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CARLETON TO GAGE.[28]

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(Secret) (Copy)

Quebec 4th Feby. 1775.

Sir

As this goes by Lt. Cleveland of the 7th, I will venture to be more explicit about what you mention of the Canadians and Indians in your Letter[29] of the 25th Decr last, than I thought it prudent to do by Post, as one may naturally suppose, those, who seem resolved to force their Country into Rebellion, Jealous of the Correspondence, may intercept our Letters, to make themselves Masters of the Correspondence, and should those Disorders continue, as there is too much Reason to apprehend, I submit it to your Consideration, whether it may not be proper to send me a Cypher, for the greater Security of our Correspondence on Matters of a secret nature.

The Canadians in General have been made very happy by the Act passed in their Favor, all that have spoke, or wrote to me upon the subject, express the most grateful Sense of what has been done for them; I must not however conceal from Your Excellency, that the Gentry, well disposed, and heartily desirous as they are, to serve the Crown, and to serve it with Zeal, when formed into regular Corps, do not relish commanding a bare Militia, they never were used to that Service under the French Government, (and perhaps for good Reasons) besides the sudden Dismission of the Canadian Regiment raised in 1764, without Gratuity or Recompence to Officers, who engaged in our Service almost immediately after the Cession of the Country, or taking any Notice of them since, tho' they all expected half pay, is still uppermost in their Thoughts, and not likely to encourage their engaging a second Time in the same Way; As to the Habitants or Peasantry, ever since the Civil Authority has been introduced into the Province, the Government of it has hung so loose, and retained so little Power, they have in a Manner emancipated themselves, and it will require Time, and discreet Management likewise, to recall them to their ancient Habits of Obedience and Discipline; considering all the new Ideas they have been acquiring for these ten years past, can it be thought they will be pleased at being suddenly, and without Preparation embodied into a Militia, and marched from their Families, Lands, and Habitations to remote Provinces, and all the Horrors of War, which they have already experienced; It would give an appearance of Truth to the Language of our Sons of Sedition, at this very Moment busily employed instilling into their Minds, that the Act was passed merely to serve the present Purposes of Government, and in the full Intention of ruling over them with all the Despotism of their ancient Masters. —

It may be further observed, that the Act is no more than the Foundation of future Establishments; that the new Commissions and Instructions, expected out, are not yet arrived, and that the Dissolution of the present Constitution, if it deserves the Name, and Establishment of the new one, are still at some Distance; at that Period, upon the first of May, every Civil Regulation, at present existing, is annihilated, and the whole to be cast into a new Form, a Work that must necessarily be attended with some Difficulty, and will require Time, Consideration, and great Prudence, for which it is not in our Power to prepare, untill the final Determination of the Ministry upon all these Matters is known;[30] had the present Settlement taken Place, when first recommended, it would not have aroused the Jealousy of the other Colonies, and had the appearance of more disinterested Favor to the Canadians; many Advantages might have resulted therefrom at this Juncture, which must now be deferred to a more distant occasion —

Since it could not be done before, this would prove a fair opportunity for raising a Battalion or two of Canadians; such a measure might be of singular Use, in finding Employment for, and consequently firmly attaching, the Gentry, to our Interests, in restoring them to a significance, they have nearly lost, and through their Means obtaining a further Influence upon the Lower Class of People, a material Service to the State, besides that of effectually securing many Nations of Savages —

As to the Indians, Government having thought it expedient to let Matters go in that channel, I have ever considered the late Sir Wm Johnson,[31] to whom, I suppose, Colonel Guy Johnson succeeds, as having their Political Concerns under his immediate Direction, with which I never interfered further, than their Commercial Interests, or the private Property, they possess in the Country, required, and upon this Principle Major Campbell's Commission was granted; however, if I am not greatly deceived in my Intelligence, not only the Domiciliés of the Province, but all the neighbouring Indians are very much at your Disposal, whenever you are pleased to call upon them, and what you recommend shall be complied with —

Left to my own Speculations in this retired Corner, without Intelligence of what passes in Europe till very long after the Event, and from a knowledge of the present Continental Transactions only, I entertain no Doubt, our Army is by this Time augmenting, and that as soon as the Navigation opens, some Troops from Britain will be sent up this River, and in my Opinion, it should not be an inconsiderable Force; if we are to have a French War, this Corps will become indispensably necessary here, if not, it might effectually second your Intentions, prevent much Effusion of Blood and Treasure, and procure the speedy Decision of a Contest, rendered more dangerous by every Moment's Delay; the Strong easily find Friends, and no Doubt they might readily procure a Multitude of excellent Guides, who would lead the Way on any Service you should think right to direct — — &ca

(Signed)

GUY CARLETON

(a true Copy)

H. T. CRAMAHÉ

His Excy General Gage

Endorsed: — Copy, of a Letter from Genl. Carleton to Genl. Gage, dated

Quebec 4th Febry 1775.

In Lieut. Governor Cramahé's Letter of the 9th Novr

[28]Canadian Archives, Q 11, p. 290. Gen. Gage had arrived in Boston on May 13th, 1774, in the double capacity of Governor of Massachusetts and Commander in Chief of the British forces in North America. Upon him, therefore, rested the duty of carrying out the repressive measures enacted by the Home Government, such as the "Port Act," the "Regulating Act," the "Quartering Act," &c. The troubles which culminated in a rising of the people in Sept. induced Gage to call for more troops. He therefore, as we have seen (p. 582), not only summoned two regiments from Quebec, but enquired as to Carleton's ability to send him a body of Canadians and Indians to assist in suppressing the colonists.
[29]This letter has not yet been found among the State Papers.
[30]The Quebec Act was to come into force on May 1st, 1775. As indicated above, there was not time before that date, to prepare the necessary legal machinery of courts, etc., for the radical reversion from the English to the French system of law. Accordingly, on the 26th April, 1775, Carleton issued a proclamation stating that under existing conditions, and with the authority of his commission as Governor, "I have constituted and appointed Adam Mabane, Thomas Dunn, John Fraser and John Marteilhe, Esquires, as His Majesty's Justices of the Courts of Common Pleas for the Districts of Quebec and Montreal in this Province; and Hertel Rouville of Montreal, and John Claude Panet of Quebec, Esquires, or any two or more of them, to be from and after the said first Day in May next ensuing, during Pleasure, or until proper Courts of Judicature can be established in the said Districts, Conservators of the Peace throughout the same, with all necessary Powers and Authorities for that and other the purposes aforesaid, to be done and executed According to Law; and further, from and during all the time aforesaid, to the Commissioners for suing Civil Process, and causing the same to be executed in the said District, in such Manner as the Law directs and by their Commission is appointed." By the same commission he also continued in office the former bailiffs of the Districts of Quebec and Montreal. The proclamation was published in the Quebec Gazette of April 27th, 1775.
[31]Sir Wm. Johnson, having early settled on the Mohawk river above Albany, and having acquired, through trade and the French wars, an unusual influence over the Iroquois Indians, had been appointed Superintendant of Indian Affairs for the Northern Division. He died on July 11th, 1774. Col. Guy Johnson, his nephew and son-in-law, who had also served in the war for the conquest of Canada, had been appointed Sir Wm. Johnson's deputy in 1762 and named as his successor. On Sir William's death he continued for a time as Indian Agent; but his conduct of the office was not very satisfactory and later he was superseded by his cousin Sir John Johnson, son of Sir William. In 1775 this position of Superintendant of Indian Affairs was conferred upon Major John Campbell.

Documents Relating to the Constitutional History of Canada 1759-1791, Part II

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