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Toua lea outros axemplairas originaux sonc filmAs en commengant par la pramiire page qui comporte une empreinte d'impreasion ou d'illustration at en terminant par la darnlAre paga qui comporte une telle empreinte. Un dea symboles sulvants apparattra sur la darnlAre image de cheque microfiche, sdlon le cas: la symbols — ^ signifie "A SUIVRE", le symbols V signifie "FIN". Lee cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent Atre fiimte A des taux de reduction diff«rents. Lorsque la document est trop grand pour Atre reproduit en un seul cliche, il eet film* * pertir de I'angia supArleur gauche, de gauche k droite, et de haut en baa, an pranent la nombre d'imagea nAcaeaaira. Las diagrammea suivanta iilustrent la methods. 12 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 A LETTER TO A FRIEND. PHILADELPHIA, liovcmber 2G, 1838. Mv Deau Sir — , i i 1.1 i You have not been wrongly informed. I am not ashamed, although one may well be afraid, to confess, that I sympathize with the Canadians, and desire to see them independent. Bui, while such is the bent of my inclination, far am I from calling in question the correctness of the mo- tives of those, who differ from me. As in all the instances, in whicii I may have dissented from you, and our friend W -, I barely ask to be heard dispassionately. It is very true, as you say, that, 1 reprobated in- terference in the affairs of Mexico ; or rather, I condemned the course of our (Tovernmcnt, in conniving at the invasion of that country but, 1 see no iSconsistency, between what I said then as to Texas, aim what I say now, in relation to Canada. The cases are, in all essential circumstances, different, as I shall endeavor to show ; and the very distinction makes the conduct of our government, on the several occasions, the more shame- fully inconsistent and reprehensible. What language can so well describe, the impropriety of our conduct to Mexico, as the denunciations, now pronounced, against sympathy for Canada? What rebuke, to our late President, can be so bitter as the pioclamation of his successor, who promised to tread m his fool-steps ? How can such glaring contrasts be reconciled ? And yet, those, wlio tossed up their caps for the one, now hurl them m the air for the other : It never was pretended, that Mexicans, or natives of that part of Mexico called Texas, complained of any tyranny, or that they were in revolt there. The Mexicans were all of one origin, religion, and inlorest. 1 hose, who dwelt in Texas, were a part of a common family, cemented by the ties of nationality and kindred blood. They were contented with their lot, and willinli hou^e of Peers, the lalter said, that the next war willi us must no!, be "a little war." , cs- ai i„. In a |-,an.i.hlet,eniilU'd -Canada a Kingdom," written by Sir Alcxanc.cr Malet, dedicated lo lord llowick, and published in 1H32, there is the following remarkable pa8sai;e : r .• i "The aristocracy of weallh, which the unexampled progress, of national " prosiieiity, has elevated upon the surface of republican instituiious Lin "the United States,] has not been, and should not be, overlooked by "En-dish statesmen. Let ihem raise a sceptre on the banks ot the M. " Lawrence, and we may live to see its shadow on the Delaware and "Potomac." , ^ . 1.1 r«;.. The coincidence, between the views of Sir J. Craig, and those ol b r A.. Malet, after a lapse of more than twenty years, shows that lirilisli statesmen do not overlook the advantages, which their country may (lerive from our dismemberment. No one can doubt their in( Imation to witness it: and there may still be among ourselves some, who would desire to make " the Potomac the boundary:" The British possessions in America, therefore, may be held until some occasion may arise, lu lor makiiii,^ the surrender of them a temptation, to raise some such sceptre as is Here referred lo. , , , t\j« You may regard such fears as chimerical. 1 hope Uny are so. iNo one abhors wars more than 1 do ; nor is there any one, who would regret hostilities with England especially, more than I would. But, ""bappiiy, apprehension is the result of experience. In a debate en the Canada question, in the British House of Peers, Lord Brougham saul, he hoped our Union might long endure; for, if broken up, the most disastrous consequences would follow, owing to the natural inclination of man Ur war. It is painful, and even degrading, to think so ; and yet it may be hazardous to entertain an opposite opinion. Be this as it may, certain it is, that history is little more than a lecord of such attrociiies, f^s ^yen the callous must shudder at. Nations, falsely calling themselves Christians, have out-run all barbarians in the race of blood. I fear, i'. n, therefore, fallacious to hope, that, even if we shall give no cause of alarm, xe shall escape the fate of othe- States ; and, consequently, U is hazardous to neglect suitable means of defence, or to slille a spirit, which is essential for the preservation of all that is dear to man — Gens ferri paticns, ac Iceta domare labores, Paulatiin aritiqiio Patruni dtsuescit honori. Our rapid advancement to power, as a republic, is well calculated to disturb crowned heads; and our commercial and "jy^^P^^^^^^^'l'^^^" scarcely be contempUted with satisfaction, by England especially. There is a lurking apprehension, of our future power, which is perfectly consistpnl Nviih llie history of mnritime States. It is true, there is an obvious reroiin, in the conduct oi llie people and {rovernmcnts ol particular countries ; hut still the seUish principle rules in cabinets as well as in counting-houses. II' any such jealousy or enmity shall arise, we may defy it, if Heaven shall endow us with wisdom, to preserve our Union; but "this (says Washington) is the point in our poluieal fortress, "against which the hatterii^s of internal and external enemies, will be " most constantly, ihouirh covertly directed." Such reflections, as these, made me dei)lore our conduct to Mexico. It has given a plausible excuse to foieigncrs, to desire lv>ciieck our growth. It is not the interest of mankitul, that we should become the Russia of tlie New World. Europe has a deep stake in the trade ot South America, Mexico and the West Indies. Having seen some ol our Senators pointing to the Pacific, as our declined boundary ; and con- templating Mexico as our next scene of insurrectionary operation; European statesmen mav consider themselves authorised to stop us in our march. How that may be done may become fl.e only question; and the project of Sir Alexander Malel mav not be deemed visionary. The same considerations, which made me deprecate our conduct to Mexico, influence mv wishes as to Canada. I desire that we may give no cause of ofTence, or pretext for retaliation hereafter. But, at the same time, if we interfered at all, it should not have been against a weak and iinoflending neighbour, from whom we had nothing to apprehend here- after; but, in favor of oppressed neighbours, against a power holding them as a rod over us. . I am not, however, let me repeat, for any interference, that is not right in itself, or warranted by what is called the law of nations. 1 am not ''or approvimr, as to Canada, what I condemne I in relation to Mexico. As a government, we have quite enough to do at home. Time, the press and steam are at work for Canada, for ourselvses and for mankind. The liberty of Canada may be won m Europe or in Asia. It must be ultimately achieved. Even Machiavel admits, "It is hopeless to reduce to slavery a people imbued with the spirit of freedom. In the meantime, our own best shields are honesty and fair dealing witli all around us, be they weak or strong. We need a reputation, especially for being content with what wo have. We want condensation and homogeneousness, not expansion and diversity. If there is any discrepancy, between what I wrote as to Texas, and what I nave thus said, I am not aware of it. I reprobated the armed invasion of the territory of a neighbour, not in revolt. 1 condemned the conspiracy, among our own citizens, to go and take whole provinces from a weak and unoffending people, who were under no f^oreign yoke. I appealed to the sense of justice of our country, against the open con- nivance of our government, at what history must pronounce dishonor- able. All this I did as to Texas, and would do so, weie the case ot Canada parallel. But the cases are wholly dissimilar; and yet, I am not lor interference by our government; and, since it is the requisition of the law, 1 am not for the interference of our citizens. But, while these are my sentiments, I still wish to see the Canadians free, and I am not surprised at the efforts of some of our citizens to make them so. 'i'here may be reckless men on our frontier, as there 6 arc every where. Yel I am not prepared to cast opprobrium upon ali, who may desire to help their neighbours. I could not do so without dishonoring the memory of thousands, who bled to secure to us all that M-e ourselves possess. If our countrymen, who have interfered, are as wrong, as is repre- sented ; I maintain, that much may be fairly said in their defence; and 1 will state to you a few of their apologies: 1. Let ;t be borne in mind, tiiat the fulhcrs, or grand-fathers, of many of them, mainly contributeil to conquer the Frencli possesions in America. The descendantf=, th(ircfure, may have supposcil, tl);it they had some rightto tread upon a soil, wliicli had been wet with tlic blood of their sires. 2. Let it be borne in mind, that they did not go, as tlic governor of Canada sent John Henry, as spies and incendiaries, to excite a civil war, where there was peace ; but that they went, with arms in their handrj, to take open part with the weak and the oppressed against the strong and the oppressors. 3. Let it be borne in mind, that they did not go to sccnie cotton plantations, or to introduce slavery, where it was prohibited ; but that they went to a country, barren, when compared with their own, to strike off the shackles of their neighbours, friends and kindred. 4. Let it be borne in mind, that they did not go to a certain victory, as in Texas, over weak and despised baijds, but to a deadly struggle with brave and disciplined troops. 5. Let it be borne in mind, that, in our 4ih of July orations and toasts, for more than half a century, we have been paying the highest honors to the volunteers of all nations, who heli)cd ourselves to break our chains. 6. Let it be borne in mind, that our northern oitizenn loss than three years ago, saw our Executive, some of our Senators, and several of our southern and western stales, conniving at, and even aiding vohuiieers, to take an entire country, where thetk:was no real revolt. 7. Let it be borne in mind, that they saw our government ac- knowledge the independence of the country, thus desi)oiled from a weak neighbour. . . . t^ r i 8. Let it be borne in mind, that our frontier citizens saw Lnglish volunteers, wherever there was an in?urrccti(m— in France, Spain, Por- tugal, Belgium, Poland, Circassia, Cabul, Mexico and the Slates of teouth America. Is it wonderful, then, dial humble men, who usually act under generous, however erroneous, impulses, felt a desire to help oppressed neighbours, with many of whom there existed ties of blood ? \Vas any thing more natural than for them to say, " surely, our government, after wishing our *' own citizens to extend slavery in Texas, cannot upbraid us for trying "to extend liberlv in Canada. Surely, after extolling the foreigners, " who helped us 'in our day of trial, our government will not consider ti „g as pirates and brii'^ands for imital^ig their example. Surely the English, who have amassed power, b> dividing a stales, in Asia, Europe and America, will not d - ' in any ..ther way, than they insist their own v d weakening o ther 11 not dare to treat mir volunteers olunteers shall be treated, <• namely, as prisoners of war, w hen taken in a revolted country, "Surely wc may diead the future machinations of the English on our •* frontier, and we may help our neighbours to form a government for ♦' themselves, from which we may not apprehend any evil." Such,l gay, are some of the considerations, which may have naturally and jusUy arisen, in the minds of our frontier citizens. If they were not right, theve is ample apology for far greater error. If there is criminality, in any quarter, more than in any other, that quarter is the seat of our own government. There the invasion and partition of Texas were, I doubt not, phmned. From that quarter, issued the authority to General (Jaincs, to take post in Texas, thus countenancing the pro- ceedings there. And yet, what is the result, as to Canada ? What is the condition of .undreds of our citizens, misguided by their own government, who have been taken prisoners there? As if the British loyalists were not suffi- ciently ferocious, and disposed to hang them, our President proclaims, that he will not interfere between them and the ignominious gibbet ! It may be, that there is a precedent for this in Englisii annals, for those annals, unfortunately, are sufficiently bloody ; l)ut, if tliere is, I confess I have no remembrance of it. On the contrary, 1 do not believe there is a true-hearted English statesman, wjio would have put his name, to such a proclamation, as that issued on the 2Ist iiisl., by our Demo- cratic President, " in the 03d year of American Independence." If any British siatesnvan would forbear, to save from the gallows, English volunteers, taken in arms in a revolted country, he would not proclaim iho circumstance to the world ; much less would he do it, to please a po\'erful nation, after having just before applauded volunteers, who in- vaded and dismeiiibered a weak one. The opposite course, I think, has been pursued by the British. They have insisted, that English volun- teers, taken in arms in a revolted country, should be treated as prisoners of war. It is true, thai, in our own revolution, they threatened to hang such volunteers, as common out-laws; but we then had a Washington, who caused those volunteers to be treated as prisoners of war, by de- nouncing retaliation as the consequence of a difTerent treatment. Suppose, for a moment, that the Mexicans had hanged those, who in- vaded Texas, where there was no revolt ; nay, let us call to mind the absolute fact, that Santa Anna did treat those volunteers as brigands, seeing that they entered a country at peace, uninvited, and palpably for selfish ends — what was the consequence ? Our whole country was aroused, to go and avenge the alledged outrage! And yet, the late Proclamation of our own President, as to our citizens in Canada, where there is re- volt, justifies what Santa Anna did, and reprobates our sympathy for those, who were massacred by his orders ! Let me be understood. The cases of Texas and Canada are wholly dissimUar. We had no complaint against the Mexicans, but we had against the English. We had no cause to fear the one, but we had to dread the machinations of the other. The former were weak and the latter are powerf d. Yet wc connived at the invasion of the cnc, where there vvaa no tyranny ; and have denounced aid to the other, w-here there is tyranny. We invited volunteers from all countries, to help us, in our own day of trial, the French, the Poles and the Irish especially— and yet W'e denounce as "nefarious" any interference of our own citizens 8 ill I'iivor of our oppressed neighbours ! I do not appliud interference, Hin('(! the I;i\v forbids it; but, 1 do say, that it ' natural, and not at all Hiir[)ri.siiiir. On the eontrary, it would have been unnatural and astonisli- inj^, if there .'lad not been inierlerence. 'j'lie criminality is upon our own government, and upon them will rest the odium, if the gibbets in Canada shall be adorned with American heads. As to tlio (Canadians themselves, they must at last be free. Revolutions nrver go back. The very horrors, now perpetrated in their country, must keep alive all the passions, that are most fierce and productive of war. The arl.<, necessary to success, in arms, will be learned. 'I'hey will be growing stro.ig. It is very easy la UccMk^UiiikiaLe exertions, and to say "those, who would be free, themselves must strike the blow." 1 say, it is very easy to pretend, that the Canadians do not desire freedom, or that they are not oppressed, because they have not conquered. Such suggestions are utterly fallaciov(S. No one can say, that the Poles or the Irish arc free, or that they are not oppressed, because the military power of their oppressors is greater than their own. Where ia the slave so lowly Condemned to chains unholy Who — could he burst His chiiins nt first, Would pine l)cneath them slowly? AVhere has there been a successful, revolt, without foreign aid ? Is it certain that our own revolt would have been successful, if we hr»d been left to our own resources ? Wore we not compelled to petition kings and burgo- masters tt) hel|) us ? And, with all that kings and burgomasters did, were vi'e not struggling for seven years, ere we succeeded ? We had two mil- lions ol people — the Canadians have not one-.sixth of that ntimber, and of these a fierce minority are subsisting upon the majority. The military force to over-awe the Canada^, is far greater in proportioi:, than the Eng- lish armies in our own -evolution. It is cruel and unjust, therefore, to pretend that the triumph of force, in Canada, is a discredit to the (^anadians, any more than it is a rebuke to Poland, that Russia is more powerful. — There are more prisoners now in the jails of Canada, than there were in the jails of the thirteen colonics. I repeat the question, what revolt ha:: been successful without foreign aid ? And I have only to point to our own revolt, and to the re oUs in Mexico and South America, for an answer.—- Tlie true source ''f the odium, attempted to be cast upon Canadians, is to be traced to Briiisli policy. To excuse oppression, the oppressed have always been held up to derisioY*r''Tlfe^ Scotcli, and the Irish, nay the people of our own country, were represented, just as the Canadians now are. If the Canudinns are not accustomed to arms, why arc they not? — Because it I'.as been the design of their rulers, that they should be ignorant. I say it is cruel, llicrefor \ in Amerieans, to be echoing against the Cana- dians, such sarcasiiis as wcn^ once cast upon themselves. Although I say all this — although I have written to you this hmg letter — I am not disposed to encourage llie Canadians to further ciTorts at this lime. •^ A, war in Rurope. a revolt in IrelaLd, or in India; or an invasion of the latter, may eflect at an early day, what must take place at last — the expul- sion of Europeans, as masters of any part of our American soil i'Oti rs. /lr