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XXXVII.

1837.

CHAP. British Parliament was vehemently denounced, and the example of the United States of America held up, amidst loud cheers, as an example to be imitated on a crisis similar to that which had now occurred. Government did not venture to prosecute the leaders of the movement; they were well aware, in the temper of the province, they would immediately be acquitted. A great meeting was held at St Charles, in the county of Richelieu, where a column was erected surmounted by a Cap of Liberty, at the foot of which PAPINEAU, the leader of the movement, was presented with a patriotic address by his admiring countrymen, who, marching in regular bands to the foot of the column, placed their hands on it, and solemnly devoted themselves to the service of their country. This imposing ceremony was followed by processions of the "Sons of Liberty" through the streets of Montreal, met by others styled the "Loyalists," which led to serious encounters, in which the former were generally worsted. On the other hand, so different was the temper of the upper province, that its governor, Sir Francis Head, having dissolved its Assembly in the close of 1836, the new house returned was decidedly in favour of Government by a majority of 40 to 20. Instead of joining their brethren in Lower Canada in the chase of visionary improvements in the contest for organic changes, they set themselves to work, like real men of business, to remedy experienced evils, and voted the large sum of £500,000 for the formation of roads and bridges, which, by opening up its immense resources, laid the foundation of the subsequent unexampled progress of that portion of the British dominions.1

1 Mart. ii.

379, 380;

Ann. Reg. 1839, 241, 251.

79. Great effects in Ca

Deprived in this manner of the prospect of support from the majority, at least, in the upper province, it is nada of the probable that Papineau and the revolutionists of the American lower would have hesitated in coming to an actual appeal against the to arms, were it not that an accidental circumstance, aris

crusade

banks.

ing from a foreign cause, introduced a division and dis

XXXVII.

1837.

content into the upper province, which encouraged them CHAP. to proceed with their insurrectionary measures. This was the crusade against the banks in the United States, already explained, brought to a crisis by General Jackson's desperate attempt to destroy paper credit in the spring of 1837. The effects of that course of measures, so ruinous both to the United States and Great Britain, were felt with equal or even greater severity in the British provinces of North America. The general suspension of cash payments in New York, Philadelphia, and the principal commercial States of the Union, rendered a similar measure indispensable on the Canadian side of the frontier; for else the whole cash in the banks of both provinces would be instantly drawn out to meet the necessities of the United States banks, themselves on the verge of insolvency from General Jackson's desperate measures. So universally was this felt to be the case, and so generally was it understood that the difficulties of the Canadian banks were owing to no faults or instability of their own, but to the pressure arising from foreign legislation, that the suspension of cash payments announced May 22, by the Quebec and some other banks met with general approbation and support. In vain the Governor, acting upon the maxims of the Home Government, adjured the banks in the most solemn terms to abide by their engagements, and not to suspend cash payments as long as they had a dollar in their coffers; the necessity of the case, and the clear appreciation of the foreign nature of the difficulty, overpowered every other consideration; and after a special session of parliament had been held in the upper province to consider the commercial difficulties which had occurred, a general suspension of cash pay-1Sir Francis ments took place. Like that in England in 1797 and end to the 1848, this measure relieved the banks without injuring Canada, public credit; and when the foreign drain ceased, cash 1837; Ann. payments were resumed without any shock to the last- 242247. ing stability of those valuable establishments.1 But in

1837.

Banks of

May 22,

Reg. 1837,

1837.

CHAP. the mean time the derangement of commerce and XXXVII. abridging of private credit were extreme; and from the number of persons thus involved in difficulties, the revolutionary wedge was introduced into Upper Canada, though fortunately without being able to penetrate far.

80.

of the contest in Lower Canada.

In Lower Canada things bore a much more unpromisApproach ing aspect, and the symptoms of an approaching convulsion soon became painfully apparent. The provincial parliament assembled on the 18th August; but no sooner were the resolutions of the House of Commons of March preceding communicated to them than they presented a long address, complaining bitterly of the tyrannical conduct of the Imperial Parliament, and announced their intention "of suspending their deliberations until the consummation of the reforms, and that of the Legislative Council above all, announced by and in the name of the imperial authorities." The Governor, Lord Gosford, described "the voluntary and continued abandonment of their functions by one branch of the legislature as a virtual annihilation of the constitution." The parliament was of course prorogued, and both parties prepared to decide the question by force of arms. The military authorities did the utmost to render the small force at their disposal as efficient as possible. Two regiments were brought from Halifax, where, happily, disaffecAug. 28. tion was unknown, to Lower Canada; and a great meeting was held at Montreal of the Loyalists, when it was unanimously resolved to raise several regiments of volunteers to support the Government, which were immediately filled up with bold and resolute men, whose gallant bearing might well have made the insurgents hesitate before they hazarded all on an appeal to arms. At the same time, Sir Francis Head, in the upper province, felt so confident in the loyalty and steadiness of the inhabitants that he not only sent all the regular troops out of the province into Lower Canada,1 but declined the offer of two

1 Mart. ii.

379, 380;

Ann. Reg.

1839, 247249.

XXXVII.

regiments of militia, and one of volunteers, who offered CHAP. to do garrison duty in the absence of the Queen's troops.

1837.

81.

ment of the

tion.

Government in the lower province, though perfectly aware that an insurrection was approaching, for long de- Commencelayed taking any decided step to arrest it, from a desire, insurrec natural and generally laudable, to put their opponents Nov. 22. in the wrong, by letting them take the lead in the adoption of warlike measures. At length, as it was ascertained that Papineau and his confederates had taken up their quarters in the villages of St Denis and St Charles, on the right bank of the river Richelieu, and that armed forces were there assembled, it was resolved to arrest them; and warrants to that effect were put into the hands of the civil officers, who were supported by military force. Colonel Gore, with five companies of regulars, a few mounted police, and a six-pounder, moved on the night of the 22d November from Sorel on St Denis, from which it was sixteen miles distant. After a fatiguing night-march of twelve hours over roads rendered almost impassable by heavy rains, they arrived at daylight at the village, which they found strongly barricaded, and its entrance defended by 1500 men posted in stone houses, from which a severe and well-directed fire was opened on the troops who advanced to the assault. The resistance was so determined, and the superiority of the insurgents so great, that after having exhausted all their ammunition in an ineffectual fire, the troops were obliged to return with the loss of six killed and ten wounded. To add to the mortification of the soldiers, the badness of the roads rendered it necessary to abandon the field-piece during the retreat; and Lieut. Weir, who had fallen wounded into the hands of the insurgents, was barbarously mur- 1838, 10. dered by them in cold blood.1

On the same night on which this ill-starred expedition took place against St Denis, Colonel Wetherell, with five companies of infantry, a party of mounted police, and

1 Ann. Reg.

XXXVII.

82.

Colonel

at St

Charles.

Nov. 25.

CHAP two guns, moved from Chambly upon St Charles. More fortunate than his gallant brother officer, Col. Wetherell 1837. met with decisive success. He did not reach St Charles, Success of owing to the badness of the roads and the destruction of Wetherell the bridges, till noon on the 25th; but when he arrived there the works were stormed in the most gallant style, in despite of an obstinate resistance from the insurgents. The village, with the exception of one house, became a prey to the flames: the victors lost only three killed and eighteen wounded. Hearing of this success, the rebels precipitately abandoned their position at St Denis, which Col. Gore entered without opposition on the 4th December. This success was followed by the complete dispersion of the armed bands on the banks both of the Richelieu and the Yamaska, and the flight of their leaders into the United States. One of these, named Brown, made his escape early, and lost the confidence of his followers by his pusillanimous conduct; another, Wolfred 1837, 10. Nelson, a brave man, was captured by a party of volunteers before he got over the border.1

Dec. 4.

1 Ann. Reg.

83. Decisive

success of Sir John Colborne at St Eustiche. Dec. 14.

These successes enabled Sir John Colborne, a veteran of Waterloo fame, to direct his chief disposable force into the country of the Two Mountains, where the strength of the insurgents lay, and where it was known they were strongly intrenched. His force, including several companies of gallant volunteers, amounted to 1300 men. The first point which presented itself for attack was the village of St Eustache on the left bank of the Ottawa, which was strongly occupied by the insurgents. Alarmed by the approach of forces so considerable, a large part of them, including their commander, Girod, took to flight before the assault commenced. Four hundred, however, under Dr Chenier, threw themselves into a church and some adjoining buildings, where they made a most resolute stand. After a severe fire of two hours' duration, their barricades were beat down by the British artillery, the church was set on fire, the houses

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