mand of the late Lieuten: Col. Noble's quitting Menis by Capitulation, and the necessity there was of my sending the last Detachment of soldiers to M Mascarene to take repossession of Menis, and make the Inhabitants of it renew their oath of fidelity to his Majesty; which had its desir'd Effect. "I am with the most Dutifull regard "My Lord Duke, "Your Grace's Most Devoted, "and Most Obedient Humble Servant "W SHIRLEY.” SHIRLEY TO NEWCASTLE, 20 OCT. 1747. (Extract.) "The general Inclination which, the french Inhabitants of Nova Scotia have to the french Interest, proceeds from their Ties of Consanguinity to the French of Canada, but more especially from those of their Religion, which last seems to put 'em greatly under the Influence of their Priests, who continually receive their Directions from the Bishop of Quebeck, & are the Instruments, by which the Governour of Canada makes all his Attempts for the Reduction of the Province to the french Crown, & Keeps the Indians of Nova Scotia (commonly called the Cape Sable Indians) in their Dependence upon him; particular Instances of which may be given in the first Body of French & Indians, which attack'd the King's Garrison soon after the Declaration of the present War's being headed by a Priest of Nova Scotia; and the principal Part in giving Intelligence to the Enemy, maintaining the Correspondence between Canada and Nova Scotia, assembling Cape Sable Indians, & influencing such of the Inhabitants as had joined with or assisted the Enemy, has been manag'd by another Priest of that Province; Other Instances of this Kind might be given, as particularly the Attempt to bring the Inhabitants into Revolt soon after the late Surprize at Menis by endeavouring to influence 'em with the Authority of the Bishop of Quebeck pronouncing 'em to be free from their Oath of Allegiance to his Majesty. But I shall content myself with observing to your Grace only one piece of Policy made use of by the french Priests in Nova Scotia for preserving the whole Body of the People intirely french, and Roman Catholick's, viz forbidding all Intermarriages with the English under Pain of Excommunication, (of which I am informed there has been one or two late Instances in actual Excommunication upon this Occasion) & which has had so general an Effect as to prevent the Settlement of any one English Family within the Province, from the first Reduction of it to the present time, tho' some have attempted to setle in the Country; & to Keep out Inter-marriages between the French & his Majesty's English Subjects, as that I never heard of any one Instance besides the before mentioned ones; And I would humbly submit it to your Grace's Consideration if the free Exercise of the Roman Catholick Religion and an unlimited Toleration of Roman Priests in Nova Scotia should continue to have the same Effect in that Colony for the next succeeding forty years, as it has had within these last forty; the Inhabitants there are suffer'd to remain a distinct Body of French in the Neighbourhood of Canada, with the Ties of Consanguinity & Religion between them & the Canadeans still growing stronger, untill they double or perhaps treble their Number (the French of Canada likewise at the same time increasing their Strength & Numbers) whether it may not prove in the End cherishing a Colony of Inhabitants for the subversion of the King's Government in it, & the strengthening of the french Interest upon the Continent. "The Treaty of Utrecht, my Lord, by which the cession of Accadie (or Nova Scotia) with its Inhabitants was made to the Crown of Great Britain does not seem to lay his Majesty under an Obligation to allow the french Inhabitants the Exercise of the Roman Catholick Religion; and as his Majesty is as yet under no Promise to do it, I should hope that Methods might be found for weakening the Ties of Consanguinity & Religion between even the present Generation of the french inhabitants of Nova Scotia & those of Canada, by beginning new ones between his Majesty's English & french subjects there, and at the same time controuling the pernicious Power of the Romish Priests over the french Inhabitants & the Indians of that Province, which may possibly be cut off or at least obstructed by his Majesty's making a Promise to continue the french Inhabitants in the free Exercise of their Religion. "Wherefore as his Majesty has been pleas'd to refer it to my Opinion to fix the Terms of the Declaration, which he has commanded me to make in his Name to the Inhabitants of Nova Scotia; whereby it became my Duty to avoid every thing in it, which appear'd to me to have a Tendency to disserve his Government within that Province, I have taken the Liberty to suspend promissing 'em the free Exercise of the Romish Religion, tho' it is mention'd in your Grace's Letter to have been part of what was at first propos'd to have been included in his Majesty's intended Proclamation, till I could transmit my Sentiments to your Grace, and I should have his Majesty's farther Directions upon it; & have in the mean time made a Declaration of such Points, as seem'd necessary to be ascertained to the Inhabitants for quieting their Minds, & would not admit of Delay. "I might mention to your Grace some local Reasons for my Omitting in the Declaration what I have done, but shall not presume to trouble you with any but what I thought it my indispensable Duty to lay before your Grace. "I am with the most dutiful Regard "My Lord Duke, "Your Grace's most Devoted " and most Obedient Servant "W SHIRLEY." |