The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1862-06-25

on the least surmise of danger from for
eign enemies, 1t is to us uncomfortable
that 100000 of civilized people can
watch the explosions of the great volcano
icitlom realizing To themselves the fact that
the ferry food tolich is degolating 50 large and
so fair portion Of tie ea,tl's surface may
come sgel 10 them, and, were il not for
what we have seen, we should have
thought it equally impossible for them to
perceive this danger without taking every
measure in their power TO anticipate and
prevent its approach The only solution
that can be offered for 80 strange fact
is that Canada has learnt TO trust to
others for the performance Of services for
which weaker and less wealthy populs-
tons are wont TO rely exclusively ON
| themselves. We have intersected Cana
do with canals intended for her military
defense, and paid for out of the imperial
treasury. We have always garrisoned
her fortresses and paid for their repairs
and alterations as if those fortresscs had
been every Shing TO us and nothing to the
people in whose country they are situa-
ted. 1t is, perhaps, not very wonderful
| that persons educated under such a sys-
| tenn should come to consider themselves
relieved from the sterner duties Of life
and be content to lean on remote and UNI
certain defenders, instead Of on their
own efforts There seems a disposition
in Canada TO treat the question whether
| the colony should arm in its own defense
| or not as one in which the colony itself
has only a very secondary and indirect
! interest.
The question is assumed to be, not
| whether the colony can defend itself, but,
upon whom the duty of defending il
| should fall. The question really is not
| who shall defend Canada, but whether
the duty of defending her ellectually
shall be undertaken by any one. This
| is not a question, as some would make it
appear, of loyalty to the English connec-
ton. The English connection has in
| fact, but little to do with the matter If
Canada had wholly emancipated herself
from the British empire she could not by
that means emancipate herself from the
imperious duty Of self-deiense. If Can
ada remains ever so firmly attached to
England the duty of self-defense will
still cling to her. It's to speak out, and
to dispcl the illusions which have misled
mems minds in other and quieter times
People have thOught-nay, we trace some
thing of this feeling in the very able
speech of Mr.. Rose, upon which we late
ly commented-that, if separated from
England, Canada would have no further
concern with questions Of war or peace
such as she has at present, and that the
only chance Of her being involved in hos
tlities is her present connection with
Great Britain.
We are disposed to hold the exact
contrary of this, and TO think it far more
likely that Great Britain should be in
volved in war on account of Canada than
that Canada should be involved in war
on account of Great Britain. let Canada
look carefully at her ol0H circumstances let
heU statesmen study the tone Of the american
press, and the strange and n'Omentolts position
Of affairs on tie american continent. H0U
iGs'g ;Si8 he present ciwi tOqr q50rd employ
meB 10 100000 armed men? Or, if the
war itself should not Sbate, how long
will the American Government be able to
bear the vast strain on their finances
which the payment of such an army inn
plies? And, when the time has at last
arrived when, either from the termination
of civil strife or the failure of money and
credit, the United States are no longer
able to support their vast army, 'olat IS
10 PreUet that army fran marching t0tOard
lhe northern frontier, and SatiatiHg It's reUeHge,
It's lone Of pllnaer and Of conquest, in the rich
and tmloasted provinces Of Canada
Let not the Canadians, on the other
hand, believe that they have in their pre-
sent connection with Great Britain a
sufficient protection against invasion
without taking any trouble TO defend
themselves. Such an opinion is founded
on a mistake both Of our power and our
will. II is not m on poicer 10 send forth
fran this HHle island a military force SlBi-
Client IN defend He frontier Of Canada
against the numerous armies ,Oh5Ch have
learnt arms and discipline in he great school
| ot tie present ciuB mar. Our resources are
unequal 70 so large a concentration of
force on single point; our empire is too
vast our population too small orr ant1g-
0uia too pUOeytjH But, if we had the
power, il is quite certain that we should
not have the will Opinion in England is
perfectly decided that in the connection
between the mother country and the CO.
AHAAN AiAN hAN WAAAahN 10 AAAhAANAN AAANAN hAA
the side Of the child than of the parent.
We no longer moRppolizc the trade Of the
colonies; we no longer job their patron
age. We cannot hope from them any as
sistance for defending our own shores,
while we are bound 10 assist in protects
ing theirs
We cannot even obtain from this very
colony Of Canada reasonably fair treat
ment for our manufactures, which arc
taxed twenty five per cent on their value,
20 increase a revenue which the colonies
will not apply to our, or even 20 their
own, defense. There is little reciprocity
IN such a relation Should the colony
wish 10 put an end 10 il, we would never
draw the sword 10 defend il, aud, II Cam
ada will not fight 10 protect its indepeR-
dence from foreign invasion, neither will
England. The question is not one for
Canada Of dissOlying or maintaining ice
connection with Great Critain, That it
may dissolve almost al pleasure The
question is Of destroying or maintaining
its own liberty and Independence
being = self-goyeuod commonwealth, OF