The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1911-03-17

". u. VONW. W0U0q6Cs
Most.of these people came intending to
homestead in Manitoba, but found
conditions more favorable on this side
of the line, We can bear personal wit
ness that these people were almost
invariably SO intensely loyal to- Great
Britain that twas with the most ex-
treme reluctance that they consented
to take the oath of allegiance to the
United States, and wesfear it wasa ways
taken>with mental reservation that it
would only last until they had proved
up on their homesteads. But five years
afterwards these same people came to
courtand took out their final papers
with actual pleasure. They had trans
ferred their loyalty to the new country
fully and completely.
Needless to say thatsuch people with
such strong feelings of loyalty have
made the very best tpossible citizens.
With many of our other immigrants
loyalty has to be a matter of education n,
with, the Canadians lt.was just q matter
of transfer. Not that they loved the
old the'less but that they loved the new
the more.
The, reverse of this process ls now
going on in the Canadian northwest.
Thousands of Americans are daily be-
coming British subjects-and we believe
they will, make the very best sort OF
citizens in the new country, just as did
the Canadians who came here, and
largely from the sentiment of loyalty to
country that they learned in the United
States. because, loyalty to country
has ltsibeginnlng in loyalty to mans
own homevan household. Loyalty if
transcribed "law-to-all' would express
the same meaning. Government is law
law is protection-home is the protected.
AS Canada is now there are many
objections to annexation. The north
west provinces doubtless could be
assimilated within the United States
without much friction of any kind.
The people of the Canadian northwest
are largely identical in blood and tradi-
tion with the northwestern states. But
eastern Canada has many ,prejudices,
national, religious and pnlitical that
would not readily merge with our
present institutions, customs and laws.
AS yet and for many years these pre-
judices will remain. They have EXISTED
for more than two centuries and the ten
dency there has always been to ,perpetu-
al these differences There is a French
and an English Canada, there is a
Catholic and Protestant Canada, with
divided lines As distinct as the boundary
at the 49th parallel. While me also
have differences of national birth and
religion. the tendency in this country
has always been to merge such differ
ences at least as Ear as the government
is concerned and all nationalities are
rapidly assimilated as matter of
course.
But as the years go ON these two
countries, so one in blood, so one ia the
principles of government, so one In
aims and objects, must necessarily grow
into closer and closer union. The 49th
parallel and tariff walls have not kept
back the thousands OF Canada's best
people from coming across, and thou
sands of Americans are now peopling the
Canadian northwest while hundreds are
going into manufactures in the eastern
provinces. Blood is thicker than water
and in this instance the water is the
Atlantic ocean while the blood is inter-
mingled and intermingling.
Reciprocity is but an Incident of
history. No matter which way it may
be settled it will still but EN-.
phasize the situation. Manitoba is
today far more closely united to North
Dakota than is New Mexico. and
Ontario and New York are more closely
knit than British Columbia and Nova
Scotia.
But, as we have said, the possibility
Of annexation is proven by the interest
in the subject, but the probabilitiesl
depend very largely Of the future.
There is enough in sight that almost |
anyone may guess what might happen
but no living man may prophecy whom.
Petstses.
hAve Q quantity OF flne potatoaa5 B n. |