CANADA HISTORY - DOCUMENTS COLONIAL

1849 Robert Baldwin letters on the Annexation movement

- to Peter Perry, who intended to run as a pro-annexation Reform candidate:

I retain unaltered my attachment to the connection with the motherland. I can look upon those who are for the continuance of that connection as political friends - those who are against it as political opponents.

- to another Reformer:

I felt it right to write to Mr. Petty, expressing my decided opinions in respect of the annexation question, and that l could look upon those only who are in favour of the continuance of the connection with the mother country as political friends; those who are against it as political opponents. I felt this to be the more necessary because I had heard within a few days that one of our parliamentary friends here was said to have given in, or to be about giving in, his adhesion to the annexation movement. The tactics of our opponents are transparent. They want to get some of our supporters of standing to commit themselves, and then turn round on them and the whole party, and impute the call for annexation to the Liberal party generally. I believe that our party are hostile to annexation. I am at all events hostile to it myself, and if I and my party differ upon it, it is necessary we should part company. It is not a question upon which a compromise is possible.