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Essays and addressesAGAIN General Cruikshank and the Ontario Historical Society have placed under obligation all who are interested in the early history of Upper Canada and in its first lieutenant-governor. During most of the time covered by this volume, Simcoe was in a state of great anxiety in respect of the safety of his province in case of a war with the United States, which he considered inevitable. That he wished for such a war is one of the calumnies which have come down from early times to ours based to a certain extent upon his activity in carrying into effect the commands of his military superior. But war seemed inevitable after the foolish speech of Dorchester in answer to the Seven Nations and the command to build the fort at the Miamis; and Simcoe could not foresee that Mad Anthony, after bluster and brave words, would quietly with- draw, nor could he foresee that what seemed to be an intention of the Home administration, Dorchesters masters, to commence a war with the United States, was not to result in war. In case of such a war, he thought Upper Canada on any defensive plan would certainly fall, and war was in fact terribly near; had Major Campbell not been cool and restrained, had he been a Mad Anthony, no one can say what would have happene Nay, had one British soldier acted rashly and fired on the American troops the cannon loaded, primed, and aimed at them, it is hard to see how war could have been avoide In the military mind and Simcoe was a soldier there seemed no way out. next |