the canadian dominion-第20章

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ts　campaign　of　bluster　and　after　Lincoln's　proclamation　had　brought　the　moral　issue　again　to　the　fore。　The　fact　that　a　large　number　of　Canadians；　popularly　set　at　forty　thousand；　enlisted　in　the　Northern　armies；　is　to　be　explained　in　part　by　the　call　of　adventure　and　the　lure　of　high　bounties；　but　it　must　also　be　taken　to　reflect　the　sympathy　of　the　mass　of　the　people。

*　See　〃Abraham　Lincoln　and　the　Union〃；　by　Nathaniel　W。　Stephenson　（in　〃The　Chronicles　of　America〃）。


In　the　United　States　resentment　was　slower　in　passing。　While　the　war　was　on；　prudence　forbade　any　overt　act。　When　it　was　over；　the　bill　for　the　Alabama　raids　and　the　taunts　of　the　〃Times〃　came　in。　Great　Britain　paid　in　the　settlement　of　the　Alabama　claims。*　Canada　suffered　by　the　abrogation　of　the　Reciprocity　Treaty　at　the　first　possible　date；　and　by　the　connivance　of　the　American　authorities　in　the　Fenian　raids　of　1866　and　1870。　Yet　for　Canada　the　outcome　was　by　no　means　ill。　If　the　Civil　War　did　not　bring　forth　a　new　nation　in　the　South；　it　helped　to　make　one　in　the　far　North。　A　common　danger　drew　the　scattered　British　Provinces　together　and　made　ready　the　way　for　the　coming　Dominion　of　Canada。

*See　〃The　Day　of　the　Confederacy〃；　by　Nathaniel　W。　Stephenson；　and　〃The　Path　of　Empire〃　（in　〃The　Chronicles　of　America〃）。


It　was　not　from　the　United　States　alone　that　an　impetus　came　for　the　closer　union　of　the　British　Provinces。　The　same　period　and　the　same　events　ripened　opinion　in　the　United　Kingdom　in　favor　of　some　practical　means　of　altering　a　colonial　relationship　which　bad　ceased　to　bring　profit　but　which　had　not　ceased　to　be　a　burden　of　responsibility　and　risk。

The　British　Empire　had　its　beginning　in　the　initiative　of　private　business　men；　not　in　any　conscious　policy　of　state。　Yet　as　the　Empire　grew　the　teaching　of　doctrinaires　and　the　example　of　other　colonial　powers　had　developed　a　definite　policy　whereby　the　plantations　overseas　were　to　be　made　to　serve　the　needs　of　the　nation　at　home。　The　end　of　empire　was　commercial　profit；　the　means；　the　political　subordination　of　the　colonies；　the　debit　entry；　the　cost　of　the　military　and　naval　and　diplomatic　services　borne　by　the　mother　country。　But　the　course　of　events　had　now　broken　down　this　theory。　Britain；　for　her　own　good；　had　abandoned　protection；　and　with　it　fell　the　system　of　preference　and　monopoly　in　colonial　markets。　Not　only　preference　had　gone　but　even　equality。　The　colonies；　notably　Canada；　which　was　most　influenced　by　the　United　States；　were　perversely　using　their　new　found　freedom　to　protect　their　own　manufacturers　against　all　outsiders；　Britain　included。　When　Sheffield　cutlers；　hard　hit　by　Canada's　tariff；　protested　to　the　Colonial　Secretary　and　he　echoed　their　remonstrance；　the　Canadian　Minister　of　Finance；　A。　T。　Galt；　stoutly　refused　to　heed。　〃Self…government　would　be　utterly　annihilated；〃　Galt　replied　in　1860；　〃if　the　views　of　the　Imperial　Government　were　to　be　preferred　to　those　of　the　people　of　Canada。　It　is　therefore　the　duty　of　the　present　government　distinctly　to　affirm　the　right　of　the　Canadian　legislature　to　adjust　the　taxation　of　the　people　in　the　way　they　deem　best　…　even　if　it　should　unfortunately　happen　to　meet　the　disapproval　of　the　Imperial　Ministry。〃　Clearly；　if　trade　advantage　were　the　chief　purpose　of　empire；　the　Empire　had　lost　its　reason　for　being。

With　the　credit　entry　fading；　the　debit　entry　loomed　up　bigger。　Hardly　had　the　Corn　Laws　been　abolished　when　Radical　critics　called　on　the　British　Government　to　withdraw　the　redcoat　garrisons　from　the　colonies：　no　profit；　no　defense。　Slowly　but　steadily　this　reduction　was　effected。　To　fill　the　gaps；　the　colonies　began　to　strengthen　their　militia　forces。　In　Canada　only　a　beginning　had　been　made　in　the　way　of　defense　when　the　Trent　episode　brought　matters　to　a　crisis。　If　war　broke　out　between　the　United　States　and　Great　Britain；　Canada　would　be　the　battlefield。　Every　Canadian　knew　it；　nothing　could　be　clearer。　When　the　danger　of　immediate　war　had　passed；　the　Parliament　of　Canada　turned　to　the　provision　of　more　adequate　defense。　A　bill　providing　for　a　compulsory　levy　was　defeated　in　1862；　more　on　personal　and　party　grounds　than　on　its　own　merits；　and　the　Ministry　next　in　office　took　the　other　course　of　increasing　the　volunteer　force　and　of　providing　for　officers'　training。　Compared　with　any　earlier　arrangements　for　defense；　the　new　plans　marked　a　great　advance；　but　when　judged　in　the　light　of　the　possible　necessity　of　repelling　American　invasion；　they　were　plainly　inadequate。　A　burst　of　criticism　followed　from　England；　press　and　politicians　joined　in　denouncing　the　blind　and　supine　colonials。　Did　they　not　know　that　invasion　by　the　United　States　was　inevitable？　〃If　the　people　of　the　North　fail；〃　declared　a　noble　lord；　〃they　will　attack　Canada　as　a　compensation　for　their　losses；　if　they　succeed；　they　will　attack　Canada　in　the　drunkenness　of　victory。〃　If　such　an　invasion　came；　Britain　had　neither　the　power　nor　the　will；　the　〃Times〃　declared；　to　protect　Canada　without　any　aid　on　her　part；　not　the　power；　for　〃our　empire　is　too　vast；　our　population　too　small；　our　antagonist　too　powerful〃；　not　the　will；　for　〃we　no　longer　monopolize　the　trade　of　the　colonies；　we　no　longer　job　their　patronage。〃　To　these　amazing　attacks　Canadians　replied　that　they　knew　the　United　States　better　than　Englishmen　did。　They　were　prepared　to　take　their　share　in　defense；　but　they　could　not　forget　that　if　war　came　it　would　not　be　by　any　act　of　Canada。　It　was　soon　noted　that　those　who　most　loudly　denounced　Canada　for　not　arming　to　the　teeth　were　the　Southern　sympathizers。　〃The　'Times'　has　done　more　than　its　share　in　creating　bad　feeling　between　England　and　the　United　States；〃　declared　a　Toronto　newspaper；　〃and　would　have　liked　to　see　the　Canadians　take　up　the　quarrel　which　it　has　raised　。　。　。　。　We　have　no　idea　of　Canada　being　made　a　victim　of　the　Jefferson　Bricks　on　either　side　of　the　Atlantic。〃

The　question　of　defense　fell　into　the　background　when　the　war　ended　and　the　armies　of　the　Union　went　back　to　their　farms　and　shops。　But　the　discussion　left　in　the　minds　of　most　Englishmen　the　belief　that　the　possession　of　such　colonies　was　a　doubtful　blessing。　Manchester　men　like　Bright；　Liberals　like　Gladstone　and　Cornewall　Lewis；　Conservatives　like　Lowe　and　Disraeli；　all　came　to　believe　that　separation　was　only　a　question　of　time。　Yet　honor　made　them　hesitate　to　set　the　defenseless　colonies　adrift　to　be　seized　by　the　first　hungry　neighbor。

At　this　juncture　the　plans　for　uniting　all　the　colonies　in　one　great　federation　seemed　to　open　a　way　out；　united；　the　colonies　could　stand　alone。　Thus　Confederation　found　support　in　Britain　as　well　as　a　stimulus　from　the　United　States。　This；　however；　was　not　enough。　Confederation　would　not　have　come　when　it　didand　that　might　have　meant　it　would　never　have　come　at　allhad　not　party　and　sectional　deadlock　forced　Canadian　politicians　to　seek　a　remedy　in　a　wider　union。

At　first　all　had　gone　well　with　the　Union　of　1841。　It　did　not　take　the　politicians　long　to　learn　how　to　use　the　power　that　responsible　government　put　into　their　hands。　After　Elgin's　day　the　Governor　General　fell　back　into　the　role　of　constitutional　monarch　which　cabinet　control　made　easy　for　him。　In　the　forties；　men　had　spoken　of　Sydenham　and　Bagot；　Metcalfe　and　Elgin；　in　the　fifties；　they　spoke　of　Baldwin　and　La　Fontaine；　Hincks　and　Macdonald　and　Cartier　and　Brown；　and　less　and　less　of　the　Governors　in　whose　name　these　men　ruled。　Politics　then　attracted　more　of　the　country's　ablest　men　than　it　does　now；　and　the　party　leaders　included　many　who　would　have　made　their　mark　in　any　parliament　in　the　world。　Baldwin　and　La　Fontaine；　united　to　the　end；　resigned　office　in　1851；　believing　that　they　had　played　their　part　in　establishing　responsible　government　and　feeling　out　of　touch　with　the　radical　elements　of　their　following　who　were　demanding　further　change。　Their　place　was　taken　in　Canada　West　by　Hincks；　an　adroit　tactician　and　a　skilled　financier；　intent　on　railway　building　and　trade　development；　and　in　Canada　East　by　Morin；　a　somewhat　colorless　lieutenant　of　La　Fontaine。

But　these　leaders　in　turn　soon　gave　way　to　new　men；　and　the　political　parties　gradually　fell　into　a