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

1745-1747.] SHIRLEY'S PLANS. 179the priest, but against the political agitator.Shirley'splan of excluding French priests from the provincewould not have violated the provisions of the treaty,provided that the inhabitants were supplied withother priests, not French subjects, and therefore notpolitically dangerous; but though such a measurewas several times proposed by the provincialauthorities,the exasperating apathy of the Newcastle Governmentgave no hope that it could be accomplished.The influences most dangerous to British rule didnot proceed from love of France or sympathy of race,but from the power of religion over a simple andignorant people, trained in profound love and awe oftheir Church and its ministers, who were used bythe representatives of Louis XV. as agents to alienatethe Acadians from England.The most strenuous of these clerical agitators wasAbb6 Le Loutre, missionary to the Micmacs, andafter 1753 vicar-general of Acadia. He was a fieryand enterprising zealot,inclined by temperament tomethods of violence, detesting the English, and restrainedneither by pity nor scruple from usingthreats of damnation and the Micmac tomahawk toMajesty's government as merited a much severer Punishment."Shirley a GaJissoniere, 9 Mai, 1749.Shirley writes to Newcastle that the Acadians " are greatly underthe influence of their priests, who continually receive their directionsfrom the Bishop of Quebec, and are the instruments by whichthe governor of Canada makes all his attempts for the reductionof the province to the French Crown." Shirley to Newcastle, 20October, 1747. He proceeds to give facts in proof of his assertion.Compare " Montcalm and Wolfe," i. 110, 111, 275, note.