Year: 1865

these inconsistent opinions perplexed the
country, and have shown that from the
first the government have never that view
of the situation which we have right to
expect.


Mr.. Bright followed He thought
Parliament should understand that there
is no power whatever in the United King
dom to defend successfully the territory
of Canada against the United States; but
denied that the American Government
entertained any idea of attacking that
province. He remarked: "There is not
man in the United States probably,
whose voice or opinion would have the
smallest influence, who would recommend
or desire that an attock should be made
by the United States on Canada, with the
view of its forcible annexation to the
Union Hear, hear. There have been
dangers, as we know, on The frontier late
ly. The Canadian people have been no
wiser than some members of this House,
or a great many men among the richer
classes in this country When the refu-
gees from the SOUTH am not speaking
Of the respectable, honorable men from
the South. many Of whom have left that
country during their troubles, aud for
whom feel the greatest commisseration
but | mean theruiiauS from ,he South,
of whom large numbers have entered
Canada. and who have employed them
selves in a course Of policy likely to en-
broil as with the United States-when
they en- cred Canada phe Canadians treat
ell them with far too much consideration.
They expressed very openly opinions hos
tile to the United States have not sylla-
bic to say against Canada. The Canadl-
an people found they were wrongj they
have now returned to their right minds,
and there is not man in Canada at this
moment. believe, who has any kind of
idea that the United States government
has the smallcstnotion of attacking them,
now or at any future time, on account OF
anything which has t0nspired between
Canada and ,he United States.


IF there comes a war in which Cana
da may be victim, it will be war got
up between The government Of Washing
ton and the government in London. and
it becomes us to inquire whether chat is at
all probable Is theie anybody in the
House in favor of such war! And l
will take the liberty of expressing this
opinion. that there has never been an ad-
ministra,ion in the United States since
the time Of the revolutionary war up to
this hour more entirely favorable to peace
with all foreign countries, and more es-
pecially favorable 10 peace whit coun-
try, than the government Of which PresI-
dent Lincoln IS the head. Hear hear.
wall undertake to say that Che most cx-
act investigator of what has taken place
will be unable to point to a single word
he president Lincoln) has said, or a su-
Gle line he has written, or a single act he
has done since his first accession to pow
er that berays that anger or passion or Ill
feeling towards this country which some
people here imagine influences the breasts
of his cabinet. IT. theD, Canada is not
for war if England is not for war, It the
Uuited States are not fer war, whence IS
the war 20 come!


There are shipowners here,
and ask them what would be the feelings
of the people OF this country if they had
suffer as The shipowners Of America have
suffered ? As a rule all their ships have
been driven from the ocean. Is there a
war party, then,i in America ! believe
there is, and it is the same party which
was the war party eighty years ago, 1t
is the parry represented by a number OF
gentlemen who sit on that bench and by
some who sit here. A laugh.1 They,
sir. in the United States who are hostile
to this country are those who were recent
ly the maloontent subjects of the right
honorable gentleman the member for
Tansworth (Laughter.) They are
those, and such as those, to whom the
noble lord at the head Of the government
offers consolation, only in such shape as
this, when he tells them that the rights
of the tenants are the wrongs OF the land
lord Hear, hear Sir, that is the on
ly war party in the days sof Lord North
But the real power of the United States
does not reside in that class. You talk
of American mobs. Excepting some poor
portion of the population ofNew York
and would not apply the word even to
them-such things as mobs in the United
States. for the sake of forcing either Con-
ntsf1f rllf