a dread we can neither conquer nor conceal. It is therefore
with the utmost distrust and alarm that we regard his late professions
of attachment and love to the American people, fully recollecting that
his invariable course has been, by perfidious offers of protection, by
deceitful professions of friendship, to lull his intended victims into
the fatal sleep of confidence and security, during which the chains of
despotism are silently wound round and riveted on them.

(Signed) "JACOB MORRIS, _President_.
"WILLIAM HENDERSON, _Secretary_."]

[Footnote 187: These Orders in Council were cancelled five days after
President Madison's declaration of war--weeks before that declaration
could have been known in England.]

[Footnote 188: Hildreth's History of the United States, Second Series,
Vol. III., Chap. xxi., pp. 86, 87.]

CHAPTER L.

PREPARATIONS BY CANADA AGAINST THE AMERICAN INVASIONS.

1. LOWER CANADA.

It now becomes our duty to state the preparations made by the Canadians
for their own defence against the American invasions. Though so few in
number and modest in pretensions to their multitudinous and boasting
invaders, they had the hearts of freemen and patriots, and trusted to
the Divine blessing in the justness of their cause.[189] We shall notice
first the preparations of Lower Canada, and then those of Upper Canada.

Sir George Prevost, in the autumn of 1811, succeeded Sir James H. Craig
in the government of Lower Canada, and in the chief command of the North
American provinces. He had been Lieutenant-Governor of Nova Scotia. The
known mildness of his character, and the popularity of his
administration in Nova Scotia, caused his arrival at Quebec to be
heartily welcomed by the friends of just and liberal government. The
narrow-mindedness and harshness of Sir James Craig's administration had
caused serious agitation and differences in Lower Canada, which Sir
George Prevost, by his impartiality and kindness, soon succeeded in
allaying and reconciling. He called the first meeting of the Legislature
on the 21st of February, 1812, and, in his opening speech, stated that
he had hastened, in obedience to his orders, to assume the
administration of Lower Canada; congratulated the Legislature on the
brilliant achievements of the British arms in rescuing Portugal and
Spain "from the tyranny of the Ruler of France;" and recommended an
increased and unremitted care and vigilance in securing the cou