Vicksburg weekly herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1868-1883, 1870-01-08
TAs RupsFs Land RsvsIut,sa.

Land revolution" Few Of our
readers we presume have much
idea Of the character of this revo-
luton, or even of its locality.
Rupert Land or the Northwest |
Territory is a part Of the British |
Possessions, which extend from
ocean to ocean north OF us, and |
which are some ninely-six thou.
sand square miles larger in area
than the United States, excluding
Alaski. The rcbellious section IN
question lies west of Western
Canada and north OF the North
western States ofWisconcin, Min
ncsota, and the Territories of
Dacotsh and Montana. We sup
pose that il is intended TO embrace
the whole Of the basin Of the Sas-
katCheWan river, FROM the Rocky
Mountains eastward TO lake Win.
nepeg, and the drainage of the
lake on the east, and on the south,
including the Red river OF the
North, region covering an area
Of not less than three hundred
thousand square miles-a beautiful
region for cereals, cattle and
sheep, equal in dimensions to
seven or eight States of the size
Of New York, aud no doubt capa-
bic Of supporting twenty millions
Of people. In fact, after the Can
adas, New Brunswick and Nova
Scotia, the Northwest Territory is
all that remains of the British
Possessions east Of the Rocky
Mountains adapted 10 profitable
cultivation. All the rest, like
Alaska, is worthless, except to
the hunter, the trapper, and the
fisherman.
From oil we can learn Of the
strength Of this Rupert's Land re-
volt lies in the settlements Of the
valley OF the Red river OF the
North. The sources OF this river
are in that extensive table land OF
beautiful fresh water lakes which
no man has numbered, on the
northern half Of Minnesota. From
this magnificent table land Of fine
forests and countless fresh water
lakes we find interlocking the
head springs of the Red river,
which, through Lake Winnipeg,
passes Aorth into Hudson Bay,
and the head springs Of the Mis-
sissippi, which flows south into the
Gulf Of Mexico. The Red river
for some two hundred miles is the
boundary line between Minnesota
and Dacotah, and for a hundred
miles and more before it enters
the British possessions is q navi-
gable. stream.
just this side the British bounda-
ry line, in the northeast corner Of
Dacotah, lies the the principal set
tlement Of the river, the town of
Pembina. 1t is the half. way trad
ing post Of her Britannia Majes-
TVS settlers Of the Winnepeg ba-
sin, where they make their ex-
changes with the traders from st,
Paul, MINI. Indeed, during the
summer, by boats up the Red riv-
er and by OK teams or pony carts
across to the country to the Mis-
sissipp, those French Canadians
and half breeds bring over, to q
considerable extent, themselves,
their buffalo skins and their furs
to st. Paul, and take back in cx-
change their dry goods and gro
ceries. During the winter even
thay still drive a pretty brisk traffic
over this route with dog sIeds.
With such business intercourse
these Red river or Lake Winnipeg
French Canadians have become
pretty thoroughly Americanized.
Impenetrable, rOadless forests and
morasses cut them off from Cana
da, and hence they naturally call
the new government sent out to
, them from that quarter ga strange
government" They don't know
anything about it. Their bust
ness and social relations are with
the people of the United States,
) and hence their declaration of in
} dependence.
But through all the southern
: tier Of the British provinces OF
North America, from sea to sea,