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During the period of the administration of the old council of Quebec, a most important and interesting incident took place. In 1647 the authorities of Massachusetts had written to the authorities of New France concerning the opening of trade intercourse between the two colonies and the adoption of a kind of commercial union between them. The Quebec magistrates had deemed the proposition acceptable, especially if it could be supplemented by a military convention under which French and English would unite their forces to stop the bloody raids of the Iroquois and subdue for ever these fierce savages. Letters were exchanged on that subject, but the question remained in abeyance until 1650. In that year, new communications having been received from the English, who seemed truly in earnest, d’Ailleboust, governor of New France, decided to send Father Druillettes, a Jesuit missionary to the Abnakis, as ambassador to the authorities of the English colonies. Druillettes left Quebec on September 1, 1650, accompanied by an Indian chief, Noël Negabamat, captain of the Algonquins of Sillery. Following the Chaudière and Kennebec Rivers, they reached first Koussinoc (or Taconnock) in the colony of Plymouth, and arrived at Boston on December 8, 1650. The Jesuit ambassador was well received, notwithstanding his ecclesiastical character. Very severe penal laws were in force in the colony against all Jesuits or Catholic priests trespassing over its territory. It had been enacted that

No Jesuit or spiritual or ecclesiastical person ordained by the authority of the Pope or See of Rome shall henceforth, at any time, repair to, or come within this jurisdiction; and if any person shall give just cause or suspicion that he is one of such society or order, he shall be brought before one of the magistrates; and if he cannot free himself of such suspicion, he shall be committed or bound over to the next Court of assistants, to be tried or proceeded with by banishment or otherwise, as the Court shall see cause; and if any person so banished shall be taken the second time within this jurisdiction, he shall upon lawful trial and conviction be put to death.

But Father Druillettes being invested with the character of an ambassador, that law could not be made applicable to his person. On the contrary he was received with all due honour. He was the guest of Major-General Gibbons. After having had an interview with Governor Dudley, of Massachusetts, he met the council of that colony on December 13. He was then informed that the question of union for trade and war with New France could be dealt with only by the council of commissioners of the United Colonies.

In 1643 the four colonies of Massachusetts, Plymouth, Connecticut (Kenetigouc), and New Haven (Kouinopeia), had formed a confederation under the name of the United Colonies of New England. They were bound together by a covenant under whose articles none of the four states could decide or take action in a matter of war without the assent and conclusion of the general council of commissioners, composed of eight members, two for each colony.

The next move of the French ambassador was to repair to Plymouth, where he met Bradford, the governor of that colony, who received him courteously, and led him to hope that his mission would be fruitful. He also wrote to John Winthrop, governor of Connecticut, trying to win him over to the acceptation of the contemplated treaty.

As a result of his interviews Father Druillettes felt confident that his negotiation ultimately would be crowned with success. He had been deeply impressed with the strength of the four colonies, who numbered, he wrote, 40,000 souls, and could raise for a war 4000 soldiers in Massachusetts alone. Of course these numbers were overrated; but it may safely be stated that the population of New England then was ten times more numerous than that of New France.

In the relation of his errand, the Jesuit envoy declared that in his opinion the colonies of Boston, Plymouth and Connecticut would be willing to unite with the French against the Iroquois, and that New Haven would not be hostile to the idea. After having left New England, he spent the winter with his Abnakis, and in the following spring he came to Quebec, where he made his report to the governor and council. The French authorities decided immediately to send him back with a member of the council, in order to lay before the commissioners of the four colonies a formal proposal, first for a treaty of commercial reciprocity, and secondly for a military alliance against the Five Nations. Councillor Godefroy was selected, and they left on June 22, 1651, entrusted with ample powers from the governor and council.

In their letter to the Commissioners of New England, the councillors of Quebec made the following statement:

Some years ago the gentlemen of Boston having made to us a proposal for a commercial union between New France and New England, the Council established by His Majesty in this country answered, together with our Governor, that we were most willing to open that trade intercourse, backed with a union of hearts and minds between our colonies and yours, but that, in the meantime, we were desirous of entering into an offensive and defensive alliance with you against the Iroquois, our enemies, who would make all trade impossible, or at all events, make it less profitable to you and ourselves.

The last lines of that interesting document were as follows: ‘We cannot doubt that God shall bless our arms and yours, employed as they would be in the defence of christianized Indians, our allies and yours, and against barbarous heathen, who have no God, no faith, and follow no rules of justice, as you shall further be informed by our ambassadors, who will express to you our sincere wishes for the blessing and the favour of God over your provinces.’ The reader of American history is somewhat astonished at this official expression of such friendly feelings towards New England, coming from the council of New France. Tempora mutantur nos et mutamur in illis!

When Father Druillettes and his colleague reached Boston they could see at once that former dispositions had changed. The views of the two parties were not at all the same. New England was intent on trade, New France was intent on war. New England was not willing to accept war in order to get trade. New France would consent to give trade for the sole purpose of getting war. These divergent incentives could not be reconciled. The answer of the commissioners of the four colonies was negative. Thus two hundred and sixty years before the Taft-Fielding Convention, a treaty of reciprocity failed between Canada and its neighbours to the south.

What a possible change in the history of North America, if that attempt at treaty making had been successful! The destiny of half a continent might have been altered. The ferocious Iroquois would have been quelled by the coalition of the two countries. The French colony would have grown unchecked, developing in peace her resources, and would not have lost half a century in bloody strife with the Five Nations. The English colonies would not have been a prey to the tomahawk, sword and torch of the Indian allies and partisans of the French. Instead of drenching with their purest blood the plains and forests of the New World, New France and New England would have lived in harmony, each one asserting freely her character and genius. Eighty years of disastrous wars would have been spared to America.