A game which two can play ST. PAUL PRESS. MAY 8, 1870 The iiewspapers of Ontario habitually assume in their discussions of Red River matters, that the country belongs to Canada, and that the Red River people are rebels against Canadian authority. And it is upon these grounds that they denounce the present government of that country as an usurpation, its pro— ceedings as lawless, and the infliction of the penalty of death upon Scott for repeatedly participating in armed in- surrections against its authority and attempting to incite a sanguinary civil war, with a View to its over-throw, as a simple murder by a. band of assassins. The readers of the St. Paul Press know that these assumptions are false. Canada has as yet acquired no jurisdiction what- ever in the North West Territory. Even the wretched bargain by which the Hud- son’s Bay Company agreed to transfer the country and its people, like a sheep pasturage, to Canada, has never been concluded. But a mere» bill of sale fro-m the Hudson ’s Bay Company would have given Canada. no right, under any modern theory of the foundation of governmental authority, to take posses- sion of that country and to rule it as a territorial satrapy of the New Domin- ion, without the consent of the inhabit- ants; no right, certainly, except by the law of force, and that is a game which two can play at, as Canada. has at last learned. There is no other government in Rupert’s Land except that of the presi- dent and legislative and executive coun- cils established by the people of the Ter— ritory in convention assembled. The old Hudson ’s Bay Company government of Assiniboia, which was purely provisional and arbitrary, has failed, not only by the action of the people of the Territory in establishing a responsible and repre- sentative government of their own, but by the action of the Hudson’s Bay Com- pany’s resident authorities themselves, and by the members of the Council of Assinibioia in recognizing the Riel gov- ernment and surrendering all the func- tions of government to it. RIEL’S POSITION It was known that before the troops reached Red River there was a great divergence of opinion between Riel and O ’D-onoghue. It was well known that Riel and his friends were anxious at that time to come peacefully into Canada, but O’Donoghue took quite a different course. There was evidence to show that O’Dono-ghue endeavoured to keep the people from uniting with Canada, and that he used every effort to have the. country annexed to the United States, and it was also well established that Riel had at times offers from the other side of the line which he would not accede to. Donald A. Smith 22 New. - 3%: H‘ :LLJ. fr1v . C"! (u m COL. GEO. W. GIBBONS, President. GEN. A. L. GURNEY. Vice-President (31'2”! ff/zé ”Kin/flux: stiff/Affifir’W "K14! itumi‘ifié mean f": '2“. &d .J/o a - My dear Sir, <0 “The manna Safety of the United States Demands the Acqulsmés of all North America, and the War. India Islands. ” martini IIEADQ U A R TERS, 13 Broadway, OFFlCE, 446 BROOME STREET, near Broadway. GEN. GEO. W. COLE. Secretary. GEN. JAS. E. KERRIGAN, Fin. Secretary. HON. NELSON TAYLOR, Treas. eager, Recognizing your right in governing the Red River Community—l tender you my services in upholding the same—in any attempt made by Great Britain to the contrary. My assistance of Men, arms etc., will also be given you. By all means make a firm and decisive stand. I should be pleased to hear from you. YANKEE PLOT The propositions adopted at the Red River conference are, most of them, reasonable enough, and can easily be disposed of with their delegates. Things look well enough, were we only assured of Riel’s good faith. But the unpleasant suspicion remains that he is only wast- ing time by sending this delegation, until the approach of summer enables him to get material support from the United States. It is believed by many that he is in the pay of the US. John A. Macdonald, March 11, I870 SHORT OF WAR It is quite evident to me, not only from this conversation, but from advices from Washington, that the United States government are resolved to do all they can, short of war, to get possession of the western territory, and we must take immediate and vigorous steps to counter- act them. John A. Macdonald, 1869 In your infant society it is necessary that the Lieutenant-Governor should be a paternal despot. Macdonald to Archibald, 1870 Very respectfully, G. W. Gibbons Lat-e Col. U.S.A. The Chronicle, Washington, D.C. The Red River colony in the North West is opposed to coming under the subjection of the Dominion. They de— mand a territorial government after the manner of American territorial governments, with a legislature chosen by the people, a homestead act, and a fund for school purposes and inter— nal improvements. The distance between the Red River and Montreal is 1,800 miles, and the only way of travel and transportation is through the United States. By the Canadian official returns it is shown that Canada has comparitively no com— merce with the northern colony, while trade of the latter with the United States is large and rapidly increasing. In 1868 the Dominion, according to their own reports, exported goods to the value of $14,707 to the Red River colony. In the same year the colony bought goods in the United States to the value of $362,458 and sold in the American markets to the value of $100,- 936 upon which American duties were collected to the amount of $16,286 in gold—or $2,478 more than the total exports from Canada to the colony! New Nation. Jan. 7. 1870