A HALF-BREED PATRIOT.
Canada looks with patriotic delight not only on her sons who remain at
home to work out the problems of her developing life, but follows with
keenest interest those Canadians who have gone abroad and made a name
for themselves, and their country in other parts of the Empire or the
world. Some of these are Judge Haliburton, Satirist; Roberts and Bliss
Carman, Poets; Gilbert Parker, Grant Allen and Barr, Novelists; Romanes
and Newcombe, Scientists; Girouard, Kennedy and Scott in the Army, and
many others who have won laurels in the several walks of life. But
Manitoba, or rather Red River Settlement has also its sons who have gone
abroad to do distinguished service and bring honor to their place of
birth. One of them was Alexander K. Isbister, most commonly known as the
donor of upwards of $80,000, given as a Scholarship Fund to the
University of Manitoba, but really more celebrated still, for the
service he rendered his native land. A little less than thirty years ago
the writer met Mr. Isbister in London and enjoyed his hospitality.
Isbister was a tall and handsome man, showing distinctly by his color
and high cheekbones that he had Indian blood in his veins. Receiving his
early education in St. John's School, he had gone home to England, taken
his degrees, become a lawyer, and afterward had gone into educational
work. He was, at the time of the visit spoken of, Dean of the College of
Preceptors in London, and had much reputation as an educationalist. But
the service he rendered to his native land out-topped all his other
achievements. We have already shown the tendency toward restriction
being developed under Recorder Thom's leadership, in Red River
Settlement. James Sinclair, a member of a most respectable Scotch
half-breed family, had obtained the privilege from the Company to export
tallow, the product of the buffalo, by way of York Factory to England.
The venture succeeded, but a second shipment was held at York Factory
for nearly two years, and thus Sinclair was virtually compelled to sell
it to the Company.
Twenty leading half-breeds then appealed to the Hudson's Bay Company to
be allowed to export tallow at a reasonable rate. In 1844 two
proclamations were issued, that before the Company would carry goods for
any settler, a declaration from such settler, and the examination of his
correspondence in regard to his dealing in furs would first be
necessary. The native people determined to oppose them. They claimed as
having Indian blood, that they were entitled to aboriginal rights.
Twenty leading English-speaking half-breeds, among them such respectable
names as Sinclair, Dease, Vincent, Bird and Garrioch, demanded from
Governor Christie a definite answer as to their position and rights. The
Governor answered with sweet words, but the policy of "thorough" was
steadily pushed forward, and a new land deed was devised by which the
land would be forfeited should the settlers interfere in the fur trade.
Next, heavy freights were put on goods going to England by way of Hudson
Bay, and Sinclair, as an agitator, was refused the privilege of having
his freight carried at any price. The spirits of the English-speaking
half-breeds were raised to a pitch of discontent, quite equal to that of
the French half-breeds, although the latter were more noisy and
demonstrative. James Sinclair became the "village Hampden" who stood for
his rights and those of his compeers.
It was at this juncture that the valuable aid of Isbister came to his
countrymen. In 1847 Isbister, with his educated mind, social standing,
and valiant spirit led the way for his people, and with five other
half-breeds of Red River forwarded a long and able memorial to Earl
Grey, the Secretary of State for the Colonies, bringing the serious
charges against the Company, of neglecting the native people, oppressing
all the settlers, and taking from them their natural rights. A perusal
of this document leads us to the opinion that the charges were
exaggerated, but nevertheless they showed how impossible it was, for a
Trading Company, to be at the same time the Government of a country and
to be equitable and high-minded. The Hudson's Bay Company answered this
document sent them by the Imperial Government, and so far relieved
themselves of some of the charges. But the storm raised could not be
quieted. Isbister obtained new evidence and attacked the validity of the
Company's Charter. Lord Elgin, the fair-minded Governor of Canada,
claimed that he, in Canada, was too far away from the scene of dispute
to give an authoritative answer, but on the whole he favored the
Company. Lord Elgin, however, based his reply too much upon the
statement of Colonel Crofton, a military officer, who had been sent to
Red River. Alexander Ross said of Crofton, on the other hand, that he
was a man "who never studied the art of governing a people."
But the agitation still gained head.
The mercurial French half-breeds now joined in the struggle. They
forwarded a petition to Her Majesty the Queen, couched in excellent
terms, in the French language, in the main asking that their right to
enjoy the liberty of commerce be given them. This petition was signed by
nine hundred and seventy-seven persons, and virtually represented the
whole French half-breed adult population.
An important episode soon took place among the French, usually known as
the "Sayer Affair." Of this we shall speak in another chapter. The
movement, headed by Isbister, still continued, and led to the serious
consideration by the British Government of the whole situation in Red
River Settlement. The impatience of the people of all classes in Red
River led to a new plan of attack. Not being able to influence
sufficiently the British authorities, they forwarded a petition, signed
by five hundred and seventy English-speaking people of Red River
Settlement, to the Legislative Assembly of Canada. The grievances of the
people were given in detail. The reason suggested for the deaf ear which
had been given them by the British Parliament were stated to be "the
chicanery of the Hudson's Bay Company, and its false representations."
Isbister, in all his efforts, gained the unfailing respect and
gratitude, not only of his own race, but very generally of the people of
the Red River Settlement. Ten years after the petition of Isbister and
his friends had been presented to Earl Grey, a committee of the House of
Commons was sitting to investigate the affairs of the Hudson's Bay
Company. It was a sifting inquiry, in which Gladstone, Roebuck and other
friends of liberty, took part. It, however, took a quarter of a century
to bring about the union of Rupert's Land with Canada, although, as we
shall see, in less than five years, a measure of amelioration came to
the oppressed and indignant settlers of Red River. For this the people
of Red River Settlement were largely indebted to the self-denying and
persistent efforts of Alexander Isbister. The old settlers of Kildonan,
the French and English half-breeds of the several parishes, and their
descendants as well as the University of Manitoba and all friends of
education ought to keep his memory green for what he did for them, for
as a writer of his own time says, "He gained for himself a name that
will live in days yet to come."