The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-02-26
TREASON IN CANADA.

Sir John A. Macdonald has fred his big
gun in tie Canadian canvass. He charges
the Liberal leaders with treason and pub
fishes certain letteTs-which must have been
opened in the postoffice and copied-going
to show that the subject of the annexation
of Canada to the United States had been
seriously considered by Mr.. Farrar, editor
of the Toronto Globe, Mr.. Goodwin Smith
OF Toronto, MT. Erastus Wiman of New
York and Congressm an Hit Of Illinois. II
does not appear that there was any. con-
spiracy, or that anybody contemplated an
appeal 10 arms. or even an active agitation
for the severance of the colonial tie; the
gent lemen accused merely discussed the
subject Of annexation in a philosophical
spirit as an abstract question of politics.
But even this, in Sir cohn's opinion, con-
stltuted the crime Of treason, and he now
appeals to the loyalty of Canadians to crush
out the traitors aud to vote him and his
friends once more into power.
Sir John Macdonald has lived n century
100 late. 1t was in the eighteenth and not
tne nineteenth century that the contempla-
sio- % changes IN the Government of
I ~. constituted the crime of treason.
tries. nothing constitutes treason brt 80 ti'o
actual leyying Of war upon the Govorr
ment, and, certainly. neither MIR. Farrar nor
MI. Goodwin Smith have been buying arms
with view to an Instruction. They have.
been guilty OF nothing worse than indulging
III calm contemplatve discussion of the
relative merits OF the colonial condition and
OF independence under the stars and stripes
Ihry are IN position to retort upon Sir
John III the language of Patrick HENRY
II mat be treason, make the most of it,"
neither Canadians would be better off IL
they Were American citizens Is a question so
extensively Canadian that it is hardly be-
Coming w Americans to express.an opinion
oH IT, II IS their business, not ours. We
cannot help noticing that a system of Gov-
eminent which confers sunren,a newer nm.
SO obviously superdnnuated' a noli,ioio, %
DIT Johh can hardly be said In vieId good
Iitlls also, mat a political condition nd
winch canada stagnates while its neinli,a.
advance in population and wealth de- W,
commend itself to the outside observer. b.
it is not our fight In the interest Of civi,
izatlon, and 10 view OF our close proximity
to Canada, Americans may perhaps. enter.
tain regret that our neigbbors, according
10 the doctrine Of their Prime Minister
should be debarred the right of discussing
the institutions under which they live, or OF
NOhTlNNiibS pAOJNNLo lOl tI4C DtlltIHtDL Ol
their condition. But that is their concern,
We presume that if Count TolstOi in Rus.
STA should contribute to his Moscow maya.
zlne a series Of articles going TO show that
the happiness Of the Russian people would
DC promoled by the overthrow of the i'm
i peIlai monarchy, the Monarch at st. Peters
~. Duls "ouIu Deapt to invite him to- spend
~, ,in ieI''anaer OF his days at penal sta
ton ~ SIBERIA But it had not been
Oh Canadians we're tied, or tbot tho
colonial eOnd was so sacred ,ntns
,lat IL was Treason to discuss its yaIna
NOT; indeed. IN the past, has there bean ~
the dominion any limit to free speech ~ ~
elat SUBJECT. Over forty years ago VIA
Oh 'ohh macdonald was in the Inn vig.-
o iaAnhoods q movement Tor anpey allan
| waf openly set on fool IN what = non I'm spa.