New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-11-18
CANdDIAN TROUBLES.

Instigated by Republican emssaries, as some
of the Canadians say, the Winnipeg or Red
River people have risen against the first Gov
ernor of the Hudson Bay Territory and COM
PEELED his fight. Gov. McDougall, an enthusi-
astic servant Of the Crown and believer in
Confederation, has actually been driven from
his post almost before he reached it, so that
now, with the United States Territory of Da-
kota as base of operations, tho inglorious
but undaunted official is about to direct war
against the excited Winnipegs, or perhaps
more properly the Red River people. The in
surrection is said to be confined to the French
half-breeds, the English half breeds taking no
part in it; and while there is danger of con-
tinued struggle, waged with backwoodsmen's
pertinacity. the Canadians calculate on sending
troops at once, if need be, through our North
Western Territories and putting it down.
But of itself this Red River revolt, although
manifestly one for territorial self-goverDment
on republican basis, and inspired by an old
pioneer spirit of independence not hard to
realize in the country OF Boone and Crockett,
is not Of great account. Only in connection
with the patent, chronic dissatisfaction of Lower
Canada, tho unappeased antipathy of Nova
of the anti-Governmcnt party i'll Newfound-
land, and the growing murmur of annexation
in British Columbia, has this new phase OF
anti-mperialism any meaning. The Canadians
have been making an imaginary war upon what
was supposed to be Fenian scarecrOw only
to find that their real trouble ~ French half
breed. Independently Of the Nova Scotian
annexationists. the letter of Earl Granville
urging the speedy confederation of Columbia
sufficiently indicates fear of the lgrowng
spirit of independence north of US; and now
that the tide has set in, We may smile at the
broom which tho slow craftsmanship Of three
thousand miles away has sent over to sweep it
out. Let ID not BIO understood that we
of the United States lay claim to or
want any part Of Canada. Our studious
interest is to observe how far the Gov
ernor- General of Canada, with his unso-
Der Premier, his undemocratic Council with its
amazing veto power, his nharmonious States,
his unpopular subordinate in Dakota, and his
far-away charges in Columbia, will puzzle out
the problem Of reconciling democratic idiosyn-
cracies and n loose scheme of confederation
with an imperial connection. Will the people
who have made unto themselves Sir Johns and
Sir Franchises clamor for Earls and Marquises,
with a Prince at the head or will they appeal
from Sir John with his title to Sir John without
it7
Two recent developments serve to illustrate
whatever is progressive in the tendencies of
Canada. The first of these is the statement
drawn up by the Nova Scotia statesman Blake
against the act by which the subsidy Of Nova
Scotia was increased, in violation of tho Act Of
Confederation. and at the expense of other
portions of the Confedoracy, and praying for
the disallowance of the Nova Scotia act. The
second is the opposition of 80 prominent paper
as The Toronto Globe to the general principle
of Disallowance asTcontaincd in the Canadian
Constitution. Not only may the Queens Coun-
Gil disallow any act Of tho Confederation but