, 1869-11-23
THE RED RIVER WAR,

THE RED RIVER WAR.
The existing rebellion in the Red River
country, and the petitions now being for
wartled from leading inhabitants Of TINT
country to the Queen and to President
Grant, praying 10. annexntion to tho United
States, are independent developments Of
the same fact-that west Of Lake Superior
md Hudson Bsy. there are no friends of
subjugation to tho new Canadian Dominion.
The people Of British Columbia, and Of the
Red River country, are Of Tint isolated
class 80 accustomed to the 1argest froedooi
that the thoEslt OF being brought into
vazsa1esss ess TO :. Canadian Legislature, IN
which they will have no innuenee, and
compelled to oatrust their public and In
dian lands to Canadian legislation, md to
support Canadian officers sent among them
without their consent and in defiance of
their hostility, IS CALLING. To be q colony
Of Circuit Britain is both dignided and inde-
peadent. But to be colony Of Canada is
to be servant to the butler. Besides,
all government implies powers and
obligations. The duty Of the
one to obey is conditioned on the power of
the other to protect. The hypothesis that
the Canadian Dominion has any power to
protect either the Red River country or
British Columbia is the height OF absurdity.
They are SO distant that Canada has hardly
even the power to injuro, still less to pro
tect them.
The Hudson's Bay Company has trans-
ferred =" certain" rights and interests in the
Red River country, or Northwest Territory,
" Rupert's land, to Canada for f900, 900, or
eco r.r capita for every einhabitant OF
the Territory. These t' certain" rights ap-
pcnr on testing them to be very uncertain.
The people deny that they can be bought
and sold in this manner without their con-
sent. They demand to renain an indepen-
dent British colony, or, if they unite with
the Dominion, il must be under Terri
to1ial Government, in which they shall
elect their own. Legislature, which shall
have the exclusive control of local, home
stead, presumption, md Indian questions,
and shall have power to pass any Law By
two-thirds yotc over the head Of the Gov
ernor. Nor is this all. They insist thatthe
Dominion shall, for term Of years, pay
the whole expense. not only Of supporting
it's own territorial officers, but also those
elected sud whose salaries are fixed by the
people of the Territory, and shall make an
appropriation for internal improvements in
the Territory.
In short, the Red River people think that
If Csnada can afford to pay GEO per head
70. them to the Hudsou's Bay Company, it
can afford to pay them handsomely in their
own right. As the Canadians, On tho con-
trary, probably expelled to collect the
e3oo, 900 out Of the Northweste.ns, either
II taxes or in tho sale Of public lands, there
is tho widest possible divergence between
the two. The people and the Indians, who
number some 10000, deny thnt tho Hud-
SONS Bay Company had any interest in their
lands, except small strip on the Red River.
The Canadian plan to cut up the Tori
tory into townships. and 6ell of the lots,
is, in their view, robbery. Tho Mr.
alcDougall who has Just been appointed
Governor had already sufficiently identified
himself with these policies to make il
necessary that the people. If thoy would
not wholly surrender their rights, should
oppose the further prosecution Of thost
revolutionary plans on his part. They have
done SO by forcibly cxpelliag him from TIT
| Territory, after he had remained night O.
two at Fort pe1nbina, near the line.
Canada will not, Of course, be permitted t.
send troops to the Red River country owe
tho sol Of the United States. To SEM
then, direct by Lake Superior, the Lake Q
the Woods, and through nearly impassabl
,na1shes to tho Territory, would be q wor'
less imposing but moro dangerous tha:
Napo1eon's adyance upon Moscow. TIL
route by ship to Hudson's Bay at York Fas
tory, and thence 600 miles hy canoes ar
portages, would require full years dnas
and mean~hllc the rebels would be ran
pant apa triumphant. .-
But moro formidable to the Domiuio
than distance, marshes, or the howls {
Dorcas, aro tho i1repressiblo Feuians. I,
the outbreak Of the war might be signal1e
5Y an advance Of q Red River army great
than tho whole population Of the Territor.
including men, women, children, Chipp'
| WIS, pappooscs, water-dogs, and beaSez:
We do not Know whit the Red River I'll
may be, but q rczy appropriate OF
would be live grizzly couehal
and u,asticant over Tho prostrata for
Of member Of the Queens Own, who su
posed he Ind lost grizzly. Under such
flag fifty thousand Fcnians might ba c.
} listed anywhere between the L.ke Of II
Woods and Saskatchewan, who would NAL
short work Of any Canadian expedite
sent against the Red River country. II
: day is past when tho right to govern mt
can be bought md sold bat~et
governors without the consent
the governed, The Indications &
That that portion Of Britt
a Amesica which lies locked in between Il
. previous Territories Of the United Stat
Q and our new Territory Of Alaska are unar
4 nously hostile 10 tho attempts Of the c
. | nadisns 10 bother them with a govp1nne
< which can only annoy, and cannot prote
g them. What they want is to be let alon
|. OF to be annexed to the United State
Il which governs its citizens only by lehil
!, | them govern themselves. Either would
Z self-gove1nmenk Bat alliance to the .
d nainion ia subjugaton.
!.
n TIE sUEz CANAL.
The successful completion Of the Su
:. | c.1a1 ID ora of fha ,,,nxt frnr,nr4apf ara,