212 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM . 



with a thousand. Always there came also a cloud of Algonquin 

 allies. Always the Iroquois retired and then returned, rebuilt their 

 villages, replanted their fields, resumed their operations and in their 

 turn took ample revenge for their injuries. 



So, to and fro the war parties went, harrying and burning and 

 killing, but always the barrier stood, and always with its aid the 

 English colonies labored and fought and grew strong. When the 

 final struggle came between the armies of France and England, the 

 French had the genius of Montcalm and soldiers as brave as ever 

 drew sword; but behind Wolfe and his stout English hearts was a 

 new people, rich in supplies, trained in warfare and ready to fight 

 for their homes. South Carolina, the records show, furnished 

 twelve hundred and fifty men for the war ; Virginia, two thousand ; 

 Pennsylvania, two thousand seven hundred ; New Jersey, one thou- 

 sand; New York, two thousand six hundred and eighty; New 

 Hampshire and Rhode Island, one thousand ; Connecticut, five thou- 

 sand; Massachusetts, seven thousand. It was not merely the army 

 ■ — ■ it was that a nation had arrived, too great in numbers, 

 in extent of territory, in strength of independent, individual char- 

 acter, to be overwhelmed by any power that France could possibly 

 produce. The conclusion was foregone. A battle lost or won at 

 Quebec or elsewhere could but hasten or retard the result a little. 

 The result was sure to come as it did come. 



In all this interesting and romantic story may be seen two great 

 proximate causes of the French failure and .the English success; 

 two reasons why from Quebec to the Pacific we speak English, fol- 

 low the course of the common law, and estimate and maintain our 

 rights according to the principles of English freedom. 



One of these was the great inferiority of the Indian allies of the 

 French, and the great superiority of the Indian allies of the Eng- 

 lish ; the effective and enduring organization, the warlike powers, 

 of the Iroquois, and their fidelity to the " covenant chain " which 

 bound them to our fathers. The other cause lies deeper : It is that 

 peoples, not monarchs, settlers, not soldiers, build empires; that 

 the spirit of absolutism in a royal court is a less vital principle than 

 the spirit of liberty in a nation. 



In these memorial days let there be honor to Champlain and the 

 chivalry of France; honor to> the strong free hearts of the common 

 people of England ; and honor also to the savage virtues, the cour- 

 age and loyal friendship of the Long House of the Iroqouis. 



