The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-06-11
SPIRIT OF THE PRESS.
Editorial Opinions Of the Leading Journals
upon Current Topics-Compiled Every
Day for the Evening Telegraph.
THE RED RIVER QUESTION.

From the NJ Y. Trtbuae.
When the British Minister at Washington
assured our Government that the Red River
rebellion was peaceably and completely
quelled, we ventured to doubt whether his
anticipatons we're not more rosy than Judi
cious. Already our fears are confirmed. The
British and Canadian expedition is in the
miest of the wilderness, and Riel we are told
purposes to fall upon it there with all his
forces, and to listen to no terms until the
Dominion Parliament has granted an entirely
new list of demands, which seem to have
been made upon his individual RESPONSE
bllity. In some particulars the utimatum
of the insurgent president offers no very
grave difficulties. There are conditions touch
ing the public lands, the debts, and the terms
of legislative union which Canada can satisfy
at least without sacrifice of her dignity. But
the question of amnesty is very serious
one. When the Rcd River delegates agreed
at Ottawa to the terms of settlement which
resulted in the Manitoba BILL it is under
stood that they received official assurance
of a royal amnesty for the leaders in the
nsurrection. Riel seems unwilling to trust
this promise, or doubtful whether it will be
construed to cover his shocking murder of the
unfortunate Scott, and therefore demands q
distinct legalization of all his past acts. This
of course places the British Government in a
dilemma very much like that of the Greek
Government with regard to the Marathon
brigands, and it is amusing to see what a
difference ii makes in English eyes whether
it is the Greek OK which is gored or the
British bull The execution of Scott was a
murder committed under circumstances of
great horror, and the widest stretch of law
and common-sense could not turn it into
political offense. government which should
formally ratify a deed like that would make
pitiable confession of its inability to rule,
though for the sake of peace and on general
considerations of public policy the crime might
perhaps be quietly overlooked 1t was just SO
with the Greek brigsnds. They demanded
formal amnesty, which the Government had
no power to grant, and the same Englishmen
who scout the idea of ratification of Riel's
misdeeds, were furious because King George
did not issue decree both unconstitutional
in itself and fatal to the good order of the
kingdom. How impolitic amnesty would
have been in that case was shown almost i'm
mediately afterwards at Gibraltar, where
party of brigands, encouraged, no doubt, by
the apparent readiness of Great Britain to
make foreign countries pay anything and for
give anything rather than British subject
should lose his life, fell upon an English
household and carried off everybody in the
family. If the demands of the Marathon
bandits had been granted, half the rogues in
Greece would have seized their rifles and
gone to the mountains, and not an English.
man in the kingdom would have been safe.
The case now comes home to Great Britain
and her eyes are suddenly opened. At Gibral-
tar an admirable way was found out of the
difficulty, for they ransomed the prisoners
and then killing all the robbers, took the ran
som back again. thus satisfying humanity
and justice at the same time; but of the Red
River dilemma no such easy solution is possi-
BILE. Riel seems to have brought matters to
a pass wherein negotiation is almost hopeless.
The population of the Red River country has
always been divided in its allegiance, and it
is highly probable that in this last revolt a
great maj jority would favor the acceptance of
the Manitoba bill if they had an opportunity
to express their wishes. The conflict is be.
tween the British empire on the one hand,
and a few men inspired partly by
ambition and partly by fear of outlawry or
the other and of course such a conflict can
not be long one. The movement of mill
tary force through that difficult region will be
attended with hardship and danger; but from
that the nation which sent an armyinto the heart
of Abyssinia is not likely to shrink. We
do not share the apprehensions which are felt
in Washingtown of general war throughout
the Northwest; and though there can be no
objection to the proffer of whatever friendly
offices we may be able to perform-if we are
able to perform any-we may safely leave Riel
and Great Britain to settle this difficulty
themselves. The Canadian militia, which
single-handed whipped $4,000 Fenians, and
now talks of declaring war against the United
States because we did not arrest ONeils army
before it reached the frontier, will undoubt-
edly be competent to manage little affair of
this kind.