The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1865-09-11

the great extent of the theatrical business In
The city; and it is worthy of particular notice
that the attractions at the various theatres are
Of a first rate order-better than ever before.
We have first class theatres, first class plays
and first class actors; and hence people
patr0nize the drama now to an extent hitherto
unknown In the history of our city. The taste
is inherent and real in the people, and tho
managers show a disposition to foster and de-
velop it-so that there is every promise OF
revived interest In the drama that will carry 1t
to very high state among us. Last year the
money spent at the theatres ran into millions,
and this year it will run further still; and. Il
not quite into billions, certainly far enough to
amply satisfy all who have their means in
vested in these popular PLACES.
Tho Position OF Canada-The Designs Of
England.
One OF our special correspondents, who has
lately leen all over Canada, visited her chief
cities and places, and talked with her chief
men, has written out his observations at some
length, and we give them in the HERALD Of this
morning. There are some disclosures in this
report which will attract public attention, "a
indicating the policy Of England and the
schemes of that Power to build up northern
bulwark to the great republic while France
constructs one on the southern frontier Of the
United States.
The position Of Canada on this continent ia
remarkable, and quite without precedent in
history. It is repetition of one of the pictures
of the old romanoers-the association of Death
with Life. They pictured sometimes beautiful
girl married to DEATH and sometimes to
wretch, a part of whose person was already
dead, and who carried about with him In all
the scenes of life-its pomps and splendors, its
trials and its triumphs-that horrible contrast,
that part from which the vital spirit was gone,
functions frozen. Canada, by contrast with our
own country, realizes this picture in the West
ern hemisphere. Here all is life, activity and
progressive movement. We are full Of IN en-
ergetic spirit that carries us forward to the ac-
complishment of what the past considered wild
and visionary projects. We have put into az.
tual operation the political dreams of other
ages. There is remunerative labor for
every man who lands upon our soil, and
wealth if he has the will to win it.
There is here political freedom and an indi-
vidual liberty unequalled anywhere else and
we are more positively, intensely and vigor-
ously alive than any other people on the face
of the earth. And only across the st. Law
renee river we come to our political and Social
antipodes Just there, in Canada, we find the
people the least alive of any in existence-a
whole vast community stagnating on its pillar
like St. Simeon Stylites, knowing that there Is
no real healthy life in that position, and yet
unable to move for fear Of a fall
What is the explanation OF this? It is that
in these two ommunities--Canada and tho
United States respectively-th past and the
present stand side by side. Canada is apitifui,
impoverished, decrepit kind Of Europe in CON-
trast with Amerfca-the seventeenth In con-
trast with the nineteenth century. Canada Ia
an attempt to keep up on this continent tho
European system, without the wealth and CEN
tralization that makes that system tole-
rable in Europe. It has all the vices
without any Of the advantages of the European
system. 1t is tradition, and lives on poliu-
cal ictions and dogmas, and not by heulthful
action Of vital forces. Here is a vast territory,
with frontier ON the United States Of nearly
two thousand miles, and it exists to-day ON
the political conditions that were good hum
dred years ago. 1t is the colony Of Power
three Thousand miles away. 1t has no prtm-
airy, but only a secondary political existence
and is dependent upon Power that controls
the Hndoos just as it does the men Of Canada.
| oe tba oviatauO al
Canada are those of another age, and are ut
terly inconsistent with active national life.
And hence the contrast is hardly less than
life and death; for by the juxtaposition Of Cam
ada with our own country we literally see the
past in contrast with the most concentrated
spirit of the present: her effete institutions
with our progressive ones, and her people,
| who stand as if they had reached the limit Of
development, in contrast with ours, whs seem
only to have entered on their career.
For this condition of Canada there are two
remedies proposed. One is the remedyof the
British government and the other of the en-
lightened portions Of the Canadian people.
The very interesting account of the present con-
dition OF Canada which we have already
alluded to and. which we print today viii
give our readers q full view both Of thestste OF
the people and country and of the argument ON
these proposed remedies. The government
remedy is q. federation of all the Batsh pro-
vinces on this continent, but, of course, without
the destruction Of their dependence on tho
"mother" country, Like all remedies proposed
by the British government, 1t Is psoposaf TO
make matters little better for England aAdia
little worse for the colony and q menace ts,us.
1t Is Ga proposal to build up Power on
our Northern frontier that vould leave
the hands of England free In case Of
war with ua The other remedy proposed