Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1885-04-09
THE MANITOBA REVOLT.

In 1869 Manitoba and the northwest ter
itory of Canada were conveyed by the Hud-
son Bay Company to the dominion of Can
ada. At that time there were II 900 people
in Manitoba, one-half of whom we're In
dians and the other half French and En-
glish half breeds, their white ancestors hav-
ing come to the distant section as en-
When the territory was ceded to Canada,
William McDougall was sent to Manitoba
as Lieutenant Governor, and his arbitrary
course precipitated rebellion which found
leader in Louis Riel, awell educated and
shrewd French Canadian. Riel was named
President in 1870, but through the inf1u-
ence of Archbishop Tache, they were in
duced to lay down their arms on condition
that certain promises as to land should be
carried out and a general amnesty be grant
ed. Large bounties Of land were given to
the half breeds of Manitoba, but none to
the half breeds outside of Manitoba. Nor
was Riel pardoned until many years after
wards. Until five or six years ago he was
an outlaw upon whose head the Canadian
government had set high price.
The present uprising grows doubtless in
part out of Riel's resentment, and in part
out of the discrimination in bountieS against
the half breeds of Prince Albert or the Sas-
katchewan district. Under the presidency
of Riel the people Of that district adopted
a bill of rights last September. They de-
manded: Q The subdivision into prov
inces of the northwest territories; (2) the
half breeds to receive the same grants and
other advantages as to the Manitoba half
breeds; (3) patents to be issued at once to
the colonists in possession; (4) the sale of
half million acres of Dominion lands, the
proceeds to be applied to the establishment
in the half breed settlements of schools, hos
pitals and such like institutions, and to the
equipment Of the poorer half breeds with
seed grain and implements; (5) the reser-
vation of hundred townships of swamp
land for distribution among the children of
half breeds during the next 12O years; (6)
grant for at least 81 900 for the mainten-
ance of an institution to be conducted by
the nuns in each half breed settlement; and
(7) better provision for the support of the
Indians.
The Dominion government paid no at
tention to these demands, and request for
survey of the lands was refused. Riel
then proceeded to form an alliance with Big
Bear, the Cree chief, and to prepare for re-
sistance. He is though to have about l 800
effective men under him, we'll armed and
reasonably we'll prepared for conflict. The
inaccessibility of the Saskatchewan district
is his strongest ally and may enable him to
keep Canada in hot water all through the
year.
There is really no reason why the Domin-
ion should not ask for a cessation of hostili-
ties until the complaints of the half breeds
can be investigated. The government has
millions of acres in the Prince Albert coun-
try that no other people but the half breeds
want, and it would certainly be an easy
and feasible matter to satisfy their hunger
for that kind of property. 1t is rumored
that commission is to be appointed to in
vestigate the case, and the uprising may be
wound up in that way very speedily and
satisfactorily. The difficulties of the coun-
try are so great the use of force would be
both tedious and expensive.