St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-04-16
VOICE OF THE PEOPLE.
A Vindication of the French Half.
Breeds.


To the Editor of the Globe.
The editorial headed ''Riel with His
Mask Off," contained in Yesterdays issue
Of your paper has taken by surprise, and
not little shocked, all those who are ac-
quainted with the real state of things in the
Canadian Northwest. The most rabid
Orangeist organ of Ontario would not pub
lish more partial, unfair, inaccurate state
ment of the situation in the country now
threatened with civil war.
You say 1.-THE outbreak is really the out
| growth of race struggle between the French
and English inhabitants of the Dominion.
Nothing is more opposed to truth than such
a statement, and L want no other proof
against it than the ardor, the enthusiasm
with which the French regiments, the
Sixty-fifth of Montreal and the Ninth of
| Quebec, have solicited the favor of march
| ing to the front against the rebels. Far
| from having, as you say, ''the sympathy,
| if not the active cooperation of the Quebec
| French, Rel has already against him
two French regiments and will
soon have more if found necessary.
would rather think that in this circumstance
French Canadians have been over-ZealOus
in their demonstrations of loyalty. They
seem to have entirely forgotten that French
blood flows in the veins of the rebels and
they consider them only as enemies of
their country.
Another strong statement of your edito-
rial Is that the Quebec French aspire to rule
Canada" The French Canadians aspire to
rule their own province where they cOnsti-
tute an overwhelming majority. AS to
ruling the dominion they have no such am
bition, but the legitimate ambition they
have Is to be represented in the federal cab
met, senate and house according to the i'm
portance of the French population. This
they have obtained after a long and bitter
struggle against their cOnquerors and they
intend to keep. Their compact body in
parliament is another misstatement. The
French population is at least as divided in
politics as the English element and the two
French factions in the Quebec and Ottawa
parliaments are far from being compact"
There are but too many divisions on politics
among the French Canadians, and 1 wish
they would deserve your unjust criticism in
this respect.
You seem to believe tn at the half-breeds
have never been wronged by the federal
government and that Riel alone persuaded
them that the Canadians intended to take
their farms from them, etc." This is q
very bold assertion III face of the facts well
known now by every well-informed person
that the half-breeds have been outrageously
treated by the federal administration. Not
only have they been threatened with having
their farms taken from them. but in most
cases their farms, built and improved by
themselves or their fathers. have actually
been taken from them. They have been
denied every right, their just claims have
always been most carefully ignored by the
authorities. In word, the half-breeds are
the pariahs of Canada. when Wolseley,"
continues your editorial, with 1, 500 regulars
and militia, after incredible labor, succeeded
in reaching Lake Winnipeg. Riel fled and
his governments dissolved" and thus Is
history written.
The fact Is, Mr.. Editor. that the only
power to which Riel and his followers sub
mitted in 1870, Is the great influence of Arch
bishop Taehe of st. Bonifaee, Man. The
Canadian government was so well aware
that the rebellion could never be put down
by force, that it eutreated the bishop,
who was then in Rome, to come back at
once and act as q pacificatOr. They in
vested him with full powers and pledged
themselves to execute every promise made
by the bishop in the interest of peace. Mgr.
Taehe went and accomplished his peaceful
mission. Only. for him your Wolseley would
have then had foretaste of what he is now
getting at the hands of the Arabs, or what
will be the lot of Gen. Middleton if he does
not hurry to compromise with the rebels.
But rs soon as Riers followers had laid
down their arms, the federal government,
unmindfu of his solemn pledge, ignored all
promises made by the bishop. Riel had to
ny Tor his life, despite the complete amnesty
granted, and the half breeds were more than
ever crushed under the heels of the govern
ment creatures. Thus was destroyed, perhaps
forever, the great influence of the bishop,
which alone had paciied the Northwest
and which would now be so precious to
those who have taken pleasure in destroy
ing Ii.
Since the half-breeds. driven to despair
by fifteen other years OF oppression OF
starvation and misery, went 10 solicit the
aid OF their old leader in his Montana re
treat Riel endeavOred 10 obtain from the
Ottawa authorities, by constitutional means
the reparation of all the injustices perpe-
trated against his poor brethren When he
finally discovered that all his appeals would
be in vain, he proposed to 20 back 10 Mon
tana, but the half-breedS would not let him
so. They expressed themselves ready to
light to the last for the reyindication of
their rights If he would lead them He &C
cepted. cannot approve Of such course
Better suffer a thousand prosecutions than
70 wave the flag of civil war in his own
country. But II Risi IS to be blamed in
this, he Is not less in the right for all that
and the whole responsibility of the blood
shed IS to be drawn, in justice, upon the