History of Friedrich II of Prussia — Volume 16Carlyle, Thomas
History
History of Friedrich II of Prussia — Volume 16
Carlyle, Thomas
Frederick II, King of Prussia, 1712-1786; Prussia (Germany) -- History -- Frederick II, 1740-1786; Social problems
"Ocean Highway to be free; for the English and others who have business
on it?" The English have a real and weighty errand there. "English to
trade and navigate, as the Law of Nature orders, on those Seas; and to
ponderate or preponderate there, according to the real amount of weight
they and their errand have? OR, English to have their ears torn off;
and imperious French-Spanish Bourbons, grounding on extinct
Pope's-meridians, GLOIRE and other imaginary bases, to take command?"
The incalculable Yankee Nations, shall they be in effect YANGKEE
("English" with a difference), or FRANGCEE ("French" with a difference)?
A Question not to be closed by Diplomatic putty, try as you will!
By Treaty of Utrecht (1713), "all Nova Scotia [ACADIE as then called],
with Newfoundland and the adjacent Islands," was ceded to the English,
and has ever since been possessed by them accordingly. Unluckily that
Treaty omitted to settle a Line of Boundary to landward, or westward,
for their "NOVA SCOTIA;" or generally, a Boundary from NORTH TO SOUTH
between the British Colonies and the French in those parts.
The Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle, eager to conclude itself, stipulated,
with great distinctness, that Cape Breton, all its guns and furnishings
entire, should be restored at once (France extremely anxious on
that point); but for the rest had, being in such haste, flung itself
altogether into the principle of STATUS-QUO-ANTE, as the short way for
getting through. The boundary in America was vaguely defined, as "now to
be what it had been before the War." It had, for many years before the
War, been a subject of constant altercation. ACADIE, for instance, the
NOVA SCOTIA of the English since Utrecht time, the French maintained to
mean only "the Peninsula", or Nook included between the Ocean Waters and
the Bay of Fundy. And, more emphatic still, on the "Isthmus" (or narrow
space, at northwest, between said Bay and the Ocean or the Gulf of St.
Lawrence) they had built "Forts:" "Stockades," or I know not what, "on
the Missaquish" (HODIE Missiquash), a winding difficult river, northmost
of the Bay of Fundy's rivers, which the French affirm to be the real
limit in that quarter. The sparse French Colonists of the interior,
subjects of England, are not to be conciliated by perfect toleration of
religion and the like; but have an invincible proclivity to join their
Countrymen outside, and wish well to those Stockades on the Missiquash.
It must be owned, too, the French Official People are far from
scrupulous or squeamish; show energy of management; and are very skilful
with the Indians, who are an important item. Canada is all French; has
its Quebecs, Montreals, a St. Lawrence River occupied at all the good
military points, and serving at once as bulwark and highway.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account