The Irish standard., 1888-02-11
cANADA'S SLY PREMIER.
a Distinguished Irish Journalist
Has an Interesting
Talk With
|R JOHN A. MACDONALD D,
Sir John Has as Kind Heart as ANY Man
in Canada, but in Politics He is
as Cold as Death.

as Cold as Death,
Edmund Dwyer Gray, M. r., had an
interview with Sir John recently, and
i'll describing his visit to the Canadian
statesman he wrote thus to his paper,
the Freeman: In the Dominion, as in
England, there is one political person
ality overshadowiug aud enyeloping all
the rest an ''old man. as be is affect
ionately called, who combines curiously
the characteristics Of three famous
statesmen. No one can see the Right
Hon. John Macdonald without being in
stantly struck by his great personal
likeness to the late Lord Beacons6eld; T;
his old-fashioned courtesy Of manner
and quite elaborateness of diction are
Immediately Suggestive Of hlr. Glad
stone; and his clean shagen face,
weather stained and SCARED from the
storms of prolonged political career,
together with the abundance and pc
culiar aptness of his stories, recall vivid
memories of Abraham Lincoln. Sir
John Macdonald entered politics in
1874, and ever since then he has bsen
near its head III Canada, as attorney
general, as p0stmasteS general, AS
minister OF militia, as chairman Of the
London colonial conference which
passed the British North American act,
as one Of the Alabama commissioners,
and as prime minister. Sir John has
been first, last, and always Il politician,
and politician as another man might
be a chess player, familiar with every
move on the board, st hotne III every
opening and every mate, appreciatins 8
we'll the fact thatit is the closest study
of the recurring combinations Of the
board that wins the game. One of his
lifelong friends aud co workers said to
me last night, "Sir John has as kind a
heart as any man in Canada, but in
politics he is as cold sss death and as
cruel as the grave. l. firmly believe
that if his OWE son or the another that
bore him steod in the way of his politi-
cal ideas he would say, well, it isn't
necessary and would 80 straight on.
And the secret Of his power is this-he
will do anything in the world for 81
political friend except further his AM
bition. When Tarquin cut down all
the tallest peoples Of field in answerto to
the question, now he ruled men, he
gave away the secret which is Sir John
MacdonaId's today OF course Sir
John has enemies many and bitter, but
nc man in Canadian politics stands
more clear than hs Of the repfoach
which falls most easily upon the head
OF party leader.in a Democratic state.
After forty three years of coaseiess con-
troll, in greater or less degree, OF the
affairs Of a nation, Sir John Macdonald
is to-day a poor man, and / do no be-
lieve man could be found here who
would so much as hiat that his hands
were not clean. AT the: age Of ~ OF
more as some say, he is, like Mr. Glad
stone. as active as ever, and ''apres Sir.
John, le deluge," is what you are tod.
just beyond the outskirts OF OTTAWA.
half way between the Parliament build
lngs and Government il0use. is q COM
pact and comforts ble looking small gray
stone house with many gables. This is
Earnscllffe, Sir Johns residence, and
half the ground fsor is taken up with
his library, which looks no less that of
a scholar than OF a statesman. Except
tor the doors and windows there is not
an inch of the walls that is not covered
with books; and appropriately enough
for such a career as his, ana engraving
of Sir Ncel Paton's Pursuit of Pleas
urs" hangs over the fire. A huge
lounge occupies the window, and all
over the room are addresses and SOU
venirs of political visits and tokens Of
personal devotion. The -'old man"
himself reclines in a long low easy
chair, and folding his hands like Mr..
talks meditatiyeiy. I tell
him that in England at this moment
there is great desire to understand
the nature of Canadian problems, and
TO have some clear assurance of tho
course of the Dominion in the immedi-
ate future, and beg of him to satisfy it.
sWell,' he says, my firm belief is that
Canada is thoroughly loyal. and that |
my attempt to sever her from the
Aln,. ri 4
;he greatest viger at the polls, and else
where il necessary. There is no an-
lexation party whatever in Canada,
md do not believe that in either Of
he two largest provinces, Ontario aud
quebec, could an ayowed annexation
st be elected. And in a majority Of
he constituencies of all the provinces q