The New Hampshire Gazette Newspaper, October 17, 1760, Page 2

Continuation of the LETYER adireffed 1o Two Gaezat Mex, begiin ‘in our laft. (9669 HE War which was clofed by the Peace of Utrecht had been & TE5 undertaken with Views confined, altogetner, to the Con- §96965 (inent of ‘Eurspe, and carried on, tho’ at an immenfe Ex- pence, more to gain Conguefts for our Allies than for our felves. However, in the Treaty of Peace, fome Advantages and Conceflions were ftipulated in Favour of the” Crown of Greas- Britain, and its commercial Interefls. By the 12th Article *, All Nova Scotia or Acadia, with its anci- ent Limits, and with all its Dependencies, is ceded to the Crown of Great- Britain. And by the 15th Article, The Subjecs of France, Inbabisants of Canada, and elfewhere, [ball not difturb or moleft, in any Manner what - ever, the Five Indian Nations which are Jubje® vo Greas-Britain, nor its other American Allies. Let us now fee how thefe Articles have been obferved. - The French feem to have had two Capital Views in all their dmerican Schemes, ever fince they have thought Trade and Commerce an Obje&t worthy of their Attendon, Tbe firt was to extend themfelves from Canada, Southwards, through the Lakes, along the Back of our Colonies ; by which Means they might anfwer a double Parpofe, of cutting off our Communication with the Indian Nations, and of opening a Communication for themf{elves; between the Rivers St. Lawrence and Miffiffippi,and thusto join, as it were their Colonies of Cansda and Louifiana. The other Part of their Plan, equally important, and more immediately fatal to our Inte- refts in North-America, was to gain a Commuuication with the Ocean; the only Accefs they now have to Canada, through the River St. Lawrence, being thut up half the Year. Full of this favourite Projeét of American Empire, foon after the ‘Treaty of Utrecht, they began to enlarge their Boundaries on that Continent, in direct Violation of the folemn Conceflions they had fo lately made. , , As long ago as 1720, they feized and fortified the moft import- amw Pafsin America, at Niagars; in that very Country of the five In- dian Nations, from which the r5th Article of the Treaty of Utretcht had excluded them. The infinite Confequence of Niagara made them lefs ferupulous, no Doubt, about Treaties. Tor by Means of this Ufarpation they, ina Manner, became Mafters of the Lakes, and could, at Leifure, extend themfelves to the Obio, and carry their Chain of Forts and Settlements down to the Miffiffirpi. ‘The Plan of Ufurpation on the Back of our Colonies went on gradually and fuccefsfully from Year to Year; the Indians owned by the Peace of Ulrecht to be our Subjects, were debauched from our Intercft, and fpirited up to maflacre, and fcalp the Englifb; andin 1731, the Infolence of the Frenchgrew to fuch an Heighth, that they eretted their Fort at Crown- Point, ina Country indifputa- bly ours ; whether confideredas in the Center of the five Nations, or as aCtually within the Limits of New Tork. And whoever cafts his Ese upon the Situation of this Fort, in the Map, will fee how greatly the Poffeffion of it fecilitated the Completion of the great Oojett of opening a Communication with the Ocean ; and, how much it expofed our moft valuable Colonies to Indian Maflacres and French Invafions. If it thouldbe asked, what was our Miniftry in England em- ployed about, during fuch Inftances of Freuch Perfidy.....the An- fwer maft be, (tho’ I with I could draw a Viel over this Period) that our Affairs were then conduéted by a Minifter who wag awake, in- deed, to every Scheme of Corruption; eagertobuy a Borough, or to bribe a Member ; but flow to every Meafure of national Import- ance and Utility. His firft, his only Objet, wasto preferve him- felf in Power ; and as,in Profecuation of fuch interefted and merce- nary Views, he had atually engaged this nation in an Alliance with France, in Europe, (to pull down the exhorbitant Power of our old and nataral Ally)it was no Wonder, that he heard unmoved, and fuffered with Impunity, the French Ufurpations in North- A merica. Let us next trace the French Infidelity with regard to Nuva Sco- tiaor Acadia. ‘Tho’that Province had been yielded to us at Urecht, we had taken very few Steps to fettle it effe@ually, till 1749, after the Peace of 4ix Ia Chapelle. And then the French Court gave us a Specimen of Chicane, worthy, indeed, of thofe whom no Treaty ever bound, in Oppofition to their Convenience. ‘They began to fpeak out, and to tell us, nay to infiftupon it ferioufly in Memorials, that the Country ceded to us under the Name of Nova-Scotia, com- prehended only the Penitifula,and did not extend beyond the If2b- mus. Whereas the Charters of King Fames L to Sir William dlex- ander ; and Sir William's own Map as old as the Charter, demon- {trate that the ancient Limits of the Country f named included a valt Traét of Land, befides the Peniyfula, reaching along the Coa(t till it joined New England ; and extending up the Country till it was bounded by the South Side of the River St. Lawrence. Offuch an.Extent of Country they had formed a Plan to rob us; hoping no Doubt, to find the fame Sopinenefs in the Britifb Adminiftration which had overlooked their former Encroachments. With this View they defired thaiCommifTaries might meet to fettle theLimits, ................................................ promifing not to aft in America, till thofe Commiiliries flmul’ ’ agree, or the Conferrences break up. Bathow was¥his Promife obferved ? While the CommifTiries trifled away their Time at Parif the Ulurpations went on in America; Incurfions were frequenllg made inté the Peninfula of Acadia, the Poff:(fion of which wey di not pretend todifpute with us ; Forts were built by them in feg veral Places, and particolarly a moft important Oae to command the [/thmus ; thus deciding by the Sword, in Time of full Peace, that Controverfy which they themfelves had agreed (hodld be ami- cably adjufted by their Commiffaries ; and furnithing a lafting Warning to us, that a Treaty which leaves Points of Confequence tobe determined by anyafter Conferences, only ferves to light up another War. : : While the French Ufurpations wedt on fo infolently in Nova- Sco+ tia; the Plan was carrying on with equal Perfidy on the Banks of the Obio ; a Country, the Inhabitants of which had been in Allj- ance with the Englifb above an hundred Years ago ; an Alliance frequently renewed; to which alfo we hadaClaim as beinga Con= quett of the Five Nations, and from which, therefore, the French were excluded by the 15th Article of the Treaty of Utrechs above recited. But what avail Treaties when Intereft comesin Competition? The Pofleflion of the Obhio wasabfolutely neceflarv, that the great Plan of conneéting Canada with Louifiania might fucceed: nd, there- fore, they began the Hoftilities againft us, in that Country, the very Yearof a Peace of ix la Chapelle ; oppofed our Plan ofanew Settlement (which had been thought of by us, above forty Years bes fore) infulted our Traders, plundered and made them Prifoners; andin 1754, having defeated #afbingion, and deftroyed our Fort, they built zheir [ors Du Quefne 5 and Troops were fent daily from Franze to fecure the Poflelfion of this, and of their new and import. ant Ufurpations. No Doubt the French Minifters flatiered themfelves that Eng- land, inattentive to the Interefls of its Colonies for fo many Years before, and who, fo lately, had fubmitied to a difadvantageoqus Peace, would not have the Spirit to oppofe Forceto Force, and to do itfelf Juftice by other Weapons than the Complaints of Lord Albermale, and the Memorials of Mr. Mildmay. But the Hour of Vengeance was, at laft, come ; the Interefts of the Kingdom were attended to by thofe in Power ; the infinite Importance of our American Colonies was underftood, and a Refolutien taken tohave Recourfe to Arms. And thus England, wbich, for half a Centary, had been engaged in every Body’s Quarrel’s, but its own ; walting its Millions, and lavifhing its Blood, to obtain a Barrier in Flanders; which thofe for whom we conquered it could not defend; or ra- ther did not think it worth while to keep ; began the prefent War, a War truly NATIONAL. If there be Merit in this fpirited Conduét, tell your Encmicsy My Lord, that you, and a near Relation of yours (whofe Memory always will be refpe€ted) had then the chief Direction of public Bufinefs. And you Sir, will pardon me for paying this Campli- ment to thofe who began the War with Spirit ; while I, at the fame Time, declare it as my Opinion that your.coming into Power after it was begun, has contributed to its being carried on with a Succefs equally glorious and important to the Nation. But before I make the Application of the above Dedu&tion con- cerning 1 our American Complaints (which I fhall, by and bye, make Ule of, when I come to fpeak to the Terms which it will be neceffary to infift upon at the approaching Treaty ) it will be proper to mention another moft important Inftance of Frenck Perfidy in Europe. Dunkirk, by its Situation almoft oppofice the Mouth of the Thames, had done amazing Mifchiefto the Trade of England, during King William’s and Queen Anne’s Wars. The Demolition of Dunkirk, therefore, very naturally become a favourite Objeé&t of the Nation 3 the Parliamen, in 1708, addrefled ber Majefty to make no Peace without thisConditicnt ; and tho’ aftera War fo faccefsful, much more might have been obtained for England than really was, this’ Point was carefully infifted upon, and the Ninth Article of the Peace of Utrecht obtained. , By this Article, The French King engages todemolifb all the Forti- fications of the City of Dunkirk ; to ruin the Harhour 5to break the Dykes and Sluices.... The Works towards the Séa to be defiroyed in Two Months, andthofe to the Land in Three Mentbsafter 5 all this to be dome at his own ............................................................................................ t+ For the Particulars of the French Encroachments in. America, which 1 have only given a Sketch of, fe the Memorials of oxr Commilfaries, Dr. Mitchell’s Conteft in America ; the Doctor'sand Mr. Evans’s Maps, and many other Treatifes. t March 2d 1708. The Lords baving fent down an Addrefs to the Comimons for their Concurrence, relating to cersain Conditions to be infifted upon, as the fine qua ion, of @ Treaty with France, Mr. Secretary Boyle reprefented, That the Britifh Nation baving been at a vaft Expence of Blood and Treafure, for the Profecution of this neceflary War, it was but juft they fbould reap fome Benefit bythe Peace : .dnd the Town of Dun- kirk being a Neft of Pirates, that infefted the Ocean and did infinite Mif- chief 1o Trade, He, therefore, moved that the demolifbing of its Lortificati- ons and Harbonrs be infijled upon, in the enfuing Treatyof Feace, and inferted in the Addrefs, which was unanimoufly approved of, and carried back tothe Lords. See Chandler’s Debates of Parliamen; ¥ol. vii* P.122. e A o W,