Publisher's Synopsis
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1876 edition. Excerpt: ... INTRODUCTORY MEMOIR UPON THE EXPEDITION TO CANADA 1775--1776. Chapter I. THAT long line of lakes and rivers which flow southeastwardly across our continent, and empty into the Atlantic through the gulf of Saint Lawrence, seems to form a natural barrier between two nations, marking their geographical limits if it did not also bound different races. And such, in fact, was really the case with a part of this extensive chain, until the peace of Paris in 1763, when Canada, after the victory of Wolfe, passed from the dominion of France to that of the British crown. In March, 1766, the stamp act was repealed; but the English ministry, foiled in its first attempt on the liberties of the American colonies, seemed determined to tease and worry them into rebellion. Taxation by duties was laid in 1767, and Maryland at onco took ground against the imposition. Associations for "non importation" were speedily formed; but, after existing for a while, they were abandoned, and local discontents arose in our state that exasperated the people's feelings against Ministerial oppressions, until they were ripe for the revolt that ultimately broke out.1 Amongst the earliest demonstrations of a disposition on the part of the colonists to resort to violence, was the attack upon the newly ceded province of Canada. The expedition that was sent to the north was deemed, by some persons, of questionable policy, and not a few of our people thought it entirely subversive of the principles upon which we grounded our resistance. It might naturally, they alleged, bo regarded as a war of conquest, and, as such, was entirely at variance with the spirit of our discontent. Such, however, was not a just view of the case. The boundary of the lakes to which we have alluded, ...
