were collecting for its invasion. Fortunately this was not the case.
Although the Canadians were of French descent and the province had
been wrested by arms from France, they for the most part preferred
being under English rule to joining the insurgent colonies. They had
been in no way oppressed by England, their property had been
respected, and above all things no attempt had ever been made to
interfere with their religion. In the New England provinces the hard
Puritan spirit of the early fathers had never ceased to prevail.
Those who had fled from England to obtain freedom of worship had been
intolerant persecutors of all religion different from their own. The
consequence was that the priests of Canada were wholly opposed to any
idea of union with the insurgent colonists. Their influence over the
people was great, and although these still objected to the English
rule and would have readily taken up arms against it under other
circumstances, they had too little sympathy with the New Englanders
to join in their movement, which, if successful, would have placed
Canada under the rule of the United States instead of that of
England.

The upper classes of Canadians were almost to a man loyal to the
English connection. They had been well treated and enjoyed a greater
state of independence than had been the case under French rule.
Moreover, they were for the most part descended from old French
families, and their sympathies were entirely opposed to popular
insurrection. Thus, when Captain Wilson and his party reached
Montreal, they found that, in spite of the paucity of English troops
under the command of General Carleton, the position was not so bad as
had been feared by General Gage. It was possible, and indeed
probable, that Upper Canada might fall into the hands of the
Americans, and that even Quebec itself might be captured; but unless