no evidence that, when rebellion was decided upon,
Papineau played any important part in laying the plans. In later years
he was always emphatic in denying that the rebellion of 1837 had been
primarily his handiwork. 'I was,' he said in 1847, 'neither more nor
less guilty, nor more nor less deserving, than a great number of my
colleagues.' The truth seems to be that Papineau always balked a
little at the idea of armed rebellion, and that he was carried off his
feet at the end of 1837 by his younger associates, whose enthusiasm he
himself had inspired. He had raised the wind, but he could not ride
the whirlwind.

[Illustration: South-Western Lower Canada, 1837.]

{69}

CHAPTER VIII

THE DOGS OF WAR

As the autumn of 1837 wore on, the situation in Lower Canada began to
assume an aspect more and more threatening. In spite of a proclamation
from the governor forbidding such meetings, the _Patriotes_ continued
to gather for military drill and musketry exercises. Armed bands went
about the countryside, in many places intimidating the loyalists and
forcing loyal magistrates and militia officers to send in their
resignations to the governor. As early as July some of the Scottish
settlers at Cote St Joseph, near St Eustache, had fled from their
homes, leaving their property to its fate. Several houses at Cote St
Mary had been fired upon or broken into. A letter of Sir John
Colborne, the commander of the forces in British North America, written
on October 6, shows what the state of affairs was at that time:

In my correspondence with Col. Eden I have had occasion to refer to the
facts {70} and reports that establish the decided character which the
agitators have lately assumed. The people have elected the dismissed
officers of the militia to command them. At St Ours a pole has been
erected in favour of a dismissed captain with this inscription on it,
'Elu par le peuple.' At St Hyacinthe the tri-coloured flag was
displayed for several days. Two families have quitted the town in
consequence of the annoyance they received from the patriots. Wolfred
Nelson warned the patriots at a public meeting to be ready to arm. The
tri-coloured flag is to be seen at two taverns between St Denis and St
Charles. Many of the tavern-keepers have discontinued their signs and
substituted for them an eagle. The bank notes or promissory notes
issued at Yamaska have also the same emblem marked on them. Mr
Papineau was es