1760. been taken, but the conquest of Canada remained yet incomplete, Connecticut once more raised five thousand men for the service of the year. The junction of the three English armies before Montreal, and the surrender of that city, put an end to the desperate struggle of more than three quarters of a century, and opened that new chapter in New England history to which the reader's attention is presently to be invited. Sept. During the last twenty years of the life of King George the Second, the force of circumstances partially redeemed Rhode Island from her old isolation to a place within the political sphere of New England. Within this period only one of her Governors (William Greene) held his office for as many as seven consecutive years, and only one other (Stephen Hopkins) for more than two. Her legislation, from year to year, related mainly to the occasions of the wars with Spain and France, in the latter of which wars especially she took an active part. Rhode Island was represented by two commissioners at Albany in 1754. the Colonial Congress which projected the abor tive Plan of Union; and when their report was made, the Assembly dismissed the matter by accepting the report and "reserving to themselves a further consideration, whether they will accede to the general plan proposed." 3 To some persons in Providence and other towns, who, "desirous to promote useful knowledge," had raised a sum of money sufficient to purchase books to furnish a small library, the Assembly gave "leave at their own proper cost to erect shelves" on two sides of the Council Chamber, for the accommodation of their literary stores, considering that there would still be left "sufficient room for the General Council to sit comfortably there," and 1 Conn. Col. Rec., XI. 349. 2 R. I. Rec., V. 384 386. 3 R. I. Rec., V. 394. 17581760. that the books would "afford an agreeable amusement to the members in their leisure hours." It was not till the year before the capture of Quebec that the first newspaper, the "Newport Mercury," was established in Rhode Island. That Colony, like Connecticut, invited its people, in their religious congregations, to contribute towards the relief of the unhappy sufferers in the calamity of the great fire in the town of Boston." 2 On the death of the Quaker Richard Partridge, the colonial agent in England, Joseph Sherwood, of London, was appointed to succeed him in that trust. Freemen -defined to be persons "truly and really possessed of land or real estate . . . . of the full value of forty pounds lawful money, or that will rent yearly for forty shillings lawful money, or the eldest son of such a freeman" were dispensed from the burdensome obligation of making a journey to Newport to vote at the general election, and permitted to deposit their votes at the town meeting in their own towns. The death of King George the Second, and the accession of his grandson, were commemorated with pompous ceremony.5 In the wars with the French, the nautical habits of the people of Rhode Island determined that the service rendered by her should be chiefly at sea, and it was computed that in the year of the last campaign against Canada "nearly one fifth part of the adult male population were engaged on board of private armed ships." In the exigencies of war, the power of "freemen and soldiers to choose their own military officers" was recognized as being "vastly prejudicial to the Colony," 1741. 1 R. I. Rec., V. 379. This library was in Providence. The Redwood Library, in Newport, was older, having been incorporated in 1747. (Ibid., 227.) The latter took its name from Abraham Redwood, of Newport, who endowed it with five hundred pounds. II. 2 R. I. Rec., VI. 251. 4 Ibid., 256, 257. Arnold, History of Rhode Island, 217. 2 and the appointment of officers was again declared to be a function of the General Assembly. The Colony voted to raise, for the expedition against Louisburg, not to exceed three hundred and fifty men to be paid by Massachusetts, and not to exceed one hundred and fifty men to be paid by itself; but the operation was tardy, and they did not arrive till the place was taken. An armed sloop belonging to Rhode Island, with a crew of a hundred and thirty men, was joined with a Connecticut vessel in convoying the Connecticut troops, and rendered good service throughout the campaign; Rhode Island seamen were enlisted and impressed to man the French prize, the Vigilant; and two private armed ships of Newport were chartered for the war by the government of Massachusetts. Other privateers captured more than twenty French vessels; and after the fall of Louisburg, Rhode Island contributed some men to the garrison, which held it till the arrival of regular troops from Europe. In the distribution of the English subsidy to the New England Colonies for this conquest, Rhode Island received six thousand three hundred and twenty-two pounds sterling. She entered with alacrity into the abortive scheme of the following year for an invasion of Canada. She concurred with Connecticut in declining to engage in Shirley's rash project of a winter campaign against Crown Point. In 4 1 R. I. Rec., V. 3; comp. above, chusetts in the expedition against Vol. IV. 472. 2 R. I. Rec., V. 106. Ibid., 118, 119, 122. Ibid., 127. - The Lords of the Admiralty informed the Governor (July 8, 1748) that it had been reported to them "that there was an iniquitous trade subsisting between the Colony of Rhode Island and the King's enemies, under color of flags of truce." (Ibid., 258.) And Shirley complained that seamen, deserting from the naval service of Massa Cape Breton, were harbored in Rhode Island. (Ibid., 136.) The mariners of Rhode Island had liberal notions respecting the privileges of the sea. Feb. 2, 1758, Pownall wrote to Pitt of maltreatment of Spanish merchantmen by privateers of that Colony. (Comp. ibid., VI. 55, 73, 101.) 5 R. I. Rec., V. 162, 172, 174, 178, 180, 183, 191, 193, 257. • Ibid., 207, 209, 211; comp. above, p. 193. 1748. the year before the conclusion of this war, the population of the Colony was thirty-four thousand one hundred and twenty-eight, of whom four thousand three hundred and seventy-eight were negroes and Indians.1 1754. At the beginning of the next war, at which late period Governor Shirley imagined himself justified in writing of Rhode Island to Secretary Robinson, "The reins of their government prove now so loose that a spirit of mobbism prevails in every part of it," the total population of the Colony had increased to nearly forty thousand. There were eight thousand two hundred and sixty-two men of military age; and fifteen hundred men were soon serving at sea in private armed vessels. In the campaign at Lake George, Rhode Island had seven hundred and fifty men. In the alarm occasioned by the defeat of Colonel Monro, at Fort William Henry, one sixth part of the fighting men of the Colony were placed under marching orders; but the fright passed away, and they did not move.* When Pitt called for a general colonial muster, Rhode Island proposed to furnish a thousand men ; and a part of them were with Abercrombie at the disastrous attack on Ticonderoga. Of the three thousand provincial troops led by Colonel Bradstreet against Fort Frontenac, more than three hundred were from Rhode Island. In the following year, the Assembly sent to Sir Jeffrey Amherst at Albany a reinforcement of a thousand soldiers for that movement 1758. 8 of his towards Quebec, which was completed in the following year by the conquest of Canada. Such operations required money or a substitute for it. When, in similar circumstances, intelligent and sober Massachusetts was so imprudent, it does not surprise the reader to learn that Rhode Island was reckless. When the reimbursement of the expedition against Louisburg came from England, Governor Shirley urged the little Colony, but in vain, to imitate the example of Massachusetts in applying it to the resumption of a solid currency. Rhode Island refused to be wise, though the consequence was that much of her considerable trade left her for Massachusetts, where now it could be safely conducted. At the time of the peace of Aix-la-Chapelle, exchange on England was sold in Rhode Island at the rate of more than ten for one.3 1 This recklessness was not for want of warnings from sensible men. See R. I. Rec., IV. 580; V. 75, 311 (comp. 315, 329), 336. In 1740 Governor Richard Ward made a full report to the Lords of Trade of the progress of the paper-money system (which he favored) in Rhode Island from 1710 to that date. (Ibid., V. 8-14.) When he wrote, the out standing bills of Rhode Island 2 Arnold, II. 170. |