Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-05-30

John Alexander Macdonald was born 40
Glasgow, Scotland, in 1915 He was educated
in the Royal Grammar School at Kingston.
Ontario. In 1886 he was called to the bar.
and ten years after was created Queens
counsel. His official political career began
in 1s47, three years after his first election to
Parliament, when he became a men,
Der of the Executive Council of Cam
ada. As such his first term was from
1s47 to 1s4S. Subsequently he was a
member of the same body from 1854 to
1858, in 1862, and from 1864 until the new
Dominion was formed. During the periods
indicated he held various offices. He had
been Receiver General, Commissioner of
Crown Lands and Attorney General, when,
in 1858, lie resigned with his Government.
The same year he was returned to office
as Postmaster General, but resigned the
cept the Attorney Generalship This he
held until 1862. The next two years he
was in the opposition. Upon the return Of
his party to power, in 1854 he again accepted
the portfolio of Attorney General. He held
this office and was the Government leader
until 1861, when the Canadian union was
effected. During the last two years of this
period he was Minister of Militia. Previous
to 1867 his public services included various
visits to England on business of Importance,
and in 1854 he was delegate to
CharlOttetOwn to the conference con-
vened for the purpose of effecting q
union of the Maritime Provinces. In lS7l
Macdonald was appointed one OF Her Maj
esty's high commissioners plenipotentiary
for the settlement of the Alabama claims
and matters in dispute between the United
States and Great Britain. He has held his
present Office of Prime Minister and Presi-
dent of the Queens Privy Council since the
year 1878. Sir John A. Macdonald received
the honor of X. C. B. in 1861. In the list OF
his academic and professional titles is that
of ID. G. L., given him by the University OF
Oxford, England, in 1865.
Some Anecdotes of His Temper.
Sir John used to lose his temper frequently
in Parliament, and he once annouced in a
voice audible through the Commons cham.
Der. when Oliver Mowat, now Premier Of
Ontario, was severelycensuring his policy,
81 could lick that fellow quicker than -
could scourch feather" On another oe-
casion the Sergeant-at-Arms had to prevent
him from punching the head of the late
William Hume Blake.
Sir John is by no means an admirer Of
Americans and American statesmen. He
never uses the word American; it is always
Yankee. and he explains By saying that "the
Canadians own as much of America as the
Yankees do" But his reason for this
bitterness of feeling is that he has never
brought home any laurels from Washington
when there discussing reciprocity and other
international questions. He bas said that
the Yankee politician is too slippery; the
truth is it is only at Washington that he has
ever found his match. NOone in Canada has
any chance against him in shrewdnesS and
finesse, and in disputes with the imperial
ministry it is admitted by all that Sir John
has mostly had his way.
But q little while ago he said in speech
that there is one kind of annexation for
Canadians that he will never oppose; the
of beautiful Yankee girls with
good dowrieS; and he says he will consent TO
losing few bright-eyed daughters of Can
ada, provided the Yankee husbands have
purses big enough. But he almost vehe-
mently declared that the Cartwright-W imam
Commercial Union scheme is only "veiled
and the natural result would be
the swallowing up of Canada by the United
States.