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leton contended； because the plan of settlement by Englishmen gave no sign of succeeding： 〃barring a Catastrophe shocking to think of； this Country must； to the end of Time； be peopled by the Canadian race。〃
To bind the Canadians firmly to England； Carleton proposed to work chiefly through their old leaders； the seigneurs and the clergy。 He would restore to the people their old system of laws； both civil and criminal。 He would confirm the seigneurs in their feudal dues and fines； which the habitants were growing slack in paying now that the old penalties were not enforced； and he would give them honors and emoluments such as they had before enjoyed as officers in regular or militia regiments。 The Roman Catholic clergy were already； in fact； confirmed in their right to tithe and toll； and； without objection from the Governor； Bishop Briand； elected by the chapter in Quebec and consecrated in Paris； once more assumed control over the flock。
Carleton's proposals did not pass unquestioned。 His own chief legal adviser； Francis Maseres； was a sturdy adherent of the older policy； though he agreed that the time was not yet ripe for setting up an Assembly and suggested some well…considered compromise between the old laws and the new。 The Advocate General of England； James Marriott； urged the same course。 The policy of 1768； he contended eleven years later； had already succeeded in great measure。 The assimilation of government had been effected； an assimilation of manners would follow。 The excessive military spirit of the inhabitants had begun to dwindle； as England's interest required。 The back settlements of New York and Canada were fast being joined。 Two or three thousand men of British stock； many of them men of substance； had gone to the new colony； warehouses and foundries were being built； and many of the principal seigneuries had passed into English hands。 All that was needed； he concluded； was persistence along the old path。 The same view was of course strenuously urged by the English merchants in the colony； who continued to demand； down to the very eve of the Revolution； an elective Assembly and other rights of freeborn Britons。
Carleton carried the day。 His advice； tendered at close range during four years' absentee residence in London； from 1770 to 1774； fell in with the mood of Lord North's Government。 The measure in which the new policy was embodied； the famous Quebec Act of 1774； was essentially a part of the ministerial programme for strengthening British power to cope with the resistance then rising to rebellious heights in the old colonies。 Though not； as was long believed； designed in retaliation for the Boston disturbances； it is clear that its framers had Massachusetts in mind when deciding on their policy for Quebec。 The main purpose of the Act； the motive which turned the scale against the old Anglicizing policy； was to attach the leaders of French…Canadian opinion firmly to the British Crown； and thus not only to prevent Canada itself from becoming infected with democratic contagion or turning in a crisis toward France； but to ensure； if the worst came to the worst； a military base in that northland whose terrors had in old days kept the seaboard colonies circumspectly loyal。 Ministers in London had been driven by events to accept Carleton's paradox； that to make Quebec British； it must be prevented from becoming English。 If in later years the solidarity and aloofness of the French…Canadian people were sometimes to prove inconvenient to British interests； it was always to be remembered that this situation was due in great part to the deliberate action of Great Britain in strengthening French…Canadian institutions as a means of advancing what she considered her own interests in America。 〃The views of the British Government in respect to the political uses to which it means to make Canada subservient；〃 Marriott had truly declared； 〃must direct the spirit of any code of laws。〃
The Quebec Act multiplied the area of the colony sevenfold by the restoration of all Labrador on the east and the region west as far as the Ohio and the Mississippi and north to the Hudson's Bay Company's territory。 It restored the old French civil law but continued the milder English criminal law already in operation。 It gave to the Roman Catholic inhabitants the free exercise of their religion； subject to a modified oath of allegiance； and confirmed the clergy in their right 〃to hold； receive and enjoy their accustomed dues and rights； with respect to such persons only as shall confess the said religion。〃 The promised elective Assembly was not granted； but a Council appointed by the Crown received a measure of legislative power。
On his return to Canada in September； 1774； Carleton reported that the Canadians had 〃testified the strongest marks of Joy and Gratitude and Fidelity to their King and to His Government for the late Arrangements made at Home in their Favor。〃 The 〃most respectable part of the English；〃 he continued； urged peaceful acceptance of the new order。 Evidently； however； the respectable members of society were few； as the great body of the English settlers joined in a petition for the repeal of the Act on the ground that it deprived them of the incalculable benefits of habeas corpus and trial by jury。 The Montreal merchants； whether； as Carleton commented； they 〃were of a more turbulent Turn； or that they caught the Fire from some Colonists settled among them；〃 were particularly outspoken in the town meetings they held。 In the older colonies the opposition was still more emphatic。 An Act which hemmed them in to the seacoast； established on the American continent a Church they feared and hated； and continued an autocratic political system； appeared to many to be the undoing of the work of Pitt and Wolfe and the revival on the banks of the St。 Lawrence and the Mississippi of a serious menace to their liberty and progress。
Then came the clash at Lexington； and the War of American Independence had begun。 The causes； the course； and the ending of that great civil war have been treated elsewhere in this series。* Here it is necessary only to note its bearings on the fate of Canada。
* See 〃The Eve of the Revolution〃 and 〃Washington and His Comrades in Arms〃 （in 〃The Chronicles of America〃）。
Early in 1775 the Continental Congress undertook the conquest of Canada； or； as it was more diplomatically phrased； the relief of its inhabitants from British tyranny。 Richard Montgomery led an expedition over the old route by Lake Champlain and the Richelieu； along which French and Indian raiding parties used to pass years before； and Benedict Arnold made a daring and difficult march up the Kennebec and down the Chaudiere to Quebec。 Montreal fell to Montgomery； and Carleton himself escaped capture only by the audacity of some French…Canadian voyageurs； who； under cover of darkness； rowed his whaleboat or paddled it with their hands silently past the American sentinels on the shore。 Once down the river and in Quebec； Carleton threw himself with vigor and skill into the defense of his capital。 His generalship and the natural strength of the position proved more than a match for Montgomery and Arnold。 Montgomery was killed and Arnold wounded in a vain attempt to carry the city by storm on the last night of 1775。 At Montreal a delegation from Congress； composed of Benjamin Franklin； Samuel Chase； and Charles Carroll of Carrollton； accompanied by Carroll's brother； a Jesuit priest and a future archbishop； failed to achieve…more by diplomacy than their generals had done by the sword。 The Canadians seemed； content enough to wear the British yoke。 In the spring； when a British fleet arrived with reenforcements； the American troops retired in haste and； before the Declaration of Independence had been proclaimed； Canada was free from the last of its ten thousand invaders。
The expedition had put Carleton's policy to the test。 On the whole it stood the strain。 The seigneurs had rallied to the Government which had restored their rights； and the clergy had called on the people to stand fast by the King。 So far all went as Carleton had hoped： 〃The Noblesse； Clergy； and greater part of the Bourgeoisie；〃 he wrote； 〃have given Government every Assistance in their Power。〃 But the habitants refused to follow their appointed leaders with the old docility； and some even mobbed the seigneurs who tried to enroll them。 Ten years of freedom had worked a democratic change in them； and they were much less enthusiastic than their betters about the restoration of seigneurial privileges。 Carleton； like many another； had held as public opinion what were merely the opinions of those whom he met at dinner。 〃These people had been governed with too loose a rein for many years；〃 he now wrote to Burgoyne； 〃and had imbibed too much of the American Spirit of Licentiousness and Independence administered by a numerous and turbulent Faction here； to be suddenly restored to a proper and desirable Subordination。〃 A few of the habitants joined his forces； fewer joined the invaders or sold them suppliestill they grew suspicious of paper 〃Continentals。〃 But the majority held passively aloof。 Even when France joined the warring colonies and Admiral d'Estaing appealed to the Can