the canadian dominion-第19部分

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ak；　and　when　the　terms　were　so　drawn　as　to　make　it　possible；　its　critics　charged；　that　rebels　as　well　as　loyalists　would　be　compensated；　flesh　and　blood　could　bear　no　more。　The　Governor　was　pelted　with　rotten　eggs　when　he　came　down　to　the　House　to　sign　the　bill；　and　the　buildings　where　Parliament　had　met　since　1844；　when　the　capital　had　been　transferred　from　Kingston　to　Montreal；　were　stormed　and　burned　by　a　street　mob。

The　anger　felt　against　the　Ministry　thus　turned　against　the　British　Government。　The　English　minority　felt　like　an　advance　guard　in　a　hostile　country；　deserted　by　the　main　forces；　an　Ulster　abandoned　to　Home　Ruler　and　Sinn　Feiner。　They　turned　to　the　south；　to　the　other　great　English…speaking　Protestant　people。　If　the　older　branch　of　the　race　would　not　give　them　protection　or　a　share　in　dominance；　perhaps　the　younger　branch　could　and　would。　As　Lord　Durham　had　suggested；　they　were　resolved　that　〃Lower　Canada　must　be　ENGLISH；　at　the　expense；　if　necessary；　of　not　being　BRITISH。〃

But　it　was　not　only　the　political　basis　of　the　old　colonial　system　that　was　rudely　shattered。　The　economic　foundations；　too；　were　passing　away；　and　with　them　the　profits　of　the　Montreal　merchants；　who　formed　the　backbone　of　the　annexation　movement。　It　has　been　seen　that　under　this　system　Great　Britain　had　aimed　at　setting　up　a　self…contained　empire；　with　a　monopoly　of　the　markets　of　the　colonies。　Now　for　her　own　sake　she　was　sweeping　away　the　tariff　and　shipping　monopoly　which　had　been　built　up　through　more　than　two　centuries。　The　logic　of　Adam　Smith；　the　experiments　of　Huskisson；　the　demands　of　manufacturers　for　cheap　food　and　raw　materials；　the　passionate　campaigns　of　Cobden　and　Bright；　and　the　rains　that　brought　the　Irish　famine；　at　last　had　their　effect。　In　1846　Peel　himself　undertook　the　repeal　of　the　Corn　Laws。　To　Lower　Canada　this　was　a　crushing　blow。　Until　of　late　the　preference　given　in　the　British　market　on　colonial　goods　in　return　for　the　control　of　colonial　trade　had　been　of　little　value；　but　in　1848　the　duties　on　Canadian　wheat　and　flour　had　been　greatly　lowered；　resulting　in　a　preference　over　foreign　grain　reckoned　at　eighteen　cents　a　bushel。　While　in　appearance　an　extension　of　the　old　system　of　preference　and　protection；　in　reality　this　was　a　step　toward　its　abandonment。　For　it　was　understood　that　American　grain；　imported　into　Canada　at　a　low　duty；　whether　shipped　direct　or　ground　into　flour；　would　be　admitted　at　the　same　low　rates。　The　Act；　by　opening　a　back　door　to　United　States　wheat；　foreshadowed　the　triumph　of　the　cheap　food　agitators　in　England。　But　the　merchants；　the　millers；　and　the　forwarders　of　Montreal　could　not　believe　this。　The　canal　system　was　rushed　through；　large　flour　mills　were　built；　and　heavy　investments　of　capital　were　made。　Then　in　1846　came　the　announcement　that　the　artificial　basis　of　this　brief　prosperity　had　vanished。　Lord　Elgin　summed　up　the　results　in　a　dispatch　in　1849：　〃Property　in　most　of　the　Canadian　towns；　and　more　especially　in　the　capital；　has　fallen　fifty　per　cent　in　value　within　the　last　three　years。　Three…fourths　of　the　commercial　men　are　bankrupt；　owing　to　free　trade。　A　large　proportion　of　the　exportable　produce　of　Canada　is　obliged　to　seek　a　market　in　the　United　States。　It　pays　a　duty　of　twenty　per　cent　on　the　frontier。　How　long　can　such　a　state　of　things　endure？〃

In　October；　1849；　the　leading　men　of　Montreal　issued　a　manifesto　demanding　annexation　to　the　United　States。　A　future　Prime　Minister　of　Canada；　J。　J。　C。　Abbott；　four　future　Cabinet　Ministers；　John　Rose；　Luther　Holton；　D。　L。　Macpherson；　and　A。　A。　Dorion；　and　the　commercial　leaders　of　Montreal；　the　Molsons；　Redpaths；　Torrances；　and　Workmans；　were　among　the　signers。　Besides　Dorion；　a　few　French　Canadians　of　the　Rouge　or　extreme　Radical　party　joined　in。　The　movement　found　supporters　in　the　Eastern　Townships；　notably　in　A。　T。　Galt；　a　financier　and　railroad　builder　of　distinction；　and　here　and　there　in　Canada　West。　Yet　the　great　body　of　opinion　was　unmistakably　against　it。　Baldwin　and　La　Fontaine　opposed　it　with　unswerving　energy；　the　Catholic　Church　in　Canada　East　denounced　it；　and　the　rank　and　file　of　both　parties　in　Canada　West　gave　it　short　shrift。　Elgin　came　out　actively　in　opposition　and　aided　in　negotiating　the　Reciprocity　Treaty　with　the　United　States　which　met　the　economic　need。　Montreal　found　itself　isolated；　and　even　there　the　revival　of　trade　and　the　cooling　of　passions　turned　men's　thoughts　into　other　channels。　Soon　the　movement　was　but　a　memory；　chiefly　serviceable　to　political　opponents　for　taunting　some　signer　of　the　manifesto　whenever　he　later　made　parade　of　his　loyalty。　It　had　a　more　unfortunate　effect；　however；　in　leading　public　opinion　in　the　United　States　to　the　belief　for　many　years　that　a　strong　annexationist　sentiment　existed　in　Canada。　Never　again　did　annexation　receive　any　notable　measure　of　popular　support。　A　national　spirit　was　slowly　gaining　ground；　and　men　were　eventually　to　see　that　the　alternative　to　looking　to　London　for　salvation　was　not　looking　to　Washington　but　looking　to　themselves。


In　the　provinces　by　the　sea　the　struggle　for　responsible　government　was　won　at　much　the　same　time　as　in　Canada。　The　smaller　field　within　which　the　contest　was　waged　gave　it　a　bitter　personal　touch；　but　racial　hostility　did　not　enter　in；　and　the　British　Government　proved　less　obdurate　than　in　the　western　conflicts。　In　both　Nova　Scotia　and　New　Brunswick　little　oligarchies　had　become　entrenched。　The　Government　was　unprogressive；　and　fees　and　salaries　were　high。　The　Anglican　Church　had　received　privileges　galling　to　other　denominations　which　surpassed　it　in　numbers。　The　〃powers　that　were〃　found　a　shrewd　defender　in　Haliburton；　who　tried　to　teach　his　fellow　Bluenoses　through　the　homely　wit　of　〃Sam　Slick〃　that　they　should　leave　governing　to　those　who　had　the　training；　the　capacity；　and　the　leisure　it　required。　In　Prince　Edward　Island　the　land　question　still　overshadowed　all　others。　Every　proposal　for　its　settlement　was　rejected　by　the　influence　of　the　absentee　landlords　in　England；　and　the　agitation　went　wearily　on。

In　Nova　Scotia　the　outstanding　figure　in　the　ranks　of　reform　was　Joseph　Howe。　The　son　of　a　Loyalist　settler；　Howe　early　took　to　his　father's　work　of　journalism。　At　first　his　sympathies　were　with　the　governing　powers；　but　a　controversy　with　a　brother　editor；　Jotham　Blanchard；　a　New　Hampshire　man　who　found　radical　backing　among　the　Scots　of　Pictou；　gave　him　new　light　and　he　soon　threw　his　whole　powers　into　the　struggle　on　the　popular　side。　Howe　was　a　man　lavishly　gifted；　one　of　the　most　effective　orators　America　has　produced；　fearing　no　man　and　no　task　however　great；　filled　with　a　vitality；　a　humor；　a　broad　sympathy　for　his　fellows　that　gave　him　the　blind　obedience　of　thousands　of　followers　and　the　glowing　friendship　of　countless　firesides。　There　are　still　old　men　in　Nova　Scotia　whose　proudest　memory　is　that　they　once　held　Howe's　horse　or　ran　on　an　errand　for　a　look　from　his　kingly　eye。

Howe　took　up　the　fight　in　earnest　in　1835。　The　western　demand　for　responsible　government　pointed　the　way；　and　Howe　became；　with　Baldwin；　its　most　trenchant　advocate。　In　spite　of　the　determined　opposition　of　the　sturdy