St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-04-21
VOICE OF THE PEOPLE.
The HaIf-breed Discussion.

10 the Eu1UOf OF Une GlOD6:
Please allow me to answer, in few
words to your correspondents ''Ontario,"
and Mr.. Patrick NJ. Moroney.
''Ontario''is mot prepared to say that the
French half-breeds have no real griev-
ances," but he is quite ready to say they
are no more than rioters marauders and
murdereSS; all that, because they are not as
good farmers aS, the Scotch half-breedS.
You have there, Mr.. Editor, pretty
good specimen of the feeling of the English
Canadian towards the French half-breeds.
They want no stronger reasons than the
above stated to denounce the poor people
as nuisance and demand their eXtermina
ton.
Now, am ready to acknowledge there
exists a difference between the two races
of breeds, and | admit that the French are
not so much inclined to farming and to reg
ular civilized life as the Scotch are. But
What is the cause of that difference? con
tario" thinks he is right in attributing it eX-
clusively to the difference Of blood. l beg
to differ in my opinion with his own. That
difference is due chiefly to the manner in
which both races were treated by the Cana
dian government
The Scotch breeds have been treated as
friends and kinsmen and the French as
strangers and enemies. Had the govern
ment really intended to do justice to the
French breeds and to act patemaliy towards
them 1t would have sent among them
French officials who would have been III
sympathy with them, who would have
treated them like brothers, who would have
brought them little by little to steady habits.
The government would have taken hold OF
the young generation, given them schools,
and brought them up to different mode Of
life, just as it did for the Scotch. But the
officials sent among the French breeds have
always been carefully chosen among Eng
fish people who had no sympathy for them,
who treated them like bruteS, who did not
understand their language and did not care
to. You may judge what has been the lot
of that poor people at the hands OF their
most bitter enemies.
If Ontario" is unprecedented, as l hope
he is, he will find there the real cause OF
the difference in the habits of the two races.
AS to the parallel between Ontario and
Quebec farmers, the same cause is at the
bottom of the case. The French Canadians
have been crushed under the heels OF their
conquerOrs, despite all the international
treaties, until, after having tried every con-
stituti0nal means, they rebelled against
their OppreSSors in 1878. That rebellion
opened the eyes Of the British government,
and from that time the French Canadian
obtained, one by one, by a constant and en-
ergetic effort, all the liberties he enjoys to-
day. No wonder if there was no material
progress among them under rulers who con-
sidered them as an ''inferiOr race" who
tried to keep them ignorant and poor, so as
to have them always in their dependence.
Nm fnty 10 no
been put by a friendly government in pos
session Of the best part of the Dominion.
The climate Of their province is much more
favorable to farming than the province of
Quebec They have been constantly aided
by English capital, and Notwithstanding all
these advantages they are constantly dis
lodged by French farmers who buy their
farms and prosper on them, while the Eng
fish farmers, with all their superiority, have
to sell and 90 west The eastern part Of
Ontario becomes more French every day,
and the French element there is already
strong enough to return French members i'll
the Ontario legislature.
Now, to my unknown friend, Mr.. Moro
ney! | sincerely regret that this gentleman
has not read the remarks of LIE Canadien,
to which the article of the Northwestern
Chronicle is an answer. lie would have
then seen both sides of the question.
Mr.. Moroney may be sure that l am not
so inconsistent as he thinks | am. The
sacred cause of Ireland has no greater friend
than my humble person. do not think
the Irish are bound to any loyalty towards
England, their tyTant and oppresSor, and [
have no admiration whatever for those of
the Irish who have warmly welcomed the
Prince Of Wales in Ireland. But [ don't
believe FenianiSm helps in any way the
cause Of that poor dear country. The inn
mortal O'Comell did not think it was good
thing for Ireland to organize secret societies
among lrishmen. He fought England like
a man, but never thought of making use of
any foul means against English citizens or
establishments.
] have nothing whatever to say against
the appointment of Col. Roberts 10 Chilli
ami | approved of that appointment i'll lie
Canadien. The government of this country
has not to consider whether man is IA Fe-
nian or not. The colonel was appointed in
consideration of his own merits. The
Chronicle mad no business to remark
that Mr.. Roberts was one of the head of
Fenianism. This particularly had nothing
to do with his promotion. | simply and
politely requested my friend of the Chroni-
Gle to state openly what he thought of the
Fenians. My question did not seem to him
very pertinent and he declined to answer.
The Chronicle is a Catholic weekly. n re-
ligious organ. l asked its editor to publicly
acknowledge that the Fenian brotherhood is
absolutely condemned by the Roman Catho-
lie church; that a Fenian is accommodated
ipso facto and cannot belong to the church
The Catholic Chronicle refuses to make
cupb n ~ cilaupa IL SoYpptimas a
very significant answer.
The French Canadians, just now, have a
certain interest in knowing who the FenianS
are and where they are. My question was
not so very impertinent after all
A. MARTIN.
Friendly Word for the Indians.
The just, honest and high-minded action
recently taken by President Cleveland in
warning off settlers from the old WinnebagO
and Crow Creek reservations, and pledging
the administration to a strict observance of
treaty obligations will be approved and
gratefully appreciated, not only by all
friends of the Indians, but also by all de
string the pure and equitable administration
OF the affairs of Our government. lmmedi-
ately upon the issuance of an order by PreSi-
derH Arthur, on the 2Tth of February last
throwing open, as is estimated, more than
half the area of these reservations, about
two thousand whites took possession. Facts
show Enthusiastically that under treaty agree
ments the Indians have the sole right to oc-
cupy and use those lands until such right is
eXtinguiShed with their consent.
1t is at last permitted TO the few remain
ing Nez Perce'S of JoSephS band to go TO
their home. For more than seven years, in
a climate so unhealthy to them that their
number is reduced one-half. they have