-cordial to
stop their whimpering, and in the end worsen all their miseries, may
be a sad doubt to us. One thing strikes a remote spectator in these
Colonial questions: the singular placidity with which the British
Statesman at this time, backed by M'Croudy and the British moneyed
classes, is prepared to surrender whatsoever interest Britain, as
foundress of those establishments, might pretend to have in the
decision. "If you want to go from us, go; we by no means want you to
stay: you cost us money yearly, which is scarce; desperate quantities
of trouble too: why not go, if you wish it?" Such is the humor of the
British Statesman, at this time.--Men clear for rebellion, "annexation"
as they call it, walk openly abroad in our American Colonies; found
newspapers, hold platform palaverings. From Canada there comes duly by
each mail a regular statistic of Annexationism: increasing fast in this
quarter, diminishing in that;--Majesty's Chief Governor seeming to take
it as a perfectly open question; Majesty's Chief Governor in fact seldom
appearing on the scene at all, except to receive the impact of a
few rotten eggs on occasion, and then duck in again to his private
contemplations. And yet one would think the Majesty's Chief Governor
ought to have a kind of interest in the thing? Public liberty is carried
to a great length in some portions of her Majesty's dominions. But
the question, "Are we to continue subjects of her Majesty, or start
rebelling against her? So many as are for rebelling, hold up your
hands!" Here is a public discussion of a very extraordinary nature to
be going on under the nose of a Governor of Canada. How the Governor
of Canada, being a British piece of flesh and blood, and not a Canadian
lumber-log of mere pine and rosin, can stand it, is not very conceivable
at first view. He does it, seemingly, with the stoicism of a Zeno. It is
a constitutional sight like few.

And yet an instinct deeper than the Gospel of M'Croudy teaches all
men that Colonies are worth something to a country! That if, under the
present Colonial Office, they are a vexation to us and themselves, some
other Colonial Office can and must be contrived which shall render them
a blessing; and that the remedy will be to contrive such a Colonial
Office or method of administration, and by no means to cut the Colonies
loose. Colonies are not to be picked off the street every day; not a
Colony of them but has been bought dear, well purchased b