New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-10-04
their undertaking to buy up adverse Organixa.
tiOns, or even their adbaentg.
ENsLAND AND THE CANApAs.

Times offered it's readers the other dsy q
novel theory Of Colonial Government II pro-
claimed the doctrine, which must be exeeed-
Iingy fatterng TO the pride Of the colonisty ON
the other side of Lake Ontario that they o,a
now virtually Independent of the mother conn.
try, and that it il, therefore, time to depend
on themselves, not only for the maintenance Of
internal peace, but for resistance to foreign az
erosion. To England they must only look
hereafter, even 10 time of war, as a friendly
ally, and for this privilege they are expected t.
be grateful.
Several years ago, we believe, the English
Government made over TO the Canadiau aathori-
ties large amount Of ordnance property
much of which, however, had then, and has
now but nominal yalae--On condition that
volunteer force sufficient for national police
PURPOSES should be maintained Of the expense
of the Colony. The bargain, we prssume. was
! q fair ore. At al events it was q mutual CON-
pact, aud was a measure desired in the frat
instance by the Provinces. But it implied On
the part of tho latter no engagement to meet
tue contingencies of o foreign war by local
| .Orco Of volunteers. And 4 moments reflection
wilI show how manifestly absurd such an inter-
probation would be.
While Tie Times talks Of the British Amep-
can depondeucies as allies of England, it over
looks tue fact that in all questions of interna.
tiOnal concern-in the negotiation of treaties, in
the formation of national alliances, in declaring
war or making terms Of peace-Canada counts
no more than Yorkshire. Ii the British Gov.
ernmeut quarrels with ncighbOrng State, it
| is not Caoada that qgaFrels. She has no voice
! ia the Parliament which controls the action Of
the Home Government. Neither has she any
representation or voice ia The councils Of
uatious Her independence is tho merest
shadow of q name. Were she more dependent
she would have more power than in her pres
ent ill.dcfued condition. Were she governed
directly by Downing street. she might securs
some sort of Imperial representation, where
her votes, even if they were few, would count
for something in those parliamentary divisions
which make and unmake Ministries. As it Is.
she is allowed-whatl Neither more nor Less
than certain municipal privileges, the same as
are conceded to any English county.
And thus, while in reality n cipher in sis
that apperts;ns 10 the business Of nations, shs
is told first 10 defend herself in case Of being
dragged into war by the Imperial Government.
and be grateful for having in England friend
Ily ally in case Of danger. There is something
| 20 cool in this mode of dealing with tue inter-
ests of great dependency, that we caa only
wonder the Colonists take it SO philosophcally
as they appear to do. England is no doubt
powerful ally; but il she had the power OF
making war for all the friendly powers who
| now act in concert with her, il Is dOubtiia
\ whether tho alliance would long be considered
valuable. And for Canada the question mus
soon arise, whether her enlargement into 6
community Of nearly four millions Of people.
possessing the amplest resources for national
greatness is compatible with the mere manie-
pal government she is permitted to enjoy and
which is supposed TO entail the responsibilities
without either the dignity or strength Of al in
dependent national existence.
1t seems 70 us that Tire london Times, and
tie interests it represents, must either desire
10 hasten separation of the Provinces from
the Mother Country or to create colonial
agitation in favor of their admission to repre-
sentation in the Imperial Parliament. If the
former is the object aimed at, the plan adopted
to reach it no doubt has its merit Slow a.
the Colonists ara to meye, even when ther
rights are invaded. they have shown in former
days that they bad some Of the spirit Of free
men left in them; and we can hardly conceive
of their tamely submitting to d proposal which.
while it leaves them completely disfranchsed
as members of the Empire, entails on them
the burdens and the dangers of being their
own defenders. II, again, the interest is to
create an agitation FOX tho abolition of tbs
local machinery OF government, and for admis-
sion to the Imperial Parliament, it win fail.
not merely on account Of the division of races
(which requires now the use, officially, of two
languages and of two distinct systems of juris-
prudcGce-but it viii fail because certain
amount of power in the way Of self-gO'
/ has been conceded aud its recall would net
be compensated to the great bulk Of tao people
| By an Imperial representation.
Thus the time seems to be gradually ap-
preaching for the full emancipation OF The
Colonists. The prestige they have been sup
posed TO give to the Imperial governing power
is no longer valued. They would DO OF ss
much commercial advantage in the capacity
of allies, as in that of COlonists. England
has India, Australia, and the Cape, to lock