The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-03-13
THE PRovINCIALrsar OF CANADA
Its Causes Described rs Due to the Early
Influences In the Colony.

Az - Du0 y Inv huI
Influences in the Colony.
To THE EDITOR OF THE SuN-Sir: Your
| editorial OF the 7th inst. on The Sad Fate Of
Canada" would sting a differently organized
people into some semblance Of vitality. but on
the Canadian mind It is effort thrown away
and ammunition wasted.
The Canadian character will have to undergo
the gradual Transformation OF another century
or two before much progress toward altered
conditions can be hoped for. It Ia not claimed
that all Canadians are alike. but 1t Is true that
those who remain on Canadian soil belong to
this class. while those OF the remainder show
their appreciation OF the Dominion by leaving
IL for the United States in large umbers at
every opportunity.
The early history Of Canada. so different
from that OF the English settlements. has left .
deep impression and marred its subsequent
career. the effect OF which It still feels. and
from which II seems destined to suffer for o
long period to come.
1t was recruited In the days OF the old re-
Rime in Canada Z" from the ranks OF the French
Catholic p~easantry exclusively. who. urged by
religious fervor or stimulated by love OF ad-
venture. trained to passive submission pri-
marily to their religious teachers. and Sec
oudarily to the Crown. h%abituated to absolute
dependence on both for their spiritual and ma
VNAhAso oAAe sou ~ " Aobhitty uStuutoa ny
the same handspring Of religion and adventure
as themselves. sank into a state Of indifference
and torpor. from which they have as yet
evinced no desire to rouse themselves.
After the conquest By England things went
on much the same. Their religious and politi-
cal organization was left unchanged in the
change OF masters: IL was simply substituting
George III. for Louis XIV. Difference was paid
to their prejudices and their nationality. with
| the result that for q long time they remained
an English dependency hostile to English in
iuences and ideas. yet submissive as they ever
had been. while harboring the keenest enmity
against their hereditary enemies.
The adjacent English colonies. for a. long
time numerically inferior to their northern
neighbors. had n widely different origin, drawn
from q SOURCE that was the very. pith and, mar
yotion to the principles OF religious liberty and
freedom Of worship; Nor thi. only; EpGland
until they, had attained a growth and MANI
tested q spirit Of self reliant force which made
the hold OF the mother county so 1irksome
tically ignored. left to their fate. to make their
their independent spirit, SO long out Of leading
when their, achievements made It evident that
they were desirable; o. all England's colonies
snsS e q ahis sf ~ pa n4s Ct lsaa Tf e due @G sSe n inaf rsp.
ture that led up to ultimate Independence
| 30 Canada. our northern cousin. though II
has an extended. territory. Is q barren waste
confidence, nothing but q melancholy legacy Of
two centuries Of paternalism and dependence,
and only the, gradual leayentpg processes Of
time, the extinction Of the older blood, which
L o wlh0lIy, a aIs ;nd;:.s and di n rs old i d \. nnd old
regeneration.
The policy OF France was the opposite OF that
Of England in the process OF colonization In
America. Those who could have contributed
restrained, New France must be free from the
malcontents and aRitators. whom Old France
preferred to reserve fol, massacre at home. but
meRiae sent t't tRe@ NJ forth Ss fiq With Il n great SttS p9o%peu esS-
helping them from her shores often. with no
gentle hand. and proceeded to dismiss them
from her mind. France nurturediher children,
taught theRT to rely on her for al theIE wants:
thing for them. while still neRlecttng her own.
Tho results for Canada we see to-day, while We,
the posterity OF the. neglected colonists, have
grown into one OF the greatest nations OF the
earth, "
We. therefore. on this side OF the border, ap-
preciating these limitations. will cease to WON
der that Canadians bear 80 TRANQUILITY those
conditions that. would be insupportable to us.
we Contemplate how greatly they are handi-
When American interests and American en-
terpriso pass beyond tho confines OF their own
invasion uf the. Dominion In sufficient force
and not till then, win Canada shake on the
weight Of two centuries OF apathetic inditfer-
tude Of her own possibilities. which. Joined to
our matchless genius for government, will
BRooKLYN, March 10. j. Z. RUSSELL.