The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-10-24

auultion 10 our populaeion, pus INC PRIV
ince of Quebec would not be a welcome
addition. Her population is discordant
factor today in the Dominion OF canada.
The province of Quebec would not be
given under our form of government any
share of the public money for parochiai
schools and her people would be most
difficult quantity for political assimilation.
Because Of this province OF Quebec. con-
sentative Americans have never been en-
thusiastic friends of political union with
Canada. Nevertheless, political problems
ultimately have to be solved by the press
ure of self-interest rather than sentiment,
and it begins to look today as if an increas-
ing number of the English speaking peo-
pie of Canada were looking with favor
upon political union with the United
States as the ultimate destiny of Canada
Prof. Goodwin Smith, at recent meet
ing at Inverkip. Ontario, declared it TO
be his opinion that the best hopes of
Canada depend upon political union with
the United States. The value of farm
property has declned not less than 80 per
cent, over large districts, and this means a
large falling off in the value of farm pro-
ducts. The best market in the world for
Canada is cut off by the tariff wall. There
are 5000 houses vacant in Toronto, while
more are let for the amount of insurance
and taxes. There is a constant stream of
emigration from Canada to the United
States. This emigration represents the
flower of the Canadian youth. who are
leaving Canada just when they have
reached the age when they begin to be
producers. Treating of the future, Prof.
Smith said:
The question Of their destiny is before the peo-
pie OF Canada, it is pressed upon them by circun-
stances geographical, commercial, financial, po-
litical, diplomatic, to which it ia vain to bid
taem shut their eyes. 1t is pressed upon them
daily by this frightful exodus. Between perIet-
ual dependence, imperial federation, indepen-
dent nationality and continental union Canada
will presently have to choose The perpetual
dependence of a great community here upon
the community on the other side OF the Atlantic
is not possible. Imperial federation 10 nothing
but q generous dream. Independent nationality
Is also q generous inspiration, and one with
which was disposed to sympathize till yielded
to the conviction that to attempt to form q sep
arate nation out OF this broken continent, with
a French Quebec in the middle OF them, was
hope ess struggle against nature free,
equal and HONORABLE union, or, as Ii ought rather
to be called, reunion, with the rest of our race
on this continent, is the solution OF the great
problem which remains.
Prof. Smith quoted John Bright, Cob
den, Herman Merivale. Sir Henry Taylor.
Beaconsfield as having all publicly or in
private correspondence avowed their be-
lief that Canada would ultimately obtain
colonial independence, and of these Brit
ish statesmen Bright and Golden be-
lieved in the ultimate union of Canada
with the United States. These eminent
statesmen are all dead, and it is quite
possible, but not probable. that living to-
day they would hold different opinions.
SO far as Great Britain is concerned she
would really be better off if Canada was
part of the United States. In event Of
war with Russia or any other of the
great powers of Europe, Great Britain
would find Canada an expensive part of
her dominions to defend, and in time of
peace Canada is rather burden than an
advantage to the mother country.
In the hands of the United States
Canada would be in the possession of the
only great power Of the world with whom
England is entirely unlikely to ever have
any serious quarrel. The day is long past
when intelligent English or American
statesman expect any renewal of HOSTILE
ties between Great Britain and what the
English historian Green predicted We
should one day call sour Greater
England" the United States. Great
Britain knows that should her splen-
did civilization ever be in danger of
barbaric attack from some all-engulfing
power, like Russia, that she would at
least feel confident that the United States
would not be counted among her foes 1t
is not easy to believe that the United
States would look with as unsympathzing
eye upon the humiliation of England by
Russia or Germany as England did upon
the invasion and occupation of France. -
The common ties of speech, blood, re-
ligion, civilization and literature and alb
sence OF warning political interests make
1t certain that war between England and
the United States is an utterly improba-
bic event for the future. This being so the
absorption of Canada by the United
States would not weaken but really
strengthen Great Britain