ada, and of every
other part of America formerly subject to that Crown. This Declaration
contained the highest praises of the valour of the Americans; it laid
before the inhabitants of Canada the mortification they must endure in
bearing arms against the allies of their parent State; it represented to
them, in the strongest terms, the ties formed by origin, language,
manners, government, and religion, between the Canadians and the French,
and lamented the misfortune which had occasioned a disjunction of that
colony from France; it recalled to their remembrance the brave
resistance they had made during the many wars they had been engaged in
against England, especially the last; it reminded them of their
favourite warriors and generals, particularly the valiant Montcalm, who
fell at their head, in defence of their country; it earnestly entreated
them to reflect seriously on their disagreeable subjection to strangers
living in another hemisphere, differing from them in every possible
respect, who could consider them no otherwise than as a conquered
people, and would always, of course, treat them accordingly. It
concluded by formally notifying, that the Count D'Estaing was authorized
and commanded by the King of France to declare, in his name, that all
his former subjects in North America who should renounce their
allegiance to Great Britain might depend on his protection and support."
(Dr. Andrews' History of the American War, Vol. III., Chap. xxxviii., p.
171.)]

[Footnote 10: The conciliatory acts of the British Parliament and the
letter of the Commissioners were referred by the Congress to a Committee
of three--all known to be opposed to any reconciliation with England.
This Committee made, the next day after its appointment, a report which
was adopted by Congress, that the British acts were merely intended to
operate upon the hopes and fears of the American people, and to produce
divisions among them; "that those who made any partial convention or
agreement with the Commissioners of Great Britain would be regarded as
enemies; and that the United States could hold no conference with such
Commissioners until the British Government _first withdrew its fleets
and armies, or acknowledged the independence of the United States_."

"This _rejection_ of terms which they not long before would have
cordially welcomed, _was, no doubt, caused by the confident expectation
they then had of the support and alliance of France_; and ac