The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-03-30
INvAsIONs OF CANADA.


ing our war, and little trouble was apprehended
from them In Canada. Indeed, the only "border
lnvasions" OF late years have come from that
country itself, in the shape of st. Adams raids
Perhaps it is coward conscience which now
makes the Canadian shopkeepers look to their
money-bo&es, and the banks to their vaults, lest
the St. Albans lesson be returned, with better
ing OF the instruction. at all events, England
and Canada for months saw complacently the
American Fenians rallymg, speechifying, wear
ing the green, and polishing cutlasses and the
servant girls subscribing to the cause. The
quantity OF centres, circles spheres, and what
not existing and forming did not worry them.
AT length the New York correspondent of the
London Tines, in whom, perhaps, professional
pridegot for moment the better of patriotism,
gave grand puff for Fenianism, It's strength,
ITS object and its means of suocess-and Eng
land burst into flame. When Canada saw that
England had burst into flame, she also felt
authorized to burst into flame, and so origl-
mated scare MOL. In like manner, when the
constabulary began to deal without gloves
with the Irish rioters, seized the Irish
People, and arrested Fenans far and wide,
including his Head Centreship Stephens,
gong to be invaded, and got up another
scare. And, finally, now that Parliament has
authorized Lord Wodehouse to arrest Fenians
without interference from that disagreeable
marpot the habeas corpus, and SO has started
airesh the Fenian fever, again Canada declares
itself on the point OF slipping into the jaws of
the O'Mahony, or the Roberts, or both. Il really
seems that the Canadians fancy an army of in,
furiated Fenians to be hanging along the hither
bank OF the Niagara river, pausing upon its
brink, not because 1t doubts whether the Rubi.
con should or. can be crossed, but merely so
as TO get better start-to noisten its palms,
so to speak-for better grasp of the national
shillaleh.
Planned imvasions of Canada from the United
States have been really quite frequent during
the last century. 1t is little singular that they
have nearly all come to nothing. At the OPEN
ing of the Revolution, Arnold's advance through
the wilds of Maine, upon Quebec, was almost as
daring (and certainly Jar more trying, on
small scale, as sherman's march through Geor-
gia upon Savannah. 1t was unsuccessful. The
invasion of 1872 was series of grand failures.
Hull crossed the Detroit IN July 1912, only to
surrender his whole force month later, without
battle, TO General Brock. Van Rensselaer,
threw his advance across the Niagara in October,
1872, only to have 1T all captured, and Scott
among the party, after severe affair at Queens
town Heights. Dearborn, next year, landed in
Upper Canada, and captured York, and crossed
the Niagara, and captured Fort George; but
there his movements ended. The cam
the conquest OF Canada was an utter
failure. 1t was 10 have aimed first at Kingston
and then at Montreal, and, doubtless, would
have gained both Canadas if successful, because
Upper Canada would have been cut off from
military supplies, and the greater part of Lo wer
Canada would have followed with Montreal.
Wilkinson sailed down the st. Lawrence in
grand style, having published proclamation
that his army ''invades these provinces to con-
quer, not to destroy" 1t made very little diff.
ference, however, what his object was. The
tirely failed. 1t exceedingly well devised.
Kingston and Montreal are still among the key
points in Canada. If our good friends the
Fenians can get there, they will surely be autho-
riked TO claim genuine bona tide Irish Canadian
Republic, with one Head Centre ON the Lake
and. the other on the st. Lawrence Should
they come as near to these points as we more
than once have, we believe they would not fail.
But fatality has always seemed to follow our
penetration of the provinces.
In 1914 General Brown tried his turn at in
Vadlnp Canada. fortunate
Hull, Van Rensselaer,, and Wilkinson, because
he fought the brilliant battles OF Chippewa and
Lundy's Lane, after crossing the Niagara. Yet,
as II fatality pursued us, he managed to retreat
from won battle, and fell back to let Drum
mond besiege us in Fort Erie. With handsome
repulse OF one assault on the fort and brilliant
sortie, ended the year 1914, and the series of
active American inVasons of Canada. For peace
was declared next year.
Twenty years later came another threatened
''invasion of Canada" 1t resembled, in some
respects, the Fenian efforts more closely than
any of the plans already spoken of. In 1887
insurgent movements broke out among the
French Canadians OF Canada East. Our border
people in Vermont and New York 'sympa-
thiZed" and enrolled themselves as Canada
patriots" Powerful as are the Fenians, If we
remember Alright these Canada patriots were
stronger in available numbers, as bitter in de-
termination, and better posted for effect. They
we're actually spread all along the line and
there was danger of great raid into Canada.
They were organized by the thousands They
had their lodges, corresponding to the Fenian
Circles. They had a secret organization,
their oaths and passwords, their military
ranks of General, field and staff officers.
They had a Provisional Government formed
for Upper Canada, with list of Cabinet
officers as formidable as that of either OF the
grand New York Fenlan Governments. Arms
were furnished by border citizens or stolen
from the unwilling, and even State arsenals
were broken into. Like the Fenian move, this
was undertaken by private persons in the
United States, and against the neutrality
Obligations of the country. The President issued
his proclamation against the movement, but
with little effect. Several hundred men, under
one Van Rensselaer,, actually crossed from
Schlosser, about mile and half above Niagara
Fails, and took possession OF desolate spot
called Navy Island near our shore, but within the
British line. The return outrage committed by
Canadians in burning the CGT0tlne on our own
shore inflamed the general feeling. Blood was
actually shed in this last affair. But after much
excitement, and the prospect for many weeks OF
a general popular invasion of Canada, the armed
bodies who hovered constantly on our border,
ready to cross into the provinces, were gradually
dispersed. The speedy end of the French-Cana,
dian revolt had, in tact, taken away the ground
of action. go
Should we go on with later and more familiar
examples the same result would be manifest. In
1889 and lS40, during the great Aroostook con
troversy, the disputed territory was actually
occupied by Maine militia, and everything
betokened an instant invasion of Canada. Presl-
dent Van Buren announced by special message
to Congress that 'the peace OF the two nations
is daily and imminently endangered" and Con
gress hurried through war act, authorizing the
President to call out the militia Tor SIX months
and to accept the services of $4,000 volunteers
and appropriated $40, 600, 900 for these purposes
HON NH oh