All this reliance upon Montcalm was galling to Vaudreuil.This weak man was entirely in the hands of a corrupt circle who recognized in the strength and uprightness of Montcalm their deadly enemy.An incredible plundering was going on.Its strength was in the blindness of Vaudreuil.The secretary of Vaudreuil, Grasset de Saint-Sauveur, an ignorant and greedy man, was a member of the ring and yet had the entire confidence of the Governor.The scale of the robberies was enormous.Bigot, the Intendant, was stealing millions of francs; Cadet, the head of the supplies department, was stealing even more.They were able men who knew how to show diligence in their official work.More than once Montcalm praises the resourcefulness with which Bigot met his requirements.But it was all done at a fearful cost to the State.Under assumed names the ring sold to the King, of whose interests they were the guardians, supplies at a profit of a hundred or a hundred and fifty per cent.They made vast sums out of transport.They drew pay for feeding hundreds of men who were not in the King's service.They received money for great bills of merchandise never delivered and repeated the process over and over again.To keep the Indians friendly the King sent presents of guns, ammunition, and blankets.These were stolen and sold.Even the bodies of Acadians were sold.They were hired out for their keep to a contractor who allowed them to die of cold and hunger.Hundreds of the poor exiles perished.The nemesis of a despotic system is that, however well-intentioned it may be, its officials are not controlled by an alert public opinion and yet must be trusted by their master.France meant well by her colony but the colony, unlike the English colonies, was not taught to look after itself.While nearly every one in Canada understood what was going on, it was another thing to inform those in control in France.La Porte, the secretary of the colonial minister, was in the service of the ring.He intercepted letters which should have made exposures.Until found out, he had the ear of the minister and echoed the tone of lofty patriotism which Bigot assumed in his letters to his superiors.
History has made Montcalm one of its heroes--and with justice.He was a remarkable man, who would have won fame as a scholar had he not followed the long family tradition of a soldier's career.
