The New York herald., 1878-03-25
United states aud Canada-Obstacles
Reciprocity.


of treaty for reciprocal trade with the United
States. 1t is to be regretted that people on
the other side of the line have so little per-
ception of their true advantage that they
are constantly doing some maladroit thing
to impede the attainment of this capital
object. We are quite sensible that reel
procity treaty would benefit both countries,
but not both in the same degree. To the
United States it would be only con-
venience to Canada it is vital neces-
sity. Canada is an interior country.
long strip of our territory, stretching for
thousands of miles, is interposed between
the Dominion and the Atlantic coast, shut
ting in our neighbors totally for great
part of every year. and partially for the
brief season when the st. Lawrence is navi-
gable Canada suffers the same territorial
disabilities which our Western States would
suffer if they formed IA separate nation west
Of the Alieghanies, with no direct access to
the Atlantic except through foreign terri
tory. Canada is even worse off than our
the Union, because the great, though cir
cuitous, outlet of the Mississippi is open
throughout the year, while the roundabout
outlet of Canada through the st. Lawrence
is locked up by ice and fogs for half the
year, and is not very convenient, except for
direct commerce with Europe, during the
other halt. Free egress and ingress through
the long stretch Of United States territory
which is interposed between it and the
ocean is as much necessity for Canada rs
it is for the American States of Indiana and
Ohio, and the Canadians are quarrelling
with their own bread and butter when they
perversely put obstacles in the way OF
new reciprocity treaty. Even the territorial
barrier which is interposed between them
and the Atlantic is but slight disadvantage
compared with their exclusion from the
markets of great, rich and populous neigh
Dor like the United States. The Canadians,
to do them justice, are not insensible of the
immense value of a reciprocity treaty ; but
by strange series of perversities they seem
determined to deprive themselves of what
they most need.
This line of remarks is not so much sug
gested by the recent aspect OF the fisheries
question as by the leading measure which
ment The leading topic of discussion in
Canada for the last few weeks is a protec
tive and retaliatory tariff against the United
States. This is not indeed measure of
the Canadian administration now in
power, but of the opposition. The
government of Mr.. Alexander Mackenzie,
the present Premier, takes an en-
lightened stand ON the principle of
free trade, but powerful opposition, led
by Sir John Macdonald, who aspires to be
the new Premier, is pushing the protection
ist issue with great vigor and strong hopes
of success. The Dominion Parliament is
elected for five years. The Parliament now
in session at Ottawa is in the last year Of
it's term, and Sir John Macdonald, the oppo-
sition chief, is preparing to make the tariff
question the main issue in the new cleo
tions. If he succeeds he will come into
power with an administration pledged to
retaliatory duties against the United States.
The success of such policy would post
pone reciprocity indefinitely His views are
expressed in the following resolution intro
duced by him in the present Parliament
Resolved, That this House s Of opinion that the
welfare OF Canada requires tue adoption OF national
policy which, by u readJustmeut oi the tariff will
foster tho agricuitural, the mining, tho
and other IN rests OF the Dominion
That such policy would retain IN Canada thousands
OF ou- fellow countrymen now obliged 10 expatriatc
themselves In search OF tho employ ment denied them
home--wili restore prosperity TO our struggling
dustries saaIy depressed-wil prevent Canada
from being made sacrifice markot-wili encourage
aud develop active lnterprovincal trade-and
moving ought to dol In the direction OF reciproc-
iy tariffs with noighbors, so far tho varied
interests oil Canada may demand Will greatly tend TO
procure for this country eventually reciprocity OF
trade
1t will be observed that Sir John Macdon-
aid is compelled, even in this retaliatory
resolution, to do homage to the principle of
reciprocity, so vital to Canadian interests;
but instead of being means of reaching
reciprocity, as he pretends, it would be q
fatal obstruction. If the new elections bring
him into power and his policy succeeds the
capital invested in Canadian manufactures
will build up powerful interest in opposi-
ton to reciprocity. The men who will have
invested their money in new enterprises by
the encouragement and invitation of the
government, who will have erected build
ings, set up costly machinery, purchased
raw materials and employed hands on the
faith of protective legislation, will Justly
claim that the government has no right 10
sacrifice their property by q sudden change
of policy. If Sir John Macdonald and his
supporters intend this retaliatory policy
merely as threat for extorting conditions
in reciprocity treaty they ought to have
learned by this time that the government of
the United States is not very tractable to
menace and i'll usage. Nothing has been
such bar to new reciprocity treaty as
this kind of tactics on the part of the Cana
dians.
The old reciprocity treaty, SO beneficial