National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1885-12-26

against the mother country.
This is decidedly not true The CONT
guilty Of the American republic TO Canada
made It necessary TO treat the Canadians
with some consideration, as England de-
sired foothold on North American soil,
and the Canadians (French) would have ac-
cepted the invitation Of the Americans to
send delegates to congress II they had not
been given constitutional rights. c., If
their grievance had not been attended to.
Continuing, the Post remarks that
II was not laudable means to an end nor
can II in view Of the very mixed character OF
Canadian loyalty be called successful. II Is alb
solutely certain that the Insignificant French
proportion ut that time had been brought uu.
der the rule Of the English majority and It's
nationality been subjected to the liberalizing
nttrition of English influence, Canadian at
tnchment to England would have been
stronger thing, coming from stronger people
But the fostering of alien sympnthies the legal
perpetuation of the French language, and the
empowering of tho Roman Catholic Church
have produced the Internal discussions so I'M
wisely desired without In the least contribut-
ing to strengthen the heart strings or the apron
strings, according to tne sentimental and the
The French Canadians confidently claim
that they are THE loyal element of the Do
minion. Their church is very positive on
that point. But they do not recognize the
Orange standard.
AS to the "insigniGcant French proper
tom &C., the French numbered 10000,
the British $1,000. The French were in the
Il,
did not want to live as a minority that the
country was divided into two provinces, 50
that they could be In the majority in one of
them, at least.
The "strongerpeople" are the French. The
great orators, poets, painters, sculptors, and
scientific men are French. The English
colonies planted to submerge the French
have been absorbed by the latter, and the
British colonies have disappeared along the
st. Lawrence.
The "lnternal discussions" were not de-
sired. The French being the "stronger
| people,n they have maintained therreligion
and language by resistance to proselytism
| and English methods of education.
In the same strain the Post continues
heard so much about is not, however, an emo
tion nmiliarly resident in the breast of the
| French. Canadian habitant, small shopkcopcr,
or mechanic. lie is rs underedueated a9 his
| few race superiors are over.educated An OBJ.
stinate bgot and the easy tool of demagoglc elo'
| qucnce, he is simply so much clay in the hands
, ofihc priest and the politician. The French fu
ture In Canada Is In the hands of leaders less re-
sponsible to their following and more autocratic
in their control of 1t than the representative
men of any other province or state of America
Riel has been their opportunity The fact that
contributions toward the fund of his defense
came meagorly, If Mt all, from the great body o.
his compatTiots proves, aswell as anything can
the reality of their comparative indifference tc
his iatc. The after clamor only goes to show
the melting power Of the keen, willy, inslston
political class, whose aim to arbitratc ut OF
tawn seems so nearly attained.
The Metis Tor half-breGds) are the de
sccndants of the Canadian pioneers of The
northwest, many of whom were noblemer
and brilliant officers.
Riel being insane, 1t was not thought nee
Cssary to defend him in the courts of. civ
ilized country. His trial before jus
tice Of the peace, with jury of six Eng
lishmen, picked out by the justice, wa
such an outrage that It stirred up the peo
pie when too late. The politicians did no
stir up the people, but the people stirret
up the politicians. The Canadians In tn
United States were certainly not stirred up
and they, too, protested.
But here is what the writer of the Pos
article must have esteemed the gem Of hi
collections:
The French are wonderfully prolific pee
pie, and this, with the limiting power OF thei
church upon much civil as well as religion
liberty, their conservative tendencies, an
their absolute filth, make them and their in
creasing influence the strong objection OF tn
British Canadians.
Is 1t disgrace to be 'wonderfully pre-
life ~ Has 1t not rather been regarded O
, honorable among all civilized nations in q
ages? The reference to absolute filth
= calumny, and nothing else. Their "increal
ing influence shows they are sstrongC
, racer
The Posts remarkable article conclude
, thus
} That they may take advantage Of the GO
| ernmental embarrassment that seems so III
avoidable to implant their illegal parishes
and other denominations in the northwest, an
finally establish there as complete q religion
autOcracy as at present holds in the northeas
is rather morci than possibility. and shoul
he guarded against at any sacrifice OF Dominic
interest, liberal or tory.
The legal parishes are the Catholic mi
sions among the Indians and Metis Tn
is an appeal to religious prejudice. I'll
! argument is that the sectarianism must
put above country and party
The NATIONAL REPUBLICAN sympathz,
with the French in Canada for the san
reason that IL gives its sympathies to Il
Irish in Ireland-because of its love
liberty. The same reason we demanded thi
the majority in our national House of Rel
, resentatives should be freed from the ru
| nf pnn man