Passaic City record., 1891-06-13
Sketch of His Career.


Sir John Alexander Macdonald, e.. G. B.,
& c. B., D. c. L., LII. D.. Premier of the
Government of the Dominion of Canada,
was born in Glasgow, Scotland, on June IL,
1915. When he was about five years old his
parents emigrated to Canada, and settled at
there the family moved to Pictou q town
further west, leaving John Alexander, then
b his teens, at Kingston, to attend the Royal
Grammar School. There he received his ed
acation. He was diligent at his studies, and
was admitted to the bar at the age Of twenty
ene. He Immediately opened an Office in
Kingston and followed his profession with
success for about five years before he began
TO turn his attention to politics. He WAS re
tanned in all the important cases brought In
to the courts in that part OF the country.
Shortly after the Canadian rebellion he
uccessfully defended band of 500 rebels
who had attacked the Kingston garrison. It
was while practising in Kingston that he
won the distinction Of being the greatest
constitutional lawyer in Canada, distinc-
tion which was his to the last. In 184i he
first entered politics, and in 1874 was elected
memherof Parliament. For many years he
represented Kingston as Conservative. He
was appointed a member of the Executive
Council and Receiver-General in May, 1847,
and at the end of the same year he held the
office of Commissioner Of Crown Lands. For
the next ten or fifteen years he was returned
to Parliament.
In July, 1866, Mr.. Macdonald was ap-
pointed Minister of Militia for the second
time, which office he held, together with that
of Attorney General OF Upper Canada, un-
til the confederation of the Canadian prov
inces as the Dominion OF Canada.
Mr.. Macdonald was chiefly instrumental in
bringing about confederation OF the prov
Chairman OF the Colonial Conference in
London, England, 1866-6T, when the British
North American act was passed. by the Eng
lish House of Commons on July 1, 1857.
Mr.. Macdonald was called upon to form
the first Government for the new Dominion,
and was sworn in by the English Privy
Council, and appointed Attorney-Generat
and Minister of Justice of Canada, an office
which he continued to hold until he and his
Ministry resigned on the Canadian Pacific
Railway scandal in November, 1873.
In 1871 Mr.. Macdonald was one OF her
Majestys joint high Commissioners and
Plenipotentiaries to act in connection with
the Commissioners appointed by the Presi-
dent of the United States for the settlement
of the Alabama claims, resulting in the
treaty of Washington in May, 1871.
In 1865 Mr.. Macdonald received the hon.
orary degree Of D. Z. L. from the University
of Oxford, and in 1867 he was made a K. c..
B. In 1872 he was made knight of the
Grand Cross of the Royal Order of isabel
the Catholic of Spain. One of his latest
honors was that of G. @. R. This title de-
scends to his son.
Sir John Macdonald's legislative record is
long and mostly creditable
He has often been called Canada's greatest
politician, and he doubtless merited the
name. He was bold, ambitious, and auda-
cious in his policy. He was born wire pull
and was unmatched as an electioneering
agent. He WAS not overscrupulous as to the
methods he adopted SO long as they led to
victory. His career was dominated by
desire to give Canada an Independent policy,
and to promote the imperial interests OF
Great and Greater Brita n, so long as the
pursuit of these objects did not jeopardizs
his chances of success. for his main object
was to always remain in Office
Sir John was ready in public speech. He
had an open, cordial manner, wide range
of information, and an amazing memory for
faces. No one ever accused him OF economy
in his private or public life.
Sir John lived at Earnscljffe, in Ottawa
where his short, bent form, and Disraeli-ike
face were well known to every one.