The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-07-03
THE ANNEXATION QUESTION.
III CAUSED THE DISMISSAL ar A
3tt. CROiTN AfIORNEr.

MONTEEAI, July & Inc annexation question
hos ngain been brought prominently before
the public by tho action OF tho nowat Govern
mont In Ontario in Diminishing from of,ice
Elgin Mayors. the Crown Attorney OF Dufrerin
county. for his advocacy Of tho political union
OF Canadn with the United States. Tho full
correspondence on the subject Is published
to-day. and is significant rs showing that the
Loyalists are becoming alarmed at tho IN
crcaso in annexation feeling and havo re-
solved upon drastic measures TO nut stop to
It Tho initiative In tho dismissal OF Meyers
was taken by Sir Oliver SIowat. the cief Of tho
, Ontario Government. who was Recently
knighted by tho Queen. Hc addressed lott,r
to Mayors through his private secretary. In
which he said: with reference to two recent
pnpors which you have published. advocating
tho transfer Of Canada by its pcoplo TO n for
cign nation, tho Attorney General has recently
had his attention called to these papers. and
desires me to say that whatever may be the
strength or weakness 81 the reasons for or
against such transfer. he considers the pub
lie advocacy OF tho transfer to DO Inconsistent
with the position of public officer. aud ospe-
cially OF an offlccr who In his county has
charge Of tho administration Of Justice"
Movers at ouce replied to the Attorney Gem
eral tMowat) In n long and ablo letter. in tho
course OF which no said: .ReplyIng to yours
OF tho 9th inst. You nro certainly mistaken in
surprising that have. in any papcr. advocated
tho transfer OF Canada to o foreign land. This
was accom- lished in 1863. when ono foreign
land transferred her to another. to which sho
stu belongs: md l am not so onan,ored OF
tho result tlat desire n repetition Of tho act.
What did advocate was the reunion Of our
Canadian colony with tho English speaking
nation to the south on forms equally honora-
Bile and fair to both. In doing 81 had not tho
slightest iden that I was t,ansgressng the
rulos that govern IN oflcor in the public scr
vice. For myself / am and always havo
been n reformer and have the interests
OF the Mowat Government Mt heart ms
much as any mnn In Ontario. The question
OF continental union Is QUO which docs
not concern provincial affairs. and no ono
would regreat more than do to gee the whole
body Of ontinenta! Un!onists forced against
their will int" n position OF opposition and an
taEanism to the Ontario Government II they
aro It will not be their fault. As for myself. as
tho personal recipient. Of iavors from that
Government. and from its leooer. it causes mo
counter to the desires OK the Attorney Con
eral even on matter which deem OF private
concern: but at the risk Of being misconstru9
and misunderstood. sa" that Il IL q matter Of
principle with me and however poor my ahil-
tho rest of my i;fe. @ exertod to give my ma:
two country a position where It will command
respect. and become the homo of independent
Mowat again wrote Meyers. expressing his
roGrot that sne iatter snond ace no oplecti2ns
people to withdraw their allegiance to her Ma.
lesty being made q an oillSer Of rhs Crown
tho administration Of Justice. and who had
taSen tho oath q allegiance to her MAJESTY in
SSsstias Roil,Ica Il anoS VII TIE states IL
his views on this point very clearly:
Tue views tako are shortly these; that in
@ al hen to AZ te
sadimsnt or at least the repressnsative. etthe
Canadian people.iIn q country whore renub-
n crowned head who; By ths WY: does not
ono s can serve his County,. Wit I means his
aEns an oath Msh ths
namo Of tho Queen is mention cd as represen.
tative Of The people merely. That this must.
II Eo vsw he Ssa5 the fact that
maintain BY their acts that they. would con-
s s x%ss tSey eoniiefed thsif tenure q Office
In this sense. it seems to me. the states
men Of England from tho time o. the stuarts
sTn @a 81 sfd aSa
mnsitpd.s OF lesser s men WI" are now re.
liciy advocating these views. II there IL any
sans 10 fTs not snd the
courage a aud 0 eomardce meley fa take fe that
tho Christian Instrumentation under which We
its most distinguishing sharacterls 2ies as
COMPARED with the old. VIZ: that al sin or
and a s the
expression OF the thought or in acts. II thou
look upon woman to lust after hor thou hast
m m NJ hnr olraa ~ In mn
heart and kindred passages Illustrate this.
This bong the case. where would the doc,
eSsa hss "a Hss
faqey 81 TIE argument nm Is froIueniy detected;
hold Unionist views. wheher no. publicly
them Ph; Or nc" be ds9ya ana
resT wSSa III thH a9 public offices Of our
own conntry. but In tho interests of q eonnec-
ton WITH h imPefia! Gnr"ps an quite pre-
letision x do what Is right i am prepared
10 It's cxtrcinc limit in this case, and il l con-
sldered myself in advocating Unionist Vows
& oas at q S s@py
ttas Logical consequences that would ensue
the serious conseQuenceS OF such u stop. IL
one consider tho ground before making It.
own on the subject Of our country's future nd-
vocaty anything injurious to her Majesty In
fact. they are FIRMLY convinced that a sever:
ance Of the connecti0n with the empire would
but also to the empire; but. be that as i may,
We only advocate the change OF relations
by appeals e thn rea ON 0: tho people; and ty
surely belongs to every British subject. from
tha hlThoIt official to tho lowest private citizen
:, MeysEs,s .. refusal TO DO bnlldozed seems to
Imedia,tf,!y wrote dcmanding Meycrs's resGnp-
t. tho demand. and deiiyered the following
parting shot at Sir Oliver Mowat
Government which condemns mo for OK
Press PRESSING my views lHcauso they happen to
ton NOR" worthy Of Russia Than Of a, country
possessing British institutions which 1t pliO-
fehses 10 adm ire so much. 1t will 10 an net Of
tyranny so utterly unjustinablo that for one
cannot see my way clear to aid II In its con-
demnatlon by resiGning my office"
Meyers was thcreupon dismissed without
ceremony. ~. dismissal has, raised reflect
storm ot Indignation among those friendly to
his yilYs Tho advocates of political union
protest against Mowat's action os one Of petty
tyranny. and even those who have no SYM
pathy with annex alton admit that II Is a great
.taNu Ia. L. III l.l. . ,A.n L.