doned, until the traveller had the means
of contemplating the thousand broad and lovely vallies which, fifty years
ago, lay buried in the dense shadows of the forest.

The date we have just named was a period fraught with the deepest interest
to the British possessions on this Continent. A bloody and vindictive war,
which had been commenced in defeat and disgrace, was about to end in
triumph. France was deprived of the last of her possessions on the main,
while the immense region which lay between the bay of Hudson and the
territories of Spain submitted to the power of England. The colonists had
shared largely in contributing to the success of the mother country.
Losses and contumely, that had been incurred by the besotting prejudices
of European commanders were beginning to be forgotten in the pride of
success. The blunders of Braddock, the indolence of Loudon, and the
impotency of Abercrombie, were repaired by the vigour of Amherst, and the
genius of Wolfe. In every quarter of the globe the arms of Britain were
triumphant. The loyal provincials were among the loudest in their
exultations and rejoicings; wilfully shutting their eyes to the scanty
meed of applause that a powerful people ever reluctantly bestows on its
dependants, as though love of glory, like avarice, increases by its means
of indulgence.

The system of oppression and misrule, which hastened a separation that
sooner or later must have occurred, had not yet commenced. The mother
country, if not just, was still complaisant. Like all old and great
nations, she was indulging in the pleasing, but dangerous, enjoyment of
self-contemplation. The qualities and services of a race, who were
believed to be inferior, were, however, soon forgotten; or, if remembered,
it was in order to be misrepresented and vituperated. As this feeling
increased with the discontent of the civil dissensions, it led to still
more striking injustice, and greater folly. Men who, from their
observations, should have known better, were not ashamed to proclaim, even
in the highest council of the nation, their ignorance of the character of
a people with whom they had mingled their blood. Self-esteem gave value to
the opinions of fools. It was under this soothing infatuation that
veterans were heard to disgrace their noble profession, by boastings that
should have been hushed in the mouth of a soldier of the carpet; it was
under this infatuation that Burgoyne gave, in the Commons of England,