Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1862-07-15

Ira. QUEs1IOv 0g THE DAT IN
shorty a)tss ; aabenlbsg Of the
| ob.disn Par1naasnt ! r. lest session
| ~ dessrnAebt r.y trodqeed bill
propoSing TO organise, equip and drill >
large proportion Of the arms-bearing
population Of the proviscs. This
neasure no doubt originated in Fog.
lasd, and was bsoeght before Parliament
At the instance Of the new Governor
General, Lord Monck. Il was in &C.
cordspce with the desires Of the home
government and the views recently ex.
pressed by tho London Nmss-that the
Canadians must henceforth not depend
on troops from England for their pro.
lection. but rely in great measure upon
their own resources 10 men, money and
arms. The bill was discussed 10 Psrlia-
ment, BY the press, and among the peo-
pie, and tie conclusion arrived At va.
that Canada did not need any such army
- was proposed, for her own defence or
on her own account, ~, 80 far a. her &C.
ton was concerned, she could always
1--we in peace with the United States.
The only danger Of hostilities, it was
argued, would spring from the action Of
the British Government, and hence IL
the British Government desired to bring
on . war and place Canada IN jeopardy,
it must provide the means Of prosecu-
ton and defence. The bill was defeat
ed, the Ministry which brought it in
vas compelled to resigo, and . new
government from among its opponents
10 now in power. A. Parliament is not
now 10 session, we have no evidence Of
what the action Of the present Ministry
will be, but judging from the speeches
Of T. DARCY niece and other members
on their reelection, We have every rea-
son to believe that the wishes of the
home government will not be carried
out, while friendship with this country
will be carefully cultivated. A moder.
ate militia bill may be introduced and
passed, but nothing more.
In this position OF affairs Lord Monck
made visit to Montreal last week, and
delivered an address, in which, notwith-
standing the fall If his first chosen min
istry on the question, he called loudly
rpon the Canadians to arm and be pre-.
pared for war. He pointed to the Uni.
ted States as natural enemies, who
should be always regarded with suspi-
cion, and from whom invasion should al
ways be feared. The Toronto Globe
makes Lord Monck's speech the subject
of an article, from which We quote q
few readable extracts:
Lord Monck is evidently q disciple Of
Lord Palmerston, aud Lord Pxlmerston
ss statesman OF fifty years ago. He
was nursed amid wars and rumors OF
wa,s, and he thinks sound foreign pol
ICY 10 consist 10 always being ready and
able to bully our neighbour. Surround.
ed by European despots, all anxious for
the downfall Of English power, it must
be acknowledged that there was sub.
stantial basis for this policy at the COM
mencement OF the century; and 80 long
as Britain has ships and colonies all over
the world susceptible Of attack, there
can be no doubt Of the necessity for her
to continue armed. Canadians, at any
rate, reap the benefit. and are not dis.
posed to be critical about the number Of
men and ships ma ntaincd BY Lord
PaImerston. But when the Premier
desires to extend his ideas to Canada !;
when he and his friend Lord Monck
propose that we. pooplo Of two mil
lions and halt, shall always be prepar.
ed to bully neixhboring people OF thir-
ty.two millions, it is time for us to put
on our spectacles.
The Americans have now in the field,
North and South, nearly . million OF
men. Must we have as many? We
have not the men to Commence with,
and il we bad them, we could not afford
to pay so msny people for learning the
soldiers trade. We arc poor country,
burdened with debt and taxation, and
we should be made to undertake an ex.
pend'ture on war preparations, which to
our thirty-two millions of neighbors
would be trihe.
What We can afford we are willing to
do. We will go as far as our neiehbors
themselves have done in time Of peace
develop the military spirit Of our people
by an mex 'cnsive volunteer and militia
system, but farther than that Canadians
soiN not go. They will not consent to
cripple the finances of the country by
an enormous expenditure to guard
against danger which will probably
never arise. Our sole thought by day
and night is not the preservation Of the
country tom INVASION. We do not live
in the days Of Attila. One civilized
people does not 60 to war with another
kindred people without provocation.