, 1858-05-21


reduced, who has become dependant on the
post for his means Of pursuing the chase
his only mode Of subsistenceY A system
attic and undertaking course is pursued at
all the posts, whereby the Indian is subject
ed to the despotic rule of the Company
every effort is made 10 retain him in state
Of debt, and the valuable furs which he
brings to the post are taken from him at
just such prices as the Companyehoose to
fix upon them, and he receives a credit for
the supplies which are furnished him, at the
moderate rate Of one or perhaps two thou
sand per cent upon their cost.
An energetic or valuable hunter is never
permitted to arrive at such position that
his actual existence depends mot npon the
chase, but he is made to feel that his and
his family's subsistence depends upon those
supplies which valuable furs only can pro-
vide, and by bringing those to the fort or
post
The unfortunate Indian is compelled to
submit to such terms as the company may
impose, and thus his days are devoted to
the service of the company. If he does
not or cannot procure that which the com
pany demand OF him, the powder, the shot,
the blanket, or other necessary by which
alone the Indian can now procure his sub
sistence, will cease to be supplied; and per-
haps, in mid winter, with hs family, he is
driven from the precincts Of the fort TO face
starvation and misery, in orler that the
monopoly of the Hudsou's Bay Company
may be maintained and that the two hun
dred partners of that monopoly may enjoy
q wealth wrung from the suffering abort
gine Of the country, who not unfrequently
in such a situation dies lingering death.
The system which compels the officer or
factor of post thus to be q tyrant, in turn
makes him its slave, for he is obliged to re-
turn to the company in furs those supplies
which he has furnished to the Indian. Men
born and brought up in the Hudson's Bay
Territories relates tales of horror, the con-
sequences of this system, which reduces the
Indian to the necessity of choosing between
starvation and misery or q Servitude of the
most abject description, because subjected
to heartless community whose monopoly
enables them to acquire an absolute domin-
ion over the bodies and the minds of the
Indians. 1t gives despotic control ire
sponsible to any law, aud creates despo-
tsm which no legislative action can miti-
gate, nor public opinion reach to restrain.
But when the country shall be thrown
open to the competition Of rival traders,
then will the Indian possess free and un-
controlled will to dispose Of the fruits Of
his toll when and where he pleases. And
when be can procure his necessary supplies
at what mart he chooses, then will be be
emaucipated from his now worse than south
ern bondage.
The "PrSccuted Indian" This applica-
ton is true one. No sooner does he es-
cape from the bondage OF the Hudson's
Bay Company, than by the Government, be
is treated as vassal, and subjected to that
species of tutelage which years ago won for
the colonial Office the epithet "baneful dom
nation"
The Colonial Minister of the day, an ut
ter stranger to the country, its people, their
circumstances, or their necessities, deeming
that Canadians were too ignorant to know,
and too besotted to learn, imagined himself
better qualified than they were to judge
aud determine what we're their wants, what
should be their wishes, and what was to
their advantage. At the same time, these
Canadians had among them men whose
general knowledge was far. superior to bis
who controlled.
The parallel is so striking that l am al
most tempted to draw it, But this is di-
gression.
The efforts that the partisans of the
Hudson's Bay Company make to prolong
the existence of the monopoly are as nm
serupulous now as they were in days gone
by. Not contented with making studied
misrepresentation as regards the capabili-
ty Of the country for rewarding the indus
trial pursuits Of civilized life, if we are to
believe the author Of the communication in
the COlOaliSt, "the dark and bloody scenes
of the past will be again repeated, " should
rival company be organized to trade in
their own country.
The declaration of threat like this
must proclaim to the country that there is
a trade to be acquired by the enterprising
merchant, which is so valuable and produc.
tive that dark and bloody scenes" are con
templated, 10 order to retain it exclusively
to the Hudson's Bay Company. The dar.
ing guilty course which the HudsOn's Bay
Company once entered upon, will never
again be repeated. That company had
never pushed their researches beyond the
shores of Hudson's Bay, until they learned
Of the enterprises Of the Northwest Com
pany, which had passed up the great lakes,
into the valleys Of the AsSeneboin and Sas.
katchawan; then for the first time the Hud.
sons Bay Company penetrated to those
peaceful countries from Hudson's Bay, and
setting up their pretended claim to the ex-
elusive right of possessing these regions Of
country, resorted to force of arms to drive
their more snterprising rival, the North
west Company, from that country. Aud
thence ensued those dark and bloody deeds
which now are threatened to be repeated,
if the monopoly Of the Hudson's Bay Com.
pany is interfered with. To one born and
hrouuht mn in tho Hud.a,J. D., ~.