The Express.
London, England, 1866-10-02 00:00:00

hints are to be made. The colonists, according

to the plan, are to be alarmed along the whole
line, whereupon their troops are in every ease to
rush to the wrong place, and while they are moon-
ing about in bewilderment the enemy is to seize
the chief cities, public arms, public stores, and
shipping, hoist the Fenian flag, and severely re-
spect private property. The Canadians ought to
know by this time the quality of their foe, and
what attention is due to stories of this kind. They
have had to do with the Fenian organization in the
United States when it was comparatively powerful,
when, disposing of ample fulit, it was able to
tolled large bodies of men, and when its enter-
prises had not been made ridiculous by failure.
The last Fenian expedition to Canada was the
irruption of a horde without discipline and without
artillery, and carrying its whole commissariat. in
whisky flasks. At the present time the Fenian
leaders publicly deplore their want of money and
the extreme difficulty of collecting it, while the
best New York journals declare that nothing is
known by the Government of the United States of
the hostile preparations which have so strongly im-
pressed
the Canadian mind. It is for the colonists
to judge for themselves of the probability of attack,
and to make the necessary preparations to resist it.
This, however, is what we cannot find that they
are doing. Their panic-stricken journals abound in
the language of invective against the Government of
the United States, while they cry lustily for troops
from England. Tho Montreal Herald, one of
the most sensible and best conducted newspapers
in Canada, goes so far as to declare that Lord
Alasett ought to send an ultimatum to Washing-
ton, and in the event of its rejection declare war.
" We ought, then, to deal with the Government
"of the United States in accordance with the
" practices of diplomacy among civilized nations,
" to ask for an explanation of the arming which is
" going on within their jurisdiction, and should it
" not be discontinued, we ought not to await the
" time deemed most favourable for our injury,
" but at once declare war."
This is the language of independent public
spirit, and we read it with a glow of pride : evi-
dently, we say, these are true children of the old
country : this is the spirit which becomes the
" new nation" of British North America, which
Lord 31 oxeit announced to the world. When'
one of our colonies feels strong enough to
declare war in its own name against a pow-
erful neighbour, every one of us feels an
inch taller. But an awakening follows this
pleasant dream, and our joy is dashed as,
reading on, we discover that while Canada is to
declare the war, England is to do the fighting.
We are told that if the British Government has
not comprehended the nature of the emer-
gency, it is for our (the Canadian) Government
" to enlighten it, and to enforce upon it the
" adoption of the steps which are required to
" secure for this part of her MAJESTY'S dominions
" the benefits of the general tranquillity of the
" Empire. The very same steps which would be
" incumbent upon the British Government, if
" armies were being prepared in Normandy for an
" attack upon Sussex, are incumbent upon it now
" that armies are being prepared in the United
" States for an attack on Canada. Otherwise we
" participate only in the dangers which arise out
" of our connexion with a State which has ene-
" mies, and enjoy none of the security which
" belongs to the subjects of a powerful Govern-
" went."

This is the language of dependence—not modest
and self-knowing, but presuming, encroaching de-
pendence,—the language of those who feel that th€ y
need not allow themselves to be restrained by any
scruples, since there are reasons why their most
extravagant demands must be conceded. And, as
was to be foreseen, this policy of colonial extor-
tion succeeds. Already, before these sentences
were written, the Imperial Government was send-
ing out large reinforcements of troops to Canada,
not because there was reason to apprehend a war
with the United States, but because the public
feeling of the Canadians is so utterly de-
bauched by our habit of doing everything for
them that they will not so much as defend them-
selves against an Irish rabble. This is not at all
a question of colonial "loyalty" or of maintaining

the "British connexion.'' The Canadians are not re:
quired to do anything for as. The work to be
done is their own work, that of defending their
hen roosts and pantries ; and rather than do it
they talk nrymiloquertly and invoke the pro-
tection of th 3 army of the British Empire. This