The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1865-07-04
cAN RATION AN
l89 ME xATIO NIj6

oANAD ATION-AN-
DINE KATIE o. MI q
The public mind of the Canadians has been
long time agitated on the subject ofdefences.
And since our rebellion has collapsed, this ag-
itation has been somewhat intensified. The
Mother Country has been importuned to help
them in this great emergency, and to. furnish
the money to erect Gordon around her
Majesty's North American possessions. We
have watched these movements and this a1sT
tation with some degree Of curiosity and not
little surprise. In truth, our impressions re-
ceived from over the line, are such, tnat we
can hardly train our mind to Great stee. subject
seriously. 1t seems more like a farce than
substantial reality y & - : ~ = -.
Now what is the objective point Of these de-
fences Forswhat purpose,ars these forts to
be erected these high walls to be built and these
deep wide bitches to be dugp Surely, not as
a defence against the approaches ofthe @Poor
Indian who only sees God in the cloudssand
hears Him in the wind, and whose power and
native proves have dwndled away before the
infowing tides Of whiskey from a higher civil
ization,n not as barrier against the Russians
or any other nation, and hence we are. driven
to the inference that these formidable defences
are intended to keep off the Yankees and not
allow them to make footprints in Canadian
soil, especially i'm timeaof war between the
two countries. This supposition being correct,
we cannot for the life ofus see any good rea-
son for such agitation on the subject of de-
fences. We have no occasion to make war up
on Canada, nor any desire to measure sword
with her. But five had, Or II England or Ties
the Canadians should give us sufficient cause of
war, and we should again buckle on our armor
and invade the Provinces, we cannot see any
thing very formidable in the 'defsnces the Ca
nadians propose to make. ia We think they had
better save their money and Try some other
herb. 1t is quite impossible for them, even as
sisted by the mother country, to die bitches
uor soldiers could not cross, nor erect forts they
could not batter down. norbuild walls that
could not be scaled. - sA~a 49, J5
But our neighbors seem to be anxious to do
something to stop the tide of emigration which
appears to be setting strong across the borders.
Well, we don't blame them for that but we are
thinking nothing short ola Chinese wall from
Fon du Lac to the Atlantic coast will be avail
able for such purpose. People Who have mon
ey enough topag for travelling RilIDgb
just where they can enjoy the most pleasure or
profit, unless they are stopped, by some very
high fences, such as our neighbors will not
probably build at present, especially if they ex-
pend their funds in erecting fortiheaH0ns to
keep off the @warlike Yankees" from their
SOIL a' 4ss~ y nisfas" ssn's'ss isHa saiale 'ot
The Canadians, at least, the more intelligent,
know as well as we do, that no cordons they
may erect, nor men they could muster for the
field, could resist the armed hosts we could
bring against them. 1t would n6ttale us long
to arm and equip a half million of men and hurI
them into Canada, IL war should be Inaugural
ed; but we have no desire to CONQUER and forci-
bly, annex it to our Union. We are willing to
wait for the natural progress of events. They
always coinein Gods own good time. 'iA0
Our southern slavery has always been a
strong barrier against annexation, but now
that our own country is free from this terrible
curse on all free institutions, the masses of the
people begin TO agitate and TO think upon the
subject Of annexation, The ofiice-holders Of
Canada and tile aristocratic portion Of society
are opposed to annexation, and will always be,
and for very obvious reasons. They arewel to
do in the world and their national pride keeps
them loyal to the crown, but the middle classes,
the workers and producers, areioolSing forbet-
ter times and better rewayds for industrial pur-
suits than Canada now. affords them. They
feel as if annexation would give a wider field
and better pay for their labor and industry
And this is enthusiastically true, and hence the
anxiety recently manifested by the old Eng.
ish element Of aristocraey, and its appeals to
national pride. But the task to put down this
feeling in favor Of annexation viii be prove q
hard one. 5 24Tey1 14G1k no vi
Annexation may, and probably win be, post
poaed for time, perhaps for years, but if our
Government pursues iudicious course asst
1t probably viii, and our country prospers as
we have reason to believe it will under the new.
order Of affairs, no earthly power can prevent
the annexation Of all the British North Ameri
lean Provinces to the American Union. And
this viii be nothing more than the natural
course ofeventss The time is coming, and may
not be far distant, when the stars and stripes
win float proudly over every inch of territory
from the Rio Grande to the Russian possessions
ofthe North. "a tsg o9s sssl--issp yalgaH
-nl ss ----------Il- -a----z Z. LIZ ggi5ealsiEa
~ DEATH OF A WORTHY CITIZEN. u
+ Our city has sustained another loss in the
death ofone Of her old and respected citizens,
Mr. Ebenezer C. Stevens, which occurred Mon
day morning, at the age Of a little more than
II years. aslas eaa Sc s4ls-9 81 isl
Mr. Stevens was born in New Gloucester
and was brought up to the tailoring trade
After serving his time as an apprentice, he
formed a partnership with the late Moses
Smith, and they transacted business on Elk
change Street. In few years the co-partner-
ship was dissolved, and Mr. Stevens took the
small shop between those of Messrs. Ellsworth
& Son and Charles Day, Jr., on Middle Street
Here he continued until the granite block was
erected ON the opposite side Of the street, in
$780, when he removed into one of them
which was owned by M. Gore, Esq, and which
Mr.. s, few years after, purchased. Here he
continued his business as Merchant Tailor un-
til his dscease, having been in the business
nearly fifty years. In 1851, he took his son
into the business with him, and the firm has
since that time been composed of the father
and son. ogp 7" sD''s
The deceased was emphaticaliy, sincere
Christian, as well as a truly honest man,
Conscientious to the highest degree, he would
not knowingly defraud one Of penny, and
was always anxious that in business transac-
tons even justice should be done between
man and man. Of liberal disposition, his
heart was ever open to the calls of the needy
ana afflicted He was one of those men OF
whom no man crmld eo n os,sI.s a oyas,,s 81 VI