ve-value as tillers and subduers of the soil, in these
Two Colonies of theirs, as against the English Thirteen, would be
interesting to know: curious also their little bill, of trouble taken
in creating the Continent of America, in discovering it, visiting,
surveying, planting, taming, making habitable for man:--and what
Rhadamanthus would have said of those Two Documents! Enough, the French
have taken some trouble, more or less,--especially in sending soldiers
out, of late. The French, to certain thousands, languidly tilling,
hunting and adventuring, and very skilful in wheedling the Indian
Nations, are actually there; and they, in the silence of Rhadamanthus,
decide that merit shall not miss its wages for want of asking. "Ours is
America West of the Alleghanies," say the French, openly before long.

"Yours? Yours, of all people's?" answer the English; and begin, with
lethargic effort, to awake a little to that stupid Foreign Question;
important, though stupid and foreign, or lying far off. Who really owned
all America, probably few Englishmen had ever asked themselves, in their
dreamiest humors, nor could they now answer; but, that North America
does not belong to the French, can be doubtful to no English creature.
Pitt, Chatham as we now call him, is perhaps the Englishman to whom, of
all others, it is least doubtful. Pitt is in Office at last,--in some
subaltern capacity, "Paymaster of the Forces" for some years past, in
spite of Majesty's dislike of the outspoken man;--and has his eyes bent
on America;--which is perhaps (little as you would guess it such) the
main fact in that confused Controversy just now!--

In 1753 (28th August of that Year), goes message from the Home
Government, "Stand on your defence, over there! Repel by force any
Foreign encroachments on British Dominions." [Holderness, OR Robinson
our old friend.] And directly on the heel of this, November, 1753, the
Virginia Governor,--urged, I can believe, by the Ohio Company, who are
lying wind-bound so long,--despatches Mr. George Washington to inquire
officially of the French Commandant in those parts, "What he means,
then, by invading the British Territories, while a solid Peace
subsists?" Mr. George had a long ride up those desert ranges, and down
again on the other side; waters all out, ground in a swash with December
rains, no help or direction but from wampums and wigwams: Mr. George
got to Ohio Head (two big Rivers, Monongahela from South, Alleg