Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1888-03-09
THE CANADIAN QUESTION.

oil Toronto, Canada, contributes an Article
to the New York Independcnt,of February
23d, which at once shows that lie has no,
been an idle student of history, mud that
he is one Of the most vigorous thinkers Of
the present day. We regret that space for
bids It's reproduction in inll, which wond
make three columns in il,ia paper. We
reproduce however, such portions as apply
directly To our Staicsman of the present
day IN the treatment Of questions of great
Importance for the welfare Of our people.
On this subject Prof. Smith says:
"Of the charges commonly brought
against the character Of American puli'i-
cianS, come nm persuaded ARE, in part NJ
least. untrue, the fureigners nre led To take
them as true by the chorus Of mutual
calumny nj election time. But II cannot
be denied that asa class American poli,i-
clans are wanting In largeness OF view.
When q question Of the first order arises
il il on their intelligence, not through il
TINT you have to act. The defect Ia due
partly perhaps to the isolation OF Ameri-
can politics from those OF the rest OF the
world, partly 10 the scanty intellectual
training Of self-msde men who, rs rule,
have read little history. But / suspec I
that il IS also traceable in part, as / said
before, to the malign influence OF their
perpetual contests for the Presidency, the
effect OF which upon political character in
the United States is most distinctly seen
by the observer from without. The Presi.
dency, after all, is little more than an ex-
ecutive office, and in ordinary Times, when
there is no slavery question before the
country, the administration Of one Presi-
dent appears to an onlooker very like that
OF another. Yet the political life OF the
nation seems to be absorbed by tins con-
tes,; no politician, at all events, has eyes
or ears for anything else. You might al
most MS we'll hope to call the attention OF
an athlete from the ring as that OF an
American politician from the arena OF the
re,idential election. The near approach
of the contest seems to arrest legislation on
home questions, much lees can questions
of foreign policy command attention unless
they happen to have a bearing on the same.
| 1 sneak from comic experience in saying
that, ask an American politician, or any
| American who takes interest in politics,
for his opinion on whatever subject you
will, you are almost sure 10 &c. an answer
relating to the Presidential election. l
have learned by observation 10 regard The
election of head of the State every four
years by popular suffrage as about tue
worst political institution ever deIiber-
ately adopted hy man; the Polish Diet
having been the act of Nature. And am
not sure that the unarmed civil war oI
party rancor, the turmoil, the calumny
she corruption, the disturbance Of trade
though bad enough, are the worst effects o
such a systen,. The worst effect of such 1
system, am inclined to think, Is the nar-
rowing of the national mind, which il toe
evidently entails. Justice requires me tt
add, that the struggle for the Prime MIN
istership in England or in a British Colon,
exercises an influence less IN degree, bu
pretty much of the same kind.
"This weak point in American statesman
shin is shown M often as the Canadia,
question in any of its forms comes hefor,
Congress aud the people of the Unite,
States. Here we are at your door, you
only partners or rivals on this continen'
our territory interlocked with yours, on
production and our commerce bound M
with yours, our population overfowinl
upon you by hundreds of thousands ant
likely TO form no uncomfortable factor II
your politics, our destiny certain more o
less to affect yours, and it-eif now trem
bling in the balance yet, If one OF us als
proaclles an American politician on tn
: Canadian question, the answer he is prett.
sure 10 get 10 that il ia mot practical !" il
other words, that it is not likely TO aff,'c
the Presidential election. had the othe
day letter from Canadian politician,
man of mark and earneslly desIrious q
improving the relations OF Canada wit
the United States. who spoke with the ut
most bitterness, almost with anguish of til
stolid and supercilious Indifference witt
which his mention Of the subject was re
ceived by some American politicians will
whom he had come into contact. Whe
report this to an American he replies
"This is Presidential year," This may b
poliics-it is not stateSmanship. One
able confidently 10 assure nervous Cana
dians, who fancy that aggressive ambition
must be kindled in the American breast b
the grand vision of united continent, tha
the grand vision Of a united continent
"out of the welkin" of the ordinary Amer
ican politician, aud that ii the sui jet wei
presented to him he would probably re
coil from il lecause he would dread Ill
disturbing influence which might be ex
\ ercised on his party combinations and h
familiar game by the intrusion of the Ca'
adian vnie. This, compared with the Gu
lure and The large, th"ugn it may be I'm
| beneiiceni, views of the old n,Unsrchic;
and aristocralic politicians il II prett
severe satire on our vaunted political pr
gres."
Prof. Smith proceeds to treat at leng'
he crowding out OF the Englisl, sl'eakir
, people IN portions "f Canada by the Freuc
4 He says, "Iet Optimism or Evolu,ioni-
/ say what il will, there aie great calmiii
in history" lie thinks the qr'rrcl b
tween the mother country and the coloni
Mt the close of the revolution, iniensifi'
, by the war Of 1912, ought to have he'
, healed mp M was msgnanimously iIlu
trated IN oar late civil war. "The entl
international war ia peace, and the end
civil war ought always To he amnesty"
says. lie closes his article will, the 70
a towing in regard to the efforts in beha
8 of the Cou,n,ercal Union treaty:
'- "The recent Intercoloninl Conference W
. the merest t.ify, the really importa
lie queslions having been Withdrawn bsfor
j. hand from the consideration of The del
ar gales who, having been allowed harmless
!. ly to deliberate about The Improvement
is postal communications or to rxpend tl,eI
g selves in general sentiment. were duly di
'o ed and sent with all the honors on the
way. There ir grandeur, and think the
ia a real moral advantage in men,ber-h
Of a famous race which, morally unit,
= the politically self governed in all iis par
| "a.