Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1889-02-21
CANADA.

Would Its Annexation to the United
States Prove Mutually Advantageous,
or Otherwise
Portland oregonian.l
An Ottawa special Of the 9th inst.
intimates that there is a strong and
rapidly-increasing party in Canada,
whose avowed purpose Is union be.
tween the United States and the Do.
minion. 1t is reported tha, the So
: called Liberal party Of Canada is like.
ly to espcuse openly the issue of com.
mercial union with the United states.
The current number of the Forum
contains an interesting article on
"Obstacles to Annexation" from the
pen of the Marquis of Lorne, the late
Governor General Of Canada. The
Marquis has been snubbed by the
court party in England as ope My as
any man is who marries the Queens
daughter, but he writes Of Canadian
annexation with degree of sense
and literary ability that has never been
manifested by any of his worthless
royal brothers-in- law.
The Marquis of Lorne seeks to
answer the question, "Does Canada
want a change ,? Do the United
States want change ?" The hostile
force to annexation has usually been
rated as the loyal English and Scotch
blood, but Lorne argues that the
strongest opposition would come from
the French population of VIVA: is
called Lower Canada and is now
called Quebec Province. This race
are the hardest, heal.hiest, most pro-
life people in Canada. A distin-
guished Scotch physician of Montreal
is quoted, who says that after "mak-
ing examination for long series of
years into the physical powers of the
young men of different blood in that
city, be had found the French Cana
dian youth to excel all the others -
English, Scots, Irish. or Scandina-
vians-in general muscular power"
Families of 20 and even 30 children
are known among these primitive
people. and large families are the
invariable rule. This physical power
and endurance of the French Cana.
dian is not exaggerated by Lorne. In
the New England States, where he
has become more or less corrupted by
contact with American life the French |
Canadian is notorious for agility,
endurance and hardiood. In the
timber country of Northern New
England no man can handle an ak
with such strength and skill as the
French Canadian chopper. In Lower
Canada this vigorous, prolific race
are not dissipated; they live in small
villages in primitive way; they are
simple in their habits, virtuous, p,ous
to the point of superstition, subservi.
ent to their priests, who, like all
priests in all times, are obsequious
partisans Of the government. The
Canadian French cling to the woods
and the country, the survival of the
gypsy blood of his ancestors, the
coureurs DIES bois, who threaded the
rivers and thickets of Canada as far
back as the days of Marquette, Joliet
and Frontenac. The rustic French
Canadian of Lower Canada, in bis
sobriety, industry, thrift, and his
Difference to the authority of his
priest, is little changed from what he
was $50 years ago. AS a survival of
an old conservative, vital civilization
that has successfully resisted the
impact and attrition of its neighbors,
French Canada is the China Of North
America. They are an, enduring,
vital, industrious, but not an am
bilious, race, for their performance is
limited by the authority of their
priests, and the priests openly urge
their focks to vote with the conserva-
tive party. Transplant to Lower
Canada the simple peasantry of La
Vendee that, under the summons of
their priests, made that terrible revolt
against the first French revolution,
and you would have the French Can.
adam peasantry of Lower Canada
to-day.
Lorne probably is right when he
says that the French Canadla ian peas
antrv of Canada Of one blood and one |
birth, ignorant, upright, superstitous,
would, under the influence of these
priests, he q unit politically against
annexation. On this hardy, prolific
people, who naturally love the woods,
Lorne relies for the peopl'ng of that
vast region between Ottawa and
Hudson's Bay, which to day is but
sparsely inhabited by whites. This
French population has . certain pro-
lection for his religious prejudices
and social usages that he would not