New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-07-19
vyrUS OF THE CANADIAN PREMIER.
part OF SIR wiLrRIp LArRIER's HOTEL. CECIL
SPEECH. DELIvERED on DOMINION
DAY. lINE 90.


DAY. JUNE %
YOU have truly said that Canada IS now
III Her population Is now over five million
nait and she has as YOU have stated, readily
s,ajlable fertile lands which can give home
%%oI ard shelter to at least one hundred inil-
~ ~ ,ncn II might be an independent ma
.,rn but canada does not seek to become an
,nIIsncndent nation. because Canada to-day
,nnrssrtically is an independent nation Were we
pa,ared from England We could not nave more
ssrsr and moro freedom than we have at the
ppcssent time and AL thinking men with MS nave
- "a tho conclusion that there IS a. nuch
s.,6on more power more wealth anu nor"
n,iness in union thar In separation. We are
:,inx thus a fresh example. az YOU stated
hnn,ent ago. TO our sister colonies, ana II the
nsYamnle we have given Is followed elsewhere:
In federation takes place In Australia, II
rother confederation takes place in South Az,
o.. hv-ana- by. in few years the earth VIII
~ heer settled by series Of Independent ma
sons which. however. will recognize tne SUI
.sraintv Of England and II seems 10 me max III
hi fact alone there vii, be security ior me
nssce of the world at large.
Fvc ia Canada may perhaps do something
oors You have stated that we share the con
.nen; Of North America with a great nation OF
" l,,e5 race but with which the relations OF
sroianC have not always been Of the most salts
sc9nry character. Since | have been In Eng
IND within the last few days it seems to me
sot have found evidences not few That there
| A. perhaps in thosminds Of public men IN Eng
MI and not only' In the minds OF puollc men,
mi in the minds OF the people at large some
,oprehcnslon Of a latent sentiment on the part
Tthe American Nation not altogether friendly
- nor mother land / would say without any
sei,ation at all that the sentiment which pre-
s,lls among the American Nation Is senu-
I'm, Of affection and of reverence, though un-
A,tunately there still remain many causes or
tJction between the two nations The memories
= Inc unfortunate state of things which pre-
s.ned under the old regime and which led 10
"s War or Independence have not altogether
sasn forgotten. The rancor created by the
var is still living in the minds OF the American
people
MEMORIES OF THE CIVIL. WAR.
This might have been cast away. but unfortu-
,.tely as know in our own generation
,hsre was a civil war In AmeriCa-a civil war
xaged | am sure in the minds of all men TO-
Asy for as noble cause as ever eXcited men 10
svht-for the abolition of slavery; yet II Is a
natter of history strange as it may seem 10
Nc in these days that at that period the sylnpa-
,h,es Of the civilized world were not inclined
IN tine side of the cause of freedom IT may
he permitted to speak my own mind--and do
IN because what state here have often stated
IN my own country. and ] do not know how TO
fatter--I have always said in Canada mat the
attitude maintained by England and by Canada
was neither worthy Of Canada nor or England
Al that time. But If there were spirit OF frlc-
ton. rancor and enmity at work at that tune
lot me say at once that those enmities have
Leen TO a large extent removed by the conduct
Of the Queen of England herself. In the worst
DAYS Of the war. when the opinion was preVa-
lent in the United States of America that the
English people were not as friendly TO them as
they ought to be, the opinion was also prevalent
that the heart of the Queen Of England was en-
gagged on the side Of liberty. In the worst days
of the war in poem addressed To the English
people by the most American of all poets. j. o.
Whittier, while reproving England for her want
Of sympathy with cause which has always
heen dear to the heart of Great Britain, he paid
tbs warm tribute to Her Majesty:
We bow the heart. II not the knee,
To Englands Queen God bless her.
THE QUEENS FRIENDSHIP FOR AMERICA.
Only few years later. at the close of the war,
when the hand Of the assassin struck down
Nation safely through the awful crisis the
Queen herself. then in the first years Of her
own bereavement sent letter OF coincidence
and sympathy to the wife Of the martyred
President That letter from a widow to
widow appealed the American heart. 1t
brought tears to the eyes OF strong men; II
caused tears to stain the furrowed faces Of many
veterans. Sir, this letter of the Queen did more
10 Case the bitterness that had been caused by
the attitude of the British people than anything
else could possibly have done. There Is more.
At that time we did not know. now do,
the history of the diplomacy on this matter. but
know now. thanks TO the researches wnlch
have been made. that on a previous occasion
on the occasion of the unfortunate Trent anar-
when the sacred soil Of England-because her
ships are part of her soil-had been invaded by
Americans to abstract forcibly from the SOIL or
England men who were guests Of England
when the dignity of England forced them TO
claim back those prisoners-we know that the
patch of her Foreign Minister and erased every
offensive word from 1t, and left 1t in such state
that 1t was possible for the American Nation
to surrender without any surrender of dignity.
Now, these causes have worked and have had
their effect. / am sorry TO say that there are
still too many causes Of friction remaining be-
tween Great Britain and the United States.
When say that the people and the Government
Of England were not blameless yet for all the
troubles which have arisen since the Civil war
the blame. in my estimation. rests not with Eng
land. but with the United States. Let me hope,
however that better feelings will prevail. Nay.
they are prevailing even at this moment or
all the impressive scenes. | am sure, Of which
We have been witnesses during the Jubilee week,
the most impressive by far was the service al
st. Pauls Cathedral when the sovereign of
England, the dignitaries of England, the people
OF England with uncovered heads appealed to
God and thanked Him for the blessings of this
reign. This was scene of great moment yet
there is another scene going on every sunday
upon the decks OF the great ships which ply be-
tween England and the United States. There
every week you see assengers-American clti-
zens. British subjects-pray to God together FOR
Her Majesty the Queen Of England and for His
Excellency the President Of the United States.
Let us hope these prayers shall not be in vain.
hut hope that the gods Of war shall never spread
their wings between England and the United
states But If ever they come TO that let me
say here that the feelings Of my own people in
the colony OF Canada would stand true by the
nag which protects her and her liberty.