the canadian dominion-第26章

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ishment　of　a　Canadian　Supreme　Court　and　the　Royal　Military　Collegethe　Canadian　West　Point。　But　fate　and　his　own　limitations　were　against　him。　He　was　too　absorbed　in　the　details　of　administration　to　have　time　for　the　work　of　a　party　leader。　In　his　policy　of　constructing　the　Canadian　Pacific　as　a　government　road；　after　Allan　had　resigned　his　charter；　he　manifested　a　caution　and　a　slowness　that　brought　British　Columbia　to　the　verge　of　secession。　But　it　was　chiefly　the　world…wide　depression　that　began　in　his　first　year　of　office；　1873；　which　proved　his　undoing。　Trade　was　stagnant；　bankruptcies　multiplied；　and　acute　suffering　occurred　among　the　poor　in　the　larger　cities。　Mackenzie　had　no　solution　to　offer　except　patience　and　economy；　and　the　Opposition　were　freer　to　frame　an　enticing　policy。　The　country　was　turning　toward　a　high　tariff　as　the　solution　of　its　ills。　Protection　had　not　hitherto　been　a　party　issue　in　Canada；　and　it　was　still　uncertain　which　party　would　take　it　up。　Finally　Mackenzie；　who　was　an　ardent　free　trader；　and　the　Nova　Scotia　wing　of　his　party　triumphed　over　the　protectionists　in　their　own　ranks　and　made　a　low　tariff　the　party　platform。　Macdonald；　who　had　been　prepared　to　take　up　free　trade　if　Mackenzie　adopted　protection；　now　boldly　urged　the　high　tariff　panacea。　The　promise　of　work　and　wages　for　all；　the　appeal　to　national　spirit　made　by　the　arguments　of　self…sufficiency　and　fully　rounded　development；　the　desire　to　retaliate　against　the　United　States；　which　was　still　deaf　to　any　plea　for　more　liberal　trade　relations；　swept　the　country。　The　Conservative　minority　of　over　sixty　was　converted　into　a　still　greater　majority　in　the　general　election　of　1878；　and　the　leader　whom　all　men　five　years　before　had　considered　doomed；　returned　to　power；　never　to　lose　it　while　life　lasted。

The　first　task　of　the　new　Government；　in　which　Tupper　was　Macdonald's　chief　supporter；　was　to　carry　out　its　high　tariff　pledges。　〃Tell　us　how　much　protection　you　want；　gentlemen；〃　said　Macdonald　to　a　group　of　Ontario　manufacturers；　〃and　we'll　give　you　what　you　need。〃　In　the　new　tariff　needs　were　rated　almost　as　high　as　wants。　Particularly　on　textiles；　sugar；　and　iron　and　steel　products；　duties　were　raised　far　beyond　the　old　levels　and　stimulated　investment　just　as　the　world…wide　depression　which　had　lasted　since　1873　passed　away。　Canada　shared　in　the　recovery　and　gave　the　credit　to　the　well…advertised　political　patent　medicine　taken　just　before　the　turn　for　the　better　came。　For　years　the　National　Policy　or　〃N。P。；〃　as　its　supporters　termed　it；　had　all　the　vogue　of　a　popular　tonic。

The　next　task　of　the　Government　was　to　carry　through　in　earnest　the　building　of　the　railway　to　the　Pacific。　For　over　a　year　Macdonald　persisted　in　Mackenzie's　policy　of　government　construction　but　with　the　same　slow　and　unsatisfactory　results。　Then　an　opportunity　came　to　enlist　the　services　of　a　private　syndicate。　Four　Canadians；　Donald　A。　Smith；　a　former　Hudson's　Bay　Company　factor；　George　Stephen；　a　leading　merchant　and　banker　of　Montreal；　James　J。　Hill　and　Norman　W。　Kittson；　owners　of　a　small　line　of　boats　on　the　Red　River；　had　joined　forces　to　revive　a　bankrupt　Minnesota　railway。*　They　had　succeeded　beyond　all　parallel；　and　the　reconstructed　road；　which　later　developed　into　the　Great　Northern；　made　them　all　rich　overnight。　This　success　whetted　their　appetite　for　further　western　railway　building　and　further　millions　of　rich　western　acres　in　subsidies。　They　met　Macdonald　and　Tupper　half　way。　By　the　bargain　completed　in　1881　the　Canadian　Pacific　Railway　Company　undertook　to　build　and　operate　the　road　from　the　Ottawa　Valley　to　the　Pacific　coast；　in　return　for　the　gift　of　the　completed　portions　of　the　road　（on　which　the　Government　spent　over　37；000；000）；　a　subsidy　of　25；000；000　in　cash；　25；000；000　selected　acres　of　prairie　land；　exemption　from　taxes；　exemption　from　regulation　of　rates　until　ten　per　cent　was　earned；　and　a　promise　on　the　part　of　the　Dominion　to　charter　no　western　lines　connecting　with　the　United　States　for　twenty　years。　The　terms　were　lavish　and　were　fiercely　denounced　by　the　Opposition；　now　under　the　leadership　of　Edward　Blake。　But　the　people　were　too　eager　for　railway　expansion　to　criticize　the　terms。　The　Government　was　returned　to　power　in　1882　and　the　contract　held。

*　See　〃The　Railroad　Builders〃；　by　John　Moody　（in　〃The　Chronicles　of　America〃）。


The　new　company　was　rich　in　potential　resources　but　weak　in　available　cash。　Neither　in　New　York　nor　in　London　could　purse　strings　be　loosened　for　the　purpose　of　building　a　road　through　what　the　world　considered　a　barren　and　Arctic　wilderness。　But　in　the　faith　and　vision　of　the　president；　George　Stephen；　and　the　ruthless　energy　of　the　general　manager；　William　Van　Horne；　American　born　and　trained；　the　Canadian　Pacific　had　priceless　assets。　Aided　in　critical　times　by　further　government　loans；　they　carried　the　project　through；　and　by　1886；　five　years　before　the　time　fixed　by　their　contract；　trains　were　running　from　Montreal　to　Port　Moody；　opposite　Vancouver。

A　sudden　burst　of　prosperity　followed　the　building　of　the　road。　Settlers　poured　into　the　West　by　tens　of　thousands；　eastern　investors　promoted　colonization　companies；　land　values　soared；　and　speculation　gave　a　fillip　to　every　line　of　trade。　The　middle　eighties　were　years　of　achievement；　of　prosperity；　and　of　confident　hope。　Then　prosperity　fled　as　quickly　as　it　had　come。　The　West　failed　to　hold　its　settlers。　Farm　and　factory　found　neither　markets　nor　profits。　The　country　was　bled　white　by　emigration。　Parliamentary　contest　and　racial　feud　threatened　the　hard…won　unity。　Canada　was　passing　through　its　darkest　hours。

During　this　period；　political　friction　was　incessant。　Canada　was　striving　to　solve　in　the　eighties　the　difficult　question　which　besets　all　federationsthe　limits　between　federal　and　provincial　power。　Ontario　was　the　chief　champion　of　provincial　rights。　The　struggle　was　intensified　by　the　fact　that　a　Liberal　Government　reigned　at　Toronto　and　a　Conservative　Government　at　Ottawa；　as　well　as　by　the　keen　personal　rivalry　between　Mowat　and　Macdonald。　In　nearly　every　constitutional　duel　Mowat　triumphed。　The　accepted　range　of　the　legislative　power　of　the　provinces　was　widened　by　the　decisions　of　the　courts；　particularly　of　the　highest　court　of　appeal；　the　Judicial　Committee　of　the　Privy　Council　in　England。　The　successful　resistance　of　Ontario　and　Manitoba　to　Macdonald's　attempt　to　disallow　provincial　laws　proved　this　power；　though　conferred　by　the　Constitution；　to　be　an　unwieldy　weapon。　By　the　middle　nineties　the　veto　had　been　virtually　abandoned。

More　serious　than　these　political　differences　was　the　racial　feud　that　followed　the　second　Riel　Rebellion。　For　a　second　time　the　Canadian　Government　failed　to　show　the　foresight　and　the　sympathy　required　in　dealing　with　an　isolated　and　backward　people。　The　valley　of　the　Saskatchewan；　far　northwest　of　the　Red　River；　was　the　scene　of　the　new　difficulty。　Here　thousands　of　metis；　or　French　half…breeds；　had　settled。　The　passing　of　the　buffalo；　which　had　been　their　chief　subsistence；　and　the　arrival　of　settlers　from　the　East　caused　them　intense　alarm。　They　pressed　the　Government　for　certain　grants　of　land　and　for　the　retention　of　the　old　French　custom　of　surveying　the　land　along　the　river　front　in　deep　narrow　strips；　rather　than　according　to　the　chessboard　pattern　taken　over　by　Canada　from　the　United　States。　Red　tape；　indifference；　procrastination；　rather　than　any　illwill；　delayed　the　redress　of　the　grievances　of　the　half…breeds。　In　despair　they　called　Louis　Riel　back　from　his　exile　in　Montana。　With　his　arrival　the　agitation　acquired　a　new　and　dangerous　force。　Claiming　to　be　the　prophet　of　a　new　religion；　he　put　himself　at　the　head　of　his　people　and；　in　the　spring　of　1885；　raised　the　flag　of　revolt。　His　military　adviser；　Gabriel　Dumont；　an　old　buffalo　hunter；　was　a　natural…born　general；　and　the　half…breeds　were　good　shots　and　brave　fighters。　An　expedition　of　Canadian　volunteers　was　rushed　west；　and　the　rebellion　was　put　down　quickly；　but　not　without　some　hard　fighting　and　gallant　strokes　and　counterstrokes。

The　racial　passions　roused　by　this　conflict；　however；　did　not　pass　so　quickly。　The　fate　to　be　met