Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1870-01-03
THE RED RIVER INSURGENTS.


THAT the following correspondence in the
Toronto Globe in relation 10 them is in
tercsting: M
1 The French half-breeds are mostly given &c
Hunting. fishing and trade for a livelihood
| They are quick and eXcitahle class OF peo-
pie. 4 a rule they arc lawabidlng and hon
est in their dealings. Where any Of them
have had educational advantages they prohI
! bv them. being quick 10 learn and intelligent
| at grasping ideas Where they pay attention
70 agriculture, they generally turn out good
thrifty farmers. But farming, rs Il general
thing is dsta>tetul to them. Their wants are
| not numerous and easily supplied; and framed
| as most of them have been from infancy, IL
hunting. trapping trading, tripping, hshlng
&c. their nomadic habits have become part
and parcel of their nature. They are not.
moreover. lazy people. nor are they dishon-
est on the contrary they are active, fair rs "A
rule in their dealings. and feel sure that should
they turn their attention to farming or other
more settled pursuits than that to whicht they are
now accustomed, they will not he behind their
neignbors There's ARE many intelligent, clever
men amongst them their women make good
faithful wives. and must say have seen some
of the handSomrst faces | ever met with on
NV travels amongst the French hali-breed girls
of Red River. The French are noted herr
for their love OF gayety and fun. Their homes
are models of cleanliness. anil altogether.
thev are people that the longer YOU Sno"
them the better You like them They are
brave is rule; their religion Is the Roman
Catholic and their cathedral, and converts,
&c. nj St. Bonitace. would be creditahle 10
any country. Unfortunately for Canadians
coming to this country, they are impressed
with the idea thar half-breeds are sort OF
haif-and- half specimens Of humanity, hardly
entitled to the prlvii ~ of being called ration
al beings This idea of the people of this
country is not only unfortunate hat unealle,8
for, rs those " no come here to Judge tor th' M
selves soon see. The word half-hreed mer,iN
signifies where there Is a tlnge more ar !e>s o.
Indian blood. Whoever started the term breed
ourht Ia have been choked before he had
time to apply it to human beings. There arr
very few of Us now -a-lays Who have not s.
mixture of blood in our vumpo>iilen-our
mother. perhaps. being an English woman,
and our father >cotchtnan or lrishnan-
therefore the term is as much applicable TO u
As To those who have Indian blood in their
veins-and for this reason | would advise
strangers to attach no erroneous idea To it. for
have seen as good halt-breeds a. have
seen white men. Some of the finest ladies
in the settlement have Indian blood in
their veins. and more ady-like, courteous.
and pleasant gcntlcwomen | never met in my
life.
The English half-breeds are more inclined
to farming and trading. more staid in their
character and more settled in their habits
than the French. The generality of their
farms and houses show. therefore. To better
advantage than those of the latter The Eng
lish half-brecds are, as rule, industrious and
intelligent. but not a. quick a. the French.
They are. moreover. frugal. hospitable and
kind and will not be likely To fall in the rear
when newspapers flock to the settlement.
The English Cathedral is fine stone >truct-
ure. The settlement, in fact. can boast of Il
number of churches. all of which are good
substantial buildings. The Roman Catholic
Anglican. Presbyterian and Methodist ar {
all represented.
The Scotch settlers are close fistcd.
canny, thrifty set of people, all well tc do
Their farms are models of careful manage
ment. They not enterprising; bu, steady
going, and very conservative in their ideas.
They are, as rule. fine-looking. real
Scotch" looking men and women; better cd
ucated. as class, than any other in the
settlement.
The Canadians we have here are. generally
speaking, good class of men-especially
those VINO have lately come into the settle
ment; most of them having brought means,
have bought farms and settled down. The
young men have shown themselves industrious
and sober. A few of them have acted I'M
wisely in taking it for granted that there is Il
feeling antagonistic TO Canadians generally
in the minds of settlers, when in fact no such
feeling exists. Those Canadians who have
helped to create the present troubles by their
own wrong acts are well known and appre-
ciated.
The Americans, unlike some of our Cana
dians have minded their own business by
keeping aloof from the present troubles alto
gether; and in fact, have shown themselves
in that respect, good. sensible men.
l have dwelt thus long on description of
our settlement, and the people that live in it.
for the purpose of disabusing the public mind
in Canada that we here are not of sufficient
importance. either numerically intellect
ually, or socially speaking to warrant grant
ing us the proper rights of free people-an
elective voice in the management of our own
affairs; and also that we are not a people in
ferior in any single respect to the general
community in Canada