The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-02-18
A Canadian statesman's Delusions.

The Hon. j. ". LoNGLEY, Attorney.Gen-
eral for Nova Scotia, taking for his text the
recent visit Of Sir WILFRID LAURIER to
Washington, has communicated to the
National Revie,o some striking facts and
still more striking prophecies. We are
constrained to regard even the so-called
facts with a skeptical eye. and we would
not advise our London contemporaries to
put any faith in the predictions. There is
no doubt that Sir WILFRID LAUnIER, Pre-
mier of the Dominion, and Sir LOUIS
DAVIES, Minister of Marine and Fisheries,
when they went to Washington last No
vember, hoped to obtain a number of valu.
able concessions from the United States.
They were willing to acquiesue in our views
concerning the seal question, but only on
condition that we should assent to their
proposals regarding other matters.
They wanted us, for instance, to repeal
the alien labor law, which, no doubt,
causes inconvenience to those Canadians
dwelling On the border who have been
in the habit OF earning money In the
United States and spending it at home.
Then, again, the representatives of the
Dominion desired certain changes in the
International postage regulations; these
changes, as involving relatively unimpor-
tant interests, it is possible that our Gov
m might be induced to make. The
main purpose of the visit, however, Is ac-
k~nowledged by Mr.. LoNGLEY to have been
to secure commercial reciprocity on lines
consistent at once with the Industrial well
fare of Canada and with its obligations to
Great Britain. This means, IL 1t means any
thing, that, in exchange for our agreement
to admit the raw products of Canada duty
free, she, in turn, would admit our manufac.
lures upon terms as favorable as those which
are imposed upon British commodities.
That is to say, Canadian raw products were
to have free access to an enormous market,
wherein their only competitors would be
American citizens, all others being barred
out by our tariff while, on the other hand.
our manufacturers would obtain access to
n small market, wherein they would have
to compete not only with the Canadians
themselves, but with British producers.
1t was manifestly a preposterous bar
gain that Sir WILFRID LAURIER offered,
I'M there never was the slightest chance
that it would be accepted or even consid-
cred at Washington. The American people
uIt uctcTIulueu never 10 grant CONNER
cial reciprocity to the British North Amer
lean provinces SO long as these remain de-
pendent on a European monarchy. What
they desire, and what, rs Mr.. LoNGLEY
confesses. they urgently need, can be gained
In one way only, namely, by becoming
members of our Union. This being noto.
riously the truth, we find it hard to under
stand what Mr.. LoNGLEY has in view when
he tells the readers of the London periodi-
cal that Sir WILFRID LAURIER's confidence
in our State Department "can only result
in lasting good between the two countries"
Reasons are undesignedly given by Mr..
LoNGLEY for the belief that it Is for Eng
lands interest to get rid of the Dominion
and to promote the annexation of its COM
ponent provinces to the United States. So
far as recent years are concerned, it is true,
as he says, that NEARLY all the events
which had led to misunderstanding be-
tween Great Britain and the United States
have arisen from questions in which the
people of the British Islands are not directly
interested, and which chiefly affect the
people of Canada" Mr.. LoNGLEY cnumer.
ates some of these questions, and goes on
to admit that, in unfolding the Canadian
view OF them, Great Britain has. time and
again, exposed herself to unpleasant, if
not hostile, relations with the greatest
of English.speaking nations. the United
States. His conclusion is that, were 1t pos
sihle to put an end to the causes of mis-
understanding and irritation between
Canada and the great American republic,
n long step would have been taken toward
the removal of all obstacles to friendly
relations between Great Britain and the
United States. He is convinced that no
higher mission than the furtherancc of
such a state Of things could present itself
to II Canadian statesman, and that none
should more engage the sympathetic inter.
est of the British people.
II is certain that the friendship of the
United States is worth more to Great Brit
ain than is the retention of Canada. This
was foreseen by Lord %SHELBURNE during
the negotiations for the peace of 1888, but,