CANADIAN LOCAL HISTORY. 59 



Upper Canada, on tlie 15tli of June, 1799, we have an allusion to 

 the Mississippi as a westerly boundary of his Province. " Honorable 

 Gentlemen and Gentlemen," he says, " I am happy to inform you 

 that the intelligence communicated to me in the beginning of the 

 winter, respecting a combined attack of this Province said to have 

 been in preparation from the side of the Mississippi, turns out to 

 have little or no foundation. It has, however," he then adds, "had 

 the pleasing effect of evincing an internal strength to repel any 

 hostile attempt from that quarter ; for I cannot sufficiently applaud 

 the very animated exertions of the Lieutenants of Counties and the 

 loyal spirit and zeal exhibited by the Militia of the several disti-icts 

 on this occasion, whereby two thousand select volunteers from the 

 respective corps thereof were immediately put into a state of readiness 

 to march with their arms at a moment to wherever they might be 

 ordered, and I am persuaded that the rest would have soon followed 

 ■with equal alacrity if their services had been wanted." The military 

 spirit of the young colony of Upper Canada was, we see, fated to be 

 thus early put to the test. The reply to this part of the President's 

 address from the " Commons" reads as follows : "It affords us the 

 highest satisfaction to learn that the inhabitants of this Province 

 have been so unanimously determined to oppose any attempt which 

 might have been contemplated to disturb its flourishing improve- 

 ments, not doubting that similar energy will be shewn by all classes 

 of the people to prevent the introduction of French principles, and 

 preserve uncontaminated the constitution which the mother country 

 has given us." The Speaker of the Lower House on this occasion 

 was David William Smith, of whom an account has been given above. 

 President Russell, who, it may be observed, had been previously 

 Military Secretary to Sir H. Clinton during the war of the Revolu- 

 tion in the United States, refers again to the expediency of being 

 prepared for hostile attacks on Upper Canada, in the closing speech 

 of the session of 1799. "Although," he says, "the sequestered 

 situation of this Province has, through the favour of Providence, 

 hitherto exempted it from sharing in the calamities of the cruel war 

 which still ravages Europe, I cannot too earnestly exhort you to 

 recommend it strongly to your constituents not to relax in their 

 attentions to militia duties, and to keep that portion of each battalion 



which has been selected by my desire for immediate service in a 



constajLt state of readiness to act when wanted."] 



