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Date: 1867-06-21
By: True Witness
Citation: “No title”, True Witness (21 June, 1867)
Other formats: TBA

Some of our United States friends are laboring under the most strange misconceptions as to the nature of the changes which the new Constitution, given to these Colonies, and which comes into effect on the first of next month, will produce. For instance, we find in our respected contemporary the N. Y. Tablet, of the 15th inst., such phrases as these :—

“It was time for Canada, and New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia to cast of the chrysalid shell of the colonial state.”

And again :—

“The British North American Colonies—Colonies now no longer* !!!

What does our friend mean? Canada, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia, when united under the new Constitution, will be just as much British Colonies, or Dependencies, as they were before : their people will still remain British subjects, the subjects of Queen Victoria ; and in the name of the Queen will justice still be executed amongst them. The relative positions as towards one another, of the three Colonies will indeed be changed; but as towards the Mother Country, and all foreign countries, everything will remain just as it was before the Union. So in like manner, when some quarter of a century or more ago, Upper and Lower Canada were united, they neither of them ceased to be Colonies, or British Dependencies ; and neither of them then acquired any fresh rights or duties, as towards the Empire, or towards foreign Powers.

What may be in store for us we do not pretend to know ; the new Union may, as some prophets of evil pretend that it will; lead to a rupture of the Imperial tie, and bring about our independence. We are in no hurry to see this day ; and we have certainly no intention to barter away our proud title of British subjects, for that of Yankee citizens, or citizens of any other new fangled, mongrel nationality. The sovereign of Great Britain is our sovereign, and the only sovereign we care to acknowledge.—Colonies, these Provinces are, and Colonies, we trust, they long may remain, in spite of domestic traitors, and of alien foes ; and British Colonies or Dependencies we cannot cease to be, till we set up on our own hook, hoist our own flag, and proclaim our Independence. Till then we are Dependent—and a Province, dependent, is a Colony ; at all events, it is only in this sense that Canada, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and other British Dependencies, have been Colonies heretofore.

We cannot conceive whence the absurd idea arose, that, in the new Constitution for these North American Colonies, there is aught to change our subordinate position to the British Imperial authorities—in which subordinate position the Colonial state essentially consists. All that the new Constitution professes to do this :—So to unite the three Colonies, as that, instead of having, as heretofore, three Legislatures, all independent of one another indeed, but all alike exercising their functions subordinate to, and in virtue of powers derived from, the Imperial Government; they shall have for the future one common Legislature, still holding from, and subordinate to, the same Imperial authority. There will moreover be a sort of local legislature, or municipal council for each section of the three United Colonies, to manage their several local or parish affairs, subordinate to the Central Colonial Executive. These changes are purely internal, and leave our relations as towards the British Empire, and Foreign States untouched.

And herein lies our rejoinder to the suggestion of the Tablet, that the Government of Canada should show mercy to the Fenian convicts, now undergoing penal servitude in the Penitentiary. Mercy is everywhere the special, or exclusive attribute, or prerogative of sovereignty—in Great Britain of the Crown; and can only be exercised in the Colonies of British North America by the Queen’s representative, in the name, not of Canada—for Canada is a Colony, and not sovereign—but of the Queen, whose subjects we are, whose peace the unhappy convicts have disturbed, whose laws they have violated, and whose dignity they have outraged. That Her Majesty’s advisers would recommend their sovereign to grant the petition of her subjects in Canada, praying for a remission in whole or in part, of the sentences passed upon the Fenian raiders, is, we think, very probable, and we should be glad to see the experiment tried. But being a Dependency of the Empire, not a sovereign and independent State; a Colony, and not a Nation, the ultimate decision would remain with the Queen, or Imperial authorities of the British Empire on whom we depend, from whom we hold, and have our political being.

We may add that, so long as American citizens, calling themselves Fenians, continue to menace Canada with another piratical attack, it is impossible for the British Government to show leniency to the first offenders.