New-York tribune., 1891-05-24

But so bitter is the jealousy DeuWeeh the I""0o ~
so profound is the determination OF the frencn 'o
retain all of their present control, both ac'uai III
Quebec and relative in the Dominion under what
ever government may be eventually adopted, 'naO
no such way has been or apparently can be 1ouno'
and a policy of armed quiescence is meanwhile
maintained In some measure this problem ex-
lists in Manitoba and the Northwest That is
newer country and considerations OF municipal
and commercial advantage count for more than
along the ST. Lawrence, but the same unqulet
state of armed peace exists and operates to post
pone any movement looking toward change'
That the change must come both races concede'
Both desire it, But each fears lest it may be made
in such way to operate to its particular dis
| advantage
That confederation was logical necessity OF
the sentiment prevailing in the British Provinces
at the time it was adopted, and that 1T has served
| many good purposes, Professor. Smith does not
deny. That it ever actually necessary, or
even desirable, means of developing resources,
be effectually disproves and shows convincingly
that its chief advantage has been Of a negative
sort in demonstrating the folly of human efforts
TO ignore geography and natural law. What
ever happens, whether Canada joins British Fed
Grafton or establishes an independent Republic
or falls into the American Union, the value Of this
lesson will be inesmable for without it's just ap
probation there can be no permanent or salts
factory escape from the difficulties of the present
system. The effort of Sir John Macdonald's policy
has been to prove that four different regions
so separated as to render intimate communication
impossible and all communication expensive can
be by statute bound together as TO provide
kets for one another. How this experiment might
fare if there were no other markets around them
is one question. How it must end when each of
them is close upon a natural market infinitely
superior in demand and in wealth to all the mar
kets he can create by law is question of another
sort. How it has Jared thus far and after trial
of many years is matter of fact-compcated fact
TO be sure, but easily analyzed and reduced to
order. The essential points are these: Canada's
population does not grow, and this Of itself con.
demns the system which leaves it possible. She
is part of continent where nations devel-
oping in decade from lowly states TO empires.
She alone STANDS still. No premium upon immi-
grafton sufjces to MIKE up for the vast tide of
native-born Canadians which moves every year
out of the Dominion into the States. Not to
speak of the chronological disparity between an
Anglo-Saxon born to heritage of American ideas
and Danubian peasant. in mere numbers the for
eign accessons have been annually fewer than the
native secessions. Then, too, the country dis
trcts, from which the moral and physical strength
of every country is supplied. are becoming daily
more impoverished. In proportion the Canadian
cities have grown, the Canadian farming communi-
ties have fallen off in population and squaor and
poverty reign where q high quality of prosperity
lately lived The public debt has meanwhile In
creased until every man, woman and child is bur
dened with $50 of public liability, and the only
thing to show for this is great railroad and lot
of public works. valuable long as there is
natural commerce and an annual income TO sus-
tain them, but source of danger when their pros
perity and profitable use depend on the goodwill
and easy trading relations of a foreign Power
These are the main fruits Of confederation. They
are not due to a want Of resources Every Cana
dian region is rich. The Maritime Provinces pos
sess an abundance of coal and lumber The val
leys of Nova Scotia gardens The soil of
Lower Canada is as hospitable as the soil Of New
York Manitoba and the Far West are natural
rranaries. and their mountain lands are full OF
gold silver copper and lead. But Toronto and
Montreal cannot manufacture In competition with
| Chicago and New-Yorl1 and at the same time buy
produce from region which is compelled to cultl
vate with their costly machines in competition
with farmers who can buy and sell in st. Paul
The construction of great public works and sub
sidzed railroads proves nothing as to the cond-
ton of the people whose taxes are used for such
purposes. They may argue prosperity, but the
| argument is overborne when met by the facts ot
stationary population and vastly increased
debt.
Professor Smiths conclusion, then, that no
potical system can be devised that will settle the
| Canadian question without joining the four dis
tinct Canadian regions socially and commercially
10 the American States south Of them, is inevitable
70 n rational and conscientious man who sees with
out prejudice and believes he sees. To discuss,
| as he proceeds to do, the various schemes pro
posed-the British Federation, independence, COM
| mercial union and annexation-is useful and in
teresting but it does not go far toward providing
a solution Of the problem, unless it takes into
account the disposition of the American people.
| If nothing will content the Canadians except the
| full measure of prosperity and the full extent OF
political power to which their resources and their
character entitlc them-and that must be assumed
and if the realization Of that destiny depends
on such relations with the United States as will
| give them free access to our markets without the
| danger of the withdrawal of such privilege-and
that can only be denied by those who are blind
the practical question is not how to preserve the
British tie or the Canadian system, but how to
satisfy the United States. Sooner or later this
| is the issue that Canada must meet. Professor
Smith undoubtedly is doing great work in pre-
| pairing the minds of his people to accept it. In
! convincing them that all kinds of monkey
arstocracy must be abolished as essentially false
and inconsistent with the genius of this continent
that no political relation is possible which in
wolves them in European, Indian or Australian
| complications or which cOmpelS them when COM
peting in the products of this continent TO ignore
the conditions under which those products are
made and grown by a much richer and stronger
neighbor: that no kind Of independence will
improve their situation unless it is knit with in
destruetibe assurances of peace and equal com
mercia opportunity with the American Union, he
is accomplishing the preliminary work, and by