fea-coaft indeed, as if they had been defigned to oppofe a naval power, or their mother country, while all their inland frontiers are left naked, defence- lefs, expofed and unguarded every where, to the >•>! 5 f {if m^M ■ W''f jlnij Mhm 'i ' *■:?■'& : fI !C ' If M [ 84 ] the ufurpation of a declared enemy, who fe- cure the whole by two places, Niagara and Fort, du ^lefne ; without a fingle one to pre- vent and oppofe the m, notwithftanding all the numerous and powerful colonies we have! — Britain may pretend to keep thofe colonies, if llie will, buc it will not be long that fhe will keep them in this fituation, unlefs it be, to keep them for the French^ and that at as great an expence perhaps as they may be worth. This feems to have been the firft war the nation has engaged in Tor its colonies, but it is not likely to be the laft of many, if they continue in the fituation they aie in. How convenient fuch wars may be to this nation. Jet them confider in time. The colonies themfelves likewife have hitherto throve and profpered, but they are not like to do fo long, if they are opprefied with wars, loaded with taxes, and burdened with debts, as they are already, in oppofing only a handfull of French, "who muft: foon become as numerous, and more powerful than they are, if they keep their prefent ufurpations. Let all then who defire the profperity and felicity of thofe realms, unite and confpire to- gether for fuch noble purpofes ; join in har- mony and friend fhip for their mutual fafety and wellfare ; unite and confpire together to root out a declared enemy from among them ; and fhow themfelves the worthy fons of B RI- TISH ANQESrOKS, SECT, [ S5 ] SECT. II. /, which the foil and climate in the interior parts of the country is every way fit for; while about the mouth of the river it only produces Rice and Indigo, When they are well fettled here then, where they have fuch a vaft extent and choice of frefh lands for this commodity, they muft outftrip our tobacco plantations, that are worn out with culture, in the fame manner, and for the fame reafons, that their fugar iQands have fo much outdone ours. It is well known, that upon fuch plenty of choice and frefh lands as they have here, they may make three times the quantity of that commodity, that can be made on old worn out plantations. And aitho' the river MiJJiJipi is not eafily navigated up againft the dream, yet any thing may be conveniently brought down it to its mouth, where there is a good port for (hipping, siiBalize, But [87] But hitherto the Indians have (lopped their progrefs on the Milpfyi, In 1729 they were cui oflf by an Indian maffacre there. And the banks of the Mijjijipi have been fo infcft- ed by the Cbicafaws, declared enemies of the French, that it has been dangerous for them to frequent it. For thefe reafons they fent a body of 2000 regular troops to the Mijfi/ipi in 1749 and 50, in order to awe thofe Indians, who had chietly declared for the Englifh in the late war. Between the Mijfifipi and our fcttlements in Carolina lies the river Coujfa^ which they lay claim to from the fame pretence as they do to the MiJJiftpi itfelf, to wit, becaufe they are fettled on the mouth of it at Mobile. This river is of great extent, heads among the Cherokeesy and runs through the whole coun- try of the Creek Indians •, whom they form pretenfions over on this account. Thefe Indians are the chief barrier and fecurity of the provinces of Carolina and Georgia ; v/hom the French are conftantly endeavourinj; to get footing amongft ; and thereby likewife to cut off our communication with that warlike nation of the Cbicafaws ; who have hitherto been as great an obftrudion to their progrefs on the MiJJiJipi^ as the Iroquois have been in Canada \ for which reafon they have almoll deftroved m HI ;t [i! [ 88 ] dcdroycd them, and have attempted to do it entirely. ■^- i n ...\ .. : ., : In 1 7 1 5 thofe Indians almoft overran Caro^ Una i and at that time the French feized the moft convenient place in all that country, the fort of Albamas ; which had been an En- glifli faclory and fettlement many years before. This they ftill keep pofleflion of, and threaten many other encroachments upon us here likewife, as well as in the north, particularly among the Cherokees, And if the French get footing among thofe Indians, who are fo nu- merous, or get them to join them, as they have done the northern Indians, which they have often attempted, the provinces of Caro- lina and Georgidy that have fo few men in them, muft foon be in a worfe fituationjthan our other colonies have been to the northward. All this is owing to our negled of their un- juft and illegal ufurpation of the Mijftftp* ; ♦ They fecured t\it MiJJtfifi in 17 12 by a grant to Mr. Croxat, m»de on purpofe to frudrate the ilipulatio! s they had juft entered in;o with Britain, ** in regard to ** the articles concerning Noith America, in which he •* (Lewis XIV) granted almofl every thing the queen of •• England defired'^.-f By thefe ftipulations they were to quit all the claims they then had in North America, except CanaJa ; to fruftrate which, and defraud this na- tion, they formed this new claim to the Mijjijtp'i\ whe e f Memoires deTorcy. Vol. II. p. m. 306. to . . . ■ . t *s 1 to which It is fiild they have lately fmt great numbers of troops, befides thofe they had there before ; from which our fbuthcrn colo- nies cannot but be in fome danger. where they then had no pretenfions, thnt were imblickly known at lead. This appears from the dates ofthcfc two afti : the ccffation of arm^ in confcquf nee of thofe engagements to Brit in, was figned Angull: 19th 1 71 2, and on September I4ih following, Lewis made this grant to his fecretary Qozati --'•*•• After the peace, they fecured the MiJJiJJ'.i by a new grant to the company in 1717. And if we allow cf that, they giin much more than they were to give up by the treaty of Utrecht ; and make void all the advantages the nation was to reap from it, the furrender of their cliims in North America, wherever they then had any that were openly avowed and publickly known, which thofe to the Mijfijipi were not. They had then defer ted i', except a few Stray! left among the Indians at Mobile j and rhe Englifli were then in poflbflion of the Miljijipi^ with people on it, at the treaty of Utrecht. Their grant of the Mijjifip't is ^'' bowtik.l by the lands oftht •• Eng'ip ofCarclina\ by the words of it. Cut the landi of the Englifh of Carolina inc ude that whole grant, according to grams made to them in 1584, in 1630, and 1664, long before this French grant, or any other pre- tenfions of theirs to the MiJJifiii, were fo much as thought of; and long before the treaty of Utrecht— k\\ thefe • grants, colonies and pofTeiuons of the Engliih, they trefpafs upon by this grant of the ^Uffi^ ; as well a3 upon thofe of T/V^^w^ in ^5^1' ^"^^ i6cg ; befides other later claims of the Engl i Hi from Purcho/es and Pojfejfms. They cr.nnot^ think farely, that we fliould pay any ■ regard to the magnifyed discoveries of Mr, La SJe ; a L But I :j«i 3Wj L 90 J But the views of the French from the Mijt/jfi are ftiil more cxtenfive and confider- able ; as we (hall Ihew below. VI. 1 o fum up the whole views and de- figns of the French in America together, we roving cavalier who rambled over thofc countries in 1680, to retrieve his own defperate circum (lances, as ihsy tell us themfelves. Yet it is from this infignificant pretence, and this alone, that the French claim the Mijfifipty Ohioy Great Lnkest and nineteen parts in twenty of all North America ! — If he, or Hennepin^ made any difcoveries^ they had them and their guides from the Englifh, as is attcded by two of the principal men in Canada at that time, iAr. de Tontty and F. le C/ergTS. The Englifli (befides their firil difcoveries and grants) difcovered thofe countries and the M/^/»/ in 1672 and 1678 — were the firfl that found the way into that river — were cat ofFfoon after on the ifle MaJJacre nigh its mouth, fo named from thence — fettled on the Mifftfipi again in 1698 — fecured a paiTage and the country from thence to the coad of Carolina that year — carried on a trade there for many years — had the fole pofleflion of the Mi£lfipi\ii 17 14, and at the treaty of t//r*f A/ ; when the French had only a few ilray people at Mobne and IJe Dauphin^ — This they were ooly deprived of for a while by an infurredlion of the Indians in Carolina in 171 j — After which the French feized x\i€ MiJJtJipii Albamai, &rc. and granted it to their Mijt/jpi company only in 1717 ; after the treaty of Utrecht, which decided thofe claims. At leaft we allow of none fmce — Their claims to the MiJJiJipi then are as groundlefs and unjuft, as the bubble they made of it ; which has been long ago (hown in Cox's Jccsuttt of Carelafta, to which we refer the reader. fhould C 91 ] Ihould not forget the fugar ifllands. Here they arc already very ftrong and powerful ; much fuperior to the Englifh, or any other nation 5 and feem to have it in their power already to command all thofe iflands, whether Englifli or SpaniOi, when they pleafe. If the Englilh have a fuperiority over them on the continent of North America, or the Spaniards in South America, the French have the fame advan- tage over both in the Iflands ; which afford the mod profitable commerce perhaps of any. Their pofleflions and colonies in the Iflands are now become fo confiderablc, that they fupply all Europe with fugars 5 while the Spaniards and Englifli do no more than fupply themfelves. The ifland of Barbadoes^ that has hitherto been fo fruitful, and afforded fuch fupplies of that commodity for nigh a hundred years, is but a fmall fpot 5 the foil of which is worn out by fuch perpetual culture, and will no longer produce fugar without great charge and expence. Jamaica again is moftly a mountainous country, that is either unfit for culture, or inconvenient for it in many refpedls, by which great part of it lies uncultivated. Whereas the French are pofTeflTed of the large ifland of St. Domingo^ at leafl: the mofl: valuable part of it, which is <;very way fruitful, and affords as much land L 2 fit ;» J ^f'^BJ [ 9^ ] fit .for fugar, as all the other iflands put toge- ther almoll ; befiues the vaft quantities of ind'gOy and other commodities tr»at come from it. By this ifland alone, which the French hrtve fettled fince the treaty of Utrecht, they have gained a greater trade perhaps, than all they had before that treaty ; by which they arc now able to vye with us fo much in trade and commerce every where, and to do fo much mifchief. Notwithftanding this, the French Hill en- deavour to enlarge their dominions in the Iflands ; have feizeii the ifland of St. Lticia^ and lay claim to all the other neutral iflands, St. Vincent y Dominica., and 'Tobago ; and will no doubt take the firft opportunity to fecure them, if th'^y have not in a great meafure already, by means of that ftrong fortrefs they have on the ifland of St. Lucia, that is reck- oned to be one of the mod impregnable ot any in America, from which they are always ready to march out, and make a conqueft of all the iflands round it. All this power and vaft trade, the French have gained chiefly by means of the ifland of Hifpaniola {St. Domif^go they call it for a blind) '«the largcfl:, moft convenient, and mofl: fruit- ful of all the fugar-iflands ; which they feizcd entirely by fraud and artifice, and hold it only ifronri ufurpation. The Englifla were formerly at [ 9J 1 at great expcnce to conquer this ifland, but to no purpofc, while the French got it for nothing. The well end of Hifpaniolay where they fettled firft, was a retreat for the bucca- neers 2ind freei'ooUrs of all nations, whom the French took under their protedlion, and by their means fecured the grcatcft part of the whole ifland, worming the Spaniards out of it by degrees, as they would the Englifli in North America. But I do not fee, that they have any right or tirle to this ifland confirmed er acknow- ledged to them. Such ^ufurpations can never be called a juft right. They have fettled this ifland almoft entirely fince the treaty of Utrecht, and thereby gained much more than they were to give up by that treaty, in parting with St. Chrijlophers. By thefe means they have evaded that treaty every where; and gained a vaftly greater trade fince, chiefly by means of this illegal ^furpation, than they ever had before. If the French then keep pofleflion of the neutral iilands, with the ifland of Hifpaniola, what mufl: become of our fijgar- trade, or even of the iflands themfelves ? They were able to deitroy the ifland of Nevis in 1 706, by the in- confiderable force they had then, and how much more able will they be to deflroy any of .our iflands with the fuperigr force they have 3 now. m? I 94 ] now. It is well known, that the only fafety of our iflands has been tlie fuperior force of ©ur colonies upon the continent ; but if the French over* run the continent like wife, and get the natives to join them, as they feem to have cone already, what mud beconie of our iflands, that are ilirrounded by fuch a fuperior iorce every where. The fecurity of our iflands then depends very much upon the fuccefs of our prefent engagements on the continent. The connec- tion ct thefe two, and their mutual depen- dance on one another, is well known. The iflands at leafl: can hardly fublifl: without the colonies on the continent. This is another •great point the French have in view by their proceedings on the cont)nent,in order to ftreng- then themfelves flill niore and more in the iflands -, by which they mufl: have the com- mand of them, and that whole valuable branch of trade entirely to tbemfelves. For this they only want a good and convenient colony or two upon the continent, fuch as N^va Scoiia or Lcwfiana *, which makes them fo intent upon fecuring thofe countries, in order to fupply and fupporc their iflands among other things-, thereby to gain all the rert in time, as they mufl: certainly do, if they go on there as they have done for twenty or thirty years pafl-. " ■. ■ . -■•■ - ■ VII. (( A C( ifety e of the and [n to four erior Dcnds refent nnec- epen- The It the lother their ^reng- n the corn- branch s they ly or Scotia upon upply hings; they IS they la. ■ VII. , [ 95 ] VIl. All the defigns of the French above-. mentioned, great as they appear and -really are, yet if they ever fiicceed in any ope of thofe, they may be reckoned only as preludes to much greater things — They are but a few leagues diftant from the ifland of CuJ?a^ with; a force fufficient to feize it,, when they pleafc. And what is there to hinder them to do it ? F have been infofm.cdi that they have attempted fettlement oo that ifland already, at Cape Mayze ; by which thoy may fooii worm die Spaniards out of Cuba, as they have done out of Hifpaniola. Cape Mayze is one of the mod: important pafles in all America, fuch ris Nia- gara is on the continent. This and the other fettlements they haveoppofite to it inHifpaniola fecure the windward pajfage entirely, the only fafe paflage we have from the iflands : and at the lame time leads diredly to the Ha- vana, - . , This was one of their great reafons for be- ing fo intent upon fecuring the Mijfifipi, and driving the Spaniards from about it at Penfa- ccla in 1719, becaufe they fay, " This navi- " gation to Louiftana, will further procure ivs »* a free {or forced) refort to the two fiimous " ports of the gulph of Mexico, viz. the •' Havana and Vtra Cruz.*'' And we • Second Voyage of La Salle, pag, 188. may \ » >"M m [ 9^ ] tray fee by the quantities of gold, and other Spanilh commodities, taken in their (hips from the Miffiftpi in the laft war, that they have not only found a way to the Spanifh ports from thence already, but likewife to the mines of Mexico ; to which they have an open road, and a fecurc trade, commonly fol- lowed by them from the Mtjfiftpi, The French no fooner went to the Mijfifipt^ after the peace of Utrecht^ than the fir ft thing they attempted was this trade to the Spanifh mines. For this purpofe they imme- diately fent a (hip to Vera CruZy and a convoy over land towards the mines of St. Barhe* This indeed the Spaniards were then alarm*^^ at, and prevented them by the war that e fued between them and the French in 1719. m * Mr. Crozat de fon cote, avoit recwnmande z M. de la Moite Cadillac, qu'il s'etoit affocie pour fon commerce, de faire des detachemens.du cote des Illinois, pour la decou- verte des mines ; & du cote des EfpagnoU de I'ancien & du nouveau Mexique, pour etablir le commerce avec ces deux provinces — La Motte Cadillac etoit a peine debarque a Tide Dauphine, qu'il enyoya le Navire, fur lequelle il etoit venu, a la Fera Cruz. — Le governeur fe flatta de rcuiffir mieux (^which they have done) dans une autre tenta- tive, qu'il fit par les tenes pour le meme fojer. — 11 avoit confie la conduite de cette expedition au fieur de St. Denys. II lui donna pour dix mille francs dc mercliandifes, & con- vint avec lui qu'il les laifferoit en depot chez les Natchi- toches, nation fauvage etablie fur la rmiere rouge, £sv. Chariewix Hiji. N. France, torn. IV. p. 170, & fqq. But other (hips they panilh ife to .ve an \\y fol- ftjjtjtph le firft to the ' imme- convoy Barhe.* alarmed that t n i7i9« zM.de la imerce, de ^r la decoa- incien & du ;ec ces deux le debarque kquelle U fe flatta de autre tenta- [ej.— 11 avoit le St. Denys. [difes. & COP" [z les l^atckl- rouge^ ^c. |& fqq. But [ 97 ] But the long peace and good Junderflanding between the two nations has fincc given the French an opportunity to purfue this their defign with more fuccefs -, of which we need no better proof than what is here mentioned, befides many accounts we have of this trade of the French from eye^witnefles. In this manner they encroach upon the Spaniards fe- cretly and artfully in time of peace, in the fame way as they have done upon the Eng- lifli. This road from the French fcttlements in Loufiana to the Spanijh tninesy which you will fee laid down in their maps *, is much fhorter than is commonly imagined by many, who take fuch diftant countries to be more remote than they really are. When the Spaniards refufed them free accefs to their mines, they fecured their way to them by a fort built for that purpofe t> on a large branch of the Miffifip running weft, called the red river ; among a confiderable nation of Indians called the Natchitoches, their friends ap.d allies, where they keep a ftrong garrifon, and laid up their magazines for thisclandeftine trade with the Spaniards, f as tt.ey ftilldo. About fifty or fixty leagues weft from the NaUhitocheSy are another confiderable nation of Indians ^ See the maps of ^t' life and Bell'n^ f Charlevoix ^ ibid. M \n s!iF*">.: called [ 98 ] , called the CeniSy whom we are told the Frrtich have likewife got amongft •, or have alliance with them, as they may eafily get •, and who lead directly both into Mexico and New Mexico. From the Cenis to the Spanilh fron- tiers that defend their mines, called by them Prejidio del Nor te^ is but J50 leagues by the French accounts,-]- or about 200 from Natchi- toches, But thefe diftances are always reckon- ed greater in the woods of America than they really are. By the beft accounts of geogra^ phers, it is but 170 leagues weft from the Cenis to the mines of 6'/. Barbe^ reck- oned the richefl in all Mexico^ and about the fame diftance north-weft to Santa Fez^ the capital of New Mexico, that is, about 220 Jeagues from- the French fettlements at Natchi- toches. And by the fame accounts it appears to be but 280 leagues in a ftrait line from New Orleans, to St, Ba^he*. \, . .^ . , • ' ^ •' ^"^ This (C inj m f Charlevoix, ibid. * This we are certain of nighly, from the obfervations of the lon-^itude at Nenv Orleans, and boitom of the Bay cf Mexico, nigh the meridia.i of 5/. Barbe, with the latitudes of thefe 'wo places. Thefe mines of St. Bade lye in the nonh e.ift parts of Old Mexico, at the foot of the mountains of Nenv Mexico. The country is plain, level, and open to them, the whole way fiom the Mijfifipi j and the mountains of A'^w Mexico^ . ,\. which pat IOWCj French lUiance id who A New [h fron- jy them by the Naichi- reckon- han they • geograr from the ej reck- about the Fez, the Dout 220 at NaUhi- t appears line from obfervatiotis m of ihe Bay •■be, with the "1 eaft parts of Nenv Mexico- lem, the whole If Ncnjv Mexico, which [ 99 ] This is but a fmall way for the French to go for gold and filver, when they go fo conftantly ail over the continent of North America, ' from the mouth of the river St. Lawrence to the mouth of the M'fiftph upwards of 1060 leagues, only for a few beaver Ikins. And if they have not the fame conveniencies of a water-carriage to Mexico^ yet they have a much greater convenience perhaps for that purpofe, from the great plenty of beads of burden in a'l that country that leads to Mexico^ which is full of horfes wild in the woods ; where they tell us, •' We purchafed a very fine horfe^ •' that would have been worth twenty piftoles " in France, for an axe.*'* This is a grand objedl the French have in view, which makes them fo intent upon fecur- ing thofe vaft countries they call Lcuifiana ; >vhich not only leads to, but mufl command the adjacent tnines of Mexico ; if they do not abound equally with mines themfelves, as there is no doubt but they do, although the French have run from one extream to another in fearching for them. This makes them fo im- patient to get rid of the Englifh power in which feparate that province from Loiftam^ are but fmsill hills, like the Apalachean mountains in the e^ft, or rather lower,as we have from certain accounts. *La Salle, ibid. p. 16. M 2 ' - Ame- u\ ■II ml America, which only ftands in their way be- tween thefe and all their other defignsj the caufe of their entering into this war for that purpofe. It has furprifed many to lee tlie French en- gage in fo expenfive a war, only to fupport their inconfiderable colony of Canada, as fume imagine i from which they have nothing but a few beaver fkins, and that at the charge of 4.00,000 crowns a year to the public, they rcl! us*. If this was their only view, we could never imi'gine they would be at fuch a rifquc" and charge about it. It plainly ap- pears from hence then, as well as from all other accounts, that their views are much greater, to wit, the fccurity of Lojuf.auci^ as well as QanadiU and all North America with them -, which muft give them the command of the adjacent Spanifb. mines, whenever they find it proper and convenient ; bcfides the whole trade and commerce ot that continent \^ time. - - ■ . , This their view and defign plainly appears to be the whole fcope of their prefent ancl late proceedings in America, from the refult and conclufion of our negociations with them about it in 1753. Our miniltry offered * Charlevoix^ ibid. La Fother'u Hid. Amerique Septen- tiior.ale, S-.c, •■ ' to CO come to terms of accommodation with them, which ihey would willingly have done upon any reafonahle terms that could be pro- pofed, but the French injijted upon all the river Ohio as a preliminary to fuch a treaty of accom-^ modation ! as we have from the beft and un- doubted authority. They faw plainly, that the pofleffion of that river would put it in their power to command all North America, and infilled upon that, as a preliminary to treat with them about it.—— If this was to be the preliminary article, whac could we exped from the treaty ! It was not for a port or two in Nova Scotia -, but for all North America in effedl, that they were contending, and areftill. » ' i This their fettlement on the Miffiftpi^ if not taken notice of, is likely to turn to as greac account to them in time, as they conceived it might in 1719. They are not only convenient here to go to the mines of Mexico^ to which they have a good road already opened by land, and begin to carry on a confiderable trade there -, but if they encreafe and ftrengthen here, as they mult foon do in fo fine and cxtenfive a country, white they have fuch a fuperior force adjoining to this in the idands, they muft by means of thele two fo eafily joined together, and conftantly fupport- ing one another, foon be able to reap all the pro- m ''(«**(( * . f 102 ] profits of the Spanifli treafures in America, if rjot to feize them-— a thing that all Enrope is concerned in furely, as well as Britairti This mud be the confcquence lometime or other, although lew feem to fee it in a true light now. Their views and defigns then in North America are much deeper laid, and their confequence muft be much more alarm- ing to all who can lee before them, than moil people feem to apprehend. It is not to be imagined, that they would have engaged in fo hazardous and cxpenfive a war as this, only for the fake of a few beaver fkins, 'or a few barren fpots in Canada. . :< o^u^t, ■ Their views arc much more extenfive. They "not only aim at the acquifition of all thole immenfe territories above defcribed, but they expect to get fomething with them* They fee that tliofe pofleffions muft fecure to them the benefit of moft of the treafures of all America, and that they will have it in their power to il-ize them whenever it may be convenient, after they a'-e well eftablifhed in thofe immenfe territories that they call Louifi- ana \ which is their view and aim, by their prefent proceedings in North America. This they have had in view ever fince they fent Mr. la Sale to take pofTelllon of the Miffijipt^ and efpecially fince the vaft hopes they con- ceived of it in 1719J when they drove the Spa- ll :a, if ')pe is me or a true len in \, and aUrm- n moft to be ;d in To s, only r a few itenfive. I of all led, but them* cure to jfures of e it in may be ilhed in III Louift- by their This :hey fent tey con- [rove the Spa- r 103 1 Spaniards from about that river, and ber^^nn to conteft all the Englifh claims that n'lif terfcre with their defigns. , All thofe things have been meditated r many years, but they are now come to a rr//^;, and we muft prevent them now or ne-v^r. If the French have over-run ail thofe coiutrics, and made themfelves mafters of them alreacly, only with a handful of men, how wil' they ever be rooted out of them ; when they come to be well fc^cured and fortified in them, the the firft thing they will do, without doubt ; and to increafe and multiply, as they muft do in fuch fruitful countries ? It will then be in vain to fay that Britain ought to vindi- cate its rights to thofe countries •, or that Spain is endangered by them. They muft both fubmit to the fate they have broughc upon themfelves, if they fiifFer the French thus to over-run North America, and to fe- cure and fortify themfelves in it. We never fee tbem part with a place they once get fure footing in ; nor give up or negledlfuch ad- vantages as thofe here reprefented, the Spa- nifli treafures in America. It is not our opinion only, that the French muft fooner or later fcize the adjacent Spanifl^' mines, by means of their pofTeflions in Lou- iftana^ but we fee the Hime declared on a v^ry different occafion, by a very intelligent and > .- judi- W I ini 'I [ »04 ] judicious author, befides ochers, in an account of the fpanifti poflefllons in America thcm- felves i where he tells them, '* if ever the " French (hould become numerous in their *' fcttlements on the river MiJJiftpi^ th« ** Spaniards will run no fmall hazard from *' their neighbourhood, as muft readily atp- *' pear to any man who confiders with what " addrefs the French have fettled themfelvcs *' in St, Domingo'* ** This was the great view of Mr. la Salk in his rambles over this countrey in 1680, in queft of the mines of St. Barbe ; and of the French king fending him afterwards in 1684 to take poffeflion of the bay of St. Bernard^ that is not far from them. The profecution of this defign they were only interrupted in by the war with England in 16895 but im- mediately renewed the fame defign again in 1698, as foon as ever that war was over. Britain put a ftop to them again by the war that enfued. But foon after r^», *• they gained their point by 2l bubble in 17 19, which they could not do by force ; feized the fpanifh pofiefllons about the MiJJiJipiy and have ever fmce been going on to ftrengthen and fecure themfelves in thofe vaft countries. They felt indeed that Britain again crofled their ^■' -. r,: _ f, ^ »i--«! »'«si# 'Ulii _U'C'''^' ^- * Hiftpjy of Spanifh Ameiucg,, page r^. 1 I i «f i t ^ * S-r ■: defigna t to5 ] ikilgrts in the lafl war *, tor which reafon the/ purfujd them fo ciofely in the peace that cn- enfued -, and were determined to make their point good, and do as they thought Ht •, of engage in another war on that account with Britain, when they thought its power was fufficiently reduced by an expenfive war with two of the greateft potentates in Europe. If thofe things are rightly confidered, Spain has as much reafon to be alarmed at the pre- fcnt proceedings of the French in America, if not more, than Britain, The French arc clofe upon their borders in the hzy oi Mexico^ as well as in the Jfianth \ but Britain has no force nigh them. The French have a force in Hifpaniola^ and that raifcd within thirty years, if not twenty, fufiicient to command the iflands already. And iT with this they get fuch a power as they are contending for on the Mijfiftpii to fecure ail that river, and all its branches, even to the iburces of the Ohio^ thefe two forces, that are fo eafily joined together, in the mid ft of the Spanifli poflef* fions, muft endanger them, as much more than they do the 3iitifli territories^ as they are fo much greater objedts. , . . We fee, it is only the naval power of Btitaln that has hitherto oppofcd the French in all thofe defigns ; but if they go on to ftrengthen themfelves on the continent of America, and N gain \)\ \i(\ [ »c6 ] gain but a tenth part of the territories they pretend to lay claim to there, and are now contending for, the caufc muft be decided by a land war, in which Britain is no way able to contend with France. This we may fee from the tranfacflions of buth in America at prcfent. 1 he fituation of the French colo- nies likcwife is infinitely better, in a ftate of w.ir, than the Britifh, as we may fee from what has happened, and what is here repre- ■ftnted. With this Britain mud lofe its naval power, and France gain one, if /he becomes Superior in America. And what fecurity will cither Spain or Britan have for their pof* fclTions in America then ? If the French grow fo powerful both by fea and land, as they mull foon do, by carrying any of their prefent pretenfions in America. If the Englifh interfere with the Spaniards in America, it is only in a fmuggling trade that is of little confequence : Whereas the French take both their trade and their country, fecure and fortify them, as they may fee by Hijpaniola. But Britain is fo far from aiming at any new acquifitions, or conquefts, that it is not even the defire or intcrell of the nation to have them, if they were given to it. They would coft more than they are worth to a commercial nation, and obligd it to keep, a a ftanding they now ed bv • \j able ay fee rica at colo- tate of ! from repre- 5 naval ecomes ity will ir pof- h grow ty mull prefent laniards trade eas the :ountry, fee by at any t is not ition to They Ith to a I keep a \fianding I 107 ] ftHndin^ arntyy contrary to its dcfirc and in- terell, to ptotedt fuch acquifitions, in the midft of other powerful neighbours, who rrnght claim or covet them. •• . m' ' But on the other hand, France is a military and warlike nation, as well as a commercial one, that maintains 300,000 men in arms, when Britain has but 18,000, both at home, and in all its domininions in the Ead and Weft -Indie* put together. \i'ith fuch a Jiandwg army (the very hat.? iii^J dread of the Englifli nation, whicj« they wi!l not allow of even for their (r'vn f?/ad^ and Ctuhmerce-, wherever they go -, and pj^itend Uicrcwith to have a claim to whatevi?i( \<> con\;£mtnt for them. It is by fuch fianding armies^ which have enflaved thtjr own ptcple, that they would make all around them (i ornii rr> tln^'m ; have kept all Europe in conftanc alarms for a hundred years paft ; and now ^ciempt the fame in Americ*- There they w^int to pi 1: a irade and commerce , as well as th:li' aimr^, to fupport this exorbi* tant pow .,i\ And let Spain^ or any others, conilder which of thefe two, Britain, or France, with fuch powers, views and interefts, they would choofe for a neighbour — They N 3 may fM^i w'i ■15: m»y hjive it in their power perhaps now to choofe which they will 5 but may not here- after be ieic to the choice of either their neigh^ bours, or their own poflefllons i any more than we fee Britain is at prefent, from having indulged fuch a neighbour nigh them. * v, ; r. The only view of Britain by this prefent war, or any other proceedings in America, is, to preferve her undoubted rights and poffeffions, from the ufurpation of fo danger- ous a neighbour and declared enemy, that has, muft, and ever will, put her to more cxpence to fecure her own, than all it may be worth to her j efpecially if (be fufFers the French to fur round her on all fides ; to take one place after another, which ever may be convenient to them j to prefcribe bounds and limits to her every where in her own terri-* tories •, and take thofe from her that muft endanger all the reft they are pleafed to leave her^-r-the juft and unavoidable caufes of her declaring war againft France, after fo many open hoftilitiesfromit : and which Britain has ufed no other way to carry on, but to maintain a fuperior navy (the great clamor of the French,) againft fuch a fuperior army, for felf-prefervation, that muft be allowed to all people. Whereas we fee the views of France by this war, are, not only to defend all thofe arbitrary proceedings againft the laws of nations ^) [ 109 ] nations i but to maintain her illegal ufurpati- ons by violence, that were got by fraud and . artlBce ; and to enforce the puns and quib- bles of her commiiTaries, againft the manifed; rights of nations, by force of arms !— ifi/tf«r /a Romane caveto, : ■ i . -.i i. .^.- ^ i If thofe things are confidered, Spain^ nor no other power, has reafon to be alarmed at the proceedings of Britain ; but on the con- trary ought to fee fuch grols infults on the rights of mankind redreflrd, if they have any regard to juftice. — The Spaniards perhaps may be offended, as they have good reafor^ to be, at the unjuft and unneceflary war this nation entered into with them before ; but it is well known, that was not a war of the Nation J it was made only by ?.;pnrty. The nation was aggrieved, it is true, but it was by France^ from her many infringements of the treaty of Utrecht^ not by Spain : and it has fufFcred fuificientjy for its milUke. ^ ,,-^ ,- If thofe things are rightly confidered, * it is to be hoped, they will commit no more fuch miftakes aj^ain i but mind the true iur tercll of the nation, particularly with regard to thefe views and dcfigns of France, by which this nation is both hurt in it« tnterefts, and wronged in itsjuit rights. ],^^ . ., ,,.^ . AH thefe defigns and views of the French Ih America have hitherto been ttcated as groundlefs [ I'O ] groundlefs fuggeftions ; but now I think tve may be convinced of them, from fatal expe- rience. They have been reckoned to be fo very diftant, if there was any reality in them, that they feem to have been looked upon as not worth notice -, but nov^ they are come to our doors, and make us take notice of them, whether wc will or not. It was for this reafon that we have been at this pains to reprefent their feveral views and defigns, that we may not again be furprized by them, nor catched fo unguarded againft them : and fhall next confider the fituation they are in toaccomplilh them. - , . -^ , . ,. . ^u;. SECT. III. The ^tuation of the French coknieSy and their alilities to accomplijh thofe dejtgns, TH E fituation of the French in North America is every way as convenient, to execute all thofe their fchemes abovemention- ed, as our fituation is inconvenient and difad- vantageous to prevent them. They have had all thofe things in view for many years, have been conftantly preparing themfelvcs for thofe purppfes, and have tliereby put themfelves in *il fituation proper to execute them -, while we have never once thought of them. It was this f III ] this their fituation that made them take that otherwife defperate (lep to fecure the river Ohio in 1753, and has made them fo fuccefsful in it. For this they began to prepare themfelves im- hiediately after the treaty of Aix la Chapelle^ by fecuring and fr^rtifying Niagara that leads to that river •, and by ftrengthening and fettling themfclves 2it Sandojki^ theriverM/^»/w, andZ)^- troit, about lake Eric \ and gaining an interefl: with the natives there, which fiipport and com- mand the river Ohio.hXX thofe fettlemcnts they had to back and fupport them there, and about fort du ^efne, when they feized that place ; while we had only fome draggling fettlements on the Obio^ with a fmall fore building there, but hardly garrifoned, at a great diftancefrom our other more fecure fettlements, and feparat- ed from them by the mountains. By this means they could hardly fail to fecure the river Ohio, by one ftroke, as we fee they did. By that (lep they fet down between us and all the natives of North America, who refide only upon thofe our frontiers : and by means of fort du ^efne^ and Niagara^ they intercep- ted our communication entirely with all the natives of that continent, except a few Iroquois and Cherokeesy by which they have all the Indians of that whole continent in a manner to join with them, and fupport them, who have done us more mifchief than the French them- \n\ :j'" --^ t-A t >'2 ! themfelves. By this means they have eveh a iuperiority over our more populous colonies, and have always as many men in the field, if not more, than we have •, notwithftanding our boafled fuperiority in North America. I'his they faw, and every one might plainly have forefeen, when they took pofTefiion of fort du §uefne^ ^n^ Niagara, .. ^ . ,, The fituation and advantages of thefe two places is hardly to tc defcribed or conceived, or compared to any thing elfe : there is per- haps no part of the world fo awed and com- manded by a number of places, as North America is by tliefc two only : they command in a manner that whole continent : for which reafon we (hall confider their fituation more particularly below in the account of our fron- tiers. By means of thefe two places alone the French entirely fecure all thofe valt and ex- tcnfive territories above defcribed, to the very fourccs of the rivers St, Lawrence and Mijfifipi^ with the great Lakes \ cut pff our accefs to them, and deprive us of all communication with them ; by which they have all thofe vaft •regions, and all the natives in them, entirely at their command. This was their view in : feizing the river Ohio^ and there was no won- der to fee thcni take fuch fteps to fecure that t one place on this river, when they could 6,0 : it {0 cafiJy, only with a Iwndtull of 8}cn ; and 2 coulcf :veh a ilonies, eld, if ;ng our Ihis y have fort du lefe two nceived, e is per- nd tom- s North :ommand •or which tion more our fron- alone the k and ex- 5 the very d Miffi/iph accefs to unication thofe vaft 1, entirely [ir view in IS no won- Ifecure that could do aien; and could [ «i3 ] could gain by it an extent of country larger perhaps than all Europe, which they could fecure only by means of two little forts ! and maintain only with a few woods-men and Indians. •• , . n ^ * ' ' . t *' If this is confidered, I fay, we need not be furprized at the proceedings of the French, nor how they come to pretend to claim all the vaft regions above defcribed in Loufiana and Canada^ by only a handful of people in them. If they had no other advantages but their number of men, we fhould be as little alarmed by them, as fome others feem to be. But when they come to fecure, by this means, a traft of country as large as all FAirope, and all North America in a manner, only by a a fmall handful of ragamuffins too, out of the few people they have, it is high time to be alarmed, I think, if we have any manner of regard for our ownfafety. ■ rJ-'it<7 • f ^ '/ 't And if thofe things are rightly confidered,. it will appear, that the proceedings of the French on the Ohio^ and in all other parts of North America, were not merely to fecure a few ftraggling fettlements, or a little peltry trade with the Indians -, as fome, who appear to be little acquainted with thofe matters, and never heard of them before, feem to have ima- gined. Their views and defigns are much grea- ter, and might cafily have been forefeen, if we O had "•il [ 114 ] had been apprifcd of the vaft advantages they gain by thefe two places, and how eafy it was to fecure them, as they did. I . With all this, the countries they fecure by means of thofe two places are not more exten- (ive, than they are convenient to them. Sy means of Niagara and fort du ^efne they join their two colonies of Canada and Loufiana to- gether, by the nihgeft communication that is between them •, and are thereby able to aflem- ble their whole force together againft the Eng- lifh, whenever they pleafej the other grand point they have in view. "• •'*^" The conveniences they have for this purpofe of uniting their two colonies together, are as great and almoft incredible, as the vaftnefs of the concerns they fecure by it. Thofe who are fo little acquainted with North America, as mod of our people are, feem to imagine, that if the French were thus to join Canada and Tjouiftana together, it would be of little ufe to them, while their fettlements in them are fo re*!- mote and diftant, as ^ebec and New Orleans, But they mufl: know, that there is a navigation and water-carriage, the whole way from the mouth of the river St, Laurence to the mouth ofihtMi/JiJtpiy all over and acrofs the continent of North America, upwards of 3OCO miles, by which their mod remote fettlements are all con- nedVed together. In all this diftance there is no in- terruption of a carriage by water, except at the {^rcat they I was re by cxten- • .^/ ?y join ina to- that is alTem- e Eng- grand purpofe are as Inefs of fe who merica, nagine, ada and e ufe to re fo re«^ r leans. igation :om the mouth mtinent liles, by all con- is no in- )t at the j.^rt*.at [115] great fall of N'mgaray where there is a conve- nient land-carriage of about twenty miles ; and even that they may avoid by going up the rivers a little weft of it, where two branches of Lake Ontario and Lake Erie almoft join together. Befides this, they have a fmall land carriage from the rivers of Lake Erie to the branches of the Mijfifipi^ but fifteen miles at moft, and in fome places but four or five ; with a fall or two in the nvtv St. Laurence about Montreal. Thefe are the only interruptions to a water-carriage from the mouth of the river St. Laurence to the river MiJfiCipi, — You may even go Irom HudjorC^ Bay to the Bay of Mexico^ or from Lake Superior to the remoteft part of Hudfon's Bay, all over the continent of North America, by water the whole way*. This prodigious water-carriage in North America is o.cafioned by thg great extent of the rivers St. Laurence., and MiJJifipiy which fpread over all the continent in a manner,, for 2000 miles and more, and whofe branches interlock with one another ; with thofc five great lakes intervening between them, that make fo many inland feas, upwards of 1 200 miles in length. It is by means of this water-carriage, that the French have always kept up a communi- • S.'e the Travels of Jo/e^h U France, in Mr. Dohhi\s account of Hudibn's Bay. O 2 cation In \w ^2'. si * H jB "!^S ■ m [i'6] cation between their fettlements in Canada, and the Mijfifipi. For this purpofe they have hitherto been obliged to go a great way ubout, by Lake Huron and Michigan, I'hey have another fhorter way from the weft: end of Lake Erie^ by the river IFabache, although feklom, if ever, followed by them. But the fhortell and moil convenient way of all, is by tlie river Ohio •, which fhortcns their way 5 or 6v^*o miles. That river is navigable the whole w ty from its foiirces to the Mifpfifi^ with only one fall in it, that is navigable both up ai^d down. By mt ans of this river then they have a ready pafiage at all times from Canada to the MiJJtfjp^ and avoid the dangerous naviga- tion of the great lakes that cannot be attempt- ed but at certain times. This then v/as a prodigious advantage the French gained by the river Ohh, befides all others. And if they kept up fuch a communication between their two colonies before by that dangerous navigation of the great Lakes, how much more will they do it now, by the river Ohio ; and thereby ccnilantly in fed the frontiers of all our colonies, as they have already done. • By this means then we fee, that the French can readily affemble and unite all their force in North America together at any place they liiid convenient J and thereby carry every point . . ' ihey they pleafe : their many fettlemcnts in North America are divided into fourljodies, Canada^ Louiftana^ the Illinois, and le Detroit, which are all conneded together by the navigation abov§ defcribed, and the river O^/^^.Thefe are all under one government with the fame views and inte- refti while we are divided and difunited by diffe- rent governments, laws, and cuftoms, with ; s different views and interefts, as ever any people had ; by which our force is never to be join- ed, whilft theirs is always fo. And their force when thus joined is fuperior to the force of any one of our colonies, efpecially when they are backed by the Indians ; by which means they fucceed in every thing they undertake, in the manner we fee, with only a handful of men, againft all the numbers we have in our colonies, when they are taken together. But if the French take them one by one, as they have done, they muft foon take them all, as thev arc fuperior to any one of our colonies It was this vaft advantage, and convenience that made the French fo intent upon fecuring the river Ohio ; a (lep that we might always fee they would take, if it was poffible for them. In the midft of this cxtenfive naviga- tion (lands that important place of Voxt dn ^uefne upon the Ohio dt-fcribed below, which b. nor more important thin it Is convenient to • •• thc;n. II i m 1 pHI m^ M i^MtJ yn^ III II P"^! 1^ Pmli m^ ft S^Eh DjUi) J ^^u[ V Nm l^^^il^ hill ■' w I II '*«#! i m [ n8 ] them . It is in the center of the whole French force in all North America joined together, whch is here united and conneded in one body, with numbers of Indians to back them ; who are ail fupported with little or no labour or cxpence, or from what the country naturally produces, as is fhown below. This place again is as convenient to annoy and diitrefs the Britilh colonies. It is from hence that they fend out parties of woodfmen and Indians, that have overrun all the fron- tiers of Virginia^ Maryland^ and Penfylvania^ that are all open and trxpofed to them ; where they have laid walle, and broke up all our fettlemenrs in fome whole counties. To bring this view of the fituation of the French colonies then a little nigher home : if they have fuch an extenfive water carriage all over North America, there is no doubt but they have the fame in a fmaller compafs round them. Accordingly we fee a ready commu- nication by water, between all thofe forts that they have drawn round us, by which they rea- dily pafs from one to the other; and tranfport troops, (lores, artillery, &c. with a great deal of eafe, at a fmall expence. By this means they carry on a war in Ame- rica with much lefs charge and expence than we can do j which makes them, fo much more ready . ['19 1 ready to engage in fuch wars. They ^o from place to place, a'l over North Ame- rica, by water, while we have many long and chargeable jou.neys to make by land, before we can get at them. If our troops are to be tranfportcd, it is by tedious and expenfivc em- barkations by (hipping •, while they build fleets upon the fpot, and at the rnftant they want them i tranfporting both their fleets of canoes and themfelves wherever they defire. Hence they have made fuch a progrefs every where, while we have been three years going to one of the nigheft and mod convenient forts they have, but have not yet been able to get to it; and lufFered fo much in eroding the woods and mountains, in going to attack Fort du ^efnei which they come to by water. * '***'' If we confider this their fituation, and compare it with the fituation of our colonies as reprefented below, there is no wonder they fliould gain fuch advantages over us. To prevent this we have no o her way but to break that chain of forts, that they have drawn round us, and linked themfelves together in the manner we fee. '■- '':>'innr:i:.': ; t •■'its .vw For this reafon, we fliould next take a view of this thein- chain of forts, which may be fcen on a map as here enumcra'ed, and are, •• • * Crown- 'if fa " • Crown- Pointy . Fort la Motte^ ,^ • Chamhliy rm ^^> ' ^ 6V. John'sy •: ...:.; Sorely ,. .„ ,j ., . , Montr ealy ^^.,. ^Zi whilft they have fviKC coll this nation fuch fums, and ever will coft it, ten times more than they coft to ere(^> fo long as they Hand* And if thefe two have coft us fuch fums. Fort du ^efne and Niagara are likely to coft much more, whatever they may be now. This is the chain of forts that we have heard fo much talked of, and the batteries that the French have crcdted againft us, upon our own territories too, with which they diftrefs and annoy us in all quarters, while they are fafe and fecure themfelves, under the defence of their cannon. It is by means of thefe forts, fituated up and down at Cv.ivenient diftances, in the moft important places, that they are able to launch out into all parts of North America, and fpread over that whole continent, with fuch a handful of people, without any thing to fear, even from the traiterous favages, whom they rather awe and command, than apprehend or dread any thing from them, by means of thefe forts. While on the other hand, our people in the colonies are not only expofed at home, but in danger every where abroad : their frontiers are all open and expofed to the incQrlions both of the Pfench and Indians *, and in the remo^ Indian coun- P tries i t^m \ •" ■■,» %» h' :(i kW\ ♦8* ■ {^•1 ' *..*»« [ 122 ] tries they have no fecurity at all, but what they may purchafe for their money, with a conftant charge to the public, as well as to many individuals. So long as this is the cafe there is no wonder to fee the French overrun all North America. Thefe are ad- vantages that overpower numbers, and giv? the few people they have there, a fuperiority over ten times the number that we have ; even if their fituation v/as the fame in other refpe6ts, as it is Hill more different and dif- advantageous in many other refpeds. Whatever we may think then of thefe French forts, their advantages are certainly very great, and that both in time of peace and war. They fecure the whole continent of North America in a manner, and all the vaft regions, and many conveniences attending them, above defcribed. They awe and com- mand all the natives, fecure their furr-trade, give them a protedion for themfelvcs, and their wives and childrenj, againft their enemies ; a thing that they have often afked of us, but have never obtained ; by which they are fo ready to join the French ; and fo ready to engage in war with all their neighbours, to fupport the French intereft, when they know themfelvcs to be fecure at home, ._^: It isobferved of the natives of America, efpeci- ally thofe about the great lakes, thatthey cannot A or what th a as to J the rcnch e ad- i give riority have *, other id dir- thefe irtainly ace and lent of the vaft tending id com- r-trade, :s, and lemies j |us, but are fo [eady to lurs, to :y know i,efpeci- ty cannot or [ '23 ] or will not live without war ; fo that we may be lure of perpetual difturbances from them, if we allow the French thus to protect and encourage them in what is othcrwife their na- tural propenfity. By this means the French fecure all the interior parts of North America, only by a few Indians, and Indian traders or woodfmen ; by whofe means they draw our own allies from us, and therewith get poflefllon of our territories, with little or no charge or expcnce, only by means of a few forts or truck-houfes, that fecure their goods and merchandizes at the fame time : while we are deprived of all thofe advantages, and extenfive fruitful coun- tries, that belong to us ; and cannot fupport our intereft with a much greater charge and expence. For all thefe purpofes the French have only to keep up three forts or fortifications, that can be any charge to them, to wit, Crown Pointy Niagara^ and fort Bu ^efne. All their other little forts are only as it were redoubts to thefe, and ferve chiefly to keep up a communication between thefe three ; which are or foon will be no doubt more con- fiderable fortrefles. By thefe three alone, they fecure all the frontiers of their own colonies — all the . P 2 » frontiers ^■Jt'^i' I ' [ 124 ] frontiers of our colonies — and all North America wjth it, except a flip on the fea- cpaft. The fituation and advantages of thefc three places are almoft incredible, but they are not lefs certain on that account. By Niagara apd fort Du ^efne alone, they cut off our communication with all the interior parts of North America, and fecure them entirely •, while they fecure themfelves at home merely by Crown Point. For this reafon it will be neceflary to give a more particular account qf thefe three places, as we (hall do below ; which may be here referred to thefe other vaft advantages of the French colonies in their prefent fituation. It is this their fituation that gives them fuch an advantage over us. They have only thefe three places to guard, while we have fome hundreds. And even of thefe three, ISIiagarfi is fecure by its fituation, de- fended by the lakes and mountains alone, fince the demolition of Ofw^go^ Fort Du ^efne is much in the fame fituation, being defended by five ridges of mountains, and many woods that are difficult to pafs, which He between it and our fettlements. They have nothing then to attend to but Crown Point \ while we feem to difregard Niagara^ >vhich we can hardly get at j and negleft fort <:orth : fea- thefc : they . By •y cut ntcrior [ them ves at or this a more 5, as wc referred ; French :s them ey have vhile we of thefe ion, de- s alone, ort Du in, being ins, and which IS. They ut Crown l^iagara^ d negleft fort [ ^25 ] fort Du ^efne^ which we feem to think im- prafticable, fince the defeat of general Braddock. As they have nothing to defend then but this one place, they are likely to give us enough to do with that, and keep us at a bay with it, 'till they fecure all the reft, and all their many encroachments upon us. They are in pofleflion of all the frontiers of our colonies, and can at any time pour in their irregulars, Couretirs de Bois^ and Indians into them ; by which our people dare not ftir, nor march to Crown-Point, or any where elfc, but are obliged to Hand upon their defence at home. Even the moft remote fouthern colo- nies, Carolina and Gec?'gia, are expofcd to them, and in danger of being attacked by them, from Mobile and Albamas -, from which the French can march over land to their frontiers, and are not far to come by water to their coafts ; and attack them both in flanlv and front at the fame time. By this means our force is divided into as many fmall parties, as we have colonies on the continent, which are ten in number ; while theirs is all united and muftered up at ore place. It is by this means that they get the advantage of our numbers only with a hand- full of men, that they have hitherto had at leaft. . But .■■■(■ il r.#i;4 '^m .-.^v. F [ 126 ] But if their force is now encreafed to any thing like what it is reprcfcnted to be, they mull not only gain advantages, and fccure every phice we are contending for, and all North America with it, but our colonics themfelvcs mull be in danger from them, ib long as they remain in the ina(5live di- vided flate wc fee them. We boaft of our force being ten times greater than theirs, and i'cem to red fccure with that, without ma- king any ufc of it ! But what is a divided and broken force ? If we hav! ten times as many men, we have more than ten times, perhaps ten times ten as many places, to defend with them -, while they have only one in their prelliit fituation, and the way we a(5l. Their frontiers are defended by two or three forts, ours are all open to them, and we have every place on them for 2000 miles to guard. And it may be always obferved, that, by uniting their force toge- ther, in the manner we have reprefented,. they are conftantly fuperior to us at any one place. Here then v/e may fee, that the fituation of the French- force in North Americ;^, both now and at all times. It may be compared to an army drawn up in a body about lake Ckamplain and Montreal^ with lake Ontario and the river Oljio^ fupportcd by two wings. iny icy uro all iUCS di- our and ma- ided s as mes, ), to only way two hem, 2000 ways Itoge- nted,, y one lion of botU [pared lake )ntarh 'ings. ^(d'cc antl New- Orleans. Thefe wings we cannot attack but by cxpcnfive and hazard- ous embarkations by Tea. For this rcafon wc attack, with only a fmall part of our Ibrce, the (Iroiigcft part of their main body on lake Chawpiaifij that is llipported by both wings, neither of which we. attempt. If thofc things are duly weighed and con- fidcred, how ncccflliry will it appear for us, to attack fort Dti ^Sucfnc^ as well as Crown- Point \ by which wc may be able to make ufc of the numbers of men that we have. We have many men in Virginiay Maryland and Pfnjilvania^ that do nothing, and can do nothing, but guard their own frontiers, or fet Hill and look on, expedling hourly to be attacked from fort Dtt ^ueOie ; whereas if they were once to take and fccure that place as it was intended at firH:, thofc colo- nies would be fafe, and might join the rcll at Crrivn- Point, or any where elfe. Without fome fuch mcafure at leall, I can fee nothing wc do or attempt, (unlefs wc have a mind to attempt i^iebec^ and divide their force eftedually, by ftriking at the root of it at once,) but to protrai^l a tedious and expenfivc war, without any hopes ot fuccefs or idvantag'" from it at lall ; but on the contrary, with the profpct^l; and imminent danf;,cr of a lols by it, that is much greater than mn I. "**| hA < and the river Ohio, immediately after the treaty of ^ix la Chapetle, who are the people that were ready upon a call to do us the mifchief they have lately done j with 2,000 regular troops they fent at the fame time to the Miffifp^ where they had by the accounts of their de- ferters no Icfs than 12,000 men in the year 1752, with 1000 pieces of cannon mounted in all their fcveral forts there ; and where they are daily fending men and troops every day, as we may fee by our captures \ befides the numbers of men fent to Canada^ and Cape Breton, more than we know or have heard of, without doubt : if all thofe things are confidered, I fay, we have all reafon to believe their force to be much greater than has been imagined ; and for that we need only appeal to convincing matters of fad, and confider what they have been able to do with it. This is at leaft certain from all accounts, that their whole ^orce in America, and all the men they have in it, are now in arms againft us every where, determined to carry their point, if poifible •, while our people are looking on with their hands in their bofom, with not above i or 2000 men now in arms perhaps, out of 4 or 500,000 we have Q^ in h >' \ . ,1! 1' f'-'^M '^.:- I 1 hi -. ■u>h^il.^ r 1.50 1 in North Ameiic.i, to oppofc this force, that is raifcd againll them. As long as this continues to be the cafe, I do not lee what better fuccefs we are hkely to expcdt in this campaign, than we met with in the two laft. \Vc may take Croivn-Poini perhaps, and do very little alter we have done that. If we confider our fituation in America, and compare it with the fituation of the French, here reiMcfented both togetiier, I cannot fee for my fliare as yet, what is to hinder them to carry every point they aim at, andelTediually to fccurc all North America; {o long as we a6l in the manner we feem to do at Jeaft. They have already overrun all th it whole continent, except the fea coalt — have feized every place that is convenient or neceflary to fecure it — have demoliflied the only place we had to oppofe or attack them — and have their whole force in arms to make good thei^r conqiielts, and encroachments every where- all this they have done with a handful of woodfmen and a few troops-— and how much more will they be able to do with their whole force thus aflembled together, and fupported by conftant fupplies and fuccours from France. Let us then refledt upon this fituation of the French in North Amrrica, and fee what might be t' confequences of allowing them any new acquifitions there. , I Fre fup^ this what \ this laft. u\ do erica, ►f the icr, I is to y aim lerica ; odo at t whole ; icizeci iccflfary r pUice ui have k\ their vherc— dful of V much h their :r, and uccours itvon of lec what ing them Davgi'-r- [ '3* 1 Dangerous confequences offuffering the French to be in pojfejfwn of Nova Scotia, or any other colony on the fca coajl of North America. But what if the French had been, or were to be, in poflTefTion of Nova Scotia with all this ? — Surely if wc confider the confequences of that, this nation has good reafon to thank thole true patriots of their country who pre- ferved that province for it. If the French were in pofleflion of this province, even at this prcicnt, and much more (o hereafter, it would be cafy for them to accomplifh all their vafl: defigns above reprefented, great and extravagant as they would appear at firll light, and as fome perhaps may think, them. The only force we have to oppofe them in America is in New England •, which durft not ftir, any more than the reft of our colo- nies can do at prefent, if the French were in polTelTion of Nova Scotia. They have on the frontiers of thefe two provinces, a body of the moft warlike Indians in all America, the Abenaquis^ with all the Indians of Nova Scotia^ who are declared enemies of the En- glidi, and conftant friends and allies of the French, that are convenient to, and conftantly fupportcd by, the whole power of the French at ^ichcc : which two have conftantly over- Q^ 2 run M-mi ft'Muffl P .1' l^"*? r 132 ] run Niw England^ and have laid wade the whole irontiers of that country again and again, whenever any difturbances happen be- tween the French and the Englifli. " ' How much are we oblig'cl to ihofe then, who may have [prevented thofe diallers in time, by fortitying Kenebec river, (c is only by that means, chat we arc able to raife a few men in New /iK'gla.-uij 10 oppofe the French in their piefent undertakings ; who would have enough to do to defend them- felves againft {^J^eb.j. and No-va Scctia^ and their caftern Indiana toge-hrr, if the French had both thofe places, that are fo convenient to fupport one another, and to annoy us, as they formerly did. Of what confequence is it then to keep thofe eartern Indians cut of ^ew Erjgland. The fafety of all our colonies fcems to depend much upon it at this prefent. For this reafon we (hould not neglect the in- roads they have into this province bv Sac6 river, and Penotfot^ as well as the others jdefcribed below •, cfpecialiy when we con- fider how ready the French are to play off thefe their engines upon us at all times Here then we may plainly fee the advan- tage of Nova Scotia : it gives our northern colonies room to aid and aflift the others, that are not able to defend tliemftlves — It prevents Ne-w England from being overrun by * [ '33 ] by the French and Indians, as they have for- merly been, and as the reft of our colonies are now ; by which that province is able to fupport the reft. — If it was not for this, the French might take any or all our colonies they pleafe one after another. ♦ ' By dividing our force in the manner they have already done, and as they would much more do with NovaScotia^v^^ fhould be entirely unable to adtwith it,great as fomc would make it ; but if we offered to atta- k the French here, we fhould be cxpofed there, and could not a^T^/'mble the force of our colonics together, any more than we have yet been able to do, without ex.iofinG; them to be over-run bv a favage and barbarous enemy. It is this that makfs our colonies as unable to affift one another, as fome think they have been un- willing, and none have yet been able to lend any afliftiince to the other but New England \ whichchat would likewife be unab'e todo,if the French \vii(\Nova Scotia. By this means we have been obliged to undertake fo many fruit'efs and unfuccefsful expeditions, without fo much as attempting any one that is likely to fuccecd; and we fhould always be in that fituation, it the French had pofleirion of Neva Scotia^ or ^ny other colony on^ the fca-coall of North America. When •t.'-% |h U^H IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) k /- 4io :A Si = II I.I 11.25 M 125 M. ■ 1.6 fliotographic Sciences Corporation \ sj v> ^V o^'^ 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 [ '54 ] :. .. « When our force is divided in this manner, if the French could fend a force from Nova Sco^ tia^ or any other place on the fea-coaft of that continent, while they attack their frontiers by land, and pour in their favages and Indians upon them, if ic was only to make a diver- fion, there is not certainly any one of our co- lonics in a condition at prefcnc, whatever they may be hereafter, to withftand fuch an attack; if it be not perhaps New- England alone : and that too would foon be in jeopardy, if the French were to be in poflefTion of both Nova Scotia and Cape-Bret on^ with Crown- Point apd Canada^ with which they furround that colony on all fides, and prevent a poflibility of its increafe ; while they have room to ejiiend thcmfelves, and to increafe on all fides, all over the continent of North America. How neci.'irary is it then for our colohies to unite together to repell fuch invafions, and to be upon our guard againft them ! It is much better to prevent luch diftempers, than to cure them. The grand view and aim of the French in America, we fee, is, to make thcmfelves maf- ters of New-Tork, if pofTible ; which their whole force in North America, that is fo readily joined together, is fo very convenient for, as we may lee at this prefeut. For this purpofe they only want an opportunity to attack that pro- [ ^35 ] province by fea, as they propofe, while they invade it with their whole force by land, to make themfclves mailers of it very foon ; as we may fee from all that has happened for thefe three years pad. But how eafy would it be for them to attack the town of New- Tor k by fea, or even Bojlon^ or any other of our colonies, if they [were to be in pofleflion of Nova Scotia, with colonies of people in it, fupportcd, as they arc every where, with forts and garrifons, and fuch convenient ports and harbours for fleets of fhips \ all which they could not fail to have here in a very fhort time : where thefe their armaments would be within a few days fail of NewTork^ and not far from any of our colonies ; whiift our fleetiB in Britain, if they were ready, are at the diftance of as many week's fail from them, if not much more— juft as they were frgm Minorca, . .' . If by thefe or any other the like (Iratagcms the French were to make themfclves mafl.ers of New Torkj they would not only have one of the mod convenient ports in all North America, which wpuld fecure them the moft ready and convenient paiTage to all their ieC- tlements in Ccnaday Crown-Pointy Niagara^ &c. but they would like wife have all the Six Nations of Indians, and their dependants, and all the other natives of thofe northern parts of Ame- * 1»"'\S'4 il I K- 'C '36 ] . America to a man, at their mercy and com- mand ; and would be fupported by this whole force, that lies all convenient and compaft in a fmall compafs, ready to be drawn together on a very fhort warning 5 which is furcly much greater than any force we have there to oppofe them, or could well fend there. Of what confequence then is Nova Scotia to this kingdom ! and of what confequence would it be to the French ! No lefs than the fafety and fecurity of all our colonies in America feems to depend upon it. If the French were pofleflcd of that, we fee, that by one fingle ftroke, ftruck when we are unguard- ed, as we are apt to be, and as we were on the QhiOy they are able to feize any of our moil important colonies,to maintain themfelves in them, and to become fupcrior to the Eng- lifh by one blow in North America, as they already are in the Iflands. ,^, .,v.,. A comparative View of the Situation of the two ■•■'■-' \" Nations in Ametka. ■ I - * i Let us not be too fecure then in our boafted fuperiority in America. We have more men, it is true, bu^ what condition or fituation are they {in? Surely this nation ought to enquire into that very carefully, fince its all fecms very much to depend upon it. The French are much fuperior to Britain in Eu- rope Dm- }ole Jl in ther ircly re tcj ia to icnce than ,es in ;f the lat by ;uard- sre on if our ifelves Eng- LS they ihe two joafted e men, tuation ought : its all The in Eu- rope [ 137 1 rope, and if they do not preferve a fupc- riority in America, what fafety have they any where ? If they are able to bring this nation into fuch charges and difficulties about its co- lonies alone (and keep them in fufpenfe for years together, whether they fhall take them or not) as well as from its engagements upon the continent of Europe, how long will it hold out ? It is certainly neceffary, that Britain fhould have a fuperiority over France in America, when it is fo inferior to it in Europe, if we have any regard to the liberties of all Europe, as well as this nation. But if we confider the (ituation of the two nations, as here reprefent- cd from undoubted matters of fa£l, the fupe-^ riority of Britain in America will not appear in the light that many take it in, who confider only our number of men. Our colonies are all open and expofed, without any manner of fecurity or defence.— Theirs are protected and fecured by numbers of forts and fortrefles.— Our men in Ame- rica are fcattered up and down the woods, up- on their plantations, in remote and didant pro- vinces.— Theirs are coUedbcd together in forts and garrifons. — Our people are nothing but a fet of farmers and planters, ufed only to the axe or hoe.^ — ^^Theirs are not only well trained and difciplined, but they are ufcd to arms R from 12; ^H ■' I .*f) ..■. V liT* IjlW 'I «Bf|l; II t'38] from their infancy among the Indians ; and are reckoned equal, if not fuperior in that part of the world to veteran troops, Our people are not to be drawn together from fo manydiffercnt governments, views,and interefts; are unable,un willing, or remifs to march againfl an enemy, or dare not ftir, for fear of being attacked at home. — They are all under one government, fubjedt to command, like a mi- litary people.— While we mind nothing but trade and plantin g- With thefe the French maintain numbers of Indians — We have none,- Thefe are troops that fight without pay — maintain themfelves in the woods without charges— march without baggage-- and fupport themfelves without (lores and magazines — we arc at immenfe charges for thofe purpofes.— By thefe means a few Indians do more execution, as we fee, than four or five times their number of our men, and they have almoll ail the Indians of that continent to join them. . - . " With this they arc in poflcfllon of a vaftly greater extent of territory, at lead five times as much as the Engliih. And in all this exten* five poflcfllon they have not above two places to guard on the continent, Qronvn^Point and Niagara, while we have fome hundreds. They have likewife a convenient water-carriage to all their fori?, fcttlemcnts, and forces, while ment. I. we [ 139 ] wc can hardly gee ac ours, or at cheni, by many ceiiious and expenfive marches by Jand. By this means their force is eafily afTembled and united, and lies compa6b together about Montreal, Fort Fontenacy Niagara^ and CrowH' Poini, which are all convenient to fupport one another, and to get fupport from all the French fcttlcments -, while our force is difperf- ed in a fingle extended line along the fea-coad, and cannot be drawn together. — Hence they get the better of us with ten times their num- bers ; and at prefent their force is all in arms —ours is dill to raife, or to tranfport thither. If all thofe things are confidered, what rea- fon have we to dread the power and encroach- ments of the French in America, as well as in Europe ! and how careful ought we to be to guard againft them ! particularly by keep- ing them out of Nova Scotia^ the Great Lakes^ and river Ohio •, and by flrengthening the co- lony of New Torky as much as poflibki if not our iQands likewife. It is true, we have hitherto been fuperior to the French in North America in numbers of people, but how has that happened ? It was becaufe they had no right nor titles there, and were conftantly oppofed by the Englifli evea to fettle. But fince we allowed them, and gave them, a footing there, they have made titles enough by ufurpation and encroach- ment. They have hitherto likewife been op- R a pofcd '•.,«« < '3vf-^'' 'I it''*** "^'iiS^' [ HO ] pofcd by the natives, who have done them in- finite mifchief formerly, but are now obliged to fiibmit to them, and join them : The Five Nations have hitherto (lopt their progrefs in Gz- nada entirely •, who are now no longer able to cope with them ; no more than the Cbicafaws are on the MJfifipi, By thcfe means they have hitherto been confined to a barren inhofpitable foil in Canaday or to Tandy defarts on the mouih of the MiJ/i/ipi, ... But if they once get fecure poflefnon of thofc vaft and fruitful regions on the Great LiikeSy river Ohio^ Miffijipt^ with Nova Scotia^ which they are now contending for, their fituation in America, will be quite altered. They will then have the moft fruit- ful countries of any in all America in the midft, and mod healthy climates, of all that continent, more than twenty times what Bri-' tain would have left; and they want not many more men than Britain has to people them, and foon to become fuperior to the Englifh every where. This they foon did, in a few years after the treaty of Utrecht^ from the like advantages in the iflands, by allowing them to ufurp that large and fruitful ifland of Hifpaniola. Refte£lions en the prefent Jituation of the .. ; _ French in America. The confequence and refult of all this conte/i i. * • is coj fo^ fu as] wl col I HI 1 IS a naval power, which depends upon trade and commerce^ as that does now in a great mcafurc upon the plantations in America. The American colonies arc now become con- fiderable, and real objeds worth attention; great part of the maritime trade of Europe centers in them ; and Britain has perhaps not Icfs than 5,000,000 /. fterling a year from them, befides the chief fupport of its naval power. The French feeing this, and that their naval power was ruined by Britain in the laft war, were refolved to ftrike at the root of our power and profperity, and fource of our trade and Navigation^ the American colonies. And if they once get a fuperiority there, as they muft do, by getting poflcflion of all thofe vaft regions in America, that they are contending for, they muft foon become fu- perior to Britain both by fea and land efpe- '^^^ cially as they have fo many more men. If any then may ever think of yielding up thofe vaft countries in the inland parts of North America to the Frer ch, or of letting them remain in poflcflion 01 Niagara^ or Fort du ^efne, which fecure them entirely, let them confider the confequences of ir. They are no fooner poflefled of them than they become fuperior to the Englifli in North America, as they already are in the I Hands. And what then becomes of our colonies, trade, and commerce, and confeqnently of our power, and m i '■■■ '$i m [ '42 J ind fafcty in Europe ? The only fafety and fecuricy that this nation has againfl their growing power, is a fmall fuperiority we have had over them in Anfierica, upon which our iupcrior navy depends. It was thefe two that plainly gave peace to Europe in the lafl war, and made the French give up their conqucfts every where. If Britain does not preferve a confiderablc fuperiority then in America, the liberties or properties not only of this nation, biit even of all the dates of Europe that de- pend fo much upon Great Britain, mud be endangered by it. . . ^ . . . All Europe then feems to be concerned in our prefent quarrel in America, and to be interefted in our fuccefs. The only ftates in Europe that oppofe the exorbitant power of the French, are, the empire, and the two maritime powers : but if the empire is divided in itfelf, and ruined by inteftine broils, as it is likely to be *, while one of the maritime powers is already ruined, and quite funk ; and the French become fuperior to the other, and even joined by the head of the Empire, what becomes of the liberties of Europe ?-p as well as America ? This nation has already fpent andexhauftcd its treafure and fubftance, in fupporting the liberties and privileges, and defending the property of the other ftates of Europe, ,•> againlV i.'. r '43 7 againH: a common enemy : and if ic is no longer able to do that, when ic may be moft wanted perhaps i but fees its own incerefts and concerns given up by thole, whom ic has been at fuch a chaige to i'upporc ; the grand alliance in Europe againlt the French mud be broke ; and they mud deal with each party as they think fit ', in the fame manner as they do with our divided and difunited colonics in America : efpecially when we fee the principal dates in Europe now doing all that lies in their power to ruin one another, as if it were on purpofe to edabliih an uni- verfal dominion of the French over them, who aj/ift tbem to their ruin,^'Pivide ^ Impera. Seeing this, as it was plainly fcen at the conclufion of the lad war, the French have been going on with fuch diligence ever fince, to drengthen themfelves in America; and to get the better of the power of Britain there, which only erodes their defigns every where. And if they had not been a little too forward and premature in the execution of their dedgns in North America, ic is the opinion of all who are bed acquainted with thofe things, that ic would not have been in our power co have op« pofed or prevented them, if we are as ic is ) which I think we may plainly fee from wha( has happened. How (hall we ever be able then S to ' 'pif* ' I [ 144 1 to oppofc them again, if they arc once well fettled and fortified^ encreafe and multiply, as they mufl do, in all thofe vail and extenfive countries in America, that they have now overrun with fuch a handful of men ? They mufl: then certainly give law to Britain and all others in America, if not to all Europe with it. You may fay perhaps, Britain will here- after keep a Jlandtng army in her colonics ; both to awe them and her enemies. If they had thought of that a little fooner, it might have prevented the neceflity of it perhaps. But if they have not been able to keep a force fufficient to defend themfelvcs at home, let them confider in time, before it may be ab- folutely necefTary to keep fuch a one, and to no purpofe perhaps, how convenient it may be for them to keep ijlanding army^ fufficient to defend both themfelves at home, and all America befides. — If Britain Ihould fend ever fo many men to America, cannot France fend twice, nay ten times, as many, with more eafe ? — The one keeps 300,000 men in pay, or at lead 200,000 and more, when the other can hardly keep 18,000, With fuch a number of men, if the French hold all the fecure pafles, and (Irong places in North America, throughout the whole continent ; with fo many fortifications to fupport them, what fecurity can any one think [ '45 ] ' tliink» liritain will have for a little flip (he has on the Tea coafl. France may promi/e it to us by treaty, and we mult be at her mer- cy to fulfill her poviife. But 300,0^0 men are a more prcv.ijling argument than French promt fes. 1 hey have no other a-gument for all the urur[i:\t:in:is and encroachments they have made in .\mcrica, and defend by that argument alone. This mufl inevitably bring the nation into land warSy to dr^fend her colonies, or Ihe muft give them up altogether. But fuch wars on the continent^ efpecially with France, mud be the ruin of this nation entirely, if it is fo conftantly obliged to engage in them. They are obliged to be at a double expence in fuch wars from a naval force to protedt themfclvcs, and a land army to oppofe their enemies *, burdens and loads, that a nation already exhiufted with them, cannot be fuppofed to hold out in her groans under much longer. And they feem to have no other way ever to get rid of them, but to remove the caufe and occafion of them, to drive the French from their borders, and to keep them aC a diftance from them, now when they feem to have it in their power to do it -, an oppor- tunity, which if let flip, may never perhaps ofFer ao^ain. * >.t.:^-.- /• ... ;...-. j . ; 'ih..* , \ .t- . s -■<-SfH'' ''"r Others ■ rnoci i t.tt 146 ] Others may think perhaps, that Britain may always protect her colonies with her fleets 1 which is an opportunity they now have c^ rcdrefs themfelves •, and if they do not make iile of that, they may never have fuch another one again perhaps. Are we to fup- pole, that France is never to have a fhip at iea again ? I don't fee we have hurt her navy, the only thing we had to do. And if they had but a very few fhips at fea now, to invade our colonies, what would become of them ? It was but the year before the lad, that they had five and twenty fail of ihips to invade them, when we fent but cley5en atter them ; and we may not perhaps have even that difproportionate number ready, or be able to fpare them, at another time — Ic is the whole bent and duft of that power- ful nation, France, to gain a naval power ; and we have no juft and fair way, if any poiTible way, to prevent it, but to keep them out of our plantations, that mull give them even a fuperior navy to Britain in time. It is not merely for the fake of what thofc inland countries in America may feuh in irndcy by immediate returns, the only . thing that many among us feem to confider, that makes the French rlfque fuch an expcnce both of blood and treafure for them 5 but it Is JO gain 2i power ^ which will at any time com- ung that ;nce but pi me [ >47 ].. command trade — and that a Jiavcl /"^rcrr, which will as eafily command Britain — anci all its colonies — which four muft certainly go together — If the French had a naval power at this prefent, what muft become of the Britifh colonies, or of Britain itfelf ? And there is no doubt, but they will ufe their ut- moft endeavours to get a naval power ; which feems to be the chief defign of their proceed- ings in America, that is become the root and fource of all fuch power. They who are little acquainted with the fituation of the two nations in America, and ftill lefs with the importance of the prefent conteft between them there, feem to think it very much and fufficient, that we fhould hold all the fea coaft of North America. But it will plainly appear, from what has beea faid, if we did not do that, we fhould foon hold none of it. And how long (hall we hold they^^ coafi^ if the French hold all the reft of that whole continent^ that is larger than all Europe ? And this they muft do, by holding only Niagara^ and fort Bu §uefne. It is plain, they will then want [ea ports^ to get to thofe their inland territories, and will be able to command any they pleafc. They keep 2 or 300,000 men againft 18000, and are at the fame time in pofTefTion of. all the fecure pafles, ftrong holds, and fortifyed places Ml-' '' Waa \ [ I4S ] places all over the fame continent with us, where they have only to march to take poi- feflion of any or all the places we are mailers of. They can at any time aflemble their whole force together for this purpofe, whild ours is fo divided and difunitcd, and thereby carry any point they aim at. And can we imagine, that they will ever ncgled fo material a point as this ? No : our colonies on the fea coafl: mud be all cxpofed to them, and they will be able to feize any one or more of them, whenever they think fit, and all our jflands with them, if we leave them thus in poflcflion of all the reft of the continent. "Our next care then fhould be, to confider the fituation of our own colonies, with regard to thofe views and defigns of the French, and fee how we are to guard againft them. For this purpofe we fhould next take a view of the French encroachments, and the feveral Coun- tries they have feized in the Britiih dominions in North Atiierica, by which alone they are able to make their fituation fo threatning to liif. We fhould likewife confider the confe- quence and importance of thofe places that they have feized, with the ways of getting at them, and recovering them ; the only way, it is imagined, to retrieve the affairs of the nation in America; which fhall be the fubjedl of our further enquiry. . ■ ^'"''' ■ ■'' "■' SEC T. *.> [ 149 ] SECT. IV. :?i ?■: 0/ //&^ FRONTIERS of the Britijb , Jettlemmts in North America-, the encroach- ' ments of the French upon them 5 and a propet BARRIER between the two nations* TH E encroachments of the French upon the Britifli territories in North America, have plainly been the caufe of our latedifturb- ances, and of our loflcs and misfortunes from them ; which have brought this nation into a greater charge and expence than might have been fufficient to have fecured all that continent, if it had been duly attended to in time, But the little knowledge of thofe re- mote countries, and the diverfity of opinions about them, feem not only to draw our atten- tion from them, and to crofs every meafure that is propofed about them, but mufl occafion the total lofs of them, if we continue to neg- Je6l them as we have done. To prevent this, it is necefiary to enquire more particularly, into the fituation of thofe places that are in the hands of the French, to fee their confcqucnce and importance both to them and us, and the way by which we are to recover them. This we fhall do, not by any exaggerated accounts of the conftquences of thofe things, but \ ■A .J. . :?,«! '^:f>W ^■m [ V5<^ ] but by a bare narration of matters of fac'^, and a dercription of thofe places that the French are poffefled of, and aim at •, by which their importance, and the confequencc of letting the French remain in pofleflTion of them, mud appear to all who will be at the pains to confider it ; and we hope that this may be fomewhat conducive iikewife to the more defired end of regaining them. ■ r;- i, 0/ Crown-Point, and the feveral pajfes to Canada, The fird of the French encroachments upon us, Crown-Pointy (lands in the very middle of New-England and New-Tork^ fo convenient to diftrefs either, and fo well known upon that account, that we need not infift upon it. It was ereded there fmce the year 1730, upon htnds too that belonged to ourfelves, on pur- pofe to diftrefs, annoy, and attack us, when- ever it fhould be found proper or convenient 5 as any one might have perceived at firft fight, and as the confequences have but too fully proven. ' "' It is here that the French mufter up their whole force in Canada to invade our colonits, and fortified this place for that purpofe, for which it is fo convenient. From hence they marched out in the beginning of the laft war, fackt and burnt the fort of Sarahtoga in New- rork. •t^ eir Its, ror . . t 151 ] 2^orky and laid wafte the whole frontiers of that province, by means of this place •, the firft time we feem ever to have thought it of any confequcnce. And although we then had 3600 men that marched to attack it ; yet, either for want of orders, as was alledged, or finding it too flrong for them, they returned without proceeding to it. "What our late accounts are of the ftrength and condition of the fortifications of this place, 1 have not heard, but from a plan and defcription 1 have feen of it taken upon the fpot in 1748, they appear not to be very confiderable. The place was only defended then by Pallifades upon the ramparts, fur- rounded by a foITee ; within which the bar- racks or caferns were the chief wall of defence. It had a confiderable citadel indeed nigh tl:c lake^ on which it (lands •, an odlagon of ftone work, with walls ten feet thick, made bomb proof, and fufJicient to lodge 500 men -, by which the landing place from the lake was commanded. But the whole is commanded by a hill within reach of it ; on which the French were entrenched, as their only fecu- rity, before they took polTcfllon of the pafs of Ticonderago^ that leads to it. • But the great and only fecurity of this and other forts in the woods of America, is the difficulty of getting at them, andof tranfport- i!l .'r*. '^:. E:('ih ing artillery to attack them ; for which and other reafons the fituation of thofe places is of more confcquence to confider than their ftrength. ., u , • , Crown-Point ftands on the head of lake Champlain^ a large lake foiirfcore miles long, by which there is a navigation to it from all parts of Canada. A fmall point of land fur- rounded by this lake on all lides» and fecured by a moat on the fide of the land, makes what is called by us Crown-Pointy and by the French fort Frederic. This fort lies midway between Albany and Montreal^ the two chief places on cur frontiers, and thofe of the t'rench. It effedually covers all Crt«^^^, and blocks up our paflage entirely into that coun- try •, while it leads the French diredly into New- England and New-Tork : unlefs we have a {landing army there to oppofe them, which we have been obliged to keep two year? for no other purpofe. This proceeds from the fituation of the place in the midft of high mountains, or funken moraffes, on all fides ; which fecure it from our attacks. We have but one way to it, it feems, that is reckoned more impradicable than the place itfelf. This is by the narrow pafs of Ticonderago, between two lakes, where we have a river to crofs, that the French have fecured. By this means we have been two years going to this place. without being able to come at it. At 5 is leir ake At [ 153 ] Ac the fame time this place fecures the whole i country about lake Champlain^ the original inheritance of xhtfive nations of Indians, which , they have made over to the Englifh long ago. This is the mod fruitful country in all thofe parts of America, and in th?t refped worth all \ Canada perhaps befides. The lands here arc covered with Sugar trees and Ginfengy tokens of the richeft lands in America. . , This place then is both a nurfery and battery of the French againft us, and at the fame time a fafeguard to them. If it had not been for this place alone, and the fecurity it gives the French in Canada^ it is plain, they durft not have attacked us, any where in America, nor have brought the nation into the charge and expence it has incurred on that account. Of what confequence then are thofe places in the woods and defarts of America, as fome call them, when they fall into the hands of the French ! Surely we ought to negled none of them after this, which was not thought worth notice a few years ago. But to return to the pafles into this country^ that lead to this place. The ufual way to Crown-Pointy is well known to He by Wood- Creeky by which there is a paffage to it by wa- ter, all the way from the fea, except twelve miles of an eafy land carriage that is in our hand§. The French indeed arc faid to have • T • ^^ blocked I'v r' y 11 !i' 1 '[ »54 ] blocked up that Creek j but if it Ihould be found convenient upon 4ny occafion to make ufc of that fhort and eafy pafs, can't it be opened ? Or can't we go to Crown- Point by the old Indian road from Conne^licut river to Oitcr river, that falls into lake Champlain jiifl be- low Crown-Poivt ? I have feen fuch a road laid down, that appears to be but (hort, from a branch of Connecticut river, above Stephens*s fort, called formerly Medoclecy to the head of Otter river. , . , By this a road might be opened to lake Champlain from New- England^ as well as from New'Torky and the many people we have in that province plight go direftly to it, without going round by New-Tork, the only way they feem to think of. By this means likevvtfe we might avoid the fortified pafles, defilees, and French entrenchments, thdt ob- flruft our paflage to lake Champlain and Crown-Point entirely, in the only way we attempt to go to it. The French have found another way froni lake CT^amplaiti into New-England, above this, by eroding CpnneSlicut river a^oiit Co- hajfer'^ot Cphawje^ and fo to the head of Penr nycoqk or Mk^s r4ver,. It was by this way ^bat th^y came into that province, and cuf pffthe towp pf //fXvmVin 1708,*' . i f This is thp Hevreuil mentioned by Ckarkvoix, Tom. This Cb, had /ho v.l . thet B Cam mak the J Ja(l Crow migh the n ing if TV. pag of" Com river, { ^ettleme the fti , ♦ Th noted a I fll. ind of » • old )ttcr bc- road from bead , ) lake II as e we to it, I only means pafies, dt ob- and y we from above kit Co- )f Petir IS way id c\x% Tom. This [ 155 3 This road leads to th^ bottom of lake Cbnmplain \ whereabouts we are faid to have had a fort formerly called St. John's, that Ihould have been reftored to us by the treaty c?f Ryfwick^ by the accounts of the French themfelvcs.* ,, ;.i^,, , j. < By this way it might be eafy to invade! Canada without going nigh Crown Point, and. make a diverfion from that place •, either on the river St, Francis^ or at Chanibli : which lall would cut oflf their communication af Crown-Point with Canada altogether \ and might n'uike it fall into our hands» withq^t the many delays, rifque. and charges of ata^^" ingit. ,, ^? . r\ \i » ' I 1 I' 'rihnf TV. pag.'i^ t Which their gtfogid^h^ri (>liactf on Hkt liea^ of Cojine^itui river> and outs^ q^^ the he^ds of Hui(/in'i river, fome hundred mites within l^nd^ and without oar fcttlements; whereas it Is In the ^earto^ that ^rovinc^ on the ffea cojtli, high Chfe tooath 6i i^er^ifnkc river. ' ' ' * This I have mtft with rio a^coiiytor bf, but from a y({ty noted author \X\t.Abhe de Fr^hoj, in the following word^ : ifi^ be not that we fee a fort as here defcribed by Kim larddoWn iri ftfv^ral mafps, on fWi^ tMftl^ 6f lalkt^ ciim- plain, !^bpv(rC/&4w^/r; anxi anacKcr b/ that n^oie^ wbeus the Saif/^/rtcofi^ Indians now re^id^. •, mm 4 Le fort de S. jean fitu^ /ur la riviere Je S. Laurent^ am uchdht de celut de Richliiu, (^ aii nori du lac Champlaln» doit p^f la- paix dtf Ry/ivtt fiitfe'en'T^^;, avoir fet6 r6ntfu oux Anglois, for leftjucls les FrtwccHii Pa[Vdeht jji^s'vers -fa fin de I'annee precec er^te. Methode de Geographies Tom. HI. p. m. 141. T 2 ' ^ But COUCiJ t tb^ 1 But there arc other ways of invading Ca- nada^ from NeW'En^landy befidcs thcfe-, the ways by which the French and their Indians have fo often invaded that province : altho* they may be found perhaps to be fitter for fuch Indian expeditions, than for more regu- lar troops •, which, however, I cannot think thofe abovementioned are. We fliould not, however, negleft thofe inroads into New- England from Canada^ fince it is by them that the French fo miich annoy that province; the bad effefts of which on all our affairs in America we have pointed out above.* 'The chief body of the French Ahenaquis Indians, by which they fo much infefl our fettlemcnts both in New England and Nova Scotia^ and have thereby prevented our fecu- ring this province hitherto, are fettled under the French upon two branches of the river St, Lawrence^ to wit, the rivers Puante and St, Francis^ about midway between ^ebec and Montreal^ in the heart of their province, and in two milTions appointed on purpofe to iecure them> at Becancour^ and St, Francis. From thefc they have a ready paflage over *'the hills to the head of Kenebec river j which is the rendezvous of the French and Indians, in all their hoftil^ attempts upon the Englifh. ■ij .;.; ■ J.»'. Page 132. (( (( « CIJ Hi p. 2; The Ml ['57] The fpot of thefe remarkable enterprizes is, either at the ponds on the heads of the rivers Kenebec and Chaudisre^ known by the name of Amaguntick ^ or at a large lake, a little to the northward and eaftward of thefe, faid to be the principal and mod important place in all that country, and a proper barrier between (he two nations *, of which we have no ac- counts, but fome imperfect defcriptions.* • Vid. Voyages de Mr. le Beau ; who travelled from ^elec to Norridgeijuoak acrofs this lake ; and thenoe up the river Jmarifcoggiu to the Senekaas. The account he gives is ; that he afcended the river Chaudierct over feveral falls, and fome high hills at lad, which brought him to a large lake; feemingly by turning to the left or eailern branch of the river Chaudiere : of this lake he fays ; " apres avoir tra- verse de fuite trois endroits, que je puis bien nomme troia petits lacs, qui formoient une figure ovale toute bordee de grands arbres, nous arrivames enfin par le moyen d'une petite riviere fort agreable, fur le bord de ce fa- meux lac— qu'ils appelloient Ottonaki, je ne I'ai point vu fur aucune carte. Suivant ce qu*ils m'ont dit, qu'aie " traverfer en droite ligne, il etoit bien aufll long que *" tout le chemin que nous avions faits dequis ^dec : je " puis jttger qu'il doit avoir au moin deux cens lieues de '* circuit. Je mMmaginois etre fur le bord de la men— lis m*ont aflure, que ce lac ne recoit de Teau d'aucune riviere ;qu' au contraire il en fournit a plufieurs, Sc qu*il y a aufli loin de cet endroit chez les Anglois^ que ** chez le Francois. Ce qui fit que je leur repondis, que ces *' rivieres fe repandant de cote & d'autre, pouvoient done ** bien leur fervir de Unites ou de feparatioa." Tom. I. p. 223, 242. When « «( <( « « eople hrtve likeWife difcovered 3 htrge hlce on the hend o( Kenebee river, which fcems to be th« one here dcfcrihecf ; adtho* I caunot believe it to be fo hrge as zoo leagues in chcumference. This, however, Js cwtain, that this is a place of very great importance, an^ the inroad both into Jfifw En^landy and No'va Sce^/ia, which wc mention ou that account; as the French are fo ready t6 feize nil fifcTj places, and give us fach difturbance with them, white we •entirely ncp-lea- thenV. " . /». .iv^ .* ut> i^^..^ iy;| ' And if the French are allowed to fettle any where on the ft>uth fide of the rivers'. Lenvre'icet which they have no right to do, the rittge of mountains north of this lake, that run* from the hc^wm of lake Champ/ah to the lady m6uh- tain« in No'va Seatia at the mouth of the river S. La^wrence, from which the waters of that river (firing, feems to be tlie • only proper and naturtd bcmud'ary and barrier bctw^rcn tlie two nations. - . • ' • a them .»> t cm tlie \vt no le, that m6un- frencef be tlie :n tlie them them there. T\m lecnis to be the way by which thofe French Indians have lo often in- fefted New- England^ as it is the nighell and mod ready way for them to come into all narts of th it province ; efpeciaHy as they are laid to have another ready and fliortpafs from the heads of Scco river to Cafco and Falmouth^ by which they avoid the falls and bad naviga- tion of the rivet Amarifcoggin^ that leads to thofe places. *^ ' Thefe accounts we have from fome furveys made, of thofe parts after the Indian war in 1724, agreeing with Mr, Bryant*^ aflual fur- vey 1 740, fo far as it goes -, in which, and many others, thefe two rivers, Saco and Ma- ditigoa^ are both laid down and defcribed to head within four or five miles of the ri- ver Arnarifcoggin^ on each fide of it ; altho* they are both omitted in fome fuppoftd fur- veys, and our late maps of this country. This defer ves our notice the more, as the forts the government has built on Ke- nebec river, to prevent thefe incurfions m- to New- England^ fort Halifax^ and IVefter^ do not obftrud: or fecure this chief pafs into it, ; nor even cut off a retreat from it ; as they have another way both to retreat and to enter that province, by going up Amarifcoggin river to the heads of Conne^icut ; by which there is a ready pafs to the river St. Francis above mentioned, laid down and defcribed like- '(I *i!t 'II ■■ hi! ( I [ 1^0 1 Ukcwife in the fame furveys we mention, a& well as in governor Burner's large manufcripc n\ap oi New Tork, . ' This is not faid in prejudice to thcfe two forts, which appear to be in the moft pro- per places to fecure the chief palTage of all by Kenebec river, and ta be convenient to our fettlements to fupport them. But it might likewife be proper perhaps to have other forts, either at Norridgewoak^ or at the lakes above mentioned on the heads of Kene- bee river, whenever we have a force fufficient to defend them. There we m'ght be ready at any time to oblige the French to draw their force out of all their encroachments on us, which I do not fee that we are otherwifc like- ly to do. The other nigher inroad into both New- England and Neva Scotia, and that diredlly from ^ebecy is by the river Penobfcot. For this they come up the river Chaudiere, that falls into the river St, Laurence, juft above Sluebecy and pafs over from the heads of that, to the eaftern branches of Kenebec river, which join the weitern branches of Penobfcot, that lead theni into all our frontiers both of New- England and Nova Scotiaj and down to the fea-coaft, by a good navigation the greateft part of the way. It was by this communica- tion with ^ccbccy that the noted French par- ou tr; ript two 3ro- - all It to It it have ,t the Kene- icient idy at their )n us, c like- New- redly For that above of that, which oty that New- to the areateft munica- nch par- tizan> ey [ a6i i tizan, the baron Sl Cajiin^ whom we impru- dently fufFered to remain at Penohfcot^ after the treaty of Utrecht^ diftrcfled our fettlements of Nova Scotia ; while his accomplice, F. Ralle^ at Norridgewoaky obftrilfled with his Neo- phytes all our fettlements on the frontiers of New-England^ by the inroads above defcribcd ; by which thofe countries come to be fo un- settled and unguarded, and fo little known td It may be the more ufeful to take notice of thefe paffes to Canada^ as by means of them we feem to have it in our power to diftrefs the French in the moft fenfible manner j and to ■divide their forcci in the manner they do ours^ when they feem to have no fort of fufety but in having their force all united together, as is .above reprefented. But if we were to attack them in Canada, by one or more of the ways here defcribed, we might foon oblige them to draw off their force from Crown- Pointy and other places, to defend themfelves at home. This feems to be the bed way likewife for us to employ our fuperior numbers of men, if we would make any ufe of them. And at the fame time, it is the moft proper, if .not the on- ly way, to carry on a war to advantage in A- fnerica, where the country is all open, obftruc- . ted only by woods. This we may learn fron-i our enemies at prefentj and from all former' tranfadions of that kind. They invade us ort y ' all •; v; .-•*' .'i, "-m^ 111 I 162 ] all quarters, and keep our men at home at a bay with them -, by which our force is fo di- vided that we can do nothing with it, at lead at any one place. By this means, we fee, they over- run all North America, only with a handful! of men *, while we do nothing with ten times their numbers,and a much greater charge and expence. The difficulty of tranfporting cannon, and other cumberfome baggage, by Jand-marches, through clofe woods, and im- paflable ways, makes it very tedious, expen- five, and precarious, to fucceed in a more regular way in N. America. To attack the French in this manner, we fee we have many different ways, and the very ways they have made ufe of to diftrefs us, when they took the forts of CafcOy P etna- quid^ Haverily and many others in New* England^ by invading that province from Cana- da by the inroads above defcribed. If by thefc we were to invade Canada in like manner or> all quarters, and fort D« ^efne at the fame time, while we attack ^ebeCy or New Orle- ans^ or both of them, by fea, how eafy would it be to reduce the French to reafbn very foon, and put an end to fo inglorious and cxpenfive a war in America by one ftroke I But many fcem to reit fecure with their fea» ports, as if they alone were able to defend them againll a naclon that keeps a (landing ^ ■ • army V* t a di- eaft hey b a I ten argp ling .by [ im- [pen- more r, we d the iftrefs Fema- Carta- thefc ner on : fame Orle- r eafy rcafon us and ke \ ir fca- defend :anding army [ 1^3 ] army of three or four times their number ; and is at the fame time in pofieflion of all the fe- cure paflTes, ftrong ho'ds, and fortified places, all over the fame continent with them. But th« cafe is not in North America as it is in Britain, where fiich (landing armies, kept on purpofe to command us, are not eafily tranf- ported to our coafts, the only fafety this nation has againft them ; they are there upon the fame continent with us, and have only to march to take all the ports we are in poflef- fion of, unlefs we prevent them by fome fuch ways as are here pointed out, and now when it may be done. II. Of the Pajfes to the great Lakes, and particularly of Niagara. From the pafles to Canada^ we come next to confider thofe to tht great LakeSy and territo- ries of the Six Nations^ which are of fuch con- fequence and importance in all our concerns in N. America -, while we have little or no ac- cefs to them, efpecially fince the dellrudlion of Ofwego, We have many populous colo- nies indeed hereabouts, and the chief force of the nation in America, in New-England, New Tork, and Penfylvania^ is by its natural fituation convenient to thefe territories, and inland feas; on which the fecurity of all the continent of North America depends, ex- cept the fmall and narrow part that we are pofleft of on the fea-coaft ; while in our pre- U 2 lent ''•hi '■ \iM w .1 '• 'J* ii<; !««>':1 I il [ i64 ] fent fituation we have hardly any way to come at them. This we are precluded from by the French being in poflelTion of lake Champlain^ and Crown Point on one hand, with many large and almoft impaflable "ridges ofipoun- tains on the other hand. Thefe mountains arife on the banks of Hudfon^s river in New 2^ork, beginning at the Katjkill mountains a- bout a hundred miles from the fea, and fpread overall the northern parts of Penfylvania: by which that province and Newjerjey^ which lye pppofite to thefe lakes and territories of the fix nations on the fta-coaft, arc deprived of a ready pafTage to them ; as New England is by lake Champlain to the northward. By this means we have no good paflage to the lakes and fix nations from the fea, but through the province of New Torky between Crown Point and the above mentioned endlefs mountains, as they are called. It is by this me^ns, that the protedion and fccurity of thofe important territories and fpacious lakes comes to have devolved almoft entirely upon that fmall province of New Tork. But here the paflage to them is as convenient, as it is diffi- cult in other places. By the eafy navigation pf Htidfon's river, and a branch of it, called the Mqhawk^s river, that is navigable with- in four or five miles of the rivers that fall into lake Ontario^ at OfwegOy we have a rea- ^y paflage from the town of New-Tork to the ■''■'* " - ■' Jake^ upoj botl [ 1% ] lakes by water, except about twenty mrles of an cafy land-carriage, in that whole diftance, . which is commonly reckoned 370 miles in all, but others call it 466. ,. ■ .„._ , , ^ This oiir mo ft ready and convenient paf- fagc to any of the interior parts of North A- '. merica is commanded by the tgwn of Albaiy, at one end of it, and by Ofwego at the other \^ by which we may fee the importance of thefe two places, add the ufe of fecuring and for- tifying them. Albany again not only defends this pafs^ but at the fame time it is a place of arms, and the magazine, of all our ftores, as well as the chief place upon our frontiers there, that are daily expofed to the incurfions of an enemy ; upon all which accounts it deferves and requires to be made a place of ftrength, before any one place we have perhaps in all the inland parts of North America. After Albany we'fhguld not forget Ofwego^ which feems to be the next moft important place of any we are pofleiTed of in thofe inland parts of America. It not only commands this pafiage to the great lakes, and all the inland navigation of North America above dcfcribed, but it is the only place we have that gives us any accefs to that continent beyond the pre- cinds of the fea-coaft that we are fettled upon. With this it is the chief frontier place i^ptli pf New !jCor^ 4nd Penjylvama i which "' ' ''^ leads ,11 ' 'I 1: •air ,,._,,,.v^ III! : 'lt^ ..-v''^1 Xm i.s^^ [ 168 ] It is by this pifs, and this alone, that the JFrcnch go to the river 0//<7, Fort du QuefnCi Detroit^ the MiJ/ifipiy and all their other en- croachments on us, except Crown- Point. They maintain and fupport themfelvesinthofe encroachments without any expence or charge almoft whatever only by means of the Indians, whom they have no accefs to, and debar us from entirely, by means of this important pafs. It is by this place alone that they are and ever will be able to over- run and annoy our colonies in the manner they do^ fo long as they hold Niagara, -^But if we were poflef- fed of this one place, we might be free from them, and all their encroach ments^ incurfi- ons, devaftations, ^c*. .;.> i- 1 1 ■;* to get at It, if it be not by the river df the Senekaas, that funs into their country from O/ivego, which feems to be very practicable : as well as a way from the heads of that liver to fort du ^e/nCy by the heads of the Ohio j which would appear to be more convenient than the way to that place from Virginia., over fo many ridges of mountains, all which may be avoided in this way ; which is at the fame ' time convenient to our forces affembled in Nenxj York and ^he^o England, , . ... <_. * The great lakes are further fecured by means ofleDe- tli'oit, or-theftraitsof lake Ene-^ the ftraits oi WJfilimaktnac, • and the falls of i'/. Mary^ between the laktf Huremnd lake Superior ; all which we have no accefs to, but by Niagara, ©!• a very round about way by fort iiu ^e/nei - •--. " "We larly thi Erie an and the >i ' the cn- oint. :hofc large lians, ar us }rtanc zy are annoy ) long poffef- e from ncurfi- • 'i't • laast that ms to be ds of that which ay to that mtains, all the fame Tork and (Jilmaktnac, on and lake y Niagara, We t 1^1 But vfc fecm only to regard Crown- Point, and ncglc^b Niagara, which is a place of vaftly greater confequence, and that in time of peace as well as in time of war. Crown-Point com- mands only lake Champlain, and its environs in time of peace, and affords a fecure frontier to Canada, or an inroad into New Tork and New England in time of war \ but the influence of Niagara extends far and nigh al mod over the whole continent. NIAGARA commands in a manner all the interior parts of Nortti America, and is a key as it were to that whole continent- opens or obdrucls a comnuinication with all the natives of North America, the Six Na- tions, Ohioes, SJbawano€s, Miamis, Twigbtwies, Illinois, Poutewatamis, Nadoueffians, Hurons^ Utawas, Mejfefagues, and many others—awes and commands all thofe people — lies in the midft of the extenfive territories of the Six Nations, and commands their Beaver-Coun- try* entirely — fecures their fur trade, and all the other inland trade of North America- commands all the great Lakes, and fecures the * So the Six Nations call in a general fenfe all the coun- try from the liver Ohio to lake NepiJJin ; but more particu- larly the peninfula of the lakes between the lakes Ontario^ Erie and Huron, extending northward to lake Nefi^n, and the river Vta'v.'as. X navigation i !> . [ »7o J navigation of them, that extends 1 2 or 1 3C0 miles — prevents or fecures the jundion of the two French colonies in Canada and Louijiana-^ cuts off or maintains their paflage to the river Ohio, MiJIifipi^ Lake Erie, le Detroit^ Sandojki^ Miamisy Fort St. Jofepby Illincis, Kajkajl-h, &€.— ftops the farther progrefs of the Englifh or of the French (which ever are poflefled of it) in North America— lays our colonies open to the inroads and incurfions both of the French and Indians — whilft it would fecure them from both in our hands — and unite the frontiers of our northern and fouthern colo- nies together, for their mutual defence and fecurity, which might all be fecured by this one place, while they could not by many hun* dreds without it ! All thij will plainly appear only from look- ing to the fituation of this place in a map, with the account of it above given, as it is well known to thofe who are acquainted with it. How came we then ever to neglcd fuch a place ? Or to fufFer the French to fortify it before our eyes, and that upon our own terri- tories too ? Without liftening to the foilicita- • tions of the Indians, particularly at the treaty of Albany in 1722, to prevent it ? Which we might have done tht-n, only by ordering ^ |hem to quit it, as w? did but a year or two before [ '7- ] before at Onondago, 1 his fata neglc(fl is plainly the caufe of all our prcknt dil -b- ances and lofies ; and we hope it may ' ic be thought improper to endeavour to prevent the like negleds and misfortunes for the fu- ture i which we fhall never do, unlefs we fc" cure this place. .u...mvi^, , ,,: It was for this important place of Niagara, and Nova Scotia, that this nation engaged irt this prefcnt war, if they know their true in-, tercft. The great claim that Britain hasVin the inland parts of North America is over the territories of the Five Nal ions, which this place lies in the midft of, and in a manner entirely commands. We talk much of the river Ohio, .v/hich is likewife a place of great confequence, it is true, but it feems to be of lefs confequence than Niagara,- which in a mannee commands it. If we were poffeffed o^ Niagara, the French in Canada would be cut off froq^i any acccfs to the river Ohio, and almoft all their other encroachments on us. But if we let them remain in pofleflion of this place, all our colonies will be open to them, and we need never expedl to be free from encroach- ments, broils and diflentions with them. Un- lefs we recover Niagara then that ib juflly belongs to us, we engaged in this war to no manner of purpole -, but muft have frequent and daily occafions for many more fuch wars, X a with' .'"•'ii W • [ 171 ] with Jittic profpcdl of any better fucccfs from them, than we have hitherto met with in this. We had furely nothing e\k to do then, cither to have prevented the prcfcnt war in America, or to haVe done what we phalcd in it, but to have vindicated our juft and indif- putable right to Niagara, and to have fecured that fingle place at firft. None could have hindered us to have done this, as the trifling fort the French have there, eredtcd fmce the year lysiy ftands entirely by itfelf, at a great diftance from their other fettlemcnts, and in the midft of the country of the Six Nations, dur friends and allies. By this means we might have put an end to our diflurbances in all appearance, long before war was decla- red. If the French had offered to ftir, how eafy might it have been for us, by means of Niagara, Ofwego, the Six Nations, &c. to have demolifhed' fort Frontenac, another en- croachment upon our territories ; while the numbers of people we had in New- England flood upon their guard again ft Crown- Point, By this means likewiu we might have car- ried the war into our enemies country, in- ftead of bringing it into our own, as we did by going to fort D« ^efne. And what was fo proper then, nray not be improper again perhaps, if it is yet, when thofe things are rightly r '73 1 i / rightly underftood •, which it is our only de« fign to make them, now as we endeavoured to Jq then '^ ' *'' «»■•»■ • '*• ■»»-•••>'»■•'■«• •> /».^ ' ^ •♦ f As for the importance of the grejit Lakts^ that are thus commanded by Niagara^ we need not infift upon it. That will abundant- ly appear from their vaft exter.t, and fituation in the midfl; of all the mod important places in North America, and moft of the natives in it. Thefc Lakes arc five in number, which form fo many feas, that all communicate with one' another, and afford an inland navigation, thac extends over the whole continent almoft of North America, as appears from the account of it above given. Whoever then are mafter* of thefe lakes mud command thac continent, fooner or later, fince they hftve fuch an caf/ accefs to ic, and ready pafiage over it all, by means of this navigation; whilft chofe who are only^ Icttled on the Tea coaft are precluded from a pallagc to the inland parts of the con- tinent by many ridges of mountains that fur- round them in all parts, and hem them in on every fide : by which they are likewife de- prived of any communication with the natives, who chiefly refide on and about thofe great lakes, for the fake of the fruitful lands, and mild climate, with the great plenty of furrs, that they afford. ' ,^v . J Thefc ii- t 174 J Thcfe lakes efpecially the two lower ones, hkc Ofitario^ and Erie, with great part of the two next adjoining to them, lake Huron, and Michigan, are the property of the Five Na- tions of Indians, and have belonged to them by conquefl; and aftual pofleflion upwards of af hundred years ; which they have made over to the crown of Great Britain by many folemn an4 formal a£ts and deeds, and the fame was acknovvlpdged by France itfclf at the treaty of Ufrecbtj as we fiiall abundantly prove in the fecond part of this difcourfe concerning the right" and tiiles of the two nations in America. The only claim the French have to them is, the liberty they had by the treaty of Utrecht: t» frequent thofe countries of the Indians for the fake of trade ; from which they would now pretend a right to them, we fuppofe, as they have been allowed to make fome fettlements in them, for the convenience and refrelliment of their traders in pafllng backwards and forwards, as they pretended when they made them. The chief fettlements they have here are Niagara and Is Detroit^ or the Straits of the Lakes, between Jake Erie and Uurcn, Ac the firft they have only a fma!l,fort, built chiefly of wood, and fi nee the year 17^1, where they keep about fixty or feventy men, for no other purpofe but to keep pofleflion of this import- ant coni cd t| dian theri had[ farri abo'j Jncj we t '75 1 ant pafs. They have likewife lately built « magazine upon the river fide immediately above the great fall, in order to lodge their goods and ftores, that they are obliged to tranfport by land from their fort below the fall to this ftorehoufe *, the diftancc between which is reckoned twenty miles. Thefe are the only I'ettlements they have at Niagara, •wiiere the country is mountainous and bar- ren, unfit for culture for the mod part. But not. far from it the country is more fruitful on the fides of the lakes Ontario and Erie. Thefe lakes are here about 36 miles afunder, to wit, 8 miles from lake Ontario to the fording place in the river of Niagara, and as far from thence to the great fall ; from which it is reckoned 20 or 22 miles to lake Erie, and the river is navigable the whole way, with only a fmall rippling nigh the entrance of the lake. Thefe accounts I have from fome of our people who have been all over thofe parts. / But at le Detroit the French have a more confiderable fettlemenr, ever fm- e they ufurp- cd that place contrary to treaty with the In- dians in 1 700. Some of our people who were there in 1750 and 51 report, that the French had there about thirty or forty plantations or farms, in a fine champaign country, with about 5 or 00 people, and three villages of Indians ; one of Iliirons, callcjd by our people . . fVitndois m. ■ I ■ w^ [ '76 J IVienioes ; another of Poutiwatamis^ called Ptus ; and a third of Outawas^ or ^hawas. The number of Indians in thofe villages was uncertain, as they ar6 fo conllantly out on hunting parties *, they judged them about 3 or 400 fighting men. As for their fortifir cations they were no way confiderablc, being tt fuch a diflance from any danger of an attack, but from the Indians ; altho' the French have fince ftrengthned this place no doubt, as it is the great fupport of their ince- reft among the natives of all thofe weftern parts of the Continent, and the center of their feveral draggling fettlements among them. III. Of the river Ohio, and Fort Du ^efne. * - The river Ohio is next to be confidered ; which runs through great part of our colonies of Penfilvania^ and Carolina^ and waters a coun- try that is nigh five hundred miles fquare, which is reckoned one of the fineft countries in all North America. This river is not lefs than 10 or 12000 miles long by all accounts, from its fourcc nigh the habitations of the fix nations to its mouth at the Mijfifipi^ with fe- veral large rivers falling into it, that fpread over our colonies far and nigh. A large branch of the Ohio^ called Wood River y from Colonel Wood of Virginia^ who difcovd*ed it rent gate, the ri t i Du )un- ints, le fix [hfc- )rcad llarge Ifrom id it Erft t ^77 ] firft in 1654, and feveral times afterwards, of which an authentic account is to be feen in the archives of the royal fociety, befidcs the accounts we have of that difcovery from our hiftorians -, this large branch of the Ohio, I fay, rifes in the mountains of South C^r^?- lina, and runs through that province, and all North Carolina, to the middle of Virginia : befides feveral other branches of it that rife in the Apalachean mountains from the fame fources with the rivers that run through our fettlements eaft of thofe mountains, and make a navigation from the Ohio down to the fea- coaft, excepting a fmall land carriage from one river to the other. The Ohio is befidcs remarkable for its gen- tle current, contrary to moft of the inland rivers in North America, which are very ra- pid, with numbers of falls in them ; but we hc.arof only one fall in ihtOhioy which is naviga- ble both up and down, as appearsfrom the jour- nals and feveral verbal accounts of our people, who have gone up and down the whole river. They tell us indeed that the river is very crooked, as is ufual with all rivers that run through a level champaign country, as this does ; but this at the fame time makes its cur- rent flack, and the whole river eafy to navi- gate, all the way from the MiJJiftpi nigh to the river of the SenekaaSy which falls into lake y Ontario l>: I. ■.0 itii ^•' >Pi [ '-8 ] Ontario at Ofwego. Anotiicr river of lake Ontario^ the river Condc^ or new river, rifes Hill nighcr to the fources of the Ohio^ and affords a navigation from the mouth of the river iS/. Lawrence to the mouth of the Mijfiftpi^ quite acrofs the continent of North America ; befide the m any communications of the branches of the 0^/i'kv r is6 ] dians about Fort du ^uefne to fupport them, antl other fettlemcnts again to back that, along the foLith fide of lake Erie, at thofe important and convenient places, Canohogtie^ and San- doJk\\ bcfidcs their confidcrable fettlemcnts and colony at h Detroit \ with others i^ixy the rivers Miamis^ IVahache^ St. Jojcjh, St. Ma- ty' s, Illinois, and MiJJiftft^ at Cabokies^ Ta- viaroas, Metchigam'uis, and Kajknjkies, &c. all which places are convenient to fort dn Q^cfnc, and have a ready communicfition with it by ter. r' A ,5 \ The French have hitherto divided all their (Irnggling fc.t!cments up and down thofe ex- tenfive regions, that are conneded together by the vaft water-carriage above dcfcribed, into three colonies, wO wit, Crt»fl<^(«,Lo«/^^»<7, and the colony of the Illincis, upon the upper parts of the MiJ/ifipi^ between the other tv/o : to which we may n )W add a fourth, that has been form- ed into a very growing colony, Hnce the peace of Jix^ but ferved before only as an entrepot between the others to wit, le Detro t, or the Straits of the lakes : all which are convenient to fort du ^efne, and the adjacent parts on the river Ohio \ are connected ^nd linked to- gether in one body by it j and allconfpire and unite together to proted and fupport this place, that is in the center and midft of them all 5 which may be called a fifth colony that the ch m- leace pot the s on i to- and this them that the [ ^^1 1 the French have Jattly ufurpcd, and is likrly to become the mofl: confidcrable o\ all ; as alt their remote lcttlcmc(\ts in the other two that are weft of this, Detroit and the Illinois^ will now become fupcrfluous and needkfs, and will naturally join thofe on the rivcr Ohlo^ that are fo much more convenient; cfpccially for the Indian trade^ for which a- lone their remote wellern fettlemcnts were made. -^ , ,, , j-r. ., 1 lerc then, about fort du ^iiefncy we may cxped to fee the chief force of the French from all parts of North America, muftered up together upon our frontiers, not only for their own fafety and fecurity, l?ut likewife for their intercft p.nd convenience : and if we confider the many advantages and conveniences of th/** country, it is plain, that this colony of the French on the River Ohio, mud foon become the moft important of any in N. America ; and muft, with their oihcr fettlements weft of it, and the intereft and influence they all give them over the nctivcs^ command ail the in- terior parts of that whole continent^ and give law to it all, if ever it comes to be well fettled. Fort dit ^lefne is convenient, not only to Canada and Louifiana^ but to all the fettle- men s the French have among the Indians, up and down the whole Continent of N. Ame- Hca. Here they may make all thofe Indian Z 2 nations^ H'lll 'I' :™^. '"•< I i\ n •nations come to theiny inftead of undertaking . ib many perilous and expen five voyages as . tbey have been obliged to do, in fearch of the Indians -, and will have all thofe Indians to , fupport them here, jqH as they have had at Now, what mWO/wego fignify to the Eng- lish after this, if tbey fhouM get it again ?— ' Nothing at all furcly. It was fupported by, and built on purpofe for, a trade wkh thdfe V Far Indians, as they call them in New Tork^ fi who will be all ftopt at Niagara, fort dtt ^ ^ejn€y and other places on the Ohio, if the •French remain in pofleffion of them. •;i Yon du ^efm then is the very center of all ^ ihc French force in N, America put together, " and- will unite all their many fettlements in it, 'and all the natives ofthat whole continent, in *' one body, if it has not done it already: ; 'Which is of much more confequence than moft -people feem to apprehend, who are little ac- icJUainted with America, or the fituation of the two nations in it.' For hitherto the force of • the French in N. America has been entirely •^ broke and divided, by fo many different ftrag- ' ogling fettlcrnencs up and down on the remote -branches of the rivers Si. Lawrence and V Miffifipt and the great lakes ; by which it *^has been fo inconfiderable and difregarded, ' that it was never before apprehended. But . I 4 > now t »% ] now all thofc draggling fettlement^ are collec- ted and linked together, not only with one another, but with their two capitals of ^ebec and New -Orleans \ by which their force has become fo confiderable all at once, by that one llroke of fcizing the river Obio^ and fort du^efne.' :' ; 7 ■': .■"->* Upon thefe accounts we may fee, that fort du ^efm^ or fome place hereabouts^ is or will be the mod confiderable and importartt place of any perhaps in a 1 North America; and is by its fituation and many conveniences themoft fit of any place to become the capital of that whole continent, and to give law to it all. It is not only the center of all that prodigious navigation from the mouth of the river St, Lawrence to the mouth of the Mijfi/ipi, from north to fouth ; but there is (till as confider- able and a much more important navigation to it from eaft to weft : the heads of thofe large rivers, Polowmack^ ^nd Sufquekanna, that fall into Chefapeak bay in Virginia and Maryland^ interlock with the branches of the Ohio here- abouts, and afford a navigation from the At- lantic ocean, even through the Apalachean mountains, which centers at fort du ^efne : whilft there is another more confiderable navi- gation from it wcdvvard, even to the mountains oi New Me.xicOy by the fcveral branches of the ■m ■ m: m "IH? viJiTuipt xoo 1<) :' ■-, t [194 ) 53,100 fqi^re leagues, all they would kavq to Britain, i*; more than 22 to i.f . " If we '.xtcnd the French piccenf]ons only from the Apclachean mor.nuains to tht- iiiount- ainsoi AV-k; Mexico^ they are i ,3 -o niiles broad from ead to weft, vvhichj including Canada and all they claim befides in Noith America, is to what Britain now enjoys, as 1 7 to r. The Spaiiifli territories agr.in in North Ame- rica, by this French di vifion ofthat continent, ex- tend from the liio del Norte, which they make the boundary between Mexico rind ■ ouiftana^ to the Rio Colorado, that feparates New Mexico from California, and bounds the Spanifh d;)*in- nions on the weft, by their pretences/ On the north again they would limit the Spariards ac the latitude 40^ i* and we fhall funpofe their territories on this continent to be cxcended fouth to the middle of the bay o\ Mexico, or fouthern part of California, that is, to the tropic, much farther fouth thari they can be any way contefted. By this the Spanifti terri- tories here are 160 leagues in breadth fron^ •f In this eftimate we include the fpanifti provinces, l)ui leave out Canada, No-va Scot:af and all Lahradar^ Vi'hich claims d the French aic about equal to what we include of the Spanifii tenitciies in this eltimate. -* 51 yitj. de VJjV'i map abov,ementioned. Ca{^ fef alll [ '95 J feaft to weft at a medium, and 350 leagues Frorh north to fouth, which makes their whole: fuperficial contents 56,000 fquare leagues. If we include Calif ornia in thefe territories j they make 87,500, fquare leagues -, which is about ti fixth of the abovementioned claims cf the French, and nigh four times as much as they would leive to Bi-itain. '- •* ■ If we divide the whole continent of America then, north of the bay of Mexico, into twenty- five equal parts, France not only cLims, but hiufi: adually enjby by her prefeiit pretenfions, twenty ofthofe parts, and leaves only four J5arts to Spaing and but one to Britaini whilft Britain has a real and original right to thit Whole continent, except the fouth-wefterJi parts that belong to Spain, and a fmall part ofit in Canada^ which of right only belongs to France, • . . - This is the wdy in which the French Would divide the continent of North America ! And however extravagant and unreafonable, as well asunjuft, thefe their pretenfions muft appear to all the world, yet we fee, they maintain them by the fword ; and would endeavour to perfuads the world of the juftnefs of this their c^ufe ! • It is true, the French are not yet in pdf* iefTion of all this extent of territory ; but it mUft all fall to them, by their prefcnt pretenfions : ^nd they will no doubt take care to It cure ie A a 2 k^ri \i t m I ^.ic loon, as there is no way to prevent them to do it, ii they are left in poflcflion oi Niagara^ and the river Ohio, The extent of territory they are now in pof- feflion ot by thefe their late encroachments and ufurpations is very large, and vaftly greater than all that Britain enjoys, great as feme would make it. From the Allegany mountains to Fort Or- leans ^ the we Hern moll: of their fettlements on the river MJJouri, a large branch of the Mijfifi^i that extends vveftvvard acrofs the continent, as the river Ohio does eaftward, the breadth of their prefent pofleHions is nigh 250 leagues, which multiplied by 400 leagues, the length of thofe pofiefllons from the bay of Mexico to the limits of Hudfcnh bay, makes 100,000 fquare leagues. All which they have already ufurpcd in North America, within thefe few years, cxclufive of Canada, Cape Breton^ &c. that may belong to them -, and exclufive of Nova Scotia and Labrador, which they ptetend to claim likewife. > iv.'; ,-n. Their ufual route from the mouth of the river St, Lawrence to the mouth of the Miffi- ftpiy by way of the great lakes, which they feem to reckon themfelves in fecure pofleflion of, is upwards of 5000 miles, which may be thus computed : From the mouth of the river St, Lawrence to Niagara, or rather to lake Erie^ is about 1000 miles> which they call Canada: Wit rici Canada. Thtir Pays (Tot bntit^ as they call it| extending from thence to zh^ MiJJjfipif by way of the Lakes and river llUfiois^ their iifual route hitherto, is upwards of looo miles farther. And from thence to the mouth of the MiJJifjpi is counted 1 1 70 miles. In all which didanccs they have fixed forts here and there, in the mod (Convenient paffes, to fccure all this vaft extent of territory, and thereby keep all the natives in it under their command. ' 1 ■; ^ If we compare this to what Britain now en- joys on the fea coaft of North America it is nigh as five to one. Even if we extend our pofleflions from the river St. Lawrence in la- titude 49®, to the river St, Juan^ in latitude 30®, all that the nation claims, I bdieve, it makes but 19 degrees of latitude, or 1140 miles in length from north to fouth, and not 200 miles in breadth from eaft to weft at a medium — The great extent of the Britifh pof- feflions on the coaft of North America, that are generally reckoned to be upwards of 2000 miles in length, proceeds from the many wind- ings of the road, and meanders of the coaft, with the computed diftances in the woods of America being often greater than the real diftance. If wc compare thefe pretenfions of the French with their real rights and titles in North Ame- rica, they are ftill more furprizing and unrea- fonable. w w I. 1 ' SC* ' m ■A [ '98 ] . foftablc. They who have no juft right or title to any part of North America, but to thofe two places alone upon the river St. Lawrencei Jadoujfacy and ^ebec^* if their rights and titles • The French were conftantly drove out of all parts of North America by the Englifh, who firft difcovcred and i'eized that whole continent even out of Canada icfelf in 1627, 28, and 29, and never had any right there (notwith- Aanding all the pains their commiftaries take by many falfe afTertions, eafy to be (hown, to make out a title], 'till a right was given them by Charles I, by the treaty of 5/. Germain in 1632 ; ,who thereby only furrendered to thems toits les I'uiix occupes en la Nouvelk France^ &c. all the places occupied (or feized) in Neiv France, Acadia or Canaduy by thefukjeHs of his Majejiy q/ Great Britain — Now it appears from the Accounts of Champlain governor of the country, and all others, that the only places occupiedy feix.edy tr pojjeffedt in thofe couujries, either by the French .or En- jglilh at that time, were, Port Royal and St. Saviours, in No'va Scotia, with Tadoujfac and ^ebec in Canada — The two firft of thefe places they reftored to us by the treaty of Utrecht ; and for the two lart they were tb indemnify Our fubjefts, meaning Sir Da-vid K:rk, the only lawful proprietor of them, to whom the king had granted them^ and from whom he could nor take them vithouta valuable confideration, amounting to j^ 5000, vvh>wi» .neFrench never payed, but ftill owe ; as appears from a memorial of Sir Lezvis Kirk and brother, to king Charles ll, after the reftoration, and many other accounts. By this treaty then the king gave up only thofe places, and not the countries. For that reafon he confirmed hig former grants of the country of Canada the very next year after the treaty of St. Germain, as appears from the faid memorial, the words of which are, " the king of England 2 wcte i were duly enquired into, now lay claim to il ^U in a .nanner ; not only to latisfy their pre- fent ambitious views> but to make us and the ■ i> 1 1 J t <.? it J .i-V ;■>,;,/ « taking notice, that, altho'' the forts and caftles, according^ " to the ieaf'ue, yyere delivered up into the poflcfiion of ** the Frcnv;a, (efpecially fuch as had been ereftcd duringr " their p iTcfllon thereof) yet rhat his fubjeds were not *• to be excluded from trade or free commerce, in thofe *' regions that were firft difcovered and pofufled by hi^ ** fubje6ls did, with the advice of his council, by his let- *' ters patents, tinted May 1 1, 1633 — Grant unto SirLezvis «< Kir.i full priviledge, not only of trade and commerce ** in ihe river Canai^a [St. Lrnvrefice fo called) and places •• on either fide adjacent, butalfoto plant colonies, and *< build forts and bulwarks where they fhould think iit*'— • And not only fo, but the king and parliament, that fame year i( 33, ratified and confirmed to the fubjedls of Britain five different grants they had made both of iVo-x/^ 4W;i« and Cnnada, in the years 1621, 25, 27, 28, and 33,* ittilead of ceding thofe countries to the French — For thefe reafons Cromwell took l^o-va Scotia from them in 1654, a,pd maintained our right to it at the treaty of Weftminrter in 1655. And altho' they had a right to No'va Scotia given them afterwards by the treaty of Breda, yet they never had any to Cancuiuy nor any part of it, but the two pjaccs here mentioned. And if due enquiry is made, it will appear, that they have no juft right or title to any other part of North America, unlefs we allow ufurpation and encroachment: to be a right. For thefe reafons Queen J7i}!e maintained in a manifefto in 1 7 1 1 , her juji and incontejlable rights and tides to all North America — except a [art yielded to France — r.vhich nvas held in Jicffrom the cro^vn of Britain, and ought to revert to it,—^ i 1 I' 4' t i \\ '■ • Scots ach of parliament. Jinn, 1633, Ch, 2S. wqrI4 t 200 ] world believe, that their claims arc very great, if ever they come to be fettled, But of this we i^iay perh ips give t more particular account, when we come to treat profcfledly of this fubjed. • • — ' • ,.,,.... All this extent of territory they hold merely by means of a parcel of ftrolling Indian tra- ders, that have rambled up and down thofe countries, becaufe they could not live at home I und for that reafon alone they pretend to claim fuch a vaft extent of this whole conti- nent. They have not above feventy or eighty thoufand people at mod in all their domini- ons in America, thjt they call Canada^ with 14 or 15000 in Lowfuma^ and of thofe nine tenths and more are fettled within the compafs of about fixty leagues between ^lehec and Montreal \ whilfl: they pretend, by means of the reft, a parcel of Coureurs dc Boisy as they call them, that are fcattcred up and down the And the city of London, in the 2 2d article of their inflruc- tions to their reprefentatives in parlinment, after the treaty of Utrechty ordered that enquiry be made, ivhy the French part, that they were hardly worth notice, *.,,U they came to be efpouied and, proie^'ltcd ' ;/ the French king. Their fettleiP^r.to: Im all thofe countries were no more than rruck hojfes m die woods among the Indian^, in order to c:{;.'.y on a trade with the lavages., built oaly for r.'.idr fafcty and refrefhment in ^ aiding bick.vard^ and forwards, as they them(elv£-> lvdv-2 declared on. many occafions, and particularly ac ^liagm'a-, even in i75i» v/lien rhty were erecting their prefent fort there. Upon ihvfk- accounts i hcic encroachments have been di^Vcgardcd by us ; efpecially as they feem to have a ri^^^ht by the treaty of Utrecht to frequsrt thofe c:.iiii:ricb of the fix nations tor trade, whilll they declare them by the fame trea/ to h?.fubjetl to the do- minion ef Gnu Britdfi^ Magna Britannia im- perlo fu^jr.-/as f . For thefe reafons few feem to havc^ imagined, that the French would ever i 'fi* r f Treafj Utrecht j Art. 15. Bb claim [ 202 ] claim all thofe countries by means of a parcel of ftrolling and ftraggling traders, that were allowed to wander up and down in them •, al- though I muft own, I always fufpedcd their defigii to do it fome time or other. They took the (jnportunity to do it, when they thought Briuin was reduced by the late expenfive war; and they will no doubt take every other oppor- tunity that offers to diftrefs us ftiil more and more in Imerica, if we allow them fuch a power to do it. ^ This they will never be without an oppor- tunity to do whenever they think fit, fo long as that chain of forts above mentioned, with ..which they have furrounded our colonies on all fides, is allowed to ftand. Thefe are fo many batteries ereded againfl: us, not only to • deprive the nation of its juft rights, but to di- ftrefs and annoy us, whenever they have a mind. ^ There they conftantly keep troops, ftores, and • magazines of all warlike engines, and mufter their forces together : while our people mind nothing biit planting, and are entirely de- ' fencelefs, open, and expofed every where. So long as we fuffer thefe or other French forts to be iire3.ed thus upon our frontiers, they will coft us much more than if we were to build ten tiftits as many ourfelves, as wq plainly fee from what has happened of late." 'f hey will even oblige us to do that, if we let only 6nly may Our incn froir liioui Mtxi the n build nies ( Frenc gara^ prefen build j pole p theFr armies bring gainft is alwi Shmditi the Frc refpeift; niaintaj If W( our fro they ha nation a have dc better U Mich liers, Iwere late. ^e let only [ 203 3 bnly Niagara and tort du ^.efne (land, and ^t may be little the better for it after all perhaps. Our frontiers are not to be guarded without an incredible number of forts, as tvijl appear from confidering them : they extend from the mouth of the river St, Lawrence to the bay of Mtxko, nigh three thoufand miles round by the mountains, in all which diftance we mult build forts at every pafs, to fecure our colo- nies only againft four fortifications of the French, to wit, ^ebec^ Crown-Pointy Nia-^ gara, and Fort du ^ejne, if we allow their prefent forts there to ftand. And when wc build forts there, it may be for no other pur- pofe perhaps, than thofe we have builr, to let the French feize them. I'hey keep Handing armies for that purpofe^ and can at any time bring their whole force together, we fee^- a- gainft any of our fettlements, while our force is always divided and difunited ; and fuch Standiug Armies as may be fufficient to oppofe the French are not only inconvenient in many refpe<5ts, but this nation is perhaps unable to maintain armies fufficient for that purpofe. If we fuffer the French to feoure and fortify our frontiers in North America in the manner* they have done, their forts there may coft this nation as much as the fortifications in Flanders have done, and the nation may be as little the better for it perhaps. It was thofe fortificati- B b 2 onS I* ■;« !■ I '■W .i.1; *H' ; L 204 1 ons in Flanders that have brought this nation iato fuch an inimenre debt, and all its prefent difficulties and incumberances, which it is fo far from being likely to get rid of, or ever to be free from, that we fee a perpetual and conftant fource of the like caiamaties, burdens and taxes, from the fame French engines erec- ted every where on our frontiers in America, and at our own doors, inftead of thofe of our neighbours. What is (liP more provoking, all thofe French forts are eredled upon our own territo- ries. There is not one of all the French forts in the lift of them above mentioned *, but what ftand on territories belonging to Britain, if it had its juft rights ; except perhaps Cham- Mi and Mcntreah with thofe below them in Canada, Thefe forts are the French encroach- ments* we hear of, which not only deprive this nation of its undoubted rights, but at the fame time diftrefs and annoy it in the manner we fee, and that by means of its own territories! — It is this that the nation is fo provoked and alarm- ed at, and for fo good reafons. By thefe encroachments, and the chain of forts that the French have drawn round us, they cut us off from any accefs even to our own territories, in all the interior parts of North America ; — fecure all that continent to themfelves beyond this their chain, — include * Page 120. VX [ 205 ] \t\ their bounds all the vaft regions above de^ fcribedj—prefcribe laws, bounds and limits, to Britain every where in its own territories, — and take juft as much of North America as they think prope/, or find convenient, — there- by enabling themlcives to feize as much more of it as they may at any other time think fitj — All thofe extenfive regions that they thus claim to themfelves they cannot indeed occu- py i but like the dog in the manger, they will allow no one elfe to do it, building forts at every place that can exclude the Englilh from any accefs to them. 1 hefe their forts were the Real Arguments they made ufe of co fettle our bounds and li- mits, when they put us off with their (ham negotiations, and the frivolous pretences of their commiiiaries. The confequences of thefe things arc much more threatening and alarming to Britain^ than many feem to be aware of. We fee^ the Indian natives of North America, who have hitherto been under the dominion or power of Britain, are already obliged to throw ic off, and put themfelves under the protec- tion of the fuperior power of the French -, and what is there to hinder the Britilh colonies there to do the fame, if they had a mind for it ? — Or how will they be able to withftand the .united force of both the F'rench and Indi- ans P)|. . Ul^ [ 2o6 3 ahs of all that continent againft them, if they were ever fo intent upon doing it ? — Surely if the French go on to increafe and ftrengthen themrelvesonly for a very few years longer, as they have done fince the treaty of y^ix, they muft be able to command any, or even all the Britilli colonies in N. America, and make them fubmit to their terms, whenever they pleafe, if they were ever fo inclinable to ref ufe them-. To be fully convinced of this we need only confider what they have done already, and that when they were no way prepared for it. If the French had taken a few years more to have prepared themfelves for the execution of their prefent defigns, they might have been able in a very fhort time to have made moft of our colonies fubmit to them 5 and there is no doubt but they will be well prepared for that very foon, unlefs Britain takes care to prevent it, now when it may be done •, which if they do not do now, they are likely never to have it in their power to do hereaftef. What fliatl we think then of the opinion of fome lame or defigning politicians, who prd- tend to tell us, that it is the intereft of Britain to allow France a confiderable power in America, in order to keep the Britifli colonies in fubjeftion I This isfurely the lirft time that any one ever imagined ir, io be the in- tereft Min'll [ 207 ] tereft of Britcin to aggrandize thp power Qf France, If we confuler the ufe that France has m^de of the power we have let her ufurpin America already, it is furely a fufficient warning to Britain never to let her enjoy any more there, nor even to fecure what fhe has ufurpecl. A very little more we may fee would turn the balance in their favour, and deprive Britain of her colonies altogether; which mufl: be the cafe fooner or later, if France is allowed to enlarge its power, and ftrengthen itfelf in North America. Bcfides, it would certainly coft this na-ion ten times iefs to fecure her co- lonies herfelf, than to let the French do in for her ; and if it would coft fo much Iefs, it would be done as mucts m-Te fecurely by that means. If Britain wants a fecurity for the dependance of her colonies againft their growing power, fhe will want it much more for the French having a power nigh it, that may be ab!e to make them independent of Britain at leafl:, if not to make them fubmit entirely to France, fhis is the jiext game we may expe6t to fee the French play ; if they cannot conquer the Britifh colonies, they will endeavour to make theni independant, and thereby get the trade of them ; which would have been the true in- terefl of France at prefcnt, much more than ^hat they have done, in the opinion of all whq A '■li. 1^ I '• I'M w .■u\ ¥, [-208] who afc well acquainted with the affairs of America. And if the French once have a ^power, either in Europe or America, fufiici- ent to make the Britilh colonies independant, there is no one that will doubt their inclinati- on to do it i and no one can doubt their abi- lity to do it, if both their forces (hould at any time be jointd together. To allow France a power in America then, js not only to increafe their power in Europe, but it is a ready way, and feems to be a certain way, to make Britain lofe her colpnies altogether, and that perhaps very foon, either one way or another ; and to enable thofe colonies to throw off the Britifh yoke, whenever they have a mind. If thofe things are rightly confidered, pray, "what objedion is there to our taking ^tebec or New-Orleans^ or even both of them, if we "Were able to do it, as we might eafily be, if we would only endeavour at it ? — There is furely jio other reafon againft this, but that it might diftrefs the French in the mofl fenfible man- ner ; if that can be called Reafon to Britain in its prefent fituation'— But fuch Reafons we hear thrown out every day, either to countenance the private views and defigns of fome, to fup- port the ignorance of many, or the falfe noti- ons of others. ' If we expeft to put an end to this war in ?iny reafonable time, or ever bring it to a z happy fup- [ 209 J happy conclufion, we fhould certainly pur- fue the moft vigorous meafures, while it is in our power to exped fuccefs from them: and what other meafures can be called vigorous but this ? It is for want of fuch vigorous mea- fures, that the nation has fuftaincd fuch Jofles by the war ; and a continuance of fuch mea- fures muft lay the foundation at leaft of the to- tal lofs of its colonics altogether. France in- deed gave this nation a peace in the laft war, and fhe may do the fame now, but with the fame view, of accomplifliing the ruin of the nation, by depriving it of its colonies ; which has been her purfuit ever fmce the laft war, and muft be much more fo hereafter, un- lefs we put it out of her power now or nevtr. And how we are to do that, but by diftrefling her in the moft fenfible manner we can in America, I cannot fee. - . Thefe are fome few of the confequences of the French encroachments in North America, and the dilemma that Britain is brought into by them. But there are ftill others that are more grievous. If the French are allowed to fettle and fortify themfelves on the frontiers of the Britilh dominions in the manner they have done, this nation need never expe(5t to be free from conftantdifturbances from them, as wefhali fhow more particularly below : this is a mat- ter of ferious confideration, that defervesto be C c more [ 2IO ] more particularly inquired into ; and for that reafon we (hall do !L by itfelf, from niattt^Ts of faifl, and pafl: ex^)ericnce, the fureft way to form a right judgment of things. ... To remedy and prevent nil thofe evils, and the many bad confequences of them, wt fee no other way but for this nation to fecure it- felf a good BARRIER in North America, againft the conftant encroachments and inva- fions of the French. I hey have feen the ufe and neceflity of fuch a Barrier for their neigh- bours, in a like ffiuation with them, and have laid out immenfe fums to obtain one for them, but feem never to have thought of a barrier for themfeives, when they have perhaps rather more occafion for l^jch a one, by being upon the fame continent and in the neigbourhood of the French -, who are perpetually employed in mi* litary and warlike operations, whenever they fee the leaft advantage to be reaped from them. To point out fuch a proper boundary between the two nations in North America, is the chief defign of this difcourfe ; from which it will appear, that the only fafe Barrier we can have there, either to curb the growing power, or conftant encroachments and invafions, both of the French and Indians, is the river St, Laurence from its mouth to its fource, and the Great Lakes that empty themfeives into i^. Thcfe are not only the jult and equitable bounds bo to, Til Wh; One orw as ^ €im( ever ' two ficier fedlic Tl this J appca nienc now for * I 3 1 and the other Indian natives. It was this that has hitherto prevented the French from extend- ing themfelves, or encreafmg in numbers in North America; vvhilft it afforded an oppor- tunity to us to carry on our fettlements with fafety and fccurity. But the cafe is quite altered now : the French are now become too numerous for thofe Indians, and have them at their mercy, efpecially fmce we have fufFered them to overrun their country •, by which they daily fall off from us, and are obliged to do ic for their own fafety. If the French then in North America are joined by the Indians, in- ftead of being oppofed by them, as they have hitherto been, it will make a very great dif- ference in the fituation of our affairs there. Add to this ; the French have now joined their two colonies of Canada and Louijiana together, and can at any time mufter up all their own force, as well as that of their allies, at any one place they think proper, which they never could do before. It is this that has made them become fo powerful in North America all of a fudden, before any one feems to have fufpeded it, or would believe it. This makes it high time and highly ncceflary for us, to look out for fome fafe and fecure Barrier for our colonies, againft the inroads and invafions both of the French and Indians -, who have committed fuch flaughters there of late, when the ir 1 ^^ ■ V f \m t ^ the S:x Ndt'iom were no longer able or willing to [)rcvcnt it, as they have iormerly clone. . But the Englifli nation fec^ms to have a(^ccl all along in North America, as they do iiv Britain, where they are furrounclccl on all hands by the fca, and have thfir woollen wails to prottd them. Butfiircly the cafe is very dif- krenc on the continent of America, where they are llirroundcd every wiiere by forts and garrifons, the well known engines of thtir de- clared enemy, indead of being protedled by their own element, as they call it. In fuch a fituation it is highly neccflary to look out for fome other fecurity for thjmfelves, than wooden walL^ at thediftance of thoufands of miles! But we fee no other fecurity for our colonies in North America, hut the barrier abovemen- tioned ; without which they muft be open and expofed on all fides, as they have hitherto been. Let us only fee, what the French themfelves fay to this, and learn from an enemy, ** The *' Englidi, fay they, take very little precaution *' to guard their colonies from a furprize, or *' an attack of their neighbours : infomucli *' that, if the French had as much conftancy, *' and took as proper meafures to fecure their «« conquefts in America (which they are now aiming at) as they fliow boldnefs and intrepi- dity in makmg them, the crown of England would not hold one mh of land perhaps on all <« the continent of North America.* • Charlevoix Tom. III. p. z<^o SECT- v. I r 215 1 SECT. V, lll^i '} I. I 2'he fiitiilelfe^s of fnff-rl}i^ the French to fctth on cur frontiers in North America^ the caufes of the prefcnt war. '•> » ;:n IF the French are fiini-rcd to tranfgrefs the- bounds abovcii.. ationed, and ktth any where in Nova Scotia^ or to the ^cithward of the river St. Lawrence., and (/• t\v.t (jrcat Lakes.^ they will then be intt^rmixcd with our people, and in one and the fame country with them,' expofed to the conftant rtfentments, infults, and encroachments of each other ; the conle- quences of which we need not tell, but may fufficiently learn from pad experience, and fee enough of its bad effects, now before our eyes, never to fuffer it agin. It v/as to this that the prefent war was entirely owing, and how many fuch wirs may it not occafion ? When ever the two nations have been thus intermixed to:j;ether in the fame countries, in any parts of America, even akho' their refpeflive bounds and limits have been prcfcribed and chalked out to them, but without any bounds of feparation that may keep them afunder ^nd at a difiance from one another, there has been nothing but a perpetual war- - • i^v fare ■^ I If i I [ ii6 j fare between them, with rapine and plunder, murder and bloodfhed, and all the alarms and difafters of war perpetually on both fides : and how much more is this likely to be the cafe in North America, where their bounds and limits are ftill undetermined, and where they have fo many conftant broils and difputes about them alone. This we may fufficiently learn from what has already happened over and over again, when the two nations were in joint polTefTion of New-foundlaf7d, Hudfon's Bay, and the Idand of St. Cbrifiophers^ with Nova Scotia and New- England, They were then at perpetual va- riance, with conftant alarms and difturbances to their mother countries, in the fame manner as they have been ever fince the treaty of y^ix la Chapelle •, and that merely from fuffering the French to tranfgrefs the bounds here men- tioned, and to intermix with our pepple on the fouth fides of the river St. Laurence^ and of the great L^^^j. This has been particularly taken notice of long ago by one of their nation likewife, a grave and ferious writer, on the affairs of Ame- rica too, who has given us a long detail of no lefs than fixteen different *' reafons to provCy that *' // is impoffihle for the two nations ^ the French '* and Engljhy to live in peace^^* Thefe are * R^ifons (^ui prouvent, cju'il eft im^oflibie que les hi$ hi: ha Bu aia: nov thci; tere] /b/Fe ded, ears withi if the of the wegiy Thi the n; polite,! felves «leux naj pau. '. La ^ animez ■AngloifeJ a^ant touj ophle, nel viengee df font pas fW les Aogloil rendre ce auront in/ JHiil. des r, id 5 : :he \ds ere ites Aiat ain, [Tion land i va- ances anner f /Jx ering men- le on r, and lice of nfe, a lAme- i of no \ey that lefe are que le^ 111* [ ii7 ] his words, and that in the year 1670, and they have proved very true, I think, ever fince. But if there were fuch reafons fubfifting then, alas ! how many more cogent ones are there now ? Their many different claims and pre- tenfions, that are fo repugnant to one another, their old hatreds and animofities, clafhing in- terefts, and jarring difpuces, that have been fufFered to run on fo long without being deci- ded, can never but malce them come by the ears together, if they are thus fufFered to be within conflant reach of one another, or rather daily at one anothers doors ; as they mufl be, if the French fettle any where to the fouthward of the river St. Lawrence^ or the Lakes \ unlefs we give up the whole continent to them. This I believe might be fafely faid of both the nations even here in Europe, humane or polite, or whatever elfe they may reckon them- felves ; but in America there are more frequent deux nations, Francoife &c Angloife, puiflent vivre en paix. 1. La haine eft telle entre ces deux nations, & ils font fi animez Tune contrc Taure, Sc particulierement lanrition Angloife, quieftaltiere & orgueilleufe naturellcmenr, & qui ayant toujours efte batue des Francois d.ns Sainte Chrill- ophle, ne pourra jamais eftre contente qu'elle ne fe foic viengee d'une fa^on ou d'une autre. Les Fiancois, qui ne font pas fort endurant, fe voyant morguez & injuriez par les Anglois felon leur courtume, & fe trouvant obligez de rendre ce qu'ils ne croyoient apparemment devoir faire, auront infaillihlement peine de fe contenir, &c. iJu Tertre Hitt. des Ant-lfles, Tom. IV. p. 355. D d and Vi [ 218 ] and prevailing reafons, not only for reprerert- tz^tions and remonftrances, but for more open holblities between them. / •• . ^«^ It is well known, that the French all o rer N. America fubfift in a manner entirely upon a trade with the Indians, for which they are obliged to ramble and ftroil ail over that con- tinent almoft, in the manner they do, and to Jive with the fav ages, in uninhabited woods and uncultivated defarts, without rule or order, or even the common laws of human fociety among civilized peopled. Such furely are the Ccureurs des Bois, Bufilopers^ and others who make great part of the people oi Canada, efpecially upon their frontiers and ours. By this they are bred up and inured to all the barbarous manners andcuftoms of the favages, and even ftudy to follow many of them ; as they neceflarily mud, in order to gain their intcreft and alliance. One cuftom is notorious among thofe favages, and feems to be their moft prevailing policy and paflion, that is, to txpeli and extirpate all that are within reach of them, under pretence, they tell us, of pre- ferving their game on which they fubfift. Hence they are never once at peace with their neighb'..urs, but declare war for killing a deer or a beaver, for the lofs of a friend in former wars, for the reveriesof a dream, or any fur'n frivolous conceits -, and the French mud afiift them [ 219 ] them in it, or quit their country. Cuftoms like thefe furely alter the very nature of men, as well as the genius of nations *, and makes the French, who delight fo much in arms and conquefts every where, defended and fecured by their forts and garrifons, as they are here, while we are every where open and expofed, fo very ready on all occafions to take up the hatchet, as they call it, and pillage a de- fencelefs people, whom they efleem rich like- wile and worth plundering -, while they have the greateft occafion for fuch plunder, indi- gent, neceflltous, and naked as they are in Ca^ nada» It was from thefe motives, and by thefe praftifes, that they gave occafion to the diftur- bances that more immediately occafioned the prcfent war. — I am well affured by a neutral perfon of neither nation, who was a long while among the French in Canada during the late war, that the treaty of Aix was no fooner figned, than the French there breathed after nothing lefs than to have the pillaging and plundering of the Englifh plantations, that they had got amongft in the war ; for which they were conftantly fpiriting up their people and Indians, with the hopes of both riches and glory by it. How well were they encouraged in thefe defigns, by the governor of Canada fend- ing five hundred men under Mr. Celeron^ D d 2 \% % I [ 22C ] to take pofleflion of the river Ohto^ and drive our people from it; and that in the fpring of the year 1749, juft as they had figned the treaty at Aix •, by which they exprefly flipu- late not to fettle any parts of America that were in difpute between the two nations, and coi;fequently none of thofe furely that were al- ready and had been for fome time fettled by us. When they were drove from this by our Indians there, the very people that have fince been obliged to join them, an^ have done us fo much mifchief, they tranfported all the people they could to Niagara^ le Detroit ^ and the fouth fides of Lake Erie ; gave great encouragements to all th?.t would fettle there ; feized the mod convenient places and ftrong holds in the country *, and foon over-ran a great part of it. All this furely was with a view to fecure the River Obio^ and make their way good there, the next time they came to it, as any one might eafi!y have fore- feen. When they had done this, they began to commit hoftilities upon our people every where. T).ey began firfl: with plundering and pillaging ourIndiantraders,whercvertheymetwiththtmj feized feveral of them by force of arms, con- fined them in prifon there, and fent them to France as they do prifoners of war ; laying a premium upon the heads of others, and threat- ening Ill* 'tit [ 221 ] ' ening deftrudion to all the Englifli that offer- ed to come among the Indians. , . * With this they attacked and burnt our fort at ' Pickawillahy upon the river Miamis in 175I, ' roafting bur people alive that were in it, in the ' barbarous and inhuman manner of the Canadi- ^ «»j and ravages. All this was done in open violation, not only of the treaty of Jix, but of the treaty of Utrerbt likewife, by which bcJth nations are to enjoy full liberty of fte- quenting tboje countries for the fake of trade, Thefe were their pradlices upon the Lakes^ and in the confines of the river Ohio^ from the yeir 1749 to 1752. At the fame time it IS well known what difturbance they gave our people in Nova Scotia^ who could hardly ftir out of doors without danger of being fcalped by the Indians that were fet on» and headed by the French •, and how they feized and for- tified Cbiegne£fOy Bay Verte^ and the river St, John's^ in order not only to annoy and diftrefs us in this manner, but to fecurc the country. In New- England and New-Tor k their pro- ceedings were more infufferable. They feiz- ed fome people \n New -England^ and fold them for flaves in their iflands, as I have been told. And it is certain, that they apprehended fomc • of our people in New-7'orky about their law- ful bufinefs within their fettlcments, refufing in a mod inlblent manner, to deliver them up, 'till ii 'Hi 'i„. ■If! .1" . lilji' :'i,iiii ^' r I 222 ] •till they were paid the common price of flav^s for them. ^ » • Their replies to our remonftranccs about thofe things were perhaps more infolent and . infuffcrable than even the deeds themfelves •, and in efFe(fl feemed not only to vindicate and countenance thofe proceedings, but to threaten with more fuch, if we did not fit quiet with thefe *, as would appear from the noted letter of the governor of Canada to the governor of New- York, in anfwer to thefe our complaints, dated at Montreal Aug. lo. 1751. ;.^^ When we put up with thefe affronts and abufes for the fake of peace, they feem to have thought they might do any thing they pleafed with us. — For this realbn they came with an army of men, fupported by a train of artillery, to take pofTeflion of the river Ohio ; fortified themfelves on Buffalo or Beef River \ drove our people from their fettlements at Venango 5 and took a fort we had nigh that place, with fi^ty men in it; feizcd our fort at the forks of the Ohio^ fince known by the name of fort du ^efne •, marching out from thence and attacking our people at the great meadows, killing many of them, c^i rying oflf their bag- gage, cannon, ^c. as in times of open war ; and all this in time of peace as they call it. But furely an open war was declared by the French in America from their firft invading the the Eu hy I pan one niva Frar Fren a flee port Al caar« verno and i they a fees tl comn: on, i We * ThJ Indian or rather of Franc irealy w thofc inlj a tax upo conftant , f the court fte the F manner ftate to ei colonies aj ified rove igo\ llace, the ame ence ows, bag- rar; ill it. ly the lidins the [ 223 3 the river Ohio in 1753, as much as it was in : Europe by invading Minorca \ and far more by thcfc hoftilities. ♦ All this was done, you may fay, only by a party of ragamufHans in Canada : but can any , one fuppofe, that it was done without the con- nivance and concurrence of the court of France ? — Had they not many troops of the French king's with them •, and did not he fend a fleet of fliips with numbers of troops to fup- port them ? All thofe proceedings the French in Ameri- ca are conflantly encouraged in by their go- vernors, prompted to by their clergy *, and fupported by the crown of France; as they always will be, fo long as that crown fees the vaft territories, encreafe of trade and commerce, and extenfive power and domini- on, it muft gain thereby. We fee then from all thefe inftances, and * Their clergy not only endeavour to fecure all thofe Indian countries, in order to make the natives catholics, or rather to gain their intereil and allegiance to the crown of France ; but they have a confiderable eftate at Mon- treaty which is prodigioufly encreafed by all the trade of thofe inland parts centering at this place, where they have a tax upon it. For thefe reafons the clergy of France are conftant advocates for the people of Canada, and influence [ the court in their behalf. There is no wonder theri to fee the French colonies thrive, and over-run ours in the manner they do, when they have both the church and ftate to encourage and fupport them j efpecially if our colonies are deprived of thj like aids. many many others that might be produced, how unlikely if not ioipoflTibk it is, ever to cxpe<5l a feciire peace from the French in America, if wje allow them to tranfgrefs the bounds here mentioned, and to intermix with our people on the fouth fide of the river St. Lawrence^ or the great Lakes -, fince all the difturbances here mentioned have proceeded entirely from that caufe. This very argument is made life of by the French king himfelf in his an- fwer to a memorial fent from England, June 1712. art. 3. and is fo far infifted on by him, that he feems thereby to have gained the fole pofieflion of the ifland of Cape Breton^ becaufe he obferves. Experience has made it too vi- fible^ that it was impojfible to preferve the peace in places pojfeffed in common by the French and Englifh nations : which all the interior parts of North America muft be, if the French are fiifiered to pafs over thefe their only juft and lawful bounds here mentioned. The cafe is this : the French fee themfelves inferior to the Englifh in America, which they feem determined not to allow of, as they know their fuperiority in Europe. This makes them watchful of every opportunity to circum- vent the Englifh, and to deprive them of their juft rights and claims. The more inferior they I are, the more imj.' iient they are to ftrength- en themfelves, and weaken us. It was this that brought on the prefcnt war, the firft we have Jong pains um- their they [gth- this wc Ihave [ 125 ] have had with them about our colonicj ', but It is not likely to be the laft, if we allow them to fettle upon our frontiers, and eftablifh themfelves in thofe cxtcnfive countries, that furround our colonies on all fides. If any defire or expeffc a peace then from the French, in America at leaft, and far more to preferve thofe extenfive realms to the crown of Britain, let them infift upon the Barrier we propofe, as the only fecurity for it ; otherwife whatever peace they may make, will in all appearance be like the reft they have rnade^ only a truce to recruit the'r force, and a more vigorous preparation for a new and more bloo- dy war- Let all then who defire with us to fee this nation enjoy the fruits and blcflings of peace, after fo many expcnfive wars, look out for fomc ways and means to preferve it % otherwife their defires and endeavours are likely to be attended with no better fuccefs than they have hitherto been. But there is no other fecurity for a peace from the French, than to be well prepared for war 5 which we Ihall never be, fo long as our colonies are all open, naked, defencelefs, and expofed to them on all fides ; which was plainly the occafion of the prefent war. It was not to encourage and far lefs to pro- long this war, that we have been at this pains to reprefent our fituation in America, E c buc 'II {,\ if iii!! I I 226 1 but it was with hopes of being put in fuch a ficuation by it, as to obtain a firm and lading peace from it ; to which this confideration of fome fecurity for our frontiers is the beft if not the only preparative, as it was furely the only effectual way to have prefervcd it before, or to do it hereafter. A brief anfwer to the French vindication of their proceedings in America* AFTER the above account of the pro- ceedings of the French in America, it niay riot be improper to take fome notice of their vindication of them, as contained in a memorial on this fubjed, prefented the laft year by the court of France to all the courts of Europe* •, efpecially as that memorial has not yet been anfwered by any that I know of, and has lately been tranflated into Englilh, with a feeming commendation of it. In this memorial they endeavour to fliow, that the Englifh have been the aggreflbrs every where in America, and thereby the authors of the prefent war. To make out this, they en- deavour to puzzle the caufe, and to obfcurc the truth, by a recital of numbers of facts and incidents, that may be true in themfclves, but ♦ Memoire Contenantic precis des fairs, 1756. have f 227 ] have little or no relation to the point in qucf- tion, and are fo blended with manifeft talfe- hoods, that it is difficult to difcern and dif- tinguifli what may be true in their accounts, from what i^ falfc •, in the fame manner as they have done in the memorials of their commif- faries. But to come to the point, and to cut off all fupurfluous arguments, we fliall find that there are but three things that relate to the purpofe in all this volume in quarto. I. Thcfirft is; they fuppofeall the inhabi- tants of Nova Scoiia that were of French ex- tradbion to be French fubjeds. This they take for granted, without ever offering to prove it, altho* the whole of all that they aifert relating to Nova Scotia depends up(jn it. The reft is only a recital of fa6ts relating to the treatment of thofe French inhabitants of Nova Scotia by both nations •, which might have been jult enough on the fide of France, if they hid been French fubjedls •, but as it is, their pro- ceedings were more unwarrantable and infolent on account of this their motive for them, as they own it to be, than from any thing elfe that could well be alledged. Thefirft fad they mention relating to Nova Scotia^ which they own and openly avow, is, that they fent a party of troops there in 1749, immediately after the treaty oi Aix la Cha- ^ellCi to encourage and fupport the inhabitants Ii e 2 againit i< > I f: I |, IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) A ^ J"^. A I/. «> 1.0 I^IJJ |2.5 ^ Ki nil 2.2 '^ 136 1.1 f^i 2.0 lUI ill U iiL ^ V ^^ W ^ V Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14S80 (716) 872-4503 # \ iV \\ (o K^ [ «28 j againft the crown of Britain.* This was in fadt to fend troops to encourage the Britilh fubjedls to rebeil, and refift their prince and fovereign-, than which nothing can be agreater injuftice, injury, or indignity to any nation. All the inhabitants of Nova Scotia, of whatever nation or extraftion, were well known to all the world to be Britifh fubjefts, and to have lived as fuch under the government of Britain, ever fince the treaty of Utrecht^ w. ^4 .^^ ii/i], »;j ^ This is not only fo well known, that no one ever doubted of it, bat we have the mod po- firive and authentic proofs of it, that could be dcfired-^— When Ntrva Scotia was reftored to Britain by the treaty of Utrecht, it was (lipu- lated by the XlVth articleof that treaty, by his mod chriftian majefty, that " the fubjcdls of ** the faid king may have liberty to rtmovc ** themfelves within a year to any other place, *' as they Ihould think fit, together with all *' their moveable efFeds : but thofc who were • lis s'etoient adreiTcs aa Comte de la Galijf.n'iere, qui, pour les raflurer, leur avoit envoyc un officier avec un pe- tit detachcment de foldars ic de Riilices du Canada, ibid. p3nale^ for [ ^33 J for the limits they would alTlgn to lio'va Scotid. There is not a fingle author extant, nor any other authority whatever, antient or modern, that was ever feen or heard tell of, in which the limits of this country arc defcribed as they would have them, but in this one author aloncj and in him only in thcfc words of uncertain meaning; and yet they would make thefc two or three random words, trifling and ambiguous as they are, a charter of Nova Scotia^ to deter- mine the rights of nations ! ^^ • ^' ^'' " * What makes the teftimony of this authof ftill of no manner of authority in this difpute^ if it was ever fo clear or exprefs, is, that he was a party concerned in it : he was one of four proprietors of this country, who hid the very famedifpute with one another about their bounds in it, as Britain has with France. And he was fo far interefted in the very part that Fr?nce takes in this difpute from him, to con- fin* the limits of Acadia to the peninfula, of rather to a part of it, that he tells us, it coft him at different times 153,000 livres, and 15,000 crowns, to defend it;* which was plainly the caufe of the above-mentioned paflfage in his book, the Jike of which is not to be found in any other authority whatever. • Ibid. pag. 5, 6, 18. F f And |: • 1, '■i [ 234 1 And arc fuch obfcure, ambiguous, trifling paflages, in one Tingle old book, fo contra- didtory to all others of much better authority, wrote by a filherman in Nova Scotia^ who tells us himfclf he had fpent nigh forty years among the favages there, by which he was little acquainted with fuch literary fubjeds, or the way of treating them,* are thele, I fay, to be made authorities for princes, and laws to determine fuch important concerns and rights of nations ! — Efpecially when they are fo dire^lly repugnant to all other real and un- exceptionable authorities, of which we have adduced fo many. . Yet it was to maintain fuch arguments as thefe, founded on thofe authorities alone, that the French have engaged in this war with Bri- tain*, and would endeavour to perfuade all mankind of the juftncfs of fuch a caufe ! — But furely all thefe their arguments on this fub- je6l mud appear to be a downright infult upon the underftanding and common fenfe of this nation, and of all mankind ; as much as the whole of their proceedings upon them, fince the treaty of Jix la Cbapelle, have plainly been nothing elfe, but an open breach of pub- lic faith, and a manifeft violation of the moft * Vid. Preface, p. 2. folemn [ 235 ] folem treaties, to which all £urope, as well ai America, were witneffcs — pudet bac opprohria nobis. The limits o^ Nova Scotia are fo full and clearly defer ibed in the charter of it, and in all other accounts, that the noble proprietor of it juitly obferves, it was impoQible ever to con* teft them.f This was plain and manifcft to all the world, who knew very well, that there neither is to this day, nor ever was, any other country between New England and the river St. LawrencCy but Ncjva Siotia alone. This was fo clear to the French themfelves, that they faw they could not difpuce the limits of J^ova Scotia any other way» which they were refolved to do at any rate, right or wrong, but by denying that there was any fuch country at all l—pour la Nouvelk Ecojje c^eft un mot en Pair — un pays ideal \\ \ Nova Scotia is a word in the air— an ideal country ^ fay they ; which is the fole argument they have to difpute its limits ! — Their way of afcertaining the limits of Acadia is fliil more furprizing. All that they would allow to Britain of that country. is no more than a fourth part or proprietorfhip. li f Encouragement to colonies by Sir William Alex- ander, pag. 3 a. :mn P Memoires des Commiflaires, pajjitn, F f z what [ =36 ] what Mr, Denys would with his will have allowed to his fellow proprietor and compe- titor Mr. d\4una;'^ from Catifo to the bay of Fundi. This is what they would make all Nova Scotia or yhadia^ en fon entier^ as it was reftored rn Britain by the treaty of C//r^fi>/. — Hence they comply with the treaty oWtrecht^ by maintaining, that there is no fitch country as Nova Scotia ! And that a fourth j^art of /lead: a is equal to the whole. -"• . ^' -• Vn t'^ » • . . ""This they do, in order to conteft as much of that country as was poffible j whilfl: they were going on to feize and fecurcthe reft of it, du- ring the time of the negotiation about it. Thi^ t^asthe way in which they complycd with the treaty of Ah la Chapelle, by which it was fl-ipulated, that neither party fhould fettle any of the countries in difpute in America, *till thofe difputes were decided by commiflaries i which the French were determined fhould never be done, 'till they had fettled and fccu- red them all, as they did. 2. The next argument made ufe of in this memorial relates to the river Ohio j which they pretend was difcovered by Mr. la Salle in 1679, ^"^ ^^^^ ^^^'' ^^"^^ belonged to them on that account 5 which is the only title they can (how to it.* But what an infignificantpre- • Memoirf, P<»g. 13. .1 J tencc his hey in on hey )re- ncc [ 237 J tcnce mud this appear to all who are any way acquainted wich the tranfaftions of Li Sftlhy even as they are magnified by the French writers ! I le went over the lakes, and down the river Jliinois to the MJJi^piy and never came within many hundred miles of the river Ohioy elpecially the forks ot chat river abuut Forf du ^ffne, which he never or}CL» heard tell of ; yet from thence the French pretend to claim all that country, aikI all North America with it beyond thofe bounds ! — Thisisjiift as they pretend to claim under Mr* Deny 9 in ' They pretend to tell us, that the Eni>lilh never formed any pretenfions to the river Obio^ nor to any part of the country about- it. But it is well known^ and was acknowledged by the natives of the^country at Albafty in- 1 754, that theEnglifh had fettled on'Xh&Ohio thirty years before that ; where we had many fctdcments on and about that river from Vennngo to Sbaw^ noab^ or the lower Shawnoes^ extending along the riv«r for feur or Eve hundred miles and more, when tlie French came there in 1753; befidesafcttlement at PickawiUany on the river Wabacbe eftabli(hed in 1749, five hundred miles weft of Fort du ^efne \ which fort it- felf was proje<5led and laid out by the Ohio company : befides another fort we had nigh Buf- falo or BeefnvtVy that was fcized with the gar- rifon I % »• t r » [ «38 ] rifon in it by the French, as they own them- felves i t in ^'^ which places we have had not lefs than 400 men and more at a tim^, befides many that constantly refided there, efpecially at and about Logg's Town that v/as chieBy built by the Englifh, and has had not kfs than 40 or 50 Englifh houfts in it \ all which we have from living cye-witneflcs. Even at Vc' nangOf the very firft place the French came to on the Obio^ •* We found the French colours *^ hoided at a houfe from which they had *' driven Mr, John Frazier, an Englifh fub- '• jefl. "II — Crogban of Penlfyvania had other fettlements at that fame place likewife \ befides others that were fettled at Kittanning^ a?id other places thereabouts. Not to mention the ac- tual purchafes the EngliQi have made of all thofe countries from the natives»-The grants of them from their fovcrcign— -and their prior difcoveries of them — all which plainly ihow not only the pretenfions the Englifh form- ed, but the real claim they had, to the Ohio, How does all this agree with this memorial of the court of France, in which they tell us, ** the Obio had not been frequented by any but the French, while the Englifh never formed any pretenfions to the countries it ^;\? tj : * . To this the French can have nothing to ob- jedl, nor to aJ ledge in behalf of their prcten- fions, but the fuppofed difcoveries of L** Salle in 1680 ; arroving cavalier who rambled over part of North America to retrieve hisi his own defperate circumftances, as we have* faid; from which frivolous prcte^xt the French pretend to claim all the countries he might? have heard tell of in his rambles, without any other right or title whatever to them. * The French then have but two arguments for all their pretenfions in North America, to fupport which they entered into this war with Britain, to wit, — 1 be private rambles of Mr. La Salle in North America^ — and the par^ ty Claims of Mr, Iknys in Nova Scotia I ^ 1 There is nothing then can poflibly juftify the French feizing this country on the Ohio by force of arms. They have not the lead colour of any pretext to vindicate fuch a pro- ceeding. They would infmuate indeed, that the Englilh ende.woured to ftir up the Indians g ' ' '■ •''*•'- here 7 I no ift t HI I here againfl the French, and that all Canada was alarmed on that account*; which is a mere furmize of theirs, without any manner of foundation. All their pretended alarms pro- ceeded only from the Englifli drawing a few Ikins and furs out of thefe their own territories, and from the Indians choofmg to deal with the Englifli rather than the French, which Indian trade is the whole dependance and fubfillance of the podr Canadians J. When the French feized the Ohio, they not only drove the Englifli inhabitants from their houfes and habitations, but pillaged them all of their efFedts, to the amount of fc- veral thoufand pounds /^r/. generally reckon- ed not lefs than 20,000 : and the French court is pleafed to reprefent it in this their memorial as a very great crime in them for offering to make reprifals ! Th&y fent out one of their oflicers, Mr. Jumonville, to fummon the Englifh to quit the Ohioy as they pretend ; or rather, as our people al ledge, to fcour the country, and drive all the Englifli out of it \ yfh\ry^ pretended officer of juftice happened to be killed in a fray with fome of the Englifli and Indians, who had been thus robbed and plun- dered, and drove out of houfe and home } and this fuppofed maflacre, as they are pleafed to call it, they would make a fuflicient reafon • Ibid. p. ig. % See above, p. 185. . G g for I ( : I' ; ? «( ii «( [ 242 ] for invading and attacking our people again wicli open force, in a pitch'd battle, on the 3d of July 1754. - ^ Thefe were the caufes, and the neccflary and unavoidable caufes, of fending an officer with a party of troops from England, to quell thofe difturbances on the river Obio. But the court of France is pleafed to aver, *' this *' could not be the confequence of the diftur- bances on the river Obioj becaufe it was impoffible they (hould then have heard of them in London * ;' to wit, from the beginning of July 1754, or rather from the month of Auguft 1753, when the French firll invaded thofe territories, to the month of September or Oflober 1754; which is as falfe as every thing elfe they advance. You may hear from thofe parts in London in a month or lefs, and far more in three or four, or rather in thirteen months. * 'Thefe open hoftilitics, and other unwarrant- able proceedings of the French upon the Ohio, are well known to have been the caufes of fending general Braddock to oppofe them \ and and afterwards of flopping their (hips, that they fent full of troops, to reinforce and fup- port their other forces, with which they had fo openly invaded the Britifli dominions ; for both which they cry out fo much againft us. But if we had all their orders given to La. Joytqtiere • •* Ibid p. 23. 8 and our i this ^^'^ on the Ohio, as chey hav I"'",'' S^"^* "'"fe his orders appea °7 ^"'^ '^""'J ;-e only che coni^Zc^Tr '""' '"^^ '-". '''«-eorherway;;\7«ofBri- "PPPar to all, who are anv ! "' '"""^ ^f the fituation of SwT^ "'r'""^ The true intereft of Britain » •",. '^'"^'•'«- ;^have rent their tXTSt" ''-''' the nver Oiio, acro/s all ,h °"^^""S them to hands of the French for Z *""" '" 'he f Britain endeavou eJ o "c-r^' "'^ «"^t Jry umbrage that m^t i?/"' """^«'"- by difpoffeffing then, of thoff 'T '° ^:''"^^' '^ '"' the difputes rclaci gt f e " .7^" ' -ore amicably accommodated wlTr' "^ ' pears to have been rh. r ' "^'' '" ap- t'-t expedition o fo t ^^ "/ ^. ""^-^''ing fiead of going direa Jt tf '" '^54. in^ . f-'w to be neceflary tl e nel f '^•"'■'* "'^''^ "^^ o-r miniftryhavebr;"^'''"S-- forwhicft P"r'i"ng more vigorous 1 244 ] mcafures, while they are here equally upbraid-^ cd by France for purfuing thefc — This it is to be miniftcrs of Britain in affairs with France ! III. After what has been faid, there is no occafion to infilt upon the negotiations, and cvafions of them by our miniftryj ailed ged by the court of France, in the fequel of this their memorial. They had brought the court of Britain into a long and tedious negotiation of feven years about thofe difputes in An>6ri- ca, till they had leized all the countries in dif- putc, even in the courfe of the negotiation 5 and now they wanted to draw them into an- other like negotiation, till they could lecure {hemfelves in thofe places they had fcized, or be better prepared for doing it } which was p\ainly the fcopc and drift of all their negotia- tions. For this reafon, when our miniftry came to the point with them, and the only point in dilpute, to fettle the limits between the two nations in America, and make themf evacuate the territories they had fo unlawful- ly feized, altho* they would have given up part of the undoubted rights of Britain for the fake of peace, yet all the anfwer they could get from F'rance, by their own confeflion, was an abfolute refufal of the juft propofals- of Britain ; Cette refponfe etoit un rejus ahfolu . il^*y Jotiscrirey page 43. F^/ N I S. t f m