The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1872-01-06
The Canadians left to take Care of Them.
selves. rFrF ..fF

THE WITHDRAWAL OF ENGLISH TROOPS.
From the New York Herald
Within the past few weeks a change has been
completed at the other side of the ST. Law
renee which marks a new era in the history of
the Dominion and modifies materially its rela-
lions with the mother country. For the first
time since the conquest of Canada the British
possessions in North America are left with
hardly single soldier of the imperial army on
their SOIL Quebec, the Gibraltar of America,
is no longer garrisoned by troops of the line;
and Halifax, one of the most important posi-
lions on the Continent for military purposes,
has also been evacuated. These were the last
two places turned over to the colonial troops.
The first battalion of the Sixtieth Rifles march
ed out of the fortress surrounding Quebec en-
route for home early last month, and the Sew
enty-eighth regiment embarked at Halifax for
Plymouth on the 2Sth of November. Both
corps have since arrived in Europe. With the
departure of these troops the withdrawal of
the mother country from military occu-
patton of the Dominion is completed. The
abandonment of barracks and the sale or
expectation to England of stores are evidences
that Canada is now left to her own resources
for defence. The ordnance in use has been
handed over to the local authorities, and other
material disposed of in the same manner The
policy now carried out to its end was deter
mined upon by the British Minister when con-
federation was practically effected four years
ago 1t was adopted in view of establishing
new kingdom on this Continent that might be
ruled at some future time by one of the Guelph
family, and it was therefore thought desirable
to place the colonies out of leading strings.
Besides this, it had long been matter of dis
satisfaction with Englishmen when hearing of
Canada that they should be compelled to pay
for the support of soldiers for their defence,
while, in fact, the colonies contributed nothing
to the military strength of the empire. How
tar British troops in Canada would be able to
defend the country in the event of invasion or
attack, which could only come from the United
States, was, perhaps, the main point consider
ed, and, as will be noticed, caused the home au-
thorities to steadily adhere to its withdrawal
However, there is not at the present moment a
platoon of imperial troops from one end of the
Dominion to the other. On the LIST of Deem
Der all the military departments were closed
and turned over to the Colonial Adjutant Gen
eral. rr4r anna 49,. l.t.... e
The departure Of the troops has been any
thing but agreeable to the colonists. In the
first place it imposes heavy burden ON the
people to maintain a large military force, and
again, the presence of eight or ten regiments,
with the various establishments connected with
the army service, was of UNREASONABLE benefit
to the country. The Canadians now know that
the defence of their soil is left solely to them
selves, and it must be said that they have acted
with great energy during the past twelve
months in recruiting and organizing troops.
The active force consists of twenty-seven
troops of cavalry, ten field and seventy garri-
son batteries Of artillery, four companies Of en-
gineers 639 companies of rifles and three ma
rine companies, numbering in all about forty
five thousand officers and men, while the re-
serve militia numbers 612, 500.
The schools of military instruction have,
since their formation in 1868, turned out 500
cadets, all of whom have passed their examina-
ton before boards composed of officers of the
regular army, 1,200 having taken first class and
$500 second classc certificates. The barracks and
forts, as they have been evacuated by the line
troops, received Dominion garrisons, and the
frontier posts have been occupied in similar
manner 1t would be idle to deny that all this
warlike and expensive military preparation
would not be made if the United States was not
so near, and in this view of the matter it is
rather amusing than otherwise. The Canadi-
ans have not yet shown much prowess on the
field, for the reason that they have had no OPP
portunity.. In the Fenian campaigns the Unit
ed States forces behind did as much to secure
victory as the Canadian volunteers in front.