THE REVOLT IN CANADA. RIEL'S FIRST REBELLION. Where Lord Wolseley Won His Spurs.

Te Aroha News, Volume II, Issue 103, 23 May 1885, Page 5

THE REVOLT IN CANADA. RIEL'S FIRST REBELLION. Where Lord Wolseley Won His Spurs.

The Indian revolt in Canada recalls the history of the Red River Expedition, which first brought Lord Wolseley into notice as a military commander. It is singular that this campaign, which laid the foundations of the General's fortunes, was one in which the troops never fought an engagement or fired a shot against the enemy. The political history of that part of the Northwest in which is located Manitoba has not been an uneventful one. In 1670, Charles 11. granted this Territory to the Hudson Bay Company, which in 1811 sold the tract which is now Manitoba Province to Thomas Douglas , Earl of Selkirk . Under him a colony was founded, which went under the name of the Red River Settlement. In 1835 the Hudson Bay Company bought back this land, now populated with a mixed race of English, Scotch, and French half-breeds. A more settled form of government was inaugurated. Under this regime the people lived happily. There was no friction between them and the Government. On December 1, 1867, the Dominion of Canada was founded, and in December, 1869, the Canadian Government proceeded to incorporate this Territory. Then began the trouble headed by Louis Riel, who was unwilling that he and his people should be sold as mere chattels. The first act of the insurgents was to prevent the entrance into the Territory of William McDougall, who was to act as its lieutenant-Governor. The French Canadians at that stage of the insurrection did not de9ire any 3erious conflict with the British authorities. They rather preferred to get some guarantees of good faith from the English Governor before they gave up to him complete possession of their Territory. The history of this trouble is yet buried in obscurity, but tho following account of that disturbance has been compiled from an English Blue Book containing the "Correspondence Relative to the Recent Disturbances in the Red River Settlement." The first mention made is in a copy of a telegram from the Governor, Sir J. Young, to the Earl of Granville, dated November 23, 18G9, which states that "McDougall, who has been designated Lieutenant Governor of tho Northwest Territory, when transferred, has boon stopped on his way to Fort Garry by a small force of armed insurgent half-breeds. Tho authorities of the Hudson Bay Company, with whom the Government still rests, are apparently inactivo and powerless." Two days later Sir John Young wrote to the authorities in London that the insurrection had been broughtabjutthrough the machinations of the French priests, who had, with theaasistanco of the half-broeda, formod a provisional Government, undor the Presidency of John Bruol, and had further taken possession of tho forts and stores. Tho English and Scotch half-broods had held aloof trom tho movement, and it was oxpectcd that the Indians could be roliod upon aa allies in case of war.

Kiel's First Revolt. The month passed quietly, and not till October 11th did the half-broeds again give evidence of hostility. This time oighteon of them, headed by a man named Louis Kiel, stopped a survey party under one Mr Webb two and a half miles from the Ked River. Matters stood thus— the half breeds were insolent in their domands and tho authori ties wore vacillating. Notwithstanding that the insurgents had oxpressed their determination to prevent the entrance of McBougall, he pushed on, and on October 21, 1569, he received a curt letter in French, signed by Louis Riel, as Secretary, telling him not to enter the Northwest Territory unless by permission of tho National Committee of the K-ed River Territory ; and on Novombor 4, 1569, the Canadian Government was in receipt of a letter from W. MeDougall, who had fled into American territory for safety. The Lieutenant-Governor said that a body of armed Inlf-broeds had galloped into the post and demanded an audience of him. Two of tho leaders were admitted, one of them being the ledoubtable Kiel, and demanded his immediate departure from the Northwest Territory. Me Dougall asked who had sent them, and was told the " Government they had made." "I explainod my position," continued the unhappy McDougall, " but they wore evidently very ignorant, and had come for one object, viz;., to compel mo to leave the Territory." And at 9 o'clock next morning tho Lieutenant-Governor left, crossed the line, and when well across the border bravely wrote, '* We are not free from peril, but will not run away so long as we see that any purpose can be served by our presence here." After this success the rebellion grow apace. Riel boldly appeared before a council which was sitting before Governor McTavish, and argued that he was right and they wrong The Governor was in feeble health, and the council was feeble in morale.

Success of the Movement. Riel hesitated no longer. His bands tooK possession of the road leading to Fort Garry. Stores and guns wore seized throughout the province. In other places tho rough olomont showed signs of discontent, and bogan preparing to join llicl. Uebol proclamations woro printod undor tho gentle pressuro of muskots hold to tho printors' heads, and when printed were posted in various parts of tho rebellious district. A Fenian priest was said to be directing the disturbance. On November 3rd about 100 insurgents marched into Fort Garry. No property was molested, no violence wae committed, and all the people were treated with civility. The following is from a private letter of the time I.—1 .— The Government so far is generally acknowledged to be an improvement upon that of the company." Kiel was the head and front of the insurrection, as well as of the new Government. He adopted a new Hag, composed of a white ground, upon which was displayed three crosses, the centre large and scarlet coloured, the side ones smaller and golden coloured, and a golden fringe around the white ground. ' Kiel in his remarks to his friends spoke sensibly of the cause of tho uprising. He said : " Our concent was not asked by the Canadian people." And further as a gentleman in the employ of the company wrote that they were " sold like so many sheep j" that the Canadian Government should, before entering into negotiations with the Hudson Bay Company, have consulted with the natives of the country, and, if this had been done, they would have listened to what the Commissioners of the Government had to pay, but, having been transferred in the way they were, nothing was left to them as brave men but to resent the insult.

The Bed River Republic. On December 6th the insurgents received a royal proclamation, which told them that they " may judge, then, of the sorrow and displeasure with which the Queen viewed these disturbances " However, Kiel remained obdurate, as well as in possession of his advantage. A provincial Government was formed, with "Kiel as President and a council of twenty four members, twelve English and twelve French, and a bill of rights was adopted, the most prominent feature, being a demand for repr«*ui»tion

in the Dominion Parliament and for a local Legislature elected by the people. Riel ruled for a few weeks peaceably, but the English loyal element was opposed to him, aud preparations were made to oust him from liis position, A significant despatch from the Governor was sent to England, asking for the arrival of Lindsay and saying that the Red River expedition ought not to start later than April 25, 1870, and that provisions had already been secured for 1.000 men. Then came the shooting of one Thomas Scott by order of Riel, who, it is said, ordered his death to gratify personal revenge. Reil had by this time completely alienated his English friends. A rising took place among them in February, which waseasily crushed by Riei. He had some of the ringleaders shot as an example to the other English half-breeds, who had sneered at those of French origin. When remonstrated with concerning these shootings, he coolly replied : " Scott and others like him are troublesome characters to deal with ; they are best out of the way."

Ousting Riel from Office. On May 7, 1870, Sir John Youner telegraphed to England : "I may now, I suppose, give final orders for the military to atart for Red Kiver." And a reply was received to the following effect from Earl Granville on the same date : "Troops may proceed. Who is in commander of expedition, and what is name of Governor of Territory ?" On May 14th standing orders were issued for the Red River expeditionary force, signed by G. J. Wolseley, Colonel commanding expeditionary force. Finally Colonel VVolaeley started from Toronto and made the march to Fort Garry, which laid the foundation to his after fame as a mtli* try commander. But when he reached his destination, Louis Riel, not daring to trust himaolf in a collision with the British forces, flod the country. Captain VV. F. Butler, in the "Great Lone Land," thus portrays Riel as he saw him in 1870 : " Following came a short, stout man, with a large head, a sallow, puffy face, a sharp, restless, intelligent eye, a squarecut missivo forehead, overhung by a mass of long and thickly clustering hair, and marked with woll-cut eyebrows, altogether a remarkable-looking face, all the more so, perhaps, because it was seen in a land where such things are rare sights. This was M. Louis Riel, the head and front of the Rod River rebellion— The President, the little Napoloon, the ogre, or whatever else ho was called. Ho was dressed in a curious mixture of elothing — a black frock coat, vest and trousers, but tho effect of this somewhat clerical costume was not a little marred by a pair of Indian moccasins, which nowhere look more out of place than on a carpeted floor." The fight of Riel from Fort Garry is thus doscribed by Captain Butler : "As the skirmish lino ( Wolseley's army) nearod Fort Garry two mounted men rode around the west faco and entered at u gallop through tho opon gateway. This was an officer of the Hudson Bay Company. He had been the first to entor the fort, some minutes in advanco of the expedition, and hig triumphant imprecations, bestowed with uuspaiing vigour, had tended to accelerate tho flight of M. Riel and the numbers of his Government, who sought in rapid retreat the safety of tho American frontier." Since his first revolt, Riel has remained in quietude until the pist few //eek3, when he ha? again appaarod a? tho liberator of his countrymen from tho hated yoke of the British.