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

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

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1745.] THE PLAN CARRIED. 69could supply. The Assembly had before reached thereasonable conclusion that the capture <strong>of</strong> Louisbourgwas beyond the strength <strong>of</strong>Massachusetts, <strong>and</strong> thatthe only course was to ask the help <strong>of</strong> the mothercountry.^The reports <strong>of</strong> mut<strong>in</strong>y, it was urged, could not bedepended on ; raw militia <strong>in</strong> the open field were nomatch |or discipl<strong>in</strong>ed troops beh<strong>in</strong>d ramparts; theexpense would be enormous, <strong>and</strong> the credit <strong>of</strong> theprov<strong>in</strong>ce, already sunk low, would collapse under it;we should fail,<strong>and</strong> <strong>in</strong>stead <strong>of</strong> sympathy, get noth<strong>in</strong>gbut ridicule. Such were the arguments <strong>of</strong> the opposition,to which there was little to answer, exceptthat ifMassachusetts waited for help from Engl<strong>and</strong>,Louisbourg would be re<strong>in</strong>forced <strong>and</strong> the goldenopportunity lost. The impetuous <strong>and</strong> irrepressibleVaughan put forth all his energy; the plan wascarried by a s<strong>in</strong>gle vote. And even this result wassaid to be due to the accident <strong>of</strong> a member <strong>in</strong> oppositionfall<strong>in</strong>g <strong>and</strong> break<strong>in</strong>g a leg as he was hasten<strong>in</strong>g tothe House.The die was cast, <strong>and</strong> now doubt <strong>and</strong> hesitationvanished. All alike set themselves to push on thework.Shirley wrote to all the colonies, as far southas Pennsylvania, to ask for co-operation.All excusedthemselves except Connecticut, New Hampshire, <strong>and</strong>Rhode Isl<strong>and</strong>, <strong>and</strong> the whole burden fell on the fourNew Engl<strong>and</strong> colonies. These, <strong>and</strong> Massachusettsabove all, blazed with pious zeal; for as the enter-1 Report <strong>of</strong> Council, 12 January, 1745.

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