The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1902-01-03
ROYAL VISITS TO CANADA.
Prince William Was the First of the
Reigning Family to See the
Provinces in 17S6.

A hundred and fifteen years have
passed since the visit of Prince Will
liam, who, first of the royal family,
saw the provinces in their formative
stage. Then the future of the coun-
try was doubtful IN the extreme. Eng
lands empire in America had been
broken by the defeat of CORVALLIS at
Yorktown, and not a few European
statesmen believed that she was not
able to maintain her dominion for
many years in the valley of the ST..
Lawrence. The coming of the loyal
lists saved her in North America, while
the energy and enterprise of her sons
eventually surmounted what was on.y
a temporary check and restored her to
imperial greatness.
Now, in the beginning of the TWEEN
tieth century, another royal prince is
about to come to British North Amer
lea, which has developed in 100 years
into a federation with territorial
domain almost equal to that of the
powerful republican natien which
sprung into existence in 1888. During
this period the population of Canada
has increased from 100000 souls to
upward of 100000, the trade from
$10,OOO,00O to $3SO,OOO, 900; the revenue,
which was practically nothing, to over
$5,000,000, apart from the revenues of
the respective provinces, which must
largely increase the aggregate of the
public resources. Education of every
grade is diffused far and wide; rail
ways span the country in every direc-
ton; canals connect the great west
with the Atlantic seaboard; an ele-
giant order of architecture illustrates
the growing taste and wealth of the
people; culture is being more widely
spread; and the public legislation
shows the capacity of the public men
for self-government. The people of
every nationality within the domain of
Canada stand on the same platform
of equal rights. 1t is this happy con-
dition which has made it possible for
Sir Wilfrid Laurier-a brilliant man
of the race whio@ occupied position
of inferiority in the days of the duke
of Kent and evoked his deep interest
and sympathetic attain, with the APP
proval of all classes, creeds and ma
tionalities, the highest office in the
gift of the people, and to give en-
phatic expression, in the case of the
South African war, to the determine
ton of Canadians to maintain the in
terest of the empire at all hazards.
Such questions of taxation and such
ignorance of colonial conditions as
precipitated an American revolution;
such plumbers as aggravated the polit-
zeal difficulties of Canada previously
to the concession of responsible gov
ernment-these can never again occur
under the wise colonial system which
was adopted during the Victorian era,
and which gives full expansion to the
political aspira tons of self-govern-
ing people. The relations between
Great Britain and her dependencies
are now governed by just such prin-
ciples as were first suggested by the
sagacious loyalist, Gov. Hutchinson,
more than century ago, but which it
took English statesmen many years
to understand and carry out, says Sir
John G. Bourinot in the Forum. AS a
natural sequence of correct under
standing of the relations that should
exist between an imperial state and its
dependencies, Canada is now ready,
like the colonies of Australia STA, in the
hour of imperial Secessities, to con-
tribute from taxes raised by her own
legislature adequate means for the
defense of that connection which was
rudely broken in the case of the old
13 colonies through the failure of
statesmen on both sides of the At
lantic to understand the basis on
which colonial self-government should
securely rest.