St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-01-05
MODUS VIVENDI.
Great Excitement in New Found
land Over Its Renewal.

HALIFAX, N. s., Jan. 3.-Mail adj
vices received here last night from
Newfoundland indicates that the ex-
element and Indignation over En-
glands renewal of the modus vivendi
with France are still rife. The opposi-
ton press are printing dialogues repre-
senting the colonial representatives in
conference with the British ministers.
and holding the former up to rldicule.
A dispatch from Placentia says:
Yesterdays public news announces
the deplorable fact that the Infamous
modus vivendi has been agreed to be-
tween France and England for another
year. The telegraph office was be-
siegcd Yesterday by an anxious and in
dignant public to ascertain If the report
was true. Crowds assembled near the
postoffice and in the strongest terms
condemned the treacherOus act. Many
suggested to pull down from the court
house the flag of England that had been
sailed under for so many years and to
hoist in it's stead the stars and stripes
and appeal to America for protection.
The governor will be urged to call
meeting of the legislature and condemn
in strongest terms the cOwardly act OF
Premier Whiteway in conserving to
renewal of the modus yivendi.
The dispatch also says:
Z When Lord Knutford'S dispatch to his
eXcellency the governor was given to
the public, we finally recognized that
the days of Newfoundland's existence
as self-governing colony were num-
bered. We then abandoned all the
hopes which we had vainly cherished
fl,a constellation nf rho c0lnDV won II
survive the shock which was admins
tered to it by the events of nine months
ago. But we had not expected that the
death blow would be dealt so soon.
When his lordShip passed sentence on
us he held out some hopes of respite.
1T can hardly be anticipated" he
said, ''that any immediate conclusion
can be arrived at between the two gov
elnmentS. Perhaps it is as well that
the suspense is over. The end has
come only few weeks or months earlier
than was anticipated. Preparations for
the funeral are just little hurried. that
is all. AS the Indians used to sacrifice
Oh the grave of the fallen chief the rich
est of his possessions, we may fifty burn
now the charter OF our independence,
as we'll as that other charter which guar
anteed us in our former possessions
upon the word of honor of her majeSty's
ministers. Britain'S oldest colony is
dead and dishonOred in articuto morris.
but her children survive to cherish the
memory of her wrongs. Now are the peO-
pie of Newfoundland going to respect
this new modus vivendi ? This is the
question that Grea Britain will do well
to seriously ask herself. She must
remember that there is no imperial or
local statute under which she possesses
authority to enforce this arrangement.
The Newfoundland legislature will
not, it dares not, give her this authority,
and our people will most certainly de-
cline to yield obedience to regulations
which illegally interfere with them in,
the prosecution of their lawful indus
tries. Great Britain, then, before she
can hope to enforce this modus yivendi
for second time upon the people OF
New Foundland, must pass an imperial
coercion act. Does she dare do this !?
If Newfoundland stood alone, she
would dare and do its Though the old
est we are amongst the weakest OF
Great Britain's children. We have no
might of our own to resist this unnatural
tyranny, but happily for us we be-
long to Il strong and united family.
We have strong brethren who will
cudiupIOil US III d cause WAlCH 10 do
much theirs as ours, and to them we
will appeal. To impose a. coercion act
upon Newfoundland is to menace
every other dependency of the crown
with the same indlgnity. Can Canada
see her sister colony stripped by the
motherland of her dearest possession
without fearing that the same fate may
some day overtake herself? Will far
Australia. with her aspiration towards
imperial rule, tamely suffer the crown
to encroach upon the privileges of colo
NAL /parliaments and engage in un-
authorized traffic in the property and
rights of colonial sfleemen2 ToCanada,
then to Au tralia, and to every colony
over which the British flag waves. we
appeal for assistance in securing that
justice and that mercy which Great
Britain denies TO our own unsupported
petition, and we shall not cry to them in
yain.'