North American. [volume] (Swanton, Vt.) 1839-1841, 1840-10-28

- 49,
inu'ost receees o, oor hesrt. when reading
aii the ISLANDERS heaped upon the Csasdisns
By the rews-pspes OF The great eommerci-
oil American cities, for their eonduc, 10 the
last war between the United States and
Great Britain. How often have We read
that the Canadians deserved their present
fate, . twice they had refused to avail
themselves Of The generous offer made BY
The United States 10 throw of The yoke OF
Great Britain. We will not repeat the ar
gumen,s and quotations submitted to our
readers in Nos. 9, s, q and Of the pres.
ent volume of the North American. The
arguments have not been refuied and the
quotations are OF too respectable source
to be ciscredited, so that we have proved
beyond doubt that the Canadians were
in favor OF q change Of government in ITS.
We believe that oil unparalleled readers
will acknowledge after what we have said
and quoted in the last number and in the
present, that the Canadians OF the Upper
Province 80 far as the Americans had an
opportunity OF testing, were at the com
meneement Of the las, war also disposed
towards change Of government, and all
acquainted with the character and disposi.
ton OF the French population of Lower
Canada, will readily admit that once Upper
Canada was secured by the American arms,
the British would have had poor footing
IN the Lower Province. But in the name
Of reason and of self preserva,ion, who can
blame the Canadians for rallying around
the British Standard, after having been 50
bitterly disappointed by Hull's surrender !.
VINO can censure the Canadians il thew
trusted no longer in American honor and
American faith, when their fellow oun,ry-
men, who had joined the "slars and s,ripesn
had been so Ireacherously and basely deliv-
cred over to their former masters! We
ash, who can blame them if they placed no
more confidence in the national honor of
the United States, when polluted by the
baseness and oowardice OF the old imbecile
to whom they had entrusted the command
OF their invading army No man of ord
mary sense, and eonverssnt with The facts
as they actually occurred, can with anv
proprlety censure the Canadians, if thew.
AFTER mat disastrous and melancholy event,
turned their backs upon those, whom thew
had RICH. To regard with suspicion, as
having no desire to fulfil the promises made
IN the sacred and dignihed name of their
nation. Who can blame the Canadians,
II, alter that occurrence, they had resisted
the Americans, when their own country
men who had joined their co,ors had been
d'shonorably and contrary to all laws of
nations, handed back and delivered over TO
the British, whom they had deserted, to
seek the protection OF the American ma
lion We canddly confess that we can
not blame them, as self-preservation oblip.
ed them to adopt the course they pursued i
although we deeply regret i, should have
proved disastrous and ruirous to the fond
hopes they had INDUCED Of rendering them. |
selves independent Of Great Britain. A
nan need not be diplomats, to know tia
when the national honor is plighted ard its
pledges are not redeemed, that nation is
unworthy Of being trusted. We would
no. insult the American nation we have
The greatest venera.ion possible for their
democratic institutions, but must speak
he truth, however unpalatable it be. In
partiality is our guide and we mean strictly
70 follow its difficult but straightforward
path.
We shall put an end to this long discus
lion by citing passage from proclama-
ion issued by Sir George Provost from
in Upper Canada on the 4th OIL
September, 1918; the readers will End
ven at that period Of the war there were
ret disafeeted characters in that Colony
nd thai His ExcsIlency was fearful that
here existed some connivance between
hese disafected characters and the Amer