Opening the text

France and England in North America, Part VII, Vol 2: A Half-Century of ConflictParkman, Francis

History

France and England in North America, Part VII, Vol 2: A Half-Century of Conflict

Name: France and England in North America, Part VII, Vol 2: A Half-Century of Conflict
Author: Parkman, Francis

Parkman, Francis

Canada -- History -- To 1763 (New France); United States -- History -- Colonial period, ca. 1600-1775

“I beg leave to submit it to your Grace’s Consideration, whether the
most staunch Protestants, & Families the most zealously affected to
his Majesty’s Government, a Number at least of such, should not
rather, if possible, be transplanted there as soon as may be; I could
wish four or five hundred of ’em could be induc’d to go from some Part
of New England; I think from the Experience I had of the Inhabitants
of this Province at least upon the late Alarm given by the french         341
Fleet, I might safely venture to be answerable to his Majesty, that if
I had suggested in my late Orders for assembling a Body of ’em under
Arms in Boston from all Parts of this Province to oppose any Attempt
of the Enemy, that there was a design of landing a Son of the
Pretender’s here, it would not have been possible to have kept any one
Man, who was capable of marching hither, from appearing under Arms
with the most determin’d Resolution of hazarding his Life to the
utmost in defence of his Majesty’s Governm^t.; And as the late
Appearances of a fondness for removing from hence to Cape Breton seem
to be quite vanished at present, I should not be without hopes of some
families removing from these Parts to Nova Scotia upon due
Encouragement; Protestants likewise from among the Swiss Cantons, &
other Northern Parts in Germany, who are generally bred up in the
Exercise of arms, and make sober and industrious Settlers, might be
safely trusted in Accadie; Great Numbers of ’em yearly flock into
Pensilvania, whereby the Inhabitants of that Province are almost
incredibly increas’d within these twenty Years; And from the behavior
of the Irish coming out of the Northern Parts of Ireland hither, a
Number of which is setled in the Eastern Parts of this Province, I
should think they too might be safely trusted in Nova Scotia; and it
is certain that these poor unhappy Highlanders (I mean such of ’em as
may be design’d to be transported into the Plantations) would be more
safely dispos’d of among the four Governm^{ts}. of New England, or in
New York & the Jerseys, where they would not be in danger either of
corrupting the Inhabitants, or being again seduc’d themselves, but
might make useful Subjects to his Majesty.

“I hope, my Lord, I shall be excus’d if I have gone beyond my Line in
submitting these Observations to your Grace, at a time when the fate
of one of his Majesty’s Northern Colonies, the most important of ’em      342
all to the Crown in many respects, as I apprehend, and which will be
in the hands of the french the Key to all the other British Colonies
upon this Continent, & even to Cape Breton, And in his Majesty’s
Possession the Barrier of ’em against the Enemy seems to come to a
Crisis.”


    SHIRLEY TO NEWCASTLE, BOSTON, NEW ENGLAND, 27 FEBRUARY, 1747.

“MY LORD DUKE,

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Opening the text

France and England in North America, Part VII, Vol 2: A Half-Century of ConflictParkman, Francis

History

France and England in North America, Part VII, Vol 2: A Half-Century of Conflict

Parkman, Francis

Canada -- History -- To 1763 (New France); United States -- History -- Colonial period, ca. 1600-1775

“I beg leave to submit it to your Grace’s Consideration, whether the
most staunch Protestants, & Families the most zealously affected to
his Majesty’s Government, a Number at least of such, should not
rather, if possible, be transplanted there as soon as may be; I could
wish four or five hundred of ’em could be induc’d to go from some Part
of New England; I think from the Experience I had of the Inhabitants
of this Province at least upon the late Alarm given by the french         341
Fleet, I might safely venture to be answerable to his Majesty, that if
I had suggested in my late Orders for assembling a Body of ’em under
Arms in Boston from all Parts of this Province to oppose any Attempt
of the Enemy, that there was a design of landing a Son of the
Pretender’s here, it would not have been possible to have kept any one
Man, who was capable of marching hither, from appearing under Arms
with the most determin’d Resolution of hazarding his Life to the
utmost in defence of his Majesty’s Governm^t.; And as the late
Appearances of a fondness for removing from hence to Cape Breton seem
to be quite vanished at present, I should not be without hopes of some
families removing from these Parts to Nova Scotia upon due
Encouragement; Protestants likewise from among the Swiss Cantons, &
other Northern Parts in Germany, who are generally bred up in the
Exercise of arms, and make sober and industrious Settlers, might be
safely trusted in Accadie; Great Numbers of ’em yearly flock into
Pensilvania, whereby the Inhabitants of that Province are almost
incredibly increas’d within these twenty Years; And from the behavior
of the Irish coming out of the Northern Parts of Ireland hither, a
Number of which is setled in the Eastern Parts of this Province, I
should think they too might be safely trusted in Nova Scotia; and it
is certain that these poor unhappy Highlanders (I mean such of ’em as
may be design’d to be transported into the Plantations) would be more
safely dispos’d of among the four Governm^{ts}. of New England, or in
New York & the Jerseys, where they would not be in danger either of
corrupting the Inhabitants, or being again seduc’d themselves, but
might make useful Subjects to his Majesty.

“I hope, my Lord, I shall be excus’d if I have gone beyond my Line in
submitting these Observations to your Grace, at a time when the fate
of one of his Majesty’s Northern Colonies, the most important of ’em      342
all to the Crown in many respects, as I apprehend, and which will be
in the hands of the french the Key to all the other British Colonies
upon this Continent, & even to Cape Breton, And in his Majesty’s
Possession the Barrier of ’em against the Enemy seems to come to a
Crisis.”


    SHIRLEY TO NEWCASTLE, BOSTON, NEW ENGLAND, 27 FEBRUARY, 1747.

“MY LORD DUKE,

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

France and England in North America, Part VII, Vol 2: A Half-Century of Conflict

France and England in North America, Part VII, Vol 2: A Half-Century of Conflict

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