The King of Great-Britain wages no War with the Induſtrious Peaſant, the ſacred Orders of Religion, or the defenceleſs Women and Children: To theſe in their diſtreſsful Circumſtances His Royal Clemency offers Protection. The People may remain unmoleſted on their Lands, inhabit their Houſes, and enjoy their Religion in Security. For theſe ineſtimable Bleſſings, I expect the Canadians will take no Part in the Great Conteſt between the two Crowns; But if by a vain Obſtinacy, and miſguided Valour, they preſume to appear in Arms, they muſt expect the moſt fatal Conſequences; their Habitations deſtroyed, their ſacred Temples expoſed to the Fury of an exaſperated Soldiery; their Harveſt utterly ruined, and the only Paſſage of Relief ſtopped up by a moſt formidable Fleet.—In this unhappy Situation, and cloſely attacked by another great Army, what can the wretched Natives expect from Oppoſition!
THE unparelelled Barbarities exerted by the French againſt our Settlements in America, might juſtify the bittereſt Revenge in the Army under my Command; but Britons breathe higher Sentiments of Humanity, and liſten to the merciful Dictates of the Chriſtian Religion. Yet ſhould you ſuffer yourſelves to be deluded by an imaginary Proſpect of our want of Succeſs; ſhould you refuſe thoſe Terms, and perſiſt in Oppoſition; Then ſurely will the Law of Nations juſtify the Waſte of War, ſo neceſſary to cruſh an ungenerous Enemy: and Then, the miſerable Canadians muſt in the Winter have the Mortification of ſeeing thoſe very Families, they have been exerting a fruitleſs and indiſcreet Bravery for, periſh by the moſt diſmal Want and Famine.
In this great Dilemma let the Wiſdom of the People of Canada ſhew itſelf!
BRITAIN ſtretches out a powerful, yet a merciful Hand, Faithful to her Engagements, and ready to ſecure them in their moſt valuable Rights and Poſſeſſions.
FRANCE, unable to ſupport Canada, deſerts her Cauſe at this important Criſis, and during the whole War has aſſiſted her with Troops, who have been maintained only by making the Natives feel all the Weight of grievous and lawleſs Oppreſſion.
JAMES WOLFE.
Boſton, November 2, 1761.
Laſt Evening, juſt at Eight o'Clock, this Town was alarmed with the Shock of an EARTHQUAKE.
Gazette.