Page 165 - Transcriptions d'actes notariés - Tome 20 - 1682-1686

haps disappoint thrir rxyieciations wcre 1 nhr io open my mind io them
wilh rhe ulmost fiinceriiy and pleinly iell ihzm how liitle aervice ihey
c3n hope LU derive frum my aseistanre. In ihe firi;t place, ihe nature
and Innctions of ihai proIession in which 1 bave sugeged froni a very
çarIy period in Iife render me. as 1 humbly conceive, a very onht per-
?on ~o be rrnployed in o neeuriatirin of so new s kinti to me, of whicb 1
hebe neither cxperience nor uystenioiical hnowledge. 1 hope I rnay be
allowed ID add, that ihoogh 1 liave veq liiile regnrd in niy pereonal
~alety aniidst the preùcnl disires* 01 my çuuntry, yet I cannot belp
Ieeling for my c)iarac~er, and 1 buie ohserved that when the ministers
ol religion, have ihe dutiea of theic profession to take a hnsy part
in poliiical mattere, tliey €erieraiiy fa11 inio rontrmpt, and sometiines
even hring discredit ~o ilie cause in wlio~e service tbey are engaged.
Spcondly - Froni al1 the informoiion 1 lrave been able 10 colltct con-
crrniog !lie Staie of Canada it appearq io nie thai the inhabitanis of
rhar Country are no wise dispoced to molest the Uaiied Colonies, or
prcreor ilieir Iotces from taking and Iioldiup pssession of the stronE
places in that province, or iri assiet ia any nianner the British Amis.
Now if it is propoaed ihat ~he Cariadians should coacur wiih the orber
coloniea any furtlier tlma hy sucli nrutrality, 1 apprehend thsi il will
no? be in my power to advint: iliem ib it. Tlicy ha1.e not the same motives
mr iaking up armv againsi England whlch rcndera ihe resisiance of the
colonies so jusrihalile. II an oppressive mode 01 pcivrrnmeat ha9 been
~ivrn the~n it was wliat somc bl lhe~n chow, and die rest have aequiedced
in. Or if 1liey find ~licrnsel~~es oppreesed ihry haire not Fei rried the
success of peritions aad remonslrances, al1 whinh oughi, as I apprehend,
in br ineRccLua1 liehrc it (:an be lawful io have recourw ta arIns and
rhange 01 pnernnrent.
Thirdly - T?ough 1 werc sble io 1irin.c myeelf io think Iwliicli as objects
now appear to me I canant) tliai thc Canadians might lawfally take up
arms and concur with." '34'
Here abruptly the draurht of the letters stops. Tt is evident that the idea
of going to Cauada did not appeat to Father Carroll, but his devolion
to the patriol cause overeame his repugnanee Io the mission.
The Cornmiseioners ret out on' April 2, 1176. for the long tiresorne
journry of over four hundred miles frum New York. Charles Carroll
kept iot his father a journal of the trip to Canada,i""iut the aceount
is filled with descriptions of uesiher conditions, geologicaI formations,
beauties of nature, di6culties of tiansportation, with ljttle referenee
to the purpuse of the journey.
On April 29. after four ~veeks of travel, the party was rec~i\-ed by
Ceneral Arnold in Montreal in a vcry polite mmner and coudueted to
headquarters, where a penteel crimpaiiv 01 ladies and gentlemen had
assembled to welcome the t~ai.eIlers.'"~ The caiinon of the citadel
6red in eompliment to the dignity of the Commissioners from Congrecs
while they were going £rom ~he landing plaee to thc general's housc.

(34) Texr ie quoted Iro~n William T. Rus~rl~, Morylond the hnd 01 Soiiciuory
(Balii~nore: J. H. Fursr Co., 1907), pp. 497-4g8.
(353 Brautz Mayer, edilnr, Jourirol cl Chrles L'orroll O/ Cdrroll;on during Hi3
Visir rc Canudo in 17I6, As One oj the Commisrioners !rom Congres1 wiih
a ~nenioir and aoteg, published by the Rlaryland Hisiorical Society;
(Baliirnore: Johu Murphy. 1845).
(se) Ihid., p. 74.