The weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1869-18??, 1870-05-04
egg tthlg Stattnarh
Wednesday, May 4, 1870.
For the Standard.
The Red River Question.

with Its probable effects among US OF the
South, some further attention to this sub
ject may be interesting to your readers.
am glad you have thus noticed this i'm
portant matter, and that too as Waterman
on the walls, in connection with its conse-
uuences to the Southern States, and indeed
to the Union. There is really a great deal
slumbering in this national question, and as
the infant too soon to become full grown
man, can he quite fully traced in lineage
and all that, let me give few brief outlines
from English history for the last ten or more
years.
The sentiment embodied in the speech
from the Throne announcing the erection of
British Columbia into a separate colony
pledged the nation to policy yet to be car
RED out 4 hope said Her Majesty, that
this new colony in the Pacific may be
but one step in the career of steady progress
bywhich my dominions in North America,
may be ultimately peopled, in an unbroken
chain, from the Atlantic to the Pacific, by
loyal and industrious population The
queen speaks of steady progress and loyal
people, meaning that England has for a
time had it in mind to maintain her domin-
ions between the Atlantic and Pacific, but
that the progress of their design has been
steady. Let us see, then, what all this means.
Said gentleman of Upper Canada to an
English tourist, the people of England are
by no means aware how fine country they
possess here and until latteriy the English
have not been taught what field for colo
piZation there lies amid the two seas. ii;.fs
And in this connection all the public
works of Canada seem to indicate pro-
spectiye condition, the fruition of some great
national hope; for they are planned on
stupendous scale entirely disproportioned
to the wants of the colony for this genera
ton. Examine for moment, this boast of
the British, that they have the most mag
nifcent and perfect inland navigation in the
world, and also a railroad system unequalled
on the American continent. For the ten
years ending 1860 there were finished an ex-
tent of 2,095 miles, and this too for popu-
lation of about 100000. And at the end
of this period, comes in the report of the
exploring expedition, advising of route
throughout the whole distance from the
Red River settlement across the Rocky
Mountains to the mouth of Frazer river, en-
tirely within British territory, and the con-
nection of the Saskatchewan Plains with
another route TO British Columbia.
The great aim, as will be seen, is to secure
route around the world, the North Ameri-
can portion lying through Canada, and the
Western British possessions meantime open
ing to new population the area embraced by
British maps, being, as they boast, nearly
one-ninth OF the terrestrial surface ct the
globe.
Thus by inches we advance towards the
mind and interest of our cousins over the
water, and may see that We have most to do
if any attempt is made to forestall the gi-
gantic enterprise. Unlawfully attempting,
we would meet with the rebuke of nations.
The difficulty lies in not being able to tell
precisely what is and what is not lawful,
when two nations of different kind of
governments operate so closely together, the
one being indeed the daughter so recently
freeing herself from the bondage of the
mother, and called by humanity every
where, as the former thinks and honestly
believes, to war against monarchies where
ever it can be lawfully done.
Butas this seems to be the issue, let US
look at it little further. The vast area of
territory mentioned under the name of
British possessions or British North Ameri-
ca, is peopled in fact by scattered tribes of
Indians, only nominally subject to Great
Britain. Indeed the Hudson Bay Company's
quarrel with Canada led to enquiry on the
part of the Imperial Government. This ter
ritory was held under a license from the
Crown. lease from Canada, and reaches
from the Canadian frontier to the shores of
the Pacific and Arctic oceans; while its op-
erations extends over lands owned by the
United States formerly to Russia also).
Thus the Company claims rights practically
disowned by the Crown, and the question
Of requiring q surrender for a fair price of
the desired parts of the soil and streams,
(the monarchial mode of buying) is perhaps
the only one of obtaining control.
The Hudson Bay Company having con-
verted nearly half continent into one vast
preserve, employing the whole Indian popu-
LATHAM as its keepers, we can see that the
wild Indian must be kept intact whatever
their maraudings on CO terninous lands, not
belonging either to the Hudson Bay Com
pany or the British. What, should they
interfere with American improvements to-
wards the Pacific and the China seas, along
with enterprises of the same kinda What
then? This remains to be answered by two
great nations,
, But the greatest direct matter now before
the two governments seems to be in reference
10 the Red River country, the name heading
this article.
The small settlement On the Red River
has been almost entirely insulated by natural
causes from the other British possessions in
North America 1t is divided from the
most advanced post of civilization by 400
miles of uninhabited country. The length
of the ordinary route from the head of Lake
Superior to Fort Garry, the principal station
of the Hunsnn Bay company on the river, IS
635 miles. With view to forming All agri-
cultural settlement within its territories, the
company granted to the Earl of Selkirk, in
1911, tract OF land on the banks of the Red
and Assimboni Rivers, hoping to PEOPLE it
by Indians and English jointly, mixing the
races Quailing, the grant was reseinded,
the company continuing their former owner
ship.
This immediate territory has been termed
paradise Of fertility" Fifty-six bushels
of wheat to the acre is common. Potatoes
do as well. Indeed crops generally are
equally prolific. But here arises difficulty.
The only market is with the United States
where alone stock and improvents can be
had The natural access to and outlet from
the country is through the United States.
But here comes the old time British spirit
of holding On to It's right and property
They say, ''there are political considerations
connected with this isolated settlement
which cannot be prudently overlooked."-
What are these? Let us see Why, the
communication, which isirapidly increasing,
between the United States and the Red
river population will, if some steps are not
h
Canada, monopolise the whole traffic of the
interior, and thus drawing those strong ties
of commerce tighter and tighter, may yet
cost Englanda province, and offer an i'm
passable barrier to the contemplated con-
nexion of her Atlantic and Pacific colonies
And say the English, that finding the
Northwestern territory Of their possessions
hopelessly useless for cultivation or settle
ment, the United States intend to trespass
on their Red River property, that our re-
ports to the bureau all show such purpose,
investing the matter with the highest i'm
portance and hence forcing England to es-
tablish a route beyond question as to title
or actual and active possession.
So we got at the bone of contention be
tween the two powers the English deter
mined to hold their own, by even locating,
as they saw, a powerful naval station and
commercial establishment on the North Pa
citic, whilst to-day, the papers inform us
that the expedition for several months
spoken of is about commencing its work,
the steamer with twelve guns being at
Detroit.
In my next, will close this bit Of history,
with some reflections upon a war at this
time, embracing our situation with that of
England, and thus enlarging on the views
given by yourself, Mr.. Editor, in abiding to
this subject in recent paper. X.
i-.tt.sa lli For the Standard
Letter from Wilkes.
MIR. EDITOR Some Kuklux of Wilkes