e could point as the man fitted for
command. With means so lamentably inconsiderable had America declared
war against a country whose arms were sweeping from the Spanish
Peninsula the disciplined and veteran troops of France. It was
marvellous audacity. And it was a marvellous mistake. Canada, it is
true, had only 5,454 men of all arms, who could be accounted soldiers,
445 artillery, 3,783 infantry of the line, and 1,226 fencibles. She had
only one or two armed brigs and a few gun-boats on the lakes, but the
Upper Canadians were not prepared to exchange their dependency on Great
Britain for the paltry consideration of being erected into a territory
of the United States, and the Superintendent of the Church of Rome, in
Lower Canada, hardly thought it possible that a new conquest of Canada
would make her peculiar institutions more secure than they were. The
militia of both sections of Canada were loyal. They felt that they
could, as their enemies had done before, at least defend their own
firesides. There was no sympathy with the American character, nor any
regard for American institutions then. Those feelings were to be
brought about by that commercial selfishness which time was to develop.

The declaration of war by the United States was only known in Quebec on
the 24th of June. A notification was immediately given by the police
authorities to all American citizens then in Canada, requiring them to
leave the province on or before the third of July. But Sir George
Prevost afterwards extended the time to fourteen days longer, to suffer
American merchants to conclude their business arrangements.
Proclamations were issued, imposing an embargo on the shipping in the
port of Quebec, and calling the legislature together, for the despatch
of business. Parliament met on the 16th of July. The Governor-in-Chief
announced the declaration of war, expressed his reliance upon the
spirit, the determination, the loyalty and the zeal of the country.
With the aid of the militia, His Majesty's regular troops, few in
number, as they were, would yet gallantly repel any hostile attempt
that might be made upon the colony. It was with concern that he saw the
expense to which the organization and drilling of the militia would put
the province. But battles must be fought, campaigning had to be
endured, and true and lasting liberty was cheap at any cost of life or
treasure. The reply was all that could be desired. While the House
deplored the host