The weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1878-1881, 1880-06-29
AN ..ExODus.'.

The official records kept by the customs
department at Port Huron, Mich, show that
within the past eight months something over
ffty-seven thousand native Canadians entered
the United States at that single point with the
intention of remaining in this country as
actual settlers. Port Huron is the place where
the Grand Trunk railway crosses from Can.
| ada to the United States, and for that reason
| has a record of a far greater number of i'm
other circumstances could boast of; but fol
all that it by no means welcomes to then
new homes all the Canadians who resolve
upon substituting the Stars and Stripes fol
the Union Jack. At Detroit the Great West
ern has its main crossing; while further east
it enters New York state by way of the sus-
pension bridge al Niagara falls. Through all
those avenues natives of Canada, not merely
European immigrants coming by way of the
Dominion, are coming by hundreds and by
thousands to seek new homes and new citi-
zenship in the land "south of a." And it is
from the upper province, from Ontario, that
immigrants crossing at those points princi-
pally come, whereas the great wave OF Cana
dian emigration takes its rise in the lower
province, Quebec, and breaks southwark over
the New England States, In tile absence of
statistics we may form some idea OF the mag
nitude of this movement from the fact that in
the New England manufacturing districts we
find villages peopled exclusively by French
Canadians, villages in which the English Ian
guase is aslittle used AS at ST. Rogue OF al
Montmorenci.
This is the Canadian exodus" Ii asked
to account for it, we would probably say that
a movement towards the south has always
been popular with people. from the far north,
Or that the Cauucks being an euterprisins,
hardy race, are inclined to push out into this
world and test their powers in a larger sphere
of activity than is afforded the nj within the
narrow limits Of their 0wn country. We
Eaislt also cite love Of adventure, love cf
change and the iDtluenCs Of the restless spil-
it Of the age, az further reasons to account for
the migration. Any of, these reasons we
might addlce, but We should never think of
saving the Canadians are leaving home be-
cause "tlley cannot enjoy political rights Or
personal safety there" We should know
very we'll that to cite such a reason would be
TO expose ourselves to ridicule, no matter En"
i'll informed might be The person to whomthe
explanation was offered. Indeed, if unac-
Q]uajnteh with the people or with The
circumstances connected with their prescl;
movement, We would prefer a candid
confession Of Ignorance TO l.azart!ing as our
explanation the least rational, the least piaus-
iblc Of all reasons which could be brought
forward to account for The exodus now taking
place from the north. There is no political
capital to be made ont of that exodus, and
consequently people will insist OH viewing it
with the keel-sightedncss Of cool judgment
and common sense, instead Of looking at it
through the medium OF party prejudlcc-a
medium capable OF SO refracting the rays
passing through 1t that the image perceived
by The beholder is distorted out of all resem-
blance to The original. Du, the latter is pre-.
cisely the manncr in which tia, other exodus
the exodus from the Sputh-rs viewed.
There we have a people Who, rs i class, are
just coming into possession Of knowledge. in
place Of their dense ignorance Of ioglner
years who only now are beginning to lavea
true conception of personal liberty, to Under
stand that the old letters OF slavery, have
not been replaced by the chain Of ]circuia-
stances in binding them to the place Of their
,,tt,.t. Me-, r,,,' - Nn,,t, =, Io.,, "
manifestations Of the migratory impulse
would be little short Of miraculous. Fer
them to make use Of their freedom in COIN.
abroad to enlarge their experience and
sea something Of the void Is ouly what
could have been turetuil in advance. vet
What a wlctched display OF c!arlatanism do
We behold n the part OF those politicians who
would pIirsladn us HAT the preparation Of
:Outragrs is the sole cause; tending to start
the black streak of emigration on its NORTH
ward cO,lSe.
A presidential election is coming on and
the outrage mill will soon be set going. If
the ~wcll-meanilg persons who receive
without question all stories coming
from that source will but consider
the northern immigration into this country.
and then ask themselves how long that
movement would he likely to continue with
ont a due accompaniment OF "outrages :"
if political capital was only to be made there
by; they will not be long in placing a proper
valuation on the fabrications, which more
than all other causes combined help to re-
vive and prolong the enlargement between
the people of the North and their neighSors
Of the South.
The following EXTRACTS are taken from the
official correspondence connected with he
removal of lester A. Arthur. from the New