The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1870-12-24
CANADIAN DEPENDENCE.
Consequences Of tho Adoption Of President
Grants Suggestions.
The Railroad Interests-How Suspension Of tho
Bonding System Would Affect canada-Con-
fusion to Commerce and Agriculture-In-
jury to Large Section of the Country.
ONTARIO, Dec. II. 1870

ONTARIO, Dec. IL, 1870
The last message OF the President Of the United
States to Congress bears TO so great extent upon
the prospective interests OF Canada that few
words upon the subject from a resident OF tho
country may not be inopportune. The newspapers
| OF the Dominion in commenting upon the threat OF
the suspension OF the bonding system and the laws
permitting Canadian vessels to enter American
waters have assumed that the recommendation OF
the President VIII have little weight with Congress.
They appear to regard it as rctallatory measure
OF almost schoolboy vindlcveness, which no body
or men exercising calul and deliberate judgment
would for a moment tolerate. They seem unable
to look upon 1t as the serious studied
production of the responsible representative OF a
nation OF forty millions OF people, hgh-spiritcd and
sensitive TO Slight and against whom "sem 1
Independent but irresponsible agent has exercised
Its delegated powers the fisheries question in an
unfriendy way" They treat the complaint jocularly
and are inclined to banter over what appears 10
them funny joke; but the fact of this mater hav-
Ing engaged the serious attention OF the President
of the United States, and being Thought by hun Of
sufficient importance TO be submitted as sng
gestion for the interference OF Congress. stamps 1t
with significance and portentous import that no
amount OF raery can lessen IN the eyes Of thought
1ul Canadians .
There may be show Of vlndictlveness in the
threat OF q suspension or the Djntlng system, anu
probably there IS, out mad the President prooSd
Canada from end TO end had he tired every crevice
in her armor plate, mad he sounded her whole
frontier with bis political stethoscope, he could NOT
have found sorer spot upon which to drop HIS
iritanL poison ana the demon Of Internal dis
senson within her borders. The first scratch oil the
lancet has produced Letllation only, ana ironical
laughter Is heard all sides; laughter, however.
that betrays symptoms Of the hysterical--a ftful
laugh naif-pleasu c, hali-paln, laugh mat mas
neither the ring OF genuine derlson nor the ADAM
donment OF every indifference 10 recommend it,
and that too, could be converted into howl Of pan
/ full uneasiness and uncertainty.
The two great railways o Canada, the only effective
/ means OF win er transportation are known as the
Grand Trunk and the Great Western. The Grand
Trunk runs from Detroit, IN the state OF Michigan
! to Portland, III the State of Maine. SXtytwo miles
/ of this road from detroit TO Port Huron, IN the
West, and l49 miles in the East from Island Pond to
4 Portland. are laid upon American territory. and
available port or shipment Tor that whole section OF
country served by The Grand Trunk, from PORT
embracing the towns ana cities or London Guelph.
/ Toronto, Kingston, Ottawa ana Montreal; couse-
the country must find an outlet through american a
territory for SIX months In the wear or the whole
business community remain IN state OF semtorpor
Railway has Its western terminus at Detroit and It's
eastern at Suspension Bridge In connection win the
New York Central and Erie Railways ~ ira
verses for 249 miles the garden OF Canada,
the heart of Ontario rich IN all manner
means OF eastern connections good part
OF this produce to the seaboard for export Lop on
i which would virtually be done by u suspension OF
tie bonding system, sever for SIX months IN the
wear its power TO transmit the produce OF the
! country to the seaboard, and you at once strike q
blow That has a parayzing eject upon Tue whole
commerce oil the richest and most nouflsh,hg pol-
tion Canada. Again we have hitherto spoken only
! OF exports, but as Canada looks TO Ehelaud iol
most of her dry goods, her hardware and, III iac,
the bulk OF the manufactured goods consumed III
this country, the suspension Of the bonding system
would prevent winter im 9ortatons for spring con.
sumption and dsarrange and dlsorgallize inc whole
business arrangements OF the country.
it may be SAID that the difficulty would only be
! temporary, and that The completion or the Inter-
colonial Railway now building win give Halifax
to this country Tor winter port ana SO bantsh tne
necessity for the continued reliance upon ING gqou
will Of our neighoors ana maSe " lnldflsndeIt Oh
thstE nRqd Is not very far at the present time
! The extreme eastern section OF the Grand Trunk
that lying east OF Richmond-is found most difficult
To work during the winter months, and that portion
lying between Quebec and Rivere-du-Loup Is closed
altogether. The country traverscd by the Ilier-
weather throughout IT'S whole length, ana
the road now building is viewed by tue
Of emergency than as business highway; and
owing to the difficulties OF transportation, 1t could
never be relied upon affordng adequate facilities
for more than moiety OF the demands that sus-
pension OF The bonding system would throw upon 1t.
linus; m any event. extreme action py tne govern
would Oeget confusion throughout The length and
breadth Of the land and mems minds would be
turned inquringy Tor channel that should lead to
solution OF the countrys difficulty. The three al
ternaives-dependence upon England, with cold
comfort; isolation commonly called inde-
union pnHas with The United States and srens III
would be discussed with an eagerness
induced all sides by stied business, dsorganlzed
monetary arrangements, railway panics and labor
panics, which would occur winter after winter,
when the closing Of the ST. Lawrence threw the
country back upon itself, closed the portals OF the
outer world and introduced the frigidity OF frozen
death into every business avenue. With these
results following not the threat, but the fulflment
OF the threat it is no very hard matter to predict
that more easy conquest Of country could not De
made than by the bloodess means Swallowed by
your far-seeng President.