Lord Elgin, however, based his reply too much upon the
statement of Colonel Crofton, a military officer, who had been sent to
Red River. Alexander Ross said of Crofton, on the other hand, that he
was a man "who never studied the art of governing a people."
But the agitation still gained head.
The mercurial French half-breeds now joined in the struggle. They
forwarded a petition to Her Majesty the Queen, couched in excellent
terms, in the French language, in the main asking that their right to
enjoy the liberty of commerce be given them. This petition was signed by
nine hundred and seventy-seven persons, and virtually represented the
whole French half-breed adult population.
An important episode soon took place among the French, usually known as
the "Sayer Affair." Of this we shall speak in another chapter. The
movement, headed by Isbister, still continued, and led to the serious
consideration by the British Government of the whole situation in Red
River Settlement. The impatience of the people of all classes in Red
River led to a new plan of attack. Not being able to influence
sufficiently the British authorities, they forwarded a petition, signed
by five hundred and seventy English-speaking people of Red River
Settlement, to the Legislative Assembly of Canada.
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