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Continent, with any potentate of Europe, appeared removed for ever."

What are these "great natural boundaries?" The St. Lawrence and the lakes from Quebec to Detroit, a distance of 800 miles, 600 of which are navigable for vessels of 400 tons burthen: this is the boundary on the north-west side. The other great boundary was formed by the cession of all the eastern divisions of the Continent; hence all causes of alarm were removed.

The exultation on the part of the people, not only of the colonies, but of the mother country, may be easily imagined, when we recollect what distress and apprehension preceded this scene of " unrivalled brilliancy *."

the night, however, and during the early part of the succeeding day, a violent rain fell, which induced a further postponement of the assault." Idem, vol. ii. p. 578.

To those whose contempt of the American character is so great, I would beg to refer the language and feelings of Mr. Marshall: he continues—

“Thus the great object of the war in that quarter had been gained; and France now held the country, for hostilities had been commenced. With an inferior force the French had been successful in every campaign, and had uniformly obtained advantages over the English, and gained ground on their colonies: nor were they less fortunate elsewhere. The flame of war, we have seen kindled in America, had communicated itself to Europe and Asia; and in every quarter of the world, where hostilities had been carried on, the British arms had been attended with defeat and disgrace. Those were not wanting who believed the character of the nation to have changed, and its antient courage to have been lost. The most gloomy predictions respecting its destinies were uttered, and serious apprehensions seemed to have been entertained by many, of its being no longer able to maintain that high station it had so long filled among the nations of Europe.

"But this inglorious scene was about to be succeeded by one of unrivalled brilliancy; and from the point of extreme depression, to which their affairs had progressed, the brightest æra in British history was now to commence.

"Far from being really broken by misfortune, the spirit of the nation was never higher than at present; and more of indignation than dismay was inspired by the ill success of their arms. The public voice had at length made its way to the throne, and imperiously forced on the unwilling monarch a minister, who has been very justly deemed one of the greatest personages of the age in which he lived.

"Mr. Pitt had long been distinguished in the House of Commons for the boldness and the splendor of his eloquence: his parliamentary talents, and the independent grandeur of his character, had given him a vast ascendency in that body, and had made him the idol of the nation. In 1756, he had been introduced into the councils of his sovereign; but, dissenting essentially from the system adopted for the prosecution of the war, he retained his station for a very short time. The public affection followed him out of office; and the national disasters continuing, it was found impracticable to conduct the complicated machine of government without his aid. In the summer of 1757, an administration was formed, so as to conciliate the great contending interests in parliament, and Mr. Pitt was placed VOL. II.

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"The campaign," says Chief Justice Marshall," of 1756 had closed, leaving the affairs of Great-Britain in North America in a more gloomy situation than at any former period. By the acquisition of Fort William-Henry, the French had obtained complete possession of the lakes Champlain and George, which afford the easiest admission either into Canada, or from that province into the northern British colonies. By the destruction of Oswego, they in like manner had acquired the dominion of those lakes which connect the St. Lawrence with the waters of the Mississipi, and unite Canada to Louisiana. By means of Fort du Quêsne too, on the Ohio, they maintained their ascendency over the Indians, and held undisturbed possession of all the country west of the Alleghany mountains, while the English settlers were driven to the Blue Ridge."

Let us now return to the present situation of affairs, and think, if but for a moment, that we are in search of a spot, where the scenes of a "bright era" may be presented to our imaginations,

at its head. The controlling superiority of his character gave him, in the cabinet, the same ascendency which he had obtained in the House of Commons; and he seemed to dictate the measures of the nation. But a very short time was necessary to show, that in this extraordinary man were combined qualities seldom united in the same person. His talents for action seemed even to eclipse those he had displayed in debate; and in directing the vast and complicated movements of a war extending on both elements over every quarter of the world, he unfolded a vigor of mind, a clearness of judgment, and a decision of character, surpassing the expectations even of those who had been long accustomed to admire the firmness with which he had pursued his political course. His plans, partaking of the proud elevation of his own mind and the exalted opinion he entertained of his countrymen, were always grand; and the means he employed for their execution never failed to be adequate to the object. Possessing, without limitation, the public confidence, he commanded all the resources of the nation, and drew liberally from the public purse; but the money was at all times faithfully and judiciously applied in the public service. Too great in his spirit, too sublime in his views, to become the instrument of faction-when placed at the head of the nation he regarded only the interest of the nation; and overlooking the country or the party which had given birth to merit, he searched for merit only, and employed it wherever it could be found. From the elevation of the House of Brunswick to the British throne, a very considerable portion of the people, under the denomination of Tories, had been degraded, persecuted, and oppressed. Superior to this narrow and shortsighted policy, Mr. Pitt sought to level these enfeebling and irritating distinctions, and to engage every British subject in the cause of his country. Thus equally commanding the strength and wealth of the kingdom, with perhaps greater talents, he possessed certainly greater means, than any of his predecessors."—Marshall, vol. i. page 490.

May the future historian of our own times copy these sentences, word for word, substituting the name of Wellesley for that of the illustrious character, whose portrait is so accurately drawn. If Chatham had his Wolfe, Wellesley has his Wellington.

and yield the relief, which is necessary, to our minds wearied with the uniform success of the modern Attila:

The tracts of territory that we should look to, as the more immediate objects of attention, will be those portions of the United States, which are bounded on the N. E. by the Kennebec through the Wilderness, where it almost unites with the Chaudiere, to Quebec ; on the N. W. by the Lakes; on the S. E. by the Atlantic; on the S. W. by the Hudson.

On the N. E. we have nothing to fear, having our own Province of New Brunswick in our rear. On the contrary, much advantage may be derived to the power possessing naval preponderance, from the numerous ports of Maine, its spacious bays and navigable rivers.

On the N. W. we are supported by the Lakes and the St. Lawrence; this line is strengthened by the fortresses of Quebec, Kingston, Niagara, Erie, and Detroit; places of great importance, not only as depôts for stores, but of greater consequence as points, whence combined attacks, on one or more given spot, may be made.

In safe possession of these, we shall then have only to discover where is the position in the United States, the occupation of which will enable us to effect the object in view.

"As had been foreseen by General Washington, the great effort was now to be made on the Hudson. A variety of considerations suggested the policy of transferring the seat of war to this part of the Continent. Such is the formation of the country on the sea coast, being divided into islands assailable in every direction by a maritime force, that it requires for defence, against a conjoint attack by land and water, not only complete fortifications but a very formidable army also. The same cause which render this part of the United States so vulnerable to an invading enemy, commanding the sea, secure that enemy in the possession of it, after it has been acquired. It must always be found extremely difficult to drive even an infe rior army from this post, without first obtaining a naval superiority.

"The British General was invited to New York, not only by the facility with which that position could be taken and retained, but by the great and superior advantages it offered in the prosecution of the war. Long Island, of the secure possession of which he could not entertain a doubt, unless his force should be insufficient to make any impression whatever on America, was a fertile country, abounding in provisions, and would of itself furnish large supplies to his army. From this post, too, it was optional with him to carry the war eastwardly into New England; northwardly, into the state of New York; or, westwardly, into the Jerseys and Pennsylvania; or, if too weak to attempt the conquest of either, he could retire into a place of security, and either harass the American army and the adjacent coun try or carry on expeditions against distant parts of the Continent. In fact, it enabled him to command perfectly his own operation, and to choose the scene of action, The possession of the Hudson, too, would open to him the most direct communication with Canada, and enable him very greatly to interrupt the intercourse between the eastern and southern states. In addition to these circumstances, he would cover his friends, who, in turn, would recruit his army, and supply it with those necessaries, the want of which he had so severely experienced in Boston."

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"General Washington soon received evidence of the difficulty attending his efforts to preserve this important river from an enemy possessing so powerful a fleet as was now to act against him. Two frigates passed his batteries, without injury, and sailed up towards the high lands; the passes of which were of essential importance, and were very weakly defended. It was apprehended that on board these frigates might be a small body of troops, and arms for the numerous disaffected of that country, with whose aid, sudden possession might be taken of these important positions. It was impossible still further to weaken the army at New York, for the defence of these passes, and therefore the militia were called upon to maintain them. The frigates, however, did not make the attempt which was apprehended from them; but, by retaining this station, they cut off the communication, by water, between the army at New York and that at Ticonderoga. To remove this interruption, a plan was formed to set the frigates on fire, by means of a fire-ship. This plan, though considerable address and courage were manifested in the attempt, failed in the execution, and only a tender was burnt. The frigates returned, but this fact demonstrated a truth which the General had before believed, that a ship with a fair wind would pass his batteries at pleasure, unless stopped before them by obstacles in the channel."-Marshall, vol. ii. page 487.

These extracts, and from the publication of one who drew his information from the private and most voluminous portfolio of Washington, are sufficient to prove to us, that the possessors of the Hudson, if they should be masters of the Lakes*, are lords of the Continent, at least of all the valuable parts of it. The correctness of the opinions of this (now) venerated character, or the truth of his assertions, cannot be doubted.

The line formed by the Hudson is 160 miles long, the distance between New York and Albany. The most commanding spot is 60 or 70 miles from New York; it is called West Point, and the possession of it gives the controul of the navigation of the Hudson. Connecting itself with the line is the Mohawk, which runs in a N. W. direction from Utica, near to which town it joins the Lake Oneida, and thence to Fort Oswego on the Lake Ontario.

As to the navigation of the River Hudson, it is here necessary to observe that to Hudson, 140 miles from New York, it is navigable for vessels of 350 tons.

The Mohawk is only large enough for barges. At the little falls above Herkimer it is locked, so that the navigation is uninterrupted from Schenectady to Utica. There is an 18 miles portage between Albany and Schenectady, occasioned by the Cohoos fall; of course, at the latter town, the barges load and unload. Hence the principal military line of defence of the state of New York, if any

The recent intelligence from the United States respecting York, and the burning of part of our lake navy, seem to make this questionable. Are there no records of the Illustrious Chatham in the archives of the Colonial Secretary?

power were as mad as we were in the last war to attack it in front, may be said to form an angle, the corner of which is Albany, the extreme points New York and Oswego.

That part of the state of New York to the northward, within this angle, was not, comparatively speaking, known during the last war, except the route by which General Burgoyne came from Canada. Since that time there have been considerable settlements on the left bank of the Black River, through which a tolerable road has been made to Utica for carriages. It is traversed on horseback, with great ease, in three days. The road may be said to commence from Sacket's Harbour, a distance of 80 or 100 miles.

An advance by this road would, it is presumed, be not very difficult; particularly, as from the nature of the country, on the right bank of the Black River, it is incapable of settlement. Indeed, it seems to have been intended to serve as an immense reservoir of water to supply the St. Lawrence and the Hudson. The country on the bank of the former river is to be excepted. The part which is represented as thus inhospitable and unfavourable to settlement is very evident on the face of a correct map.

The banks of the Mohawk will, it is apprehended, afford some good military positions.

Turning towards the N. E. we shall discover the distance of our positions from Boston, Hartford, and Springfield, to be about 200 miles.

A post at Hartford or Springfield connected with that at Hudson, would belt the country, and at the same time check the lower · part of the river Connecticut.

To Portland the distance is not more than 120 miles.

To Old Fort Western, and the Penobscot, about the same distance.

The country between Norridgewock and Quebec is unsettled. It has recently been surveyed by an order from the state governinent of Massachussetts.

Hence, if we take all the distances and positions into consideration, we shall find that the portion of the lands and states which may be said to contain the military strength of America, will be contained in an oblong of less than 300 miles by 200. The four corners may be said to be New York, Oswego, the Penobscot, and the St. Lawrence, between Montreal and Quebec; the latter in our possession. On examination, Great-Britain will be found placed on superior ground; and one on which she will prove herself to be

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