The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-06-27
The New Governor General OF the
Mavx D0mi mfAu.


The New Governor General OF tn
New Dominfon.
In another place in these columns this morn
readable matter bearing upon the present rela
tions of the New Dominion and the United
States. Our relations with Canada have &C
quired fresh interest at the present time from
variety of causes, but particularly from the
Washington Treaty and from the arrival in the
Dominion of Lord Duferin, the new Governor
General We know no good reason why the
Dominion should not find q sphere of develop
ment and field Of success on the northern
portion of this Continent 1t is not necessary
that our prosperity should give the Dominion
ties any annoyance or that their prosperity
should give us any pain. The field is large,
the harvest is rich, and as yet
the laborers are comparatively few.
Springing from the same noble stock,
and divided by circumstances and the acct
dents of history rather than by what could be
called motives of interest, there is no good
reason why the success Of the one should i'm
ply the failure of the other but every good
reason why both should go on prospecting and
to prosper. Our superior strength is not any
longer, if it ever was a matter of dispute; but
our knowledge Of superior strength does not
make us ungenerous or hinder us from enter
tanning kindly thoughts regarding our neigh
bors. Health, wealth and prosperity on the
other side of our northern frontier lines is
gain, not loss, to us.
Although we have had no reason to COM
plain of Lord Lisgar, or, indeed, Of any Of the
recent Governors General of the Dominion, it
gratifes us not q little to know that such o
man as Lord Dufferin has been singled out by
the British government to represent the inter
ests of the Crown and to preside in these test
ing times over the affairs of the Canadas. It
has never been q characteristic of the British
petent men to preside over the interests of it's
colonial subjects The right men have never
been wanting. and the history of the British
colonies shows that the men appointed to
colonial rule have been wisely chosen and
that they have seldom deserved i'll Of their
country. Lord Dufferin, from all we know Of
him, seems to be man peculiarly qualified for
the important and highly responsible position
which, in the service of his country, he has
been called upon to fill He belongs to an
ancient and noble family. The head of the
family which boasts the title of Temple Black
wood, he is also the great grandson of the
celebrated Richard Brinsley Sheridan, the wit,
the dramatist and the orator. Lord Duferin
has the reputation of being a fine scholar, and
his published works give evidence Of literary
taste and ability. Few works of the kind have
been more read and admired than his "Letters
from High Latitudes." His Lordship is a
liberal in politics and On enthusiastic sup
porter of the Gladstone administration. On
the occasion of the untimely death Of the late
Lord Mayo Lord Dufferin was spoken of by
many as suitable person to represent the
British Crown in India. The new Governor
General has warm side to the people and to
the institutions of the United States, and in a
speech delivered in Belfast on June IL, after
declaring that it would be his agreeable duty
in his new position to exhibit or oil occasions
hospitality, liberality and courtesy to the
citizens Of the United States" he stated that
it was his good fortune to know many distin-
guished Americans, and he claimed some Of
them as his dearest friends.
Lord Dufferin comes to the New Dominion
at time when the relations of the Dominion
with the United States are peculiarly delicate.
At any moment the disputes between the two
peoples in the matter Of the fisheries might
lead to bloodshed and if blood were shed it
might be found impossible to prevent fearful
and bloody war. Let us hope that the wis
dom, tact and good sense of the new Governor
General will stand him in good stead, that he
will be able to restrain the more impetuous
spirits among the people over whom he has
been called upon to rule, and so preserve
peaceful relations between the two great Eng
disappearing peoples, and that when his work
in Canada is done he may be able to boast
that in winning golden opinions from his tenn
porary subjects he has not lost the respect or
favor of his Sovereign.