Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-12-29
Want to Shake off the Rule
of Great Britain.
VIEWS OF THE LEADERS
Are Opposed to Sending Any More
Canadian C0ntingents to South
Africa-Premier Laurier in a Most
Difficult Position.

New York, Dec. ga special to the
World from Ottawa, says One grave
result to Canada of war in South Africa
is the arousing of all the latent hostility
to British rule in Canada among the
French in Quebec province.
Recent mutteringS, OF a possible Anglo
French conflict have aggravated the anti
British sentiment there and strengthened
the desire among French Canadians for
the independence of Canada. The dream
off the great majority in French Canada
is not now a new France on the banks
OF the st. Lawrence, but another indie
.penden state on the continent of Almeri-
ca.
So deeply imbued is the French Cana
dian population With the idea of an ulti-
innate independence Of this country that
not a few consider the time about ripe
for it. This idea is voiced in a recent
letter from d. Monet, M. p, to the Press
of Montreal. He writes:
II do not wish to spend one cent to
bind any closer the bonds-except THE
commercial ~bonds-which unite us to
Great Britain. We have almost nothing
in common with the Old continent. l am
a Canadian and my idea is to see Canada
take rank among the Independent nations
as soon as it will be sufficiently developed
Thy the vitality of it's population and the
immensely of its natural resources"
MI. Monet, as we'll as Mr.. Bourassa, M.
p, who has already acted upon his pro-
test against aiding Britain by ~resigning
his seat in parliament, is among the ablest
of the members Of the commons from
Quebec.
And now another French member of
parliament, Mr.. Chauvin. is heard pub
licly ~denouncing the sending of Canadian
At a public meeting held at st. Jerome,
Quebec, Mr.. Chauvin said he knew the
electors would approve when he told them
that he had decided to struggle in parlia-
ment against imperialism and against inn
perial federation, military or political,
with England.
AT the same meeting G.. A.. Mantel, min
lister OF public works for quebec, spoke in
the same strain and strongly denounced
the imperialism which Lord Mimic and
General Hutton are trying to fasten upon
the country"
This French newspapers are not less
emphatic. L~'Evenment. the leading con-
~servative journal of Quebec, says the
Anglo-Bocr war is unjust and provoked
for speculative ends by the ambitious
Chamberlain. After Violently denounc-
ing him., it asks:
is it necessary for the Trench-Cana-
dians to play the role OF slaves to prove
their loyalty to England and to merit the
delightful Friendship of :ne English. in
Canada? Must we be guided in our
thoughts by cur mistress C1ngland); es-
pouse all her quarrels, just or unjust; fur.
nish targets for her enemy's guns; APP
'Dplaud her damnable acts and proclaim a
victory when her army suffers defeat?'
In Quebec the popular cry is against
imperialism and for the Independence OF
Canada. In Ontario and other English
speaking provinces IT is for closer union
with the British. crown. Premier Laur-
Ter. finds himself placed between two in
e~xtinguishable fires. either CT which may
eventually consume him and his govern
ment.