[RAYMOND] NOVA SCOTIA UNDER ENGLISH RULE 67 
subjects, and making Improvements on their Lands for one or two 
Generations, and being grown up into such a Number of Families, to 
drive ’em all off their settlements without farther Inquiry seems liable 
to many objections. Among others it may be doubted whether it 
would be a just usage of ’em. It is true that the Notion of their Neu- 
trality, entertained for some time by the English as well as them- 
selves, is ill-grounded; But if it is considered that this Notion was 
founded upon an act of the late Lieut. Governor Armstrong, whereby 
he took upon himself to grant Exemption from bearing Arms upon any 
Account whatever, on their consenting to take an Oath of Allegiance 
to his Majesty, it may perhaps be deemed too rigorous a Punishment 
for their behaviour to involve the innocent with the guilty in the Loss 
of their Estates, and the Expulsion of their Families out of the Country. 
It is not improbable but that there may be many among ’em who would 
even prefer his Majesty’s Government to a french one, and have done 
nothing to deserve such a forfeiture; some Allowances may likewise 
be made for their bad situation between the Canadians, Indians & Eng- 
lish, the Ravages of all which they have felt by Turns in the coyrse of 
the War, during which they seem to have been continually placed 
between two fires; the force and menaces of the Canadians and Indians, 
plundering ’em of whatever they wanted & deterring ’em in the strongest 
manner from having any Communication with His Majesty’s Garrison, 
on the one hand; and the resentments of the Garrison for their with- 
holding Intelligence & supplies, on the other. 
“ Wherefore it seems a matter worthy of your Grace’s consideration, 
whether under such doubtful circumstances the driving all the french 
Inhabitants of Nova Scotia off their Settlements and thereby very greatly 
strengthening the Enemy upon this Continent and depopulating the 
Province for some time (how long may be uncertain), is more eligible 
than treating ’em as Subjects, confining their Punishment to the most 
guilty & dangerous among ’em & keeping the rest in the Country and 
endeavouring to make them & their Posterity useful members of Society 
under his Majesty’s Government. I can’t omit observing to your 
Grace, that it would be exceeding difficult to fill the Chasm which 
driving off the Inhabitants would make in the Country: During the 
Rupture with France it would certainly be impracticable, and I doubt 
whether it would not be so when peace shall be made with France, if 
the Indians should continue at War with us.’ 
There is much force in Parkman’s observation that if the Newcastle 
Government had vigorously carried out Shirley’s recommendations 
with regard to the policy pursued in Nova Scotia, the deportation of 

! See Parkman’s “Half Century of Conflict,” Vol. IL fp. 343. 
