The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-02-01

The Free Confederacy OF the North.
We publish three articles from the Toronto
papers on the great question of Northern
confederation, embracing the free communities
of the late United States, the two Canadas ami
all the British provinces of North America.
The question arises from the determination OF
all the republican leaders to resist those mea-
sures which can alone reconcile the South to
the North, their object being to prevent the
seeding States from returning to the Union,
and to force the rest of the slave States out of
it. This is done advisedly, with a view of an
nexing the British colonies, which would have
nothing to do with the confederacy 80 long as
slavery was tolerated within its borders, but
which, with that insuperable objection re
moved, will be glad to unite their destiny with
their Anglo-Saxon brothers in . great free soil
homogeneous nation, extending from the Ohio to
the North Pole "For every State that goes out
one must come in" says Mr.. Seward; ''and SO
look upon Rupert's Land and Canada, and I
am able to say 1T is very well; you are building
excellent States to be hereafter admitted into the
American Union.'" Mr.. Lincoln and Mr.. Sew
ard have both declared that this government
cannot exist with two kinds of civilization;
that it cannot continue half slave and half free;
it must be all either one thing or the other AS
the Southern States decline to surrender their
institution, and prefer to cut adrift rather than
submit to Northern domination, there is nothing
left but to repair the loss by the annexation OF
the free States lying to the north of US.
1t has been said that the Prince of Wales was
well received throughout the British Provinces,
and that therefore they will not join U.s. That
is weak and fimsy argument; for his Royal
Highness was received with greater eclat on this
side the line. The disturbances in Canada dur
ing the Princes visit were very considerable;
and the Duke of Newcastle is reported to have
taken home to England the intelligence of
desire on the part of the British Provinces to
form confederacy under one British vice
roy. But this is mistake. What they want
is to unite with the free States Of the North;
and they cannot do it too soon, for revolution
and war are now rife in Europe, and the
chances are that Great Britain will be broken
down in the irrepressible conflict. Canada
ought therefore Immediately to provide for its
future. England has not the power to prevent
the annexation of the British provinces, and,
besides, peaceable secession is the principle of
the age. What is good doctrine in Italy ought
to be good in America. Canada, from her his
tory and geographical position, belongs to the
Northern States, just as much as "the kingdom
Of the Two Sicilies' belongs to Sardinia and
united Italy. The unity of the italian States,
and the unity of North American free States,
are the problems of the time, to be worked
out by "manifest destiny"
The Toronto Leader, it will be seen, does not
object to the new combination, but rather OBJ
jects to our phraseology of ''annexing British
America" and says "the annexation will be in
the other direction" We are practical. We
do not dispute about words if our ideas are
carried out. "a rose Will smell sweet by
any other name" The Canadians may call
the new Union what they like-our annexation
of them, or their annexation of the Yam
kees-so that both are only united under
one government. But there is one thing
in the arrangement against which we
will strenuously object and that is the an
nexation of the British islands. They have too
many paupers and are too heavily burthened
with debt.
| torial arrangement from the fragments of our
dismembered confederacy, and says that so far
from overtures for union with Canada being
repulsed, he promises there is "every likeli-
hood that they will receive fair and candid
consideration" This is all that we could ex-
| pect him to say just now, but it is a decided
| step in advance. The London Post-the home
organ of the British government-says Canada
will henceforth hold the balance of power on
| this continent The government organ il
| Canada gives further calculation to the idea
by showing how it is to be done, even by
union with our Northern States
The Leader of the 30th January says
"There is a feeling abroad in these provinces
that we should derive from union many ad-
vantages that we do not now possess. There
is an indefinite yearning after higher Status
a larger share of nationality" How else can
that yearning be gratifed or that status attain
ed, but by union with the Northern States?
Forever must these provinces be dragged at
the tail of Great Britain till they assert their
independence The manner in which the Judi
ciary Of Canada is now treated is an illustration
Of their degradation But already one province
wants to come in. "The largest VOTE" says the
Leader, Gin favor of the project would come
from the peninsula of Upper Canada, where
there is feeling that the connection uih
Ne,o York is the natural one, and that IL is more
profitable than any other that could be formed
We are satisfied to take the provinces by install
ments-one at a time. But we are told that
Lower Canada has horror of democratic insti-
tutions, and changes slowly, while she fears her
religion would be in danger at our hands
| Can any greater protection be desired than the
French Catholic population of Louisiana have
always enjoyed under this government? The