The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-04-22
RIEL'S REBELLION.
What a Canadian Says About the Signif
canoe of the Uprising.


canoe of the Uprising.
Philadelphia Press
prominent Canadian lawyer, who now occu-
pies lofty place on the bench in the province of
Ontario, explained the status and cause OF the
. Riel rebellion in the St Laurent district to q
number of friends at the Continental Hotel last
night II was formerly magistrate under the
government of the Hudson Bay Company" ne
said when it ruled and owned the country in
which the uprising of the half breeds has taken
place. know the people well, and think that
they will succeed because they have justice on
their side. Years ago, what is now the prov
ince of Manitoba, and much of the Northwestern
Territory. was controlled by the Hudson Bay
Company.
There is beautiful belt of wheat country ex
tending through and to. the west of Manitoba.
The settlers who came there in the early part of
the century were from Scotland and France,
and were, in the main, men of more than average
intelligence and ability. There were many ed
ucated men among them, and they knew pretty
well what they were about These men mar
ried sauaws, and their descendants are called
half breeds" This is a misnomer. Most of
the people concerned in the rebellion are seven
eighths white and they are sturdy, industrious
and progressive citizens. 1t is a great mistake
to fancy that they lot of savages
When the country which they held sold
to Canada by the Hudson Bay Company Mani
toba was made province. The settlers or half
breeds demanded that their lands should be Sc
cured to them; that certain lands should be set
apart for maintaining schools; that other lands
should be kept for the benefit of their descend
ants The Canadian government conceded the
justice of their claims, but did not comply with
them till forced to do SO by the rebellion
of 1870, when Rel first appeared on the
scene. Now the people of the st. Laurent dis
trict are demanding just what was granted
to their fellow settlers in Manitoba. Their de-
mands are those of an enlightened and civilized
community. They simply ask for their right
for justice. They have been robbed by the weak
and dishonest Governor of the Northwest Terri
tory, and there is complaint which should have
commanded attention at once. They have tried
to get their right by petition and through the
proper channel. They invited Louis Riel to as
sst them He wrote to the government, but got
no response The inert Cabinet could not bring
themselves to do anything
'Sx months ago Sir John Macdonald was
officially notified that if the wrongs of the half
breeds were not righted, there would be trouble.
He announced that commission would be
appointed to settle the matter by arbitration.
Time wore on The rebellion was announced,
and still there was commission. Finally.
last week, Sir John Macdonald was asked if the
commission had been appointed, and he was put
to confusion and forced to admit that they had
not been named. They have been dispatched at
last. and may be able to treat with the settlers
There is significance in this rebellion which
citizens of the United States are not likely to
perceive continued the Canadian judge. ''The
rebels are sustained by very considerable por-
ton of the population of the Dominion of Can
ada. 1t is the old French English bitterness
breaking out again Many, probably, major
ity, of the SO called half breeds are of French de-
scent On that account they have the cordial
sympathy of the French element of our ropu-
lation, which is, as you know. very large and
powerful. Many Englishmen sympathize with
the rebels because they think that they have
taken up arms to secure their rights and that
the criminal delay of the government in treat
ing with them is responsible for it.
Last week prominent member arose in the
House of Parliament and introduced resolutions
severely censuring the Ministry for the feeble
hating and disastrous policy which they had
pursued toward the followers of Riel. The
resolutions discussed and many speeches
made in favor of adopting them, but they were
finally laid by for time. The mere fact that
they were introduced by an influential member
indicates that public sentiment is favorably
disposed toward the rebels 1t may ~be that
the feeling will become so strong that Sir
John Macdonald's Cabinet will be overthrown,
but l hardly look for that The great
meeting held in Montreal on Saturday afternoon,
though, lends additional gravity to the situation
There were three or four thousand people pres
ent and their voices were lifted in protest
against the government, and their expressions
were those of sympathy for the rebels. Mr..
Norman B. Trenholme, who one of the
speakers, is one of the foremost English lawyers
In Canada. great effort is being made to
secure the defeat of the Conservatives, and if
this wave of sympathy with the rebels rolls on
and gathers fuel, the political days of Sir John
Macdonald are numbered"