The Portland daily press., 1891-06-06


1t would be marvellous II the Premier passed
the night.
John Alexander Macdonald was born in
Glasgow January II, 1915. His father. Hugh
Macdonald, belonged to Dornock. Suther-
land, and he came with his family to Canada
when the son was five years of age. They
settled near Kingston, and at the Kingston
Grammar School Sir John got his education.
He studied law, and one Of his earliest cases
was the defence Of man named Won ShoultZ,
who was engaged as supporter of William
Lyon Mackenzie in the rebellion. In 1874
Macdonald was elected to the Assembly for
Kingston and has been in Parliament ever
since. He has held Office almost continuous
ly since 1847-eXcepting, OF course, the hve
years OF Mr.. Mackenzie's rule. His first po-
sition of real eminence was when in 1854 he
became Attorney General for Canada West
In the MacNab-Morin administration. AL
though serving under Sir Allan MacNab. the
Attorney General West soon had his chief
set aside, and a new administration was
formed called the Taehe- Macdonald admins
tration. In which Sir John was leader for
Canada West, and Sir Allan went into retire
ment. The Macdonald Cartier administra-
ton followed this, and with little variation
Sir John was at the head of affairs in the
old province of Canada until the time Of Con-
federation, when he became an important
factor in the life Of the provinces. The diff
ficulties between the two Canadas had
brought the Upper Provinces to deadlock
so far as government was concerned, and
a new deal was necessary The Lower
Provinces were trying to unite among
themselves, or, rather. had made an advance
step. Whether Sir John was in communion
with the leaders there In those days, and in
spired the movement with view Of seiZing
it and turning it to advantage, has never
been discovered. AT any rate. both parties
In old Canada determined that some new
step was necessary. The government in
which Macdonald was prime and leading
spirit was no longer able to govern, and the
country was In snch state that government
under any scheme seemed impossible, owing
to the great difference between Upper and
Lower Canada. The territorial bounds had.
therefore, to be enlarged. The Lower Prov
ince delegates were sitting at Charlottetown.
The Upper Province delegates swooped down
upon them. and adjournment was made to
Quebec, the conference was enlarged, Sir
it. and the result was the union which now
exists. Whether the union thus made, and
to which all parties in Canada almost uni
veIsally agreed in order to prevent
which 1t was made is yet in the future. Sir
John Macdonald's friends and supporters
claim for him great credit as an able admin
istrator, but the fast cannot be disp puted
that while he was one of the strongest men
in the old Province Of Canada that province
reached a position where government in it
was ne lon nossthle pce oef 8 Ssh a.
Macdonald have largely influenced the direc
of Canadian affairs. In old Canada the
great event in his career was the seculariza-
tion Of the clergy reserves. Then came
confederation, the extinction of the Hudson
Railway, with its mixture of good and evil.
That railway led to the greatest check Sir
John ever received. In 1873 he resigned his
Office as First Minister because Of the charg-
es preferred against him in come ctiOn with
the sale of the charter of construction to Sir
Hugh Allan. His immediate followers In
the House proved their attachment to him
by a warmth of feeling and
expression :, scarcely ever equaled
people In 1878, on the national policy cry,
sent him back to Parliament, and have kept
him at the head Of affairs ever since. Sir
John represented all his life certain ideas
and feelings which are very strong in Cana
tive. the Tory feeling, as against the Liber-
alism which was principally supported there
by the Presbyterians and the Scotch, who
emigrated to the province. Sir Allen Mac
Nab was the representative of this feeling
for long time, but as he became older and
his ideas enlarged, and his necessities in
creased, he no longer satisfied the aspira-
tions of those with whom he acted, and
John A. took his place. Sir John has held
all these influences well in hand for many
years, and by his skill In combining them
with totally dissimllar influences in other
provinces has seemingly held the destiny Of
Canada in his hands, but whether it will
proceed along the lines on which he ardently
desired it to proceed is very doubtful. The
rebellion led against him by Dalton McCar-
thy is simply an effort on the part Of num-
ber of Canadian Conservatives TO restore to
conservatism the old standards from which
according to their view, 1t has recently de-
parted.
Sir Johns career has been a remarkable
one. He has served under eight governors
general, viz: ElgiD, Head, Menck, Lisgar,
Dnfferin, Lorne, Lansd0wne, and Stanley of
Preston. He has. at one time or other, occu-
pied every cabinet position except that of
| finance minister. 1t was one Of his jokes
that he had been postmaster general for one
| day. Sir John was knighted In 1867, on the
day of confederation, and his patent of
knlghthood was enlarged to that Of Grand
| Cross of the Bath in 1884. He was also a
knight of the Grand Cross of the Royal Or
| der of Isabella, the Catholic, Of Spain. lie
| had the degree of ID. @. l.. from Oxford, as
| well as from several Canadian universities
| He was member of the Queens Privy
| Council In England-an honor that is unique
| as 1t Is doubtful If it has been conferred on
/ anU othar anl0nict