IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-S) 1.0 I.I l^|2^ 112.5 |50 "^ 1^ ■^ 12.2 2.0 1.8 1.25 1.4 J4 < 6" — ► wVw '/ Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STRRET WEBSTER, NY. 14580 (716) 873-4503 /. % CIHM/ICMH Microfiche Series. CIHIVI/ICIVIH Collection de microfiches. Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproductions / Institut Canadian de microreproductions historiquas Technical and Bibliographic Notes/Notes tachniquas at bibliographiquaa Tha Inttituta haa attamptad to obtain tha baat original copy availabia for filming. Faaturaa of this copy which may ba bibliographically uniqua, which may altar any of tha Imagaa in tha raproduction, or which may significantly changa tha usual mathod of filming, ara chackad baiow. n n D n Coloured covers/ Couverture de couleur I I Covers damaged/ Couverture endommagda Covers restored and/or laminated/ Couverture restauria et/ou peliicul6e I I Cover title missing/ Le titre de couverture manque Coloured maps/ Cartes gdographiques en couleur □ Coloured ink (i.e. other than blue or black)/ Encre de couleur (i.e. autre que bieue ou noire) I I Coloured plates and/or illustrations/ Planches et/ou illustrations en couleur Bound with other material/ Relid avec d'autres documents Tight binding may cause shaoows or distortion along Interior margin/ La reliure serrie peut causer de I'ombre ou de la distortion le long de la marge intirieure Blank leaves added during restoration may appear within the text. Whenever possible, these have been omitted from filming/ II se peut que certaines pages blanches ajouttas lors d'une restauration apparaissent dans le texte, mais, lorsque cela 4tait possible, ces pages n'ont pas 6t6 filmies. Additional comments:/ Commentaires supplimentaires: The toti L'Institut a microfilm^ la mailleur exemplaira qu'il lui a At6 poasibia da aa procurer. Lea dttaiis de cet exemplaira qui aont paut-Atre uniques du point de vue bibliographiqua, qui peuvent modifier I'nt) image reproduite, ou qui peuvent exiger une modificat^jn dans la mAthode normala de filmage sont indiqu6s ci-dessous. r~1 Coloured pages/ Pages de couleur Pages damaged/ Pages endommagAas □ Pages restored and/or laminated/ Pages restaurAas et/ou pelliculAes Pages discoloured, stained or foxed/ Pages d6color6es, tachetAes ou piquAas □ Pages detached/ Pages d6tach6es Showthroughy Transparence Quality of prir Quality inAgala de I'impression Includes supplementary materii Comprend du matAriai supplAmentaIre Only edition available/ Seule Edition disponible r~~l Showthrough/ I I Quality of print varies/ r~~| Includes supplementary material/ I I Only edition available/ □ Pages wholly or partially obscured by errata slips, tissues, etc., have been refilmed to ensure the best possible image/ Les pages totalement ou partieilement obscurcies par un feuillet d'errata, une peiure, etc., ont M filmAes A nouveau de fa^on A obtenir la meilleure image possible. The post of tl filmi Orig begi the sion othe first sion or ill The shal TINI whit Map difff entii begi righi requ metl This Item is filmed at the reduction ratio checked below/ Ce document est filmi au taux de reduction indiquA ci-dessous. 10X 14X 18X 22X 26X 30X y 12X 16X 20X 24X 28X 32X The copy filmed here has been reproduced thanks to the generosity of: National Library of Canada L'exemplaire film6 fut reproduit grAce A la ginirositi de: Bibliothdque nationale du Canada The images appearing here are the best quality possible considering the condition and legibility of the original copy and in Iceeping with the filming contract specifications. Les images suivantes ont 6t6 reproduites avec le plus grand soin, compte tenu de la condition et de la nettet6 de l'exemplaire filmi, et en conformity avec les conditions du contrat de filmage. Original copies in printed paper covers are filmed beginning with the front cover and ending on the last page with a printed or illustrated impres- sion, or the baci( cover when appropriate. All other original copies are filmed beginning on the first page with a printed or illustrated impres- sion, and ending on the last page with a printed or illustrated impression. Les exemplalres originaux dont la couverture en papier est imprimte sont fiimis en commenpant par le premier plat et en terminant soit par la derniire page qui comporte une empreinte d'impression ou d'illustration, soit par le second plat, salon ie cas. Tous les autres exemplaires originaux sont film6s en commengant par la premidre page qui comporte une empreinte d'impression ou d'illustration et en terminant par la dernidre page qui comporte une telle empreinte. The last recorded frame on each microfiche shall contain the symbol —*>( meaning "CON- TINUED"), or the symbol y (meaning "END"), whichever applies. Un des symboles suivants apparaTtra sur la dernidre image de cheque microfiche, selon le cas: le symbols —► signifie "A SUIVRE", ie symbols V signifie "FIN". IVIaps, plates, charts, etc., may be filmed at different reduction ratios. Those 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: Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc.. peuvent dtre flimte d des taux de reduction diff6rents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour dtre reproduit en un seul ciich6, il est film6 d partir de Tangle supdrieur gauche, de gauche d droite, et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images n6cessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mdthode. 1 2 3 32X 1 2 3 4 5 6 >^ -■ ^?^^ I Toronto Public I.ihrary 'I'aniphlet rolkctioii) '^v- ^^<1. ! (> f\ HISTORICAL AND &rt:y ... / §cic 11 1 ilic §ocicl 11. Publication No. 1 ''The causes of the Rising in the Red River Settlement, 1869-70." ALEX. M( ARTHUR. RSQ). MANITOBA FKEF PRESS PRINT >.-. * CLcsy:> ■£ By Ihe \ THIS BOOK MUST NOT BE TAKEN OUT OF tIiE R 6pM. Hi Jiy>^ 6 - 191* c ^n: f ^'- I > ) • .'■"'' -■C.-*' y- PanitobK 5«ii8tortcal and iJfietttifir J-ocirtjj, Winttipeg. T/i6 Causes of the Rising iti the Bed River Settlement. 1869-70. A PAP£R HKAD JU'.FORK THE HISTORICAI, AND SCIENTIFIC SOCIETY BY MR. A. MCAHTHUR. The first positive proof I had of that event came under my notice on a cold raw morning in the last days of October, 1869. I was approachinj^ the River Salle, some nine or ten miles south of Fort Oarry, on the occasion of my secona trip to the settlement, wl^en word canu? to us from a house on the wayside that we should be stopped before crossing the river. When within a few hundred yards of the bridge an obstruction, something like a pole fence, ap- peared across the whole width of the road, which on either side was here bounded by poplar woods. A fe V men with guns in their hands were standing on the other side of the l)anicade. One of their number was dispatched to a tannery which stood in a hollow close by the bridge, and in a few minutes returned with some one having authority. After a few questions some poplar poles were thrown aside from the slight con- struction in front of us, and we were allowed to pass through. Some of the information requested of us related to our own journey, the rest to the expected Governor. We were asked, among other things, whether we had any connection with the new government. We, in our turn, ])ut some questions, and in reply were told that the rather simple-looking obstruction across the road was intended to keep out Governoi- McDougall and his whole retinue and, strange as it may seem, it effected this purpose. I shall endeavor to avoid all cause of ill-feeling, while at the same time stating the whole truth so far as it lies within m}' kno'vledge. The more than a dozen years which have elapsed since most of the events connected with the rising took place may help me in both |)urposes. 1 may bf ))ar(ioned if I briefly refer to some special qualifica- tions whicli should ciialile me to tr<}at this subject with perhaps a greater degree of accuracy and familiarity than most of our other members. Besides having been in the employment for some years ot the company, which governed Rupert's Land, and in this way having formed the acquaintance of many of those entrusted with this Gov- ernment, including the Governor of Assiniboia, I had visited the colony before the disturbances began, and so had an opportunity of watching the movement from its inception. On my first journey to the settlement I travelled for some days in the company of the \ I Governor when he was on his wa,y fi<»iii a visit to tlie board in Lon- don. The terms of transfer had lujcn ai ranged, and thinkini; that the new rulers of the conntrv In which ho had resided most of a pretty long lifetime miglit v. ish to consult him ho had called at Ot- tawa on his way bad:, lli^ acxjonnt of the reception he met with wae far from boln^' favorable to the nnthorities there ; in fact he ac- cused them ol great discourtesy. He was left waiting for an inter- view for fliould be assumed or carjied on. The Governor was usually cautious and diphjmatic, but on this occasion he plainly intimated that they \vc)uld not find it child's play to rule the North- West. It had in the past been no easy place to govern, and under new rulers he thoue-ht the diilicultit.'s would increase. A residence in the settlejunu during the winter of the rising enabled me to see or hear at Hrst hand the events of each day. On the day of the capture of the victims f)f Governor Mc- Dougall's misapprehension of his powers and < 'ol. Dennis bungling and tlight, I rej)r(;senti'd those who hml at the enll of theii' countr}', as they were led to believe, taken up arms in her cause in an inter- view with Governor McTavish ;ind latei- in th(,' day was jnvstjnt under protest at an interview with the lialf-breed leader, held bi - tween himself and my co-rep)-esent, it ive. Some days .^pent in Ot- tawa in the early summer of "70 euabled nie to be )»re.sent at the de- bate on the Act which was intended to remedy the blunders com- mitted the previous year, anauy penetrated to the Re l>elween the Mon- treal traders and theii- Bois Bi'ule 8Up])orters and the Compau}', and their less warlike followers, became of frecpient occurrence. The Earl of Selkirk's settlemt>nt threatened to give the prepondei-- ance to the com|)any of which he was governor, and in 181(), as I narrated to you last winter, the Montreal people, getting des}ierate, slew, in one day, the company's governor and some twenty ol" its officers, clerks and men. In 1820 the two rival companies amalga- mated, but at dirferent tinn s th(^ misunderstandings between the descendants of the Bois Bride, now connng to he called French half-breeds, rendered tlu^ pr(isence of Imperial troops necessary. Some of these troubles arose from attempts on the part of the com- pany to enforce their right to the exclusive trade in furs. K Cv r :\ i^' III the moanthne besides tlu- Karl of Selkirk's settlement, at Kidonau, there were settling fVfim time to time along the Vmnks of the Assiniboine and Kt'd rivers, retired servants and officers of the conjiianv, and as many of tln-iu vvr-i-e bevond the control of the com- ]iany, ^i>me sort of governni'"t otliL-r than that by means of which the i)urely fur ans were kept in order, was found to be necessary. The district ol Assiniboia, with Fort Uarry as its capital and centre, and a radius of 50 miles from it as its bound- aries was established. A any. in London, but really the nominees of the com])any's advisers in the fur countries a.ssisted the local gov- ernor. Sometimes the commjnMJer of the Jmjierial ti'oops was ap- pointed governor, sometimes the otticer in charge of Fort Garry acted as governor ; sometimes tlie recorder or chief judicial officer of Ru- pert's Lani^l acted in that capacity, and occasionally the company's chief representative in the country assumed himself the chief Magis- tracy of the colony. The death of Sir (ieurge Simpson who was supreme over the compan^-'s whole tenitories and business in North America, embarrassed the bcjai'd at home, and to avoid jealousy, a retired China, tea and opium trader was a}>pointed as Sir George's* successor. He selected Fort GaiTy as his principal residence and headquarters, and his ]»resence. of eiHuse, I'elieved the governor of Assiniboia from almost all re8[)onsibility. A very brief sojourn in the new place convinced thf- new Governor-in-ehief that if jealousy between the coiii[)any's ofiicers \ras i)revented by his appointment, it was not eoin<; to leeoncile the local Governoi- to anv interference with his mode of ruling, and Mi'. J^allas i-etiied to London, beaten and disgusteti. No sni'cessor to him was then ai)pointed, but Mr. McTavish, sometime after, was made (iftvernor of the Northern and Southern Departments, leaving the (,>thei- two great departments under the governorshi}) of the chief oHicers in each. Mr. McTavish had held tlie Governorsliip ot Assiniboia since 1858, and after his appointment to the higher jtosition, still retained the local posi- tion. The Imperial Government considering that the necessity for troops arose from the company's atteiiijtts to assert their chartered rights too strictly, gave out on the last occasion of supplying men, that no moi'C should ever be furnished and that th<> company must themselves entirely maintain order within their territories in the future. This led t(» the at'o]»tion of a system of government by com- mercial and morai --iia^-ion. which for a considerable tim*.' was iu a great measure saceessful. The eUiiui to e.Kclusive trading wns abandoned and if the company sought t,«i gain over on its side any person of iniiuence lie was appointed to the council of Assiniboia with a tee often shillintis tor each davs attendance or some one of the few salaried positions in the gift of the ccmucii. If such posi- tions were not available or did not meet the views of the discontent- ed, a loan of money miglit seeure the neecssary iniiuence or quiet the agitator. It was not tmusual even to grant time on the pay- ment of duties ; for a small import duty on goods had been imposed by the council to defray the cost of government. It was indeed / until a short time before that I now allude of the utmost impor- tance to those engaged in trade to keep on good teims with the com- pany ; for as ^hey were the only carriers of goods into the country a refusal or delay to carjy the trader's goods meant ruin to him. But the gradual construction of railways in Soutliorn Minnesota rendered the ti'adeis more independent, although even then the company owned tho only stuam boat on the Red River. With the increase of trade tini free traders, as they wcro styled, became wealthy too, and as the popularion increased aela.ss sprung up who were pretty much beyond the company's influence. For some of these there were no office-* or their demands were too great to be supplied or they felt themselves well enough otf to act an independ- ent part. Agitation sprung up among this class for annexation to Cana- da. Meetings were held at various times, and I think on more than one occasion petitions to that end were sent down to (>anada. Then came the bane of the company's existence, the establishment of a newspaper. For some time it was under the conipany's influ- ence, and on kicking the traces the pi-oprietor was quieted with a shrievalty. Under Mr. Dallas' Government the paper came into the hands of Dr. Schultz, one of th(3 recent arrivals, come to engage with a relative in the free trade. Mr. McTavish opposed the Doc- tor's purchase of the paper, and when Governor Dallas left the colony the Nor'- Wester came out squarely against the company and called it opprobrious and ridiculous names, such as the Grandmother of Fenchurch Street. William McTavish was a man of great shrewdness and )»ene- tration, and, as I have said, his government of the district on the new peace lines was remarkably well conceived and carried out, but his early and long life training si)oiled him for coping with such a product of freedom and civilization as the press. He was a Scotch Highlander, the son of a judge in the county of Argyle. When a boy he entered the company's service as an apprentice at York Fac- tory, where in due time he became Governor. He had spent his whole life-time in the interior trading with Indians, receiving goods as they came once a ypar fi'om England, taking from the traders who came from the inland country the furs they brought down to York each year, sending their furs back on the yearly ship to Lon- don, his annual accounts going along with them, and finishing up the year's work by despatching the brigade of boats which had ar- rived with furs back again with goods for next wintci' trading. His duties at Fort (;iarry wei(! somewhat difl'erent and included the civil government nf the colony. But even here the Governor or chief officer was supreme. The only appeal from his authority was to Fenchurch Street, and the appellant had to depend upon the Governor for the conveyance of his lettei' of complaint, indeed the local Governor at Fort Garry one time issued an order that all let- ters leaving the settlement should be left open for his inspection. It was no wonder that with such training and being possessed of such powers, Mr. McTavish looked with contempt upon the mis- erable little sheet which issued from the press at Foi-t Garry with hi vl H t wi-y t impor- the com- countiy to him, innesota »eu the With the Ijecame up who pome of to be lepend- o Cana- >»'e than vanada. shment i influ- witJi a into en^ag. ? Doc- 'ft the ly and nother ]»ene- * n the it. but !ueh a 5coteh len a Fae- t his ?ood.s aders n to Lon- : up i ar- ling. the ' or was the the let- sed lis- ith somuch irrerjnlarity. He miirht have bouf^dit it ofT, or he might have started a rival had \w (;>.Liniated its inHuenf^o at the ])rr>por vahie. In Upper ('anada tlie little i)apor was eagerly scanned and much of its n»'ws (pioted in the jnurnals of tlm day. In that prov- ince a great desire had long existtd to ucipiiii; the company's terri- tories. A eommitteo of the Knglisli House of Commons sat to en- quire into the company's affairs in 1857, and Judge J)ra])er was sent home to look after the interests of Canada. At last in the early part of 1860 Sir Oeorge ( 'artier and the Hon. Wni. McDougall arranged with the Covernor and Committee of the company and the Imperial Government, terms upon which the territorial rights of the company might be assumed by Canada. So sanguine were the Canadian (Jovemment of the j)o.ssession of the country that before thes<> negotiations were begun they had voted money for the purpose of constructing a road from Lake Su- perior to Red River, and in 18G8 a surveyor and staff were sent up to I'^ort Garry to begin operations on the western end of the road. Here the first mistake was committed, for at that time nothing had transpired to shew that terms could be come to with the company. The surveyors, in carrying on their operations, had to cross the fields of some settlers, and in the following sj)ring the first trouble arose from this cause, for the settlers compelled the Canadians, by threat of using force, to desist. An ill feeling was in this way be- gun between the settlers at this [)lace (Oak Pointj and the men be- longing to the surveyors party, who ispoused the can.v; of theii' em- ployer. In the beginning of the summer of 1861), when news reached the settlement of the successful result of the negotiations in Loudon the Canadian party in the little village of Winnipeg ! adjoining For' Garry) looked upon the matter as a great victory, and assuming that nothing further required to be done, considered the country as al- ready under the Canadian Government. J)r. Schultz had a tiag- pole erected in front of the Nor'- Wester office and alongside his own store, and hoisted on it a large Hag with the word Canada across its whole face. This was, of course, anything but jjleasing to Gov- ernor McTavish. Among other sympathizers with the CiroverMor and the company were to be numbered nearly all the Americans in the place, and some of the lower oi'ders of these during the earl}' morning of the 1st of July, hauled the obnoxious Hag down, and in its place hoisted the Fenian flag. This was, of coui'se, hanli'd down as s"oii as it was ob.served : but it was a great grievance to tlie ( 'anadian i)ai'ty that the people guilty of hoistinc!' the Fenian flag, were furnished by the Governor, on the 4th of July, with a cannon for the purj»ose of firing a salute in honor of Independenc 'lay. In the meantime the terms and condit: )ns of the ti'ansfer were being eagerly discussed by all parties in the colony, and .some time in July a meeting was called to consider the mattei' in public. Three chairmen, or presiding officers, were appointed, one represent- ing the French half-breeds, and another tht; English i'alf-br»!eds, and a third, I think, represented the other old settlers. At the request ^.1 ^ vvitl. tlu. nat v. ; tl^ '"'"«■ ^" '•"•-•->. '7*' •r^-'^"^ ''' di- 'noi.t u'cv ,r„ , , I ^^!" '''\""trv. MO, ^w,,.t| . /, /;''''*'"•'«' nghfs »'>v^ on the wav „„ f* '"'^*'"cy that a laiv^e staff f to oiv^ani/c" a svLnuJ- ^"' ^'""^ the French K uK ^^'^ ^^^'^is CoJ. Dennis was fi."f'" '^PPosition to the Sj i'^'^^^''^''^'^''^-^ I'egan ter ^hmi where h- T v^""' I"'««'*t>'v renCin. . •'^'^''^^'o"'^ ; but I pared to adv.-r h^ ^ ' '"" "''"^'' «'"nt T ti»r " ■"■ °"""-. t-t "-ere offered t^,t '""■'■'■"■»™t to -h-, it ■!„■?', ''","'"'"' ^aofc pre- ■^te he toot t ::;:: tf^"," "' --'"ke p"t ,." !ir, ;-' "ppo-ition , , Witl,o„t wait;,,, to, „, „ . " "'""'•' "- ""y- "f the .J£.,^'!X:- Z '■'"",■■'■ -^'' ■'■•■-V- w..afe, 'r ■ " I'<^'-->n and .s,.enre ? ' • I'""".'^*"' -on>^tahuily V""' '"^'"•"'o.l •'-;'-■ ..;-a,„.!d';,"- ^ ■ ■•'''- ■•mco. f';,;.,", ;;''j- , ,^w.e . 'lere was the n,,...f , i , ' ^ "'-ai'^^ It ancc, and V)fif(»ro tlic iifrcssary measures linn to got \h>h- sPHsioii. EviMi at St. I'anl, wlicic were asst iiiMt' iniliuiitial podjilc frniM Hk' scttlciiii'Ht, vnliiaMc advice iiii;;,dit lia\f Imm.'M ob- iiiIiK^d and j»'rlia|Ks disa^ti'i axertcd, but tlic <>|»|M>rtMi.ity was nt-y- Icptfid. X nii;,dit langh at tJui siin|tl(' banicadr at ll.i\ti' Salli'. one CDtiid nut V)nt see that then- was among the- men gatluM'cd i(»nn;e they were hevond the KnijIish averai'c, in lieitjht iis wiTl as in Ijuild L'en- erally. The hair, althongh finer than that >>\' thr Indians, was ••(puilly dark and glossy, and worn toleralily li'Ug. The hair "f tjic face was all allowe«| to appear in its natural coiiditidn, except wheri' here and tiH'rc some yiiunn in.iii who migiit have b: ci: i-ducat'd with a view to the jn'iestliood still showed his resj)ect for clerical usage by shaving. The lieards were neithei- Ioml;' nor full. The complexion, it could be scien, was a blinding of both the <»riginal rases — a swarthy hue, nnich of which was due to C(jnstant exi)osuit; to sun and snow. The eyes were dark, large anarticu- larly if only worn from the knee downward, as it cut the leg in two. As cold weathej- was connng on, many of those on the River Salle wore their winter caps; those were (piite martial in their af)pearanco being made of the w hole fur of tho led fox. The ."^kin was merely turned roiuid the wearer's head and the fox's tail was then jauntily thrown back over the top. So far, you have material out oi" which no ouf can doubt good soldiers ou^ht to b(^ made, l)Ut wdieji n'ou consider further that all of them had already been accustomed to a seini-military discipline administered by captains of thei]' own selection; that under these leaders they each year went in bands hundreds of miles over the prairie to hunt the butfalo, that each man was fuinished with arms of the most approved and deadly kind wiih which he lirought down the butfalo at a gallop and that each rode his own horse, it will Vje seen that no matter what Mr. .VIci 'ougall may have thought of their ability to keep him out, the\ may be excused if they thoiight of trying it, lishing any- thing. In the nieantinie the weather was ffcttinff colder and the as- sembled half-l)Voo(ls had but poor (juarters at River Salle. Their leaders, too, feared that while they w(;re guaryor of a country whic^h did not l)elong to his employers gone, and he retired to aid the Governor and his advisers. Then was matured a scheme worthy of assembled wisdom. On the first of December the Governor was to issue a }»roclamation an- nouncing his an'ival, ami that he had been a]i})ointed to the office of Lieutenant-Governor of tlie North-west. To follow this there was to be a. Commission to Coi. Dennis, setting forth that .'i>s the Lieu- teiiant-Govv'iuor was illegally iiindered from entering his own terri- tory and •••-uming the r.ins .>f Government, he appoint-'d the said Col De ., his Lieutenant-Conservator of the Peace. Col. Dennis should then issue a command to all loyal subjects to rally to the aid of the crown, and those so cominu' forward were to be authorized to /•»- ^ ^oiiguU noi^ to particuiars of ;ive command- 5acle, but the o succeed on a 'gJe qualitica- ii-nalist, lately la, also tiied vas a Frenrih sljop in the other qualifi- "1 exjDectant >li.shing any- and the as- ^alle. Their I'out a inove- |» UKarch on movements, I'' place ; in •aiuc inc'rel^' •fc^p on. It » the day a relieve the serving out |it was su(r- 1" ot the in- ' kinds of of goods, in the safe, Thus fur. obtained ^iploniacv his Coun- ent. But accession yoj- of a t' letireil ouj. Oil Ltion an- offioe of ere was e Lieu- m terri- he said l-)enni8 the aid rized to 9 burn the houses, to kill the persons, and destroy the property of all those who opposed the entrance of the Governor ! Strange as it may appear, all this was done ; and besides, Col. Dennis came into the settlement and caused the proclamation to he set up on the doors of some |)ublic places during the night of the SOth Nov. He also enrolled volunteers. When he had com- mitted all this mischief and heard of the effect of his own little proclamation a;^ to burning, killing and destroying on the French half-breeds, and saw that his dupes the volunteers were at the mercy of the well-supplied forces in Fort Garry, he suddenly left in the middle of the night and got as quickly as ho could to the American side of the boundaiy line. Abandoned by the conservator of the |)eace, and having no lawful duthoritv from which to receive instructions what to do or how to act, the volunteers decided to disband ; l)ut by this tin\e as Riel had taken the command of those collected in the Fort, and as- sumed to have something to say about the matter. For having obeyed what they were led to believe was a legal call to aid tht- cause of the Crown, these unfortunate men suffered ah the tortures of imprisonment for the coldest part of the winter, and one of their number lost his life. During this incarceration not one single effort was made by Canadian Government to see that they were eithei- proj>erly fed or clothed, and it was only by the rising of some of their number who escaped and the assistance of a great number of the English-speak- ing half-breeds that at last their Uberty was secured. After this Riel called conventions of repiesentatives of the whole residents of the settlement, and he obtained the acquiescence of these in nearly all his measures. A bill of rights was passed, and this w.as really the basis of the Manitoba Act passed by the Cana- dian Parliamcmt at its next session. It became apparent to Mr. McDougall that nothing could be gained V)y warlike measuies conducted by a conservatoi of the peace, and Ik- in due time set his face towards his own country again. Some <>f his council preceded him ; some followed him; Mr. Provencher alone remained on guard owr the many valuables left behind, and perhaps the records of statt* — the archives of the abor- tive government. Mr. Riel and his followers, as you all know, remained some nine months in Fort Cfrry until dislodged by Colonel Wolseley and the troops under his connnand, and so ended the rising of 18G9-7(). Those who have listened to me may themselves now answer the (juestion as to the cause of that rising. J St. Sui'veyors were dos])atched to the stittlenient befoi'e the t.'rms of transfer even had been agreed upon. 2nd. Surveyors w»ro afterwards sent to lay out the country before it legally belonij(^d to ^'anada. 3rd. Th(^ Canadian (^Tovernmert without consultation with any one in authority in the settleiuent app«.hited a Governor and Coun- cil, all of whom were complete strangers *o the country and its people, and so far as was known not a single i isidtnt of the country was to be of that (Council. 1 am, of course, aware that it was stated I / !i i • iii 10 that Oovemur McDougall Avas to have authority to fill one-fourth the places in the Council from among the residents of the settle- ment. 4th. The government completely ignored the people, having neither consulted them as to the form of government they desired, nor sought advice as to the mode of settling the question of titles to the lands held by each individual settler, nor the broader ques- tion of the rights of the people to a share of the soil, or compensation therefor. These then were the reasons for the disturbances. That the difficulties might have been obviated by the appoint- ment of Governor McTavish as his own successor, is an opinion merely, but it is one firmly believed in by all those possessing a knowledge of the country and its [)eople at that period. " 'lat even at the last moment some way of settlement might havt. . 'cn found was hoped, but those entertaining such hopes saw an ('n(i at oiico put to tlieni by the unfortunate ill-timed and insane proclainatiou of Col. Dennis. While the loaders of the French half-breed party broutrht igno- miny on themselves by imbruing their hands in blood, it cannot be denied that they obtained rights and privileges for themselves and their fallow countrymen, which, but for the stand they took, would never li;t\e been granted; and the boons so seeuied they have the satisfae'i ion of knowing were e((iial!y jiartic.ijtated in by those na- tives and residents of the country Avho not only took part in the rising but were, many of them, opposed to it and disposed to aid the other side. The Canadian Government in .a short time admitted the stu- pidity of th»' course they had pursued and the lawfulness of the de- mand of the French half-ln\'eds by r-eversing their- policy and con- ceding near'ly all that was asked of therrr. The legislation which shouhl have piecedetl the despatch of a Gover-nor in ( .'ouncil was sought and obtaineuntrv and its people arrd the exercise of some prudence and or- dinary policy might have averted, — to the cr'edit of our rulers and a vast savirrg to tire country. (}KXE1{,VI, DISCUSSION. Americarr Coirsul faylor, being 'rrvited to speak, remarked that he could at least concur in the opiniorr that the difficulties of 1870 might have beerr averted had the Canadian Government possessed a greater knowledge of the eourrtry arrd its people. It was some- what renrnr-kable that the recollection of their own struggles in pal fiel as tel bd L one-fourth I the settie- i*ie, having py desired, ^ of titles ader ques- ipensation «'PP<>int- opinion ^i«essing a '^ 'night ^•I>e.s saw 'd insane rht igno- annot be 'ves and k. would "ive the lose na- in the I to aid he stu- the de- id con- a h of ? suni- ' . and a pri- 'osses- breed 9 ob- f the I or- and that H70 ised ne- in II Eastern Canada for responsible Government did not induce them to see the need of the same thing for the peoy)le of the new territory. The sohition of the difficulty was the mutual concurrence of the people here and the Government of Canada in f.stablishing repre- sentative institutions. With liis knowled^jfc of the people of this part of the country, he had always reganled them as equally quali- fied to discharge the duties of a Government of their own selection as the average population of the Ameiican frontier territories, and yet the Government of the United States had never organized a territory in or beyond the jVlississip[)i valley, except upon a popular basis. One of the most remarkable scenes of tlu)se times was the gathering within the walls of Fort Garry, at which the people of Red River, exposed to the rigor of a northern winter, with the thermometer 20 or 30 degrees below zero, were discussing the terms on whic'* they were willing to become citizens of Canada. On that (jccasion Mr. Donald A. Smith was the trusted representa- tive of the Canadian Government. He had also the advantage of being the chief of the great oiganization which had formerly been in the position of a government. As a result of that conference, a resolution was moved by Louis Riel, and seconded, he believed, by iMr. A. G. B. Bannatyne, calling upon the different parishes to se- lect delegates to meet in a po})ular convention. These elections were held, and the delegates were assembled in the Convention of Forty, as it was called. Its proceedings were reported by William Coldwell aihl published in the Nation newspaper. Such men as the late James Ross and of i-s, whose education had beeu eompleted in the universities of Canfi ..a and Fngland, participated in the dis- <;ussion of that .. iicipato. Whether the Ei.^.. oh sympathized with the rising or not, they accepted the benefits resulting from it. He had purposely abstained from terming it a rebellion, foi- Ik did not think it partook of that cliaracter. Mr. Ashdown remarked that the English were with the French in demanding the rights which had afterwards been ronced d, but they had confined themselves to peaceful agitation, and when they saw the movement going beyond that, they withdrew. The passage of a vote of thanks to Mr. McArthur brought the proceedings to a close. Winnipeg, Oct. 10, 1882. ti )' i / V-'i ■ \ tl / Q, V^* r i^""!|[ ^