The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-03-01

to every observer that England could not
successfully contend with us for the protee-
tion Of an acre of ground on the continent by
force of arms. That this belief is shared by
Her Majesty's Government, its whole line of
policy and course of conduct for the past FIVE
years strongly attest.
Fully recognizing this state of facts, the
American becomes placid in view of the
future, which he is generally in no indiscreet
haste to realize. Every day rapidly increases
the great disparity in the military power of
the two nations on this continent, and rem
ders more and more clear the coming event.
1t is thus that our Uncle Samuel is led to per-
ceive the folly of thinking of any appeal to
arms to get rid of British power in America;
and SO he sees his army dissolve and his navy
go to decay with composure, knowing it will
not perceptibly postpone the day of triumph
over British rule in America.
Senator Howard's late resolution offered in
the Senate, declaring that we should insist
on the cession of British America in the high
commission, was nothing but a buncombe
proceeding. That distinguished Senator re-
tires on the fourth of March, and this was his
Parthian arrow. He acts on the maxim of
Sir William Temple, that no man should
return home from public service without
striving to have some good hits at his back
for his constituents. But the resolution re-
fleets no considerate opinion in any quarter.
The questions of withdrawing the British
flag from Canada, and of the cession of that
country to the United States, are separate
and totally different questions. We might
ask for the former, nay, insist upon it, and
yet be a long way from annexation. Annex
alton involves the exercise of popular rights,
the right of the people to choose their own
government; and it could only be accom-
plished by the violation of our own most
highly-cherished theory of government, with
out the assent of the people themselves who
are to be annexed. AS government based
on republican, principles, we cannot agree to a
barter sld sale of provinces and people with
out reference to their own opinions and de-
sires. Unpeopled territory we may acquire;
but beyond this we may not go, except for
high reasons of state, such as do not now
attach to the acquisition of Canada.
This question must therefore be necessa-
rily deferred to some future high commission,
to which Canada and the United States can
alone be parties. 1t is an undercurrent which
involves perception of this fact, along with
the others we have referred to, that is the
true source Of such utterances as Mr.. Disra-
ellis, and of a good deal more of the same
sort, as we'll as of sundry explanatory British
and Canadian criticisms on the aims, objects,
and powers of the commission soon to assem-
BILE. Its deliberations and conclusions will
involve O recognition of facts and anticipa-
tions that Englishmen do not relish, and
would avoid, while they yet see they are in
evitable. This accounts for and must excuse
the irritabilities of which Mr. Disraeli's re-
marks are an example. Aggravated by one
thing, they yet discourse angrily upon
another. Such is human nature.