National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1886-04-29
THE uIsToRIcAL SOCIETY.


resolution calling attention TO the 4OOth
anniversary, which occurs in 1892, of the
discovery Of America by Columbus, and
suggesting that Congress should properly
celebrate that great anniversary. For THIS
purpose the following committee OF five was
appointed to wait on President Cleveland,
and request him 10 bring before Congress
the question as how'to best celebrate the
anniversary Hon. George Bancroft, Hon.
Justin Wiusor, Hon. Joseph X. Hawley,
Hon. George +. Hoar, and Hon. George u.
Loring. The President has signiled his de-
sire to meet the above committee at the
executive mansion.
The treasurcr's report showed a net cash
balance on hand OF over $4,000. The first
paper at the morning session was read by
Edward g. Mason, OF Chicago, who took
for his subject "The March of the Spaniards
Across .Ilinois,n which will appear Gin
this months number Of the Magazine of
american History. Mr.. Mason may be
congratulated on his mastery treatment Of
very interesting subject.
"The Settlement Of the Lower st. Law
rencep was the subject Of a valuable his
torical paper read by Eben Greenough
Scott, OF Wilkes-Barre Pa. Mr.. Scott said
that the Supreme Court OF the United States
has judicially ascertained and asserted the
fact that the seven years. war Terminated
in the conquest by Great Britain Of the
But OF the moral forces that brought about
such result and transferred reslstance'to
the cabinet, tho court, OF course, could take
no cognlzance; and, indeed, they did not
come into play until after the conquest.
Down TO that event the French Canadians
could hardly be said TO exist; but from it
they ceased being the French In Canada,
and took upon themselves the character OF
American French. Canadians. Drawing the
distinction between the Anglican and Cali
can natives OF a colony, the social short
comings OF the French were pointed out by
the speaker. The structure of society was
represented as one-sided; II had but
two classes, and the other constituents
necessary to social and political develop
ment were wanting. The impulse of
French colonial life were not multiform,
and their action was marked by irregu
larity. There were few In the field, and
many In the woods; this brought about the
division of habltans and voyageurs. The
few were stable and productive; the many
nonproductive, consuming, and wander
ing. Such community might harbor in
situations, but II planted few, and devel-
oped none. III such were the constitution
OF society outside the walls, the character
Of that within them was even less instltu.
tional; 1t was military and clerical, and, in
fact, for century and aquarter the his
tory Of Canada was written In the Orders
OF the Day, and the Relations des Jesuites.
The rigor Of the climate, the interrupted
communication with the mother country,
the uninviting character OF the soil,
the great disparity between the sexes and
the military constitution Of the population
were all adverse to rapid increase. But,
besides these, 1t was not the interest OF the
government to have o population greater
than the needs OF military occupation re-
quired The lower st. Lawrence valley
IL 1.s 80 a. III. ~.
to the valley OF the Mississippi, and the fear
Of numbers that might create a spirit OF In
dependence deferred the mother country
from fostering a great population. Colo
NAL development, moreover, was Tepressed
by the kindred burdens Of monopolies and
seignorlal tenures. The former restricts
commercial expansion, the latter agrlcul-
ture. Thus the French settler had nothing
TO tempt him to leave home. He found the
came burdens awaiting him In Canada that
he sought TO escape in France, while no
compensation was offered him for the sacrl-
fee of security and comfort involved in
emigration in the shape Of the fran
chises so freely bestowed upon the
British colonist In brief, climate,
soil, remoteness, indispositlon to emlgrate,
inclination 10 return home, lack Of gov
ernmental encouragement, race aversion,
faithlessness of monopoliee, antiquated
system sof tenures, want Of material and
political Inducements, and the dispropor-
lion Of sex account for the persistent re.
tardation of natural and artificial increase.
An organization so weak, so incomplete, so
lacking In resources, so destitute OF
strengthening institutions, and so wanting,in
harmonious distribution Of constitutional
element, depended for its existence on the
stability Of the bayonets that upheld It,.
When these were withdraw, the structure
fell to the ground, and& thus, when Mont
calm fell, the whole French power east OF
the great river fell with him.
AT THE EVENING SESSION
DR.. T. w. Taussig, of Harvard University,
contributed valuable paper on "The
Early Protection Movement and the Tariff
Of 1887 That act said the lecturer, was
the most striking illustration In our history
of the manner in which politics have
affected tariff legislation. The high tariff
feeling was strong In the nation In 1928.
Both political parties-the jackson party
and the Adams party--united to conciliate
It for the coming presidential election. But
the jackson men were even divided
among themselves. They included In their
ranks not only high tariff men from the
north, but also low tariff men from the
south. An advance Of duties was opposed
by the southern men, but was desired by
their adherents In the north. The politi.
clans who were managing the jackson
party devised an ingenious solution of this
difficulty. They proposed very high and
extravagant tariff bill--a bill containing O
number of provisions particularly obnoxious
10 New England. The southern and northern
wings Of the Jackson party agreed to pre-
vent all amendments TO the bill. The south
elm men, especially, though opposed To
high duties In general, agreed to vote
against all amendments which would make
the bill lees Objectionable. The hope was
that the New England members, who were
almost all Adams men, would refuse to
swallow 1t, and would finally vote against
It. The discredit OF causing the defeat Of
the tariff bill would thus fall on the Adams
party. This programme was carried out by
the New Englanders, instead of voting
against the bill, did swallow 1t. They voted
for II, contrary to the plans of their oppo
nents. 1t was passed and became law, al
though no one really desired its passage.
1t was an indefensible measureas was ad
mitted at the time by the high tariff mer
themselves. The peculiarly Objectionable
provisions, called the abomlnations,'
were abolished by general consent In 1885,
and 1889, and the protection system was then
put In a more rational form. The history
of the act Of 1928 shows the manner IN
which legislation was manipulated for po
litical effect by Van Buren,, Wright, and thu
other Democratic politicians who came int
prominence in the time of jackson. The
tariff Of 1928 has often been described as {
typical protectionlst measure. In real
ity 1t was only piece OF political trickery
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