The Enquirer

From the Boston Patriot.

THE VALUE OF CANADA.

This is a point on which the two political parties in this country appear to hold very different opinions; and which has been the subject of no little altercation among individuals. The opposers of the war, apparently influenced by motives not the most honorable, have made it a part of their system, by every possible means to discourage the enterprizes of the U. States, against that country, and to prevent it from falling into their hands by conquest. With this view, they are constantly representing Canada as a mere barren waste, cold, dreary & uncultivated, and incapable of cultivation; as a colony not merely useless, but a burden and expence to the mother country; and which the U. States ought not to accept of, much less to acquire possession of, at the expence of the blood and treasure which must necessarily attend its conquest.

It will be recollected, that the Canadas were originally settled by the French, who held the possession of them until within a little more than half a century. That in the year 1775, Great Britain commenced a war in America against France, on account of certain intrusions which she alledged the French were making upon her American territory, by erecting a chain of Forts near the lakes and on the back of her provinces by which it was intended to connect Canada with Louisiana, then also held by the French. That for some time, particularly in the campaigns of 1757 and 8, the British were very unsuccessful in their attempts against the French possessions in America. But in 1759, a large fleet having been sent up the river St. Lawrence, and upwards of 20,000 troops having been transported across the Atlantic, at immense expence, for the purpose of conquering from the French the territory which is now represented as worse than useless to any power that possesses it--their affairs in that quarter wore a different aspect; and the forts of Niagara, Ticonderoga and Crown Point, having fallen into their hands, the conquest of the Canadas was completed by the victory on the heights of Abraham, and the surrender of Quebec on the 17th of Sept. of the same year.

It must be recollected that the colonies, (except Louisiana) which now constitute the U. States of America, then belonged to Great Britain. A part of which colonies abounded in all the articles of commerce--firs, timbers, staves and other lumber, pot & pearl ashes, naval stores, &c. &c, which were to be found in the Canadas; and of course the Canadas must have been of infinitely less value to Great Britain than they now are, when she possesses no other territories, the productions of which were similar.

By the following extract from Smollett's History of England we shall see what an immense value was then put upon those acquisitions, now rendered infinitely more valuable by the increase of population, agriculture and commerce, as well as by the circumstances of G. B.

"Immediately after the action at the falls of Montmorenci, General Wolf had dispatched an officer to England, with a detail of that disaster, written with such elegance and accuracy as would not have disgraced the pen of a Caesar. Though the public acquiesced in his conduct, they were exceedingly mortified at his miscarriage; and this mortification was the greater, as he seemed to despair of being able to strike any other stroke of importance for the accomplishment of their hope, which had aspired at the absolute conquest of Canada. The first transports of their chagrin were not yet subsided, when colonel Hale arrived in the ship Alcide, with an account of the victory and surrender of Quebec; which was immediately communicated to the people in an extraordinary Gazette. The joy which this excited among the populace, rose in approbation to the despondence which the former had produced; all was rapture and riot; all was triumph and exultation, mingled with the praise of the accomplished Wolf, which they exalted to a ridiculous degree of hyperbole. The king expressed his satisfaction by conferring the honor of knighthood upon Captain Douglass whose ship first bro't the tidings of this success; and gratified him and colonel Hale with considerable presents. A day of solemn thanksgiving was appointed by proclamation, thro' all the dominions of Great Britain. The city of London, the universities, and many other corporations of the kingdom presented congratulatory addresses to his majesty. The parliament was no sooner assembled than the secretary of state, in the house of commons expatiated upon the successes of the campaign, the transcendant merit of the deceased general, the conduct and courage of the admirals and officers who assisted in the conquest of Quebec. In consequence of this harangue, the house unanimously resolved to present an address desiring his majesty would order a monument to be erected in Westminster Abbey, to the memory of major general Wolf; at the same time they passed another resolution, that the thanks of the house should be given to the surviving generals and Admirals who quitted in the glorious and successful expedition to Quebec."