The Sun.
London, England, 1866-11-29 00:00:00

THE DEFENCE OF CANADA.

A few weeks ago General Sir JOHN MicHEL,
Commander of the Forces in Canada, spoke at a
dinner given to Attorney-General EAST by his
friends at Montreal. Sir JOIIN said—" That there
" were three things absolutely required in Canada
" to make them not care for the frown of any
" neighbouring nation, not that he meant to say
" that a neighbouring nation did frown, but that it
" was right the people of this country should be in
"such a position that they would not care though
"they did frown. The first was confederation and
" a general armament of the nation by means of
" volunteers and militia; the second was fortifica-
tions ; the third, a great commercial route that
" would open Montreal with the sea-board." As
an imperial officer in a high place what the General
said was not only proper, but true. He is in
Canada to defend the country. It is his business
to advise the Government as to the capabilities of
the country for defence, and not only to show the
Government what the means at his disposal are,
but to see that those means are used to the
greatest advantage. We have the pleasure of
knowing Sir JOIIN MicnEL, and we are aware that
a more gallant and daring officer does not exist in
her MAJESTY'S Army. In spite, however, of
the General's confident tone, he must know in
his heart that no means are open to him of
defending Canada in case the neighbouring
nation really raised its arm to strike. There
is no wisdom in stepping into a fool's Paradise,
and there hugging ourselves in fancied security.
As well adopt the resource of the hunted ostrich
and put our head into a hole. It may at once be
accepted as an undoubted fact that Canada is
defenceless in a military point of view against the
United States. It is impossible to conceive a country
at once more open to hostile aggression and more
closed to friendly succour. The rich block of laud
lying between the great inland lakes is the territory
which contains Canada's main resources. That
territory is connected with the Atlantic sea-board
by the St. Lawrence and by the Grand Trunk
Railway. Along the banks of the river and by the
iron road a continuous line of settlement has been
established. This long, thin straggling belt of civili-
staiotinopnbeistewtrbeaoetnre hdtetrheeed by some of the most powerful
States of the Union ; at any point the United States
can en
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provinces.ica-
Fortifications would but isolate a few spots, leaving
all the colony open to invading armies. Every single
advantage of position on which the South relied in
her great war would be wanting in defending
this portion of the British Provinces. The South
possessed a vast compact mass of territory offering
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distance from the region to be invaded. The fur-
ther the Northern armies penetrated into the South,
the further they were removed from their
base of operations, the more difficult became the
roads, the worse their means of communication,
and their power of procuring supplies. Not only
had the North to fight a most gallant enemy, but
they bad to fight natural difficulties of an almost
insurmountable nature. In Canada these circum-
stances are totally changed. The means by which
the United States could bring their forces to bear
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line the country produces supplies in abundance.
The base of their operations could be brought
within a stone's throw of the enemy's territory.
Once across the river, with the Grand Trunk Rail-
road intercepted, the invading force might turn on
either side, All communication would cease between ,