The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-04-11
4 BRITON on FEDERATION.
Mr. MOreton Frewen on the Prospects Of
the Chamberlain Movement.

the Chamberlain Movement.
To THE EDrToR or THE Sun Sir. There
was an interesting editorial article IN THE Sun
OF March "a on The DeCadenoe of.the Cham
beriain Plan" IL concludes with a curious
misstatement 10 which venture 10 call your
attention. You quote the following para
graphs ~ having been written by Mr.. Cham
berlain in recent magazine article:
The people OF this country Will In the not too dis
tant time, have 10 make up their minds what foot.
ing they wish thrlr colonies 70 occupy or whether
they wish their colonies 10 leave altogether. .
u Ia absolutely impossible for you 70 maintain In
lhe long run your present loose and indennable
relations TO your colonies and preserve these colo
nles as parts OF the empire.
These words, which have been attributed
70 Mr.. Cham berlain. are from a speech made
by Lord Rosebery At Leeds on Oct. II, isss.
No one who reads that speech can doubt that
the speaker, who was at that time president
OF the Imperial Federation League. believed
that the time was ripe for the advocacy by
the Liberal party OF a policy of Colonial
preference. ] had happened 10 be in Wash
ington on Aug Of that year, when Mr.. John
sherman, addressing the Senate. said:
am anxious TO bring about public policy that
viii make more Intimate our relations with the
Dominion Of Canada. Anything that will tend 70
the union OF Canada with the United states viii
meet my most hearty support. | want Canada
10 be pan Of the United States. Within ten yoars
from this time the Dominion OF Canada Will, In my
Judgment be represented either In the Imperial
Parliament Of Great Britain or in the Congress OF
the United States.
This speech Of the Senator from Ohio had
greatly stirred Lord Rosebery. Az that time.
with his friends. he constantly discussed II,
and there is no doubt that his speech at
Leeds eight weeks later was a reply TO Senator
Sherman. Lord Rosebery added at Leeds:
do not see that you can obtain the great boon
OF peaceful empire enclrcllng the Globe with a
bond Of commercial unity without some sacriflce
on your part. II Canada were 70 leave US
she would be pretty sure 10 adopt the tarin OF the
United states.
This also was Mr. Blaine's visw--that the
tariff screw would bring Canada in. just as
in 1850 II had brought in Rhode Island and
North Carolina
Lord Rosebery saw clearly IN 1855 and he
sees clearly to-day that the obstacles before
the Liberal party can only be surmounted
Incompatible with free trade What are
these obstacles A reformed second Cham
the various Parhaments OF the empire send
their senators TO Westminster. secondly. the
settlement Of the Irish question. when Ire
land appears at Westmin ster az one or PROB
ably two States Of a federal union. with the
state Right or Home Rule 20 which these two
states are entitled, thirdly, the settlement
which is possible for a protected peasant
proprietary and not for protected landlord
ism, Next year, thanks TO Mt. Chamber
lain,s splendid propa ganda, there is 70 as
semble In London what Is deCribed "a colo
NAL conference" but which really viii be
the frst Of series Of constitutional conyen-
tions. We all trust that Mr.. Chamberlain
is not too old 10 play the part that Alexander
Hamilton played In 1857
but the real Interest Of our present crisis is
not in its economic aspects, but 10 the emer-
gence OF the great federal principles OF gov
eminent which the world owes 70 Washington
and Hamilton. After hundred years the
fight between federalism and natonalism
has been fought and won. our statesmen
OF the last century, Liverpool and Portland,
Peel and Gladstone and Bright indeed, all
Of our statesmen excepting Dlsrael be
leved and perhaps hoped that Hamiltou's
splendid experiment would break down. and
the first shot had scarcely been fired at Fort
sumter when gladstone declared thst ger
ferson. Davis has made nation. Con-
sCiously or unCOnsCiOusly. our statesmen
preferred government on the South American
plan to the system which obtains north OF
Panama, in Mexico. in the United states and
in Canada. The fact Is that our disaster az
yorktown had poisoned the very wells OF
political thought. as unreasoning fear always
does. We had spent thousand million dol.
lars. and our colonists here had beaten US aud
cut the painter; therefore, said our statesmen,
let us model Fin gland after Holland, and let
us make nations" Of our colonies before we
are involved In further bloody and costly
ism. Golden writes TO bis friend AshwoEth
(see Morley's Life OF Cobden"E The
colonial system can only BE- got nd OF by
the indirect process Of free trade which will
gradually and imperceptlbly loosen the bands
which unite our colonies 20 US by mistaken
notion Of self-nterest
In the House OF Commons. March 8 last,
Mr.. Chamberlain quoted from another letter
OF CobdPn's in which he writes. Colonies
army, navy and Church are with the Corn
laws merely accessories Of our aristocratic
connections. and John Bull has his work cut
out for him for the next fifty years 20 purge
his house Of these impurities In many OF
his speeches Mr.. Bright was hardly less re-
cidivtst In the very last speech he ever
made at Birmingham at n banquet given
how strange the Nemesis for Mr.. Chamber
lain, Mr. Bright denounced our Federation
as "a dream and an absurdity." A host OF
scattered units armed with shot such
was the principle Of government approved by
the Liberal free trader Of the last century.
IL Il little wonder that the great Napoleon
said Of the economists: They are an accursed
can shatter a. MoBEToN FREwES.
SAN FRANCIsCo March 81.