The Sun.
London, England, 1869-10-15 00:00:00

THE RUMOL'IIF,D HOLY ALLIANCE,

The Cologne Gazette declares that too much importance
has been attached to the rumoured alliance brie, cell Aus-
tria, Prussia, and Ilussia, opecially in l'rznce. The renewal
of the policy of this alliance would be an impossibility in
these days, and it must be remembered that even in 'Russia
public affairs engage more general attention than formerly,
while in Austria the majority of the people have to decide
on all important matters. The object of these inven-
tions is to make out that Prussia is hostile
to France, and seeks to form a coalition against liar.
The Gazette does not believe that the Emperor Napoleon
will again chew a hostile front to Prussia, and it is quite
certain that the Berlin Government will not sanction.any
such project as that of the Alliance.

GOLDWIN SMITH ON CANADA.

(From the Anglo-American Times.)

Unless we mistake, Professor Goldwin Smith
will receive little thanks in America for his letter,
published in the Daily .iVeics last Tuesday. We
believe the Professor to be mainly in the right, yet
the letter will give offence, both to Canada and the
United States. It appears that some one forwarded
to him a Canadian journal, containing an article on
the value of the colonial connection to England,
and its small cost, coupling Mr. Smith and the
Times among the anti-colonialists, who flourish and
grow confident because they are not encountered
on their own ground. The Professor alludes to
the strange association of himself with the Times, he
who was formerly denounced by the leading organ
for holding the very views for which, in conjunc-
tion with himself, it i 3 now censured. The writer
shows that the change originates in the working
men;who, though still unrepresented in Parliament,
at least have votes, and are determined that the
overwhelming load they already bear shall not be
increased. This is the wind which has whirled
round the Times, and not Mr. Lowe, as the Cana-
dian journalist supposes. Mr. Smith disclaims the
name of an anti-colonialist, for no human being
can be more firmly convinced of the value of the
British colonies, or prouder of them, than he, rat-
ing them far above all other trophies of British
greatness. England, in future times, can only re-
tain her place of honour in history as the parent of
such communities, and as relating the preparation
ior founding her i„,H.„
r y las an
that of other nations. irlg n agisu their aarifoun-
dation that Mr. Goldwin Smith has ever argued, but
in favour of their timely emancipation, as the best
means to preserve and perpetuate the moral bond
of mutual affection, now imperilled in the case of
Canada, by continuing dependency beyond its natu-
ral period. What Mr. Smith advocates is—
" That, when a fitting opportunity presented itself, Ca-
nada should be made an independent notion ; that Great
Britain should guarantee her independence for a term of
years ; that she should retain the British flag, with such
difference as the heraldry of nations may prescribe; and
that mutual citizenship should be preserved to the extent
of permitting the members of each of the two kindred
nations to take up all the rights and privileges of a
citizen in the other nation at their pleasure by mere
transfer of residence, and without any process of natu-
ralization,"

Hereafter if a ]'an-Britannic Council can be insti-
tuted for the preservation of intimate relations be-
tween the scattered members of the Anglo-Saxon
race, it is not from the school to which he belongs
that opposition will come. The letter proceeds to
discuss the reasons why Canadian independence
would be beneficial alike to Canada and England, a
still greater portion being devoted to show how
entering the Union would be injurious not only
to Canada, but to the Continent.

" Ceasing to hold Canada as a dependency, wo should
be at once released from the danger of war with America,
and the representatives of England would once more
stand upright and fearless in her presence. It is with the
prospect of an easy triumph over England on the Cana-
dian battle-field that the war demagogues flatter what-
ever there is of military ambition in the American people,
who would not be much allured by the prospect of a
merely maritime war with the first naval Power in the
world. As to Alabaman, our commerce once mainly under
steam, and the Suez Canal open, they need not frighten us
out of regard for our honour. That any commercial ad-
vantages accrue to England from the colonies retained as
dependencies which would not accrue from trade with them
as independent nations nobody has ever attempted to prove.
Canada lays heavy import duties on the products of our
industry, as though we were a foreign nation. If she was
independent we might negotiate a reciprocity treaty with

her ; while she remains a dependency wo dare not even
remonstrate, though all the time we are guaranteeing her
loans It is not pleasant to dwell upon these things, but
when we are considering whether we shall stake the
future of both countries upon the reasonableness and
justice of the present connection, we must not blink the
facts. Canada, on tLe other hand, is placed in perpetual
danger by our disputes with the United States, with which
there would otherwise be nothing to prevent her from
living in perfect amity. She is stimulated to spasmodic
expenditure on defences by the alarms of our War Office.
She loses her Reciprocity Treaty, and her freedom of com-
mercial intercourse with her neighbours, the strength of
the Protectionist party among whom is the hatred of Eng-
land. In case of war the doom of Canada would be cer-
tain. Ido not doubt that the spirit of her yeomanry and
gentry is such that if the word wore given them they
would shed their blood for the honour of the Empire. But
who would give them the word ? In those days of scienti-
fic strategy and arms of precision, victory declares with
ruthless certainty in favour of the largest battalions."

The writer, contrasting against this danger and
the positive evils resulting what Canada, gains as s
Province in a moral point of view and with refer-
ence to her highest interests in the future, arrives
at a conclusion unfavourable to the connection, and
not flattering to the public men of the Provinc.L
To us the most interesting portion of the letter is
that advocating independence as against annexa-
tion. We believe that those who best understand
the subject, stud.) ing it without prejudice and with-
out any personal motives involved, agree with Mr.
Smith in condemning the political connection ; but
the real question for the Canadians and for Ame-
rica generally is, independence versus annexation.
Our own belief is that the Canadians will try in-
dependence, and in case of failure enter the Union.
Mr. Smith asserts that the large and growing party
appears to be for independence, while he does not
think that many colonists are in favour of annexa•
tion except in Nova Scotia, and he does the Ameri-
can people the justice to say that they do not ex-
hibit any intention to force annexation on the
Canadians. A man could know nothing of the
United States who supposed that it was possible to
induce the citizens to violate the principles they
held most sacred, by forcing a foreign dominion on
a reluctant people. Nothing shows more conclu-
sively English ignorance of American affairs than
the general belief that Americans could so act, and
their citing the suppression of the rebellion in the
Southern States as a case in point. It is almost
vain to argue against the opinions of those who
cannot distinguish between the internal disruption
of a nation and foreign conquest. But we feel
assured that if Canada elects to try independence
she will find a friendly and encouraging neighbour
in the United States. Mr. Smith's reasons against
annexation are not without force. Canada woula
be involved in the political and commercial conse-
quences of a civil war in which she took no part,
and her political offices would fall as prizes to the
party in power, with neither of which had she any
connection, the objects of both being in a degree
alien to her interests. The Negro and the Chinese,
and other questions which lower at this moment on
the political future of the United States, would en-
tangle her's :
"She would be brought under a tariff dictated partly
by American interests of a sectional character, partly by
antipathy to England, and which would be not only in-
jurious, but ruinous to her trade. By accepting the Con-
stitution of the United States in its present form she would
be placed in relations to other countries, and especially to
England, such as I believe few Canadians would desire.
The American Senate of late years has grasped a large
share of all the powers of Government, but especially of
the treaty-making power; and the principle on which
this body is elected, all the States, large and small, hav-
ing an equal representation, gives a groat ascendancy to
New England, where the bitter feeling against the mother
country has at present its chief seat. Canada would be
in danger of being involved iu what to her would be a
truly fratricidal war with England by the votes of Ver-
mont, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island."

Mr. Smith evidently thinks that Canada is more the
guardian of pure Democracy than the United States,
and without such ballast chaos might ensue on the
Continent. She is a reserved force to retrieve in
America some of the errors
'into which, in its impetuous courso, amidst so many
conflicting interests, and with a population so heterogene-
ous, it is morally certain to fall. In this point of view her
premature absorption would be a misfortune for which no
extension of territory could compensate, especially to a
nation staggering under the vastness of its dominions.
But in every point of view there is much to be said against
a precipitate fusion of Canada with the United States. Let
us pay all duo honour to American progress, which, beside
the vast a;dition which it is making to the wealth of man-
kind is, by the mechanical invention which is so charac-
teristic a part of it, gradually raising the labourer every-
where from the level of a horse or an ox to that of the
guider of a machine. Still Americans themselves aro well
aware, and are constantly complaining, that the excitement
of this intense commercial and industrial competition eats
out health of body and tranquillity of mind. It is to dif-
ferent habits of life, I presume, that the Canadians owe
the retention of physical qualities which must strike every
eye, and whatever advantages of temperament such quali-
ties may entail ; and these perhaps may prove contribu -
tions to the future happiness of the population of the con-
tinent as important as the independent judiciary and free
representation.'
It must not, however, be supposed that whatever
may be the degree of independence attained by
Canada that Mr. Smith does not foresee some sort
of union which will confederate all North America
into one, for the purposes of internal free trade and
external security, which he holds to be absolutely
certain. We may notice a point of vital interest
which the Professor has overlooked in discussing
annexation. Suppose we allow that New England
feels more bitterly towards the mother country than
any other portion of the Republic, and that accord-
ing to the present system it is politically the
strongest, sending, in proportion to area and popu-
lation, a larger number of Representatives into the
most powerful legislative assembly, yet it does not
follow that the wisest plan would not be to meet
such hostility in that very Chamber. The point
Mr. Goldwin Smith has missed is simply this—the
influence Canada would have on the Union as States
of the Union. Mr. Smith views the question alto-
gether from one side, thus only seeing the influence
the Union would have on Canada, while not taking
into account the influence Canada would have on
the Union, which we maintain would be in proportion
to the truth of Mr. Smith's assertion that the sturdier
and purer Democracy is in Canada. Perhaps Mr.
Smith has resided long enough in the United States
to get strongly impregnated with what may be
locally true, still generally false ; but not long
enough to have that error corrected. New Eng-
land is the seat of the most, hostile feeling towards
‘..n.cat• we Lave always wttn sorrow
allowed, nor are the reasons difficult to find. It
was New England sentiment that laid the founda-
tion of the civil war, it was against the Puritanical
Yankee that the Southerner raged, the spirit which
animated that group of States and the great slave-
holding oligarchy was as bitterly opposed as feel-
ings could be. England, that is, the representa-
tive classes of England, those who appear promi-
nently and whom foreigners can see, favoured the
Southern against the New England sentiment, and
not only materially aided it, but gave it the means
of sweeping from the seas the ships of these New
England States. The pill was all the more bitter
because New England fully anticipated that the
sympathy of England would go with them in the
great slave struggle, and New England recognised
the fact in their error that at least a powerful sec-
tion of the English people were prepared to sacrifice
all good principles to their dislike to the progress
of American Democracy. Mr. Goldwin Smith finds
himself among a community for he mixes much
in New England society suffering under the smart
and from the consequences of England's tergi-
versation, and resenting it bitterly, and he ima-
gines this feeling to pervade the entire Union ;
hence the tenor of his communications to England,
exaggerating au idea which, however true of par-
ticular localities, is not the general sentiment of the
American people, and which instead of increasing,
daily lessens. This mistake vitiates much of what he
says, and the bias has been increased by the wide
expression of the annoyance in the American press
caused by his letter written immediately after the
delivery of Mr. Sumner's speech. We are all
human, and great and good a man as is Professor
Goldwin Smith, he is not above a prejudice, which
we assert, has tinctured his views on this subject.

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