number of Roman Catholics, English, Irish and Germans, including men, women and children, does not exceed two thousand. I remain,
The poor remnant of French Neutrals did not seem worth counting !
The Earl of Loudoun was a fit representative of the ministry of that day — for he was utterly incapable, and perversely tyrannical. He was considered « a man of judgment and ability » by the Duke of Newcastle (Chatham Correspondence. Vol. 1, p. 237). He was superseded promptly and contemptuously by Mr. Pitt, on his accession to office a few months later, who sent to America manly men to do his work of beneficent energy. It was Lord Loudoun of whom Dr. Franklin has preserved the traditionary jest, that he was like St. George on the signs, always on horseback and never advancing. He distrusted and disregarded Washington. He fretted Franklin. He was just the man for a little persecution of these poor exiled Neutrals. He was in Philadelphia, as I have said, but a few days, but long enough for his work of small despotism.
In the Colonial Records of 1757 (p. 446) is a Sheriff’s warrant, issued by the Governor, at the request of Lord Loudoun, directing the apprehension of Charles Le Blanc and Jean Baptiste Galerm, now in Philadelphia city ; Philip Melanson, at Frankford ; Paul Bajauld, at Chester, and Jean Landry, at Darby, as suspicious and evil minded persons, who have uttered menacing speeches against his Majesty and his liege subjects. They are to be arrested and committed to jail.
To this warrant the Sheriff made no return that has been preserved, but the following curious and characteristic letter from Lord Loudoun, for which I am indebted, within the last few days, to Mr. Bancroft, and which has never before been made public, explains the act of wrong. There is in it something much more like delivery of these poor people to slavery than anything that Pennsylvania annals afford. The indignity of petitioning in French sounds strangely to us of a century later. The letter, however, speaks for itself :
« Sir — …When I was at Pennsylvania I found that the French Neutrals there had been very mutinous and had threatened to leave the women and children and go over to join the French in the back country ; they sent me a Memorial in French setting forth their grievances. I returned it and said I could receive no Memorial from King’s subjects but in English, on which they had a general meeting at which they determined they would give no Memorial
