The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1862-01-23
The Canadian Iri.h

Mr.. THOMAS DARCY MCGEE, in rocen, l.'-
tor to the New York Tan -, attempts 10 win.
dicats his recent coarse in advising hi ooun.
trymen In Cancia to adopt tho quarrel OF Gtoat
Britsia In tho Trent affair. Whatever may bo
os- news Of Mr.. McGEE's consistency, when
contrasting his present with his former conduct.
he certainly has RICH! to be heard IN his own
defence.
Oftho 400 900 inhabitants Of Irish birth in
Canada, Mr. MCGEE asserts that they will be
found 10 = man arraycd in defence Of the inst.
tutions which they now enjoy. He asks!
Why should they not : why should we be cold
or indifferent 10 the fate Of our adopted country.
any more than You are 70 yours or the Southern
htsh W theirrt Are we less free than you are -
less tree than they are q, the south / deny IT,
We have Wy our laws u suffrage fixed NO l,v that il
may well lie called universal suffrage fpr married
men," We have no State church we have mo-
State schools, unless We prefer them 10 separate
schools. Every adult male inhabitant Is cnt tied
IN the performance of certain statutory labnr e. IA
feo grant" OF one hundred acres Of land ia fee for
ever. We have legislature composed of two elec.
tive ehAnberA aud Judiciary Sgin.t which the
breath Of Suspicion has never been hreAthet Euv.
md sends us Governor every hfth year, hut he
oan do no one act-nut write an official letter
Without the consent ~ his council aud that couu.
Gil must command the confidence Of q 1najOrjty Of
our ovn Parliament. England garrisons our
strOngholds, but she pays her own troops they
neither Ask nor receive penny OF Canadian money,
We have freo soil free press, free parliament tree
schools free churches. What more can man desire
We are now called upon by our cOuntrymAn, the
Goyernor-GOneral, 70 embody, out of our selonttry
militiA, company ffum every battalion, and a., 900
volunteers OF all origins, rush TO arms under the
mosio OF Defence not defiance I" Such is the pie
tuTe Canada presents at this moment In the eyes Of
her own Inhabitants, sni base wouh be that citizen
OF subject Of such State, who having partakcu 81
the blessing Of such laws would refuse T. contrbns
to the defence of such a Territory
We must confess that Mr.. McGEE's argu.
ments sound very similar to tho,e which we
are accustomed 70 find in English newspapers,
and In the mouths Of English st,tesmon, when
complaining Of the perversity of Irish nation
slists, who obstinately refuse to DO thankful for
the privilege Of being governed. For all tho
advantages which Irishmsn enjoy in Canada,
and we arc prepared TO value them as highly as
Mr. McGEK, they do not pay a penny. ON tho
contrary England pays the bill, and only
claims tho privilege Of garrisoning their strong
holds with her own troops But this is an nd
vantage which we are inclined to thick many
Of than would gladly forego, Mr.. McGAE to the
contrary notwithstanding.
This, thon, Ia the question at issue bet ween
Mr.. MCGEE and the eountr ymen of CoRcoRAN,
MEA0HKR and ROBERT EMMETT. Why should
not he, why should not they leave those English
troops to fight their owr oittles2 The heart Of
the Irish nAtisn, IN Ireland, has already an
sworOd that question, and her sons at
the Montreal meeting, at which this
newly Asdgod loyAlist was hooted down,
have re-echoed tho sentiment. English power
and rule have made lriahmen eHilos in every
cline under Heaven. II hiss even SGT price
on the head Of its present defender, though
1t may DO convenient for him TO forget it,
Doubtloes, the steps between the ex-Irish rebel
and tho member Of the Provincial Parliament
are longer and more numerous than many would
he disposed to take, or he himself DO inclined to
retIaoe.
We have only room for one more remark con
corning this letter, and then we shall dismiss it
and its author. While condemning, very lust.
iy, tho attempted oppression of Irishmen in the
United States by the Know.Nothipg party,
which, by the way, he forgets to state, was tho
offspring Of the slave oligarchy, and has long
since been utterly repudiated by the Northern
people, he unoonsciously slides into the most
approved terms of NAtivism, and assures US in
terms solemn enough to provoke a smile, when
We remember his antecedents, that the few an
nsxAiionists In Canada arc largely composed
q 'dsmsutsd Fsnians' Of Last years imports
tioa I"