68 KOYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



the inhabjitants were much more prosperous than when Canada was a 

 French dependency. Still it was evident that there was an undercurrent 

 of discontent and hostility to Great Britain, which might easily be fanned 

 into a flame. The gentry and land-owners generally and many of the 

 clergy were believed to be well-disposed, but many of the townsfolk and 

 hahitants alike were strongly suspected by British residents of rooted 

 disaffection, and of entertaining a desire to be reunited to France. Writ- 

 ing to Colonel William Claus on the 23i-d of Septeml)er, 1805, before 

 the battle of Trafalgar, had put an end \o Napoleon's hopes of gaining 

 the mastery of tlie seas, Colonel Isiaac Brock said, " These ungrateful 

 Avretches (the French Canadians) expect fully to be French subjects 

 before the end of the war." After a residence as Governor-General for 

 more than two years, Craig described them in an official letter to Lord 

 Liverpool (21st May, 1810) as being " French," adding — " I use the 

 term designedly. My Lord, because I mean to say they are in language, 

 in religion, in manner and in attachment completely French, boimd to 

 us by no one tie but that of a common government, and on tlie contrary 

 viewing us with sentiments of mistrust and jealousy, with envy, I be- 

 lieve I would not go too far, were I to say, with hatred. So complete 

 do I consider this alienation tliat on the most careful review of all that 

 I know in the province, there are very few I could venture to point out as 

 not being tainted with it. The line of distinction between us is completely 

 drawn. Friendship, loordiality, are not to be found, even common intern- 

 course scarcely exists. The lower class of the people to strengthen a 

 term of contempt add " Anglois," and the better sort with whom there 

 formerly did exist some interchange of the common civilities of society, 

 iiave of laite entirely withdrawn themselves. The alleged reason is that 

 their circumstances have gradually declined in proportion as ours have 

 increased in affluence. This may have had some effect, but the obiserva- 

 tion has been made ifchat this abstraetion has talcen place exactly as the 

 power of the French in Europe has become more firmly established." 



Craig cannot be regarded as an unprejudiced witness, and his letter 

 was written in the heat of his struggle with the French-Canadian 

 majority in the legislative Assembly, but strong evidence can now be 

 adduced to sustain his statement. 



General Turreau, the French minister to the United States, r(>lates 

 that soon after his an-ival at Washington in 1806, a French- Canadian 

 farmer who lived near the frontier called upon him to mal^e known the 

 hopes and wishes of his countrymen, which he desired him to communi- 

 cate to the French Government. Turroau told this man that it would 

 be necessary for him to furnish him with further details as to the char- 

 acter of the men who were prepared to lead a revolt and the means tliey 



