The Makers of Canada: ChamplainDionne, N.-E. (Narcisse-Eutrope)
History
The Makers of Canada: Champlain
Dionne, N.-E. (Narcisse-Eutrope)
Canada -- History -- To 1763 (New France); Champlain, Samuel de, 1574-1635
The English would have preferred to have retained possession of Canada,
at least until the following year, as the Kirke brothers and their
associates hoped to be able to realize considerable sums from their
trade with the Indians. This condition of affairs is explained in a
letter addressed by Cardinal Richelieu to Chateauneuf, on December 20th,
1629: "They assure us that they cannot restore Canada at once; this is
the reason for our delay in restoring these vessels." And he adds: "If
they agree to the restitution of Quebec without any condition, you shall
take it for granted, if not, it is better to put a delay to the
settlement."
It is obvious that Charles I had twice promised to restore Quebec, and
when Chateauneuf retired from his position of ambassador in the month of
April, 1630, he had obtained "every assurance of restitution of all
things taken since the peace." The Marquis of Fontenay-Mareuil, who
succeeded Chateauneuf on March 13th, received special instructions from
the cardinal on this subject: "His Majesty's design is that, continuing
the negotiations of Chateauneuf, you continue to ask for the restitution
of Canada, and of all goods and vessels taken from the French since the
peace."
The new ambassador could not urge the claims of France with greater
activity than his predecessor. During the space of two months,
Chateauneuf had prepared five documents relating to Canadian affairs, to
which the commissioners appointed to settle the matter had replied on
February 11th. These officials were Sir Humphrey May, Sir John Coke, Sir
Julius Caesar, and Sir Henry Martin. Their conclusion regarding Canada
was that His Majesty had not changed his mind concerning the
restoration of places, vessels and goods taken from the French,
according to the first declaration he had made through a memorandum in
Latin, communicated some time since to the French ambassador.
Louis XIII was at this time engaged in war with Austria, and Richelieu
was too busy to attend to Canadian matters, which were of less
importance than the European questions which occupied his time. Interior
dissensions were soon added to the trouble which France had to undergo.
Gaston, the king's brother, was compromised, and the Duke of
Montmorency, who took part in a plot against the king, was seized and
put to death.
The negotiations commenced in 1629 were not resumed until 1632. In the
meantime the English authorities had not been idle. Charles I had not
forgotten his promise, and even if he had, there were men in France who
had a good memory. On June 12th, 1631, Charles I addressed a long letter
to Sir Isaac Wake, ambassador to France, respecting the restitution of
Quebec and Acadia. The terms were as follows:--
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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