HISTORIC QUEBEC.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 258, 24 July 1908, Page 7

HISTORIC QUEBEC.

THE TERCENTENARY.

PBINCE OF WALES LANDS.

THE GENIUS OF BRITISH RULE. ■ PLAINS OF ABRAHAM., (UX TELEGKAPH rUESS ASSOCIATION—COPIRIOHT.) ' (Rec. July 23, U.io p.m.) , Ottawa, July 23. . After deluging rains, tko weather at Quebec 'became suddenly and brilliantly fine, . and tho celebrations of the tercentenary of the founding of Quebec by the French navi- ■' gator Samuel Cbamplain (in 1608)' were yesterday inaugurated most successfully, amid immenso enthusiasm. _ ; ■ Arrival of the Indomitable. All the ships in the St. Lawrence were • dressed with .flags and bunting, and the ancient city of Quebec, crowning tho heights, was gaily decorated, the. whole presenting a scene of entrancing beauty. The leviathan cruiser Indomitable, with the Princo of Wales aboard, rounding Point Levis (opposite Quebec) shortly before 3 p.m., amid a'deafening salute from tho international fleet and tumultuous demonstra- 1 tions from the populace, dropped anchor between long double lines of battleships, all dressed "with bunting and manned in honour ' ' of the occasion. 1 Tho Admirals Captains of the Atlantio : Fleet, the Governor-General of Canada (Earl "■ Grey)., the Prime Minister of Canada (Sir -Wilfrid. Laurier), Mr. C. W. Fairbanks (VicePresident of the United States), and other international representatives were present.' • On the Prince of Wales and the brilliant

party landing, Sir Wilfrid Laurier presented f,n address from the Parliament and people of Canada, warmly welcoming the Prince; and briefly trqeing tbo history of Quebec and of - the Dominion from the'time of Champlain's landing three hundred years ago down to tho present day. ' ,

The Prince's Reply.'. The Prince of Wales replied in English and in French. Ho said that King Edward waa mindful of the unswerving loyalty of ; tho ' Canadians, and followed with an aifectionato interest everything concerning the welfare and 'dov/clopment of the Dominion. The Prince then dwelt-on the proved fidelity of the French Canadians, which was one, > of tho greatest tributes to the political genius of England's rule. It was\a source' of deop ■ satisfnotion to King Edward, and to all who'' were, proud of British institutions, to linow -' : thr.fc British and French ' Canadians wero working hand-in-hand for the upbuilding, of. '■ tlie Dominion.. ■ \ • , He anticipated with the keenest interest ■ the coming impressive coremonies, when tiio,,.■ past and present history and position of Can- 1 ada would bo presented, upon a stago ot un- 1 > surpassed natural beauty. He, cordially op-.-' proved tho project to set apart, as a- public : • park and ■ national asset,: tho battle-ground'-of the Plains of Abraham, which was hal- • lowed by the associations of the past. ,

Tho Earl of Dudley (Governor-General of tho Commonwealth of Australia), the Duku of Norfolk, Lord Roberts, and Lord Ranfurly wore allotted' prominent places on tho Royal dais. :

Sir Wilfrid Laurier, waving his hat, called : for cheers for the Prince of Wales, which' were heartily given.. The. Prince-was then driven through the tortuous and precipitous streets of Quebec tp the citadel, i THE STRUGGLE FOR AMERICA. "; . AN EXCITING STORY. MANY CItOGES OF FORTUNE. The story of the Trench foundation and the British conquest of Canada was lately told in " The Times" .in two articles by • the Hon. J. W.' Fortescue. These are summarised in .. the " Sydney Morning Herald," from whom we quote. ; ■ . ■ The English and French arrived in North America almost at the same, moment. Henry, " Vll's patronage of Cabot gave England its'--first vague claim to the sovereignty of the, vast •. continent, but French seamen were the first.. : to explore the coast. Denis of Honfleur found. • his way to the Gulf of St. Lawrence in 1506.'i ; - Jacques Cart'.er sailed up the great river -in;--''; 1535, and left behind him the two'names of 1 "■ St. Lawrence and Montreal; and 60 years later, in. 1808, British adventurers established- theirs,-' first settlement on Janies River,- while Samuel - Champlain simultaneously laid the foundation-.' of' Montreal and "Quebec as stations for-trad-ing with the Indians. Wido apart as were the British and French settlements, the; two nations came into ;conlision almost at once. The Jesuits,, who fol- f lowed hard upon Champlain, had founded-a little station at Tort Royal, in Acadia. ! Tho r' Governor, of Virginia considered it, his first .. duty to uproot it, which he proceeded to do by force in 1613. Moreover, about this tima; King James I made a grant to an individual of the territory, which, iu compliment to tha '* sovereign, ho called Nova Scotia; .and as, this , was part of Acadia, which was claimed by tho French,, thoro were laid the foundations of tf '• very pretty quarrel. First Capture of Quebec. • Six years later, in 1G27, a company- of ad« venturers took advantage-of war with France . to sail up the St. Lawrence to: capture Quebec, and to achieve, virtually, the conquest of Canada. Thus tlio main gate of the new France was won. But^he.French appreciated the strategic value of Quebec, and they knew that Charles I was short of cosh, and on bad terms with his Parliament. So upon the negotiations for poa<!e in 1G32, they offered ,£50,000 for its ransom. 1 Charles could not' withstand the temptation; and Quebec onco \ again became a French settlement. ' Meanwhile, in IG2I, there had landed at New Plymouth, the first batch of British emigrants of a-.new kind, and seven years later saw the foundation of ,a far more important colony, that of Massachusetts. ' In the interval Oliver Cromwell had sent' an expedition, in 1654, to invite New England to join liim in the capture of the -Dutch settlements ' [it the mouth of the Hudson. But the colonics deolined, and tho expedition, sailing on to tho l'rench settlements in Acadia, captured that - province for the second time, but did not ventuve to attack Quebec. • ' btill, .the evir day foi: the Dutch was but " postponed, for New Amsterdam was taken by ' Colonel Nicolls m 16W; and renamed by him '. New "lorkj, and, though the now famous city was recaptured by the Dutch in 1G73, it waa ■ quickly recovered, and finally assured to tho British in' 1674. Acadia had" meanwhile been restored to-tho French by the Treaty of Breda in 1667. But' the capture of New York fairlybrought the French and En-'lish rivals face- -' to face, and from 16S0 until 17G0 it mav be said that they were never at peace in America. .- - The Groat Chain of Forts, With their-usual restless energy, the French' spread over the country, while the English sottlers were making tlioir homes, and at last thoy conceived the vast scheme of lapping round the rear of tho British settlements, confining tho latter to a mcr» strip of the seaboard, and cutting them aS wholly from the land within. By 1680 thej had done it, and by a chain of forts at. variona strategic pointi the British shut off from tha- < heart of tho continent. Tho New York mer :hants protested in vain to Whitehall- until James II succeeded his brother. Ho saw that tho French really only existed iiv North ■' imerica on sufferance, owing to tho disunion )f tho British colonies. He put New York and ; Now England under a single military governor, : md bade him make an end of tli'o French ' iggrossion. Tho dispatches of colonial Governors .from 16S0 to 1760 told of tho umveariod aggression ' v >f tho Frenoh during two wholo generations. ' [n 1749 certain British traders socking-only ;riiffio with tho Indians proposed to pnvi a ' 'ortified commercial station on tho fork' of the

.OJi.ioKiver, where Pittsburg now. stands; As "./■[ usual," ■ the; French saw. this would sever their • f.ohain of posts from the lakes to the Gulf of. %, 'Mexico, and iook prompt action. In 1753 Gov-.j-'ernor Duquesne sent 1500 men to strengthen the ; . line of communications, and incidentally seized "/'aßritish trading station for tho purpose.; Governor Dinwiddie,' of' Virginia, ' ordered him to >' -' retire from- British/ territory, ,and ho replied: that he had no intention of doing so. Dinwiddie sent a party ; in 1754 to build' a fort at j.,; Pittsburg,'; but the French came down, ■ drove . them away,, and :erectod : a. far/stronger., fort i'on ;.r.the. sdme site under the name .of Forjt Duquesne.' ' "". Advent of Montcalm. . .' : . ;•.,;/■ Unable ,to secure help from, the other' colo- ; njes, Dinwiddie appealed to England, and'in . anuary, 1755, two British, regiments were .sent, ./ over, under. General ;Braddock, but. the .opera?,, tion? against 'the. French■ that' followed'ended 1; ' ignominiously;: In' ; : 175G two . more regipients , ■.'.'.• arrived from England,' under'.' Lord .Londoun, 1 but tlje operations again'broko down-Hhis time, 0-from-- the -disunion of' the colonies 1 - and' tlio; dearth'-'of men and moneys Worse than that, i;' ; : an energetic Frenoh officer, who had arrivpd from/Europe in Jfay,-1755,/by a sudden .swift.; movement,- surrounded the only' British strong- .| -/ hold /upon ;Lake: Ontario and compelled -it to That;-officer'., was Louis Joseph,-; ; Mirquis do Montcalm Gozon clo Saint Veran;- - Matters changed-in* 1756," when; William Pitt Hucqeedcd' tho Dulce'of Newcastle, whose, .feeble 1-v hand had been very ill-fitted to guide; a great ':/;'war.". Where Newcastle li'a'd sent companies to' the ■' colonies "Pitt- serit/.b'gttalions." '-But The/ "' was .not. equally 'careful as. to the .strength of ' -.his fleets,' and, the whole of the campaigning, •'•season: was thrown away because/the '.'fleet': He; / sent/to take. found ,a waiting it., in , ' the; harbour: a far superior French fleet.. Lon-, ' doun : was' recalled,f; and: : there. came _ out two ../ -more ' Commanders—-James -Abercrornby. • who ; ', must never he, confounded with the .famous KalpH; : iihd' JefFery' Amherst,' of tho Guards;. To Amherst ,was.assigned; the',task of.besieg- . .- ing .Louisburg, : aiid®,among, his .brigadiers/'"was- ;; /James -Wolfe,' "a tall, thin, 'siugularly-/u<'ly ; 'man; with' a l .shock.:of red ,hair and. a.profile, ■ like tjje'flap of, an:envelope.'' On this cccasion., "Pitt- took', care' that the' flee't;wKs strong enough. to keep all French squadron's at a 'distance, ;and. !•' 'Louisbiirg was. battered into surrender. : Wolfe Piloted by Cook. • ; ~ . v •'"/S'.'.Forr the 7 '. campaign, of.a 1759 .ordered '/ai •-direct/attack upon/Quebec 'from ■•.the:..side; of, i-C: the sea,' l a"nd '.a .renewal of the, advanco upon it, S .'iby'ithe liho .frbiiv. which/AbercrombyVhaa (been,, i"' : repulsed. .Wolfe,7who.'had/beon .homo' on sick ' "- leave, •"was' selected to, direct the "first opera- '*• ,tiou« < and I 'the sccoiitl .was left to A'mlierstv ■ Wolfe.' sailed, in : Fobruary in ; : tho flagship .of '";/'AflDiiral:iSaunders, who commanded ,a; fleet, of 21 In Mav'the .whole'.:of. his-troops ■• j- wero assembled at Louisburg—-85C0 lheii instead -of • theVl2,ooo ■that he had Ijecn led . ■■.-.; : aiid: f 'on.; June:G-the .fleet',and-transports .'sailed for 'the-St.; Lawrence. On - June.-26-.thewhole , ; of tho ships,; which had been; guidbd./up,' the ; : :'nyer..b.v James Cook. ifterwards famous: as the, ['■ ■■ great? navigator,'' who ' Visited • Now - Zealand, ••; anchored without n single mishap a few,miles, ? below Ouebee. which was. held bjr'l4,ooo; men' ~ under Jlontcalm.' • i After, cannonading- the. town and an. unsucz ■ ccssfi,il/attack on'Montcalm's, entrenchments,, v Wolfe" shifted his - operations, , to, .the./ground r>-ah.ote,/'.the;;.towh: . and was ;ablo to sever C9;n- ',■ • mumcations with Quebec, and to cut on its - supplies below and above.' It bccamo a queswhether/Qiiebeo; could:be starvedi out be-- : ;;'fote ; theV'innter drove the British'fleet 'fram ,the' - •river,' and' both commanders; suffered agonies; anxietj Tho fleet;daily;patrolled:the;river. , . •'v r ;'.threatening at/one; point or another .15 miles•'■^';6f.Ashore,'vand.lkeeping. the French/officers^in' /torturing suspense /as ; they/.marched/, . their '•' •troops to and fro. On the night .of the' sixth, '-■•day-' the■ line-of-hittle. ships' mado feignedpre- .'• parations for ,an attack, on" the';, intrenched. ; camp below' tho -city,' while .Wolfe, .with' 4500. ; r men ''in ■ boats) • ■ dropped /down the/river, to ,a' spot whence a Ht'tle path clfmbed 'the cliffs to' ' city above . , . Montcalm's Misjudgment. •On ,the :m,orrow,(September 13) Montcalm'saw ' :•? »n" ominous • line ;• of.'scarlet • on/ the ; heights -to /v/'.:he»iwegt 'ol.the/city.:: Aiid then, 'it', 'must' s'or-' : v;.' rowfully'be confessed,; the poor man, worn/9iit ' • ivith, long anxiety :and strain;/completely lost : lis head. ' Closer examination of Wolfe's force :'•■ would have betrayed to him its numbers, and >-'"-the fact: that the British had but one very • - light field gun.. In a few hours 'he. could'.v. have assembled' twice the number of men and 30 guns; and, lfihe did not wish for "a pitched - „ battle,''he-'could manoeuvre- Wolfe's army away / from ■ the path,: play> with- it for Va- few/ days .., -till consumed' the small supply;-of/prpr, w... .Visions-;Avhich' each man -' carried, and - then worry it. in earnest.. But it was .not, to be. 1 He hurried into action , with : 5000. men :'of, inferior'quality to the British,- and-with only three guns, and was lost. .The British/waited till the enemy was within 35 yards, of -them ..-/before, they fircd-a shot, and then two'perfect />j Volleys" crumpled, the French line,., and, soon . Quebec was won. Both Wolfe arid i Montcalm >

• received i mortal.'wounds in the engagement.; . So ended this „ memorable , campaign, and w though there was still'• to he. another*siege of v -Qiiobec, with; the actors arid . the failure re-J>:N'Vereed,',-the world. 1 has' conspired- to'"allow, the • < .curtain of the dramato fall'on .the "deaths, of. Montcalm". arid .Wolfe. It is, ,' therefore, a , happy.'...inspiration'':;which- has suggested the purchase , of' the battlefield for '-'a; : national; -v monument, to : be. preserved, as V-field of'recon-. ! j.;.,.'. ciliatiori./where,'together >.with'-the'.bones' of I v ' hundreds • of:-brave men. the ■ animosities"'of Cany ....centuries are buried for ever. ■ " J .