the canadian dominion-第19章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


ircles　reciprocity　was　sought　as　a　homeopathic　cure　for　the　desire　for　annexation。　William　Hamilton　Merritt；　a　Niagara　border　business　man　and　the　most　persistent　advocate　of　closer　trade　relations；　met　little　difficulty　in　securing　almost　unanimous　backing　in　Canada；　while　the　Maritime　Provinces　lent　their　support。

It　was　more　difficult　to　win　over　the　United　States。　There　the　people　showed　the　usual　indifference　of　a　big　and　prosperous　country　to　the　needs　or　opportunities　of　a　small　and　backward　neighbor。　The　division　of　power　between　President　and　Congress　made　it　difficult　to　carry　any　negotiation　through　to　success。　Yet　these　obstacles　were　overcome。　The　depletion　of　the　fisheries　along　the　Atlantic　coast　of　the　United　States　made　it　worth　while；　as　I。D。　Andrews；　a　United　States　consul　in　New　Brunswick；　urged　persistently；　to　gain　access　to　the　richer　grounds　to　the　north　and；　if　necessary；　to　offer　trade　concessions　in　exchange。　At　Washington；　the　South　was　in　the　saddle。　Its　sympathies　were　strongly　for　freer　trade；　but　this　alone　would　not　have　counted　had　not　the　advocates　of　reciprocity　convinced　the　Democratic　leaders　of　the　bearing　of　their　policy　on　the　then　absorbing　issue　of　slavery。　If　reciprocity　were　not　arranged；　the　argument　ran；　annexation　would　be　sure　to　come　and　that　would　mean　the　addition　to　the　Union　of　a　group　of　freesoil　States　which　would　definitely　tilt　the　balance　against　slavery　for　all　time。　With　the　ground　thus　prepared；　Lord　Elgin　succeeded　by　adroit　and　capable　diplomacy　in　winning　over　the　leaders　of　Congress　as　well　as　the　Executive　to　his　proposals。　The　Reciprocity　Treaty　was　passed　by　the　Senate　in　August；　1854；　and　by　the　Legislatures　of　the　United　Kingdom；　Canada；　Prince　Edward　Island；　New　Brunswick；　and　Nova　Scotia　in　the　next　few　months；　and　of　Newfoundland　in　1855。　This　treaty　provided　for　free　admission　into　each　country　of　practically　all　the　products　of　the　farm；　forest；　mine；　and　fishery；　threw　open　the　Atlantic　fisheries；　and　gave　American　vessels　the　use　of　the　St。　Lawrence　and　Canadian　vessels　the　use　of　Lake　Michigan。　The　agreement　was　to　last　for　ten　years　and　indefinitely　thereafter；　subject　to　termination　on　one　year's　notice　by　either　party。

To　both　countries　reciprocity　brought　undoubted　good。　Trade　doubled　and　trebled。　Each　country　gained　by　free　access　to　the　nearest　sources　of　supply。　The　same　goods　figured　largely　in　the　traffic　in　both　directions；　the　United　States　importing　grain　and　flour　from　Canada　and　exporting　it　to　the　Maritime　Provinces。　In　short　the　benefits　which　had　come　to　the　United　States　from　free　and　unfettered　trade　throughout　half　a　continent　were　now　extended　to　practically　a　whole　continent。

Yet　criticism　of　the　new　economic　regime　was　not　lacking。　The　growth　of　protectionist　feeling　in　both　countries　after　1857　brought　about　incidents　and　created　an　atmosphere　which　were　dangerous　to　the　continuance　of　close　trade　relations。　In　1858　and　1859　the　Canadian　Government　raised　substantially　the　duties　on　manufactured　goods　in　order　to　meet　the　bills　for　its　lavish　railway　policy。　This　increase　hit　American　manufacturers　and　led　to　loud　complaints　that　the　spirit　of　the　Reciprocity　Treaty　had　been　violated。　Alexander　T。　Galt；　Canadian　Minister　of　Finance；　had　no　difficulty　in　showing　that　the　tariff　increases　were　the　only　feasible　sources　of　revenue；　that　the　agreement　with　the　United　States　did　not　cover　manufactures；　and　that　the　United　States　itself；　faced　by　war　demands　and　no　longer　controlled　by　free　trade　Southerners；　had　raised　duties　still　higher。　The　exports　of　the　United　States　to　the　Provinces　in　the　reciprocity　period　were　greater；　contrary　to　the　later　traditions；　than　the　imports。　On　economic　grounds　the　case　for　the　continuance　of　the　reciprocity　agreement　was　strong；　and　probably　the　treaty　would　have　remained　in　force　indefinitely　had　not　the　political　passions　roused　by　the　Civil　War　made　sanity　and　neighborliness　in　trade　difficult　to　maintain。


When　the　Civil　War　broke　out；　the　sympathies　of　Canadians　were　overwhelmingly　on　the　side　of　the　North。　The　railway　and　freer　trade　had　been　bringing　the　two　peoples　closer　together；　and　time　was　healing　old　sores。　Slavery　was　held　to　be　the　real　issue；　and　on　that　issue　there　were　scarcely　two　opinions　in　the　British　Provinces。

Yet　in　a　few　months　sympathy　had　given　way　to　angry　and　suspicious　bickering；　and　the　possibility　of　invasion　of　Canada　by　the　Northern　forces　was　vigorously　debated。　This　sudden　shift　of　opinion　and　the　danger　in　which　it　involved　the　provinces　were　both　incidents　in　the　quarrel　which　sprang　up　between　the　United　States　and　Great　Britain。　In　Britain　as　in　Canada；　opinion；　so　far　as　it　found　open　expression；　was　at　first　not　unfriendly　to　the　North。　Then　came　the　anger　of　the　North　at　Great　Britain's　legitimate　and　necessary；　though　perhaps　precipitate；　action　in　acknowledging　the　South　as　a　belligerent。　This　action　ran　counter　to　the　official　Northern　theory　that　the　revolt　of　the　Southern　States　was　a　local　riot；　of　merely　domestic　concern；　and　was　held　to　foreshadow　a　recognition　of　the　independence　of　the　Confederacy。　The　angry　taunts　were　soon　returned。　The　ruling　classes　in　Great　Britain　made　the　discovery　that　the　war　was　a　struggle　between　chivalrous　gentlemen　and　mercenary　counterhoppers　and　cherished　the　hope　that　the　failure　of　the　North　would　discredit；　the　world　over；　the　democracy　which　was　making　uncomfortable　claims　in　England　itself。　The　English　trading　classes　resented　the　shortage　of　cotton　and　the　high　duties　which　the　protectionist　North　was　imposing。　With　the　defeat　of　the　Union　forces　at　Bull　Run　the　prudent　hesitancy　of　aristocrat　and　merchant　in　expressing　their　views　disappeared。　The　responsible　statesmen　of　both　countries；　especially　Lincoln　and　Lord　John　Russell；　refused　to　be　stampeded；　but　unfortunately　the　leading　newspapers　served　them　ill。　The　〃Times〃；　with　its　constant　sneers　and　its　still　more　irritating　patronizing　advice；　and　the　New　York　〃Herald〃；　bragging　and　blustering　in　the　frank　hope　of　forcing　a　war　with　Britain　and　France　which　would　reunite　South　and　North　and　subordinate　the　slavery　issue；　did　more　than　any　other　factors　to　bring　the　two　countries　to　the　verge　of　war。

In　Canada　the　tendency　in　some　quarters　to　reflect　English　opinion；　the　disappointment　in　others　that　the　abolition　of　slavery　was　not　explicitly　pledged　by　the　North；　and　above　all　resentment　against　the　threats　of　the　〃Herald〃　and　its　followers；　soon　cooled　the　early　friendliness。　The　leading　Canadian　newspaper；　for　many　years　a　vigorous　opponent　of　slavery；　thus　summed　up　the　situation　in　August；　1861：

〃The　insolent　bravado　of　the　Northern　press　towards　Great　Britain　and　the　insulting　tone　assumed　toward　these　Provinces　have　unquestionably　produced　a　marked　change　in　the　feelings　of　our　people。　When　the　war　commenced；　there　was　only　one　feeling；　of　hearty　sympathy　with　the　North；　but　now　it　is　very　different。　People　have　lost　sight　of　the　character　of　the　struggle　in　the　exasperation　excited　by　the　injustice　and　abuse　showered　upon　us　by　the　party　with　which　we　sympathized。〃*

*　Toronto　〃Globe〃；　August　7；　1861。


The　Trent　affair　brought　matters　to　a　sobering　climax。*　When　it　was　settled；　resentment　lingered；　but　the　tension　was　never　again　so　acute。　Both　Great　Britain　and　in　Canada　the　normal　sympathy　with　the　cause　of　the　Union　revived　as　the　war　went　on。　In　England　the　classes　continued　to　be　pro…Southern　in　sympathy；　but　the　masses；　in　spite　of　cotton　famines；　held　resolutely　to　their　faith　in　the　cause　of　freedom。　After　Lincoln's　emancipation　of　the　slaves；　the　view　of　the　English　middle　classes　more　and　more　became　the　view　of　the　nation。　In　Canada；　pro…Southern　sentiment　was　strong　in　the　same　classes　and　particularly　in　Montreal　and　Toronto；　where　there　were　to　be　found　many　Southern　refugees；　some　of　whom　made　a　poor　return　for　hospitality　by　endeavoring　to　use　Canada　as　a　base　for　border　raids。　Yet　in　the　smaller　towns　and　in　the　country　sympathy　was　decidedly　on　the　other　side；　particularly　after　the　〃Herald〃　had　ceased　its　campaign　of　bluster　and　after　Lincoln's　proclamation　had　brought　the　moral　issue　again　to　the　for