The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-05-03
THE RED RIVER REBELLION.

From the London Saturday Reuieto.
The rebellion in the Red River territory is
very annoying but indignant patriots are
hasty in quoting it as proof of the decline
of English spirit 1t is of course proper and
necessary to protect every part of the empires
but the Red River must be content to rank in
national regard after Yorkshire or the Isle of
Wight. Few politicians who are called upon
to apply general proposition to an extremely
special case had ever heard of the insurgents
or their territory before they thought proper
to rebel. 1t now appears that they are
peculiarly situated, and that the grievance
which they have risen in insurrection to
redress is of an exceptional kind For
eight months in the year it is impos-
sible to reach the Red River from the civil
lized world, except by traversing
part of the dominions of the United States.
1t is more surprising that an application for
free passage of troops should have been made
to the American Government than that it
should have been peremptorily refused. In
modern times most free countries are inclined
to maintain strict neutrality in civil contests
amongst their neighbors, and the people of
the United States, except in the case of their
own civil war, have uniformly been some-
thing more than neutral between sovereign
powers and insurgents Their habltual rela-
tions with England are not enthusiastically
friendly, and it was certain that they would
sympathize with the rebel, whatever might be
the cause of quarrel. The Americans are also
eager for the extension OF territory in pro-
portion to the superhuous extent of their
possessions; and it has always been to
them an uncomfortable reflection that
an English colony lay from sea to sea
between the States and the North Pole. Mr..
Stewards purchase of Russian America was
intended to outfiank the unwelcome posses
sors of the higher latitudes, and it may have
seemed probable that the Red River rebellion
would ultimately transfer another inhospita-
BILE tract of land into The hands of the Great
Republic Although it is probable that
northwestern newspapers may be disagreea-
bly, outspoken on the subject, there is no
reason to complain of any public act on the
part of responsible authorities. It is not
certain that in the converse case the English
or Canadian Government would have allowed
an American force to traverse its territory;
and it was undoubtedly competent to au in
dependent power to refuse any permission of
the kind without furnishing Just cause of
offense. If the rebels should succeed in main
tanning themselves in their remote corner OF
the earth, it will be impossible that they
should form an Independent State.
They would necessarily gravitate tc
their powerful neighbors; and, if neces.
sary, the process might be accelerated
either by buying their leaders or by sending
the necessary number of voters across the
border to decide upon annexation. The ac
ouisition of Texas was by similar methods
effected with perfect ease; and although it il
not as easy to dismember the British Empire
as to detach province after province from
Mexico, it is undeniable that some portions
at least of the wide Dominion of Canada are
practically indefensible. 1t is not easy to re
eonouer even from handful of adventurer
an inaccessible territory; and the difficult!
would become indefinitely greater if th'
attempt involved contest with the Unite'
States. If any attempt IS to be made daring tn
sbort summer to suppress the rebellion, ther
ia no room for delay. The force to be on