plains of Quebec, those island grandeurs overlooked by the Royal Mount, — where Champlain and Frontenac laid, in noble purpose, the foundations for empire and glory of transatlantic France, — the sentence of destiny was pronounced. It was fitting that Wolfe and Montcalm, leading the ranks of the combatants in the last struggle, should mingle their life-blood on the rocky field. The treaty of Paris, in 1763, left to France a little group of fishing islands, Miquelon and St. Pierre, off the coast of Newfoundland.[1]
The close of the long and bloody conflict between Great Britain with the aid of her colonies and the French with their Indian allies, which insured the conquest of Canada, by no means put a period to the presence and influence of the French on the continent, especially their influence over the Indian tribes. By their sagacious policy in dealing with the savages, their domestic and social affiliation with them, and their generosity, they had conciliated the larger number of the nearest tribes, and drawn some of them under bonds of strong friendship, which hold even to this day; so that the subjection of the French by no means secured that of the Indians to the English control. In fact, by a curious retributive working, the French left precisely the same after-penalty of savage warfare to the English which the English,
- ↑ There is now in course of publication, in Paris, a series of volumes under the following title: “Découvertes et Établissements des Français dans L'Ouest et dans Le Sud de L'Amerique Septentrionale (1614-1754) Memoires et Documents Originaux, Recueilles et Publies par Pierre Margry, etc.” Four volumes of the series have already appeared, — the first covering the period 1614-1684, in 1875; the fourth, 1694-1703, in 1880. These Memoirs and Documents are of the highest historical value and authenticity. They are printed without any accompanying note or comment, from manuscripts, and present a noble memorial of French enterprise on this continent. Their interest to us as a nation very properly prompted the patronage of our Government in their publication. Congress subscribed for several hundred copies, which are to be improved by exchanges for other valuable publications, for the benefit of the Congressional Library.
