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were in need of； and destroying or carrying away any guns or ammunition they might find。 Mr。 Dixon's home did not escape their unwelcome notice。 His house was robbed of many valuable articles； some of which he kept for sale。 For a considerable period the loyal inhabitants； notably the English settlers； were subjected to a state of anxiety； and lived in dread of a repetition of such unwelcome visits。 On one occasion； when some of these people were approaching the house； Mrs。 Dixon hastily gathered up her silverware and other valuables and deposited them in a barrel of pig feed； where they quite escaped the notice of the visitors。 On a later occasion； when somewhat similar troublous times existed； Mr。 Dixon； with the aid of his negro servant； Cleveland； hid his money and other valuables in the earth； binding his servant by a solemn oath never to divulge to anyone the place of concealment。〃
Nor was all the destruction of property chargeable to the rebels。 At this time a number of the loyal settlers； who； it is said； had been drinking freely； surrounded the house of Mr。 Obediah Ayer； who was in sympathy with the rebels； and set fire to his place； intending to burn the inmates。 Mrs。 Ayer was warned by her neighbors and escaped to the woods with her baby in her arms。 After the raiders departed she with her children found a temporary home with a neighbor。 Her husband did not dare appear for many days； but hid in the woods by day and visited his family at night。
The raid of Allan on the St。 John gave the Government uneasiness in that quarter for some time longer。 As mentioned before； there were two Eddys； Jonathan and William。 They owned adjoining farms in Fort Lawrence。 The upper road leading from Fort Lawrence to Amherst still bears the name of the 〃Eddy Road。〃 It was probably made through the Eddy grant； and the Eddys may have been instrumental in its construction。
It is related that William Eddy； after the rebellion； came back to Fort Lawrence to settle his business and take his wife and family out of the country。 To escape being made a prisoner at that time he kept hid in a hay…stack in the day…time and visited his home during the night。 One night the soldiers who were watching saw him enter the house and at once surrounded the place； sending in two of their number to bring out the prisoner。 Mrs。 Eddy would give no knowledge of her husband's whereabouts。 The house was thoroughly searched； but the man could not be found。 The soldiers were dumbfounded。 The fact is； that when Mrs。 Eddy saw the soldiers coming； she told her husband to cover himself in a bin of grain in the chamber and place his mouth close to a crack on the side of the bin over which had been tacked a piece of list to prevent the grain from coming out。 She would tear off the list and that would give him air to breathe。 Her husband did as directed。 When the officer who was making the search came to the grain…bin he thrust his sword into it； and said； 〃He is not there。〃 Mr Eddy said afterwards that the sword went between his body and arm； so near was he being made a prisoner。
Inverma； the home of Sheriff Allan； is now owned； in part； by Councillor Amos Trueman； and is still called by that name。 It consisted at that time of three hundred and forty…eight acres of marsh and upland and was no doubt part of the Allan grant of 1763。 Besides the Sheriff's own house there were six or seven small houses occupied by Acadian families as tenants； also two large barns and four smaller ones。
Allan's wife was Mary Patton； the daughter of Mark Patton； who was at one time a large property…owner on the Isthmus。 Patton Point； in the Missiquash valley； still goes by his name。 His home farm joined the glebe lands of the parish； and was afterwards bought by William Trueman and given to his son； Thomas。 I find the following entry in William Trueman's journal； referred to elsewhere：
〃Old Mrs。 Patton was buried at the burying…ground by Thomas Trueman； July 31st； in the 92nd year of her age。〃
This lady was no doubt Mrs。 Allan's mother。 She had continued to live at the old place after Thomas Trueman had taken possession； and as this was in the year 1808； she had lived thirty…two years after her daughter left the country。
The question has been asked； would it not have been better for the northern half of this continent if the Eddy rebellion had succeeded and what is now Canada had become one country with the United States？ The name Americans could then fairly have been claimed by the citizens of the great Republic and a people whose interests and aspirations are identical； and whose religion； language and customs are the same； would have been united in carrying out the destiny of the Anglo…Saxon in America。 This may sound very well； but events have transpired in the last hundred and twenty…five years that point unmistakably to the conclusion that the God of history intended this northern land called Canada to work out its own destiny independent of the southern Republic。 At the period of the Eddy rebellion Nova Scotia was still in the cradle and had no grievances to redress。 New Brunswick as a Province had no existence。 Never in all history had a conquered country been treated so justly by the victors as had Quebec。 Ontario at this time was but a western wilderness。 It will thus be seen that there would have been no justification for the new settlers in this northern land to have joined hands with the thirteen older colonies。
Another preliminary objection can be found in the situation of the Loyalists of 1783； from the fact that one of the grandest band of exiles that was ever driven from fireside and country would have found no place on the continent to make new homes for themselves。 This would have placed them in infinitely worse circumstances than that body of noble men and women of another race that twenty…eight years earlier in the century had been driven out as exiles to wander in hardship and want on that same New England coast。 These Loyalists brought to Canada the sterling principle； the experience in local Government； the sturdy； independent manhood and business experience and energy which this northern land needed to make it one of the most prosperous and best governed countries in the world。 To think what Canada would have been without the Loyalists helps one to see more clearly how fortunate it was that the Eddy rebellion was crushed。
The British Empire may owe more to the loyal Yorkshire emigrants than has ever been fairly accorded to them。 Canada as a coterie of colonies furnished Great Britain with a training school for her statesmen that she did not otherwise possess。 In this way British North America has been the prime factor in placing Great Britain first among the nations of the world in the government of colonies。 It is true English ministers and English governors made mistakes and had much to learn before the present system was fully adopted； but the descendants of the Loyalists and those who remained true to the Crown during the stormy years of the Revolution were not likely to stir up strife without a just cause。 And is it claiming too much to say that to Canada's remaining loyal in 1776 is due to a very large extent the proud position Great Britain holds to…day as the mother of nations； the founder of the greatest colonial empire the world has yet seen？
There are those who believe that the principle of equality and fraternity； of government by the people and for the people； the freedom for which the Pilgrim Fathers faced the stormy Atlantic and for which Washington fought against such odds； has been worked out in fuller measure and juster proportions in Canada than in the United States。 Canada has helped greatly to emphasize the truth； only yet half understood by the world； that it makes little difference whether the chief ruler of a country is called president； king or emperor； or whether the government is called a monarchy or republic。 These are but incidents。 What is important； what is essential；if freedom is to be won and maintained； is that the people understand their rights and have the courage to maintain them at any sacrifice。 It was the leaven of freedom working in the lump of the British people that gave the world the Magna Charta； Montford's rebellion； Cromwell and the Commonwealth； the Revolution of 1688；and the still greater Revolution of 1776。
This last event broke from the parent stem one of the strong branches of the Anglo…Saxon family； and gave each an opportunity to work out in different ways the ideals after which both were striving。 And who will say that the descendants of Cromwellians and Quakers； Nonconformists and Churchmen； whose ancestors； from force of circumstances or love of country remained in their island home； are not to…day breathing the air of freedom as pure and unadulterated as their cousins on the banks of the Charles or in the valleys of the historic Brandywine。 At any rate； we who live in this northern country； that escaped the cataclysm of 1776； feel that Canada has been no unimportant factor in helping to work out the great problem of government for and by the consent of the governed。
CHAPTER V
THE FIRST CHURCHES OF THE ISTHMUS。
THE spiritual interests of the people of old Chignecto have always be