An Historical Account of the Settlements of Scotch Highlanders in AmericaMacLean, J. P. (John Patterson)
History
An Historical Account of the Settlements of Scotch Highlanders in America
MacLean, J. P. (John Patterson)
Scots -- America; Scots -- United States
"I have heard too My Lord with infinitely greater surprise and
concern that the Scotch Highlanders on whom I had such firm reliance
have declared themselves for neutrality, which I am informed is to be
attributed to the influence of a certain Mr. Farquhard Campbell an
ignorant man who has been settled from childhood in this Country, is
an old Member of the Assembly and has imbibed all the American
popular principles and prejudices. By the advice of some of his
Countrymen I was induced after the receipt of your Lordship's letter
No. 16 to communicate with this man on the alarming state of the
Country and to sound his disposition in case of matters coming to
extremity here, and he expressed to me such abhorence of the
violences that had been done at Fort Johnston and in other instances
and discovered so much jealousy and apprehension of the ill designs
of the Leaders in Sedition here, giving me at the same time so strong
assurances of his own loyalty and the good dispositions of his
Countrymen that I unsuspecting his dissimulation and treachery was
led to impart to him the encouragements I was authorized to hold out
to his Majesty's loyal Subjects in this Colony who should stand forth
in support of Government which he received with much seeming
approbation and repeatedly assured me he would consult with the
principles among his Countrymen without whose concurrence he could
promise nothing of himself, and would acquaint me with their
determinations. From the time of this conversation between us in July
I heard nothing of Mr. Campbell until since the late Convention at
Hillsborough, where he appeared in the character of a delegate from
the County of Cumberland and there, according to my information,
unasked and unsolicited and without provocation of any sort was
guilty of the base Treachery of promulgating all I had said to him in
confidential secrecy, which he had promised sacredly and inviolably
to observe, and of the aggravating crime of falsehood in making
additions of his own invention and declaring that he had rejected all
my propositions."[37]
The governor again refers to him in his letter to the same, dated
November 12, 1775:
"From Capt. McLeod, who seems to be a man of observation and
intelligence, I gather that the inconsistency of Farquhard Campbell's
conduct * * * has proceeded as much from jealousy of the Superior
consequence of this Gentleman and his father in law with the
Highlanders here as from any other motive. This schism is to be
lamented from whatsoever cause arising, but I have no doubt that I
shall be able to reconcile the interests of the parties whenever I
have power to act and can meet them together."[38]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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