THE COLLAPSE OF THE CANADIAN REBELLION.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VII, Issue 2053, 28 July 1885, Page 2

THE COLLAPSE OF THE CANADIAN REBELLION.

The following important particulars are published of the defeat and capture of the rebel leader Riel. It appears that on May 12th a party of scouts .sent out bv General Middleton encountered four men sauntering along a trail, about a mileand a, half from Batoche, one of whom was Riel. A scout, recognising" him, -api proached, saying, " I am surprised to see you here." ; Riel replied, " iwaij coming to give myself up. My wife and. family are across the river." Other lopiits were then seen approaching.- Riel, becoming afraid of being shot,' begged hi* captors to take him to General Middleton's camp. General Middleton gave ordersio. al} hij men to keep to their tents.when siel wig

brought in, fearing that he Would be shot as many of tho enraged soldiers had sworn to shoot him if ever they caught sight of . him. Riel was taken quietly to General \ Middleton's tent, appea/^unconcer)ijid ? | but begged not to'be sliiWp He locked. . careworn and anxious, ami wai shabbily. dressed. His beard and haif were long and unkempt. While talking with GenetM ' Middleton he rolled his eyes : about with, th» look of a haunted main Evidently he was in constant fear of violence from the soldiers. He said he had passed two nights since the battle on the bluffs near the place where he was found. He, declared that all he wished was a fair trial, He preferred a civil to a military trial. He believed the rebellion would not be without result, as the Government henceforth would' be more willing to listen to the grievances of half-breeds, He was glad his books and j&pers left in his flight from Batoche taken, as they would show that he was not the actual leader the rebellion, but that it had been encouraged by people of good standing around.Prince Albert. Riel has , the appearance of,a fanatic. When, told that, life would nut be tried,by martia lawhe drew a long breath and eaid nothing A moment later he repeated that he was' not the leader of the rebellion! He then uttered 1 prayer, made a sign of the Cross, asked, ith}3" family would be killed; ■with- that; ( pointing to the Gatling gun, saying he hoped no one would have ; tb' suffer "oil his account. He then began to.pray agaiA He spends his time thus, in a wandering manner and phiying, According to law (the correspondent of the Daily Times says) he will' have to be tried in the district where he' was captured, and cannot be taken to .Winnipeg or Ottawa. It lis thought that.the. Government will send a special judicial commission to try him. He will be,tried for treason, which is a capital offence, but owjng to the jealousies existing between the French and English factions in Canada,~sovious, complications may arise if ho is to death. The province of Quebec is v certain to sympathise with him and protest against his death, while Ontario and Manitoba will cry for his blood. One fourth of tho inhabitants of the Dominion are of French descent, and one-third ars Catholics, All these sympathise with Riel, who, they say, was driven into the rebellion by the refusal of the Government to recogniso the grievances Of the haltbreeds, When the news of Riel'a capture arrived the English, element made great joy, declaring that Riel's life must bo taken. The French threatened that if this is done they would raise the whole • province against the Government. The question will be a critical one for the Macdonald Ministry, from Battlefordshows that as far as tjjpnalf-breeds are concerned, the rebellion has ended. They are giving up their arms and telling the Indians that the war is over. The latter are likely to give considerable trouble before they are quieted, but the end U not distant.