Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1862-01-10
Correspondence Of the Free Press
CANADA BY A NATIVE.

the best part Of NY life in the province, and know
pretty well its situation, and the feelings Of lis
people and that ny interests are here
The inhabitants of Canada are habRaHs, or
French, "moccasoned nlowOns;" Dutch, whose
fathers came here as tories in the revolution anu
whose children still speak with thicksned utter
suce; renegade Yankees, "who left their country
for their country's good" some YsnF eos who
cam. to speculate, snd sell wooden clocks
sprinkling of Irish, a few English, who think all
things "orrid hin the colonies" and that the land
would relapse into the ocean If it was not for the
@hold country" and that the sun only shines by
royal permission.
Over this people as rulers is first AZ Irish Lord,
with his kit whose business is to sign his name
to acts Of Parliament, and draw his tit bit Of
salary Of fl7fy-ozs thousand dollars year.
Next are are swarm Of secretaries and clerks, |
either imported or lawyers Of Montreal or Quebec,
appointed for life, all members Of the circumlOcu
ton Office, Of the ''Tite Bs-nacls" type; then
swarm Of deputies scattered Uver the country as
custom officers, SIX men to every Office requiring
the labor Of boy. There Is also a moderate nun.
Der Of doctors and lawyers but having by Law IN
limited powers and pcver Of keeping out from
their numbers sll but the very few. There are
chartered monopolies, controlling life and the law
Then are the Catholic priests, that to their PEG
pie have "the keys OF heaven and the neither re-
gion, and the clergy Of the English Churrb,
privileged class, but not very influential, because
Of the 'heretics" or dssenteTs from the old cOun-
e.
get the notaries who must do all the legal writing
-"scribes who devour widows houses"
Most Of the EDglish-speaking people read
Government is making some efforts to have
schools established generally, and learning Of the
common kind is becoming more generally difused-
The habans believe in religion and politics, Whist
the priests tell them. They vote in elections for
the man who pays the highes; price Govern men
to them is a chimers they plough and SOW, and
smoke and dance, on holidays, and care little
whether PsTineau OF the Pope rules them.
There are parts Of the Province where there are
small communities that would 20 credit to any
lsnd-in the Eastern Townships for instance-but
they are later emigrsnts from the States, and are
the exception, not the rule.
As might be expected, very few newspapers cir
culste among the people, and those few are from
Montreal and Quebec, for tie most part a dreary
sea Of plstitudes, edited by men who know moth
ing Of the country, or by renegade Yankees, who
sre for va, or any thing that prOolaims their
funky loyalty, and pays
Montreal has long assumed to be the head Of Can
ada, or to be to Canada Whist Paris is to France.
When she, like wilful boy, broke Ter toy
because she could not wholly dictate the govern
ment and burned the Parliament building, her
glory departed, and the Capitol was removed far
beyond her reach
Montreal has fine situation, both for beauty
and for commercial advantage, but is 50 divided
into factions BY religion and cationAlities, that
half its advantages and comforts sre lost As
some one remarked to me once, "notA ing succeed.
there unless "0uld country" OF springfield with
! holy water"
Were it not for the proverbial coolneas Of
northern people, and the love Of law Of the anglo
Saxon people. 1t would be the most Of the time in
state Of anarchy; as it is, it as badly taxed and
as badly governed any city in America. The
Legislature OF the lower Province is mainly made
up of city men, VINO 60 into the country and buy
up the people to return them 10 Parliament. The
most unblushing bribery goes on every four years
or oftener II the ministry and the Parliament fsl
to agree; as then the Governor dismissss the
parliament, and q new election takes place. This
i one course of the opposition which you always
hear Of. and one reason why the government is
more unstable than in the States, for il q party
out can at any time carry vote Of want Of conf
dence breaking up must take place. a few
years ago they initiated their neishbors enough
to pass bill for Grand Trunk Railway, and
pulled it enough to get 1900 900 pound sterling
out Of the English people. The road was to be
the main one for America, to carry all the grain
Of the West and even all the cotton Of the South.
Sharing the fate Of most railroads with you it is
Is far as the stockholders are concerned, dead
failure. The Csnsdas must either assume tho
debt and tax the people, or repudiate. Part, if
not all the csmor raised for here, is by those
fattcning on the spoils Of this road and hey arc
seeking in the turmoil, OF in the excitement Of a
war, to escape the TesDoRsibilitV 80 80 '--~'--~
the means Of their gains
To the credit Of majority Of the Canadian
Press, be it said that they have taken fair and
honest view Of the present Ct vi in the United
States, IS far they could comprehend it. A
fraction Of the press, and those that should have
been better informed, have used all their power
to embitter public feeling against the North. They
have cried out against the suppression Of
the reasonable presses Of the North, well
knowing that the time has been when there was
no outspoken sentiment in Canada, and that the
authorities only require the least occasion TO sup
press all in opposition TO them. Even they !
are now beginning to hint, both as regards persons
and presses. They fully believe Us the witty Sid
nsy Smith said: Orthodoxy is my do1y, and I
heterodoIy is your doxy"
They are now crying out that the suspension Of /
specie payments is an indication eff speedy ruin, |
and al unheard of thing; forgetting the long /
suspension Of specie payment by the Bank Of /
England, under like circumstances, and al the |
same tine foreseeing that the banks of Canals |
will also SON suspend.
The interests Of Canada are indissolubly bound |
to those of the United States. The reciprocity |
treaty, which added little to the interest Of the
States bettered the condition Of the people here,
and incre ssed the value Of property fy per cent.
Even now with all your taxes, the depression in |
business is much more severely felt here than with
you. Hard times is the universal complaint /
nothing is selling, and money is in circulation.
litti' grain, and few horses have gone to
you, and out few. The money that is returning /
daily to you fails to reach Us. This is another
cause why war cry is raised. If England sends
out large body Of troops she mus, send money to
pay them, and also large subsidies must be sent
out to make wArlike preparations. Like you We
are troubled with large corps Of and
s war fills many vacant colonelcy and commits
saryship, as you can testify. But people who re-
feet know that their interests would all be for
long time destroyed in the event Of war, and
therefore pray that it may by all ans be avert
ed. Part of the presses and some Of the people
,-r,oa. -h.,,salro. E--la,d ahont l