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

48 THE CHAIN OF POSTS. [1720.would make a better use than the French do.^ . .The Atlantic coast, as far as Florida, was usurpedfrom the French, to whom it belonged then, and towhom it belongs now." England, as he thinks, isbound in honor to give back these countries to theirtrue owner ; and it is also the part of wisdom to doso, since by grasping at too much, one often losesall.But France, out of her love of peace, will cedeto England the countries along the Atlantic, fromthe Kennebec in New France to the Jordan ^ inCarolina, on condition that England will restore toher all that she gave up by the Treaty of Utrecht.When this is done, France, always generous, willconsent to accept as boundary a line drawn from themouth of the Kennebec, passing thence midwaybetween Schenectady and Lake Champlain and alongthe ridge of the Alleghanies to the river Jordan, thecountry between this line and the sea to belong toEngland, and the rest of the continent to France.If England does not accept this generous offer,she is to be told that the King will give to theCompagnie des Indes (Law's Mississippi Company)full authority to occupy " allthe countries which theEnglish have usurped from France;" and, pursues^ "De manibre qu'on puisse arreter les Anglois, qui depuislongtems tachent de s'emparer de I'Ame'rique fran^oise, dont ilsconoissent I'importaiice et dont ils feroient un meillieur usage queceluy qui les fran9oi8 en font."2 On the river Jordan, so named by Vasquez de Ayllon, see"Pioneers of France in the New World," i. 11, 39, note. It wasprobably the broad river of South Carolina.