So grave, however, were the rumours of these events happening on the
plains of Rupert's Land, as they reached Britain that the House of
Commons named a committee to enquire into the troubles. This committee
sat in 1819, and the result is a blue-book of considerable size which
exposes the injustice most fully. The violence and bloodshed which the
fur traders now heard of far and near paralyzed the fur trade carried on
by both fur companies, and brought the financial affairs of both
companies to the verge of destruction. Two startling events of the next
year produced a great shock. These were sudden and untimely deaths of
the two great opponents--Lord Selkirk at an early age in France, and Sir
Alexander Mackenzie, at his estate in Scotland, he having been seized
with sudden illness on his way from London. The two men died within a
month of one another in the spring of 1820. Their passing away was
surely impressive. It seemed like an offering to the god of peace in
order that the vast region with its scattered and thunderstruck
inhabitants from Lake Superior to the Pacific Ocean might be saved from
the horrors of a cruel war of brother against brother, and a war which
might involve even the cautious but hot-blooded Indian tribes.
Pages:
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160