Stevens County tribune. (Morris, Minn.) 1877-1880, 1877-07-12
Canadian Annexation.


E. v. Smalley writes from Washington
to The Ne,c York Tribune If there must
be an annexation furry, for want of other
topics to interest the public mind in the
dull season, why do not the newspapers
that are industriously working it up give
it sensible direction2 No man with
brains and patriotism ought to want a
single square mile of Mexican claparral
and banditti added to our national domain.
No healthful territorial growth can be
obtained by acquiring any part of the re-
gion beyond the Rio Grande. We want
no second Mexican war, nor do we want
to grind the axes of the spectators who
have bought up Texas border claims at
few cents on the dollar.
There IS, however, q region lying con-
tiguous to our borders that we may reas-
onably desire to Incorporate as part of
the United States. tits not inhabited by
half-civilized race, speaking foreign
language and prone to revolutions,
bloodshed, and brigandage, but its peo-
pie are enlightened, peaceable, industrious,
and self-governing. They speak COM
mon language with us, have common
ancestry, and cherish the same Anglo
Saxon tradition of liberty regulated by
law. Of course refer to Canada. The
settled portion of the Dominion stretches
in a narrow belt along our northern from
tier. Its geographical position makes it
separate nation only by suferance of the
United States. Its population is homo
geneous with our own, and its form of
government is in essence the same. To
excite a movement to seize upon
this region by force would be foolish and
wicked. If the Canadians ever unite their
fortunes with ours it will be because they
are convinced that such change is for
their benefit. Is nothing then to be done
on our part but to wait? 1t will be said
that they do not desire to come into the
the union. But how do we know? We
are strong and rich; they are weak and
comparatively poor. The advances should
come from our side. Why not kindly ask
them to consider the wisdom of changing
their provinces into states of the American
union? If it were done in the right spirit
they could not take offense.
The provinces have a population of
3,748,857, including Newfoundland which
is not yet incorporated in the Dominion.
The political and geographical divisions
of the country and the distribution of pop
ulation are such that four states could be
made, each worthy to take its place at
once as peer in population and intelli-
gence of any of the older States of the
Union. The names and respective popu
lation of these communities are Ontario,
1,62O,S5 Quebec, !, 191 ,516 Nova Scotia,
| 49,, 800; New Brunswick, 285,594. To
New Brunswick might be added Prince
Edward Island, with its 94,021 inhabi-
tants, and to Nova Scotia the Island of
Newfoundland, which has population
| of 1866. There would remain as Ter
ritories Manitoba and British Columbia,
with population respectively of 1868
and 10,5S0. What wholesome balance
these States would give in our political
system to the rotten borough States of
the western desert, and the excitabIe,
lynch-law-loving communities of the
South! Their people would assimilate
closely with those of New England and
New York. The French population Of
Quebec are the only exceptions, but they,
too, are orderly industrious, and thrifty.
Our public debt, greatly reduced in
amount as it has been since the war, and
soon to be all funded in low-interest
bonds, is no longer an obstacle to annex
alton. The Dominion owes 1872, 60 900,
which, in proportion to its resources, is
as heavy burden as we have to carry.
If this debt were consolidated with our
own after union of the two countries, no
injustice would be done to either.
The slender tie that connects the Do
minion with Great Britain would not
long hold the Canadians back if they
earnestly desired to enter the family of
American states. It has been we'll un-
derstood for many years in both England
and the provinces that the people of the
latter are masters of their own destinies,
and that no compulsion would be brought
to bear upon them in case they should
desire to sever their connection with the
mother country They continue to main
tain their provincial condition because
they feel that they are not strong enough
to set up for themselves as an independ-
emit nation, with one of the most powerful
countries in the world as their next door
neighbor. There never has been a gen.
eral agitation of the question of annexa-
ton among them, and if movement in
that direction shoId originate in the Uni
ted States it would provoke their opposi-
ton if it took any other form than one Of
friendly overture and suggestion. II
would seem to be the part of wise states
manship in this country to assure the
people of the Dominion that we should
be delighted to have them come into oul
family circle, and to invite them to con-
slider in their own timeand way the wis
dom of doing so.