THE HESPERIAN STUDENT.
s
hc Student's Srmy-booh,
THE WHITE GROSS.
Air, 0( Oaktn Jlucktt."
lly Members of Alpha Kpsllon Chapter.
How dear to our heart arc tho thoughts ofour chapter,
When fond retrospection presents them to view;
Tho signs nnd tho passwords, the grips and the laughter.
And every loved net which our college days knew,
, Tho dear chapter hall nnd our Slgraa Chi brothers
Tho feast and the Joys which wo never can tell,
Bring back to our minds miny faces of others,
Who wear the white cross, which wc all love so well.
Chorus 'Tho white cross of friendship, tho white cross of honor,
Tho glittering cross our fraternity wears.
And when to the girl whom wc cherish wo lend It,
To wear at her throat as an emblem of love,
The feelings of honor and friendship attend It
Iteflccting the charms In her sweet face above.
For bluer her eyes than the turquolsoglcaming
And redder her lips than the garnet's rod glow.
Yet softer her teeth In that sweet month arc gloaming
Than pearls In the beautiful white cross wo know.
The Sigma Chi grip wc all hail as a treasure
For oft m,at times whcn.away from our home,
Wo find It tho sourco of an exquisite pleasure,
llcccivcd trom our brothers wherever wo roam.
How ardent we seize with our heart overflowing
The hand of a ' s'k" '" a far distant spot,
While to the old college our fancy is going
Where rouud the white cross wo first tied friendship's knot.
And if In our journey throuah life wc discover
A Sigma in need ol a kind, helping hand
We'll lend It, remembering ho is a brother
Who's bound to us closely in Sigma C Ill's band.
So when, In the future, our life task is finished
And down to tho dark, rushing river we go,
We'll cling to our standard with love undiminished
The white, jewelled cross that wc always loved so.
Lincoln, Ncbr. Marcli 4t?i, 1883.
THE FUTURE OF CANADA.
What Canada may become within 11 few years is a ques
tion of great interest. Prominent EnglUh statesmen are
continually agitating the subject, some looking at it from
one point of view, others from another. Among English
men the popular feeling towards Canada is probably
about the same as that towards -cw Zealand or Tasmania;
that is to say, most of them would prefer to Iks excused
from emmigrating to any of these uncivilized provinces.
They think of Canada as a cold, out-of-the way colony,
bound to Great Britain and subject to the Queen of Eng
land. They do not realize that it is a vast country as
large as all Europe and with great resources within its
borders. But men, whose business it h to think upon
Buch subjects, realize all these facts and many additional
ones. They know that Canada cannot long remain as
she is at present. They sec lhat a change in the govern
ment of the whole country is imminent. What this
clmnpe -will be is a point much dibj-utcd.
Some th'nk that Cunnda will frame n declaration of
independence and thus become a separate power. Others
hold to the opinion that Canada will enter into a close
union willi Great Britain having equal rights with Eng
land and Iivland. Thus not only would they have a voice
iient f their own country but also an iiillu-
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takfiii. h. that
Canada may become a part, or tho United States. Tliese
different possibilities may bo considered each in its order.
The first, that of independence, seems lite least proba
ble. Canada is not strong enough to endure tho almost,
certain defeat, which would follow an attempt to secede
from Great Britain. Nor would she lie able to hold Iter
own in a dispute with thogreatrepuhlic lying south of her.
Then Canada is not oppressed as the American Colonic!
before the Revolution were. There Is not so much cause
for Ul.frclir.g against the pareut country as there was In
the case ot our forefathers who were ground down by the
tyranny of George lit. Then too, it is not likely that
the United States would forget tho Monroe doctrine if
Canada occupying nearly one half of North America,
should set up n9 an independent power. On the contrary
it is extremely probable that vigorous measures would bo
taken to stop all such proceedings It is altogether likely
that some change will take place in Canadian affairs long
before there is sufficient strength to justify scccssiou and
theformingof an independent nation. Thus the matter
falls within narrower limits, and we pass to Hie two
remaining theories.
The supposition tint Canada will enter into a close
confederation with Great Britain is, to say the least, very
unlikely. The Canadians will be unwilling to enter into
any such confederation because they will not wish to mix
in the turmoil of European politics. They will not be de
sirous of becoming part of a power that has war on its
hands almost continually, and of being compelled to lake
an active pait in its conllicts. These wars are on Eiropc
an questions which might not be of the least interest to a
Canadian living, as he does, throe thousand miles from
the seat of difficulties. So much from a Canadian stand
point. Now the Br.tish, on the other hand, will be tin.
willing to allow entire strangers, who have no interest at
stake, to meddle with their own peculiar affairs. They
will be unwilling to rccicvc Canadian members into their
Parliament. The English have already seen about enough
of the confedcrative plan of government in the troubles
thej arc constantly haying with the Irish. Is it prob
able that they would receive another colony on the same
basis, and one so unlikely to prove congenial?
We now have the subject narrowed down to a single
question: will not Canada wish ultimately to become a
part of the United States, thus forming at the same time
a poweiful element in a great republic, against which the
English would vainly make war? This seems most prob
able. Canada is not separated from the United States by
any true boundary line except in case of that part im
mediately north of the great lakes.
Canadians have, it is related on good author! 13 no ver3'
strong feoling of patriotism towards the mother country
They are, however, in some degree bound by their interest
to the United States. The great Canadian railroads de
pend, to a large degree, upon the travelling public of the
United States for their support. Canadians cannot fail
of seeing the great advantages, both social and political
that they would gain by joining the United States which
have not 011I3' better facilities for the people, but also great
er possioilitics for every one of advancement in all di
rections. Then Canada is on the same continent as the
United States. Nature has placed the two countries so
close together that it would be strange, if ut some time,
they should not be drawn into the close union into which
the different Btates of ;he American Republic have, at
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