Evening star., 1898-08-27

country. When the late Sir John MacDon-
aid and others proposed the confederation
| of the provinces. some of them were averse
to the scheme. particularly those at a dis
tance. Indeed. British Columbia did not
enter the confederation for some time after
its formation, and Newfoundland is still
an Independent colony.
But, besides the organized provinces.
there was the great then unknown terri
tory lying between Ontario and British
Columbil, then named the Hudson Bay ter
ritory or Rupert's Land. The seat of this
territory, if seat il might be called was at
Fort Garry, now Winnipeg, in the province
of Manitoba. II peopled largely by
Frenclmen and French Canadian half
breeds, but contained quite a spriukling OF
Scotch, Americans, Irish, English and
few Germans.
In the negotiations pending confederation
no notice vas taken of these people. and
when it was consrmmated Sir John Mac
Donald sent a governor. appointed by him
self as premier of the dominion. to Fort
Garry to take charge of the territory. The
wCuld-be governor never reached there,
for, before he arrived. the people were up
in arms, and had organized a provisional
government of which one Louis Riel was
president and w. b. O'Donoghue secretary
of state.
Theater of Activities.
Fort Garry became at once theater Of
activities, and attracted a number OF ad-
venturers from all quarters. The provision
al government at first affected to be thor
oughly loyal to the British government,
and to only claim the right to govern itself
and join or not Join the confederation, as
its people might decide. But il was soon
bruited about that there a strong an
nexation sentiment in the territory of
which O'Donoghue was the head. The
English, Scotch and Germans were all loyal
to Great Britain, while the Americans and
Irish were in favor OF annexation, the
French being divided. the conservatives.
headed by Archbishop Tache. being for
England and large number OF liberals
for annexation to the United States.
Pending these internal troubles in the
territory England sent out Colonel VOLS
ley (now Sir Garnet. the commander-in-
chief of the British army, and he, enter
ing the territory under a plea OF friendship,
arrested all the leaders who had not fled
and abolished the provisional government.
The upshot of the matter was that an
agreement was entered into by which the
people around Fort Garry were 10 have
province of their own, now Manitoba. the
rest of the territory being organized under
the confederation.
The annexationists were neither dead nor
disheartened, however.
Commissioner O'Donoghue.
AS soon as Wolsley departed they or
ganized and deputed O'Donoghue. who had
escaped to St. Paul, to wait on the Presi-
dent of the United States and ask annexa-
ton of their province in the name OF its
people. His commission read as follows:
We, the undersigned, the representatives
and other officers OF the late provisional
government of Rupert's Land and the
Northwest, delegate VIM. b. O'Donoghue
to proceed to United States OF America TO
seek their sympathy and aid in behalf of 4
small weak people struggling for their
rights and liberties and for their independ-
ence. We have your sympathy. We beg
you to aid US in any manner possible. Our
forefathers have fought and bled for your
independence. Consequently we have
claim on you not to be denied.
"Frenchmen, Irishmen and Americans. in
blood, never in the worst state of slavery.
reach their hands to you for succor. Will
you, can you refuse US that? Mo- AS we
desire to be Independent we equally desire
to be one day one people with you, enjoy
ing the blessings Of free and happy insti-
tutions, as 1t is your happy lot to enjoy.
Signed this Sd day of October, 1870.
Francois Vorier Dauphines, Rev. Pere
Simonet, o. NJ. T.; j. b. Sourond Louis
Lacerte, Pierre Delorme, Pierre Poitias F.
H. Page dit QuintaI, Raphael Bellefouin.
Marcelle Roy Nerbain Delorme, Norbert
Deslauriers. Hugh F. Olono, VIM. Kenney,
Henry Brousquet, A. II. Scott"
Proposition Not Favored.
ODonoghue proceeded to Washington
and had an interview with President Grant
anu olner government officials, but the
proposition was not well received and fell
through. O'Donoghue subsequently at
tempted raid from Minnesota into Mani
toba, but was arrested by the United States
government. He died in Minnesota where
a monument is erected to his memory. He
claimed a large part of the site of the
present city of Winnipeg, worth between
S2,00o.000 and 100000, and partly on thai
account and partly because of his annexa-
ton sentiments was the only one of the
then leaders who was not pardoned.
Riel, who was pardoned for his part In
the affair of 1870, subsequently Joined a
later rebellion farther west and was ar
rested and hanged.
O'Donoghue and his supporters claimed
that England had no just claim to the Hud-
son Bay territory; that il was peopled from
the United States on the south and not
from the east or north. and that Great
Brftain's only claim was based on the fact
that few English vessels had been wreck
ed on Hudson's Bay, and their crews made
a temporary residence on its shores. How
ever that may be, and IL seems reasonable
had the Northwest Territory been annexed
to the United States, the backbone of the.
confederacy would have been broken. Brit.
Ssh Columbia would not have Joined il, and,
III their own good time. all the different
provinces. like ripe apples. would have
dropped in the lap of the United States, a
course prompted both by nature and their
interests, and the conference at Quebec
would not be now In session