IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 5, /. [/. 1.0 I.I tii |2g |25 |5o ^^™ B^B Ui 1^ |2.2 2.0 ^^ 1.8 L25 iU IIIIII.6 y: *V"^ V '^' 7 /A CIHk^/ICMH Microfiche Series. CIHM/ICMH Collection de microfiches. Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproductions Institut Canadian de microreproductions historiques 1980 Technical Notes / Notes techniques The Institute has attempted to obtain the best original copy available for filming. Physical features of this copy which may alter any of the images in the reproduction are checked below. Coloured covers/ Couvertures de couleur L'Institut a microfilm6 le meilleur exemplaire qu'il lui a 6tA possible de se procurer. Certains d6fauts susceptibles de nuire A la quality de la reproduction sont notis ci-dessous. D Coloured pages/ Pages de couleur Th( pot of filn Th« coi or 1 apr D Coloured maps/ Cartes gdographiques en couleur D Coloured plates/ Planches en couleur Th« filn insi D D Pages discoloured, stained or foxed/ Pages dicolordes, tachet^es ou piqu6as Tight binding (may cause shadows or distortion along interior margin)/ Reliure serri (peut causer de I'ombre ou de la distortion le long de la marge intdrieure) D D Show through/ Transparence Pages damaged/ Pages endommagAes Ma in c upF bot foil D Additional comments/ Commentaires supplAmentaires Bibliographic Notes / Notes bibliographiques D D Only edition available/ Seule Mition disponible Bound with other material/ Reli6 avec d'autres documents D D Pagination incorrect/ Erreurs de pagination Pages missing/ Des pages manquent D Cover title missing/ Le titre de couverture manque D Maps missing/ Des cartes g6ographiques manquent D Plates missing/ Des planches manquent D Additional comments/ Commentaires supplAmentaires The images appearing here are the best quality possible considering the condition and legibility of the original copy and in keeping with the filming contract specifications. Les images suivantes ont At* reproduites avec le plus grand soin. compte tenu de la condition et de la nettet« de I'exemplaire film*, et en conformity avec les conditions du contrat de filmage. The last recorded frame on each microfiche shall contain the symbol —►(meaning CONTINUED"), or the symbol V (meaning "END"), whichever applies. Un des symboles suivants apparaftra sur la der- nlAre image de cheque microfiche, selon le cas: le symbols — ► signifie "A SUIVRE", le symbols y signifie "FIN". The original copy was borrowed from, and filmed with, the kind consent of the following institution: Library of the Public Archives of Canada Maps or plates too large to be entirely included in one exposure are filmed beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to right and top to bottom, as many frames as required. The following diagrams Illustrate the method: L'exemplaire film* fut reproduit grftce A la gAn6rosit6 de l'6tablissement prAteur suivant : La bibliothique des Archives publiques du Canada Les cartes ou les planches trop grandes pour Atre reproduites en un seul clich6 sont filmies A partir de I'angle supArieure gauche, de gauche d droite et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images nAcessaire. Le diagramme suivant illustre la m^thode : 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 8 8 DO , AN OPEN LETTER ON THE QOESTUN i DO YOU WANT ANNEXATION TO THE UNITED STATES ? WRITTEN TO AN AMERICAN FRIEND, By " BASTION OLD." i ^J^ TORONTO: 0. PERQU80N, Printer, 67 Adelaide St. West. 1890. IK) ^■0^ WAN'!' ANMCXATION TO THE UNITED STATES? r . J-r-C . o 11 \MI1 TON, OnT., Fcl.niiirv !). IH'.K). ^h l)i;\ii Sin, I ^\ils placed in receipt of your favdv of the liiUli uliinio in which you (lesirc; me lo expres-^ my opiin'on upon •• ihc anMexatinn m()\e- meiit " in Canada. 1 would say in reply that tlie so called "movcJiu'iit ' lias no existence in the minds ot' loyal ]5ritish Canadians or outside of what is known as tlu' •• (liirr" (callel /-///• rrnlli-iin the "Hcfonii") party ami oidy anioii;,' an in.sij^'uificani faction of them, Avl.ich faction is loyal oidy to their ow.i side of parly politics. There are in Canada as in the InitcMl IStates two j^real jiolitical parties, these art- sulidivided upon minor (juestions; one is (Vf,7( / the "J'efonn" or -'(Iril" parfy ; the other is the Ijiheral Consi'i'vative party. The tir>it immtd art' out of ])ower and olVice, the second is in oitice and power and lively to remain so, hecause they are the party who have carried the count rv ihrouuh all its perils and succu'sses in the |)a.~t and linve mad?' it what it is. in point of pros[)erity. iind manufacturing' and eomniercial ad- vaiu-ement, an- vince of Canada (now coiistiiutinj^ tlie Provinces of Ontario and (Quebec) that certain Oreai Roads should he constructed so as to facilitate com- munication between the Provinces from east to west and tire nisa. It was their idea of puttinj:; down laih-oads between the water stretches of the i^reat lakes and rivers in ihe North West so as to connect (Jntario with British Columbia and avail themstlves of the navigation of tho water stretches by steamhoais ^ind other means of inter-eonimunication. and put down railroads across tln^ plains, and comi)lete a through lun^ from \'anc()uver to the railroad system of Ontario, so tliat all this would be closed up in winter, because in their simplii^ity they thought the plains would oidy be traversable in sinnmer, on account of the depth of snow in winter, and that system was to be completed in ten years. That government went out of oflice as the resulting cause of a general election which took place in lH7S, at which the two great parties con- tended ujion the general National poiiv-v, upon the want of enterprise of the so calhnl " l-teform " party, and upon their desire to cultivate com- mercial amity and amenities with the Cnited States to the siicrifict of our own ('ommereial. Agricultural and Manufacturing interests. The country sustained tlie aims of the laberal Conservatives ajul their pi-o- {X)sed National Policy, so that tho so called "Keformers" or "Grits'* were outnumbered at the polls; the "Grit" ministry resigned and Sir John Macdonald was called to form a Govenmieiit. which he did. Hits Ministry hiis been sustained by the countxw for eleven yeai*s, and has stood before the Klectoi's and their policy endorsed at three ditlei'ent geneml elections. They are as firmly fixed in power as they were when first (Milled to power in 1878. In these circumstances and in this time they have fostered a National Policy which has opened up vast manufactures throughout the older set- tled parts of Ontario, Quebec and the Maritime Provinces, and Fisheries and Industries of various kinds: water power which was in various places comparatively idle, unopened and uni'iuployed, are now being utilized for 8 nianufacturiiii,' and iiuiusirial purposes. Our Farmers are now prosjier- ous. and our cduiitry lias },'rowii in struuf/tli, wealth and population. I do not speak or refer to the present ilepressed state of trade hecause that is not peculiar to Canada but connnon to the whole coniniercial world. In a word the country has awakened from a condition of comparative torpor to that of livinjj; activity. The Ministry in power dropped the idt;a of the water stretches and short railroads between them and the ex- pense of locomotives on every little railroad between the water stretches and keeping ever\ thin;,' asleep and idle during the winter, and awoke to the necessitv of a through rail route from hence to Vancouver i)i J^ritish Columbia, wliich should be kept open in winter as well as in summer. Instead of completing this nndertakir.g in '/Wj i/enrs they did it all in ForR YKAKs! Tliev h.'ve since opened up commimications between .Ja- pan and China with Canadii. and it is part of their scheme to establish direct mail Steamship st-rvice, and passenger and trading lines and routes with Australia and New Zealand, so as to make the Canadian Railway the highway biitween these countries and colonies and Crreat Britain, and still this party of progress is called the " 7' to result' whcri'- t\in' ill the Iniifd Stales or elstnvliere aiiywliere that eiLlit-r luisiiioHH, or heallli, or convenience mij^ht soetn to rtifonimend tin in lo yo. We should \h' >j;hu[ and the country would do well to get rid of them, and as they would answer well to stir up the luiarehistio element in your cities which has been so lar;^'ely iinportiMl from l-^urope, and is of such acunow- led^'cd pow«'r, that we would prefer their ciijoyin",', to th(^ full, a'l the sweets of American liherty, as it is calli'd. v hifdi is so much a[)preii;ited by deniaj^OLfues of thoir stamp, for th(\v are more needed in >aur cointtry than iliey are in ours. The rank and file of those people ])rate lunl sympathise and synipa thise and pr.'ite about " Home Uule for Ireland," and with Home Uuiers — Feniana, and " I'lan of Campaijirners " with their dynnmitanla and se- cret plotters and assassins, because they are tlieinselves disloyal. I am finite aware that the "drit" party do not ttii Ixdong to this cate- f,'ory. There are a {^reat many honest, loyal, peacedovinj,' citizens in the so called "ileform party" hut the rank and file are disloyal to the coun- try, and would do auythiti': that mij^'ht oust or overturn the party in yxnvor. It is amonj^st them and hy sonu' of them and soiiif oj thtiu onh/, that all agitation, (if I may call it so) ha.s been l)ron<:lit al)out. which you are pleased to term "the proposed Ainiexation of ("aiuida" to your own 'Country and Government, hut they arc a very small minority of our people. I am aware that Mr. Eidstus Wiman, a Canadian, residing in New York, outside of the Congress at Washington and soiiii' of your Jje'j:isla- tors inside the Congress have made a consirit;iin. ami ITer Majesty's liepresentative sent out as Cbjvenier-Cieneral of Camida under a limited Monarch_\, such as we enjoy at ))r(VH'!it, than all the everviiryin^ and senseUss chanj^es which your system bej,'et'=! — with an occasional outburst of niol)-rule or touch of over-powerinj,' demap);,'ery thrown in — wlii(di y^wr more uncertain rule of the soverei<,'n jK'ople secures, nnd which is i^'norantly and vulj^'arly miscnlled " Liberty." The Enf,'lish speakini,' and I'Vanch speakinpr loyalists of Canada are like Mii\ O'Rell's typical Eiif^'lislunan. whom he describes as "the staunchest " monarchist, and at the same time, the freest ; ■■'■ " * which proves that " freedom is compatil)le with a monarchical so^tiniment. There is no " Fri'Tich lejj:itimist more loyal thiin he. there is no '• '■ ' Kei)ul)lican "more passionately fond of liberty: nay, 1 will ,<,'o so fur iis to say. thiit It '* in Friincj', |)«l woman, nuiy carry a weapon as ho ov slu' lists, wherewitli to slay, a neii^'hhor, for any on'(;nco however trivial, and hecause the ])eople ve])resented hy a mob may do anythinfr with im))unity, is somethinj^ we cannot join ni approv- in<:. The rule is for all sucli, in your country, and under your democracy, to alway-: hunting' for troublf, and nudcuiLT it sure. Your popidation. once wise, law abiding, Tiod fcai-iinr. patriotic and virtuous by reason of importations of thy recrement of other countries has got beyond tlie control of \our own laws — so tha' ,,. , laces, the very preaching of the Gospel has become an oifenct i i" en are not only so much la" ond the restraints of law, nu rality and -lij^'ion that the desecration of the Lord's j)ay, once halloW'Hl and 1 as a day of rest, has, un rule and !i(>t tlio reception, in your *' Atioiis of America." with all its hallovscd memories of the past, and its boasted learning and reiimnient of manners, and the law imprisons those who protest against it. A case occurred not long ago where, in l>oston. for the ))ublic preaching of the Oospel of the Lord Jesus, in an open park, a minister of that (los])el. was fined and iniju'isont'd because he did not tirst obtain a so-called "permit" from iIh- Chairman of the Park Committee, and that same Chairman was "an alien '" and a li<{uor seller. There are "Americans" iuu\ Anirrinnia and it requires two entirely different kinds of men to represent them both. As we find them in the United htates. one of them f as a IVitish statesman sending nuniey to aiiy one to secure tlie office of (rovernor General of Canada, as Grover Cleve- land was said to have sent .'?»10,0()0 to Chicago, in order the better to se- cure the Democratic vote; nor do they ever stoop to do mean and con- temptible things, or resoi't to low electioneering expedients in order to propitiate political rings sucli as that of Tammany Hall. The Premier of Canada who represents the democracy of the elective element in our system of Government wisely and really exercises more power and commands more, patronage (for which he is directly responsi- ble to the people in their Parliament) than does the Governor General, 10 who roprpsents Her Majesty the Queen only, and unless he could com- mand a majority hi the democratic hranch of the Legislature he could not hold his place tor a day. Had such a vote on a general election in this country have njui.ifested the want of farther confidence of our jjcuple in linn and his Governmeiital Cabinet, as was done to (Jrover Cleveland in November, IHHM, Sir John Macdonidd would not have hold the seals of oilice for a single week, and still under vour svsteju Cl^'over Cleveland and his irresponsible Cabhiet, notwithstanding tliat verdict of the whole nation against them, held on to office for four months. Wli) did they do so? It was not because theystill represented theconhdencc of the people, but because thi.'ir time to serve in the office, like that of a tootman who has received a month's warnhig from his master, wiiich month was not expired, iind they staid in anynai/ until the office belong(;d to others by effluxion of time without reference to public confidence. The primary instincts of a British subject are that he is wilhng to be governed by those who bear rule, and he knows and feels, under our bel- ter system of Democracy, that he has a full voice in the choice of his rulers through his Parliamentary Representative. He goes tlirough the process of being ruled fi(un the cradle to the school house, and from tlie school house to the grave. Each man has a voice; and the only dill'er- ence between your system and what 1 have represented as ours, is, that you admit men to share in the Government who have never learned to either govern themselves or to submit to authority or to that which shall , be for the common weal; the very yo'' li of your country are not taught to obey or even respect their parents, much less are they taught to obey or respect rulers of llio Nation, or superiors in any rank. Look uX some of your cities. In Han Francisco only six per cent, are native Americans, all the rest are foreigners. In Chicago only from eleven to twelve per cent, are Americans, the rest are foreigners. Boston used to be governed by natives, or men with Amtr'mtn instincts; now it is almost entirely under the rule of Irish of the lowest classes. In the earlier days of colonization the strong, tlie healtliy, the enter- prising, the thrifty and the gooi> were the immigrants who peopled \ our country. From them sprang a progeny which did honor and worked benetit to your nation, but the spirit of land speculation and the rage for making money out of manufactures, by importhig cheap labor for handi- crafts, and building up manufacturing and other monopolies requiring operatives, was the means of impovtiiig the very dregs of society and the oftscourings of Europe. Until these came the Anglo Saxon race held /'//.s (icl<" which voii have prepiii'ed fof yourselves, and as you hav(; prepared it, we are willin;.; that }.)ur masters shouM lay it on, and thai we should not be mixed up with it. All the ill-f.(otten miliions of the Vanderltilts and the (ioulds and others I could name, will not save your country from ruin. We have the Mnglish, Scotch, Irish, French, (iermans. Scandinavians and otlicrs as settlers — they are comin}j;in every year -ihey are fni},'al, sober, iiidustriows; their success does not lie in tiieir numhfrs, nor does tlie lieneiit tliat their cominj,' brings with it, depend so much upon then- muscles aiid sinews as on tiieir moral wo h; tliat will bring wealth and weal with it to the Nation at large, and we would be unwilling to dilute these benelits by abandoinng our advantage to join lumds with you in national ties. Tlie great hope which Canada has as regards the future is by remain- ing under the legis of the British flag, with British modes ami liritish rule and British liberty and in federal union with the Mother land. We know what it is to share in her traditions and t/w ijlnrij i>f tlie iiramlcst Kiiijiire on enrthl We are therefore not disposed to be sniiUUil and to ex- change the advantages and liberty and protection we possess and know of for the more than uncertain or ideal advantages of belonging to a country which is truly great in its area and capabilities, in its commercial po- sition and rich productions, but which has proved, and is yearly proving a great social and governmental failure. Besides it would involve a depth of degi'adation that we as Canadians are not capable of, to hand over our allegianc(; to fonugners. In short, Canada and Canadians are neither to be sold or given away. Look at Great Britain and France ! which have been pointed at as "v slaU.'sniL'n, hut 1 (1 )y i,!j:n(triini lHa,i;,L,'art. \uw (iiinairo.LTiU'S, rapacious niono))ohsts and rinirs. unscrupulous wnv[)ullt'rs, vanipn'fs Hi utncial si'Ik HUM'S anil parrifidt'S ! I ! \\ hicli system, h't me iisk, ladds out tin more ho|)et'ul [.I'omises ol" UIk'I'In ".' will ilraw \hU Uiw^ I'luslle lo a close iiv saving that tiiere are a thou- sand of niv uav of tliinl\in;/. who use the ar^'unu'Uts I employ, and hetter ones too on this -Mihjecl. in Canada, lor ever\ on<' vlio i-an he touiiil on ihr side of wiiat von term •• jn'op'osed annt'xation " ol ( .mada fid lo sav. in cnnclu^ioo. tha;- the arLTunuiils are es ; a to the Cuited Stat • II on mNK >\-U:: tliere are no (IK I II nil Ills that I ha\e ever hu't "Aitii on tlie otiiei'. 'i'lie mattei' has heen fuilv diMiiSMMl and di>j)osed of lotiuen. tire satisfaittion of the loyal pt'0[de oi Canada (the vast majority (>l tJie p(U)ple) on two receni occa^ioir-^, vi/ : a fe\v weeKs an'o, hy a loyal address to Ih'r Mo-;t (iracious Majesty the (^ue(ii. from the House of Commons of ( anada, as'^urini; her of (uir contimuil allection foi'. and de\dted aitaehment tn, her person and 'hione, and our dettrmijied l(]\alty to our connectioii witii tlie motherland, wliicdi was unanimously a.-S(Mited to. (It is true ihriie of the memhers slmd; away from "^ivinir tlu^r votes, hut Viill admit there are skulkers in every camp.i and. in a s])eecli \o\\ made hv i>r. IWcrs, (d' Montreal. one of our eloipienl aim lepivse 1,- tative itu'li. at Sviaciise. N. \ .. at a dinner id' tlie memhers of hi.- )roiessioii some two vear: a 'JO ll le si ntiments of whieh ha\( found an oclu^ all over thi' l>omiiiio)i, and if wha; he said on that oc- casion will he of any value. I send it for ycju to peruse and utili/.e in the wav von wmIi hul as 1 have no other copy of it, 1 must heASTION Ol.l). \V