Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1871-06-15
Canada and the Causes OF i's
of Prosperity.

OF fIOspChs
That tho fonr provinces of the Domin-
-, 81 Canada do not exhibit a popula'
ton Of from six to seven millions OF peo-
nle with corresponding wealth, and activ-
tiles OF industry is very plain and nm
mistskable result of the fact that they
have not received their natural share OF
the energies that are at work in the de-
yelopement of the American oontinen"
This fact is clearly to DO traced u .nei
Isolation from the free interchange OF ac'
tivities in a commercial way which the
rest of the communities OF America nave
secured by their natural confeoera''0n'
The mere political distinctions between
the dependent British provinces and the
United States, or rather the difference BE-
tween the two forms of popular govern
ments. should not be taken into considera-
ton in the weighing of the causes OF the
slower growth that the provinces exhibit
The political institutions Of the Dominion
of Canada are but little less republican
either in operation or principle, than
those of the American states, and cannot,
therefore, with reason be changed without
exerting of themselves any disadvanta-
eeous influence upon the country. The
influence of republican institutions upon
immigration from Europe, 1t may be a
matter of COR oie doubt whether po-
litiosl considerations do not govern the
choioe which the immigrant makes of the
Troited States rather than Canada. He
has been led to believe that he will find
in the United States more activity, wider
opportunties and more vigorous, stirring
life. The greater activities are patent
and undeniable. From the great diversi-
ty of resources, productive capabilities
the large area of territory in the states,
with varied climates, variations OF soil, its
many different forms of structure, its
seaboard, inland seas, great rivers, prai-
ries, it's mineral mountains, present an ar
raw of mutual industrial. forces, acting and
re-acting upon each other, with unrestrict-
ed and perfect freedom, which is especial
" cumulative and stimulating beyond
ANYTHING that has been known in the
worlds history, and the secret of it all is
the freedom of diversified change. This
effect comes TO stand where that free
dom of industrial commerce meets with
interference The custom houses of the
frontier paralyze it more than half, and if
close examination is made it will be
found that it is in just the degree that the
neighboring provinces are cut off by their
political isolation from the free circula'
ton of the productive and commercial
energies of the continent, that they have
fallen behind their sister communities Of
the same origin, and the same character
in material progress.
II the same Interchange had taken
tAaSe between the United States and the
neigbboring provinces that exists between
tho several States of the Union, we should
low impart to the Dominion the activities
of forty millions of people, with the. re,
spending to US the activities of six OF
seven Millions but that is an inequality
of exchange which we have between our
union at large and its several States which
proves marvellously profitable.
In the large impulse of advancement
that was given to Upper Canada by this
operation of the so.called reciprocity
during the eleven years of its existence
u marked illustration was afforded of the
magnitude of the influence which limita
tons put upon the freedom of commercial
intercourse between their producers sno
ours exert on them. Unfortunately TIT
United States did not learn from the ex
perience of that treaty the value to our
selves If a state of freedom in the inter
changes of the two countries The ad
iustment of the partial free trade estab
lsbed by the treaty negotiated in 1864
was such "a to render its operation yer,
far from reciprocal or equitable, for tn
reason that the schedule of commoditie
covered by it, while it embraced on tn
one hand nearly everything that the prov
inees produce, included on the other bu
limited number of the productions c
which this country desires to extend 1t
sale; and for the greater reason that tn
commodities made free were almost who'll
of description for which the province
could offer no market to us commemorate
with the markets that the United State
opened to them.
1t was impossible that an arrangement
of incomplete free trade 20 non-reciprc
cal and partial in its operation, and 40 vez
stiana in the result, as the treaty of 1S5
was, of forced bargain on the fisher
question conld be allowed to continue b,
yond the term for which it was contrac
ed. It wss rigbteously abrogsted in 1856
by the act of the United States with th
very general sanction of popular opinio
in the country at large, especially anon
the farmers of New England. Yet Their
are probably few among those who or
posed the mutation of the reciprocit
treaty, and who now oppose its renews
in any similar form who are not full
convinced that an intimate unrestIicte
commerce with the Canadian province
would be of great benefit TO the Unite
States, es it certainly would be power
full stimulspt to the growth of cur neigh
bors of the Dominion. This question
one of adjustments. Free trade or an
approach to natural commercial intel
course between these quasi neigh bors an
the States is impossible, unless the ou
side conditions and commercial relation
of the two countries can be brought int
harmony with each other. This is in
portsnt and, in fact, the only point fc
consideration. If the exterior relation
of the United States and the Dominion {
Canada were so adjusted to one anothe
as not to interfere on either side with
natural circulation of free trade betwee
themselves. probably not an intelligen
o;t;,ao xunnlA raisa b;a ro,oa a.a;ost !