Page:Civil Liberty in Lower Canada.djvu/11

9 subject of which will be as follows: "Inasmuch as in this Province we have different races, and different religions, in Legislation as in the Administration of the Law, it is important that the rights of privileges of each be guaranteed without distinction of origin or creed. The present Government is fully determined to maintain in all their force these rights and privileges, and will never permit, upon any pretext whatsoever, even an attempt to take from the minority that which the Constitution and the title of a British subject assures to all those who live under the protection of the British Flag."

I think this must satisfy you that there is no reason for alarm or even anxiety under the DeBoucherville administration, whilst its policy remains unchanged, and I have only to add, that any attempt to change it, will be at once met by myself and Dr. Church, in such a way as will ensure no change being made, till such change has had the fullest sanction of the Protestant population of this Province.

I am, yours truly,

J. B. ROBERTSON.

P.S.—I have read this over to Dr. Church, and he fully agrees with me as to the interpretation I have given above of the declarations and intentions of our Roman Catholic Colleagues, as communicated to us to-day, and asks me to state as much to you.

J. B. R.

The assurance thus given, though distinct enough as regards the Protestant, did not touch the point from whence I apprehended danger. But I thought, as I now believe unwisely, that it was safer to rest content with such pledges rather than to disturb existing political alliances, at the risk of finding the so-called Liberal Catholics equally ready to obey the behests of their Clergy. I could not forget the history of the Programme, or their union