the canadian dominion-第16部分

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bsolutely　the　demands　alike　for　a　responsible　Executive　and　for　an　elective　Council。

British　statesmanship　was　bankrupt。　Its　final　answer　to　the　demands　for　redress　was　to　stand　pat。　Papineau；　without　seeing　what　the　end　would　be；　held　to　his　course。　Younger　men；　carried　away　by　the　passions　he　had　aroused；　pushed　on　still　more　recklessly。　If　reform　could　not　be　obtained　within　the　British　Empire；　it　must　be　sought　by　setting　up　an　independent　republic　on　the　St。　Lawrence　or　by　annexation　to　the　United　States。


In　Upper　Canada；　at　the　same　time；　matters　had　come　to　the　verge　of　rebellion。　Sir　John　Colborne　had；　just　before　retiring　as　Lieutenant　Governor　in　1836；　added　fuel　to　the　flames　by　creating　and　endowing　some　forty…four　rectories；　thus　strengthening　the　grip　of　the　Anglican　Church　on　the　province。　His　successor；　Sir　Francis　Bond　Head；　was　a　man　of　such　rash　and　unbalanced　judgment　as　to　lend　support　to　the　tradition　that　he　was　appointed　by　mistake　for　his　cousin；　Edmund　Head；　who　was　made　Governor　of　United　Canada　twenty　years　later。　He　appointed　to　his　Executive　Council　three　Reformers；　Baldwin；　Rolph；　and　Dunn；　only　to　make　clear　by　his　refusal　to　consult　them　his　inability　to　understand　their　demand　for　responsible　government。　All　the　members　of　the　Executive　Council　thereupon　resigned；　and　the　Assembly　refused　supplies。　Head　dissolved　the　House　and　appealed　to　the　people。

The　weight　of　executive　patronage；　the　insistence　of　the　Governor　that　British　connection　was　at　stake；　the　alarms　caused　by　some　injudicious　statements　of　Mackenzie　and　his　Radical　ally　in　England；　Joseph　Hume；　and　the　defection　of　the　Methodists；　whose　leader；　Egerton　Ryerson；　had　quarreled　with　Mackenzie；　resulted　in　the　overwhelming　defeat　of　the　Reformers。　The　sting　of　defeat；　the　failure　of　the　Family　Compact　to　carry　out　their　eleventh　hour　promises　of　reform；　and　the　passing　of　Lord　John　Russell's　reactionary　resolutions　convinced　a　section　of　the　Reform　party；　in　Upper　Canada　as　well　as　in　Lower　Canada；　that　an　appeal　to　force　was　the　only　way　out。

Toward　the　end　of　1837　armed　rebellion　broke　out　in　both　the　Canadas。　In　both　it　was　merely　a　flash　in　the　pan。　In　Lower　Canada　there　had　been　latterly　much　use　of　the　phrases　of　revolution　and　some　drilling；　but　rebellion　was　neither　definitely　planned　nor　carefully　organized。　The　more　extreme　leaders　of　the　Patriotes　simply　drifted　into　it；　and　the　actual　outbreak　was　a　haphazard　affair。　Alarmed　by　the　sudden　and　seemingly　concerted　departure　of　Papineau　and　some　of　his　lieutenants；　Nelson；　Brown；　and　O'Callaghan；　from　Montreal；　the　Government　gave　orders　for　their　arrest。　The　petty　skirmish　that　followed　on　November　16；　1837；　was　the　signal　for　the　rallying　of　armed　habitants　around　impromptu　leaders　at　various　points。　The　rising　was　local　and　spasmodic。　The　vast　body　of　the　habitants　stood　aloof。　The　Catholic　Church；　which　earlier　had　sympathized　with　Papineau；　had　parted　from　him　when　he　developed　radical　and　republican　views。　Now　the　strong　exhortations　of　the　clergy　to　the　faithful　counted　for　much　in　keeping　peace；　and　in　one　view　justified　the　policy　of　the　British　Government　in　seeking　to　purchase　their　favor。　The　Quebec　and　Three　Rivers　districts　remained　quiet。　In　the　Richelieu　and　Montreal　districts；　where　disaffection　was　strongest；　the　habitants　lacked　leadership；　discipline；　and　touch　with　other　groups；　and　were　armed　only　with　old　flintlocks；　scythes；　or　clubs。　Here　and　there　a　brave　and　skillful　leader；　such　as　Dr。　Jean　Olivier　Chenier；　was　thrown　up　by　the　evidence　opened　a　way　out　of　the　difficult　situation。　A　year　later　Peel　and　Webster；　representing　the　two　countries；　exchanged　formal　explanations；　and　the　incident　was　closed。

In　Upper　Canada　many　a　rebel　sympathizer　lay　for　months　in　jail；　but　only　two　leaders；　Lount　and　Matthews；　both　brave　men；　paid　the　penalty　of　death　for　their　failure。　In　Lower　Canada　the　new　Governor　General；　Lord　Durham；　proved　more　clement；　merely　banishing　to　Bermuda　eight　of　the　captured　leaders。　When；　a　year　later；　after　Durham's　return　to　England；　a　second　brief　rising　broke　out　under　Robert　Nelson；　it　was　stamped　out　in　a　week；　twelve　of　the　ringleaders　were　executed；　and　others　were　deported　to　Botany　Bay。

The　rebellion；　it　seemed；　had　failed　and　failed　miserably。　Most　of　the　leaders　of　the　extreme　factions　in　both　provinces　had　been　discredited；　and　the　moderate　men　had　been　driven　into　the　government　camp。　Yet　in　one　sense　the　rising　proved　successful。　It　was　not　the　first　nor　the　last　time　that　wild　and　misguided　force　brought　reform　where　sane　and　moderate　tactics　met　only　contempt。　If　men　were　willing　to　die　to　redress　their　wrongs；　the　most　easy…going　official　could　no　longer　deny　that　there　was　a　case　for　inquiry　and　possibly　for　reform。　Lord　Melbourne's　Government　had　acted　at　once　in　sending　out　to　Canada；　as　Governor　General　and　High　Commissioner　with　sweeping　powers；　one　of　the　ablest　men　in　English　public　life。　Lord　Durham　was　an　aristocratic　Radical；　intensely　devoted　to　political　equality　and　equally　convinced　of　his　own　personal　superiority。　Yet　he　had　vision；　firmness；　independence；　and　his　very　rudeness　kept　him　free　from　the　social　influences　which　had　ensnared　many　another　Governor。　Attended　by　a　gorgeous　retinue　and　by　some　able　working　secretaries；　including　Charles　Buller；　Carlyle's　pupil；　he　made　a　rapid　survey　of　Upper　and　Lower　Canada。　Suddenly；　after　five　crowded　months；　his　mission　ended。　He　had　left　at　home　active　enemies　and　lukewarm　friends。　Lord　Brougham；　one　of　his　foes；　called　in　question　the　legality　of　his　edict　banishing　the　rebel　leaders　to　Bermuda。　The　Ministers　did　not　back　him；　as　they　should　have　done；　and　Durham　indignantly　resigned　and　hurried　back　to　England。

Three　months　later；　however；　his　〃Report〃　appeared　and　his　mission　stood　vindicated。　There　are　few　British　state　papers　of　more　fame　or　more　worth　than　Durham's　〃Report〃。　It　was　not；　however；　the　beginning　and　the　end　of　wisdom　in　colonial　policy；　as　has　often　been　declared。　Much　that　Durham　advocated　was　not　new；　and　much　has　been　condemned　by　time。　His　main　suggestions　were　four：　to　unite　the　Canadas；　to　swamp　the　French　Canadians　by　such　union；　to　grant　a　measure　of　responsible　government；　and　to　set　up　municipal　government。　His　attitude　towards　the　French　Canadians　was　prejudiced　and　shortsighted。　He　was　not　the　first　to　recommend　responsible　government；　nor　did　his　approval　make　it　a　reality。　Yet　with　all　qualifications　his　〃Report〃　showed　a　confidence　in　the　liberating　and　solving　power　of　self…government　which　was　the　all…essential　thing　for　the　English　Government　to　see；　and　his　reasoned　and　powerful　advocacy　gave　an　impetus　and　a　rallying　point　to　the　movement　which　were　to　prove　of　the　greatest　value　in　the　future　growth　not　only　of　Canada　but　of　the　whole　British　Empire。



CHAPTER　III。　THE　UNION　ERA

The　struggle　for　self…government　seemed　to　have　ended　in　deadlock　and　chaos。　Yet　under　the　wreckage　new　lines　of　constructive　effort　were　forming。　The　rebellion　had　at　least　proved　that　the　old　order　was　doomed。　For　half　a　century　the　attempt　had　been　made　to　govern　the　Canadas　as　separate　provinces　and　with　th