HISTORY OF VERMONT. 59« 



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How far it was in Montcalm's power tobavc 

 prevented this scene of carnage and barbarity, 

 it may not be easy for us to determine. The 

 marquis himself seems to have been a man of 

 humanity and politeness ; and it is scarcely pos- 

 sible but that a brave and generous soldier must 

 have beheld such scenes of outrage, with dis- 

 gust and abhorrence. Nor was it possible but 

 that he must have been aware of the dangerous 

 consequences of violating the public faith, or 

 how much it would effect his own honor and 

 reputation, to have his prisoners surrendered 

 into his power under a solemn treaty of protec- 

 tion, murdered in his presence, and by a part of 

 his own army. The most that candor can say 

 upon this subject, will be, that the European 

 generals were not able to restrain the fierceness 

 and barbarity of their Indian allies ; that tho 

 savages served with them, not un4er the prom- 

 ise or expectation of wages, but solely with a 

 view of revenge and plunder ; that they claim-f 

 ed these as their right, practice, and custom, 

 from time immemorial ; and did not admit that 

 any of the European commanders had any right 

 to restrain, or to interpose in their customs and 

 usages of treating their prisoners. But when 

 all has been said that candor can suggest, or that 

 the customs and habits of the savages can justi- 

 fy or excuse, still it will occur, that the garrir 

 son had a promise of protection from Montr 

 calm ; that they had surrendered under the faith 

 of this protection ; that all the laws of hur 

 manity and war required the capitulation, to have 

 been held sacred and inviolate ; that it was in 

 his power to have protected tlie garrison by \ 



