The Portland daily press., 1886-09-24
RECIPROCITY WITH CANADA.
An Insight into the Methods Used by
England to Negotiate a Certain
Treaty.
Laurence oliphant in BlaekwoOd.

lasting over period Of seven years, which
had been from time to time made to put them
upon better footing, determined the English
government, in the spring of 1884, to entrust
the Earl of Elgin, then Governor-General of
Canada, with special mission to Washing
ton, with instructions to negotiate a treaty
of commercial reciprocity between the two
countries. l was waiting in London in daily
expectation of being sent to Constantinople
on diplomatic service in connection with the
expedition which was then leaving the
shores of England for the Crimea, when l
received an offer from Lord Elgin to join his
mission as his secretary, and as 1t seemed
likely to be of very short duration, gladly
accepted it, not then anticipating that IL
would lead to other duties in Canada. Our
party, on leaving England, consisted only Of
Lord Elgin; Mr.. Hincks, then Prime Minis
ter of Canada, afterwards Sir Francis
Hincks; Captain Hamilton, A. d. c., and
myself but at New York we were Joined by
the Hon. Col. Bruce, and one or two Cana
dams, whose advice and assistance in the
commercial questions to be treated were Of
value.
We happened to arrive at Washington ON a
day which, as it afterwards turned out, was
pregnant with fate to the destinies Of the
Republic, for upon the same night the cole
brated Nebraska bill was carried in Congress.
the effect of which was to open an extensive
territory to slavery and to intensity the burn
ing question which was to find its final solu-
tion seven years later in bloody civil war.
1t was the height of the season when we were
at Washington, and our arrival impaired
new impetus to the festivities, and gave rise
to the taunt after the treaty was concluded.
by those who were opposed to 1t, that ''it
had been fioated through on champagne"
Without altogether admitting this, there can
be no do doubt that, in the hands Of a skill
full dipiomatist, that beverage is not without
its value. Lord Elgin had an
nounced his object on his arrival to the Presi-
dent and the Secretary of State, and had
been informed by them that it was quite
hopeless to think that any such treaty as he
proposed could be carried through, with the
opposition which existed to it on the part of
the Democrats, who had majority in the
Senate, without the ratification of which
body no treaty could be concluded. His
lordShip was further assured, however, that
if he could overcome this opposition he would
find difficulties on the part Of the govern
ment. At last, after several days Of unin-
terrupted festivity, l began to perceive
what we were driving at. Te make quite
sure | said one day to my chief
Il find all my most intimate friends are
Democratic Senators"
so do IL he replied dryly; and indeed
his popularity among them at the end Of
week had become unbounded; and the best
evidence of it was that they ceased to feel
any restraint in his company, and often ex-
hibited traits of Western manners unhan-
pered by conventional trammels. Lerd Ell
gins faculty of brilliant repartee and racy
anecdote especially delighted them; and one
evening, after grand dinner, he was per-
suaded to accompany a group Of Senators,
among whom | remember Senator Mason
afterwards of Mason and Slidell notoriety-
and Senator Tombs figured, to the house Of
popular and very influential politician, there
to prolong the entertainment into the small
hours. Our host, at whose door we knocked
at midnight, was in bed; but much thunder
ing at it at length reused him, and he him.
self opened to us, appearing in nothing but
very short night shirt.
"All right, boys" he said, at once diyining
the object of our visit; you go in and III 20
ping to array himself more completely ne
disappeared into the neither regions, shortly
returning with his arms filed with bottles Of
champagne on the top Of which were two
huge Jumps of ice. These he left with us to
deal with, while he retired to clothe the
old gentleman, somewhat Of the Lincoln type,
and had the merit of being quite sober
which some Of the others of the party were
not, and though thus roughly reused from HE
first sleep, expressed himself highly pleased
with our visit He was, moreover, evidently
a great character, and many were the anec-
dotes told about him in his own presence, all
bearing testimeng-to his goodness of heart
and readiness OF wit.
of all Presidents, 1 suppose none were
more insignificant than Mr.. Pierce, who was
occupying the White House at the time OF
our visit; while in his Secretary of State, we
found genial and somewhat comical old
gentleman, whose popularity with his coun-
that he had once charged the United States
government fifty cents "for repairing his
breeches," when sent on a mission to INQUIRE
into certain accounts in which great irregu-
larities were reported to have taken place.
At the time OF our visit Sir Philip Cramp-
under his hospitable roof l remember meet
ing Lincoln, and being struck by his gaunt
figure, and his quaint and original mode Of
At last, after we had been receiving
hospitalities at Washington for about
ten days, Lord Elgin announced to. Ar.
Marcy thatsif the government were pre-
pared to adhere to the promise to con-
clude treaty of reciprocity with Cana
da, he would assure the President that
he would find majority of the Senate in its
favor, including several prominent Demo-.
Gratis. Mr.. Marcy could scarcely believe his
ears, and was so much taken back that l
somewhat doubted the desire to make tho
treaty, which he so strongly expressed on
the occasion Of Lord Elgin's first interview
with him, when he also pronounced it hope
less However, steps had been taken which
made it impossible for him to doubt that the
necessary majority had been secured. and
nothing remained for us but to go into the
details OF the tariff, the enumeration Of the
articles of commerce, and so forth. tSt,
For the next three days was as busily en-,
gagged in work as l had been for the previous
ten at play; but the matter had to beput
through with a rush, as Lord Elgin was due
at the seat Of his Government. And perhaps,
under the circumstances, we succeeded bet
ter so than had longer time been allowed the
other side for reflection. 1t was, the wor-
thy old Secretary Of State was completely
taken by surprise. / will venture to quote
the description / wrole at the time of tho
signing of the treaty, and ask the reader to
make allowance for the style of mock hero
les, and attribute it to the exuberance Of
youth.
dividuals might have been observed seated
in spacious chamber lighted by six wax
candles and an afgand lamp. Their faces
were expressive of deep and earnest thought
not unmlXeQ WIFI suspicion. 1Uelr 1ecllnR3,
however, to the acute observer, manifested
themselves in different ways; but this was
natural, as two were in the bloom o. youth,
one in the scar and yellow leaf. one in the
prime of middle age. This last it Is whose
measured tones alone break the silence of
midnight, except when one or the other of
the younger auditors, who are both pOrihg
intently over voluminous MSS, interrupts
him to interpOlate an and or erase the.
They are, in fact, checking him as he reads
and the aged man listens, while he picks his
teeth with pair Of scissors, OF cleans ont the
afterwards wipes on his grey hair. He may
occasionally be observed to wink, either from
conscious cuteneSS or unconscious drowsi-
ness. Presently the clock strikes twelve,
and there is doubt whether the date should
be to-day or yesterday There is moment
of solemn silence, when the reader, having
finished the document, lays it down, and
takes a pen which had been previously dip
ped in the ink by the most intelligent looking
of the young men, who appears to be his
Secretary and who keeps his eye warily
fixed upon the other young man, who occu-
pies the same relation to the aged listener
with the scissors.
s'There is something strangely mysterious
and suggestive in the scratching of that mid
night pen, for it may be scratching fortunes
or ruin to toiling millions. Then the Vencr-
able statesman takes up the pen to append
his signature. His hand does not shake,
though he is very old and knows the abuse
that is in store for him from members of Con-
gress and an enlightened press. That hand
It is said, is not all unused to a revolver, and
1t does not now waver though the word he