[CRUIKSHANK] DISAFFECTION IN UPPER CANADA 13 
that it might pass into the hands of France or that it should be im- 
mediately annexed to the U.S., but that it should become (or be de- 
clared) an independent Govt., assimilated in its form & offensively 
& defensively allied to that of the U.S. who wd have guaranteed its 
inviolability till such time as the union of the two countries might 
feasibly have taken place. It was contemplated so to regulate the 
ostensible conduct of the Govt. of the U.S. as that neither the Govt. 
of G.B. or France wd have publicly taken any exception at that & 
that the Canadas wd in due time & in this way have smoothly amalga- 
mated with & become an integral part of the U.S. The independence 
of Canada was to have been effected without the seeming interference 
of the U.S. altho’ they were to have been supplied by the Govt. of the 
U.S. with all the munitions of warfare and (when the favorable time 
arrived) with an influx of enterprising men under the colour of the 
lumber business which afforded an opportunity of introducing especially 
in Upper Canada of 3 or 4000 hardy men ready to engage in any desper- 
ate undertaking. | 
“This is the outline of the plan which originated with Mr. Jefferson 
and for the establishment of which he was heart & soul engaged. No 
money or means were to have been spared and the regular steps ap- 
proximating towards its accomplishment had advanced infinitely 
beyond what the Govt. in Canada can have any idea of. In this business 
I was the Governmental agent as stated in the communication which 
I made to His Excy Augustus J. Foster. I was in this business what 
Govr. Matthews has been in that of East Florida. Mr. Jefferson was 
extremely desirous of expediting the business so as to effect the accom- 
plishment (or) at least of trying the experiment by putting the match 
to the train especially in the latter part of his administration & during 
the time of the embarge but his suecessor, Mr. Madison, who perhaps 
by nature is not calculated for bold undertakings and who has not 
like Mr. Jefferson been educated in the school of revolution & rebellion, 
permitted a relaxation of the undertaking by withholding the pecuniary 
supplies necessary for carrying on the service. The reason for with- 
holding the supplies was (tho’ I then doubted, but I now think it was 
the true one), that a war with Great Britain seemed inevitable and 
it was considered the Canadas wd in that event fall of course.” 
Of Cogswell’s previous life nothing has been learned except that 
he delivered a Fourth of July oration at Newburyport in 1808, which 
was printed in pamphlet form, some copies being still extant. 
‘Nearly at the same time we find the assistant secretary to the 
Governor General writing in the strictest confidence to his father :— 
“Sir George, if he knows a fear on the subject of an American war 
or any other subject indeed, rather fears the insidious attempts of the 
