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To the tSenatc of (he United States: In answer to thorosohition of the Senate o\ the ^tli ultimo, I transmit a report froni tlie Weerotarv of State, and tlie jtajx'rs which aecomitanied it. r. S. (JKANT. WASlliN(iT<)N, FeUrnar]! "1, 1S7(>. Dei'Autment oi' State, Washinf/ton, Fcbrnanj L*, ISTO. The Secretary of State, to whom was referred \\\v resohition of lh«' Senate of tiie Stli ultimo, reciuestin;!,' the I'lesideiit. if in liis jndeen transferred by the Hudson's Hay ('om]>any to the Dominion of Canada, has tlu' honor to lay before tlie I'resideid the papers mentioned in the sul»joineh'. Tisii, Xovciabcr Hi, 18()*>. No. !. Ml'. 3Iiiliiir()s to 3Ii'. Davis. Dcccinbor 4, ISlii), Xo. .""). Mr. Stiles to 3lr. Fisli, I)( vv •nlu'i- 10. ISOi). Xo. (I. 31r. Malmros to Mr. Davis, Dcccinber 11, 180!). Iiiclosiirc 1 ill No. (!. Drclnratioii of iii by tlic jn'oplc oi' liiipcrt's Laiid aii, IStii). No. 7. ("anadiaii act for temporary ,L>'overnmeiit of lvn[)ei't's Land, «.S:c. No. S. ('anadian ael eoiieernin,!;' surrender of the land, |)ri\ ile.iu'es, and riiihts of the Hudson's iJay roiii]>any. No. !>. Mr. Taylor to Mr.' I'ish, -laiinary LM>, ISTO. Inelosnre 1 in No. U. Sitpjileiiientary jiapers, extracts frcnn the ])ress (►f the rnited States, the ISritish ju'oviiiees, ami ICnji'land, as follows: I. Selkirk settlement, (lovernor Kainsey's visit in ISol, (from the Washinjjton Chronicle.) II. Lord Selkirk's colonization, (from the New York Herald.) III. (irovernor .AIcTavish's ]>roclamaii()n, (from the ^\'inni[;eJ>• North- wester and Pioneer, extra, November 17, ISdO.) IV. yiv. .^IcJ)oii;:,iiirs statement, (from tin' St. I'anl Press,) December ;U, ISOi). V. The Indian enlistment under ('olonel Dennis, further vstatenu'ut.s, (from the St. Paul Press.) VI. Sketch of ^Ir. McDouj^al, 'from the corres)»ondenee of the Now York Herald,) December L*S,'lS(;«». VH. Sket<'h of the Red Piver leaders, (from the St. Paul Press cori'c- spondenc<>.) VIII. Comments by the Canadij'.n ]>ress. IX. (V)mments by vVmerican jiress. X. Commerds by the I'Ji!;lish prt ss. No. 10 No. 1. .1//'. Malmros to Mr, Davis. CoNsrEATE OF Tin; Cmted Sta'I'es of A:MEKI('A, W'innipcji, liriiish \orfh America, Si'pivmhcr 11, l.Sritish North America. Of the pojui- lation of thisTerrit(My,tw»'l\ (' thousand to fourteen thousand inhabitants, one-half are ['rencli half-breeds, beIon,ii'inj;' to the (\dholic chnrch, the other half are descendants of Scotchmen, Kn;^lish halt-breeds, and a few Americans. T^iei'iitire l"'ren<*h, and oNcr one-half of lIuMitlu'r inhabit- ants, ate strongly opposed to annexation to Canada, the rest, with the. exception of iieilMjis a couple of dozen of Canadian itaitisans, are](oliti- cally inditferent. There are t wo inllueiitial i-mporalions in this Teiiilory, first, and by far the most inlliiential, the Catholic clerf^y, next, the resi- denl ollicers of the Hudson P>ay Com]»any. Potli are decided in their expi'ession to me of dislike to Canadian rule. altlKMi^-h the Iliulsou's Pay Company, I think, mi-ilit be conciliated by the Canadian ;i<>ve)nment if the latter woidd treat with projier ('OMsideration the wishes and interests of tlie company's oHlceiH here. AFFAIRS ON THE RED RIVER. 6 hi case of iiisuncctioii the jx'oplc, on account ol' tlicir iclatiousliij) with the Indians, would be aM<' to <,a't the assistan<*e of iVoin one thou- sand to iifteen huiuh'cd Indian wairiors. * * * * * The conntiy is easily defended a..yainst a Caiiadian invasion. At i)resent there is not a sin,t;le soldier in this country. Unt tlui ix'ople h:n'«' no political ex])erience, little talent lor or,i;ani/,ation, and hardly enoniih j'O- litical vitality to incline them to sustain thelundens which an insurrec- tion nii^ht iM'cessitate. The niass<»t' the settlers are strou^ly inclined, howev«'r, tii ,u'et up a riot to expel the new ^•oN'crnor on his arrival here about the 15th ol' Octctber. A tew of the oi)ponenis of Canada, it is true, are dissuadin.u' them from en.na.u'in.u' in any riotous ]>roceedin,.|i(iii(h'ii ii' '•riinri: riii: i:i:i'.r.i.s. I'r.MiiiXA. ItAKoiA '^l;I!l;^Hll!^ . Winmlxr A, IsriiJ. Tut'sdiiy <'\t!iinj;, liii' .srcoml instant, ii cnniiiiiuy of Red iiivcr ravjiliy i-iiri'oninlcd till' Hudson's I5iiy C'ouipaiiy's tort ncai' tins place. Avii.'if^ (Jovcrnor McDonnall and olli- cial stall' 'A'crc (|iiai't('V('arly to Icavi' tlir Tcnilory by iiiiii^ o'clock the I'ollow iiii;' moniinj;'. 'J'he <;ov('i'nor demanded a parley. Init was iiU'ormed tliat liie troops liad come to e\- eeutt^ an order, and not to hold a council. Promptly at nine o'clock yesterday morniiiii the troops entered tin' stockad<', arrested ami secui'ciy hound William llallett. (^uide of ("oloiicl l>enis, sui'veyor "^-eiieral.) where- upon the ^idvernor and jtarty made i'or their Inuses aud wa^^ons, and evacuated the fort, without further warniiif;. The entire jiarty recrossed the inteiinitional houiidary. ami lire at this time eiicainiicd on I'niled Stales soil near this jdace. out of raii^e of the enemy's ,u,uus. Tlu^ troops conducted Ihemsehes throuj;hout in the most sojdier-like and orderly manner, not indul^iiu;;' in a single excess or any unmcessaiy deuMuistr tioii, U(M' an expression disres])eclful to tlic unfortunate executive or party, I- Immcdiately after the n'ovcrmu' ami parly liad reciossed the lionudary, a portion of the tn ■started lor head(|uarteis. taking with tlicin llallett. the prisoner <;uidi' while the captain, with the residue of his command, went into camp mar the interna- tional houndary, to (diserve tlu^ movements of the expidled olhcials. .\ kinu. w itiiout a kiufidom is said to he )ioorcr than a jicasant. Aud I can assure you that a li\e noNcruor, with a full < (impleiuciit of ofdeials aud menials, fiom attorne\ ficneral ilow n to cooks and scullions, willioul one )ioor foot v\' territory, is a spectacle, shiHciently sad to move the hardest heart. I am ini'ormed that Mr. .Mel Ionian intends lo send the ladies and children of hi>i parly hack to Canada, while he will K'luaiu lu'ar tin- much-i oveted Tcrrilorv and await the (urn of events. if has been int imaled that (in eovdnoi has secured the services of fcmr cili/.eus o( the Fnited Stales to eairy a message lo the Canailian noverumeiil, across the e(uintr,v via Superi lieojile. settlements, and the righ,,-. of person and property Mipidii'd, by \(>lnntary donations from the people All is orderly and (|uiet in the respected. The troojis ar<' well remaining at honu'. SPECTATOR. y ¥ \ • ANol ilKl: I.KIT Kit. ISpiriiil ei>ircspi)ii(ltMK'(' St. I'aul I'lcss.^ rKMiM.NA, Xurcmbcr [i, IdOD. On the '-iJd of ScptemlKr last I wrote a letter to Mr. Kittson, of your ]dace, in which 1 gave him a true account of the rumors of jm insurrection being abont to take jdaee in the Red River settlemt^it, Ihitish North America. I presume, however, no more faith could be i)laceaidueen \i( ttuia not having issued her proclamation as yet, and ilieretbre liie Red River .settlement being no i»art of said Dominion — hut were of a mighty shortduration I What \icissitudes in tliis life! Only a few years ago I had lo go and shield myself with my family under the Ihitish Hag, for protecdion from the iiostile Indians; ami this day Mr. .McD(uigall and party have to shield themselves under tlu' wings of ihe American eagle, for protection from citizens he thought yester- tl;;y he had been madi- to govern! The insurrectionists fe(d i)retty indei)en(h'nt, and will no doubt hold Hit country for eight months without trouble, and forever unless our goNeinmeiit gives to the Dominion of Canada leave to ])ass troops through the "States. In case of a relusal, the only alternative wouhl be either to disi>atch troo])s by way of Ytful. Were it even in a jiassable eon- dition, the many thick woods 1> ing (Ui both sides of the way would iillbrd the best of chances to skirmishing |iarlics. The grie\ances ai'e, as near as I could ascertain, that the Doininiress in Canada West has rej)re,sented them aNo unlit to exercise tln^ right of fraiU'Jii.se, jdacing them, c(in.se(|uently, in a. lower iHtsilion than that of the cohu'ed peoph' of Ihe Amt rican I'nion ; that Mr. MeDougall's comitany were coming to their 1^ '\ : III re III V t^ 'I AFFAIRS ON THH RED RIVER. f) <<)iuiti'\ witii the I'lill (Ictci'iiiiiiiitioii ol" ciirryiiij;' mit cmtv mic ■<;■;! is, tliicvcs, iiIiiiMlcicrs, Ac. — ;i very ]ioi)r \v;iy of i'<'('()iiciliiiti()ii. Tlu'ir conntry surely is not \\;mtiiin' in iikmi iif intcllijiciicc anil ability, ;m(l I'liUy ('oiiipctciit to <; r('e(t;j;nize(l as helliiicreiifs, and they will take care of their own eoiiiitr.\ . Ml'. liOiiis liiel. a yoiinjj man of eonsideral)l(' iiliiek, leads the iiisniieetionists. Kveiy- liiinii' is now (|Hiet. Oidy four scouts were left near the line 1o )»revent the r(>liirii ot' Mr. McDoiiiiall to their land of liheity. Mr. ^Villianl lialh'tt, lieiiiiisiisjiee ted of aetin.'^- the ])ait (if a sjiN, was taken jn'isoiii r lo-day. and was marehed ilown liy an escort to the !iead([nai tei's at '^^t. Nortiert. I'HMIUNA. A\<>rm:K \( head as jnesideiit, and Louis Riall iiimander-in-c!iief of the force.*, (liovernor McDoiinall i)assed thiduj;h hei(> last Saturday e\cniiij;'. While here lie was waited mioii by a de))ntatioii. wiio presented him a cominiinication from the ' national committee,' waininn' him to retiun. 'I'he ,!4'o\ernorand ]i.irty ])idcceded to the irndson's Hay ("ompany's fort or t radiii'^ iiusi, about t wo miles north of here, and ]iut np I'or the iiiffht. Snnday moiiiiim he sent forward Caiitains Cameron and I'ldNciiche to iccoii- iioiter and ascertain the exact position of atlairs. They ]ndceeded unmolested as fat- as Stinkinj;' River, the head(piaiteis oi" the insiirrectiomiry forces, when they wen- stonaldson and Mr. .Moorchead. who have just come ihidinj,h from I'ort (J.niy, that there are between four and tive hundred men under amis and eiicamiied at Stinkiiii;' R'iver. Scouts are all over the country, and all thoidunlifarcs carefully unaided. I'rci,i;htinj; and the oi'dimiiy piusuits of business prou;ress as thoujib Ihi' country was in the enjoy- ment (d'protbund jieace. rio]ierty is rt spectcd. and nobody interfered with who minds his own business. TIie.se are the true, unvarnished facts, as near as I can leani, with- out any of the einbcllislmieiits of interest or ]>rejudice. I understand the udvernoi' coiitcmjdates sendinn; the ladies baci\ to St. Paul to-morrow inorninn'. lie will then, most likely, await further developments betbre decidinii' upon his course."' da, or form liiin- I's IbiV i I X(t. L*. .1//*. Mtdinros f<> Mr. Ihtn's. M<». 14.| CoNsi'LATi: di" Tin: 1'mti:i) Statks m-^ Ameijica. ]Viiutij)i'liitioit!iry Miov(Miu'iits ill this Tcnitorv. I \H'tx to stilmiif tlio tollowin.u- statciiuMit ol' I'occiit occmiciiccs licrc. ♦) AFFAIKS 0\ 'j-ifK KKJ) in\ HK. wlu'ic iif was iiiiiii<'(li;Uci\ jintili<'(l i!i;ii fnv jH'(i])i<' wnuld :H;r -.yD'^w liiiV; ti) ciitir into the TiTiitoiy. Tlu' !4'()\('nior accordiii/^ly Icit IN'iii'.tiii;! U)V ('::n:Mla on ilic -Ul n'l lyo- \vu\\h'V. Oil tlic iM ol' N(!\<'iiili(-r a lin(' niaint.nncd by tin- aimed lo 'ce is admiialile. and would veflect <-r('dit on any inililary eoiiis ni tlie world. This aioxcnieiil is not eonlined to the ])eoj)I(> of l-'icneli rxliaetion, on the contraiy, a ]ar<>'e niajoiity ol' all other settlers citlur snpjxtrt it ermit loice to be used to ol»tain ))ossession ol' this 'JVrritory; but in ease they should send troops here next summer 1 am iiu'lined to think that by tiiat time the ]>rovisional government Avil' be i'ully i>repared to suceessi'ully resist any invact. I am.' sir. \'erv respectfullv, vonr obedient serxant, OSCaI; MAL.Mix'OS, Hon. J. C. r.. Davis. Acfiufi ISrrn-liirii of >SfaU\ W'lsjiix^i'oii, l>. (\ AFIWIK?; OX THE K'KD Iv'iVKR. inn-; No. ^..<_» JUlll iwivi«,l, vpvxiVllIll'll. .Till. ^■^■•'W>l_,l>ll, 1.11.. in. 11 j>|....iVM.l,.TV. miles boyoiul tlic froiiti«'r, Avilli tlio ])iiijos(' of iissiiiniii.u" l»is duties as lieuteiiiuit .u'overiior, niulei' tlie doiiiiiiioii oi' ('iiiiinl;!, on tlie 1st of ]^e- Mr. Tai/loi' in Mr. FIsli. St. Pail, yiircmlwr 10, isd!). Siu: TIk' ;itteini)t to extend tlie ('jmadiiin eonfedeiatioii over Selkirk wcttlemeiif and tlie d Indian blood, wlio are more llian e(|ual in niiniher to the I'aiiilisli, Seoteli. and American settlers. I estimate the l-'reiich element at six thousand, eai)al)le of sending' one thousand men into tln^ held. Of the latt(M', i'ully ((Ue-half, mounled and aimed, occupy tlu' roads and fords between Pembina, on the international frontier, and I'ort (Jarry — ]toiiits on the Red lvi\ cr of the North, separated by a distance of seventy miles. They have Ibrcibly ejected Hon. \\'m. .^IcI )ou<;'all, who ha\.merica," ]y\). L*.)-o(>, House Executive Document (flune Hi, lS(l(i) Xo. 12S, tirst session, thirty-ninth Coii<»'ress. Cnder the Canadian conferation act a lu^^'otiatiou between the En.n- lish and Canadian j^overnments and the lludsim'sliay Company recently resulted in a transfer of the territ(ny between lon<;itnde '.HP and the Kocky Arountains, hitherto claimed under the charter of the company, to Cana(hi. The ]>eople of Selkirk had no voice in the cession. In ad- vance of its consummation, Canadian ot1icialsai)peared in tiiesettlennrnt, in'qjectin;^' roads and executinj»- surveys of land. The Canadian parlia- ment passed an act for a i)rovisional uovernment, which provided for a lieutenant jj^overnor and councilors, of his api)ointmeut, not exceeding fifteen nor less than seven in number. In the rosi»ect of a ('an adian tariff, Avith an average of filteen or twenty jx'r cent., increased the jniblic dissatisfaction. Cmler these circumstanc(>s it was not difli(!ult for a few leaders to improvise a military organization. i)roclaim a i)ro- visional government, and turn l)a<'k the rei)resentative of the tlominion of Canada at the border. I inclose the newspaper version of the event. IMr. Ta«'he, the Catholic bishop at St. IJoniface, is altsent in I'hirope, and his ])riesthood, dissatislied by the jU'ositect of a large Canadian and American emigration, have taken no measures t(» alla.N the excitement among their i>aiishioners. Whether the ollicials of the IIuds(»n*s IJay Comjiany will earnestly i AFFAllJS ON Tin: UEh KIVKU. support (i(t\t'iiior M«'I)ou,i;iill is quito ii jn'oltU'iii. Tlic.y were forced into Mk- vtM'cnt (H'ssioii t(» CaiiiHlii, oil tlio piiyinciit ol' ,C;)0(),(K)(), and tlierc had IxM'ii i»i'«'viousl_\ nuicli acrimony in tlicdiscussion. (lovcrnor Mr- Tavisli, lately at the liead of tlio comitany's ailniinistration, (tounsoln peace and suhinissioii to Canadian authority; but there is unquestion- ably much syni])atliy anions' all classes of the po])ulat ion with the de- mands of the l-'reiicli insur,:L;'ents. These are likely to be as tbllows : 1. The extension of sutlVaj;'!' to the half-bived poi)ulation, and the ('oiu'cssicni o'." (he ri^ht of the people to elect (heir own lej^'islature. -. The recoi;iiition of an absolute title in all existin,;^' claims of land which are accomi»anied by actual occuj)ati()n. and (he establishnu'ut of a homstead system. .!. The introduction of tlie American system of school en(h)wnu'nts and inrants of laml for )iiii)lic improvements. 4. A moditication of (he Canadian tarilf. I'pon the refusal to .yrant these demands, or ]>erlia]»s in any event, I anticii)ate a s(ron,u' aM(l delermini'd moxcmenr in fa\'or of ann«>\atiou to the Cnited States. Any attempt to introdiu^' ijii^lish or Canadian troops will instantly precipitate the latter result. If Central Hritish .Vmerica remains Can- adian, it must lie oidy ;',s the result of a ]H'aceful a,i;i<'ss of these imjxutaid events. II venture to send dui)licates of the fov(\^(»iii.u- co!umunicati(Ui to Sec- retary JJoutWi'lI and Senator Ilamsex . I remain vouis. resjiectfuih'. /(A.Mi:s \V. TAYLOlf. !loU. ^A^IIi..i•<^\ f'lSII. Secrdtd'i/ of Sf((fr. No. t. Mr. Malmt'o.s io Mr. Dariy. No. Ul.] ('o.XSri.ATK OF THE UnITEI) StATKS OF AmEIMCA, Winnipi'd, lirttish Xorth Aiitcrica, December 4, 1800. Siu : Since tlu' date, of my dispatch No. 14, the )>olitl<'al state of this colony has very nuu'h chanj^ed. The leadeis of the I-'rench i)ortioii of the inhabitants, ever sim*e yarrisoninj;" ]'\)rt (larry, liave connnitted such a lonj;' series of blunders in sjtite ol" the j^dixl advice j^iven them, that they have estran,ued the by far !nr(>ater portion of (he lOn^^lish speakinj;' poi)ulation from their cause. Tlui spreadin.^' of many false rumors, such as tha( tlie Fr(Mieh had taken up arms to supi)ress Protestantism in the setthMuent, ami other equally absurd, and ])erhaps ;i Judicicais us(» of moiu'y, have likewise, contributed to weaken the i)aity in arms and to render a reunion of the. two sections of the i»oi)tdation im|)robable. (iovernor .McDou.iiall, whoisstill a( Tembina, Dakota Terri(ory, has au- thorized Colonel Dennis, a Canadian, to eidist a force to di.si)erse the rebels. Should that .ii'entlenmn sue(;eed in enlistinji" a fon^', for that l)uriK)se fi'om amouii' the real settlers of the eohuiy, and coercion be at- tempted, there is every prospect of a civil Avar. In case, how(;ver, Col- onel Dennis slntuld recruit larffelv Irom amonjr latelv arrived Canadian had other AFFAIRS ON I'HE RFD RIVER. 9 iininipiiiits, wiio as a dass art* mudi ilisliki'd, it may have the vii'ovt of arousmj^ tho ontiic c.ohniy in opposition to (ilovciiior M('l)ou.i;all and again unite, the two sections ol" the ])eoj)h' of the eoh»ny. In case no (!oei'ci(ni is attcnijttcd the rebels may he prrhajis iKhiced to h^t (lovernor ]\I('l)onj;all in un(h>r certain conditions. la m, sir, verv n^specttiillv, voin- obedient servant, oscAi; mal:\ii:()s, Consul. iron. J. C. n. Davis, Acting Scerftary of Stai<\ \Vtushin-olution. The telegrams coming from Toronto and Ottowa, stating that the opjtosition to (lovernor McDougall and tln^ Dominion is dying out, and tliat nearly all the half- breeds have left Fort (Jarry for their winter hunting-grounds, are ma(h' up for effect in Washington, and are not according to the facts coming to u.s through other soun*es. The following remarks are iVom an editorial in the St. Paul I^'ree Press, and as they are based u])on the letters received from thr<'e cor- resjiondeids upon the ground, whose veracity the editor in(h)rses, the statenuMit nmde may be taken as a near approximation to the tinth ; if not indeed a faitid'nl ])i'esentation of the actual condition ot things, and of the sentiments ami pnrposes of the people : Tin: .lli<;('iit a .joiirnnl iis the (ilohc slioiild liavt> Ibiincd so iiiadc<|iiiit(' a coiict')) tion of tlu! actual state of tiling's. i>iit if the stai'tliiiu: iiitidiin'cnci^ lu'rcloforc made luiltlic lias not l)roii,nlit oni- Canadian friends to a realizinir sen.se of tlie situation, the hotter we puhlisli this niorniii;^' will peihaiis inii)ress e\-en provincial scIf-siWIiciency witli tli(! f^i'avity of the crisis, as we are sure they will wake np the Anierican jmldic to the ]»olitical iniiiortance of the drama which is heini.'; enacted on tlie frontiers of Minnesota and i>akota, and is rajiidly cnlminatiny' to the |ioiiil of a successful icvoln- tion. These letters are all from w<'ll-infornied anil rejialth' sources, 'i'liey Itriui;- the U(!W8 that on the day on which (ioveruoi' Mcl)ouj;all ..ad his staff were cNjiclled hy one, ay ('onip.iny's ]iower and trade. It is im]ios,sihl(' (o nverestimate this even'!, i'orl (iariy is ahout scsenly miles north of I*<'ml>ina. It was huilt many years a.^ohy the Hudson's i'ay ( 'oniiiany as their main dejiot of supply for their numerous (radin;i-pos(s, and 'as the citadel (d' their authority. It> was the. he.Khiuarti'rs of the i;()\i'rnor, rej>resentin,t; the >a,'overiiin; jiowers of the c(U'poratioM. It is a stronj;, rc;;ular fortilication. whose. ma.ssivrovisioiial ,ii,(>veriiment. of which .lolin Ibcmsst' is the head, 'fhe j;o\ - eriiUH'iit house, thoiijih hehl by (he insnr.utuils, is not yet occupied as the seat of theii' iiuthority, out of a chivalrous resiicct Ibr tioveruor McTavish, who, lyinj;- at (he ])oiii( of death, i'c;>re.sents in a donlih? seiiso the waniiiu; shadow of the, Hudson's Hay Com- pany's autlivU'ity. In the mean time (he iiisuriieiits have ileclari^l maitial law. and are 10 AKi'Aiiv's (JN 11 IK i;i;i) un i:k. Illl\ill;; llliil>llli> lit istiliil I liiir ^u\ clllllirlll ii\ rl t llr W llnic ( i.lllil I \ iVolll K'cil U'ivcr lollic l)i>('K\ MiiiiiilMiiis. rii;il (lie li'iiilci's |)ii,ssi>Ns I'l'siiliit ion iiiiil rii|iin'it\ III nirry oiil llit'ii' |iiir|iM>i's is indiciili il nui only l>y llicsr liulil imimsiu'cs, Inil llic i)iliiiir:ili1i> Wisci- |iiiii(' wiiiili t lii'> iiiiiiiitiiiii, 1111(1 In \\ liicli iiil (tiir itiri('s|M)ii(li'iits ln'iir IrsI imony . Ni'vci lie'')!!' Wils tllclr MhIi llMirnli>;ll nuliT ;iim1 Mirli |irrii(t >c(lllil\ for lirc;niii |ir(i|M'rt> iis is iniiiiiliiiiii'il iiinlir iIh' /<'//'.ur;i;iiil rune ctnisisls ol' si\ Iniinhril iinni'il niiii, Itniniil ln;;('tli('r l>y !i siili'iMii (nilli, tin- iiiipuii nrwliicli is ('(HIV cN f(l ill the mn'il l.ilx riiliini. Il is liii> niU'lciis lit' .-III iii'iny — sworn lo niiiinliiiii iinlrpcnilriiiT 4*1 (';in.'iili:iii rule. \\r iicccitt liif tcslinionv ol'oiir liner inlrllij;cnl iinil wrli-inroiincil conrsiHiiiili'iils, jiscnn I'InsiM- liiiil tilt- I'lilin- |>n|iiihiliun is in iinoitl willi llir insiinril ioiKii'v iinncnicnt. Si\ IiiiihIi'i'iI till' iiiimlicr ol' 'i'cniiN sin's li'^lil Ini^iiilc — is not n l;irj;'i' iiriny. Init il srcnis to I' snlliiii'iil :iim1 o\ crw li(liiiin;4l\ irtiitiNf for priii'l iciil itiirposcs, iinil oin (■orii'S|i(in(lriil Mssinrs nstiiiil in tlir >|irin;^ llii' r.inUs uf ilir iiisnij^fiils ;irr to he swi'llcd tt> llim IIkiii.siiihI (/(((I -;in iiiiii,\ i|iiilr siiriicicnl In (li'l'i'iiil till' conntrv ;i;;;iinsl tell times their nninlxr. < 'm I'eiiiliin.i eiirres|Miiion;;iill -still eiie;ini|ieil iieiir reinl)iii;i - lia . sen" lo (';ininl;i for troop-, .'inil iirnis to for<'e liis \\ :!> inio I lie eunnii \ , unij ||i:il onr <;'oM'rninenl is lo lie iisKeil to mIIoW tlieir t I'Mllsil. In iinl ieipiil ion iil° sni'll ,1 ri'i|Mes| we Im-l; to e;ill tile , 'it lent ion of I'r.sideiil (il;inl iiml t lie Seerel,ir\ of St:i|e in I lie e|;i\ e eollse(|nenees poiiileiloni l>S niir i'ort (iiirrv eoirespomlent :is .ilniost eeihiin to t|o\\ from :in,\ siieli iietion. It wiiiild not onlyinsohe tlie whole li'eil l>'i\ i-r i iniiili \ in the horrors ot' .•! (le\;ii\ <•!' ;i |iii|M'i' issued ui; IIm' !MIi of No \«>1I|Imt Iiv llir p|-<'siil( i \\i<, The president and i epre^.enlal i\ e> of ihe I'lemli -.peaKin;; popnialioii uf K'npcrt's liaiid in conncil : the in\ adiis arct's, 1 ; lleadiiinlv, I ; St. .lames, 1 ; St. Mar.v's. I ; Kiddo nan, I; St. Paul's. I; St. Andrew's, 1; SI. ( lenient's, I; St. retci's, I: town ot Wi pc;;, ^\ in or. l-^lUi. TIk' nuiNciiliiHi Wits lirlil, l;is| iiio s(>\ ciiil (l;i.\s, hilt ol' its dccisioits I lia\<' no I'l'liiihlc .'roi'iiiiilioii. A pi i\':lli' Irlli'i' piititril III tli<> MollllTiiI llrijiltl ,sii\.s : A lla)4 has lieeii adopt ci 1. w liii h i" euinpoHcd of a while i^innnd, npun w hjrh aie dis plavcd llirei' (losses I he ( (iiii I (ine laii^e and xailel ((doled lh<' side ones sniiillei ami ^old cohned. \ edldeii II inue hinds the w hile ;;idnnd. I hear that theieis to he a pioelamation, and thai lherea'>oii<. axxi^ned for lisiii;^ w ill he that t licit (tmsei it w as md asked liv the Canadian people l hat tin .s were "sidd like sn maiiv sheep:' thai the CainMlliili UMVeiiiiiii'Ml slionhl, Ik Cure eiitciiiiy; into nc- I ■M'lAiKs ON niM Ki;i) in\i:K\ u •a l{ivrr ;in'.v out. il(> (lisci- . Ni'vei |irii)M'rt V iihU'iiI <>r II. I)inni)i ilioii. li iilc. NV.' s, US coii- iNCUirlll. \. lull it . ilDll out 111' ll> '"' \ :i;^;iiiisl Hill llial 'or lr(M>ii.H ;|^U('(1 li> CIllHMI ft' •il mil lt> rlioii. Il viisliiliii;; lisium'lll riiiriil • <>i iliiiii war. I); AiiHii of Slllljll r (iovnii ^ll fniO])H, III ilcrmil Acniiiunl ilislllf llir ii'iiin iinil orlli I'olr, ill' li,V tllo III!' saiiK' Aim riraii I nl' No L'lijK rl't re III vo'ii iiliilaiilN ; ^ nliMTh, I ; Kclilo I Winni imMiil>('r.>«, asim-H UN sr cmiiirii Sii\ illlltfl , ■| 1 II lorj). isioiis I Uoiilt-nil li all' ill < i Miialli I lor liNJii;; vi'ii' "hiiIiI •^ illlo IH'- ;;ol iai ioii < w il li I lii- I iuil -nil .-< l!ay ( 'oiii|iaii\ . Iia\ <' loiisiill rill lir iial iv <"^ nl' ||ii- t oiiiiliy, ami Ilia I il lliis liail Imtm ilonr, I lii'v would lia\ r iislciiril lo w lial I iii' (•iiiiiniis.sioiiciN of Mil' ;^'o\ri iiiiH'iil liaii lo^av ; 1ml liaxiii:; lurii 1 1 aiiNlrnril in llir \\a\ llirv wni'. not li iii^ was Irl'l lo llirm a"i lii'a\i' iiicii Inil lo ii'snil llir iiisiill. Tlir lollowiiio- IS ;i ('i»|>\ ol' tlic Idler liiiiidcd lo (;u\( riior Mel )oi|Oiill on his ;iiri\iil npaii iIh' K'ril Ivisci' loriiloiv : Hi;iii->ii i I i:i;i itiiji , m vi; I'imiiinv. 1». I'., S fill mill r o. l-ii',». Sli; : Tin iiiuli r^i;;!!!!! Himsrnt I li,' ( liipin'W a imiiaiis, w lio ow ii ami on ii|>\ ;i lari;r |inilion 111 (111- I'oiiiiliA !^llo\vlla^ tin liinlMiirs I(:i\ ( 'inii|iaii\ 's 'rrriiliuN , m l>'iiiii'rt''i (-ami. W'r l.lKr llir lilirllv !ii lllli'llii Viiiir iMrllilir, iili \iilll .llliv.ll oil llir illlrl lial iol>al lioliml.il\ Ijlii'. ailil ill llir liaillr nloiir |irii|i|i'. Ill lri|lli's| \ii|ir I'M rlirm \ In li'liiaill lor a I'ru ila \>' .'il or iirar I lir I 'ml nl' I iir ilmlsnii's |ta\ ('oiii|iaii\ . t iirar I'rmliMia.) in onlri 10 iiDonl mil riiiilN ami nlil im ii llii' n|i|ioi'l iiiiil.\ loimrl s mir i'\ri'lli'iii'y in <;riii> nl'llii' 11 III Im Ill's I lay ( 'omiiaiiN . lull \\ f iia\r not Imtii iiilni imil )(■/((// I Imsr iiitrii'sis air. Saiil iiilrirsls rimlil mil lia\i' liirii lamis, I'm I lir sinijilr rrasmi lli.il said i'nm|iany (acronl- ili;; lo llir slalrliiolil olulir iild liiiii ) olil aillid I'loiii niii' |m'o|iIi' only llir ri^lil In m ril)iv lor a tiiiir a n rlaiii distritl orcmnilr.N on ami nrai' Ilic K'l'd U'iM'i. \ "liilr mill liavr Itiin siiil ')\ llic ;;iivi rniiiriil wliirli \oiii' rMillt'iirN n'lnrsinls, and liaM' lirrii (lis iilin;.; OIII' 'rri'i'ilmy into small lols, I'nr ihr |mr|iiisi>, as wean* lold, ol si'lliii;; 1 1 II' III III \N liili' mi'ii. And all Iliis is lirino dmu' w illioiil ronsiilliiiM ns, willioiil I lea I, \ si iimlaliiiiis, and ,is ||ioii;;!i llii' lands .iliTadN lii'lnii;;i'd In \imi i;ii\ I'l'iiiiii'iil. Ilciirrwr iiisisl ii|iiiii a^cmial rmimil, and a lull and salisl'iiclmy lllld(■l'slalldin^ hrfiin your I'Mi'llnicV , in llir lialllt' ol' \olir ;;o\ rllinirlil , jisslimrs |inssi'ssiiill ol'lllis 'rtTiilon . <>iir |ii'ii|ili' ^I'l'iiliy iml't'i lo mainlaiii I'limdlv nlalimis In \mii I'Milli'm y, and lli>< ;{o\ri'niiiriil mhi ii'iin-siiil ; and we will Know llial Iliis i an oiilx lie dour li\ allioron<;li and aniiiaMr adjiiNliiimt ol'mn irsiircliN c li^lils li\ a wiillrii liralv. Hill' |ii'ii|dr Know llial \\ ill lir I'lillv ri's|M'i ltd. and llial wr nia\ lie aldr In I'vliiid In mhi llir I i;r||| liiiml ol' ri'llii\>slii|i. On our ow li lii'luill', .'is \\\ II as t hr |ii'ii|i|i' w r ii'|iirsrld, wr III';; \nill r\i rllilirs \> ill ar ( i'|it mil Kindi"^l it'nan'.s. I'll: w ASCII. (II \ w \ w i; A.scii Mis I'ixi llii 111 \ (iiiMTiior Ml I till I, \i I,. Tlir )|riii;iiMls tlini lliiidc li.\ llic ilisinoclils were ltii(>ll\ iis j'olloNVs : I. 'riir riojil In rlrri llirilowii l<',ois|ii| nro. 'J. Thill Ihr icoisliiliiK' shiill hii\r jtitwrr Id |i;iss iiii ixt of htt-iil iiiihiir, by il t\\ fiii|tlioti l;i\\. •">. .\ii liiiliiiti pMlicx r;ilniliitriihir«', tliiiii lh«' ptopo Hitioii of iinni'Siilioii lo ihi' honiinion In lie siil>iiiiti(>d to ji \oh' ol Ilic proplr. NVilliiiiii Mi-'I'iiN i.sh, ooM'i iini' il n pioilnniiition ttii Ihc Hilh ol' Nom'IiiImt, in whii'li, I 12 AFFAIRS ON TIIK RED RIVEK. I i afUT citiii;; the violations of law and (l«']H'e(latioiis ot'tlic iiisur.s;ents, h»^ says : Tlu' ]»i'i'S()ns wliti Ii;i\<' Im'cii torciiiust in (•(uiiiiiittijij;' tln'sc niilawt'ii! (UmmIs have ri'- MtittMl ft) ill-Is wliich (lii('tly tend to iinolvf tlii'iiisclvcs in {'(ttisiMnicuccs ol'tlic ^riivcst iiatui'c, ami to briiij;' ii))oii tlu' colony antt tlio country at lai';ed in them, before they are irretiievalily and hojieh'ssly involved, inunediately to disjjcrse theni- st'lves to their homes, and to their lawt'ul business, under th(> ]>aiiiH and )>enalties of tli • law; and Axhatever in other respects may be the, ooiiclusioii of those, who iiiet^L to deliberate upon the ]tresent critical and distracted state of our ])ublie alVairs, I bejj; yoi! as citi/ens, liaviui; the interests of your country and kindred at heart, to ratify ami proclaim with all the mi;.iht of .Miur respeeti\t' voices this jniblie notic(^ and ])rotest, an. A special Irom Si. I'anI -^lates liial id ters h,i\ !• been icceiscd from I'orl (iarry. dated November 1(> ami "id. The ( ouiicil of tlie insurgent half-breeds met (Ui the l.'ttli, bin after some consultation adjourned until the l"^tli. (Joveruor M<'Tavis!r,s proclamatior- was circulated amon;v them with what correspondents call marked I'Ifeei. A letter of the '2(Mli declares that the K'ed li'iver jteojile will iievei' submit to receivi' Mr. .McI)ouji,al! unless o\-eipo',vereil by the Canadian iic>\ erniiK'ui. The letter also slates that a siif- lieienily lar^e force of insui n'eul'- are in arms to piolccr their froniii'i' from an,\ Ibrcc that can be sent anaiiist them. ill aiiotlicr l«'tt(M' I will iiK'lo.sc some cNtracIs, sliowiiin the eont rar\ . this open attempt, and scNcral chiiidesliiie ones, (o eit-atc ci\il war in the colony,' has created ureal and almost nni\ei'.sal iiidi;;ii!itioii towards Mr. .Mcl>on;^all. On the Sth instant a hand of lift,v < 'iimidians, who had taken up arms ajL>'aiiist the re\olut' >nists, siirreiider<>d nneonditionally, and are now helil as prisinicrs of war. In coiiseipiciice of this event, ami his entire failure to enlist recruits, < 'oioiiel Dennis, on iheihli instant, issued the »i'. Immediateh nil the issiK ol' < 'oloi,-! Denni>»"< tirst order, (he iiiNur- ii AFFAIRS ON THE RED RHER. 13 rectionists resolved not to treat ^vith (lovernor McDougall under any circunistanees. It is credibly reported that Colonel Dennis will leave this country in two or three days, if he <*an obtain a safe conduct to Pembina. On yesterday the insurrectionists adopted, and raised under military lionors, a tlag of their own, not very ha])i)ily conceived; it con sists of the '■'■fleiirH iJe //.s" of ancient France, and a harp and shamrock. The revolutionists fultill the ]>rincipal function of tlui j»()vernnient, ])ro- tection of persons and i)roi)erty, in a lii^ldy satisfactory decree. 1 am, sir, vour obedient servant. OSCAlv' .AIALMKOS, Hon. J. C. r>. Davis, Acting Secrcfani of Statv. W'ashinfjton, />. i\ I luilii.snrr Nil, l.I 1S»1<». Ich No. ). J. \W ovci'iior Itciiipt, ny,' has )on;ii\ll. i|) arms re now s t'ntire nrd the DKCI.aKATION <»!■ TMK CKoI'IK ((K Kt I'KI!! S /.AM) \M» 1 IIK NOIfl IIWKiST. Wlu'icas it is iidiiiittc*! by all iinii as a fiiiulaineutal i)riii(i])lt', tliat the, public au- thority commands the obtMlioiuf ami respect of its subjects ; it is also admitted tliat a people, when it lias no jroveruuieut, is tree to adopt one I'orm of iauce to that wliicli is ])roposed. In accord- ance with the above first principle, the peojde of this country had obeyed and resi»ected that authority to which tlie circnnistaiices surronudinfjf its infancy comiu'Ued it to be subject. Acomitany of adventurers known as the '"Hudson's I?ay ('onipany," and invested with certain powers granted by Ills Majesty, ((Charles II.) established itself in Rupert's Laud and in the IS'orthwcst Territory, fi)r tradinj; purjtoses only. This iked the (!od of natimis, relying on these fnndanu-ntal moral principles, solemnly ileclai iii the name of our constituents and in (uirown names, before (iod and man, that from the day (Ui which the govern- nieiil we had always respected aitandoued us, by transferring to a strange )iowei' the sacred authority contidcd to it, the people of K'upert's Earn! and the N(utliwest became free and exempt fnmi all alh>giauce to the said goverumeut, iJd. That we refuse to reiogiii/.e the authority of Canada, wliieh pretends t(» have a right to coerce us and im|tos(> upon us a despotic form of gov i iiiment, still more con- trary to our rights and interest .s as iliitish sidijects than \\a>. that govt iiinu-ut to which wi) had Hubjected ourselves thnuigh necessity up to a recent date, lid. That by seiidiiig an cxiiedition on the tst ol' Noseiiibei ultimo, chargctl to drive back Mr. William McT)ongall and his com|)auioiis, emuing in the name oi' Canada to rule us with the rod tif despot ism, \n it bout a pieviousnotitieation to that clb'ct, wi^ liav«« but acted contorniably to (hat sacred right which commands c\ery citi/.eii to ofU^r onorgctic opposition t«» prevent IiIh ctuintry being ensluved. 14 AFFAIRS ON THE RED RIVER. I 4tli. That wi" contiimc and sliall coutimio. lo oppose witli all our .str('ii;;lli the rstab- lisbiiifjc of tlu' Canadian authority in our country under the anuonnicd fonu. And in caso oi' i>orsistcuc'(' on the part of the Canadian ffovernnient to enforee its ohnoxions policy ui»on us by force of arms, we ])rotest beforehand aj^ainst such an unjust aiul un- lawful course, ami Ave declan; the. said Canadian f>()venunent resj)onsible before (iod and uu'U for the innumerable evils which maybe caused by so uuwarrautablo a course. He it known therefore to the Avorld in {general, and to the Canadian governuu'ut in jiarticular, that as we have always heretolere successfully defended our country in fre- ipient wars with the neij;iiboriu«f tribes of Indians, who are now on friendly relations with us, we are lirndy resolved in future, not less than in the past, to rejx'l all iuvasious iioui whatsoever (piarter they may conu'. And furthermore Ave do declare and ])roclaim. in the luime of the i>eople of Rupert's Laiul auht hundred and sixtv-niiu'. .)<»IIN HKl'CF, I'lriiiilciit. l.oris Rii.T.. Srcnlari/. (lii('li)snre No. iJ.] riiE NouTiiwr.sr tiouuitu. iks. By his excellency the houoiable William iMcDouht ccuiccru, that the lawless acts aforesaid, and which were partieidarly set Ibrth in his prochimation. weic "i(mtrary to the n'iminstrauces and jirotests of tlie public authorities," and did therein himself protest against each and all of the said un- lawful acts ami iuti'Uts, and char;^ed and commanded the said aimed peisons to imme- diately disperse themselves and iieaceably lo depart to their haliitations or lawful business under the pains and penalties of the law. And whereas, since the issue of the said protest or proclamation, certain of the armed in«'ii aforesaid have laUeii possessiim of the public jccords and jiapeis at I'orl (iarry, ami iiave seized and held as prisoueis ))ublic ollicers or pcisous havin;;' chai'oe of tlm same, and, as I am credibly informed, still keep unlawful |)ossession of the saiil records and public propeity, and with force and a\'ms (ontiihic to obstruct public ol)i<'ers ami others in the jterformance of their lawlul duty and luisim'ss. to the <;i'eat terror, loss, aiul injury of hei' .Majesty's peaceable sidtje> a ilhori/e and command me to do and exeeiile nil things in due manner that should behm^ to my said eoumiand — Know you, that leposinn trust and conlideuee in y(nir e(uira)j;e, loyalty, lidelltv, (Um- cretion.and ability, and uiulcr and by viitneofthe authority in me vested, J have nomimited and appointed, and by these presents do uondnate ami appoint you, the said .bdui Stou^hton I >eunis, to be my lieutenant and a conservat s;iiti Territories, uwn wiili llic s;ii(i fnicc td atrack, arrest, (lisariii, or (lisjicrse the said armed men so unlawt'nlly asseiiil)leiiig the imlilic peace, and lor that jinrimse and with tiie lorce aloresaid to assanlt, liic upon, pull down or break into any fort, honse. stroi!u,h
eaee to Idle, purchase, inijiress, and taki' id! necessary I'lofhinu', arms, am- munition, and supplies, and all cat(i<', horses, wagons, sieiiihs, or other vehicles which nmy ln' reipiired tor tin- use of the foi<'e to he laised a.; ;' foresaid : and I fuiiher author- ize you to apjioiid as many ofticers and tlejailies under yon, and to ^five them such orders and instructions from time to time a.s may l»e foninl uecess.ary for the dne per- formance ol' tlieser\ice herein re([nired of you, reportin;;' to nu- tlie said ai>pointnients ;'.nd orders as you shall IIthI op]iortuiuty. for c< irmation or otherwise ; and I herelty ,L:i\e you full ]io\M'r and authority to call upon all manisf raies and iieace oflicers to aid and assist you, and to ordi r all or any of the iidiahitants of the s;nd Ncu'thwesf 'I'crri- fories. in the name of her Majesty the (^>neen. to support and assist you in protecting' the li\es and lu^'iperty of Iter .Majesty's loyal snbjects, and in preser\ in,t;' the ]»ul»lic peace, and for tlnit ]tnrpo?;e to take, disperse, or overcome li\ force the said armed men and all others who may hi' found anlinjj or abeitiu!;' them in their unlawful acts. Antl the said jiersons so called niion in hci- .Maj<'sty"s mime aVe lierehy ordei'ed ;uid enjoined at their jn'til to obey ycnir orders and directions in that behalf, and this shall ]»e suflicieiit Av,.:tant for what yon or they )nay d-) in the premises so lon^;' as this com- mission remains i;i force. (iiven under my hand and seal at arms at K'ed Ifivrr in tin- said Terfitories. this lirst day of December, in the yeai" of 1(;ALL. I'v eonuiiaiii! : .!, A. N. I'U'OVENCHER. Scr, in the vear oi'onr Lmd (me thousaml eight hundred and sixtv-nim'. ".I. S. DENNIS, l.ii lift ,i(tiil (iiiil <'i>ii>i rcatt'i ol' thi I'cii' in <:ii7," he ]»h'ased to athnit l{ni»ev*^'s Land and the Northwestern 'I'erritory into the I'nion or I»omiuioii of Canaihi. Itefore tiie next session of the Cana- dian ])arlianient. And whereas it is exjtedient t<» prei)are for tlie transfer of the said Territories from the h)cal antiir, under tlu^ authority of this act. 7. This act shall continue in force until the end oi'the lu'Xt session of Parliament. No. .^. [Cuilililiaii Act, Oiip. (' V, ;il mill ;tj Vict., tKi7-8,] AN ACT fi>r enahlinj; iter Majesty to accept a surrender upon terms of the land, ]>riv- ileges, itnd rights of "The (iovcrnor and Company of Adventurers of Etujlnnd, trading' into Hiidmn'x /^flt/," tind for admitting; the same into the Dominion of Can- ada. L:rnment (I HouH» as " thp om timo ions 7, and of admittiuj;' Ix'iiiiirt'x Laud into the said Dominion as aforesaid, upon such terms as Imr Majesty thinks lit to ajiprove, it is cxiiedient that the said lands, territories, ri<;lits, pvivile<;<'s, liberties, franchises, jiowers, and authori- ties, so far as the same have liecn lawfully fi,iaiited to the said fomiiany, should be surrendered treed niion by and Itetwccn her Majesty and the said ji'over- nor and company : ]*rovide(l. however, that such surrender shall not be acc<'ptcd by her Majesty until the terms and conditions iipeii which Iiiipi)-t'n Ltiiid shall be admitted into the said Dominion of (,'anada shall hipc been approx'cil of by her Majesty, and embodied in ail address to her Majesty from both the houses of the Parliament of CtiiKidd, in imr- suance of the one hundre(l and forty-sixth section of th'- /!riti>t!i Xoiih .Uncriviiu act, It^tiT ; and that the said surrender and accejitance tliered' shall lie null and voitance liy her .Miijesty of such surrender, all riyhts td' ,u,-ovenimeiit and proprietary rights, and all other piivilej;cs. Jiiieities, franchises, i»ow»'i's. and antlKU'ities whatsoever j;ranted or jmrported to lie i;rantcd by the said letters patent to the said <;dvernor and coniiiany \\ itliin Hiiixrt'x Land, ami which shall have been so surrendered, 8liall be al»s(dntely extin;;nished: Provided, that nothing herein contained shall lueveiit the said governor and company from continuing to carry on, in I>'l(|lel•t''^ Laud or elsewhere, trade and commerce. '). It shall lie ('(uiipeteiit to her Majesty, by any s;',ch order or orders in council as atbrcsaid, on address from the houses of tli(> Parliament (d" ('(Oitidd. to declare that Jtiijurrx /.(I lid shaW, from a date to be therein mentioned, be admitted and become part of the Dominion of Caiidda, and thereupon it shall be lawful fo-. the I'arliament of Canada, from the date aforesaid, to make, ordain, and establish within the land and territory so admitti-d as aforesaid, all such laws, institutions, ami onlinances, nnd t'» constitute such courts and othcers as may lie necessary for the jieace, order, and good govcruinent of her Majesty's subjects and others therein: Provided, that, until other- wise enacted by tlu' said Parliament ot Ciiiiadd. all the powers, antliorilies, and juris- diction of llui several courts of justice now established in JliijK'rl'x I.'iiid, ami of the several ollicers thereof, and of all magistrates and justices now acting within the said limits, shall continue in full force and elfect therein. and, priv- Eiujland, 111 of Ciui- Xo. 0. hiirUx the lined were f KtKjland, iiiieiit iimi •e thereby HMiijcHtyl* long othor id vice and Mr. Tat/lor to Mr. Finh. St. Paul, Januart/, L'l), ISTO. SiK: On tlic Kltli of Xovcinbrr I coniimmicutcd to tlic Dcpiirtincnt of State the fiitcllificiici' tliiit the Kn ncli pojmliition of Sclkiik si'ttlcmciit had forcibly resisted the iitteinpt to iiieiiiionite the territory, extendiiiy; from h)nj;itiide ninety de^refS ro the Htjcky ^lonntaiiis, as part of the J)oinini(»n of ('ana> j> ! 18 AJ^FAIKS ON THE RED RIVER. I .'! ariiiod and mounted, sunouiidod Fort I'einbina, a post of the ITudson's Bay Company, two miles north of a ])oint where tlie international fron- tier crosses the ]ied Kiver of the North, and ordered Hon. William ]\lcDougall, who w as on his way to assume the position of lieutenant {governor of the Northwest Territories by appointment of the Canadian {ioverment, and Avas the guest of the otileers of Fort Pembina, to reeross the international frontier. The commission of Mr. ]McDouoall had not taken etfect ; but he pro- posed on the 1st of J)ecember to issue a proclamation taking formal pos- session of the country in the name of Canada, and assuming the duties of lieutenant governor. Before that day he anticipated a proclamation of the (^)ueen of England, announcing the formal transfer of the coun- try in(!lu(led in the charter of the Hudson's Bay Company to the Domin- ion of Canada, a negotiation to that effect being on the point of consum- mation. The J'act and the terms of this transfer, the legislation in anti'jipation of it by Canada, and the action of Mr. McDougall under his i)rospective appointment of lieutenant governor, excited so much dissatisf;;«'tion among the i)eoi»le of Selkirk, that an organization Avas etfected lo resist by force the inauguration of the Canadian authority over the region known as Hudson's Bay Territory, or Rupert's Land. A parley having proved ineftectual, Mr. McDougall, who had no ade- quate nutans of resistai.t'C, was escorted to the American settlement of I'embiiia, in the Territory of Dakota, where he remained until Saturday, the l.Sth of December, when he left I'or Canada. His secretary, J. A. N. I'rovencher, es*}., had been pre\ ionsly dispatched as an envoy to the French population, but he was sto[)i)eil at St. Xorbert, a settlement about ten miles south of Fort CJarry, and was returned a ])risoner to Foi't Pembina, and compelled to leave the country with Mr. McDougall. Tlie party of the latter, v ho were thus forced ui)on Ameiican territory, consisted in addition to himself, family, and servants, of J. A. N. l*ro- \ cncher, csij., ])rovin('ial secretary, A. N. IJiehards, escj. ,attorney gen- eral, Captain Cameron, and Dr. flackes; (these fonr gentlemen having been designated, as was rumored, to be members of the legislative coun- cil under the Canadian act organizing the Territory;) Alexander Biggs, collector of customs: and Colonel J. S. Dennis, surveyor general. Their removal was effected by a detachment of thirty armed men. l\o vio- iiMice was ottered. Mr. ^IcDougall's ex])lanations and remonstrances were ct)nrt^'ou>ly received. He is ot the imjjression that they jiroduced a teni}H)rary etrect on the e\ening of November 1, but at U o'clock next morning the oidcr of exjjnlsion was lirinly executed. On the same day, November U, i-'ort Carry, seventy miles north of the international frontier, was occujticd l.y about tifty insurgents. J)ur- ingthe morning they had dropped into the walled inclosure of the I ')st, either singly or in small gronjts, and about noon, at a sigiujl, jxissession was taken without a struggle. Hon. NN'illiam MeTa\!sh, chief factor of the llndson's l>a\ Company, and go\('rnor of the «;olony of Assini- boi.i, was conlined to one ol' the barracks by illness, and no intrnsion upon him was snttered. There were no lOnglish or Canadian trooj)s at F<»rt (iarry oi' any other point in the settlement, and while, as ;i result of a i>re\ ions organi/.al ion, i»erhaps four hnndi'cd men were in arms to support the insnrreetion. the decisive events of the expulsion of .Mr. McDongall and the captnre of I'ort Carry were accomplished by less than i fonrth ol" that force. The sitnation is i ot materially changed at the exi)lration of two months; but before pioecding with the nariative of subse(iuent occur- rences, it is pioposed to describe th ^(eople of Selkirk, the rehitions of of T Mit tlie boil Can wan ftie boi' I'l'ei has sid( is at nu'u ai'e ( Tl Kild an\ i AFFAIRS OX THE RED RIVKR. 19 to the Hudson's Bay Company to tlieni, and the policy of Canada which has led to existing complications. THE PEOPLE OF SELKIRK. Of a population of twelve thousand, frl!;; ^le-half are the descend- ants of those Canadian traders who have been the i)ioneers of Euroi)ean civilization along the lakes of the Xorth and the great interior rivers of the continent. As early as 1()()2, the site of Fort Garry was o(;cupied as a French post. FiU't La Keine and similar trading stations existed on the east side of Lake Winnipeg and on the Lake of the Woods. A hundred years afterward Canadian traders explored the Saskatchewan and English Kivers; and in 17.S7 tlu^ X(uthwcst Fur Company was or- ganized, and concentrated the whole, fur ])roduct of the rivers and lakes from Lake Su])erior to the Arctics Ocean at Montreal. The ollicers and employes of this c«nni»any ()ccui)ied every i>rominent locality in the basin of Lake AVinnipeg and in the valley « . the Mackenzie Kiver, and when Lord Selkirk indnccil his associates <>f the Hudson's JJay C()mi)any to extend their i)osts from the coast of iludson's IJay, and organize a col- ony on the ]{ed Kiver of the ^'orth, the Canadians were already on the ground, in the tirst i)lace resisting, but afterward becoming parties to the proi)os('d coh)nization. The limits of thFgrant by the Hudson's Bay Comi)any to Lord Sel- kirk were nearly coterminous with the Ivcd Kiver A'alley, full half of the area being now included in the State of Minnesota. It was executed in 1811, and in the autumn of 1S12 a detachment of emigrants from the highlands of Scotland arrived on tiie banks of the Ked Kiver, near the mouth of the Assiniboiiie. Other parties i"olloweyterian, and e\hil)it the tliiilt, int<'lliger.ce, probity, and pi'ejudices characteris- tic <»t' the i>eopIe of Scotland. Adjacent to them, on the north and west> are the l^sigiish |»o])nlalion, while the moi«', recent settlement, thirty to fifty miles westward, upon the Assiniboine river, rei)resents all the tore- going constituents of ]»opnlation. The American adventurers who have become identitied with this com- # 20 AFFAIKS OX THE RED RIVER. ii^ iiiuiiity (liirinp: tlio last fiftocn years arc not at all isolated. They sus- tain ]»('i'S(»nal and business relations with all elasses, and have a pro- ])()rtionate intluenee, Probably no similar ])oi)nlation in the world are better provided Mitli reli<;ioiis and edueatiitnal insritntions. Trade has been free for years, notwithstamlinj^- the restrietive terms of the eharter of the Hudson's r>ay ('onii)any. The traftie in furs has been very productive, and there are freciuent instanees of afHuenee. HI'DSON'S bay COMPAX'Y. The relations of this eorimration to the people of Selkirk are quite amunalous. Full details of the history of that remarkable orpinization are reserved for another ])a])er; but it is pertinent at present to observe, that from KJTO to ISIH, there was no serious attempt on the part of the company to i)enetrate the interior. Their posts were in the immediate vicinity of Hudson's Bay, while the immense districts of the "SVinnipejjf and .Alacken/ie IJasin were occupied by the Canadians, or the Xortli- west Company. Lord Selkirk's colonization of Hed lliverwas accompa- nied by a vigorous rivalry with the Northwest (Nnnpany, leadin«>- to numy collisions, until, in 1S21, the latter or<»anization was merged, mainly by the intluenee of the late Edward Ellice, for many years a prominent nuMuber of the En<»lish Parliament, in the Hudson's ]>ay Com])any. The traditions ot this struj>>;le remain in the Selkirk colony. The rejiime of the Hudson's J Jay Company, althouj>li in numy respects Avise and i)olitic, has never been poi)ular with the Canadian, or old Xorthwest element, on lied Kiver. A lar^e portion of the trade of the settkMnent remained in the hands of the free traders, or parties discon- nected with the comi)any ; ami when the Hudson's ]>ay C()m])any soujiht to disehar<>e the trust of civil j;<)vernment, it i)roved extrenu'ly dithcult to reconcile the function of legislator and nmgistrate with that of the chief trader iu the comnumity. The form of jiovernment thus established has been very simjjle. The settlements upon the ]ved Kiver, from the international bouiulary at Pembina to the mouth of the river to Lake AVinnipej;', and upon the Assini1»oine for a distance of sixty miles west of its junctiini with the Ped Piver at Port (Jarry, have accjuired a civil organization under i\\)- pointment of the Hudson's Pay Company, which is ofhcially designated us the "Colony of Assiniboia." Pi the council thus organized, con- sisting of the chief factor at Fort Carry, who was acting governor, the English and Catholic bishops, ami nine prominent iiduibitants, all legis- lative ]>ower was vested, and live of the councilors were constituted nmgistrates, holding monthly ccuirts in as many districts — the ceriods this criminal jurisdiction has been shared by a recorder. The revenue of the colony was received from an impost of four per cent., levied impartially on all goods, whether brought from England, Cansfda, or the T'nitessessory rights, uiuler Canadian authority, had much to do with the recent out- break. to gi-i lueaii 4LM ii acciii Avan boiiij AFFAIRS ON THE RED RIVER. 21 For a long time previous to ISoO the IIiulsou's liny Company held an exclusive license of trade in districts heyond tlieir chartered limits, namely, in the rej^ion now known as llritish ('(►Inmhia and the adjacent islands, and in the valley of tlie ^lackenzie, and other Arctic districts. This license expiring;" on tlie -JOth of May, IS.V.), Sir Edward JJulwer Lyt- ton, then colonial minister of Enji^land, refused to renew it, conlinin;^ the com])any to their claim under the charter of KJTO, of exclusive trade and territorial ressed a trust that there would be no diiliculty in etlect- ing- arrangements between her ^Majesty's g(>vernment and the Hudson's Bay Company, by which those districts miglit be ceded to Canada on ecpiitable princii)Ies. This report of 1857 was the starting point of a Canadian agitation for the cession of what has been called tlie '' Fertile Uelt," or a zoiu' of the Korth American continent between latitudes 4!P and ."i.jC", and embracing the Ked Kiver and Saskatchewan Valleys east of the liocUy Mountains, ami the area on their western slo})e since organized as British Colum- bia. As to the territory north of the i)arallel of ~}~Pj there was general acquiescence in the opinioii that the alan for a confederation of the provinces, proposed by the Quebec conference of October 10, 18({4:, A\iiich Avas afterwards embodied in an act of the imperial parliament, contained a provision that "the Northwest Territory, British Columbia and A'ancouA'er, shall be admitted into the union on such terms and conditions as the parliament of the federal provinces shall deem egnized the validity, either by its terms or by prescription, of the charter of the Hudson's Bay Com])any, assumed the burchin of negotiation with its directory. Canada Avas reiu'csented at London by astute commissioners, (among them Sir (leorge Cartier and Hon. William McDtmgall,) and it Avas not until 18()l> that the accpiiescence of all parties was secured to the terms of cession. The nl-tiniatiim of the government Avas connuu- nicated on the Hth of March, 18(}!>, by the colonial minister, the Karl of Granville, to Sir Stafford Northcote, governor general of the Hudson's Bay Company, and consisted of the following articles: 1. Tluf Hudson's Hay CoiiijKiny to HiinciMlt'i' to lier Majesty all tlio ri«j;lits of ^ovcrn- nu'iit, i»nii»('rty, Ac, in l^ipcrt's Laud, wliicli arc spcc'ilioci in the 'M and '.\2 Vic. o. 10."), Hcc 4; and al^so of .sinular iij;lit.s in !iny otiicr jiart of JiritiMli North America, not foinpriscd in Rupert'.s Land, Canada, or British Cohnnhia. *Sec Foreign and Domestic Commerce of United States. Semite document, M'A: p. 21U. ' ■rrrrr^^ AFFAIRS ON THE RED RIVER. 23 iirjiod not 2. Canada is to pay tho company £300,000 whon Rupert's Land is transferred to tlio Dominion of Canada. 'A. Tlie comiJany may, within twelve months of the surrender, sehujt a Idoek of laud adjoiuiiifi eacii of its stations, within the limits sjx'cilicd in article 1. 4. The size of tlie blocks is not to exceed acres in the Red River territory, nor three thousand acres beyond that territory, and tlie a^jire^ate extent of the blocks is not to exceed fifty thousand acres. .5. So far as the eoniijyuration of the country admits, the blocks are to be in the shapo of parallelofirams, of which tiu^ ]eui>th is not more than double the breadth. (). The Hudson's Hay ("om])auy Tuay, for fifty years nf'ter tlie surrender, claim, in any townshi]> or district witliiu the fertile l»elt in wiiich land is set out for settleuieut, jirants of laml not exeeedinj; oiu; twentic tii part of the hind so set out. Tlie blocks so fjrauted to be. determiiu'd l)y lot, and the Hudson's ]?ay Company to pay a rateable share of tlie survey ex)»enses, not exeeediiiji- an acre. 7. For the purpose of the present ay Lake Winnipefj. the Lake of the Woods ami the waters connect iii;;- them. H. All titles to land ui» to the '^th of March, Ir^lil), conferred by the company, iire to be confirmed. 9. The company is to be at liberty to carry on its trade without hindrance, in its e^jriiorate capacity, and no excei>tional tax is to be placed on the comiiauy's land, trade, or servaJits, nor any import duty on floods introduced ))y them iirevious to the sur- render. 10. Canada is to take ov(>r the materials of the electric t<'le.any and the settlers was soon diverted from the i( ng and ditlicidt communications by way of York Factory, on lliulson's Bay, and Fort William, on Lake Superior, to the ^Mississippi steamers ana the prairie trails northwest of St. Paid to Fort Cbirry. In the winter of lS5.S-',")0, a steamer was taken apart and tratispoited from the upper waters of the Mississijjpi to a convenient point «)ti the Red Hiver, there rebuilt, ami during the following siuiuner luade trips to the settlenuMit. In 1S(J0, the Hiulsoifs Hay (iompany established a depot at Georgetown, in IMiiuiesota, ami built an additional steaiuer. The Ked River caravatis continiuMl their animal trips across the plains; and, iu 18(14, a report of the Treasury Departnu'ut, on the foreign and domestic commerce of the United States, estimated the imports of Central British America, for li t , '«»«»«wMiiwiwiim«Siiiiriii»'i'i>i>'«>M?j«^^ 24 AH'AiiJs ON Tin; Ki:i) kivi',{. I :fH> the use ol' tlu' lliulson's Il;iv ('(Hii|);mv ;iinl llic Selkirk st'tllns, iis iiiiiniiiitinu ill \iilii(> to ><.*)(lli,(KM) :iiiiiii:illy, wliilc tlic wNrra^c aniiiiiil exports, iiliiiost e\eliisivel_v I'lirs, were not less tliiiii ><1,(MK>,(M»0, To close Itiisiiiess relations with .Minnesota was soon aay Coinpanv rapidly increased. Tin* orj^ani/.ation of |{rilish ( 'oliiinhia, in 1S,-»!I, as a »'olon> of i']n;.iland, was iiiinu'diately followed l)\ a deinand lor similar institutions (.\er the wiiit when lh<' policy tif making' the Win iiipe;^ districts an appendajic of Canada, witliont seekiii;;" an expression of the wishes of the people, liecaine apparent at London and Ottawa, the ieuislatiire oi' Miniiestda, in ad\aiiee e\en of the t«'rinination of the ii«-;;()tiat ions al)o\«> ineiitioiied. placed on re<-ord in a ineiiiorial of March (I, IS(iS, to the IMcsideiit and < 'on.urt'ss of (In- Inilcd Stales, the follow- inj: expression : It'isiilnil. 'I'liiit wf ii'y;ri'l III li(> iiilWriiifil nl' :i ]inr|'ii)st' In I liiiisrci- I lie li'irilmirs Im-- turi'ii .Miiiiii'viilii :iiiil .\l:lsl^;l to I hr I luni iiiiiiii nl' ( ':iii,'iMilnli, w il lioilt a \ olr III' I III' | |iir iil' Sri k il K illhl lllrM'!||{'lM ll|Min t iir sum ri'-< iil' ill" Sislvairlirw an h'is'T, wint iaiL;il\ ri>nsis( of cnii'.ii ants iVuin llir I'Mili'i! Sialic; anil Vi'WiiiiliI ii'sp rl l'iiil\ uifirllial I lii' I'lrsiilrnl a Mil ( 'iin^^irss of iIm' I iiili'il Slalis slia II ii'inrsi'iil III Ihi' ;;iiM rnnii III ul (iiral Itriiaiii that nikIi ailipii will lii< nil niiwiii'iiiiila lilr lull li'i'icnci' Willi llir |>iiiiri|ili' (if ,si'ir;;ii\riiiiiii'iil, anil caiiiKit lir rr;;ar(lril with inililli'li'lii r li\ llir |M'ii|ili' III' llir I'llitril Slatrs. 1,'isiilnil, I'lial llir li'uislat lire iil° Minnrsnla wmilil irjniii' In III' assinril llial tin- ri'SMiuii III' Niiriliwrsl liiiliNli Ann lira In llir I'liilril stall's, airiiin|ianii'tl li\ llnrriiii- Nliiirliiin III a NiHllirin I'arilir railiuail aii' ir^aiiliii l'\ (iiral Itiilain ami ('aiiaila as sal islailiii \ |iiii\ isiiiii> III' a I rial \ , w hull shall irinii\rall ;;iiiiiinlM ul' fiiiiirnv ciss lie t u ii'ii I hi' irs|ii'(| i\ I' riiiint rii'H. (Ml the ."list of March, JSOS, this declarat i<»n of the Minin'sola le^isla litre was pieseiited to the Senate of the riiited States, referred to the < 'oiiitnitlee on l''oici;;ii K'elations, and ordered to lie printed. ^Senate Miscellaneot'.s 1 >ociiinents. No. li.s, 1S(»7-'I»S.) The (aiiadian |iarliaiiient, in .lime, i.Sdll, aficr the success of the riraii\ille interxeiiiion, proceeihd to or;:atii/,e a teiiiporar,\ ;4o\ (■rntiient for lliiperl's Land, or the territory upon llndsoirs Hay ana\ ( 'oinpaiiy, and the Noiiiiwcst 'Iciriloiy, which was the desi;;nat ion ol tin- re;;ioiis tliained lt> the Mackcii/ie and other streams fallin;.; into the Arctic Ocean, or the wlioh- of Northwest Hritish America, except the I'acilie shipe pre- \ioii.s|\ or;;aiii/ed as lliitish Colnmltia. This le;4islalion. and all pro- ce(diii;.:s under il. preceded the liiial tiatislerof the count r\ , and was colli iiijLicnl upon :i proclamation of the (^)iiecn in council to that ell'ect. The siihstaiice ot llie<'anadian hill is staled aslollows li\ a Torotilo ionrnal: I. I'hr I'l n itui iis, w hill iiilinitli'il, shall lusivliil ihr •• NuiihvMst 'rririluiit'M." '.*. rill' ;;ii\ rl iiui in iiiiiiiril ina> iiiiiKi' hiwslur ihr ^uxi'iniin-iil nl' Ihr 'liri itm ii'H, '. anil anlhuri/i- I lie uIIh rr lir iiniv a|i|iuiiil ns lii'iitniaiit i^uNrrnur tu nnikc |iiuv isimis I III ailiiiiiiistiiiliuti ul' jiiMiii'i', jiiiil ^i'iii>rall,\ !*• iiiiiKr tli<< Iiiwn, luiiHtil iitiuiiN, ami unli iiaiiri'H nrtrssarv I'm Ihr piari', urdri, ami nuutl ^iuMiiiimiit ul' her MaJi'Hty'.s siilijicls anil iilhris: I'luv nltil thai all mmIi uiilris, law s. ami unlinaiin'M mi iiiaih' Nliall hr hiiil lirtiii'i' liutli hiHisrs III rarliaiiiriil as sunn as riin\ iiiiml altii Ihr maUlii^ ami riiart inrlll thrli'iil. ;<. Till' lirnii'iianl uumihui Nhall iiihiiiiiiNtrr tin- ^uMriimnit iimhi insinn tJuiiM ^ivi'ii liiiii li,\ uiili'i ill riiiimil. I, Tilt- !;ii\<'riiui III riininil iiiav tuiiHlitiili' ami ii|t|iiiinl li,\ v\airaiit a tuiimil, mil I \( ri'tliii^ lllli I'll in Irss than sr\ I'll, 1 1 Ml ill till' lirnlriianl j;ii\ rl mil III Ihr ailmiiiistia tiiiii ul'airaiiM, .'i. All till' la\NH ill I'liii'i' at ihr liinr ul' ailiiii-.siun inlu Ihr I niuii shall, nu I'ar as run biMlt'iil \Mtli tin Hiillsli .\uilli Aimiiniii iit|,aii(l willi lliin iid, oiiiuiu mi foiii' until m mmiiVtamstMea ■ K ^iii m iiw H ii n i— n ww wi w '' AiKAii^'s ON Tin: i{i:i> UIVKi:. I'llll lllllil nltcrrd hy llic |i;irli!mu>iil dl' ('miiiiln, or hy thi' li dI this iK't. (>. I'lllilic iinii'i'lK iilid I'lllli'llDtiiil ics llolilih;; iilHi'c III t lir I illir of I lir lltlllli.sNioli ililit Ilic I iiiiiii, i'\r('|i|iii;^ liiiuur lliciii itl llir lir.iil I'l' I lir iKliniiii'^t iitt ion ol' :illiiiis, ^liiill contlllllr to lie |iiili|ir ollitris itliil 11111(1 iiiilill'.V ollini's of the Noilliwrsl Ten iiolii's, w it li t III- sjiinc iliilii'N iiinl powns iiN lirlorr, mil il oilicrw isr onli-rcil iiniW'i i li<< aniliorli \ olthisiiti. T. Tills iK't .sjijiil coiitiiiiii' ill loi'iM' lllllil llii' t'liil III' iicNl srssiiiii. I tiroitiiiiah'iy t'ttr ('niiiidii. the t'oiiiml ccssioti of Ilic coiiiittv uiis not sprrdily coiistitiiliiiitiMl. It <> roii\ <>iii<>iil lor Ilic <':in:i)li;iit iiiiiiistci' of linaiico to |):i,v C.l(K),(MIO iiiiincdiiitcl.N , tlic l'!iio|i.s|i ;4(>V(>riiin('iit, as the tnislrc of holli pailirs, could not pmrlaini tlir I'ci' I'itoi'N a pait «>r('anaila in athainror siuli pavnicnl, ainl il was doiilil till ntIk'Hu'I' any nu-asnics of Ilic Dominion ooNt'iimicid loi' Ihc occnpa lion and administration of Ilic Selkirk dislri«'l \\crc Icoitimalc diirin^\, Ilic Slimmer of |S l.akcof the Woods, The demeanor of tliose Canadian ollicials and Iheir emploxcswas e\ trcniel\ inindicioiis. Perhaps all other causes of ot|o;i||, if the follies (d these Canaal)l\ Ihe /ealoiis partisans of the Canadian connection did not exceed one hiindr<-d, and several of the Canadian seltleis who had resided several years at Selkirk had become personally more obnoxious than Ihe olticials. .\s belbre slal<'d, Ihe polilicai feelin;^ ainoii^i the people was in favor of an indepeiident ilnolish colony, on lh(> terminal ion, which all desired, ot' I he Jiirisdii'lion of the Hudson's \\.\\ Company; but it the proposed incorpoialion with <'aiiada had been accompanied b> a« reasonalile reo;ird for Ihe wishes and a unaranlce of the riohisof the people, Iheie would have been a o,.neial, if not a hearty, acipiicscencc. Il is a mis take to suppose thai Ihe insiirrect ion was Ihe result of accident. There had been much discussion pre\ioiis|\ amono (he people. i.oHis U'iel, the yonlhfiil I'leiich leader of the revolt, when siimiiioned before the coiincilors and ma;iisliales of ,\ssiniboia and iiroed to desist, not olilv . instilled lesislance, but almost oblaincd the coiictirienee of Ihe council to his measnies. lie opeidv addressed the people in front of the cathedral of St. r>onitace after Siinday niornin;^ mass, appealiiio for support in Ihe desi;;n lo exelnde the Mcl>oiii;all paitv from the coiinlr.V. Il IS the custom of ihe I'lelich popiilalioii I o proceed lollie adjacent bntValo plains, under strict mililai.v discipline, for an < >ctobei hunt; and it was easy, in leliirnino from thai ex|>cdilioii, to or;.;aiii/e Ihe armed bands w liicli took possi'ssion ol l''orls I'eiiibina and Carrv . The events of the second of Noveiiilicr Were iio| followed bv any excess. 'Ihe insiiroeiit part.N were mnlnallv sworn, under the st_\le(d" " liberators," and to the niimbci of six hiindrcil, to stiici snboidiiial ion. All lioii;;li the roads from rembina lo |''oii Carrv (or W'innipeo, :im the V illaoe near it.s walls is called) were under strict snr\eillance, >el lliere was no iniileiial inleiinplion of business; while a proviiit ihe situation at Selkirk v\hicli |Mcceded I he ev elils «»f Nov i'lllbcr LI, and lesiiinc bllcll.v llie subscipient narrative. I i 26 AFFAIRS ON THE RED RIVER. RED RIVER CONVENTION. The provisional govern in out, which was e tablished and reeoftiiized by the insuiTectioii, consisted of a council of twelve, namely: Pierre Poitias, IMeire L'Eveille, ]\raj»inis Burston, Franyois Jeanton, Ambroise L'Ei)ine, J. li. Toiiron, Louis Lasarte, Pierre Pareuteau, J. B. Perrean, Charles Nolin, fl. \\. Millet, and Andrew IJaucheniin. The exe(!utive office was vested in John liruce, president, and Ijouis Biel, secretary, who as com- mander of the insurj^ent forces could hardly be considered to hold a subor«linate position. Abnost the tirst act of the new authority was to call a popular con- vention. Twelve representatives of the En<>lish and Scotch parishes Avere invited, as follows: St. John's, one; St. Margaret's, one; Head- Ingly, opulation toward the Crown in the person of her Majesty's representative, the future governor of the Territory;" that he (McTavish,) as the r<']»resentative of her Majesty in the Territory, "should circulate a fnll and coirect exi)osition of tlie nature of the transfer of the Territory to the Dominion of Canada, and of the poli(;y likely to be adojjted by the Canadian authorities relative to the governnuMit of the Territory;" and that he should warn the insurgents to lay down their arms and dis- l)ers(' to their Innnes. On the l()th of November Crovernor ^McTavish issued a ])roclamation, ])rotesting, with much particularity, against the military occupation of the (!ounti'y, the interrui>tiou of the mails, the capture of the Hudson's Bay ('oyipany's )>osts and stoics, and tuilawful i)roceedings to resist ar- rangenu'nts j'or the transfer of the government of the country, nnido under the sanction of the imperial i»arliament. In conclusion, lu^ ex- horted all engaged in the revolt to disperse to their homes, a .d adopt only lawful and constitutional means for the redress of grievances. This document indicates the full embarrassment of (lovermu' ]\lc- Tavish's positiiui. He was exi>ected to vindicate the prospective au- thority of his CiMiadian successor, when legally he <'ould not recognize an\ otliei' than his own tenure of office, which, always weak, was n(nv almost siisprndi'il by the anomalous situation of the settlement, liis inoclamaticui was without etfeet, except to magnify the impintanee of the convention, which ass(>mblc(l on the day ot its date, and to which • the attention oi' all classes was directed. The Scotch and I'iUglish set- tlers had sent representatives. Mr. M<*l)ougall, himself, though pre- vented from attendance in ])erson, was in communication with the body; and'a week passed in most earnest discussion, iilthough the session of the convention was not continuous. At length, a "listof rights" was unanimously adopted, as the otdy conditions upon which the Canadian authority could be tolerate*!. An abstract of this paper, furnished to the St. I'anl and Chicago pi'css, is as follows: 1. Tliiil llic |t('(>|il(' liiivf Mu' ri)j;lit (<• clfct tln'ir own IcKiMliiltiro. "i. Tliul tilt' Ic^fHlatiirc liavr tlic piiwcr to piiHM all lawf the Vfto i>l" the i-xi'i'iitivi' by a Iwu-tliinls voir, s local tt) the Territory over AFFAIRS ON THE RED RIVER. 27 3. That no act of the Dominion ])arliam('nt (hx-al to the Territory) he hindinj? on tho peoph' until .sanctioned l»y tht^ h-f^iwhiture of tlic Territory. 4. That all sherirt's, maj'istrates, constables, school coiuuiissiouers, &c., bo elected by the i)eo)>le. 5. A free homestead and pre-emption land law. (). Tliat a pcu'tion of the jMiblic lands be ai»])ropriated to tho benefit of schocds, tho building; of Itridjjjcs, roads, and otli»>r i»nblie bnildin<>s. 7. That it be guaranteed to coniu'ct Winnipejj; by rail Avitb the nearest line of rail- road Avithin a term of five years, the land <;rant to be snl)ject to the local leyislature. 8. That for the term of four years all niiliiary, civil, and municipal expenses be i»aid out of the Dominion fund. y. That th(^ military be composed of the inhabitants now e\'istinath/,ie with their action. I assumt' that this document is in the [)os- session ol'the (h'partnu'Ut, and do not forward a newspaper copy. rUOCLAMATIONS IIV MR. M'DOUGALL. ^Ir. McDouyall. durlnji' the mruitli of \ovember, had anticl|>ated that an opportunity would oiler to satisfy the people of Selkirk that his ad- ministration as ^'overutu' would be in all respects advanfa;;"e«uis to tlietii. The Caiuuliau act contemplated a iiersoiud ^overnnu'Ut, at least until the close of the {'ebruarv (1S7(>) session ot parliauuMU, and I am satis- lied that Mr. Mcl)ou;:all entertained very enlightened views in ra;.iard to the measures for the wclfar*' and athaucenu'nt of the settlemiMd. The people, however, Justly desir«'d some lurther }iiiaraut<'c l»eyond the ex- eelleut intentions of an,\ sin-ile individual, whatever his position, and Niu'h was the itui'iKisc-tif the convention of November 1(1. lint Mr. Me- Douyall could not con.seut to waive the assertion of his autluuity on th(> Ist of Dcceuiber for the sake of submitting the action of the Ked Kiver 28 AFFAIRS OX THE RED RIVER. rr II delej^jites to the Ottawa authorities, although I have no doubt that if such a in'opositiou hsul proceeded t'roui liiui, it woukl have been ac- cei)ted. Oil the contrary, he crossed the frontier on the night of the first (^f December, and under cover of darkness, and during tlie sojourn of a few minutes on Jiritisli territory, issued two proclamations, one formally as- suming the office of lieutenant governor of the Northwest Territories, and anothei- ap[H)inting one Jolm JStoughton Dennis as his lieuteiuint and conservator of the peace in anants of a reserva- tion in the vicinity. The (Canadians, about sixty in number, were also assembled in arms at the residence <)f a Dr. .lolin Shult/, in the town of Winnipeg, and it was soon annonnced that a luxly of Cree Indians and refugee Sioux, wlio had been driven from Minnesota for c(>mi>li<'ity in rhe massacre of lSrovisiona! government The "libei'ators" resi»omled in full force to the summons of l\i«'l. Scotch, lOngiish, and Americans joined in the pnhlie defense. The house of Shidt/. was surriuinded and the ( 'anadians captiu'ed. D»'nnis disbanded his garrison of Stone l''ort and Hed to Fem- bina, claiming, in his circuitous route along the western frontier, to have dissuaded the Cree and Sioux bamls from hostilities against the settle- ment; and, altera few days, not unattemh'd with hazard to himself and iiis |tarty, Mr. McDougall left for Canada, Tliere is a very eonsiderabh* body of e\idenee that the savages of the plains Wi'i'e incited by emissaries of Dennis to fall upon the settlements — an im))utatation which is thought to be e(»iir:rined by Ids inlliieiiee over their movements during his lliglit to Feinbina ; but, tui the other hand, Mr. .MeDoiigall protests that he had no knowledge of or a^ieney in the instigatiiui (»l',such a warfare. LATE lNTEI,L1(n;N('E. Since the departur<> of Mr. MeDougall, on the 18lh of December, the Bitualion has not materially changed. iBBtWWPfW W'J i l liill . l iiiii'i'i-Vtili ' 'i ''' m Jm' :^ _ ■ «IKKlI^r.; AFFAIRS ON THE RED RIVER. 29 Rev. M. Tliibault, a Catholic elergryinan and vicar {>eneral of Quebec, and Colonel De Salaberry, formerly a member of tlie ])a\v>son-Hinde8 party of exploration, sent by Canada to tbe lied liiver (oniitry, Imve passed to Fort Garry, and are nnderstood to be envoys of the Canani7A' the i)rovisional gov- ernment as the only lej>itimate authority. Canada havinji' decliiuMl, on heariuf;- of Mr. McDoupdrs repulse, to pay £.')0(>,0(H) until the \)ossession of the Northwest Territories is assured, the comi)any claims a reversion of their chartered ri}j;hts, and they choose to recoj;ni/e Tresident IJruce and his council. Doubtless they expect, «m this ground, to receive full indemnity for the ajjpropriation of tlie goods and funds of the company for the use of the insurrection. All of which points to a resolute ettbrt to adjust the IJed IJiver com- jdication on any terms. The idea of I'orce seems to be definitely aban- doned. Whether the lied liiver people will be proof against tlicse and other influences, * * * is doubtlul, although a rumor prevails that a new j(mrnal, about to be established at Selkirk in the interest of the insurgents, will announce Viiitewasli«'d school-liouses glisten here and there, amid sunlight and green; gentle- men's lionses of pn^tentions dimensions, and grassy lawns an(i elaborate fencing, the seats of retired otiier'i'N of the; Hudson's I3ay Company, occasionally interspersed. Hero an English bislio]i's parsonage, with a boarding or high school near by, and over there u Cat holie l)ishop's massive cathedral, with a convent of the Sisters of Charity attached, wliile tlie two largi! stone forts (at which reside tlie otticers of the Hudson's IJay Com- pany, or of the colony; oiu) called Upper Fort Garry, and situated at the mouth of the Assinihoine, and the other termed Lower Fort Garry, which is twenty miks further down the river) helped to give additional picturesciueness to the scene." Governor Kamsey was satishe, near the Kocky Mountains, were no less adapted to agriculture. His lau- guag<', on the latter point, is as fidlows: ''Ihit without casting more than a passing glance on the agricultural capacity of re- mote Pcaei- liiver, v (• may com*! down to tlit; fertile valle^' and ]>hiin of the great Sas- katcliewan, tlie Mis,sissii)))i of tlu' north, wliich jtours its waters from the Kocky Moun- tains oviT mine than a thonwnd inUcn of aijrkultnnil tenilon/, teeming witli coal anublic, and have indui'cd a strong desire to obtain possession of a country so desirable as a liehl of English and ('aiiadian cnloni/atioii — the. (Jreat West of the l)oniiniose of Ibis i'oiiiniuiiicatioii is not to criticise the wisdom of the measures to that end, or to com- ment on the cNt'iits at r<'iiil>iiia, \vlii
  • nblic not to accejit obsolete or inejudieed coiielusions in regard to the vahuj of Central Ibitish America. The country whoso destiny is now at issue has resources am])le to cc-nstitute four .States e the river. The stream receives some important trilmtaiies. including tlie ('heyeniie, Pembina, Hed Fork, Roseau, and Assiniboine LMvers. Its whole leii;itli. fiom where it enters ihitish teriitory from the I'liited .states to its month at Lake Winnipeg, isoue Imndn'd and forty miles, and all along a good portion of this di si a nee are scattered tiie St till I ueii's formed within tiie last few years. K(|ually rich and attractive districts l>onler tlie Assini- boine and Saskatchewan Pivi'i's, ami a few settlements have iieeii rormed in tlicin, Imt most of the immigrants to Rupert's Laud have hicated lliemsclves along Red River. Till", CI.IMATl', of this country is remarkaldy mild for so northerly a latitude. ^Ir, Lorin Hlodgeft. in his standard work oii the " C'limatology of North .\meiica," has pointe«l out tiie exisi- euc(> of a vast wedge-shaiied tract extending tVoin 4.'^ to (Ht ol noithern iaiilnde. |(i- of longitiu'e deep at the bi.i ver, in latitude 04 . A t'anadian en;iineer, Mr Simon l»awsoii, from pi'isonal olmervatioii, compares the climate of I'ort (iarr.N to that ol' Kingston. Professor lliiides, in an elaho- rate report to the Canadian government, places the mean teiiiperatnic of U'ed h'iver for tlie Munimer months at (IT.Tti. nearly tlirci' degrees ot heat more than is iiecessar\ for corn, while .Inly has four degrees of heal more than is reniiired for its best develoji- nieiit. Mr. Hliidgett claims thiil the whole Snskalchewaii N'lilli'.v has a eliniale very nearly as mild in its annual aNcrage as that of St. I'anl. which would give it a winter mean itaiits; and on tin; ITtli a reply was issued, wliieh will be Ibnnd l)el()w: AI)I>1{KSS. Tf>wx OF WiNN'ii'KG, Xovcmho' 1% 1HG9. To Wir.UAM McTavish, Es(i., (ioariior Hmhoti'x Ildi/ ComixDiji, Fort (Uiryij: We, the nndersiji;iied. residents of the town of \Vinnipeurpose, or ]»osting, in eonsjticmnis places throughout the country, n/iill (iiid vorrtrl ex- jMisition of the nature of the transfer of this Territory to the Dominion of C'amida. "We also re((uest that you will ex)dain, so fai' as lies in your power, the policy likely to be adopted by tlu' Canadian authorities relative to the government of the Territory. Also, that you deny the numerous liltellons slandeis which are in circulation r<'gard- ing the jinrjtoses lor which the Territory was ac(|nired; that you warn them of the danger they are incurring to tiiemsi'ives )»y |»eisistence in their jiresent violent course, thereby imi»eriling the liitnre welfare (»f the country; and that yon do entreat tiu'm to lay down their aims, and return pea<'calily to their Innnes. Here is the proclam.ition drawn from Governor McTavish on tiie present state of affairs : rnoti.AMATiox. Whereas I. William McTavish, governor of Assiniboia. have been infmmed that a meeting is to be held to-day, of persons from tin' ditferent districts of the scttle:nent, for the ostensible ]turiiose of taking into < (insidciation the jircsent ])iditieal cinnlition of the cohmy, and for suggesting such UK'asures as may ajipear to be best adapted for meeting the diUieulties and dangers connected with the existing state of public ntfairs; and When-as I deem it advisable, at this juncture, to ]>lace betbre that meeting, as well as liefbre the whole body of the peojde, what it a]»pears nec«'ssary for me t » declare in the interest of publii' order, and of the safety and weifaie of the settleuH-nt; 'I'heiefore, 1 notify all whom it concerns, that during the last few weeks huge bodies «if armed men have taken j)ositions on the public high road t(» I'embina, anil, contrary to the remonstrances and protests of the ])uldic, authorities, have committed the fol- lowing unlawful acts: l-'ifxt. They have forcibly nl»stru<'ted the movenu'iits of various pers«nis traveling (Ui the jiublic highway in the ]teaceable jn'osecnticui of their lawful business, and have thus viidated that persfuial liberty which is the inid(Uil>ted right of all her Majesty's subjects. SiToinUij. They have unlawfully seized and detained on the voad at La l?iviere Sale, in the |»jirish of St. \oil»ert, goods and merchandise of various flescriptions and of very emisidcr.'ible value, belonging as well to persons e, in nnmbprs varying from aoout sixty to one huudrod and twenty, hillctod thenisclv«'s on tliate.stiiblishnient, nnder tins plea of protecting it from a danger wliicli they aUeged waslcnown by themselves to be imminent, bnt of which thoy never yet disc .med the partienlar natiiro. They have placed armed gnards at the gates of an estsiblishnK'nt, which everj^ stick and stone of it is privatt; property ; in spite of the most distinct ]irotestatioris against snch a disregard of property, they have taken posses- sion of rooms within the fort ; a)id, althongh they have there, as yet, committed no direct act of violence to person or i)roperty, beyond what has been ennnierated, yet by their ]tresenee in such nnmber with arms, for no legitimate purpose that can be assigned, they have created a state of excitement and alarm vrithin and around the fort, wliich seriously interferes with the regular business of the establishment. And iu //<<* ?r?s/ 7>//(tr, they have avowed it as their iiiteiitiou, in ail tliosi; unlawful proceedings, to resist arrangenu'uts for tlie transfer of the government of this country, which liave been made under the saiictif the iiapeiial ])arlianient, and of virtimlly H(!tting.at detiauce the royal authority, instead of !id(ij)riug those lawful and coustitn- tioual means, wliich under the enlighten«'IE^'T. r [From the St. Paul Press, Dec. 31.] Hon. William MeDougall arrived at tin; Park IMace Iloti-l yesterday by train from St. Cloud, en route for Ottawa, Canada, to await the action of his government in regard to the h'e(! Ik'iver trouldes. Last evening a representative of the Press calh'd mtou Mr. McDougail, and was very courteously received. He wa.s (piittf willing to converse freely upon the nuitters which have elicited so much imbJie attention during tiie ]»ast few weeks, ami talked Avith frankiu'ss in regard thereto. From a lengthy cmiversation, covering the wlmle ground of the troubles, with all the incidents coniu'cted therewith, we gather the Iblhiwing facts: When (iovernor Mci^ougall and ]iarty were within about tiiirty miles of the boun- dary line, they received inf<»rmati(Ui I'rom a party who met them, that their entrance to tiui possessions <»f the llmlsmi's Hay Company would be opposed, and that the roada were being barricaded and guarded Ity half-breeds. It was stated that tiie hall-breeds were in arms, and would jtrevent the entrance of the gubernatorial party, until eertiiin demands which they would make should be acceded to. 'i'iiey, however, gave no iierd to the rumors which reached tln^m, but kept on to Pembina, and were i)ii'|taring to pi(»<'eid at ed, of the ineonnny administration, aud to learu what they (the iuha})itauts) demanded or wanted. The jidvernor was not in a eouditiou to promise any particular policy, as this could uot he urated, and until he should become ae(|uainted with the wants and necessities of the Territory. Proveueher, after uieetin<>the insurficuTs, or some of them, returned and reported the uattire of their demands, and the representations AA'hieh they uiade to him. He found that the half-breeds had been incited to their attitude of rebellion by tlu^ most uu- fouuch'd and ridiculous stories, set alloat, umloubtedly, by some uianii»ulator of the iusurrectioii. Amonjiother thinj^s they had V)een told that he woidd divide u]) their lauds -Aud take their homesteads fnun them, aud l)estow them ui)ou his Canadiau fol- loAvers; lliaf he was hostile to their religion; that on his way to th-ir settlement he had killed two priests ; that he had basely insulted Bishop Taclu', aud also his holiness the l'op(\ TroviMnher was escorted buck to the Hudson's Baypost by about tAveuty armed horse- uu'u. On the arrival of this armed party tvt the post, they A'cry party to Icjiac by 9 a. m., ov their lives would be in danger, As his mission Avas a peaceable one, h«^ obeyed the nuindato and removed to Aunrican s(»il. From that time until he left ht^ had no further com- munication with the insurgents, though in their jjublic nu-etings or conventions, some of tlx'ir leaders pretended that they were ready to negotiate. He thinks the leaders did all in iheir jJOAver, and Avith success too, to prevent any negotiations Avhatever, aud that their whole pcdicy has been to prevent any conference between liim and the people. In regard to Kiel's actual force, he thinks that he ucAcr had more than t"o hundred men actually under arms, unless, jierhaps, Avith the exc<'i»tion of one day. When the tort Avas occui>ied by the insurgents, he estimates that Kiel's cart of these soon returned honu'. At any tim<^ he admits that Kiel jirobably had from three to four 1^ nidred nu'U Avithin reach and subject to his call. A Lnge number of half-breeds stood aloof, and had nothing to do with the rel)ellion ; and at one time some sixty oi' seventy of them Avert- actually in arms under oiui AVilliaui Dense, for the ]>urpose of escorting the governor's l»arty into the Territory. These, hoAvever, Aven^ advised to disband and return tared l)y the ciMiventiou, aud weni w illiug that these demands should be submittt-d to him for cou- sidcration. They would nudoulttecily have been glad to hav(i seen sonu^ of the demands granted, but they (the Scotch and English) refused to aevoiiipauii lite deputation to present the doiKOids. The people engaged in this movement were disposed to negotiate, but their advisers cunningly managed to prevent all negotiations, and there really never weic any formal demands presented. The "bill e lights " devised by the convention (\vhi<'h he pro- rounccs American throughout) was never furnished liim by those claiming to exercise authority, lie obtained a copy through some of his .'igents. He states that many things contained therein he would have felt jiistilied in conced- ing at once; as, lor instance, a good homestead law, lauds for school ))urposes, &c., as all these matters would have met the w ishes and plans of his government, so far as he kneAV. AFFAIRS ON THE RED RIVER. 55 le A railroad extciiding from tlio toriniiins of the Pacific road was one of hia partially developed jirojects, and he had already contracted for the huildiii;^ of a tele}:;rai»h line from Hreckinridj^e to Fjh. Tlie Tnited States ]iostmaster o]>enly avowed his sympathy with the iiiOA'cmeut, but exi)ressed his determination to discluirovern(»r.) In rejj;ard to the enlistment of Sioux Imlians, he states most emphatically that he^ never autliorized, encourajjed, sanctioned, or connived at anythinjr of tlu! kind. He thinks Simltz did not attempt to enlist tlie Sioux, but he hacl nothin};to do witli him, and whatever he (Siiultz) may have done was on his own responsUdlity and Avithoiit authority from any one. He is a stroiifj partisan of Canadian rule, and may have been injudicious in his conduct, but Avhatev(!r lie did Avas Avitiiont any authoiity. Tiie report that some arms Averts found conceah'd in a stove-])ipe in his house at tlic time it Avas captured, and possibly otiier munitions of war, he sii<>- •, they say is certain: If atiything like annexatii. : .s attempted the In- dians will rise to a man, and the conse(iuence of such rising would be dreadful, and they seem to peructly a[)preciate the terror of our border settlers at the idea. As re- gards Cohmel Dennis, instead of instigating the Indians to light, he used the strongest, and lia])pily successfil endeavors, to keep them at their homes and prevent a shot be- ing tired. Ht> had a i»;uty of tifty in the stone fort when tlie declaration of rights Avas ])uldished. He peaceful'y disbanded them, awaiting further negotiations, which the French expressed a willin,^:iess to eft'ect. He, moreover, stopped on the Avay a large party of Sioux on their way to light tin; Anu-ricans, Avhich was kind of Coh)nel Dennis, and went to I'embina to report to tht; governor. This does not quite agree with the version of your Red River correspondents ; but I tell the tale as it was told to me. The party canu; from Pembina in seven sleighs, including those which brought Mc- Drnigall's family through, and liad a rather nncomfortal)le time of it, canqiing out at niglit on the way. They will leach St. Paul to-morrow noon, and will probably stay there for a few days. Two Canadian correspondents, on their way to Red River, inter- viewed the governor and ]tarty this evening. One of them charges the wliole difticulty to want of tact on the part of the Canadian government. \y fa lit lir ni8 liii 1st a kid fig Lt I I AFFAIRS ON THE RED RIVER. 87 VI. — Sketch of Mr. M'Dougall. [From tlio M''"treal corrospomlont (December 28,) of New York Ilerald.l Govornor McDouf^all was born at Toronto in 18'22, and was educated thoro and at Vic- toria Colics^., Cobourfif. He was admitted to i)raetii'e at the bar quite early, but did iu)t become a barrister of Upper Canada until IHfil. In 1H48 he established the Canada Farmer, a semi-monthly a<>rieultnral and literary Journal, and in the tbllowiuij; year iiu-rj^ed it into the Canada Af^riculturist, which he ]»ul»lisbed until It^'iH. when he sold it to the Hoard of Agriculture. 1I(> also foumh'd, in inno, the semi-weekly North Ameri- can, and was its chief editor until it was merfjediuto the Daily (Jlobe, in 1H57. In 18.")8 he entered the lej^islature, and during tlu^ interval between his discontinuance of his I)aper and 1800 he acted as political writ<'r for the (Jlobe, and at times conducted its ])olitical department. From IHli-j to 1^04 he was commissioner of tin; Crown lands in the liberal administration, and in the latter year he took the ])ost of ju'oviiu'ial secre- tary in the* coalition administration of Sir E. I\ Tache, and ludd that position until the union of the Ibitish North American i)rovinces inlHOT. lie Avas then a])i)ointed minis- ter of luiblic works for the Dominion of Canada, and at the sanu^ tinn> the Queen made him a comjianion of the civil division of the Order of IJath. In addition to the above public duties he was chairman of theconvention ajipointed in IHli;") to o]»en trade with the West India's, Iba/il and Mexico, and a mcmlter of the Charlottetown ami Quebec union conference; ami in 18()() he proceeded to Englamlas one of the delegates from British America, apiuiinted to confer with the imjterial governnu'Ut in the fram- ing of tiie confedcratiim act. Ibi has a brilliant rejmtation as a Journalist, and has been remarkably successful as a politician. H<' is accused of betraying his own i)arty several times, but has always managed to keep in i»ower ; and this is not a little extra- ordinary from the fact that his demeanor is cold and haughty, and liis)»ersonal relations devoid of geniality, so mucii so that acquaintances ai'e often re])elled and his friends alienated by his icy nmnner. He will receive little sympathy on his return from his disastrous trip to the Red River country, but will probably get something else just as good as the governorship of Rupert's Land. VII. — Sketch of the Red River Leadi:rs. [From a corrospoiulciit of St. Piuil I'roKs.] St. Boxifack, Deecmhcr 24. Ml". Bruce is by no means ignorant. I know myself he is a man of a sound Judg- Tuent, a go. »(l speaker, and ])ossesses the knowledge of the several and all languiiges spoke" in this eonnuunity. On many occasions he tried cases with distinguished attor- neys, and has always defended his cases with much ability and success, lie has always been at the head of the legal |)rofession in the Red River set^^lcment. That testimony was borne by Judge Black himself, last fall. No one can truly attack his character for truth, integrity, morality, and uprightness. He is a clever gentleman in every sense of the word. He is nniversally well liked. [Prom another corroHpon(U'nt. ] TKN rORTKAITS Ol" TIIK I'ATJilOT LKADKUS, Winxii'i:g, Deecmhcr 8, 18G9. Editors St. Pnnl Press: It is one of the peculiarities of every rev<»lution, that men, whose talents in times of peace, divecti'*! in tht> ordinary channels, shine i('sid<'ndent, shall give place in the storms of ]>ublie excitement to those intellects which seem born in some convulsion of nature ami educated in turmoil, iissumingthe leadership fron\ sheer force of a natu- ral instinct. Their capacities and capabilities at" developed in the progressicm of events, and every chord of their tiery natures vibrates in ai\ anthem of their own itatriotism. Men whose relined and elegant policies wield an abnost absidiite sway when the mechanism of governnuMits runs smoothly, shrink back in dre.id from the fierce, deter- mined ]>olicieH of those beings whose very natures seem to reipiirc great struggles, i.nd who exist oidy iu an atmosi»Iiere of great political convulsion. Providence seems to have endowed th';se meti with falcnts which only storms can develop ti> their fiill strt^ngth and force, and which require a nourishment of excite- ment to render them effective. Let me ]U'esent your readers a simjde pen sketch of the leaders of the Red Jiiver patriots, who so eminojjtly belong to that class of fearless spirits referred to, mm 38 Al'KAIUS ON Tin: Iv'KI) KIVKU. Dmlii;; llu' iiiKiiitorv .slr|(M (if llif iiirivi-iu'-nls, uhni rr\ uliilion avii,s an yrl a tliKor- ^Mlli/ril illMII I't'i'tioti, i'uiii|i:ii:iti\rl\ liltir was linilil iil' (hi' mail wild now tonim tlui acliial lii'ail and lij^lil arm nl t lie ii|)|)il ion In ( 'aiiailiaii riili', t til.M'.IIAI. lot is nil I \.'\\\f \a|itilriiii, \\ lien I 111' i\i;;<'ll.ir.s nl' I lie ( iiili^ liail .slia|»r(l a palli I'm lllr I'MTciMr (iT Ills |ii Ttiliar gmiiiiN. I''iriirli liy liiiiiiil, limn in llu- rmin; i'\ lie n-.w sn nolilv lirsl rJiarili'lrriHlii'S III' tiir |ir.- ami ^I'lHial nl' ihr |irii\ isiniial ^nxi'inimnl a man w Im wniilil nialu' Iiin iiiaikan> w III II' ami nmli'i aii\ riii iim'ii' in Ins rairi-r niilil I'lrrilnm ^llall ftt::ml nii miIhI ami Milthlanlial rmimlalinnn, i riMMIHM .InllN llIM li:, a lial:' lit'iTil, rlin.si'ii i'mm tlii' | |ilr, iinl t'nr his al lainmi'iil.s llinn^'.li li\ nn inraiin In 1)1' illM|iai'a;.>ril Iml InrailM' lli> is a rnllrri I rpn'M'lll al I \ ■■ nl I lir lilraN .'till ili'silrH nl' I III' |H npli' Imm w liirli III- rmaiialr."'. Ila\inu paMMil IiIn lliirlv-H\i' yi'iir.s nl liin in |iir .ill! > rnminnn In Ills rniinl r\ , lir liii.s jis ;i i nnsi'ij llrlli r,'a lull Klinw lril<^i' nl I lir rntll mniiil \ , ils w aiils ami ilrsm-s. |'n-^sl'^- miI Iml plrasani Iral iim's, hi- is a iiiilrrl iNpinl' I III' priijili' w hull lia\ r I'hnsin him. I'i'i haps, a I I hr I inn', nn man run hi Inn •' I ii Mr- h I'll il In lill thr nihil III iinw hi', nl' (all ami rnmmamlin;; li^nir, li;;lil liaii iiml i nmpli'Mnii. Ins raparil \ Im I hr rimi^rm ii's n|' ri>\ - I I II I inn ii'inlri him a nmsl \ aliialih rnni.silni ami lailhlnl ailv isi i. Mm n in thr I nitiii S: airs, hi' !ias Inr mi Inn;; lirnil hril tin- lirraiiaml imhilii'il llir lihiial primiph's nl' I 'ml hi si nl (.Mtvi'i nimnls, that thr aitliii;; nl' this ii'\ nlnlinnin \ iiinM niriil is with him I I mat III' III pi im iplr. Ills imlnmitalili' li ish rmii ai^i' .iml art i\ it.v aihl \ alnalih' aNsisI ,11111' In I III' pall ml lallsi' nl I his jnm I IIH'. < 'nnl, rnllritril, W it Ii a rnliliilrm <' III his nW II ahilihi's nnl lasilv slmKin, hr irali/>'s llir Inn', lilnilx ln\ in^ liishman alvNiiss irail> In aiil in an\ laiisi' a;;ains| npp .'ssum. In slnnl, hr is thr .Nli'ttrrnnh ami rallr,\iaml nl' Ihr It'ril K'lMT irMillltiim W linsi' alilr nnlirli's, h't lis linpr, inilV Jnin UN ill II climt'l' ami htmn^rr Imml with th.it rnnnli\ wliirli in sn hi;;li a imasini- pimsr.ssrN mir tix^aiil. A N.MIVi;. Il'llllll IIIK'llll'l' l-ol'l "h|l. \rsliiila\, llii'','llil hrriinliri, iHtl'.t, ||ii> pull iniN ' ini^ht thr pi'i'Hs, iniiti'iialH, iiml all nl' ,Mi>ms|>i, ( 'alilwi'll A < 'n., Inr Ilir t ntisiih' lallniinr iJ.'i.Mi sti'i liii^. I w ill hill n In ila\ tlii< iiami' nmh i w hiili tlii< mw shiil is In III' piihlishril. rill' impirHnimi was M'sli'iilav that I hr linhpi'mli'iii'i' w ill hr lis iniiiii'. Thi'lilsl Issni' W ill aplH'ill ni'\l WirK. Majm II. Unhrnsnli is in In I hr rilllm in I lllHKr. Ill- is II s|ih'mlnl wiilii, ami tin' papn in his hamls will hr a sm i rns. .\ napii' III a ninilriati' tnnr. as I nmli'isianil this is inli'inhil In hr, nmlii Ihr rnnlml nl Slajm Knliinsnli, ami pnhllshril Ml tin mlilrsl nl till' inslir^i'llls' i iMIsi-, will havr a |i-llllll( I'tri'i'l, Il will iiiiili' till' ililli'ii'iit I hnirilts III llii' li'i'il K'lM-r |in|Milalinii. f 3 I AKKAIUH ON rilK i;r,l> h'lVKIi' 39 N'lli. — CoMMI'M'S l»V I'lir, C.WAItlAN PkI'.SS. I I I'liiiii ilii' 'I'l rmilo I ili'I'i'. •'ii|Mih|iliiii. I Till' nrii^iiiiil riiiiiliiiiM-iiliil I'lror ol' llic f;ii\ n iiiiniil lii\ in tKimiin^ iilli>-{i'||ii'i' lln* il|)illioMs ;iimI Irrllti;.;.-* Ill' I III' |iriilili- ill t III' SiJK || k Srll ji'llli'lll . Tlir |ii'ii|ili' ni;i\ lir il I \ iiliil 1iiililir;ill\ ml II I III I r I Ijnm's : ( III' 1 1 iiilsiiii's 11,1 \ ('iiiii|i:iii\ ullii IiiIm iiihI iiiIIh'IciiIn ; llii> ''.ll;;;liNll ailil .Si'iiliji M'lllrl'N, \NIIIi IIhiI liall' lilri'il riillllcrl ihiim ; mill lllr rii'lirll, |ll'ill- ri|iitll\ liiiir Im'i tiIm. rill' lliiihitn'N llii.\ ( 'iiiii|iiiiiv vvi'ii> iiiiliinillv iiicliiiril luNirw willi Ji>iil ( 'iltlllilillll iltllli' \iil lull, well' JciiIiiIInI', nil I III' W ;il< Il li'.'^l I III' lli'NN N\ mIi'III sill II I III tail In ^i V r I lirlll I llr |ii'l li rl I l^llt nl' H llii'N hai lliiirh a" ;;ii\ I'l niiu'iil will! h llii'N liiiil lii'i'ii lull H rill ill' II III I, anil Im I In' al I aininriit nl \\ liirti ailh w rliiiniril I III' I'liaii' Till' I 'l null wi'l I' iliiiili|\ jralnllM, linw i'\ . i , iiias- iiii' III I lii'iii 1 1 a III I In III' n\ rl I nn li\ Ml it isli ( 'anailiaiiM, alii'tiM III I lii'in III i'iin< IIImI I'l'li^inn. Il I"! iin|in^.s|lili> ■ t Niiy wlli'lllrl till' ( Mlaw a ailllinl llii'N liail atl,N nillixlcr llllllivi'H t'nr sn arl III:.; ; W lirlilrl' ll|r,\ tir.-siri'il In | la I rr I nnl I lir I.'IIIiIm nl' I III' Trl I'ilol V lit hiiil I Inii'iiw n inir|iii>rM, \\ il Imni iiiln Irri'in'r rmiii il^ nlil m rii|iaiils; I in I rn lain il Im I liiil tlii'V ii;niiii'il llir |ii'n|ili' III' Si'lLiik allii;^i'l Ini ill llir Ini'inal mn nT I In- I'n.sl ^n\ ii ninriil . TIk'S ri'liiM'il In inlinilnir at iiini' a ir|ii I'Miilal in r svHti'iii III' ^n\ I'l iiniint , ami lill llir < 'I III I ml III I III' allaii -Mil I III I'll I iliii \ Inr an iinli liiiilr | hi mil In ii ^ii\ i rimi ami rniiniil. In I III' ^ii'lri'l lull III a ;;n\ rriinl I llr\ \\ rlr -^ lliilril li\ liml I v I'l n|' I i'ni|ini ai \ |iiili I iral i'\ |m' «li*'lii'\. Nil iMii< run ilriiv tliat Mr. Mrllnii^ial liai nimih' ijiialitii'M nl' lir.nl vvliirli, iimli'i' laVDralilc I'iiriiniMlanrrs, wmilil niiili'i him a lair ^nvri imr ; Inil niii' nimr nii- III' I III' iiinnril, lIli' illliillli'V ^I'lnial anil I III' Mil rial \ . mil' Imm < inlarin anil I lir nl In i liniii <,ini'lii'i , \\ rir html ii|i v\ il li Ml'. Mil )nii;',all. ('ajilain ( 'aiiii'inii, I >r. rniijirr-^ Mill in law, wriil ii|i iim a kiml nl rliirl'ol' jmlnr. Tin' mm \ rs in<; |iiiil\, wlinli |iii'irilril llir uiurrnnr ami lii';;aii wmk, v\a.'ir\- «'liiNivi'i\ rnin|iiisi'tl III < 'anailiaiis ; ami i'\ nlrntlv it a|i|ii'aii'il lu lln- |M'ii|iIi' nl' ilic Trr- I'itiil'.N tlial I'Ni'iN I'liiiii tiling ill llir ^il'l III till' iirw );ii\ rriiiinnl waM In lir al iniliril liy Nlraii^i'iN, ami tliat iIhimi' u Im Innl pi'in i i.iliil l.ii riniii ri\ ili/al inn, ami In.il inr Inily nrlil'lN \ rai.i in t III' lin|ii' III' at laiiiin;; I III' lili "*'-iii';s nl' mi'II' ;;n\ I'l nnn'iil , wrir almiil lu III' I il a III I II mill till' I mil ml nl a mi'I nt tm i'i;^ii nllirialx, ai i.'i a->|iiii'; as i Ihim' nl' I lir II ml Min'.s lla\ ('iim|iali\. lit nlll Irailils in (Int.ttln jillt I In iii-^rh i ^ in llir plai i nl llir |ii'ii|ili' nl ^I'lkii k, ami sa,) wlnlln'i llir,N alsn \Miiilil iml lia\r Irll imli;;naiil w lirii tin trcalnl, I I'lOIII IIIKiIIk I III III II' III III! I lllilli I Iti'Hiili'N \\ I- lia \ I' liail .1 \\ liis|ii'r I lial snini' iiw nl t Imsr i Inl linl in a lit I Ir In irl' a ill Inn il\ lia\i' alirailv slmwril n hiimiiii niiii, IhoIihIi iniii nf iiniini In imrk.HH il lii'iii^ Imiii ( 'a I nil I a, anil in nllliial iMisiliniih, llirv wiir inliiiilrlx mi | hi in- In llir inisi lalilr ' iii^^i'Iih" ll\>a\ in till' \\rs|,aml nlll\ ilnl lln'lll Inn ninrll linnnl Vi iirll llli'\ liink lliiiliti liliiilitii irilli lliiir irii'it, tiinl Iniilid llnir ilninihli i >< «/i il llni/ ii 1 1 1 nn lullir lliini llnii ninilil In hi. Tills iMii lal ilaii!.;i'i is as ;;ri'iil as aii\. \'\\i> m llmr nnr, im •• hi olliiiiil iiiiiluiii", liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiil foi'i lliiii) liLi hull II I'lu IxH, iiinmi lln ni'-i hi m iiii n, \\ \\\, atiinii)^ a |iiiiiiil, iii^li lilnnili'il, ami ii;inti'aiil |irii|ili , iln innii' ilaniaj;!' in nis iiiniillis than \ri\ itt'inlriil ami lirrninin^ rninlnrl on lllr |iaii lit llii'ii ''iiiH'i iiiis I jiii alli'ivNaiil innnli'iai t III UN mans \raiH. Iiilinni s III ( 'aninlians llial inii;lil |ii|ia\i' kimwii lirl Iri i-i 1 1 in;.; Inn sr w lii|i|ii'i|. iiiiil ili'Ni'i \ lilt; I III' |inni linn III , ha V I' ^nl i'\ iii I his hii^^l h ; ami il I linsi' tnnlish h ii hn Inaiht I lllllk I hill I lir> air i^nlHL; In hi' hiH kill III t lir 1 1 |n iiri'i'illli>;N lis all> li'iil> 1 11 I III-' ijlia I ti I , I lirv aii'Vi'i.v mill h mislaki'ii. K'nl It'ivri ilm s mil ihtiI tin' iin|inital mn nl a Inl nl I'llW, I'niiliHll s|iri);.s nl' ( 'iinaillllll ^rlll itil \ In lill II s sil Iml ilimil n nllliial |MiMt|iinH; ami it iiiiN, wiM'llii'i liiiHhiiril III l.nuiisli, ihink that (aiiailiaiis wish lln> iimlhwisi In hr a li'lll^r inli'llMl III) |iii||lirlllllH, ul i| I'lill V tlintll plari' Inr illlllKlll lal |irii|ih' U< "mU >l'l "' lill' ilnlh'si III linn hnvs li\ Hiritim^ I'm iln ami im \mii k, llir\ iiii> mi \ lar mil nT tin ii n rkiiniii|>. I I'' 1 1 nil till' M mil I I'll) S I'M n III I II 111 I 1 1. ,1 iii'il I iiiiNi I \ III l\ I I Wlirlli'Vi'l IIII rllliljillsi' Inlsriiri ii'N |||i' illlil inliil, ll nl inlillnl llirlal, rasM III)' liliiliii' nil III hri s. I |i' I II lii'i hail lint hicn \ i|;iirnns|\ sn|i|ini till li\ Ihi'ii'iilial aiitlnn- it\, nl Mil I i^;ni'n hail lirrii |ilanm'il ami • iiiis|iiiai irs jmii hril li\ |iii Irmh i| li nnils. Tli)< I'i'llllll nl till' Hi'IkllK lli'llli'llllllt ^iixcriinl ami hlx xliill I'm lllsJirM il clll IuIIm lllHl);hl llllu llif i|i' iinni^ll i|i Mil ihr i|n I l|i> \ iiilal I in nl I lliir Ir! I llul \ . \\'i> \M'H' In liii|ir< that Mi. Mi I tnnvrall wniihl |iiiivi' lliiil hr hail iml ant Inn i/ ■ il, wlilln II ^ili'st III lill' Aiiii'i II .Ills, an \ inilil ai s r \ |iriht inns In rniii i' I In ha 1 1 In i i ils , Iml t lirii* I'llll hr lin i|iii'stiii|| \\i<\\ llial (iilnlirl Priilils ami nlhils \m ir t iii)ilnM'il li\ Ml. .Mi'* 40 AFFAIRS ON THE RED RIVER. Doiijxall to orffanizo a forco of Swamp IndiuTis, and boat np for rcfrnits f o put (Town tho (li.sulVcctcd. How Mr. McDoni^all could liaw liMit liiiiisclf to so ill-considcrtMl and aUortivc a niovcncut wc cannot conc«MVo. He is well aware of ll"- oxtivnio snsocjiti- bility of tli(^ Anu'rican i)opnlation, that their Journals would niafiuily a n-ally insi^niti- eant matter into national imi>ortanee, while he att'orded a preeedent for lililnisters at Koiiie future (lay. Tliey uiiiy sonu^ day plant tiuMuselves near the frontier to eo-<>iM!rate with the Red River annexationists, and his folly has almost deprived ns of the rij^ht of remoiistrauee. If he could take his stand on American soil, and from tlience direct ex- pedilious against his malcontent sul>jects, by a ]>arity of reasoning;-, Fenians or filli- busters may exercise the same license. The most ridiculous ]»art of the farce is that tbo territory which he wished to redu<-e io obedience never had been transferred to the Douuuion. Hi^ was in such hot haste to annouuic himself a lieutenant jj;overnor. that h(^ never waited to ascertain whether the Hudson's IJay Company had ceased owner- Bhip; even yet he does not seen\ conscious of the anmuahuis ])osition he or; Kjiied. He (h>es not seem aMe to comprelieml that lej-ally the Huds(»n's IJay t'omi)au,\ were in ]K»ssession. and nuist rc^main so till we pay our !ji;l,."i00,0()(t puivhase money, and that it was an uiiauthori/ed impertinence to issue a i>roclaunitiou and call himself lieutenant •governor over a country where he would he an intruder. The di jint anndon, harj;ainiuj;' with tln^ Hudson's Hay ('ompau\'. that he was thedestincd Iieut( nant ju;over- nor of the Xoi'thwest. Surc]\- under such ciit-ums. .mees he ouj;ht to ha\(' know u that he could not cuter ollice until the |)urehase-money had been paid. It was ])ure]y it matter of |»ersonal ctuivenieuce when he set out. Had he delated his departure niitil alYer the Istof Decemiier, the bary,ain would hav<' lM>en eousiimmated \ty ]>ayment of the $l,r)(l(i,il(K>. He preferriMl running all risks, and he nnina;^ed to create such an excite- ment that the Dondnion. Justly alaiined at the re)»orted revolution, withheld the jmr- chase money. If any |>arl,\ has a ri]i;ht to com|(Iain, it is the <*ttawa ministry, and not Mr. Mcl)()n;;iill. Had he stayed (piietly in (Canada until the innrhase-iuone.N' had been ]>aiil. tlier(^ could not have been any ctudlict of anthoiity or any < xciise for deluyiiiff j)ayment. It is puerile for one like Inm, so huij; conxcrsanf with |»uldic lite, to preteucl that he wf s left without insti ucti(Uis from heath|uarteis. Heouyhrto have curied his insirnetious with him. and not mannla<'tured ]iroctaniati(»ns while in Minnesota, under a sham [uctonse that h(> was actually at Red River. (I'rdii: tilt' .Nrimti-cjil (iiizctte, ministerial. I AVe have iKtw, from an authentic soun-e, the statement that Mr. McHounall Fias taken np;)U hiiUM'lf to proclaim llie tiausfer to the huniiuiou of Cuuaila of the N'oithwest Territories. l'|in?i wha. authority has this been done .' The Canada (ia/ette ami, wo hclieve, the Lonilou (iii/.etle are silent on the suliject. These ar(> not acts that are wont to be consummated in pri\ate. ui> one l>iit a few olUcials bein;i made aware of lluMU. The London Tiui<>s aniiounced on the 7th instant that the money had not been paid over on behalf of the Canatlian f>:over'iment, but was diposited, awai' njf the n'sidt of these troui les in the settlement — awaiting, tlu> time, in fact, when the com- pauy is jirepareil to deli\-er the Teriitoi\- to the Dinuirdon. Till the moiiey is paid tlu* com|>any will not transfer its ri;^hts. Till the company tiansfer its ii;;hls the impeiial jjovernmeni liuve all alon;; stated that they will not transfer the Territory; antl the (.'anaitian <;o\ernuient woidil he more foi»lish than we belie\e them to be if tla y paid the money or aeceided a trausfei' under piisseut circumstances. If we inuleixtaud the position ariy;ht. therelbre. Mr. Mel)(ni;;all, wh<)se ap|>ointn>eut as lieutenant yi»\crnor Inis in-ver heen ;xa/;etteil. had taken a prematnii" and very rash step. It is lucky for him autl Fiieutenant Colonel HenniN. his s|M'cial "couhci \ator of tlu> |>eace," that m» idoiwlshed ensued IViiui their usui|iation of an authority to which the\ had no riju;ht. It is noi unlikely, nideeil, that an intimation that tht< transfer had not taken place reaeiied them in time to pievent the euluiiuatiou iu actual lii;lilin;j, of the wailike operations which were so picmaturely set on foot. \Vi» trust thrtt the Hutlsims Hay ('oiupauy and the ueyotiators who went reeeutly l^-om ''amida may su<>eeed belt(>i' in their mission than Messrs. McHoiijrall ami Deuuis in Iheir war. i (l''ri>nk tlie Nfi>iitr<i'iilil, <>|i)Mmitiiui.| The fact is. tliat all this trouble has arisen IVom the |uetended liberals of r'u|x«r C'auada tinninu; torles as somi as lhi>v had an ojipoi-tuiuty of doin;^ a little bit (d the regular Russian and Austrian kind of turyism on their own actouuls. Catharine, Maria ThercNa. or Tredeiiek the (ireat, were never mol•(^ ready to steal a country IVctni iltt iuhahituuth uu had never seen ; that a number of other Canadians, ecpially strangers, should be paid to rule, as councillors, n, people who had I'othing to say in their appointments, and res|>ectiiig whose affairs their advice could have had no valu»? whaty a couniiissioner, anxious to support a Canadian i)arty by helping the job of Canadian uiemberN of Parliament, our Upper Canadian radicals were rciidy to spend £:i()(t,nil(l sterling in the ai'<|nisiti(in of a lU'ctperty held by a notoriously rotten t; and .Joseph Howe in. Thes«? things lead to the conclusion that it does not i)ay to be s((iieaniish in one's obedience to constituted authority, and that one gains mon? by a little judicious rebellion than by too uniform loyalty. Let i\u' last ]ioint be determined by each person liimsflf — it is in any caso certain that in annexing any country to our own, wliether it were No\a Scotia or Ked liivei', We could not with consistent regard to the |Mi]inlar charactt r of onr goxernnient omit, at least, as mnch cerenionioMs recognition of the rights of the inhabitants as was sliown even by that not very liberal jiolitician Louis Napoleon, when he obtained tho cession of Nice. It is said that in ])opiilar governnwnts it is essential that there shotihl always be a jiarty strong enough to keep in check the ry than any reasonable toryism of modern type. JX. — CoiMMKNT.M IIV AMEUICAN PkESS. |l''niiii tho New York T'iiicn.] Tin: roMI'I.UATIOX I\ Till'. XOKTHWKSr. It is i|uite evident that the trouble in the Ibitish possessions adjacenf to AJinnesotft is miu'h more than tin' riotous opposition to authority which the earl.\ dispatches repie- Hcnted it to be. Nor is it a sliietjy loe:d (piarrel which Ihis country can atl'ord to \ lew with indillerenee. Time has shown that Ihe I'rench portion ot (lie IJed K'i\( r popula- tion, inclinling the half-breeds, have not raised the standard (d' resistance to the Camt- (linn governor without organizal ion or purjiose. They have acted \igoiiiusl\ yet pru- dently, with a degree of decision and ilanng which shows that the,\ are engaged in no mere holiday spoit, and on grounds id' piineipl(> and pcdicy which w ill a-suiedly call forth the symiialhy of our fronlier impulation. What has until now been regarded with little curnmlty in this latitude nniy prove to be th(> lieginning of ver,\ s«-rious com- plieationM. The dilllculty has its origin in th > transfer of (he Hudson's Ha\ ( 'ompaiiy's poMsessioiiH to (he dominion cd' Canada. 'I'he insurgents insist that (hough (he company nntx >4ell its proper(y, it cannot sell iheir allegiance ; they idijeet to their being liamled over to II remote goveiiiun'iit without reference to (heir own wishes, and wi(hont any prefenco of ii'gUKl lor their I'oelings or iutcrowtw. I'Ucy liuvo lights, and ;liey ask lot guuriuitcea 42 AFFAIRS ON THE RED RIVER. that th('.«" .sliiill bo .socnrt'd ; tlioy liavo interests, and they doniand that tlicse shall be ]U'()tccttMl. Too far iTinovt'd to iinju'i'ss th(^ni with a consciousness of its jjower, Cana- dian antlioiity has, by a seii(!S of blunders, Ibrfeitcd their respect. iJefore acciniring lawful jurisdiction, or tith^ >)f any sort, it conuueiu-ed the work of surveying- the ter- ritoiy — a measure which, in the circumstances, loolced ajfj^ressivt^, and was calculated to awaken fears anionj;' tlie population as to tlu' secuiity of tiieir tcMuire. It stMit in functionaries auanie«t by a larju'c staff of oflicials, se- lected by the Canadian i;()vernnu'nt with no consideration for auyliiinj;' but its own pleasure. A cut-and-dry <;-overunu'nt was to be imi»osed upon the i»eo)de — a •"overu- nient of whose pcrsoinivl and character t!u\y knew literally notiiinjf, and tlie approach of wliich seemertain. A nn'st.ake will be committed if, in consideriuj>; tlu* causes ami scope of tlie insurrec- tion, some allowance be not made for the variety and slren<;th of tlie AuK'ticau iullu- ences wliich liav(! loii^' been in openition in the lteoat. witli their at tendaiit mail; co. . icrcial facilities; and the m.irvelous pro<;ie>s of the Minnesota riiili'oad syste: lolds out to them ]U'os)iects of eheaji i'.nd rapid intercouise with t\\v market on wli i they mainly tleix'inl. All these are jiower- ful a;iencii's in the work ot' Americanizin , the ]>eo))le. 'i'liey know (,'anaila (Uily as a ftir-otf country, which has never done anythiiij;- for their beiielit, and which proposes to make the purchase of the Hudson's 15ay Company's )»ossessions a jiretext l')r inllictinj^ ujtonlhem an autlimity haviii;;' no sympalhy with thcii' wauls or wishes. On tlie other hand, they know Anirricans as their nei,;;hbors ami tVirnds, as their co-vvorkers and customers, with whom they are idenlilied in all that relates to the future of the Northwest. Th's feelinjr is, of course. reci|>rocated. Our iiioneers and trappers and liunters know the people eiina^cil in tills insurrecl ion, and will not stand idly by if the Canadian autlKU'ities atlempl to carry out Mi'. McDitajfall's threat aini enlist Indians in their cause. If that ;;oveniuieut tiiids itself al)le to transport troops and supplies over its own territory via I'orl William, and so manau,'e to retake I'orl Cany and put down the rebcll; on hv ri'^ular force, there, tor a time, the matter ma\ end. TlielasI^ may not bi easily iiceomplishcd. These l\ed K'iver men may dr;iw aid and comlurt of a very luac- tical kind liom the bold, adventurcnis clement v hicli forms so larec a proportion ol our frontier population, lint if. after all. Canadian .•iiithoritv vindicates itseii with tin* hel p ol llril ish lroo| IS ai;ainst the insiirm'iits of the llndsiMrs li.iy Company s terri- tiM'y, there will be no disposition to bei;riid;;c its ;;loiy or to (|neslion its tith'. 'i'hus cir<'imiseiil)ed. it is a (piairel with wliieh we have no direct eomein, W'e shall culti- vate neutrality after the approved liritish fashion. Milt if it is to be made, whollv or in part, an Indian war — if fhesavaf^ s of the plains, whether of the Saskatehi'wau or of tin- eounli\' south of the Itmtlci', are to bec(Miie auxiliaries of Ibilisli power in the effort to crush the opposition of those who by law are llril ish suh/jects. the aspi'ct- of the case will be allonctiier eli:ini;vd. An Indian war (HI the frontier would reallv mean hostilities (hi Ih si(|( if th. Iini' Will le sav- ii;{es ineited to sava;;(ry, the b:isis ol' a eomnion cause between the front ieiiiien wmild Noon be Ibiiud. A compliciitioii so a;;;i'ra\aled wonhl iii\ ol\ (^ <'ontiu;;euries which few of us like to cim template, just now. Tin* faet that these coutii.;j;eiicies will lii" )n'ecipi- tated upon us whenever the Canadian ollicials make Indians parties io their i|uarrel, should sn;;i;est to them the exercise of eieati'r cantiim than has been ajiparcnt in the rt'porlcd aeticui of some of their emissaries. The (iisl eondiliim ol' sai'ety in this lespecl is the recall by the Ilominioii authorities of Mr. .Mcl)on;iall. wlmm the Ifnl K'iver insnry,ents refuse to receive as edveuior, and who is now an exile iimier the stars and stripes at I'eiidtiua. His position is at onco aiutiiialouH and alisuid. I'nalile to («nter the Territory (».er which he was appointed to rule in st'ile, he and his ministers and stall' have soii;;ht refujj>'e on Aineriean soil Tin rein they have displayed ]irndence. if not di;j;iiily. .\s exiles, however, Ihey have tie riv-hl to i>rolii hy tile o)iportnnilies of I'enduiia to inaniinrali> pl.ins I'm \\a^iu>{ war n^ainsl the insurgents. If Mr. .Mel )(m).(all may with impunity ecuivi'il a lo^ sininty in that lively town into his headipiarleis as a Canadian oliicia I, with the view of carry in;j; on hostilities in behalf of Canadian anthoril> , why may not Mr. Ii'iil, the leader of the insiiryeiils. make lii» lieiKl<|iiurlern in tinotlier J'einbiim slniiity i And why amy t i I AFPAIBS ON THE RED RIVER. 48 :-r i i i)ofc Ilv.inl Center O'Neill hoist the greeji fla<; over a tliinl slianty as an ally of the in- surgents ? The truth is, Mr. McDougall is impelled by his ambition to i)lay a danger- ous game — a game so dangerous tliat tlie United States marsbal in Minnesota will be justified in keeiting ch)se wateli upon the "exiles," and compelling them to respect the neutrality they loudly invoke. We r(!i)eat, then, the Canadian government cannot too ([uieklv remove Mr. Mc- Dougall from a position wliicli cannot possibly help it as against the insurgents, V»ut whieii may, by a mere accident, at any moment, give rise to international embarrass- ment. Cana(ia is welcome to Fort Garry, and all the territory the Hudson's l?ay Com- l)any has covenanted to deliver ; but it nuist not ho]te to send siddiers or supplies over American ttjrritory, or to organize forces under the protection of the American Hag. [From tho St. riiiil Daily rrt'ss, December 23, ISCit.] WHAT WILL CANADA DO AUOUT IT? Onr last advices from Ked River setth; beyond a reasonable doubt these two facts: 1. That the jteople of the Northwest Territory, as it is called, are sultstantially unani- mous in their determination not to submit to Cauadiau rule, except upon their own terms, if indeed on any terms; ami 2. That they have abundant i)ower and means to enforce this deti-rmination against all the force which Canada can bring against them. It is (|uite obvious that Canada — or in other W(U'ds, McDongall. who represents Can- ada — has absolutely no sup])ort in the settlement among its civilized inhabitants in numbers sutticient to i\er country. From Hudson's liay, which is closed with ice fiu' ti'U months in the year, the (uily elianncd of access to the li'ed K'iver country is a canoe or batteau loute through a series oi' lakes iind rivers, lu'oken by thirty-four portagi-s, through a bairen country of rocks, moiasses, ami jungles, w Inch a few hundreil half-breed sharpshooters eotihl defend against an iirmy of many thousand nun. It is seven hundred and tbrty-live miles by this route fioiu Fort York, on Hudson's May, to l''orl Carry. Ihi- only other Ibitisii route is also a water route of similar chaiaeter, practicable only liy barges and eanoi's throngli the chain of lal'"s and rivers which lie partly along the international boundai'v between Lake Hupeiior and Lake Winnipeg, 'i'lie slnutest icnite liy this watei' chain is six hundred and lorly-seven miles from Fort Willi. ini on Lake Suiierior to Fort (iarry and reiiuiics lifly poitage transhipments. Its morasses and jungles atlbro an excellent cover for guerillas ; ;i few hnnored of whom could defend it against the largest army which could be possiidy sent over such a ((uintry. While natine interposes such in\ imible hairiers to the approai'h of an in\ ailing army on till- ib'itish side of the line. Hu' smooth and open |>rairies wiiieh CI wineet the K'eil It i\('r country wil h Minnesota allbrd an easy and in\ iting route of eonniiunicat ion, thiongh which an army ten limes as laige as that of Xerxes might niareh abreast "inio the bowels of the laud without impeilinu'nt " — liiit not a Canadian or a British army. Fnfortunately Ibr Canada, here, w here the path is so smooth and ojien for horse, foot, and artillery, there are political olistaeles far mi>re formidable to llritish jMnver than any whieli nature has reared along the Areiie soliludes of the lluilson's Hay declivity. No Canadian arm>, we may rest assured, will ever be permilled to pass over Ameiiean Hoil to sultjugati' the I'liiiidly people of the Northwest Territory. I'rael ieally. then, the countiy is elfeclually closed against Canaila. Fvery doiu' in front ami rear is locked and bain-il against her. Ijer authority has been um\nimonsly repudiated by its inhabitants. Her re present a I'ves ha\ e iieen ignoniiiiionsly spuiiied from its soil, and it is now completely under the > iitr|iiest ami sniiiiiL;ation, And she will hardly resume it at the bidding of Canadian politicians, or undertake the enormous cost of such a' war as it wiiiiVd entail upon her, in order to coerett the I Kling ol \ anauian pon wdiiVd entail upon her, jeople of the Northwest Territory into the acceptain-e of an alien governnn-nt, wliieU las proved its incapai'ity for the task it has assumed by the enormous lilunders wliicU juuko necessary siieli ail appeal to Knglish aid, 1 "^TiifTi-^iir.iinMiditeii 44 AFFAIRS ON THE RED RIVER. The }T""^<^'""'"<^"t of Glatlstone and Brijjlit will not, it is quite certain, rcvorso the liberal policy of the enii)ire in order to place McI)on does not want these sour gra]»es wliich hang so far beyond her read). Slie will thus avoid the humiliation of another defeat at tlie hands of IJiel and liis I'^rencli hall-breeds, and of having her representatives marched out of tla^ coun- try with a half-hreed guard, under the Candine Forks of Stinking l{iv<'r. And in the mean time, whenever the jieoide of the Northwest Territory, after having successfully vindieated tlieii- liiieities and maintained their indeiiendenee agi'.inst Canada, shall de- clare themselves in favor of annexatiovi to the United States, the United States, they may rest assured, will welcmne them with ojien arms, and England will gladly avail herself of such a i»rovi'leiitial opjiortniiity to settle the Al'ibama claims with the ees- .sioii to the United Stiit< s of a country whose destinies God has indissoluldy wedded to ours by geographical allinities which no human power can sunder, a^-. He has diviu'ced it fl'om Canada I»y yiliysical barriers which no human power can overcome. ^ X. — Comments by the English Press. fFioii) the Pull Mali Gazette, (Lomlou.) ^fmidnv. January 10, 1870.) AriAIl{.S OX TIIK UI.I) lilVKH. The dilliculty at the Red River ."ceiiis to jave assniiH'd a very serioun aspe<'t ; that is, in no degree serious in itself, but serious i""om the international eomidications to which it may itossildy lead. We must ]»reniise iliat the accounts which we recciv(i from the States, as well as those fnmi Canada, of the events taking jdace there are very little to be deiteiided on. The Red River settlement is a little half-cultivated oasis ill lli>' middle of a waste of fi'itzen marshes tiiid jtrairies. News lioin tlienee baa to tuiAel some liiiiidr<'il miles before it reaches tin nearest jioint connected liy railway with the rest of the world. Its climate at this time of the year is exceptionally severe. The C!inadi;iii jiapeis naturally give the most favorable view of affairs, tlu' American the most niilavoral)le. But we are Ibrccd to admit that ni» to the ))rcsent lime the lat- ter s«'eiii to be iiear<'st the truth. The Inqies which we entertained at liist of a sjieedy lerminalion of the incseiit outbreak, through the recovery of the loyal part of the coin- inunity from their lirst surprise, must ajipaveiitly he laid aside for the present. We must lie < (Miteiit to hxdi on the affair from its worst side, as at all events the more probalile. It scciiis thill the discontented ]iarty, ccmsisting mainly of the French half-breeds, any'» early days of loyalty to Charles the Second;) but olVerinfi; to treat with Canada — on terms, however, we are told, (but here aj^ain we have no authority on whidj A.e can rely,) which it would be, impossible for Canada to acceid< .Hut "inde pendeuce" apparently looms in the distance. And the maintenance of indi'i>endencc by a few thou.sand half-breeds close to the fiontiei- of a State lajtidly tillin<; up with an Ameviean populatiiui is not a very probable event, if it were a desirable one. It is really necessary t<» look this disa^reealvle ]>usines8 in the face, and not to )>«' sat- isfied Avith the ieneriilities which are usually vented iti such cases, about the strenji th of the liritish Colonial Knii)ire and the duties of En<;land in respect of it. The Hudson's Bay Company held this territory under the Crown. They sold it — both the Jiowers of ji'overnment and the land — to Canada. The home j>(tvevnment sii])ciintend(Kl the transaction. It is now said that Canada r<'f»ises to ])ay the purchiisc-money, on the {i;round that h«'r vendor has failed t«> ;;ive her quiet possession. Who is to put her into possesshui, assuminj;- further nep>tiatiou unsuccessful, and how ' Sup)>osinf>' th(> u.se of force to be luiavoidable, there can be little doubt that a very inconsiderable armed force from Camida would suftice to do what is necessary. They would liiul a (livideited district is reached. There are no mountains oi' imi)ortant forests, no fastnesses, natural or artilicial. The only course whit'h would .seem op»Mi to the revoltehborin^ wilderness, and cairy on a }>,iu'iilla warfare w t lie help of the Indian tribes of the neijililtorhood. Hut then the Indians are saiu lo (h-tcst the half- castes, and to be far l>etter incline«l to aid in extevminatinjj, them than to take part with them. The Ked River settlement is, a.s we have siiid, ea.sily accessible over a i)lain country, either in mid-winter or in summer, from the peo))led part of Minnesoia ; still its fnm- tier lies four hundred miles from St. Taul, (close to the falls of the Mississiii})!,) thtj nearest Anu-rican pitst of consequence. It is less than that distance from Lake Su- perior, in Cainida ; but then the space between is a n'fiiou of marsh and scr)ib, roadless, tenanlless, and almost imis'Ui'trable. How, then, is a Canadian forcii to reai'h it J With American i»ermisslon to march tfiroujih American soil, easily enouj;h. Ihit how without iff Only in om^ way that we can conjecture. Winter in those regions last(+ till April or May. While the marshes are hard i'rozeu it is coiicei\a)ile that an armed party of hanly Canadian \olunt<'ers or militia, with or without such aid as the British eontinjient coiUeculate on such a coiitiu,iien«y. W(^ tan only form a conjectnrnl judgment from what we know of the habitu.il policy of that jiovernment and »ff the sentiments of that <;overinnent and ])eo]ile tow arils ourselves. One thin;; has striuk. us of late as remarkable; and that is the moderation and calmness of the Anwricau press, usually so nnich atldieted to the um- of ay,';;ressive lau<;ua,n<' on international matters, on the jiciu'ial suliject of Canadian politics. It seems as if our cousins werer really satistied of what they eonnutnily assert, that they are only bidiny; their lime, and that the Dor .;nioi\ is all but. ripe for peaceful annexation to their huge pos.s4'ssLons. {From till' I'lill Mall Oazutte, (London.) Dwpinbcr 14, IH\\\.] Till'. <>ll 1 KlI-TV AT rili; lii;l> JtlVI'.K. . We wonder how iminy members of the Briiisji piil die, interested in ordinaiy political in- telligence, have alt'iiiieilany deliniteideasof fliecircmnstances, or tlie scene, ofllial sin- gular little insurrection against the authority of her Majesty wliveh is. or was ii few we«'ks ago. in vigor on the \ird Uiver seltleineut. 'I'his most sei|iiestcred ol" all civil- ized spots lies as near as jtossilde in the geographical i-enter of the North American continent. It is u mere oasis in .i desert — an oasis iit a Sahara of " liiikes, rivers, swam|>s, treeless prairies, barren hills ami hollows" — the \er.\ fag-end of the world, as old Lahoiiton ilescribed the counliA north of Lake Superior, wliirh forms part of it. 'J'his oasis lies t wo thimsaiiil miles west of Mont real, (he chief cily <»f ( ';iiia.ila. to wliicli it is now sought to annex the seltlemeiil. live or six hundred tinm the maiest isdnt of Hudson's Bay, its only outlet by sea, and one thousjmd east "f the Bocky .Moumains. Ihit to the south it aitiuoaches within lifly miles of the boundary line of the I'nited States ; and u population is now spreading rapidly over the fertile Icvids td" the State 46 AFFAIKS ON THE RED RTVER. of MiiiiH'sota, soutlnvard of this liup. From Canada to the Red River the route (if a traek known only to hunters eau hesocaUed) liesthrou])in<>' have heon en- dured Ity it in some places. Behind the river banks extend vast i)lains of «>rass. The climate, it is true, is not attractive^; a mon; than Russian winter and a nion^ than Can- adian suuMuer — eijilit months of frost and tour months of mosipiitoes. Ihit in favorable .seasons the produce is euoruu»us. TIk^ settlers are described as reveliufi in rude abund- ance; their only drawback the bsolute impossibility hitherto of exportin' the commodities of civilized lih^ except through the distant waters of Hudson's iSjiy. open only tw(» or three nu)nths in the year. On this secluded island in the wihlerness dwell some twelve or fifteen thousand Brit- ish subjects — farmers, hunters, lishernmn. They havb been very mildly governed for sometifty yi-arspast by the Hudson's Hay Company ; they have a bishop and clergy, a re- corpe. or head lama, whom they venerated at a distance, and who was ever active and vigilant in jjrotecting them against the dreaded invasion of for- eigners, British or American. For the truth is that the Hudson's Bay C(uupany pet- tetl anic(l away, anil Mtt.e more was heard of "Assiuiiiom," exce]tt its new and ambi- tions name, until it wa^ sold, with other territories, by th»^ llndso s Bay Company to +lie home government on behalf cd' Canada, and Canada was iina ly placed in pos- session. We now receive information that this transfer has been the sigiml for disiilfection and armed revolt. The govermu' sent from Canada Mr. McDmigal, making his way to his ]iost till nun h the I'uiled States, thei'e being, in fact, no other road, has )»een stopped on the frcmtier by arimd nun, and renniins at I'embina, in Miniu'sofa, issuing mild procla- nnifi(Ui-< to his obstinate suhjects. But there is (um feature in the cane which, with onr i»resent informaf i(ni, we are quite unable to exidaiu. It is this: that the malcon- tents are represented as belonging not to the British, but to the Camulian section oi It AFFAIRS ON THE RED RIVER. 47 t I ■ r tlie pcoiil<' ; it is tlio " Bo'iH 15rnlos,"tUe Fr('in'h-s])oal- in this an<>ry way ajiainst union with a Dominion hirj>t'ly iuliahitcd by tiii-ir own oiii^inal fenow-countiynicn. The Jiiitiwh siH^tiou, t'nll and lialt-biccMls, arc said, ou the oilier hand, to he lavorahic to the eliang(>, or to aequiesce in it. Tiu'se things recpiire explanation. It may he that the insur- gents are simjdy tiie most i;;norant and tui'liulent jtart of the scttlns, and tho>if most easily aarty will prevail. Jhit it Avill i>erliai)s Ite dil'lleult for the Canadian jnovernuient to uiaintain that system of sjieeial eoneiliation hy whieli the '[Uondam company w(^i'<' willin<;; enon<;h 1o purchase submission. •The mutter, however, is on<' which would l)e calculated to excite but little interest in this country were it not ibr one circumstiuu-e, with whh'h Canada will Jiave to deal as best it may. We !ia\e said that tlu- IJed Iii\'er is (i>i'actically) all but inaccessible from Canada. On the other hand, it is very aci'cssihle indeed from the conti,i;iious i)art of the States, and existinfi' railways jilone would sutticc to connect it, with but little (expenditure of time and labor, with the whole of them. J'.nthusiastic jieojde of the colonial party see no difliculty in all this; Canada has only, in their view, to make a. railroad from Lake .Superior to Iv'ed L'iver, thence across the l»*ocky Mountains to the. Fi'aser Ixivcr. and th<' work is accomi)lished, and IJritish America iiound to};ethei' with a f^irdle of imu. To such reasoneis as these distance, (dimate, anle — a continjicncy -which we conceive to In-, extrenu'ly improl>able, l)ut which must needs be hornt in mind — Canada, it is said, would have to ask the, States for ]>ermissiou to send that force thronyh their terri.;)ry. Ami this nuist lie true, unless tl>' two or three hundred loadless nules between Lake »Sui>eri(M' and Ke- of the rebellion at the Red River ? Who are the rebtds .' do they want ; and ai;aiust whom havi- tlu-y relxdh-d ? These are (piestionn. have be<>n often askeil witiiin the last few weeks hy ]»ersons not otherwise m-i foruHMl, \\ ho have been ]»U/.zle(l by the tclejrrams, and by extracts from the .\nu'ricau an..i fi... \ ,,,.,1. :,..,.... :,, y ocular denuMistration that the legion wasomethat might liemadeto How with milk andlioney if opened up to emigraticm. Canada, wiioseowii frontieis in that directitm had never heeu clearly di'lincd, Io(dved with a longing eye toward the K'ed L'iver, and in 1S.')M .she sent out an exphn'ing e\pediti(ni to the norths est, under the cliaigc of l'r(.fe,'-sor Voule Hinde, who, in Ir^tiO, presented his report to the Canadian i'ailiamcnt. That reiiort, whi«'li was tiaiisniiltcd to I'lngland, and ]»iiiited by order of the House of Commons, net forth in detail what was alieaf falling tliroiigb, tbe polilifians tif Caiiaila ultimattily iirevailtjil witli tin; IJritisb f4t)vernmtint, not only to jiermit, but tt) favor, a ctmfedei'acy of tbe, wbt)lo of tbe. Jb'itisii Xoi'lb American ]»rov- inces. Tbe anomalons jitisitnin t»f tbe, Hndson's ]5ay Company, w itb rcgartl tt) (Jreat Britain t)ii the t)ne Iiaml iiiitl Canaila on Mu; ntbcr, conbl nt»t fail to comt; nniler con- Hiderattt)n. 'J'lie result was, tbiit tin* ]lud.st)ii's Hay Company, act iiig uiiiler pressuro Irtmi tlie ct>loniai tdlice, consentetl to sell its riglils, wbatt^ver they migbt be, to tbo Canailian J)oiiiiiiit>ii for tbe snni of jC:5()0,()(I(). Tlittse rigbts inclntletl tbe stAcreignty — snlijcct li lb itisli sniiremacy — of tbo Red liivgr ct)nntry, antl part, if not tbe wbole, of tilt' famous "feitilt! belt." Every one knows tbat tbere nnist 'e two parties to a bargain ; bnt to tbis jiarticular bargain tbere ba leiietl tt» be tliret- parties; and, tti all i)rest'nt appearance, tliere are, or si>tt'tlily will he, ft)nr. Tbe local ]»opiilatittn inclinb-d tlesceiKbints of tbt? French Avbo '■obini/icil Canatbi antl tbe regitins of tlm Retl River l»eft)rc tbeir cession to tbo l5riti-b crtiw ii in 17(iO. antl tbe balf-brei;ds, tbe resnlt tif Frencb internnirriage with tbe Iiitlians; a ctnisitlerablt; sprinkling of Sctitsnien, wbti arts tt) be fonntl in every region uiiiler tlie sun wberc then; is fortnne to be gtit by lianl AVtirk antl enter,)riHe ; antl a still larger inibsion of Americans frtmi Minnesota antl \Visct)nsin. Tbis highly mixeil peo))le tilijcctetl to inctirjioratitni or t;onfetltsration with tbe Canatlian Dominion, and (leclaretl [loint-blank that tlie sovereignty resitletl with tbe ]»eopb', antl tbat they Avere not ttt be stiM by tbe llntlstm's Hay Ctimpany or bongbt by Canada, but tbat tlu^y Averc. tir iiitciitletl to l)e. masters tif tbeir own destiny. Tlitsy niigbt possibly elect to remain ii (tjltiiiy or tb'iMmtlency of the, JJritisb crown, but most certainly they wtmltl jjt)t elect to, join (heir fortniics with tlittse tif Canada, llereniitin issue wasjoinetl and battle was tleclaretl. Tbts latest telegrams report tbat the. fortune of war inclines to the side of tbe Retl Rivcrians — tbtsy must tbrgive ns if we cannot bit n]ion abetter name for them — that tl"v have captiiretl forty-live of the leatting inhabitants, wbt) arc (.•tiiispictioiis for their loyalty — whether tt) the Canatlian Don iiiion tir tti (ireat Uritain, r)r to Iiotli, is not stated — have tried them by ctnirt-martial, antl have sentencetl tbeni to perpetual exile from tbe territory, with tbe exceptitm tif four, wliti are to be tletained as hostages. The gtiverntir, Mr. McDongall, tb']iutetl by tbe Canatlian Dtiminion, a i'ew months agti, to take possession and tt) tirg;inize a regular gtiverninent, has been tlefeatetl, with all tbe loyal force tiiat he brtingbt with bini or ctiultl summon to his aitl. antl has been (brceil tt) retreat acrtiss the American frontier. Tbe Canatlian gov- ernment is iirevcntcil fnim sentliug bini re-enforcements tbrtingb Uritish territory, not only by *be tlilticiilties beltnigiiig to tbe severe winter, but by tbe absence of rtiads ; ami it cannot send him aitl tlirough American territtiry, where there are not tinly oni- iiiou roatls, but railroads, because tbe ctinsent tif tbe fetle.al government is necessary, antl tbe mere ap]ilicatitin lor such jiermission — which might jiossibly be refused — Avonhl be a contession tif weakness, nnich too humiliating to be baz.'irded, in face, of the well-known desire tif tbe Americans tt) annex tbe wbtile tc'rrittiry. The rebels are stated III lie almost excbisively compnsetl tif the French ami the Indian iiojiulations, antl the hall-lireeils. We susjiect, however, tbat innuigrants from Minnesota have a greater haiitl in the rebellitin than is suiiposetl. The tlisetintent is tif mtire ancient grtiwtii than the purchase tif tbe territory fnim tbe Hudson's Hay Company; for so early as ,Iune, I'^li'i, a manifesto was i)ut forth at Selkirk, tbe ])riiicipal town, tleclaring that nothing woiiltl satisfy tbe petiple but annexatitin tt) the Fnited States. The authors of t lie manifesto ctniiplainetl that (treat Mritain trea'.etl fheni with intlitferenco ;."itl neglect; that the country hatl nt) postal ctiminunication with any part of the w« rltl, exit'iil through the Fniteil States; thai it bail no means of supplying itself with any Mierchandise or commotlity which the resitleiits retjuiretl, exet'iil by the same t:han- iiel, or by costly trailing antl nncertain commnnication with Canatla. The. animus of these 'tnnplainls was evitlently American, and anyoiu', who knows tbe eagerness tif tho Americans for territory, whether 1o the north or to tins south of tbe existing Union, will n il be sin prisetl to learn thai tbe relieUion is encoiinigetl by American sympathy, ami may. at any moment, on sntlilen jiidvocation, receive American su|iport. (Jeiieral Hancock, the federal oflicer in ommautl in Minnesota, luis tleclaretl that be Avill ntit Hciitl troops to I'cmbina, Hits Americiri station on Hits frontier, unless lit- learn tl at American settlers are in tlanger of being troubletl by tins Indians. The words are ominous of coming ctimplications, ami have an unpleasant smack of aiiprtiacbing in- tervention. The eveiil. btiNMnt'r it may turn, prtives tins Avisdoni of Hitise who, more than six years ago, proposed the ibrmatiou of a crown colony, to extend acrt)ss British America call a ttsred 1 the i.K thongl Tlie hi the nii of a Vi H5 niib lies Lii nectetll antl Ireferred to be h'ft as they were. The third (dement in the i)oi)ulation is the Indian. Many of those called Fniich or English are i»f mixed breed, and there are, besides, numbers of full-blooded Indians nnire or less redainu'd from sivagery, and living on terms of amity with the white men. It wi.s to this primitive conniuinity lat the governnuMit of Canada announced sonn- months ago that the Iludscm'slJay territory had been transferred to the Dominion, and that the settlers nnist prei)are to receive a govern(»r and ofticials appointed by itself. In its acts the Diuninion ajipears to have been premature, for the transfer of the Hud- son's liay territory Innl not been completed, and, e\en assuming that the puridiase wouhl giv(> the (lanadians the right to govern the Red River as they jdeased, that right had not accrued. Hut in the autumn Mr. William McDougall was sent to the settlenu-nt as governor. We will emleavor to gM.;i(l against doing injnstiic to this ge'illenian, of winun we know nothing; and it is pro|)er to state that almost everything we- heai' comes from those who are IViendly to the insurgents, ibit it is not, indeed, necessary to charge Mr. McDougall with violence or rashness; the i)eople of the lied Iviver wouhl jirobably have opposed any other governor with eositioi;, that they ol»jected. Mr. McDougall look possession of the gov- ernment and issued a lu'ochiination which gave much offense. It is urged on behalf of 8. Ex. Doc. ;J3 4 60 AFFAIRS ON THE RED RIVER. tlu' insnrfionts that he ciuiio witlioiH any coiistitiitioiial limitation of his powers, tliat he was tree to appoint iiis own cvcalnn's to evory Jtost of cniolnnuMit, and to order tiiinj;s exchisively l)y his own will. Tlie setth-rs feared that tiu' rih wiiicii they iiad been supplied with (lie necessaries and the few luxuries of their lit'e. 'I'he Douiiiiion niijiht, if it chose, iiii]»ose lieavy duties on j>-oods erossin}^ the froutii'i', and the old freedom of backwoods trade lie interru))ted for tin^ benefit of people liviii;;' lifteen huuilred miles off, and exercisin.n- a ])urely usurped authority. Such, accordiii<>- to f iiemselves, are tlie irrievaiiees of the inhabitants of flic Heil River settlement. Mr. McDouoall soon found fliat he must use force if he wished to retain any authority whatever. It apitears t1i.it there was a scheme to enlist Indian tribes in the n-oveniUK'ut service, but tills seems to have been attempted to a Vv'ry sm.'ill extent, and fo lia\ e been (|uitt! a failur<'. Tiie ffoveriior could make no way a<;aiii.st the i.isur- gents; they foidv possession of Fort (Jarry, and made it the headipiartms of tlndr new government; tliey attacked the governor again on the border, cajitured the tVn-f in which he had sheltered himself, and drove liim into United States territory. When last heard of he was at I'embina. in Minnesota. He was said to be making cff their scouts at Pembina to watch tlu^ governor. But we have anticipated in speaking of the actual exercise of government tlnr solemn formality with which it was assumed. lie it known, then, that the jirovisional gov- ernment of Rupert's Land and of tlu^ Northwest Tc^rritory published its "declaration of indcjieiidence" on the liltli of Novembei', l.S.')(). Tliis document is as (dose an imit.'i- tion of the cidebratcd jicifuiuaiice of .lelferson as c(mld be attained by the simple pa- triots of the lied h'iver. Like its modid, it opens majestically : '" Whereas, it is ad- mitted by all men as a fundameutal piiiici])le f liat the pnlilic authority eommaud.s the resiiect ami obedience of all its subjects, it is also admitted that tlu^ jicople to be gov- erned have, the right to adopt or reject the form of government, or refuse! allegiance to that which is jiroiioscd." The insurgents go on to deedare that when a community is abandoned Ity its rulers, or tr.nisfcrred by them witliout its consent to a foreign jiower, till' tics of allegiance are lirokeu, and the ]»eople of' Ruiieit's Laud and the Northwest Territory' have now liecomc iVci' and exempt from all allegiance to the goveriinient. They refuse to recognize the auttnu'lty of Canada ; they throw on tln^ Dominion the responsibility of the conflict whi(di will lie caused by a ]»erse.veraiice in a policy of snb- jUgai'mi, and they eomdiide as follows: '"In support of this detdaratioii, ridyiugon the p,...t..-.«ion of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge ourselves on oath, (Uir lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor, to each other." It remains to be noticed that thisdocu- nieiit is signed liy .loliu Hriice, president, and Louis Ri(dl, secretary, who, 'we jiresnme, stand for "the representatives of the people in eouiicil assembh ; allef^ianec to her Majesty in tht> hist resort, hut wieldinj; many of tlie ]»o\vers of sovereif>nty; bnt are simjdy a body of sipiiitters williin lier Majesty's dominion, who have been aUowed to do very nnnh as (liey (deascd, bnt who art! none the b'ss bonnd to obey the anthority set over (liem. jirovided only tliat the authority is British. Tiiey seem to see this themselves, for in the declaration of imle- pendence issned on the 8th of December at Fort (iarry, " President "John Hrnce declares, cm behalf of the ])rovisional ,u;ov(>rinnent, that the settlers have been transferred with- ont their own consent to " aforei;;ii ])o\ver,'' and intimates that they are rebelliiijf iij^ainst that, but the assertion is absolutely without foundatii n. The Canadian Dominion is as much a part of her Majesty's reaini as the county of Cornwall, and the settlers have as much le;>al rif^ht to resist their annexation to ("auada as the ])eoi>le of Cromarty would have to resist the fusion of their oddly-divi(h'd county into Ross and Sutherland Shires. In driviuj^out Mv. Mcl)oii<;all, if he were le,nally appointed — a fact of which there is sinne doubt — they arc resistinj;' thi; Queen's representative, and resistance of that kind cannot be tolerated if the emjure is to hold toji'cther. It is one thinj^ t'> allow a c(d, they must Ixi faced, and faced by (Jreat Ihitain. It is her authority which is resisted, and not that of Canada, for th<' settlers have not fornuMl themselves into a (;olony willing to accc]>t a Ihitish governor, in which case we might have waited a few years for the fusion ordered by Parliament ; but into a state claiming independence, and intending to rcipn-st admittance into the Union. The dif- tienlty of exerting British ]tow( r at that distance and in such a locality is very great, but it must b(^ faced, as simila" dilhculties were faced in Abyssinia, or we must be con- tent to allow that British auth irity can be safely deliwl whenever it is inconvenient to oxert it; that is, we nnist surrender the lirst idea of empire. It is gre.it ly to be re- gretted th.'it a force cannot be disi)atched to tlu' Red Hiver at once, Itnt that is, we presume, im])ossible. "NVe cannot i»rocci'd l»y the natural route through Minnesota, the re])nblic forbidding trans . for troo|)s across its territory, and action by the Canadian rout(! involves tin; niai( h of a thousand nu-n, with arms, amuiiition, Jind baggage — that is, practically of 2,000 men .lUd 1,5(10 horses — through an impervious forest in which e\('ry jxunid of forage must be carried, and every step of the road must be cut with the axe, a work which in winter may be proncnmced im]i(issible. 'I'hc men would die of colli and want of iirovisions, or ai'rive too exhausted to be of service. There is nothing to do bnt wait; but the weather once favorable, that road must lie made at any exjx'nse, ant considerable, nuist l)e faced as courageously as nmy be, with full ccmscionsiu'ss that it is .serious, but a fu!l rescdve also not to snifer it to enfeeble an imi»erial policy. If we are to remiiin in North America at all, we nnist act in our own dominions without this incessant reference to the; ideas of statesuu'U who m^ver deflect their own policy out of any deferenct.' to us. There is neither dignity nor safety in this ])er]ietual apprehension of a power which knows i)erfe<'tly well tliat wAr with (Jreat Ihit.iin would be the gravest y governed tluanselves in the rougii way they like, and if they were exempt from any fear of Canadian taxation, ami if tiny wen; left in full enjoyment (d" their practical nu>m)poly in the waste laud. We do not know that they wouhl Ite, but we are (piite willing to assume that thi^v know their own business best. But then th(> h.ippiness of Red River settlers is surely not the ultinnite end of the world's politics, or oven of tlntse of North America ; and it is as ctutain as anything of that kind can be that tht; w(nld and the continent would both be injunvl by llu^ inde- pendence of the Red River. Tlu^ world would be, injured because its freesir and most civilized st.ite would be proclaimed j)owerless to hold her own, a failure in organiza- tion and in ich'al ; and North America woidd lose its greatest jirospect, the rise of two great an