the canadian dominion-第23章

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is　expectation　he　was　deceived。　No　man　among　his　contemporaries　surpassed　him　in　sheer　ability；　in　fearless　honesty；　in　vigor　of　debate；　but　he　lacked　Macdonald's　genial　and　supple　art　of　managing　men。　And　with　broad　questions　of　state　policy　for　the　moment　out　of　the　way；　it　was　capacity　in　managing　men　that　was　to　count　in　determining　success。　Never　afterward　did　Brown　take　an　active　part　in　parliamentary　life；　though　still　a　power　in　the　land　through　his　newspaper；　the　Toronto　〃Globe〃；　which　was　regarded　as　the　Scotch　Presbyterian's　second　Bible。　Of　the　other　leaders　of　old　Canada；　Cartier　with　failing　health　was　losing　his　vigor　and　losing　also　the　prestige　with　his　party　which　his　solid　Canada　East　majority　had　given　him；　Galt　soon　retired　to　private　business；　with　occasional　incursions　into　diplomacy；　and　McGee　fell　a　victim　in　1868　to　a　Fenian　assassin。　From　the　Maritime　Provinces　the　ablest　recruit　was　Tupper；　the　most　dogged　fighter　in　Canadian　parliamentary　annals　and　a　lifelong　sworn　ally　of　Macdonald。

It　was　at　first　uncertain　what　the　grouping　of　parties　would　be。　Macdonald　naturally　wished　to　retain　the　coalition　which　assured　him　unquestioned　mastery；　and　the　popular　desire　to　give　Confederation　a　good　start　also　favored　such　a　course。　In　his　first　Cabinet；　formed　with　infinite　difficulty；　with　provinces；　parties；　religions；　races；　all　to　consider　in　filling　a　limited　number　of　posts；　Macdonald　included　six　Liberal　ministers　out　of　thirteen；　three　from　Ontario；　and　three　from　the　Maritime　Provinces。　Yet　if　an　Opposition　had　not　existed；　it　would　have　been　necessary　to　create　one　in　order　to　work　the　parliamentary　machine。　The　attempt　to　keep　the　coalition　together　did　not　long　succeed。　On　the　eve　of　the　first　federal　election　the　Ontario　Reformers　in　convention　decided　to　oppose　the　Government；　even　though　it　contained　three　of　their　former　leaders。　In　the　contest；　held　in　August　and　September；　1867；　Macdonald　triumphed　in　every　province　except　Nova　Scotia　but　faced　a　growing　Opposition　party。　Under　the　virtual　leadership　of　Alexander　Mackenzie；　fragments　of　parties　from　the　four　provinces　were　united　into　a　single　Liberal　group。　In　a　few　years　the　majority　of　the　Liberal　rank　and　file　were　back　in　the　fold；　and　the　Liberal　members　in　the　Cabinet　had　become　frankly　Conservative。　Coalition　had　faded　away。


Within　six　years　after　Confederation　the　whole　northern　half　of　the　continent　had　been　absorbed　by　Canada。　The　four　original　provinces　comprised　only　one…tenth　of　the　area　of　the　present　Dominion；　some　377；000　square　miles　as　against　3；730；000　today。　The　most　easterly　of　the　provinces；　little　Prince　Edward　Island；　had　drawn　back　in　1865；　content　in　isolation。　Eight　years　later　this　province　entered　the　fold。　Hard　times　and　a　glimpse　of　the　financial　strength　of　the　new　federation　had　wrought　a　change　of　heart。　The　solution　of　the　century…old　problem　of　the　island；　absentee　landlordism；　threatened　to　strain　the　finances　of　the　province；　and　men　began　to　look　to　Ottawa　for　relief。　A　railway　crisis　turned　their　thoughts　in　the　same　direction。　The　provincial　authorities　had　recently　arranged　for　the　building　of　a　narrow…gauge　road　from　one　end　of　the　island　to　the　other。　It　was　agreed　that　the　contractors　should　be　paid　5000　pounds　a　mile　in　provincial　debentures；　but　without　any　stipulation　as　to　the　total　length；　so　that　the　builders　caused　the　railway　to　meander　and　zigzag　freely　in　search　of　lower　grades　or　long　paying　stretches。　In　1873；　which　was　everywhere　a　year　of　black　depression；　it　was　found　that　these　debentures；　which　were　pledged　by　the　contractors　to　a　local　bank　for　advances；　could　not　be　sold　except　at　a　heavy　loss。　The　directors　of　the　bank　were　influential　in　the　Government　of　the　province。　It　was　not　surprising；　therefore；　that　the　government　soon　opened　negotiations　with　Ottawa。　The　Dominion　authorities　offered　generous　terms；　financing　the　land　purchase　scheme；　and　taking　over　the　railway。　Some　of　the　islanders　made　bitter　charges；　but　the　Legislature　confirmed　the　agreement；　and　on　July　1；　1873；　Prince　Edward　Island　entered　Confederation。

While　Prince　Edward　Island　was　deciding　to　come　in；　Nova　Scotia　was　straining　every　nerve　to　get　out。　There　was　no　question　that　Nova　Scotia　had　been　brought　into　the　union　against　its　will。　The　provincial　Legislature　in　1866；　it　is　true；　backed　Tupper。　But　the　people　backed　Howe；　who　thereupon　went　to　London　to　protest　against　the　inclusion　of　Nova　Scotia　without　consulting　the　electors；　but　he　was　not　heeded。　The　passing　of　the　Act　only　redoubled　the　agitation。　In　the　provincial　election　of　1867；　the　anti…Confederates　carried　thirty…six　out　of　thirty…eight　seats。　In　the　federal　election　Tupper　was　the　only　union　candidate　returned　in　nineteen　seats　contested。　A　second　delegation　was　sent　to　London　to　demand　repeal。　Tupper　crossed　the　ocean　to　counter　this　effort　and　was　successful。　Then　he　sought　out　Howe；　urged　that　further　agitation　was　useless　and　could　only　bring　anarchy　or；　what　both　counted　worse；　a　movement　for　annexation　to　the　United　States；　and　pressed　him　to　use　his　influence　to　allay　the　storm。　Howe　gave　way；　unfortunately　for　his　own　fame；　he　went　further　and　accepted　a　seat　in　the　federal　Cabinet。　Many　of　his　old　followers　kept　up　the　fight；　but　others　decided　to　make　a　bargain　with　necessity。　Macdonald　agreed　to　give　the　province　〃better　terms；〃　and　the　Dominion　assumed　a　larger　part　of　its　debt。　The　bitterness　aroused　by　Tupper's　high…handed　procedure　lingered　for　many　a　day；　but　before　the　first　Parliament　was　over；　repeal　had　ceased　to　be　a　practical　issue。

Union　could　never　be　real　so　long　as　leagues　of　barren；　unbroken　wilderness　separated　the　maritime　from　the　central　provinces。　Free　intercourse；　ties　of　trade；　knowledge　which　would　sweep　away　prejudice；　could　not　come　until　a　railway　had　spanned　this　wilderness。　In　the　fifties　plans　had　been　made　for　a　main　trunk　line　to　run　from　Halifax　to　the　Detroit　River。　This　ambitious　scheme　proved　too　great　for　the　resources　of　the　separate　provinces；　but　sections　of　the　road　were　built　in　each　province。　As　a　condition　of　Confederation；　the　Dominion　Government　undertook　to　fill　in　the　long　gaps。　Surveys　were　begun　immediately；　and　by　1876；　under　the　direction　of　Sandford　Fleming；　an　engineer　of　eminence；　the　Intercolonial　Railway　was　completed。　It　never　succeeded　in　making　ends　meet　financially；　but　it　did　make　ends　meet　politically。　In　great　measure　it　achieved　the　purpose　of　national　solidification　for　which　it　was　mainly　designed。

Meanwhile　the　bounds　of　the　Dominion　were　being　pushed　westward　to　the　Pacific。　The　old　province　of　Canada；　as　the　heir　of　New　France；　had　vague　claims　to　the　western　plains；　but　the　Hudson's　Bay　Company　was　in　possession。　The　Dominion　decided　to　buy　out　its　rights　and　agreed；　in　1869；　to　pay　the　Company　300；000　pounds　for　the　transfer　of　its　lands　and　exclusive　privileges；　the　Company　to　retain　its　trading　posts　and　two　sections　in　every　township。　So　far　all　went　well。　But　the　Canadian　Government；　new　to　the　tasks　of　empire　and　not　as　efficient　in　administration　as　it　should　have　been；　overlooked　the　necessity　of　consulting　the　wishes　and　the　prejudices　of　the　men　on　the　spot。　It　was　not　merely　land　and　buffalo　herds　which　were　being　transferred　but　also　sovereignty　over　a　people。

In　the　valley　of　the　Red　River　there　were　some　twelve　thousand　metis；　or　half…breeds；　descendants　of　Indian　mothers　and　French　or　Scottish　fathers。　The　Dominion　authorities　intended　to　give　them　a　large　share　in　their　own　government　but　neglected　to　arrange　for　a　formal　conference。　The　metis　were　left　to　gather　their　impression　of　the　character　and　intentions　of　the　new　rulers　from　indiscreet　and　sometimes　overbearing　surveyors　and　land　seekers。　In　1869；　under　the　leadership　of　Louis　Riel；　the　one　man　of　education　in　the　settlement；　able　but　vain　and　unbalanced；　and　with　the　Hudson's　Bay　officials　looking　on　unconcerned；　the　metis　decided　to　oppose　being　made　〃the　colony　of　a　colony。〃　The　Governor　sent　out　from　Ottawa　was　refused　entrance；　and　a　provisional　Government　under　Riel　assumed　control。　The　Ottawa　authorities　first　tried　persuasion　and　sent　a　commission　of　three；　Don