The New York herald., 1861-12-31


Provinces always initiate in miniature the
doings Of the kingdoms to which they belong.
When grown men have the war fever children
wear fancy caps beat tiny drums, snap pop
guns, blow penny trumpets and wear military
stripes sewed to their trowsers. England be-
came aggravated towards this country because
a couple of rebel refugees were recaptured by
Captain Wilkes, and forthwith Canada became
aggravated also. The English press clustered,
and the Canadian press clustered. The English
navy was busily reftted, and the Canadian
scows were armed. The English prohibited the
export Of saltpetre, and the Canadians seized,
at Montreal, few pounds of gunpowder. The
English fastened off regulars, and the Cana
dians called out their militia. The English
held large public meetings, and the Canadians
held little public meetings England exclaimed
Let us whip the United States and defend
Canada Canada cried ont "Let us whip the
United States and save England" That is the
way Canada began to play soldier
The manner in which Canada went to work
at the art military IL very curious and very
funny. II becomes all the more curious and
amusing when it is regarded in the light of the
news we have published OF the complete and
peaceful adjustment of the difficulty which
created all this provincial furor One journal
demands that Canada shall be surrounded with
belt of Notifications, mounted with cannon
of home manufacture and manned by the local
fire companies"--as if gun were squirt.
Another declares that "the cry of war rings
through the land, and adds "let il ring
unconscious that it plagiarizes from Dan Bry-
ant, who, in reply to the assertion '.an-
gels now are on the wing" emphatically
rejoins '.let em wing" The Toronto Leader
has an 'observer" who sees Northern companies
drilling on Canadian soil; calls the proceeding
fragrant" and declares that sthe times are too
ticklish to allow Of false delicacy," with an eye
obviously, to the immediate and indelicate exter-
minati0n the Northerners aforesaid. Another
journal halloos for the "sedentary militia" The
term ''sedentary" is very happy one, convey
ing, as it does, the idea of lot Of fellows who
pay their military fines, are corpulent, short
wnded and not musculaiiy developed, and who
are totally untitled 70 run far after an enemy.
however able they might be to run away from
| him. The Canadians call these sedentary chaps
| to their '.posts," and there need be no fear OF
| the "posts' being deserted, now that peace is
certain, and no hostile Americans are to be
| marched across the frontier.
Another journal valiantly announces that
''tbc whole male population of this province
will flght;' but it prudent,y refrains from
stating on which side they will fight, and calms
down to the statement that comparatively few,
however are willing to enlist" at present. The
same paper adopts the Chinese fashion of
frightening the enemy, by this line ofareument.
| First, ian American volunteer is, above all
things, afraid Of British regular" second, elf
| we adopt the regular uniform, then the
Canadian militiamen will be undistin-
| guishable, in the field, from the Bri-
tish regulars and, therefore. ''the Ameri-
can volunteers" will fear the canadian militia
| men," just as they fear the British regulars
Bravo But why not carry the idea farther.
and stuff the " regular uniform with straw, to
| Brighten our volunteerss If ore goes into the
scarecrow business it should be pursued in all
| Its branches. Besides, another journal states
that the militia officers are omitted for com
| mand," and neither intellectually nor ply
sically qualified to engage in warfare" The
scarecrow brigade would just suit such officers.
And then. in the words of the Globe, :" Canada
has press which will carry the fame Of their
deeds to the farthest ends of the earth" The
idea Of Canadian newspaper being read at
all is ridiculous enough; but when we are as
sured that the farthest ends Of the GARTH
the blubbercrs Of Greenland and the Hottentots
Of Africa-peruse the daily issues Of the Pro
rincim Teapot. the force of fancy can no far
ther go.
How silly ashamed and foolish the proviu
cals must feel, now that the whole matter is
settled, without even the name Of Canada being
mentioned in the diplomatic correspondence.
How will they dare to look an American in the
face again. " Unscrupulous,' +" vindictve' and
sanguinary' are The epithets with which they
have deluged MS. What in the world will they
do now thai they find us laughing at their play
| ing 1t soldier, and even the British lion in
| dulgine in 4 broad grin ut their expense
| ERRONEOUS ENGLISH OPINIONS RESPECTING Sec.
lsErARY SEwARD.-Eycr since the elevation of
| the Hon. Wm. I'll. Seward 10 the Office Of Secre-
| tary of State the most prodigions efforts have
been made to create the impression. in England,
that he is bitterly inimical to that country. and
bent upon plunging the United States into war
for the sake Of gratifying his animosiiy. Now
this mischieyous AMI false representation of Mr..
| Stewards character and feelings has been Who'll
ly the work of ultra abotionists, jealous of his
position and bent upon undermining his infu-
ence. Senator Summers malignant envy of the
Secretary Of State is we'll known As Chairman
of the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs. his
word is supposed to have weight and he has
employed it diligently to foster the erroneous
ideas that have lately prevailed in Great Br-
tain. lie il in continual correspondence with
aboltionists on the other side of the Atlantic,
through whom it has been easy for him to de-
ludc the English public, and destroy the cha
racter for impartiality. Of the statesman who