1760-1763.] SINISTER MOVEMENTS OF THE FRENCH. 177 



Nations might be removed, or, as the petition 

 expresses it, kicked out of the ivay.^ 



The discontent of the Indians gave great satis- 

 faction to the French, who saw in it an assurance 

 of safe and bloody vengeance on their conquerors. 

 Canada, it is true, was gone beyond hope of recov- 

 ery ; but they still might hope to revenge its loss. 

 Interest, moreover, as well as passion, prompted 

 them to inflame the resentment of the Indians ; for 

 most of the inhabitants of the French settlements 

 upon the lakes and the Mississippi were engaged 

 in the fur-trade, and, fearing the English as formid- 

 able rivals, they would gladly have seen them driven 

 out of the country. Traders, hahitans, coureurs de 

 hois, and all classes of this singular population, 

 accordingly dispersed themselves among the vil- 

 lages of the Indians, or held councils with them in 

 the secret places of the woods, urging them to take 

 up arms against the English. They exhibited the 

 conduct of the latter in its worst light, and spared 

 neither misrepresentation nor falsehood. They told 

 their excited hearers that the English had formed 

 a deliberate scheme to root out the whole Indian 

 race, and, with that design, had already begun to 



1 " We are now left in Peace, and have nothing to do but to plant our 

 Corn, Hunt tlie wild Beasts, smoke our Pipes, and mind Religion. But 

 as these Forts, which are built among us, disturb our Peace, & are a great 

 hurt to Rehgion, because some of our Warriors are fooUsh, & some of our 

 Brother Soldiers don't fear God, we therefore desire that these Forts may 

 be puU'd down, & kick'd out of the way." 



At a conference at Philadelphia, in August, 1761, an Iroquois sachem 

 said, " We, your Brethren of the several Nations, are penned up like 

 Hoggs. There are Forts all around us, and therefore we are apprehensive 

 that Death is commg upon U8." 



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