Reply of the Central and Permanent Committee of the County of Montreal to the Address of the London Working Men's Association: Difference between revisions

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Do not believe that, being very few, we fear the consequences of our determination. Nature gave to our country naturally fortified places and to our people of valiant hearts. For the hour, the arguments of justice and reason are our weapons. They can easily be replaced by more destructive weapons if the usurpers of our rights continue to have eyes too weak to see and ears too hard to hear. We do not believe that bands of soldiers from Europe would now deliver a war of extermination against the democracy of America. They are themselves the children of a democracy which, at the XIXe century, is linked by a community of feelings throughout the civilized world. They know that they are but the blind instruments of a brutal Master, but as moral beings, responsible for their acts in front of God and humanity. On the day of the test, they will throw down the emblems of their cruel works to enter the midst of an American fraternity, instead of lending their contest to the criminal intentions against the generous blood of a people which defend the rights of any man.
Do not believe that, being very few, we fear the consequences of our determination. Nature gave to our country naturally fortified places and to our people of valiant hearts. For the hour, the arguments of justice and reason are our weapons. They can easily be replaced by more destructive weapons if the usurpers of our rights continue to have eyes too weak to see and ears too hard to hear. We do not believe that bands of soldiers from Europe would now deliver a war of extermination against the democracy of America. They are themselves the children of a democracy which, at the XIXe century, is linked by a community of feelings throughout the civilized world. They know that they are but the blind instruments of a brutal Master, but as moral beings, responsible for their acts in front of God and humanity. On the day of the test, they will throw down the emblems of their cruel works to enter the midst of an American fraternity, instead of lending their contest to the criminal intentions against the generous blood of a people which defend the rights of any man.


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If we address your government on the tone of challenge, it is because we are forced to it. Our objections are neither recent nor new in nature. They were stated publicly and clearly; the mode and measures of redress have been well defined. Since many years, our fellow-citizens reiterate them during public meetings. They presented on this subject humble requests to your Parliament, which, after showing a deaf ear, now adds the aggression to contempt. In similar circumstances, we can appeal without fear to the judgement of the whole world to legitimate our determination to no longer maintain the vain hope of obtaining reparation from overseas and rather to count on our own energy and on the sympathy of our brothers on the American continent, a sympathy which a cause as just as our own cannot fail to inspire.
TO BE TRANSLATED


Si nous nous adressons à votre gouvernement sur un ton de défi, c'est que nous y sommes forcés. Nos griefs ne sont ni récents ni d'un caractère nouveau. Ils ont été énoncés publiquement et clairement; le mode et les mesures de redressement ont été bien définis. Depuis des années, nos concitoyens les réitèrent dans des assemblées publiques. Ils ont présenté à ce sujet d'humbles requêtes à votre Parlement, lequel, après avoir fait la sourde oreille, ajoute maintenant l'agression au mépris. En pareilles circonstances, nous pouvons en appeler sans crainte au jugement du monde entier pour légitimer notre détermination à ne plus entretenir le vain espoir d'obtenir réparation d'outre-mer et à compter plutôt sur notre seule énergie ainsi que sur la sympathie de nos frères du continent américain, sympathie qu'une cause aussi juste ne peut manquer d'inspirer.
We did not evoke independence from the British Crown, but we do not forget that the destiny of the continental colonies is to separate from the metropolitan State when the unconstitutional action of a legislative power residing in a remote country is no longer bearable. In this eventuality, the community of interests which should exist between the democracy of the Old World and that of New World will not disappear. If the colonies become the instrument of the corrupted favouritism which is used to shelter and maintain the poorest portion your aristocracy, an excuse to maintain professional armies, to deprive the people of their subsistence in order to pile up stones and mortar and to make fortifications out of it, or pretext to restrict the free movement of your trade, then the separation of those which can be self-sufficient can only give stability to your freedoms and support the prosperity of your nation. See the example of the United States which, in one year, as an independent offspring, contributes more to the honour and the benefit of the motherland that they could have done in centuries of weakness and dependence.


Nous n'avons pas évoqué l'indépendance à l'endroit de la Couronne britannique, mais nous n'oublions pas que la destinée des colonies continentales est de se séparer de l'État métropolitain lorsque l'action inconstitutionnelle d'un pouvoir législatif résidant en pays lointain n'est plus supportable. Dans cette éventualité, la communauté d'intérêts qui devrait exister entre la démocratie de l'Ancien Monde et celle du Nouveau ne disparaîtrait point. Si les colonies deviennent l'instrument du favoritisme corrompu qui sert à abriter et à entretenir la portion la plus pauvre de votre aristocratie, une excuse pour maintenir des armées de métier, pour priver le peuple de sa subsistance afin d'empiler pierres et mortier et d'en faire des fortifications, ou encore un prétexte pour restreindre les libre mouvement de votre commerce, alors la séparation de celles qui peuvent se suffire à elles-mêmes ne peut que donner stabilité à vos libertés et favoriser la prospérité de votre nation. Voyez l'exemple des États-Unis qui, en une année, à titre d'enfant indépendant, contribuent davantage à l'honneur et au bénéfice de la mère patrie qu'ils n'auraient pu le faire en des siècles de faiblesse et de dépendance.
Once again, we thank you for the sympathy which you express towards the Canadien people. It is pleasant to receive similar testimony on behalf of English citizens. You posed a noble gesture: a people being responsible for the acts of its governors, you showed a virile and virtuous determination in letting humanity know that you dissociate yourselves from the hugeness which are attempting to commit those on whose actions you do not have, alas for yourselves and us, no control. Whatever the result of your noble patriotism and your generous abnegation, we are sure that your children will be better armed against your dominating oligarchy than you were, you, at the time of entering life.


Encore une fois, nous vous remercions de la sympathie que vous exprimez envers le peuple canadien. Il est agréable d'en recevoir pareil témoignage de la part de citoyens anglais. Vous avez posé un geste noble: un peuple étant responsable des actes de ses gouvernants, vous avez fait preuve d'une détermination virile et vertueuse en faisant savoir à l'humanité que vous vous dissociez de l'énormité que tentent de commettre ceux sur les actions desquels vous n'avez, hélas pour vous-mêmes et pour nous, aucune prise. Quel que soit le résultat de votre noble patriotisme et de votre généreuse abnégation, nous sommes sûrs que vos enfants seront mieux armés contre votre oligarchie dominatrice que vous ne l'étiez, vous, au moment d'entrer dans la vie.
We wish, via our association, to proclaim that, no matter the way which we will be constrained to follow, we hold nothing against the people of England. We only fight against the aggressions of her tyrannical oppressors, who are also our own oppressors.


Nous désirons, par l'entremise de notre association, proclamer que, peu importe la voie que nous serons contraints d'emprunter, nous n'avons rien contre le peuple d'Angleterre. Nous luttons uniquement contre les agressions de ses oppresseurs tyranniques, qui sont aussi les nôtres.
Signed by order and in the name of the Central and Permanent Committee,
 
Signé sur l'ordre et au nom du Comité central et permanent,


RAYMOND PLESSIS, Chairman <br />
RAYMOND PLESSIS, Chairman <br />
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