the canadian dominion-第25部分

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g　majority　had　failed；　it　was　George　Brown　who　proposed　that　the　party　leaders　should　join　hands　in　devising　some　form　of　federation。　Macdonald　had　hitherto　been　a　stout　opponent　of　all　change　but；　once　converted；　he　threw　himself　into　the　struggle；　with　energy。　He　never　appeared　to　better　advantage　than　in　the　negotiations　of　the　next　few　years；　steering　the　ship　of　Confederation　through　the　perilous　shoals　of　personal　and　sectional　jealousies。　Few　had　a　harder　or　a　more　important　task　than　Cartier's…reconciling　Canada　East　to　a　project　under　which　it　would　be　swamped；　in　the　proposed　federal　House；　by　the　representatives　of　four　or　five　English…speaking　provinces。　McDougall；　a　Canada　West　Reformer；　shared　with　Brown　the　credit　for　awakening　Canadians　to　the　value　of　the　Far　West　and　to　the　need　of　including　it　in　their　plans　of　expansion。　D'Arcy　McGee；　more　than　any　other；　fired　the　imagination　of　the　people　with　glowing　pictures　of　the　greatness　and　the　limitless　possibilities　of　the　new　nation。　Charles　Tupper；　the　head　of　a　Nova　Scotia　Conservative　Ministry　which　had　overthrown　the　old　tribune；　Joseph　Howe；　had　the　hardest　and　seemingly　most　hopeless　task　of　all；　for　his　province　appeared　to　be　content　with　its　separate　existence　and　was　inflamed　against　union　by　Howe's　eloquent　opposition；　but　to　Tupper　a　hard　fight　was　as　the　breath　of　his　nostrils。　In　New　Brunswick；　Leonard　Tilley；　a　man　of　less　vigor　but　equal　determination；　led　the　struggle　until　Confederation　was　achieved。

It　was　in　June；　1864；　that　the　leaders　of　the　Parliament　of　Canada　became　convinced　that　federation　was　the　only　way　out。　A　coalition　Cabinet　was　formed；　with　Sir　Etienne　Tache　as　nominal　Premier；　and　with　Macdonald；　Brown；　Cartier；　and　Galt　all　included。　An　opening　for　discussing　the　wider　federation　was　offered　by　a　meeting　which　was　to　be　held　in　Charlottetown；　Prince　Edward　Island；　of　delegates　from　the　three　Maritime　Provinces　to　consider　the　formation　of　a　local　union。　There；　in　September；　1864；　went　eight　of　the　Canadian　Ministers。　Their　proposals　met　with　favor。　A　series　of　banquets　brought　the　plans　before　the　public；　seemingly　with　good　results。　The　conference　was　resumed　a　month　later　at　Quebec。　Here；　in　sixteen　working　days；　delegates　from　Canada；　Nova　Scotia；　New　Brunswick；　Prince　Edward　Island；　and　also　from　Newfoundland；　thirty…three　in　all；　after　frank　and　full　deliberation　behind　closed　doors；　agreed　upon　the　terms　of　union。　Macdonald's　insistence　upon　a　legislative　union；　wiping　out　all　provincial　boundaries；　was　overridden；　but　the　lesson　of　the　conflict　between　the　federal　and　state　jurisdiction　in　the　United　States　was　seen　in　provisions　to　strengthen　the　central　authority。　The　general　government　was　empowered　to　appoint　the　lieutenant　governors　of　the　various　provinces　and　to　veto　any　provincial　law；　to　it　were　assigned　all　legislative　powers　not　specifically　granted　to　the　provinces；　and　a　subsidy　granted　by　the　general　government　in　lieu　of　the　customs　revenues　resigned　by　the　provinces　still　further　increased　their　dependence　upon　the　central　authority。

It　had　taken　less　than　three　weeks　to　draw　up　the　plan　of　union。　It　took　nearly　three　years　to　secure　its　adoption。　So　far　as　Canada　was　concerned；　little　trouble　was　encountered。　British　traditions　of　parliamentary　supremacy　prevented　any　direct　submission　of　the　question　to　the　people；　but　their　support　was　clearly　manifested　in　the　press　and　on　the　platform；　and　the　legislature　ratified　the　project　with　emphatic　majorities　from　both　sections　of　the　province。　Though　it　did　not　pass　without　opposition；　particularly　from　the　Rouges　under　Dorion　and　from　steadfast　supporters　of　old　ways　like　Christopher　Dunkin　and　Sandfield　Macdonald；　the　fight　was　only　halfhearted。　Not　so；　however；　in　the　provinces　by　the　sea。　The　delegates　who　returned　from　the　Quebec　Conference　were　astounded　to　meet　a　storm　of　criticism。　Local　pride　and　local　prejudice　were　aroused。　The　thrifty　maritime　population　feared　Canadian　extravagance　and　Canadian　high　tariffs。　They　were　content　to　remain　as　they　were　and　fearful　of　the　unknown。　Here　and　there　advocates　of　annexation　to　the　United　States　swelled　the　chorus。　Merchants　in　Halifax　and　St。　John　feared　that　trade　would　be　drawn　away　to　Montreal。　Above　all；　Howe；　whether　because　of　personal　pique　or　of　intense　local　patriotism；　had　put　himself　at　the　head　of　the　agitation　against　union；　and　his　eloquence　could　still　play　upon　the　prejudices　of　the　people。　The　Tilley　Government　in　New　Brunswick　was　swept　out　of　power　early　in　1865。　Prince　Edward　Island　and　Newfoundland　both　drew　back；　the　one　for　eight　years；　the　other　to　remain　outside　the　fold　to　the　present　day。　In　Nova　Scotia　a　similar　fate　was　averted　only　by　Tupper's　Fabian　tactics。　Then　the　tide　turned。　In　New　Brunswick　the　Fenian　Raids；　pressure　from　the　Colonial　Office；　and　the　blunders　of　the　anti…Confederate　Government　brought　Tilley　back　to　power　on　a　Confederation　platform　a　year　later。　Tupper　seized　the　occasion　and　carried　his　motion　through　the　Nova　Scotia　House。　Without　seeking　further　warrant　the　delegates　from　Canada；　Nova　Scotia；　and　New　Brunswick　met　in　London　late　in　1866；　and　there　in　consultation　with　the　Colonial　Office　drew　up　the　final　resolutions。　They　were　embodied　in　the　British　North　America　Act　which　went　through　the　Imperial　Parliament　not　only　without　raising　questions　but　even　without　exciting　interest。　On　July　1；　1867；　the　Dominion　of　Canada；　as　the　new　federation　was　to　be　known；　came　into　being。　It　is　a　curious　coincidence　that　the　same　date　witnessed　the　establishment　of　the　North　German　Bund；　which　in　less　than　three　years　was　to　expand　into　the　German　Empire。



CHAPTER　IV。　THE　DAYS　OF　TRIAL

The　federation　of　the　four　provinces　was　an　excellent　achievement；　but　it　was　only　a　beginning　on　the　long；　hard　road　to　nationhood。　The　Fathers　of　Confederation　had　set　their　goal　and　had　proclaimed　their　faith。　It　remained　for　the　next　generation　to　seek　to　make　their　vision　a　reality。　It　was　still　necessary　to　make　the　Dominion　actual　by　bringing　in　all　the　lands　from　sea　to　sea。　And　when；　on　paper；　Canada　covered　half　a　continent；　union　had　yet　to　be　given　body　and　substance　by　railway　building　and　continuous　settlement。　The　task　of　welding　two　races　and　many　scattered　provinces　into　a　single　people　would　call　for　all　the　statesmanship　and　prudence　the　country　had　to　give。　To　chart　the　relations　between　the　federal　and　the　provincial　authorities；　which　had　so　nearly　brought　to　shipwreck　the　federal　experiment　of　Canada's　great　neighbor；　was　like　navigating　an　unknown　sea。　And　what　was　to　be　the　attitude　of　the　new　Dominion；　half　nation；　half　colony；　to　the　mother　country　and　to　the　republic　to　the　south；　no　one　could　yet　foretell。

The　first　problem　which　faced　the　Dominion　was　the　organization　of　the　new　machinery　of　government。　It　was　necessary　to　choose　a　federal　Administration　to　guide　the　Parliament　which　was　soon　to　meet　at　Ottawa；　the　capital　of　the　old　Canada　since　1858　and　now　accepted　as　the　capital　of　the　larger　Canada。　It　was　necessary　also　to　establish　provincial　Governments　in　Canada　West；　henceforth　known　as　Ontario　and　in　Canada　East；　or　Quebec。