106 LEAVES THEY HAVE TOUCHED. 



just. I am fully aware that in ordinary minds, or with persons not 

 siiiEciently informed of the difficulties to be encountered — the 

 Ministers consider the affairs of the Canadas to be involved in very 

 great difficulties — a want of success will commonly produce the 

 suspicion of a want Ox" due exertion. Yet I do not exactly see the 

 propriety of urging this to me. I must bear these suspicions as T 

 may. The time perhaps will come when the exertions which I have 

 made will be better understood. I shall not remit them ; but it is 

 not my intention to make them public at present. I have a very 

 awful responsibility, and I trust that I am duly sensible of it ; but 

 what 'it behoves me to do,' under the circumstances in which I am 

 placed, ought in propriety to be left to my own judgment." Then as 

 to the facility with which Ministers might be moved to adopt a 

 particvilar line of action, the Bishop rejoins: " Ministers will not 

 consider the Ecclesiastical affairs of the Colonies but in conjunction, 

 with other matters relating to them. Whenever they do proceed in 

 this business, they will certainly not fail to have before them all that 

 relates to the Reserved Lands, and everything else materially affecting 

 the Establishment and the general interests. But like many other 

 persons at a distance from Courts and Ministers, you mistake 

 extremely in supposing that effectual attention to everything that 

 seems important in the Colonies, and particular directions respecting 

 it, may ' very easily' be obtained here." In his next letter, Dr. 

 Strachan offers many apologies for his " loose manner of expressing 

 himself," which, he says was the result of haste, — Col. Talbot, who 

 was to be the bearer of the letter, being kept literally waiting until 

 it should be finished. He then adds : " The great exertions of your 

 Lordship to place the Church in these Provinces upon a more respectable 

 footing do more than equal my expectations, which were not perhaps 

 very moderate. They are not to be measured by their success ; but 

 will reflect the greatest ci-edit on the first Bishop of Quebec, when 

 they are once generally known, long after we are all mingled with the 

 dast." BoA of these energetic contenders in a cause which it was 

 their office to uphold are now mingled with the dust, and truly 

 their names are held in honour. But the way out of the maze in 

 the perplexities of which they were entangled — how different it 

 finally was from that which they had conceived to be the only one ! 



But now I miist return to secular affairs. When Gen. Brock was 

 killed, the command, civil and military, devolved on Gen. Sheaffe. 



