New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-04-08
MR. g1MAN ON CANADIAN OPINION

Mr.. RlMAN ON CANADIAN OPINION
In his speech before the Board Of Trade at
Portland, Me-, on March 80, Mr.. Erastus
Wiman set forth more fully and strong
ly than any one else has yet done, on either
side of the boundary, the influences which re-
sist political union Of Canada with the United
States. On many accounts it is important that
the facts should be understood, and the testi-
mony of one 30 well qualified to judge will not
be PASSED without consideration. Mr.. Wiman
writes new and valuable page of history in n
single suggestion that /" not the least Important
effect of the American Revolution was that
Great Britain was taught how to treat colony.
The result Of the changed colonial pol
lev of Great Britain has been the
substitution OF liberaEty and kindness
for interference and desp0ism." AS a
consequence there exists in Canada feeling
of LOYALTY which, Mr.. Wiman says, Americans
rarely estimate at it's full value.
The Provinces were largely peopled by
loyalists, who went out from the States because
they could not agree to the result Of reYolu-
ton which they held a rebellion. Ever since
immigration from Great Britain has been OF
persons who had two countries open to them,
and deliberately chose Canada with it's institu-
tons. rather than the United States with its
marvellous material progress. But in MIR.
Wiman's opinion, " more powerful still has been
the influence in Quebec Of the Church OF Rome"
Curiously, too, the secret society Of Orange
men, more powerful in Canada than anywhere
else In the world, is as bitterly opposed to po-
litical union with the United States as the
Catholic Church itself; bitterly opposed to
each other they gladly unite in antagonism TO
any withdrawal of British supremacy" Then
the official class, with its titles and emol-
uments, is powerful; and the monetary infiu-
| ence of six hundred and fifty millions Of
British capital invested in Canada is enor-
nous and the commercial ties between British
and Canadian merchants are strong. Add that
| Americans have been sadly represented by their
"boodlers" and other fugitives and it is not
| difficult to see that much antagonism Of feeling
| naturally exists.
It is evident, however that Mr.. Wiman finds
| the influence of Canadian manufacturers more
| powerful than all these, and that influence, he
| thinks, Is adverse to an open competition with
manufacturers Of this country. Canadian man.
! ufaoturers, he says, set up the plea Of loyalty
| 10 Great Britain, though it does not prevent
| them from imposing duties against British i'm
ports which compete with them. If all these
obstacles are correctly stated it must be adj
| mitted that MIR. Winnn has much reason FOL
thinking o century may pass before Canadian
/ opinion win favor political union.
Yet it Is not easy TO accept this testimony
without some hesitation. The authorities Of
! the Catholic Church, for instance, have not
expressed antagonism but leaning toward po'
litical union, IL they have been correctly quot.
ed. Hostility to American institutions is &c
little felt by the Catholic inhabitants OF Quebec
that great numbers Of them have come to thii
4 country for more profitable work. On tao