PAPERS RELATING TO THE SIX NATIONS.
215
REV. FATHER ROBAUD TO SIR WM JOHNSON.
Sir I am Extreemly sensible, and very readily acknowledge, the great honour you have doneme, by your late obliging Letter. Every part thereof breath politeness, Witt and Generosity ; Anopen heart and Sincere, all declares the man of honour, and shews Monsieur le Chevallier Johnson.I have no Term ; no Expression can avail me, to render (or speak) all I naturally feel, at thesight of so noble, so generous a proceeding. I had not heretofore the honour to be acquaintedwith the English Nation. Born in the midst of France without being natural Subject of theFrench King, I had hitherto hardly known any but Frenchmen . But how truly can I affirm that Inever have seen in any one of them, any thing that approach in the least, of or Like that noblegenerosity, (or the great characteristick of the English,) so Remarkable amongst the English . Ihave followed that Nation Step by Step, Ever since the conquest of Canada , and I confess that I cannotrecover my surprise. What hath made the greatest Impression on my mind, is that fund of In-tegrity, which nothing can alter : that disinterestedness, which is above what ever I can say in itspraise. If New England had been so unfortunate as to become the prey of the French , it had timeto shed Tears, or to Mourn and bewail its lamentable fate. And Canada Taken by the English , dailybless its Destiny, yes, I daily hear the Canadians wishing Joy to one another, and congratulatingthemselves, that they have been taken by General Amherst, and are governed by the respectableheros that commands there, this day. This, I have had the honour to declare to Gen 1 Hamerst, lastwinter in my Letters, and will not cease to proclaim the same to the world, wilst I have Being.
These generous proceeding have so far gained Upon me, that I have not hesitated on moment, butGave general Amherst all the knowledge and Lights, which my Stay in Canada , and my connections,Especially, with the late French generals, have enabled me to procure. These papers are of theutmost consequence, You’ll Judge thereof on their Titles. You shall hereafter be acquainted withthe motives, which obliges me to declare them (that is, the contents of the papers,) to you. Thefirst packet contained a discourse directed to Gen 1 Hamerst, wherein I shew him, what it would beright for England to Insist on, and do, Whether, at the Next peace to be made, Canada be returnedto the French , or no. There is many things in this discourse regarding the Indians, Especially the•Abenakis and the Iroquois , wiio may be called English Indians, and whom it would be very practica-ble to bring back again into their Ancient habitations, let the Event of the war be what it will, thatis to say, the one Nation in Acadia, and the other among the Six Nations. I show therein the means,and at the same time declare the Immense Benefit, that would Accrue to the British commerce,from this kind of Transmigration. I am so bent for that same, that if Canada be restored to theFrench , and Gener 1 Amherst, from whom I daily Expect an Answer to some former Letter, don’tgive me a Call, I will certainly quit the Contry.
The second packet contained Instructions from M r Montcalm to divers Minimes of France , to theminimes of the Marine, to the plenipotentiaries Intended to be sent to the future congress for theGeneral peace, to the future governoer of Canada, And finally to the Intendants .
The third and last packet contained a code of Civil Law adapted for the governin' of Canada ,which M r de Moncalm had at his leasure houres originally projected and drawn, this last work isnot perfect, and altho I daily work thereon, it cannot be so soon finished, the. truth is, that havingtinhapily lost a part of my papers in my frequent Travels, I must supply what is wanting. Thisis the matter contained in these papers, which had the honour to remit to General Amherst, andconcerning which I Expect a decisive Answer. If these papers concerned you in the least, I would