1September 1993 2 3 Policy of Leniency 4 British-French Relations in Quebec, 1761 5 6 ..............edited by Marijan Salopek 7 8 =========================== 9 10 Letter from Charles Wyndham, Earl of Egremont and Secretary of 11 State, to Jeffery Amherst, British Commander-in-Chief in North 12 America, 12 December 1761. 13 14 15 His Majesty observes, with Pleasure, the laudable Gentleness 16 and Mildness, with which you offer his Royal Protection 17 indiscriminately to all his Subjects, recommending it 18 particularly to the Troops, to live in good harmony and 19 brotherhood with the Canadians, and as Nothing can be more 20 essential to His Majesty's Service, than to retain as many of the 21 French subjects, as may be, and to prevent their leaving their 22 homes to repair such Colonies, as shall remain in the possession 23 of the French, when those, which are now His Majesty's by 24 Conquest, shall be confirmed to him at the Peace, it is the 25 King's pleasure that you should earnestly enforce, to the several 26 Governors above mentioned, the conciliating part of the 27 Instructions, which you have given, and that you Recommend it 28 strongly to them to employ the most vigilant attention, and take 29 the most effectual care that the French Inhabitants (who, as you 30 very properly observe, being equally His Majesty's subjects are 31 consequently Equally entitled to his Protection) be humanely and 32 kindly treated, and that they do enjoy the full Benefit of that 33 Indulgent and Benign Government, which already characterizes His 34 Majesty's auspicious Reign, and constitutes the peculiar 35 happiness of all, who are Subjects to the British Empire; and you 36 will direct the said Governors, to give the strictest orders to 37 prevent Soldiers, Mariners, and others His Majesty's Subjects, 38 from insulting or reviling any of the French Inhabitants, now 39 their fellow Subjects, either by ungenerous insinuation of that 40 Inferiority, which the fate of War has decided, or by harsh and 41 provoking observations on their language, dress, Manners, 42 Customs, or Country, or by uncharitable Reflections on the Errors 43 of that mistaken Religion, which they unhappily profess; and as 44 there is yet no regular Civil Government Established in any of 45 the said Conquered Countries, it is the King's Pleasure that the 46 several Governors do properly exert that Authority, under which 47 they at present act, to punish such persons, as shall disregard 48 His Majesty's orders in a Matter so Essential to his Interests; 49 and you will direct that His Majesty's Intentions in this behalf, 50 be forthwith made know to all those, whom it may Concern, to the 51 End that the King's British Subjects may not, thru Ignorance, 52 disobey his orders, and that his French Subjects may feel and 53 Relish the full Extent of His Majesty's Royal Protection. 54 55 Source: Public Archives of Canada, Series B, Vol 37, pp. 10-12.