the canadian dominion-第11部分

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forest。　Great　rafts　of　square　pine　timber　were　floated　down　the　Ottawa　or　the　St。　John　every　spring　to　be　loaded　for　England。　The　lumberjack　lent　picturesqueness　to　the　landscape　and　the　vocabulary　and　circulated　ready　money；　but　his　industry　did　little　directly　to　advance　permanent　settlement　or　the　wise　use　of　Canadian　resources。

The　self…contained　life　of　each　community　and　each　farm　pointed　to　the　lack　of　good　means　of　transport。　New　Brunswick　and　the　Canadas　were　fortunate　in　the　possession　of　great　lake　and　river　systems；　but　these　were　available　only　in　summer　and　were　often　impeded　by　falls　and　rapids。　On　these　waters　the　Indian　bark　canoe　had　given　way　to　the　French　bateau；　a　square…rigged　flat…　bottomed　boat；　and　after　the　war　the　bateau　shared　the　honors　with　the　larger　Durham　boat　brought　in　from　〃the　States。〃

Canadians　took　their　full　share　in　developing　steamship　transportation。　In　1809；　two　years　after　Fulton's　success　on　the　Hudson；　John　Molson　built　and　ran　a　steamer　between　Montreal　and　Quebec。　The　first　vessel　to　cross　the　Atlantic　wholly　under　steam；　the　Royal　William；　was　built　in　Quebec　and　sailed　from　that　port　in　1833。　Following　and　rivaling　American　enterprise；　side…wheelers；　marvels　of　speed　and　luxury　for　the　day；　were　put　on　the　lakes　in　the　thirties。　Canals　were　built；　the　Lachine　in　1821…25；　the　Welland　around　Niagara　Falls　in　1824…29；　and　the　Rideau；　as　a　military　undertaking；　in　1826…32；　all　in　response　to　the　stimulus　given　by　De　Witt　Clinton；　who　had　begun　the　〃Erie　Ditch〃　in　1817。　On　land；　road　making　made　slower　progress。　The　blazed　trail　gave　way　to　the　corduroy　road；　and　the　pack　horse　to　the　oxcart　or　the　stage。　Upper　Canada　had　the　honor　of　inventing；　in　1835；　the　plank　road；　which　for　some　years　thereafter　became　the　fashion　through　the　forested　States　to　the　south。　But　at　best　neither　roads　nor　vehicles　were　fitted　for　carrying　large　loads　from　inland　farms　to　waterside　markets。

Money　and　banks　were　as　necessary　to　develop　intercourse　as　roads　and　canals。　Until　after　the　War　of　1812；　when　army　gold　and　army　bills　ran　freely；　money　was　rare　and　barter　served　pioneer　needs。　For　many　years　after　the　war　a　jumble　of　English　sovereigns　and　shillings；　of　Spanish　dollars；　French　crowns；　and　American　silver；　made　up　the　currency　in　use；　circulating　sometimes　by　weight　and　sometimes　by　tale；　at　rates　that　were　constantly　shifting。　The　position　of　the　colonies　as　a　link　between　Great　Britain　and　the　United　States；　was　curiously　illustrated　in　the　currency　system。　The　motley　jumble　of　coins　in　use　were　rated　in　Halifax　currency；　a　mere　money　of　account　or　bookkeeping　standard；　with　no　actual　coins　to　correspond；　adapted　to　both　English　and　United　States　currency　systems。　The　unit　was　the　pound；　divided　into　shillings　and　pence　as　in　England；　but　the　pound　was　made　equal　to　four　dollars　in　American　money；　it　took　1　pound　4s。　4d。　in　Halifax　currency　to　make　1　pound　sterling。　Still　more　curious　was　the　influence　of　American　banking。　Montreal　merchants　in　1808　took　up　the　ideas　of　Alexander　Hamilton　and　after　several　vain　attempts　founded　the　Bank　of　Montreal　in　1817；　with　those　features　of　government　charter；　branch　banks；　and　restrictions　as　to　the　proportion　of　debts　to　capital　and　the　holding　of　real　property　which　had　marked　Hamilton's　plan。　But　while　Canadian　banks；　one　after　another；　were　founded　on　the　same　model　and　throughout　adhered　to　an　asset…secured　currency　basis；　Hamilton's　own　country　abandoned　his　ideas；　usually　for　the　worse。

In　the　social　life　of　the　cities　the　influence　of　the　official　classes　and；　in　Halifax　and　Quebec；　of　the　British　redcoats　stationed　there　was　all　pervading。　In　the　country　the　pioneers　took　what　diversions　a　hard　life　permitted。　There　were　〃bees〃　and　〃frolics；〃　ranging　from　strenuous　barn　raisings；　with　heavy　drinking　and　fighting；　to　mild　apple　parings　or　quilt　patchings。　There　were　the　visits　of　the　Yankee　peddler　with　his　〃notions；〃　his　welcome　pack；　and　his　gossip。　Churches　grew；　thanks　in　part　to　grants　of　government　land　or　old　endowments　or　gifts　from　missionary　societies　overseas；　but　more　to　the　zeal　of　lay　preachers　and　circuit　riders。　Schools　fared　worse。　In　Lower　Canada　there　was　an　excellent　system　of　classical　schools　for　the　priests　and　professional　classes；　and　there　were　numerous　convents　which　taught　the　girls；　but　the　habitants　were　for　the　most　part　quite　untouched　by　book　learning。　In　Upper　Canada　grammar　schools　and　academies　were　founded　with　commendable　promptness；　and　a　common　school　system　was　established　in　1816；　but　grants　were　niggardly　and　compulsion　was　lacking。　Even　at　the　close　of　the　thirties　only　one　child　in　seven　was　in　school；　and　he　was；　as　often　as　not；　committed　to　the　tender　mercies　of　some　broken…down　pensioner　or　some　ancient　tippler　who　could　barely　sign　his　mark。　There　was　but　little　administrative　control　by　the　provincial　authorities。　The　textbooks　in　use　came　largely　from　the　United　States　and　glorified　that　land　and　all　its　ways　in　the　best　Fourth…of…July　manner；　to　the　scandal　of　the　loyal　elect。　The　press　was　represented　by　a　few　weekly　newspapers；　only　one　daily　existed　in　Upper　Canada　before　1840。


Against　this　background　there　developed　during　the　period　1815…41　a　tense　constitutional　struggle　which　was　to　exert　a　profound　influence　on　the　making　of　the　nation。　The　stage　on　which　the　drama　was　enacted　was　a　small　one；　and　the　actors　were　little　known　to　the　world　of　their　day；　but　the　drama　had　an　interest　of　its　own　and　no　little　significance　for　the　future。

In　one　aspect　the　struggle　for　self…government　in　British　North　America　was　simply　a　local　manifestation　of　a　world…wide　movement　which　found　more　notable　expression　in　other　lands。　After　a　troubled　dawn；　democracy　was　coming　to　its　own。　In　England　the　black　reaction　which　had　identified　all　proposals　for　reform　with　treasonable　sympathy　for　bloodstained　France　was　giving　way；　and　the　middle　classes　were　about　to　triumph　in　the　great　franchise　reform　of　1832。　In　the　United　States；　after　a　generation　of　conservatism；　Jacksonian　democracy　was　to　sweep　all　before　it。　These　developments　paralleled　and　in　some　measure　influenced　the　movement　of　events　in　the　British　North　American　provinces。　But　this　movement　had　a　color　of　its　own。　The　growth　of　self…　government　in　an　independent　country　was　one　thing；　in　a　colony　owing　allegiance　to　a　supreme　Parliament　overseas；　it　was　quite　another。　The　task　of　the　provincesnot　solved　in　this　period；　it　is　true；　but　squarely　facedwas　to　reconcile　democracy　and　empire。

The　people　of　the　Canadas　in　1791；　and　of　the　provinces　by　the　sea　a　little　earlier；　had　been　given　the　right　to　elect　one　house　of　the　legislature。　More　than　this　instalment　of　self…government　the　authorities　were　not　prepared　to　grant。　The　people；　or　rather　the　property　holders　among　them；　might　be　entrusted　to　vote　taxes　and　appropriations；　to　present　grievances；　and　to　take　a　share　in　legislation。　They　could　not；　however；　be　permitted　to　control　the　Government；　because；　to　state　an　obvious　fact；　they　could　not　govern　themselves　as　well　as　their　betters　could　rule　them。　Besides；　if　the　people　of　a　colony　did　govern　themselves；　what　w