The Sun.
London, England, 1870-07-30 00:00:00

THE RED RIVER DIFFICULTY.

A free intercourse with all the officials of the Provi-
sional Government convinces me that the Red River dif-
ficulty has come to an end. The Legislative Council has
been summoned by President Riel to assemble on Thurs-
day t > take the Manitoba Bill into consideration, and
there is no doubt that the bill will be accepted. The mem-
bers of the Cabinet all express themselves as being ex-
ceedingly gratified at the aspect of affairs, and predict that
' the new Governor, Mr. Archibold, will be cordially wel-
comed by all. In conversing with them upon the events
of the past year a new view is obtained of the origin
and conduct of the Provisional Government. They state
that when the news of the sale of Rupert's Land to
Canada by the Hudson Bay Company reached the Red
River settlements Canadian surveyors were already here,
not only making out private property as public lands, but
appropriating the best localities to themselves and their
friends in Canada. They even went so far as to enter the
suburbs of Winnipeg and lay out private town lots into
farms for themselves ; and the reader will remember, if
he perused much of the published correspondence
between the Dominion Government and its official and
unofficial agents in the north-west, that nearly every
one of these agents referred in their correspondence to
farms and town lots which they had " pre-empted " in
these settlements. The whole population of Red River
was in commotion before Governor McDougal made his
appearance, and the matter was getting so serious that
Bishop Tache wrote to the Dominion Government asking
if it had jurisdiction over the settlements, and by what
authority Colonel Dennis and his surveyors were marking
out the lands ? The Dominion Government replied that
as yet it did not claim to exercise jurisdiction over the
North-west, and upon this becoming known to the settlers
they united without regard to nationality in ejecting
the surveyors from the country. A more extensive land
stealing operation was never attempted than that of the
Canadian speculators at Red River. It will also be re-
membered that the first convention, which assembled here,
was composed of English, Scotch, and French equally,
and that the whole settlements, with the exception of a
few individuals, joined together in excluding McDougal,
and framing a bill of rights demanding that Canada should
give some pledge of protection to private interests and the
rights of the inhabitants of this region before she sent out
her officials and leeches to prey upon it. The exceptional in-
dividuals referred to were Dr. Schultz and two or three other
persons here who saw an opportunity to leap into Cana-
dian favour and the lap of fortune by the display of great
loyalty to the Queen, and, incited by them, a band of
Canadians assembled at Schultz's house for the purpose of
putting down the opposition to McDougal. The ridi-
culous figure made by that crowd of Canadian cormo •
rants in the Schults campaign is already well known to '
all. Schultz fled from Red River, and " turned up "in
Canada as a howling patriot ; but there needs no more
striking commentary upon the action of himself and his
associates than the fact that the Dominion Government
has practically ignored his clique of filibusters, and not
only recognised theProvisionalGovernment by treating with
it through Commissioners, but has granted b act of Par-
liament every claim demanded by the Red River people.
Those here who were deluded into uniting with Schultz,
now admit without exception that, had Schultz succeeded,
McDougal would have been invited in without any
ceremony, and Schultz and his ring would have
had full swing for themselves in the division of spoil,
and that not a single right now guaranteed to the
people would ever have been attained without revo-
lution and bloodshed, which would inevitably have
followed. Every man in the Red River settlements
now sees how nearly all the evils which they have
complained of as resulting from the course of
Riel and his associates came to being eclipsed
by great calamities, and there is a feeling of respect
for the provisional government entering the breasts of
its enemies, which will eventually acknowledge the
obligation this country is under to Riel and his associ-
ates. The civil officers appointed under the provisional
government are all performing their duties fatisfactorily
throughout the settlements. The Hudson Bay Company
is transacting its business here just the same as ever, and
perfect tranquillity prevails. The Indians are all friendly
in their intercourse with the settlements, and the cloud of
war which a few weeks ago looked so threatening, is melting
away, leaving every one contented and hopeful.— Corres-
pondent of the New York Herald.