The Sun.
London, England, 1837-12-23 00:00:00

rt
of
tent. n
At . s s
eTmhbelsye n determinedduced the proceedingsson t h
prorogueepa
t
of August, after a session of only ten days. Si
Molesworth) had already referred had been more
petiod the system of organization to which he (SiranWdilmliaomte
it oof "nt hee ee Houseta
extended throughout the province. Riots bad taken
there was every appearance of an approaching strugga
was , _ blood had been shed, the troops had been called
loeutpslauacceehd.
was the state of Lower Canada ; but Upper Caned
ana,,,7_,
no means tranquil—a Political Union was extensively Canada,
throughout the townships and counties of Ufppeir
similar in many respects to the Committees okadVsgetilaanaceZ
Lower Canada. The members of the Union
parmopvlieneweh:icthhehyadkbaedenpefotiltlioowneedd bthyethceoirngfrrieesnsdsofoftkteheuloniwteear
States for a free trade between Canada and thete
a neighbouringeaily en-
couraged
States, and in the mean time they have sysm
couraged smuggling by every means in their poiter.
What
had been the conduct of the Government in this crisist i"
regardproviiieetowlfasppveareaCita.nadvva ?honiThoeugohffitcea ofw isGeovaeurdnorretie n
cttihati
Ministry to have chosen to fill this most important pefs.timi
Undoubtedly some person eminent for his talents, ta,
more eminent for his high virtues, who would
mended the respect of all parties. To whom bad
re-
sponsible advisers of the Crown confided the task
.of
ing4
l
ciliating the inhabitants. of Upper Canada, and '
them with regard for British authority? To the M
ob-
noxious and unpopular person they could find in thi;:tiou___lt'
try, with the exception of the gaoler of St. Helena— 11 a
htehecOa
gentleman whose conduct had excited the loudest Helena—(Hear)`
smolt
vehement complaints, and produced almost rebellion in.
eave.rig.
colony over which he bad ruled.—(Hear, heals,
_p.„
Whether these complaints were just or not he (Sir
.V.
Molesworth) would not pretend to say, but, whilst "
existed, the policy of the Governmeat in selecting !"
person for so delicate an employment seemed most dsuubiout,t
But he condemned this appointment on other groundscit Dour
condemned ir from having carefully studied the cent?.it
Colonel Arthur whilst that gentleman was governor f
Diemen's Land,,from having examined Colonel Arthur trefh
self, and from his despatches to the Colonial-office, whit,
were laid before the Transp-ortation Committee of last year'
of which he (Sir W. Molessvorth) had the honour to bare
been Chairman. From that evidence it appeared that dull
the last twelve years Colonel Arthur bad possessed desP° ecs
powers for the sole purpose of framing a system of atrocitebe
and unheard-of cruelty, such as stood unparalleled in o
annals of nations; his sole object was to inflict pain—iutesnsa
pain—to render the condition of the convict most wretcses-
and degraded—to make Van Diemen's Land what it now wasp
a hell upon earth—a fitting abode for the criminals, whom ir
by his tortures had converted into still worser fiends. Ile;
(Sir William Molesworth) would most readily admit t",!,,
in se acting Colonel Arthur only obeyed the commands of tav
Colonial-office, that he in nowise outstripped or even acted
to the strict letter of those commands, and that he merely fold
lowed out the necessary consequences of transportation, al;
enforced a system of punishments whose existence wag t
deepest disgrace to this country. rßut he ( Sir
William
Molesworth) contended that the feelings, the habits, and t
dispositions of a gentleman who twelve years had wielded the
most uncontrolled authority, and for that period bad achninie;
tered and could administer such a frightful system of evil, mac
make him unfit to be the constitutional Governor of a free pro-
vince, inhabited, not, as the Australian colonies were, by the
ruffians, felons,! prostitutes, and outcasts of England, but by
high-minded and a moral race, who would feel most indig.-
nant at this insult. Nor were the other colonies of Noryg.
America in that state of political repose and placid tranquil
lity which would be most agreeable to the feelings of the
Noble Lord who calmly slumbered at the head of the Colonial
Department. Newfoundland had refused to grant the sup:.
plies. Was a Coercion Bill rzady for that province
Were the resolutions to seize its revenues prepared?
Nova Scotia and Prince Edward's Island had both de'
clared in favour of an Elective Legislative Council;
and in New Brunswick the most perfect harmony did net
exist between the assembly and the executive. No reliance,
therefore, could be placed on these provinces in a struggle
between this country and Lower Canada. But to return t
Lower Canada. The events to which he had referred proves'
that the Canadians were determined not to submit to the ma"-
dates of her Majesty's Ministers—to prevent injustice by
force—and, if needs be, to defend their rights by an appeal t°
the sword. Now, what course did her Majesty's Ministers
intend to pursue? It seemed to him that they could Vas;
dently and wisely adopt but two courses. They orbit
either to attempt to conciliate the Canadians by acquiescing
in all the' demands of the Legislative Assembly which were
not inconsistent with the connection of the two countries ;
they ought to grant an elective Legislative Council, and by
these and similar measures they might prolong for some tirtil,
the dominion of this country over Canada; the other ala"'
perhaps, the wiser course would be now to propose a separa"
tion of the two countries, as the mass of the Canadian people'
no longer desired the dominion of this country; and vibe"'
the greatest portion of the population of a colony felt dissatis
fied with the authority of the mother country, then it ar
pered to him (Sir William Molesworth) that the period was
arrived when a friendly separation would be beneficial
to the interests of both countries. These were the only alter •
natives which could be beneficially adopted—the remaining
alternative, the one which he feared Ministers intended to
pursue, was to adhere to their past policy, and to assert the
supremacy of this country over Canada without redressing the,
grievances of the Canadian people. The inevitable result of
such a course would be a civil war, unless the people of this
country were, as lie trusted they were, wise enough to forbid
it, and to hurl from power the administration who would date
to propose an appeal to arms. He feared that it was the ill"
tention of Ministers to pursue the course which would lead to
a civil war, because he -found they were sending troops to
Canada. Could the Ministers, he would ask, depend upon
the soldiers in Canada? Desertion, he understood, was pig
on to a great extent, especially in Upper Canada ; hardly
week passed that the muster-roll of each regiment was'
not diminished in this manner; thirty soldiers in one
week deserted from Toronto alone ; parties were obliged to
be stationed at the points of easy egress to the Arne'
rican frontier in order to prevent desertion, and theso,
parties (generally sergeants' parties) sometimes desertel
themselves. The 24th regiment, he had been informed, II,"
nearly been wholly renewed since it had been in Cana"-
Nor was desertion to be wondered at when the rate of wee:
and the demand for labour across the lines were known. "
labourer could obtain from fifteen to twenty dollars a month;
and as rich lands cost only a dollar and a half an acre, tb°
labourer can, by a few months' savings, make himself index
pendent. With regard to the demand for labour, advertise-
meets of the folloe hag kinds were not unfrequently to he
seen in the Canadian papers :—" Five thousand labourere
wanted an Indianopolis, Indiana, at from fifteen to moll
dollars a month, and board." It seemed to him that
British soldier would he patriotic to a romantic 4e.;
gree who would not, even in time of peace, prof e'
twenty dollars a month and board in Indiana °
sixpence a day and the privilege of being flogged Id
the British army ; but in time of war, in an unjust a"
unholy war as this would be. the patriotism of a soldier 01°
would remain in the British service one moment longer than
he could help would be miraculous, tempted as tus°,,
soldier undoubtedly would be by an offer of a portion of t";
territories of the anti-popular party, for instance—by a shari,-o
ill the fertile possessions of the Land Company, or in t
rich fiefs of Beauharnais. In all events, therefore, w•
with Canada would be attended with the greatest difficulties;
" I shudder, sir," said he, " at the idea of the consequenci:e
of a civil war with Canada ; it would Undoubtedly iriln •
this cowry in a contest with the United States of Ailitietire'
first, it would bring our Government in collision with
Governments of the States bordering on Canada, for vOle°0;
teers by thousands would swarm into Lower Canada T.,
Maine, Vermont, New York, and Kentucky, animated tub'e
would be by the love of adventure—animated still more tit
the desire of driving the last relics of Monarchy from N..onids,
America, tempted likewise by the promises of rich cr,
by the possessions of the anti-popular party ; in this ressoo,
I say, let Texas be a warning of what we may expect
America in the event of a struggle for Canada. "°-Be
this interference in the affairs of Canada would •1
at first ate
confined to individual Americans, it would not teruilliserl
there ; the conduct of American subjects would not be Ptoo.
over unnoticed by our Government; complaints and i*,.,'"oiou
strances would be made to the Union, and the
ees,
would be called upon to prevent its subjects from "were
ing arms against our troops ; this, even if it ogler
willing to do, it could not effect, for how powerful stiett ft
the central government of the United States may be w`f.ceeli
goes 'along with the wishes of the people, it is roost rip,
when the people are opposed or indifferent to its coult"°, of
or when one or more of the sovereign States are desilt the
evading its decrees; it is exactly in a case like this!:r sea
central government of that republic is weakest, to
anxious suffer it may be from general views of polieY,Sstilittes
vent all interference in the affairs of Canada—all ogle but
with this country—yet. its people will see in this strut, &nee,
a repetition of their own glorious struggle for indeeer'canda
they will behold in the conduct of England toward a little
the sequel of those despotic and unjust principles whieueg our
more than half a century ago caused them to shake awls ga
yoke—they will rejoice in the triumph of the Canawsrld---
the great and final victory of democracy in the New .deerers
they will sympathize with their northern brethren as dbl
aniate
in the same great cause of liberty ; and hey _
these noble, these good, and generous feelings, se the
take a part in that conflict, which, whatever Inel till our
temporary vicissitudes of war, will never terminal that (it);
dominion in America be for ever destroyed. Tha for 00
minion should now be brought to a conclusiceit4a__ /joie!,
most sincerely desire ; but I desire it should terminate
pt`:_t
and friendship, leaving behind it the
Irr,imeym
nesses and mutual benefits, paving the tcorYnienitviereaTtud,orli.a:nro.,
intimate connections, arising from commercial
trade, lent
the opening of new channels of beneficial
creasing
marketto thi s
for countryotir manufactures,al I the advantagesrewi
Mete 5 r "
vexation, and expense of governing a at u•
r this country ld be
countries, and great would be the honou
and great wou
sing would be the advantages of an amicable separa wou
thoUrfte:itvohanes.tbaurldr;.,ll,o;
reap in consenting to such a separatione•rive
from Pr"Po°l.o
the renown which a Ministry would d
the bal ot
oval
such a measure. I can hardly endure
ld be, are not the gerernust
and of treasure, great as they
war will engender; ws, which
quences of a forcible separation.
among the evils which such. a.,
(*rest it .5
the odious antipathi ;
calculate the baneful prejudice k
atoelxopoekadiiitturtch
n's whose mutual iat. veer,
it will produce amongst.
remember more than half
: abetwee"
to cultivate kindly
hear.) We must
the bad feelings_ e Americo
hardly sufficed to obliterate
feelinig'atmtowards one
the tw one
when a respect
independence ;now,
,e „ „ink_
struggle for mutually, to ad TAD to all think-
have country and America, which
andresulted from t" 0 eations
have begun, as they ought, 2"thecre.nterY 11:
another, it must be a matter of the deepest regre,