The Black Republican., 1865-04-15

fe9 II. from eonsieefato d expense we
were to Quit the pOsse that " llQA.sQcse
cuDY III North America, 1t would be UltiniaJe-
iV, as regards OIir resources and wealth, as
fatal and disastrous step SIS could possibly
be. taken. Think thatt nese four years need
not have been lost, and that from the first
the affairs Of North AnaeFiea have hot been
considered Of the inaportance to which they
have now attained EnlhThieh from the first
/ have felt they must attain do not wish
| toempley tannts biit4 ! form that opinion
from judgments which have been expressed
by members Of Her AajestEs Government
/ during the last fottr ypzrs.
Those judgments upon the struggle in
America and its probable consequences have
| been for the most part inconsistent. One day
we were told by an eminent member of the
Government that the South might be said to
have completed independence, and
| speeches have been made which led ali Eng
| land to suppose that diplomatic recogni-
| tien Of the Southern States was to be se1
pected, Very shortly Afterwards another
great authority, now lost to this House,
| and no one deplores that loss more
| than Inyself-I mean the late Sir g.
Lewis told us that he did not recognize the
existence of a single elementof polite IN
! dependence iii the South We'll, these in
| consistent opinions perplexea the country,
and have shown that from the first the Gov
! ernInent have never taken that view OF the
! situation which We had right to expect.
If the Parliament Of England is deter
mined To maintain our connection with the
colonies Of her Majesty, founded upon an
/ unequiYOcal expression of opinion on their
! part, that to that connection they cling
| with feelings of character which shows
/ that the national sentiment is perfectly un-
| impaired ;if they prove that the reports and
rrIaors which have been circulated OF late
1 years respecting the feelings Of the celonists
! are wholly nnfounded and that they them
! selves are resolved to maintain 1t until they
emulate us in our great career, and become
| our rivals as we'll as our allies and friends,
/ then shall not regret what has occurred.
/ lis appears to me that there are two conse-
| quences of public opinion being OF late
| agitated upon this topic-that we are con-
scious now of what our duty to the colonies
duty in a manner which I doubt not will
conduee to the strength and independence
at the British empire.
Mr.. Bright's speech.
Mr. Bright acknowledged that Canada
could not defend herself, and could not be
defended successfully by Great Britain, if
the United States invaded the territory. He
said:
| / hope the debate will be useful, though /
am Obliged to say, while ] admit the I'M
portanee of the question brought before the
| House, that think it is one of some deli
| cacy. It's Importance is great; because it
| refers to the possibility OF war with the
| United States, and its delicacy arises from
this, that 1t is difficult to discuss the ques-
| tion without saying things which tend
rather in the direction of war than of peace.
The difficulty now before us is, that there is
IN extensive colony or dependency OF this
country adjacent to the United States, and
u fhrA4a he xvYqY tN- IA
party hostile to this country, that clrcnm-
| stance affords it a very strong tenptationto to
enter without much hesitation into a war
with England; because it feels that through
Canada it can infict a great humiliation on
this country. At the same time, 1t is per
and especially to all statesmen and
public men of the United States-lt
| isas well known to them as it is to us-tllat
there is no power whatever in this United
Kingdom to defend successfully the terri
tory of Canada against the United States
We ought to know that in order to put oar
selves right upon the question, and that we
may not be called upon to talk folly and to
act folly. The noble lord at the bead OF the
Goyernment-or his Government, at least
is responsible for having compelled this
discussion: because if a vote is to be asked
from the House of Commons, and 1t viii
only be the beginning of votes, it Is clearly
under discussion. This is perfectly clear for
many reasons but especially since we have
heard from the Governor General of Canada
that in the North American provinces they
are about to call into existence new
nationality: and l. for one, should certainly
object to the taxation of this country beng
expended needlessly on behalf OF any
nationality but our own. What I should
like to ask the House first Of all
is this Will Canada attack the States?
Certainly not Next viii the States attack
Canada, keeping England out of view alto
gether? Certainly not. There is not q man
in the United States probably, whose voice
or opinion would have the smallest infiu-
ence, who would recommend or desire that
an attack should be made by the United
States on Canada with the view of Its tOrel
Bile annexation to the Union. There have
been dangers. as we know, on the frontier
lately. The Canadian people have been no
wiser than some members OF this House, or
q great many men among the richer classes
in this country. When the refugees from
the SOUTH am not speaking of the re-
spectacle, honorable men from the South,
many of whom have left that country dur
ing their troubles and for whom feel the
greatest conmiseration-but mean the rut-
fans from the South, of whom large num-
bers have entered Canada, and who have
employed themselves IN q course OF poney
likely to embroil us with the United states.
When they entered Canada the Canadians
| treated them with far too much conslderar
| tion. They expressed very openly opinions
hostile To fhe United States, whose power
| Law close to them. The United States have not
| a syllable to say against Canada. The Cana
dian people found they were wrong, and have
| now returned to their right minds, and there
| is not man in Canada at this moment,
| believe, who has any kind of idea tnat the
! United States Government has the smallest
/ r. ~L4 Of QYlV
| future time, on account of anything which
has transpired between Canada and the
/ United States. If there comes war in which
/ Canada may be made victim, 1T Will pc q
] war got up between the Government OF
/ Washington and the Government III London,
4 and it becomes us to inquire whether that IS
/ at all probable. is there anybody in the
/ House In favor of such war And | will
take the liberty Of expressing this opinion
! that there has never been an administration
| in the United States since the time OF the
/ Revolutionary war up to TINS hour more
/ entirely favorable to peace with all foreign
countries, and more especially favorable to
peace with this country, than the Govern
ment OF which President Lincoln Is the
head. viii undertake to say that the most
j exact investigator Of what has staken place
T viii be unable to point to "a single word ne,
| President Lincoln, has said, or a single line
he has written, or a single act he has done
since ais HfS6 aGcesslUHN ~ power, eiLan oC-
trays that anger or passion or i'll feeling
towards this country which some people
here imagine influences the breasts OF his
Cabinet. IF then Canada is not for war, If
England is not for war, il the United States
i are not for war, whence Is the war to come
There are shipowners here, and ask them
what xVouaI be- ethefeeings of the people ot
Il this country If they had suffered as the ship
owners of America have suffered? As rule
all their ships have been driven from thf
ocean. Is there a war party, then, II
America? ! believe there is, and it's tht
same party which was war party eighty
years ago. It is the party represented by I
number of gentlemen who sit on that bench
and BY some who sit here. They, sir, IN th1
United who are hostile to this country ar
those who were recently the malconten
: subjects of the right honorable gentleman
the member for TamWorth. They are those
, and such as those, to whom the noble lor