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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Seaforth News, 1917-12-06, Page 14WHO .IS .STABBThJGCANA DISLOYAL LEA E 11 QUEBEC A'S SOLDIE.RS IN The Old Dream of French Inde- pendence Again Anti-British Agitators Waiting for Solid Quebec With Aim of Dominating Canadian Affairs What has happened to the French-Canadians? It Was the proud'boast of ane of their leaders in times gone by—was it not Sir George Etienne Cartier who said ft?—that: "The last gun in de- fence of British connection would be tired by a French.Canadlan." Sonie of them under the brave De Salaberry did good work in the war of 1812 at Chateauguay, when by a clever ruse the invaders were made to believe that a heavy force was facing them, and scampered back home by the Lake Champlain route. La Croix (The Cross) a French-Canadian paper, gives hospitality in its columns to the following: "Go on advocating the secession of Canada. In it lies the salvation of our race and••the realization of the magnificent dream of Champlain. The •,time has ceme'to work toveards a new politioal constitution. The Province of Quebec and the Maritime Provinces autonomous is what we should have had for fifty years, We would then have kept our population, we would .have managed a clean immigration, and we would have exploited our .natural resouroes to the profit of our kin. Today we would be numerous and aiming. But It is not too fate. What we have to do first is to separate • from Confederation. This obtained, the organization of our new Dominion would be easy." Does this; mean that Cat't1er's French-Canadian would be the last to fire a gun in. defence of • British bonneetion? One-half of the French-Canadian nationality has emigrated to the United States, where neither French language, religion or law has official recognition, as ,in Canada. And we are told by U. S. recruiting officers that of this million and •a half of people the proportion offering for the 'mai is greater than that even of the native United States citizens! What has happened to our French-Canadians? The Premier of Que- bec le with them, he says, in opposing the Military Service act. So are most of tbeir political leaders—openly refusing to support our troops from the ranks of -heir peowle, actually oppeeing the war in which their fellow citizens are defending Canadian 'nationality, the existence of France, and the very life oe our Empire, against the most powerful enemy time has ever brought to oppose civilization and national rights! .A. few days ago Bernier, a mob agitator, said in Montreal that he, would not retract a single word he had said against conscription or the British royal family. It was a farce for England to claim that it was a war for civilization and democracy as long as there was a king at the head of affairs,. There was only one country a man should be willing to die for, and/peek Wed hie, 4? e Ferdinand Villeneuve, another agitator at the same meeting, thought all should be revolutionaries to see that Canadian interests were looked after. We should say: "To hell with winning the war until we have saved our country." The French-Canadian Mayor of Montreal i1 trying to whip hie co - religionists into fury by claiming most absurdly that he sees the hand of the Orangemen and Free Masons of Ontario in the Military Service Bill. After the war the United States would want some recompense for going to war, and tbia, according to his ridiculous argument, would be the, Province of Quebec, it not the whole of Canada. "Perhaps this will mean that we will not be able to speak our language in Parliament; but we are insulted now by these beimigrants that we brought over from the other side, and if we aro annexed we will bave the right to practice' our religion. We are being insulted by these bandits and bypoorites." Sixty-five French-Canadian votes would be very useful to an aspirant, for party leadership! They might indeed swing ,ppxltamentary decisions. But probably the end desired, w'eculd be;; atteeind'd. ifi, 3t placed in the saddle at Ottawa Sir Wilfrid Laurier's suceeseor in the leadership of the French-speaking mem- bars of Parliament THE MAN ON HORSEBACK Who in such a ease would be "The Man on Horseback?' Henri Bourases? Bourassa, who atande for the separation of Canada from the British Empire, and from all British influence? Is it not at least remarkable that Bourassa has at this juncture pub- licly. announced the re -marriage- of hie Nationalism with Sir Wilfrid's party? It has already come to pass wben it le openly recognized that although he is too valuable to his party to drop him now, Sir Wilfrid is to yield bis leadership to another as soon as his election usefulness has gone. Is It because a more vigorous policy is to be inaugurated by the eerily real Canadians" under Bourassa's management, as soon as the opportunity offers? Is the present agitation excited by the feeling that far Wilfrid Laurier's leadership bas brought French-Canadians into too fatlmate a oonnectlon with the British "immigrants we brought over frees the other wide"? Is slot the whole thing political, merely elming at sending a "solid French-Canadian" delegation to rule the next Parliament? The man. who heads the party professing snob tenets, Henri Bourassa, has now openly acknowledged that be is at one with Sir Wilfrid Laurier, that they together bead not two separate bodies, but one united party. None were more loyal to the cause of United Canada es a constituent past of the great British Empire than were Hench -Canadians once upon e, thee. And now oven the wily Bourassa dares to some out to gain the ap- plauas of hie compatriots by declaring that not Meroier'a well known dream le the 'Elghtlee of a Frenoh Republic on the banks of the St. Lawrence, bast an Independent Republic, fathered, of course, by Frenon•Canadiana of the whole of Canada, le his atoll Has the suceese of Freneb-Canadianism in politics, aohool and re- ligic'oa matters gone to the heads of ,these gentlemen? Englishespeaking Cwada has never had any but kindly thought and consideration for the French-speaking parts. Sir Wilfrid Laurier and Sir George Etienne Cartier, two of their great tribunes, ever found generous support from their English friends, WHAT HAS LED THEM AWAY? What quest baa set French -Canada off into the sorly wilderness of hatred of Britain, opposition to all things English, and a deelre to push un the solely Pronely feature of our nationality? When Vaudreuil surrendered Canada to General Amberat on Sep- tember 8, 1760, he asked that the Articles of Capitulation should state ]bat "The b'rencb-Canadians, and Acadians of what stat° and condition soever, who shall remain in the Colony, shall not be forced to take arms against his moat Christian Majesty, or his Aliies, directly or enthral/Ala, on any occasion whatsoever; the British Government shall only require of them an exact neutrality." Amherst replied in his soldierly, straight -forward way: "They be - tome Subjects of the King" (of England) and eo the Articles of Capi- tulation were made to read. (Article XXL) hi a toriner Article ,(7 cVe) it had been agreed that any who wished to do so night leave Canada for France, and would be granted transportation by the British. Naturally those who . desired to remain were held to have elgnified their intention of relinquishing French and assuming recital citizenship. • TREATY OF PARIS. Subsequently in ; February, 1788,• the Treaty of Paris, under which Canada , Wee, tormally ceded to Britain stipulated (Article TV "Iil'a ) Britannic Mejesey, dd 1 t?i elea'agraea to *giant the liberty:bt the Catholic reliiion,tb the inhabitants et Canada:"'he will in Conte uenca lee the meet'. r q g precise and 6f ot84u ordeits ,trial nig new 1#oman Catholic' suljjocfts the equaluse of the French language in Canada, nor about the establish- ment of French civil lawl Why are French street orators today under the inspiration of ,Henri Bourassa and his friends, permitted to claim that "Our language, our religion, our law," were granted us by "solemn treaties"? How is it that not a single voice is raised among these Nationalists to show that refusal to serve in war as British subiecte IS eausing thought- ful men to enquire: "Where 'did French Canada acquire its special priv- liege of language, religion, and law? If by treaty, they must retnain; and we have to make the best of it. If by act of Parliament only, what one law enacts, another can disallow." This principle has been laid down recently' by street orators in our Province with regard to the Conscription •Bill. "What the present Parlia- ment decrees, the next may disallow." TERMS OF CONFEDERATION. In approaching the Throne,with a request: S. for the: Confederation of 'C$:hada, the representatives of the Canadian people laid down their desire in the following terms: "The executive authority or government shall be vested in the Sov erelgn of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and be ad- ministered according to the well -understood principles of the British constitution, by a Sovereign personally, or by the representative of the Sovereign duly authorized." Accordingly the Brltisb North America Bill of March, 27, 1867, was rIntrodungsced into the British Parliament and dulyr paxseite its preamble eadi• 'Whereas the Provinces of Canada, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick have expressed their desire to be federally united into one Dominion, under the Crown of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, with a constitution similar in principle to that+of the United Kingdom; "And whereas such a union would conduce to the welfare of the provinces and promote the interests of the British Empire," etc. • etc. Great French-Canadian leaders, Cartier, Tache, Chapels ,and Lange- nrGn, were in agreement with . the framing of the, le loyal declarations. Time had brought home to them the need of the great British Em- pire and given them an anxiety to promote its interests. What has brought about a change in the feelings of French Canada, so that its leaders today did not start such a recruiting campaign for the war to which Canada and the Empire were perforce committed, as would have filled the ranks of our armies long ago with volunteers? FOR INDEPENDENCE OF CANADA. A new ambition has taken hold of French-Canadians. An article in Le Devoir (The Duty), Henri';Bouraseas organ, the other day, defiatnly asserted "that Bourassa, like Laurier formerly, has simply declared that the independence of Canada, and not of the single province of Quebec, seemed to him the natural end of our national evolution! "It assuredly does not suit those who would 'give as the first object of the aspirations and sacrifices of Canada the interest of England or of another country; but it depends no more on them than on us to make the unity of a people in one country other than that of real patriotism. Neither does it suit those who would make of this oountry a one -language country, since we are not obliged to kill ourselves in order to please then.' How would one account for such, an utterance •as the following, flam- ingly displayed in Le Journal de Waterloo? "Si I'on combat I'autre Cote pour la liberte des petits peuples, la premiere ligne de tranohee pour les Canadiens- franoeis n'est pas dans les Flaneres mais sur la frontiers de ('Ontario." In English this runs: "If we must fight on the other `silo for the liberty of small nations, the first Tina of trenches for the French-Canadians is not in Flanders but on the frontier bf. Ontario," L'Action Francaise recently had an article by Abbe Lionel Grouls which expresses boldly the feeling of some of his compatriots towards British and other immigrants "Instead of bringing together the oldest inhabitants of our land," he complains, "our political leaders have thought better to allow our country to be invaded by hordes from 'abroad, preference being given to Americans and English from the British Isles. The first change the country, with- out changing their allegiance and become most active in American pene- •tratlon, while the second, hypnotized by the Mother Country, cannot but jeopardize the progress of our autonomy. , . "Today, while we celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of Confederation, hypocritical allusion is made to peace and unity, yet every French minority is on the defensive and has to fight not only for its right, but for the supreme right of existence. How then is it possible to love one's country and not be pained and indignant before all the stupidities of these small politlolane, who have ruined our hopes? Obliged to defend our positions against a people with Protestant morale, one !night as well say German morals, we have passed our time playing with big words devoid of ganer- oslty and British fair play, and today the evil ie profound and incurable, and the actuation appeals to be without issue." Everyone knows {tow seriously the French-Canadians take their poli- tics and how easily they are led, but how came it about that such hatred of the British. people and Empire has been engendered in thoie.hearts? !Under their knightly leader, Sir Wilfrid Laurier, they have become morn united under one political banner than wits,tormorly the case. •But why so anti-British as noon as‘troublo broke out for Great Britain? Who taught that to these usually placid, and always docile,' people? Today the aspirant to leadership in Quebec Provence is Henri Bourassa. Like Mercier a French orator, adroit, agile in argument, an obiect of worship almost to the nationalistic French-Canadian, a determined oppo- nent of British Imperialism, a pacifist, in opposltion to any Canadian pare tietpati'on in the wet, Bourassa will be the natural heir to Sir Wilfrid Laurier, as he marches to'Ottawa the poeseeeer et fi'etn Sixty to eighty sate 51ench seats in the HOUSE! of Commoanst Is this what the Quebec 1'revineo agitate=aro lockiil + g_fotwa rd to Ara,,,thcy proparlhft,their,tteualty Odle ger „nnH.vow nn,acc r a+ The German World Intrigue L 'The accomplishments • of Ger- man agents • in the domestic poli- tics of Russia and Italy of late have called attention rather drama- tically to one of Germany's favorite methods of gaining her ends. Proof now exists connecting the German Government of conspiracies designed to influence political Con- duct in five Allied nations, Russia, Italy, Greece, France • and % the United States, and no one pretends that the whole truth is known. In Great Britain, German inter- ference may be traced to ante- bellum days, when, for example, Mr. L T. T. Lincoln, who tried to inform Germany of the location of the British fleet just after war be- gan, was an uncompromising paci- fist member gf Parliament,, enthu- siastic for ashy reform ilial" meant the weakening of the nation. The story of German intrigue in American politics is not yet fully told, but documentary evidence is in existence to prove that von Bern- storff expended money by the thou- sands for the direct purpose of in- fluencing the United States Con- gress. It is not to be grgbefore an unprejudiced andieuggd uce tltab'tlie.Gov- ernment which had "Machinery in existence when war began to attempt the corruption of political life in many different nations, far and wide, as a part of its war policy, came into possession of this potent force for the furtherance of its military aims by accident. On the other hand, the evidence is conclus- ive, ,that Germany, before the war, had•in readiness for instant opera- tion, a huge, •world-wide.,macltine, designed for the sole purpose of weakening the opposition to the German march to world power. This being so, it is patent ,that the democratic nations are greatly handicapped in their struggle with European autocracy, so far as poli- tical instrumentalities aro concern- ed. At the moment, Russia nat- urally furnishes the "awful ex- ample," having gone from one ex- treme to the other; but, in, -every Allied nation it 18 possible today for the German Government to throw its' influence insidiously in favor of whatever action snits its purpose. We have noevidence that the world-wide machinery of cor- ruption and intrigue has broken down, and much convincing testi- mony that it is .today well-oiled and just as efficient es ever. ' As to what part of the German scheme calla, for _direct ' bribery of the corruptible, and what part is devoted to ingenious backing of convenient political enterprizes in- nocently conceived and carried on by political leaders of apparent in- tegrity, there is no definite 'inform- ation available, But it is not the German habit to spend money where none is needed to accomplish Prus- sian ends. !lather is it the practice to accept without thanks such aid as comes unsolicited and to •devote the funds released by unpaid service to more embarrassing and difficult projects.. It follows that those who do enemy service innocently 110 greater harm than those who. work for pay, apart from their lack of guilt, The people of no Allied country' at war with Germany eau afford tei overlook the significance of numer- ous exposures which have ''proved the existence of a German world de- velopment in the Allied , ,nations, Ever present ni the thought of• those who contemplate the politic- al situation in any ,Allied country, should be a clear understanding of 1 the dangers raised by enemy inter- ference, which lurks on every side in - one form or another. "What would lite kaiser dol" is a ready test to be applied to pointed decisions, and, In view' of "the amaz- inz extent of the German conspiracy, its forms of disguise •attp its methods of operation, a necessary test. The spectacle ofpatriotic citizens' misled into Supporting poli- tical action which gots to assist the enemy,not pleasant' to con- teMplate yet this (las boon Wit - Anti -British Agitator Joins Hands :.With , Laurier Hatred for Britain and Desire for Sepa- ration is the Key -note of His Nationalist Policy Henry Bourassa ',is the recognized leader of the French lua- tionalist party'in Quebec. • •szb He has recently declared himself and his party in support ,of Sir Wilfrid Laurier and his supporters in this election. , This means, of course, that he finds the aims and policies, of Sir Wilfrid Laurier in this election to be in accord with his own. What are the aims and ideals of Henri Bourassa? Read the following extracts from his writings and'speeches; Speaking at m'eet!ng 10,000'•Frenoh Canadians, at Monument Natien'ai, i' Montreal, :on Octobb20, 1910; Mt'. Bourasea'said'e "I continue to believe that Canada owes nothing to, England,: that Ccen- adn ilea paid all her debts to England; that it Canada was separated. from Great Britain tomorrow the British taxpayers could not out down. a farth- ing of their taxes, could not diepenee with one of thein warships and could not retrench' in their expenditures for defence, for, if they niaintain their army and their navy, it is not for the security of Canada that they do so, it is for the safety of their daily bread, for .their country cannot produce wheat enougti�'to'riotirieb'inhabitants for three months; for they could not keep in their storehouse sufficient wheat to keep tho.'Englieb people alive for six months and consequently England, were she separated from Canada tomorrow, would need all' her warships in order to keep open the seas over which she receives her daily bread and the raw material for her industries." rt • • • In interview given in Boston, January 21, 1913, Bourassa said: "We would much lather undergo natural development of Independence under. the Nationalist` 3deo''tlian to have codelent friction, disagreeniint, and distrusts under imperialism,m Independence is the moral outcome' -of any colony." k a • a Speaking at annual dinner of McMaster University Literary Society, 'Toronto on Feb. 27, 1914, Mr. Bourassa said: "It is a delusion to 'think that Englishmen consider us a sovereign. nation. In the English. mind, whatever one may say about, the English tongue, we are sttti'a"eeuhtry'•domineered-bycEngland, Englishmen aroreiaot yet ready to admit' that' Can'a'1id ib` are '!heli"'dti'uals, Yet in Canada, wo we exercise potentially a nation's rights. The'time'must coma when wwill demand recognition of our lawful position amongst the nations of 'tho world." • • k • On October 19, 1916 Le Devote published article by Mr. Bourassa in part as follows: "Of all the stupidlties which, have been heard during the last year none has been more con'iplate,than, that' 'beeli eefeleSh'tes the 'tlnprbpaeednesai of the English army to the love ofpeace and the horror of conquest. The truth is that England for a century has made or provoked more wars, con- quered more territories, pillaged more people than any other power in tho world. But all these wars, save the Crimea where she assured herself; of the help of France, she has undertaken people 'who are =capable of 'fight - Ing against her. All these conquests have been made in view of investment of capital, 'of the feeding of hoe industries, of the enlargement of her mari- time commerce. Il1"b'be eelations7di;iendly.oreeestile, with the great pow3rs, site bas. directed a1i ltei militaee'effort.upon''the .fleet and in preparedness for naval war." 1 • ■ Speaking against participation in the war at meeting in Monument • National, Montreal, Dec. 16, 1916, Bourassa said: "French civilization does not need England to save it, England whose armies devastated France time after time, and who carried more ruin and destroyed more churches than the Germans could do in 1ten years. Tliey talk of little countries; the'righte' of little countries. Think of Russia and Britain who have seized everything, despoiled everything." Before Union St. Joseph de Saint Heart in St. Henri College Hall, Monte real, May 30, 1916. "Wily should we aid France? When they cannot heap us here? Sup- pose a civil war should break out, which, please God, cannot 'happen, and people of Qnebec.stogd bayonet in,.hence against the people of Ontario, could Franco declai•d war ozi°England, and. come over and render useese stance in our fight for Nationality? . • k e rt , At Monument National, Montreal, Jan. 14, 1916,. Mr. Bourassa said: • "Let England. look after herself, as she is capable to. We in 'Canada aro in the position of negro slaves in Virginia, who, at least were well fed by their masters." "No nation bas the right to hold the dominion over the whole world; 9hegland any more than Germany. There has been a great deal of, pro- test over Germany's treatment of Belgium. What about the treatment that the Boers in South Africa, received' front England? What. of Eng* land's treatment of Nattgnaliets .of Ireland 'and of the French Canadian rano? Every small nation has a right to live and it must not. be pretended • that the German yoke is heavier than the English." Speaking Monument National, Montreal, June 7, 1917, he said: "We will have to have courage to face demagogic passion, Neither Parliament nor the Government has the:fight to impose conscription, be- cause Parliament is dying and the Government , already is in a state of putrefaction. Wo ivili .fight this iniquitous law brought on by a demented brain. yam yaname in the' yonr'sons, 'we will rise and we wilhniake it wee. understood' that there is an end, there is a limit to our endurance, and that we will resist to the last by all legitimate and fair means', this oompirlsoly military sere, vic. _ In Lo Devote June 1, 1917, he' wrote: "Canada," he soya, "has furnished' alt the mail power she can toe this War without grave danger to bee own existence and that of tho allies."' • en article written fon Now Toil Evcn ing Poet and published July. 7, 1917, be stated: "Conscription Is sure to bring Sertbus troubles in the labor 'circles. indiscriminate enlistment has already disorganized labor conditions. Right- y or wrongly, labor leadors.apprchend that'conscliptiou it sought for tot so much •for military purposes as with the object of controlling wages and work, Tho onforoement of conscription will certainty he'resisted by •the organized labor of Canada, k k k * Froth La Devon• 'of recent:dates, ,pre the following: "As far es thins ;nilitai't are conpor ,edy the time for conscription is overt. What is important:.is not to' eend eeldiers but. to send -ne niers. At Lachine tile, other day a smelter' remarked. If' yen are logical you are gainat. enlistment? , That is right: All Canadians 'who wish to fight- obn- acriptton must have' courageto•;say trial; We. e.traetttally ,he,i'' o fdnur hutiTreil hd;twonsand:!n B te the en iny.iu„r e and” • ;txl n, Ue nessed timtl`'•.1f. _ ...