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Carleton to Gage, Quebec 4th February, 1775 [1]
The Canadians in General have been made very happy by the Act passed in their Favor, all that have spoke, or wrote to me upon the subject, express the most grateful Sens of what has been done for them; I must not however concea from Your Excellency, that the Gentry, well disposed, and heartily desirous as they are, to serve the Crown, and to serve it with Zeal, when formed into regular Corps, do not relish commanding a bare Militia, they never were used to that Service under the French Government, (and perhaps for good Reasons) besides the sudden Dismission of the Canadian Regiment raised in 1764, without Gratuity or Recompence to Offices, who engaged in our Service almost immediately after the Cession of the Country, of taking any Notice of them since, tho' they all expected half pay, is till uppermost in their Thoughts, and not likely to encourage their engaging a second Time in the same Way; as to the Habitants or Peasantry, ever since the Civil Authority has been introduced into the Province, the Government of it has hung so loose, and retained so little Power, they have in a Manner emancipated themselves, and in will require Time, and discreet Management likewise, to recall them to their ancient Habits of Obedience and Discipline; considering all the new Ideas they have been acquiring for these ten years past, can it be thought they will be pleased at being suddenly, and without Preparation embodied into a Militia, and marched from their Families, Lands, and Habitations to remote Provinces, and all the Horrors of War, which they have already experienced; It would give appearance of Truth to the Language of our Sons of Sedition, at this very Moment busily employed instilling into their Minds, that the Act was passed merely to serve the present Purposes of Government, and in the full Intention of ruling over them with all the Despotism of their ancient Masters.
It may be further observed, that the Act is no more than the Foundation of future Establishments; that the new Commissions and Instructions, expected out, are not yet arrived, and that the Dissolution of the present Constitution, if it deserves the Name, and Establishment of the new one, are still at some Distance; [...][2]
Carleton to Dartmouth, Montreal 7th June 1775. [3]
My Lord! The 19th of last Month in the Evening, I received Intelligence from General Gage by Sea of the Rebels having commenced Hostilities in the Province of the Massachusets, and Requesting I would send the 7th Regiment with some Companies of Canadians and Indians to Crown Point, in order to make a Diversion, and favour his Operations. [...]
The little Force we have in the Province was immediately set in Motion, and ordered to assemble at or near St. John's; The Noblesse of this Neighbourhood were caled upon to collect their Inhabitants, in order to defend themselves, the Savages of those Parts likewise had the same orders; but tho' the Gentlemen testified great Zeal, neither their Entreaties or their Example could prevail upon the People; a few of the Gentry, consisting principally of the Youth, residing in this Place, and its Neighbourhood, formed a small Corps of Volunteers under the Command of Mr. Samuel Mackay, and took Post at St. John's; the Indians shewed as much Backwardness as the Canadian Peasantry. [...] [4]
Chief Justice Hey to the Lord Chancellor, Quebec Aug. ye 28th 1775 [5]
What will be your Lordships astonishement when I tell you that an act passed for the express purpose of gratifying the Canadians & which was supposed to comprehen all that they either wished or wanted is become the first object of their discontent & dislike. English officers to command them in time of war, & English Laws to govern them in time of Peace, is the general wish. the former they know to be impossible (at least at present) & by the latter if I understand them right, they mean no Laws & no Government whatsoever - in the mean time it may be truly said that Gen. Carleton had taken an ill measure of the influence of the seigneurs & Clergy over the lower order of people whose Principle of conduct founded in fear & the sharpness of authority over them now no longer exercised, is unrestrained, & breaks out in every shape of contempt or detestation of those whom they used to behold with terror & who gave them I believe too many occasions to express it. And the on their parts have been and are too much elated with the advantages they supposed they should derive from the restoration of their old Priviledges & customs, & indulged themselves in a way of thinking & talking that gave very just offence, as well to their own People as to the English merchants. [...] [6]
Cramahé to Dartmouth, Quebec 21st Sept. 1775 [7]
My Lord !
I am sorry to transmit to Your Lordship the disagreeable account of a disagreeable Business, some time in the Beginning of this Month, upon NEws of the Rebel Army approaching, General Carleton set out for Montreal in great Haste; the 7th instant the Rebels landed in the Woods near St. John's, and beat back to their Boats by a Party of Savages incamped at that Place; in this Action the Savages behaved with great Spirit and Resolution, and had they remained firm to our Interests, probably the Province would have been save for this Year, but finding the Canadians in General averse to the taking up Arms for the Defence of their Country, they withdrew, and made their Peace.
After their Defeat the Rebels retired to the Isle aux Noix, where they continued till lately, sending out some Parties, and many Emissaries, to debauch the Minds of the Canadians and Indians, in which they have proved too successful, and for which they were too well prepared by the Cabals and Intrigues of these two last years; We knew of their being reinforced, and very considerably, I suppose, as they appeared in Numbers near St. John's last Sunday Evening; where or when they landed, or the Particulars since, we have but very imperfect Accounts of, all Communications with the Forts of St. John's and Chambli, being, as far as I can find, entirely cut off.
No Means have been left untried to bring the Canadian Peasantry to a Sense of their Duty, and engage them to take up arms in Defence of the Province, but all to no Purpose. The Justice must be done to the Gentry, Clergy, and most of the Bourgeoisie, that tey have shewen the greatest Zeal and Fidelity to the King's Service, and exerted their best endeavours to reclaim their infatuated Countrymen; [...] [8]
Haldimand to Germain, Quebec 25th October 1780 [9]
[...]
As it is my Duty, it has been my Business to inform myself of the State of the Country & I coincide with the Majority of the Legislative Council in Considering the Canadians as the People of the Country, and think that in making Laws and Regulations for the Administration of these Laws, Regard is to be paid to the Sentiments and Manner of thinking of 60,000 rather than of 2,000 - three fourths of whom are Traders & Cannot with propriety be Considered as Residents of the Province. - In this point of view the Quebec Act, was both just and Politic, tho' unfortunately for the British Empire, it was enacted Ten Years too late - It Requires but Little Penetration to Discover that had the System of Government Solicited by the Old Subjects been adopted in Canada, this Colony would in 1775 have become one of the United States of America. Whoever Considers the Number of Old Subjects who in that Year corresponded with and Joined the Rebels, of those who abandoned the defence of Quebec in virtue of Sir Guy Carleton's Proclamation in the fall of the same Year, & of the many others who are now the avowed well wishers of the Revolted Colonies, must feel this Truth however national or Religious Prejudices will not allow him to declare it.
On the other hand the Quebec Act alone has prevented or Can in any Degree prevent the Emissaries of France and the Rebellious Colonies from Succeeding in their Efforts to withdraw the Canadian Clergy & Noblesse from their Allegiance to the Crown of Great Britain. For this Reason amongst many others, this is not the time for Innovations and it Cannot be Sufficiently inculcated on the part of the Government that the Quebec Act is a Sacred Charter, granted by the King in Parliament to the Canadians as a Security for their Religion, Laws and Property. [...] [10]
Haldimand to North, Quebec, October 24th 1783 [11]
[...]
The Americans are Settling Captain Hazen, now a Brigadier General, with the few Canadians remaining of the Corps upon Lake Champlain, they give them Lands and a Sum of Money proportionate to their Rank and Services. As their Number is Small, the expence will be trifling, but Still these Canadians will be handsomely rewarded, and the Encouragement given to them will have considerable Influence upon the Minds of their Country Men upon Some future Occasion. It will be Totally impossible to prevent frequent Intercourse between them, and the Settlement being So Contiguous to the Boundary Line will afford a Safe and easy Azylum to the Seditious and disaffected of this Country who are very numerous in the Parishes adjoining the Lake Champlain. This Province can only be preserved by bringing back the Canadians to a regular Subordination, and by rendering them useful as a well disciplined Militia - In order to effectuate this, the Authority of Government Must be Strengthened & not diminished. Be assured My Lord, that every Scheme calculated for the latter purpose, & however disguised, has its Source from the Partizans and Emissaries of the American States. [...] [12]