Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1893-04-05

NoxIsKAr. April 4.-Ex Premier MGR
cies Il Quebec sps.ke here tonight on the
future Canada. Mercier vas prime uln-
ister q fhis province from Iss6 ~ is1.
when his xokerDment Wan dismissed bs
Lieutensnt Governor IAiger Tor gncss
corruption in conncction with the Bale
Des Chal4iers railway deal Owing -
his recent political misfoTtuDes. Ner-
cier's health has suffered considerable
and his speech. which he hss been care
fully preparing fog months. lacked The
fire and sigor Of former days. Msrcier
said:
Il do not need 60 tell that | propose
20 deal with my subject freely. without
fear and without feebIeness, but also
without hatred toward England. and
with oil the respect that is due 10 one II
the greatest nations of the glo'e. l am
Frencis by origin. education ard senti-
mrnt but sm no( Anglo fnoeie- al
mife Ergiishmsn. but England has been
indifferent 10 US ] admit that !, h&s
done good 10 us. but ! believe u has
done us more harm than good. aud that
il we French Canadians especial, have
proepered IL has not been her fault On
the who'll. we owe nothing 70 England.
and NE may separate ourselves trom
her when a majority eonsfitutsonaliy
decides 10 do do. without any pangs 81
conscience.1
As to he'great question before them,
! Mr.. Mercier said the Canadian people
had arrived at stage IN their career
when they must make up their minds 10
what their future Was going 10 be A
study of this grave question resolved u
self into a,choice of one Of the following
A continuation "a the statue quo. poiifi-
cal union with the United States or in
dependence. Imperial federation Rad
never been taken seriously In this
country. and IL has just received its
death blow from Mr.. Gladstone. who de
clares il an Utopian idea Let us exam
inc other alternatives. The political
constitution which we have had since
ls67 was intended by its founders only
as temporary arrangement. simply as
a means 10 prepare us for grander and
more independent rule. In grouping
various English colonies in British North
America under one government. the
statesmen who framed the cnnfesiera-
ton have az their aim to render us 20
strong by number az our population and
extent of our territory that We would ~
worthy of the respect OF other nations
and capable Of making such satisfactory
conditions. III We continue in our
colonial condition" he said. I'VE recede;
il we break the colonial tie we will ad.
vance"
As to political union with the United
States. Mr.. Mercer said: For many
people. immediate entrance Of Canada
into an union is the only solution
to the problem that the future
OF Canada presents. While respect
this opinion. do not share il. That in
certain respects such q union would be
Of advantage 10 US. is incontestIblc 10
all serious men, These advantages are
to be found both in a material and
moral sphere. La the material sphere.
the commerce Of the west. the more al
vsniageo,is working u our mines and
forests; tho improvement 10 our agri-
cultural industry. and especially 20 our
manufacturing industries. which would
he assured of market among 6o.opoor
Of people. Demolsh the politicai wall
which separates us from the United
Stases: destroy the conditions that eetp
American capital out oi our country.