The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-12-30

at home, made him Ambassador 70 81
Petersburg. There he remained two years
and the outoome. Of the principles OF diplo-
macy on which he acted was that Russian
hostility toward England vanished, the
independents. Of Turkey was secured, the
evacuation OF Silissria became an accom-
plished fact, the occupation Of Cracow was
but momentary and q tone OF moderation
and cordiality marked negotiation with
the Cars Ministers and continued TO mark
1t up TO the period Immediately preceding
the Crimean war. The latest important
despatch written by Durham from st.
Petersburg shows that as early rs May,
1897, he with rare prescience OWNED the
designs Of Russia in central Asia.
IL was in 1887. at the very time when
elsewhere throughout the British Empire
there were public rejoicings at the accession
OF Queen Victoria. that French Canada be-
came openly disloyal. The general indiner-
ence Of Parliament to colonial questions
had resulted in the entire absence OF efficient
control over the making and administering
Of laws for the great transmarine Deepen
denotes. In nine cases out OF ten Parlia-
ment merely registered the edicts OF the
permanent officials OF the Colonial Office.
The notion that the loss OF the thirteen
American colonies had taught British
political leaders a right conception OF the
mother oountry's relation 70 her DEEPEN
denotes has no foundation in fact. Speak
ing for the Tories, the Duke OF Wellington
laid down the law that local responsible
government and the sovereignty OF Great
Britain were completely Incompatible
Even Liberal statesmen who nae helped to
pass the Reform bill proved equally blind
to the truth that colonial loyalty could only
be assured by colonial self"government.
Lord John Russell, for example, in 1885.
when the House of Assembly for Lower
Canada asked for an elective Legislative
Council and an Executive Council which
should be responsible to it, and not to the
British Government, declared that such de-
mands were so inconsistent with the rela-
tons which ought to subsist between a
colony and the mother country that it
would be better to say at once, -let the two
countries separate rather than for us to
pretend to govern the colony afterward. 7"
Roebuck, q Radical, asserted In 1887 that,
whatever course England pursued, the
time must inevitably come when all Ameri-
can colonies will become independent
States"
IL was this short sighted, churlish, pessi-
mistic attitude which rendered the problem
that Durham was now asked by the Mel
bourne Ministry TO solve so difficult and
critical. At first Durham, whose health
was much impaired and who needed rest,
declined to undertake the task, but in
January, 1893, he yielded to the renewed
appeal OF the Melbourne Administration.
His many friends strove to dissuade him
from leaving England, for they believed
that the great opportunity Of his life was
dawning and that events were tending to
mark him out for the Office Of Prime Minister.
What led him at last to reconsider his de-
cision about going to Canada was an over
mastering sense OF public duty. Between
Lord Melbourne's first and last appeal to
him the situation had grown dramatic.
Canada in 1897 was in revolt, and by the
end Of that year the condition Of affairs was
so disquieting that Parliament reassembled
much earlier than usual in order that Lord
John Russell might bring forward a drastic
proposal for dealing with the situation.
Lord John brought in a bill providing for
the suspension of the existing Constitution
Of Canada and for the institution OF a full
iAhAuly Oh Sho oDOe wv RAACN
ances, with a view to their practical redress.
The Government had determined. he said.
to send out a Governor-G General as Lord
High Commissioner, armed with excep-
tional and even extraordinary powers,
not merely to put down the rebellion, but
to remodel the Canadian Constitution.
The bill quickly became a law, and in April.
1888, Lord Durham, having chosen for his
secretaries Mr.. Charles Butler, Mr.. Edward
Gibbon Wakefield and Mr.. Thomas Turton,
ook ship for Canada. His own view Of the
mission which he had accepted was ex-
pressed in the House of Lords. Il 60" he
said, Ito restore the supremacy Of the law,
and next to be the humble instrument
of comforting upon the British North Ameri-
a provinces such a free and liberal consti-
tuition as shall place them on the same scale
Of independence as the rest of the possessions
Of Great Britain, and as shall tend to their
own immediate honor, welfare and pros
perity.-