the canadian dominion-第28部分

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Great　Britain　for　neglect　in　permitting　the　escape　of　the　Alabama。　Some　settlement　of　these　disputed　matters　was　necessary；　and　it　was　largely　through　the　activities　of　a　Canadian　banker　and　politician；　Sir　John　Rose；　that　an　agreement　was　reached　to　submit　all　the　issues　to　a　joint　commission。

*　See　〃The　Path　of　Empire〃。


Macdonald　was　offered　and　accepted　with　misgivings　a　post　as　one　of　the　five　British　Commissioners。　He　pressed　the　traditional　Canadian　policy　of　offering　fishery　for　trade　privileges　but　found　no　backing　in　this　or　other　matters　from　his　British　colleagues；　and　he　met　only　unyielding　opposition　from　the　American　Commissioners。　He　fell　back；　under　protest；　on　a　settlement　of　narrower　scope；　which　permitted　reciprocity　in　navigation　and　bonding　privileges；　free　admission　of　Canadian　and　Newfoundland　fish　to　United　States　markets　and　of　American　fishermen　to　Canadian　and　Newfoundland　waters；　and　which　provided　for　a　subsidiary　commission　to　fix　the　amount　to　be　paid　by　the　United　States　for　the　surplus　advantage　thus　received。　The　Fenian　Raids　claims　were　not　even　considered；　and　Macdonald　was　angered　by　this　indifference　on　the　part　of　his　British　colleagues。　〃They　seem　to　have　only　one　thing　in　their　minds；　〃　he　reported　privately　to　Ottawa；　〃that　is；　to　go　home　to　England　with　a　treaty　in　their　pocket；　settling　everything；　no　matter　at　what　cost　to　Canada。〃　Yet　when　the　time　came　for　the　Canadian　Parliament　to　decide　whether　to　ratify　the　fishery　clauses　of　the　Treaty　of　Washington　in　which　the　conclusions　of　the　commission　were　embodied；　Macdonald；　in　spite　of　the　unpopularity　of　the　bargain　in　Canada；　〃urged　Parliament〃　to　accept　the　treaty；　accept　it　with　all　its　imperfections；　to　accept　it　for　the　sake　of　peace　and　for　the　sake　of　the　great　Empire　of　which　we　form　a　part。〃　The　treaty　was　ratified　in　1871　by　all　the　powers　concerned；　and　the　stimulus　to　the　peaceful　settlement　of　international　disputes　given　by　the　Geneva　Tribunal　which　followed*　justified　the　subordination　of　Canada's　specific　interests。

*　See　〃The　Path　of　Empire〃


A　change　in　party　now　followed　in　Canada；　but　the　new　Government　under　Alexander　Mackenzie　〃was　as　fully　committed　as　the　Government　of　Sir　John　Macdonald　to　the　policy　of　bartering　fishery　for　trade　advantage。　Canada　therefore　proposed　that　instead　of　carrying　out　the　provisions　for　a　money　settlement；　the　whole　question　should　be　reopened。　The　Administration　at　Washington　was　sympathetic。　George　Brown　was　appointed　along　with　the　British　Ambassador；　Sir　Edward　Thornton；　to　open　negotiations。　Under　Brown's　energetic　leadership　a　settlement　of　all　outstanding　issues　was　drafted　in　1874；　which　permitted　freedom　of　trade　in　natural　and　in　most　manufactured　products　for　twenty…one　years；　and　settled　fishery；　coasting　trade；　navigation；　and　minor　boundary　issues。　But　diplomats　proposed；　and　the　United　States　Senate　disposed。　Protectionist　feeling　was　strong　at　Washington；　and　the　currency　problem　absorbing；　and　hence　this　broad　and　statesmanlike　essay　in　neighborliness　could　not　secure　an　hour's　attention。　This　plan　having　failed；　the　Canadian　Government　fell　back　on　the　letter　of　the　treaty。　A　Commission　which　consisted　of　the　Honorable　E。　H。　Kellogg　representing　the　United　States；　Sir　Alexander　T。　Galt　representing　Canada；　and　the　Belgian　Minister　to　Washington；　M。　Delfosse；　as　chairman；　awarded　Canada　and　Newfoundland　5；500；000　as　the　excess　value　of　the　fisheries　for　the　ten　years　the　arrangement　was　to　run。　The　award　was　denounced　in　the　United　States　as　absurdly　excessive；　but　a　sense　of　honor　and　the　knowledge　that　millions　of　dollars　from　the　Alabama　award　were　still　in　the　Treasury　moved　the　Senate　finally　to　acquiesce；　though　only　for　the　ten…year　term　fixed　by　treaty。　In　Canada　the　award　was　received　with　delight　as　a　signal　proof　that　when　left　to　themselves　Canadians　could　hold　their　own。　The　prevailing　view　was　well　summed　up　in　a　letter　from　Mackenzie　to　the　Canadian　representative　on　the　Halifax　commission；　written　shortly　before　the　decision：　〃I　am　glad　you　still　have　hopes　of　a　fair　verdict。　I　am　doubly　anxious　to　have　it；　first；　because　we　are　entitled　to　it　and　need　the　dollars；　and；　second；　because　it　will　be　the　first　Canadian　diplomatic　triumph；　and　will　justify　me　in　insisting　that　we　know　our　neighbors　and　our　own　business　better　than　any　Englishmen。〃

Mackenzie's　insistence　that　Canada　must　take　a　larger　share　in　the　control　of　her　foreign　affairs　was　too　advanced　a　stand　for　many　of　his　more　conservative　countrymen。　For　others；　he　did　not　go　far　enough。　The　early　seventies　saw　the　rise　of　a　short…lived　movement　in　favor　of　Canadian　independence。　To　many　independence　from　England　seemed　the　logical　sequel　to　Confederation；　and　the　rapid　expansion　of　Canadian　territory　over　half　a　continent　stimulated　national　pride　and　national　self…consciousness　Opinion　in　England　regarding　Canadian　independence　was　still　more　outspoken。　There　imperialism　was　at　its　lowest　ebb。　With　scarcely　an　exception；　English　politicians；　from　Bright　to　Disraeli；　were　hostile　or　indifferent　to　connection　with　the　colonies；　which　had　now　ceased　to　be　a　trade　asset　and　had　clearly　become　a　military　liability。

But　no　concrete　problem　arose　to　make　the　matter　a　political　issue。　In　England　a　growing　uneasiness　over　the　protectionist　policies　and　the　colonial　ambitions　of　her　European　rivals　were　soon　to　revive　imperial　sentiment。　In　Canada　the　ties　of　affection　for　the　old　land；　as　well　as　the　inertia　fostered　by　long　years　of　colonial　dependence；　kept　the　independence　movement　from　spreading　far。　For　the　time　the　rising　national　spirit　found　expression　in　economic　rather　than　political　channels。　The　protectionist　movement　which　a　few　years　later　swept　all　Canada　before　it　owed　much　of　its　strength　to　its　claim　to　be　the　national　policy。


But　it　was　not　imperial　or　foreign　relations　that　dominated　public　interest　in　the　seventies。　Domestic　politics　were　intensely　absorbing　and　bitterly　contested。　Within　five　years　there　came　about　two　sudden　and　sweeping　reversals　of　power。　Parties　and　Cabinets　which　had　seemed　firmly　entrenched　were　dramatically　overthrown　by　sudden　changes　in　the　personal　factors　and　in　the　issues　of　the　day。　In　the　summer　of　1872　the　second　general　election　for　the　Dominion　was　held。　The　Opposition　had　now　gained　in　strength。　The　Government　had　ceased　to　be　in　any　real　sense　a　coalition；　and　most　of　the　old　Liberal　rank　and　file　were　back　in　the　party　camp。　They　had　found　a　vigorous　leader　in　Alexander　Mackenzie。

Mackenzie　had　come　to　Canada　from　Scotland　in　1842　as　a　lad　of　twenty。　He　worked　at　his　trade　as　a　stonemason；　educated　himself　by　wide　reading　and　constant　debating；　became　a　successful　contractor　and；　after　Confederation；　had　proved　himself　one　of　the　most　aggressive　and　uncompromising　champions　of　Upper　Canada　Liberalism。　In　the　first　Dominion　Parliament　he　tacitly　came　to　be　regarded　as　the　leader　of　all　the　groups　opposed　to　the　Macdonald　Administration。　He　was　at　the　same　time　active　in　the　Ontario　Legislature　since；　for　the　first　five　years　of　Confederation；　no　law　forbade　membership　in　both　federal　and　provincial　Parliaments；　an