The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1867-02-23

CORTLAND.
Saturday Morning, February 90, 1867.
british American Confederation.
From the Kennebec Journal1 d

" Inc OBVIOUS meaning and threatenino atti-
tude OF this whole scheme of British Contad.
GRAFTON cannot be misunderstood nor ionoraJ
If carried into effect it cannot fail to have the
tendency TO EN- broil the relations Of the North
ern States OF the Union with their neighbors
and must greatly increase the expenses of our
government in guarding against dangers of at
tack on the frontiers and coasts. Just in pro-
portion as the Confederation should make mil
itary preparations and defences, it would be
necessary for our government to maintain the
counterpoise. E
In special degree are the people of Maine
interested in this question of augmenting and
consolidating British political and military
power. Its great length of sea-cOast on the
South and extended frontier on the North, ex-
posed to British naval attacks on the one side
and to the Invasion of British land forces on
the other, in case of war Maine would have to
stand the terrible cross-fire cf the combined
power OF the enemy, rendering our soil the
theatre OF vast contending armies and of de-
vastatlon corresponding to the Spanish PENN
sula war in which Napole onic France wrestled
with the combined powers of England and
Spain. sst 4r..t 1u 4s05 Icf d71m m
With clear insight into the meaning of
passing events and the plain testimony of in
controvertihle facts Gov. Chamberlain in his
message to the Legislature gave this question
OF British Confederation the consideration
winch It properly merits. By some it may have
been thought his remarks were premature and
OF the Governors treatment of the subject is
incorrect 1t is time that the citizens of Maine
and OF the whole country thoroughly under
stood the drift of events in British America
The shutting of our eyes to existing realities
cannot do any good, it may be productive of
harm To be forewarned is to be fOrearmed
Granted that many of our Provincial neigh.
bors may favor the Confederation scheme with
no hostile designs against the interests and
peace OF the United States, yet the fact none
h1 laca A.x = Al,.A
OF 1t Is pre1udicial to the future union of the
British Provinces with the United States Let
there De established north of us a strong CEN
tral government representing four or five mil
mons oi people, soon to be increased to ten
millions, around which shall gather British
prejudice and monarehical sentiment and the
whole strength OF that central government by
an inherent and inevitable law will be welded
against any tendency of the people or events
to unite with the United States The entire
pontlcal power and immense official patronage
as well as military strength of that central GOV
ernment would be exerted to maintain itself
and TO build up permanent and powerful
branch OF British monarchy. If it be proper
Tor our government to demonstrate against the
establishment of French ideas and schemes in
We xico, IL cannot be less proper to have an eye
to British plans OF domination at the North of
us. Governor Chamberlain has promptly done
his duty in the premises, and we can see no
nnpropriety in the Legislature giving such ex-
ton of the exgency requires.
The remarks which we copy above follow
quite number of eitati ons from the speeches
and writings of British Colonial Secretaries
and Provincial officials, from 1889 to 1866, all
setting forth the additional strength which
would accrue to the colonies from perma-
nent union, and most alluding also to the
danger OF absorption in the American Repub-
lie. We cannot see in these reasons any valid
ground for the interference of the United
States. British colonists have the same right
to shape their own government which we
have. What we objected to in Mexico was
the arbitrary interference of foreign Power
to control the wishes of the Mexican people
Ii the Mexicans prefer an imperial and the
Provincial British a monarchicalg algovernment,
it is their right and their privilege to exercise
that preference, and we ought not to shrink
from the comparison. ii our institutions are
better than theirs, as we believe, the contrast
will speak more eloquently than any prema-
ture remOnstranee. Ai ei'' tA- %.
Independence will be the natural conse-
quence OF confederation. The colonies win
cease to be mere outposts of the British en-
pire. When that day comes, England will no
longer threaten us on this continent. There
is no reason why we should not then conclude
a satisfactory alliance with our neighbors. If
we are wise we shall also knit the two eoun-
tries together by the closest bonds of mutual
intercourse and reciprocal commercial favors.
All the important advantages of complete
union may be secured by treaty. The danger
OF war, when once the colonies are disengag-
ed from England, win be reduced to the low
est possible termss Our rich and teeming ter
ritory will give us forever an indisputable pre-
ponderance on this continent.
There is room enough in North America
for three nations. The natural boundaries
which separate us from our neighbors on the
north are sufficiently marked. There is no
reason why we should covet their territory
We have enough of our own. Let us at least
pacify the Southern States and link our At
lantie and Pacific coasts together with iron
bands OF railway, before we begin to sigh like
the Macedonian madman for new worlds to
conquer. Weregret to see in the Journal any
allusion to "the future union of the British
Provinces and the United States" The times
are inausplcious for such a union. We do not
believe the people of the United States are
any more anxious fer such union than the
British Americans. Some people on both
sides of the line would galdly see it brought
about, but they are comparatively few. What
may happen in the fulness of time, none of us
can predict; but we believe that just now the
people of the United States are not occupy
ing themselves with the project of annexmg
the Canadas; we believe the mistaken i'm
preston that they are, is fruitful source of
jealousy and i'll will on the part of our neigh
bors, and we deem it friendly office to en-
deavor to disabuse them.
Finally, it must be remembered that the
confederation bin is already before the British
parliament, with every prospect of a speedy
passage. A Iemonstrance from the United
States would be received by the Parliament
very much as suggestion from the British
government respecting the management of
our Territories would be received in Con-
gress. Ii it had any effect, it would be to ac-
celerate the passage of the bill Governor
Chamberlain's views upon this topic were not
fully developed in his Address. That they
were backed by some weighty reasons, we do
not doubt. The considerations presented by
the Journal are not to be treated lightly, but
we cannot feel that they sustain the Journals
conclusions. What further considerations
may have influenced the Governor, we do not
Know; but at this stage of affairs, with the bill
before if not through Parliament, we doubt
whether he would regard remonstrance as
seasonable or prudent @ L'f9 st i.lt3t