The Sun.
London, England, 1865-02-21 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS.

--.-

TIMES.—Those who believe that Governments
have a natural tendency to extravagance, and run
after every new idea regardless of the cost, should
read the discussion which took place in the House of
Lords last night with respect to the defences of Ca-
nada. The form in which the subject presents itself
to the ordinary apprehension of Englishmen will
hardly prepare them for the criticisms of some of
the Peers on the alleged shortcomings of the Go-
vernment. When the public hear of Canadian de-
fences, they experience nothing but a feeling of
uneasiness and perplexity. They know that there
is a vast tract of territory on the other side of the
Atlantic, conterminous with an aggressive, menac-
ing, and now warlike Republic. They are aware
that it is subject to the Queen of Great Britain, and
that by the traditions of the Empire and by the law
of nations we are bound to defend it against every
aggressor, while it is liable to attack as often as we
fall into a quarrel ourselves. They also know, and
reflect with a feeling of mingled pride and embar-
rassment, that the people of these British American
Provinces are anxious to maintain their connexion
with the mother country ; that they are not unwil-
ling to take up arms in their own defence, and are,
on the other hand, fully confident that we shall on
every occasion of trouble to themselves rush with
fleets and armies to their help. The position of
these loyal fellow-subjects with respect to our own
people puzzles even practical politicians. They
give the United Kingdom their good wishes and
nothing more. They legislate for themselves, and
in so doing show little favour to Imperial interests.
In fact, the English trader stands in no better posi-
tion with regard to them than his rival of France or
America. With the United States, indeed, the
Provinces were, until the other day, connected by
treaty regulations, which brought the two countries
closer to each other commercially than either is to
England. Accordingly, when Canadian defences
are talked about the British public are not in a very
cheerful humour. People do not want to db any-
thing ungenerous ; they do not want to repudiate
obligations, or abandon those who have a claim
on their protection ; but there is, we must say, a
very deep feeling that the connexion between
the mother country and the colony ought not to
mean the expenditure of large sums by Eng-
land for the defence of territories three thousand
miles away from its shores. At the time of the
Trent affair a large force was despatched in the dead
of winter at a heavy cost to the national exchequer ;
but that was in a quarrel of our own, and though
the burden and the danger was not unfelt, the
public was willing to submit to them. But greater
obligations than these may at any time be laid on
us through some local dispute, such as lately brought
on Canada the threats of a Federal general. These
things make people reflect seriously on the military
liabilities which the country incurs by guaranteeing
the defence of the American provinces, and lead
them to desire the recognition of the principle that
on land at least the Canadians should undertake to
protect their own soil. Thus when Col. Jervois
makes his report, and tells the Government what
large sums are necessary for the fortification of the
chief places in Canada, the first question the public
asks itself is, whether Canada cannot do without
them, and the next whether, supposing this to be
impossible, Canada Cannot construct them for her-
self. They are no trifles, indeed. Canada, though
with but a small population, has a long frontier ;
in fact, it may be described as being all frontier,
and as being vulnerable all over. There is hardly
a village or a farm in the country that is more
than a few days' march from some spot which may
be reached at once by a party of Federal soldiers.
Hence the magnitude of the works, which if executed
by the provinces will be a real financial burden to
them, and if taken in hand by us will add conside-
rably to our estimates for years to come. Colonel
Jervois says that he regards the works for the de-
fences of Montreal and Quebec as being of the most
pressing importance. The cost of those at Quebec
is to be £200,000, of those at Montreal at £443,000,
and the armaments at those places will cost about
£lOO,OOO. The works of fortification recom-
mended at Kingston, Toronto, and Hamilton will
cost about £500,000, and the armaments for those
places about £lOO,OOO. Thus on fortifications
for Canada alone it is .purposed to expend
£1,343,000, which any one acquainted with the
history of such matters is well aware will extend
to at least a couple of millions. Now, of this sum
her Majesty's Government propose to supply
£2oo,ooo—the amount necessary for fortifying
Quebec. This is "an Imperial fortress ;" it was the
scene of one of the most celebrated of English
victories, and has so wide a reputation as one of the
strong places of the world that the national honour
is committed to maintaining it. We have no desire
to quarrel with the decision of the Government.
Whether the Canadian Government will really
spend half a million on fortifying Montreal, as Lord
De Grey expects, we very much doubt, for there is
great difference between calling out Volunteers and
Militia at a time of excitement, and taxing the com-
munity to raise masses of earthworks and put guns
in position. If the fortification of Quebec by. Eng-
land be looked upon as part of an arrangement be-
tween the mother country and the colony, then, we
suppose, we must submit and pay the £200,000, or
whatever more the works may cost. But we cannot
affect to say that it will be done with any enthu-
siasm. To spend a large sum in raising works at
such a place, with the knowledge that they will in-
volve the necessity of keeping a garrison there, and
are quite as likely to lead to a great military disaster
as a successful defence ; to perpetuate the principle
that England is bound to hold the colony with her
own troops ; to encourage, as it were, by our ex-
ample, the expenditure by the colonists of great
sums which they can ill afford in a kind of defence
the strategical merits of which are very questionable,
are matters which are not undertaken very cheer-
fully. The country in general will think that the
Government is going quite far enough when it de-
votes £50,000 a year for four years for the construc-
tion of fortifications at Quebec, and we will venture
to say that when the War Department published
Colonel Jervois's report with a view to prepare Par-
liament for this vote it expected to be taxed with
extravagance and panic rather than illiberality or
carelessness. Last evening, however, in the House
of Lords, her Majesty's Ministers were soundly
rated for their negligence in not more efficiently
preparing for the defence of Canada against the
imminent Federal invasion. Lord Lyveden drew a
most melancholy picture. The Queen's troops and
the local troops together could not defend the Pro-
vince. If it were attacked, they would have nothing
to do but to retreat to their ships, and it would be
fortunate if they reached them. Lord Derby re-
newed his warnings concerning the ill-feeling against
us which prevails in the Federal States, and insisted
that the £200,000 shall all be expended at once, so
as to put Canada in security from a danger which
may fall on it, not after years, but after months.
The Government, his lordship thinks, should also
take care of the fortifications of Toronto, and adopt
precautions to prevent the Americans from obtain-
ing a preponderating force on the Lakes. In short,
because North and South might by bringing their
differences to an end be enabled to attack Canada,
we must immediately set about the defence of a
frontier of 1,500 miles, spend no one knows how
much in earthworks and masonry, arm fort after
fort, and undergo all the burdens of preparing for
war with one of the most powerful nations in the
world. With due respect to the opinion of these
patriotic noblemen, we think that the country
should not be led away to any such extravagances.
We doubt very much the policy of these elaborate
and costly preparations for a contingency which
may never arrive—preparations which, in case it did
arrive, would certainly be found insufficient to meet
it. Of course it is the duty of an officer who is
sent to report on
.fortifications to give a scientific
and professional opinion, dwelling simply on the
military aspects of the question. But the prior
inquiry, whether the fortifications are politically
desirable or economically expedient, is for Govern-
ments and Parliaments to decide, and we think there
are many reasons why our own Government should
neither press the House of Commons for large sums
on this account, nor take advantage of the present
excitement in Canada to urge on the colonists costly
schemes which the calmer judgment of a few years
hence may declare to have been both politically and
stragically mistakes. To construct ourselves and
make the Canadians construct fortifications at
Quebec and Montreal, and even on the exposed
shore of Toronto, only that at the approach of war
we might shut up our little army in these places as
a " nucleus" for the defence of Canada, is a work
which requires more reflection and should inspire
more doubts than it seems to have met with in the
House of Lords.

POST.—It would not be difficult to draw up a syl-
labus of the errors which the Federal Secretary of
State proposes to entertain with respect to the Go-
vernment and the people of this country. Mr.
Seward habitually leaps over facts to conclusions,
the fallacy of which he is not, in his present frame
o f mind, able to discern. The despatch in which he
informed Mr. Adams it was manifest to him that
" the insurgents" were effectively represented both
in Parliament and in our Press, while " the advo-
cates or defenders of the United States" were ex-
cluded from the conduct of public affairs, was, it is
true, written ten , months since, and it is possible
that subsequent events have modified the opinions
it expressed. Be that, however, as it may, the Con-
federates will, we apprehend, think Mr. Seward has
exaggerated their influence. If they had obtained
the support of " a bold, vigorous, and effective party
in both Houses of Parliament and in the British
Press," it is hardly likely that the Southern States
would be now waiting for a recognition of their in-