The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1849-04-28

RECENT EVENTS IN CANADA-THE PRosrEcT
AHEAD.-The outbreak in Montreal on Thursday
night last is only the beginning some great revolu-
tonary if not radical, chang: IN the British colo
NAL government. 1t was sudden, unexpected,
evanescent fneufe. The public mind was prepared
for such an occurrence, from the moment that the
tone of the public press and public feeling and the
contests of parties, assumed that character to
which we have repeatedly, within the last few
months, directed the attention of our readers. I'M
questionaby, a most important influence in the
production of this state of affairs may be traced to
the continual contrast which has been drawn, for
years past between the depressed and sinking con-
dton of the colonies and the prosperity of the re-
public this side of the line. This recent out
break has convinced many who had paid compa-
ravely little attention to the progress of affairs
Canada, that our correspondence and intelligence
from those colonies meant more than met the eye.
AS the news of the eneute in Montreal reaches the
other excited towns throughout the colonies, 1t
probable that great excitement will follow but the
result is yet to be ascertained We have no doubt
that those towns will wake up, and that the whole
population of British North America will be tho
roughly aroused, paving the way for an agitation
of which ii is difficult to predict the end with any
degree OF precision. One of the most ominous
poets of these events in Canada is to be found in
their striking and significant resemblance to the
movements and agitations which ushered In the
era of l776 in the &c old thirteen" colonies Of Anne
RIGA The parallel is prophetic.
Now that the great question of Canadian affairs,
which had been dividing itself in various dlrec-
tons, has been opened up by the fme,ae in Mont
real, amid the flames of the Parliament House, we
have no doubt the whole public mind throughout
the British colonies will be directed to the present
condition of affairs, their future prospects, and the
policy of their continued connexion with the Bril-
fish government, or their destiny in some other
form. Many intelligent minds in Canada and Eng
land have looked upon the political condition of
colonies merely in a local and personal point OF
view, considering the contest or difficulty mere
question of "spoils,'' or the ascendency of one
faction over another. There may be great deal
of truth and accuracy in this view of the matter;
but there is deep feeling beneath that surface,
which will now be agitated to the bottom, and may
start questions of much more serious magnitude
than any we have yet seen presented. One thing
is certain-the present condition of political affairs
in Canada cannot last long. Their existing form
of government has turned out failure. The Bril-
fish cabinet must be convinced by this time, that
some new plan must be adopted for the govern
ment of those colonies, in order to preserve their
connection with the mother country for any length
of time In a variety of papers, and through nu-
merous channels, and through various organs OF
public opinion. the question OF entire separation
from Great Britain has been moeted In Canada;
been discussed with great deal of skill, and
pressed by many, as the only and ultimate remedy
for their grievances Of course, that would be the
last resort of the colonies. The feeling this side
of the line, towards them, has been very quiet; tor
here, and everywhere else throughout the United
States, there has been strong disposition to keep
aloof; and while cherishng the sincerest sympa-
thy for the Canadians to allow them to settle their
own difficulties according to their own prescrlp-
tons.
Yet, although annexation to the United States
has been mooted, we do not believe that any such
result can be anticipated for some time to come.
Other remedies of more local and British charac
ter sprnging from their condition, will be first at
TEMPTED. One of the most feasible of these reme-
dies would appear to be national union of all British
North America, under one constitutional form of
government, in which the two Canadas, New
Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, and the
other dependencies, might be united in one great
country To this union might be added the whole
region north and west to Vancouver's Island and
the North Pole. If, in addition to this grand plan
of creating new nationality IN British North Anne
rica the British government and British mercantile
interests were to commence Immediately the con-
strucuon of magnificent railroad from Montreal
to the Pacific, by the most practicable route, thus
opening new channel of communication between
Cb;na .pd the East and {, rpat britain herself thew
might be enabled to turn the energy, skill, enter
prise and national capacity of the British American
colonies into a new and fortunate direction. Po
litcs and commerce must go hand in hand In
Anglo-Saxon affairs. Trade and liberty are the
bread and butter of Anglo-Saxon existence. The
British territory in North America is greater in
extent than the whole of the United States, and
almost equal to that of the Russian empire. They
possess means, and soil, and climate, and produc-
tons of all kinds, and of people, if they were
all banded together, sufficient to absorb the entire
population of Great Britain and Ireland In one
grand North American confederaey, under con-
stltutiona government, which would speedily upset
the French and English factions that now agtate
unfortunate Canada; bringing into operation new |
elements of material, wealth and political and social
prosperity, of the grandest and most imposing |
character Thus they might prepare themselves
for admission good time, into the limits of this
vast and growing republic of free States.
Of couse the news from Canada will now be
looked for with intense and general interest We
await, with great curiosity and anxiety, the intel
ligence from the other towns throughout the pro-
vinces
LATER FROM BRAzIL.-The bark Oriole, Capt.
Stump, arrived at Baltimore Thursday from
Rio de Janeiro, whence she sailed on the Goth
February. We copy the following extracts from a
letter from the american -
RIO JAyEino Feb. %, 1S49.