THE RED RIVER EXPEDITION. 209 



this self-constituted trinity was a decree condemning 

 the fourth conspirator to death. This fourth man 

 was a German tailor, and as he constituted in his 

 own person the whole of the population recognising 

 the authority of these soi-disant rulers, there was no 

 one to carry the sentence into execution. Whether 

 it was owing to the discredit which this powerless- 

 ness to enforce their decrees brought upon them, or 

 from the general loyalty of the people to British in- 

 stitutions, we know not ; but this republic was as 

 shortlived as a butterfly, and its appearance and dis- 

 appearance caused as little excitement and had as 

 little influence upon the Red Biver world as would 

 the advent or departure of such an insect. 



This trifling incident is merely related to convey an 

 idea of the state of society which existed there up to 

 1868. The people lived in peace and harmony with 

 one another. They paid no taxes, and were so little 

 accustomed to the machinery of a government, or the 

 responsibilities of having to make laws or administer 

 them themselves, that when these few adventurers 

 tried to impress upon their minds the glories resulting 

 from the exercise of the noble right of self-govern- 

 ment, following up their lessons by proclaiming a 

 republic, the inhabitants of the Keel River Territory 

 merely laughed. 



The only politics which existed and they were 

 of recent growth consisted in being for or against 

 the Hudson Bay Company. A monopoly must al- 



