A half-century of conflict. France and England in North America. Part ...

1745, 1746.] ACADIAN DILEMMA. 171British interests on the continent; and in the presentcrisis British and colonial interests were one. Heheld that if Acadia were lost, the peace and safetyof all the other colonies would be in peril; and inspite of the immense efforts made by the French courtto recover it, he felt that the chief danger of theprovince was not from without, but from within."If a thousand French troops should land in NovaScotia," he writes to Newcastle, "all the peoplewould rise to join them, besides all the Indians."^So, too, thought the French officials in America.The governor and intendant of Canada wrote to thecolonial minister :" The inhabitants, with few exceptions,wish to return under the French dominion,and will not hesitate to take up arms as soon as theysee themselves free to do so; that is, as soon as webecome masters of Port Royal, or they have powderand other munitions of war, and are backed by troopsfor their protection against the resentment of theEnglish. "2 Up to this time, however, though theyhad aided Duvivier in his attack on Amiapolis sofar as was possible without seeming to do so, theyhad not openly taken arms, and their refusal to fightfor the besiegers is one among several causes towhich Mascarene ascribes the success of his defence.While the greater part remained attached to France,some leaned to the English, who bought their produceand paid them in ready coin. Money was rare1 Shirley to Newcastle, 29 October, 1745.^ Beauharjiois et Hocquart au Ministre, 12 Septembre, 1745.