the canadian dominion-第15部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


se　in　equity　could　be　made　out　for　the　provinces；　which　would　be　cut　asunder　for　all　time　if　a　wedge　were　driven　north　to　the　very　brink　of　the　St。　Lawrence。

As　lumbermen　and　settlers　gathered　in　the　border　area；　the　risk　of　conflict　became　acute；　culminating　in　the　Aroostook　War　in　1838…39；　when　the　Legislatures　of　Maine　and　New　Brunswick　backed　their　rival　lumberjacks　with　reckless　jingoism。　Diplomacy　failed　repeatedly　to　obtain　a　compromise　line。　Arbitration　was　tried　with　little　better　success；　as　the　United　States　refused　to　accept　the　award　of　the　King　of　the　Netherlands　in　1831。　The　diplomats　tried　once　more；　and　in　1842　Daniel　Webster；　the　United　States　Secretary　of　State；　and　Lord　Ashburton；　the　British　Commissioner；　made　a　compromise　by　which　some　five　thousand　miles　of　the　area　in　dispute　were　assigned　to　Great　Britain　and　seven　thousand　to　the　United　States。　The　award　was　not　popular　on　either　side；　and　the　public　seized　eagerly　on　stories　of　concealed　〃Red　Line〃　maps；　stories　of　Yankee　smartness　or　of　British　trickery。　Webster；　to　win　the　assent　of　Maine；　had　exhibited　in　the　Senate　a　map　found　in　the　French　Archives　and　very　damaging　to　the　American　claim。　Later　it　appeared　that　the　British　Government　also　had　found　a　map　equally　damaging　to　its　own　claims。　The　nice　question　of　ethics　involved；　whether　a　nation　should　bring　forward　evidence　that　would　tell　against　itself；　ceased　to　have　more　than　an　abstract　interest　when　it　was　demonstrated　that　neither　map　could　be　considered　as　one　which　the　original　negotiators　had　used　or　marked。*

*　See　〃The　Path；　of　Empire〃；　by　Carl　Russell　Fish　（in　〃The　Chronicles　of　America〃）。


The　boundary　from　the　St。　Lawrence　westward　through　the　Great　Lakes　and　thence　to　the　Lake　of　the　Woods　had　been　laid　down　in　the　Treaty　of　1783　in　the　usual　vague　terms；　but　it　was　determined　in　a　series　of　negotiations　from　1794　to　1842　with　less　friction　and　heat　than　the　eastern　line　had　caused。　From　the　Lake　of　the　Woods　to　the　Rockies　a　new　line；　the　forty…ninth　parallel；　was　agreed　upon　in　1818。　Then；　as　the　Pacific　Ocean　was　neared；　the　difficulties　once　more　increased。　There　were　no　treaties　between　the　two　countries　to　limit　claims　beyond　the　Rockies。　Discovery　and　settlement；　and　the　rights　inherited　from　or　admitted　by　the　Spaniards　to　the　south　and　by　the　Russians　to　the　north；　were　the　grounds　put　forward。　British　and　Canadian　fur　traders　had　been　the　pioneers　in　overland　discovery；　but　early　in　the　forties　thousands　of　American　settlers　poured　into　the　Columbia　Valley　and　strengthened　the　practical　case　for　their　country。　〃Fifty…four　forty　or　fight〃in　other　words；　the　calm　proposal　to　claim　the　whole　coast　between　Mexico　and　Alaskabecame　the　popular　cry　in　the　United　States；　but　in　face　of　the　firm　attitude　of　Great　Britain　and　impending　hostilities　with　Mexico；　more　moderate　counsels　ruled。　Great　Britain　held　out　for　the　Columbia　River　as　the　dividing　line；　and　the　United　States　for　the　forty…ninth　parallel　throughout。　Finally；　in　1846；　the　latter　contention　was　accepted；　with　a　modification　to　leave　Vancouver　Island　wholly　British　territory。　A　postscript　to　this　settlement　was　added　in　1872；　when　the　German　Emperor　as　arbitrator　approved　the　American　claim　to　the　island　of　San　Juan　in　the　channel　between　Vancouver　Island　and　the　mainland。*

*　See　〃The　Path　of　Empire〃。


With　the　most　troublesome　boundary　questions　out　of　the　way；　it　became　possible　to　discuss　calmly　closer　trade　relations　between　the　Provinces　and　the　United　States。　The　movement　for　reciprocal　lowering　of　the　tariffs　which　hampered　trade　made　rapid　headway　in　the　Provinces　in　the　late　forties　and　early　fifties。　British　North　America　was　passing　out　of　the　pioneer；　self…sufficient　stage；　and　now　had　a　surplus　to　export　as　well　as　townbred　needs　to　be　supplied　by　imports。　The　spread　of　settlement　and　the　building　of　canals　and　railways　brought　closer　contact　with　the　people　to　the　south。　The　loss　of　special　privileges　in　the　English　market　made　the　United　States　market　more　desired。　In　official　circles　reciprocity　was　sought　as　a　homeopathic　cure　for　the　desire　for　annexation。　William　Hamilton　Merritt；　a　Niagara　border　business　man　and　the　most　persistent　advocate　of　closer　trade　relations；　met　little　difficulty　in　securing　almost　unanimous　backing　in　Canada；　while　the　Maritime　Provinces　lent　their　support。

It　was　more　difficult　to　win　over　the　United　States。　There　the　people　showed　the　usual　indifference　of　a　big　and　prosperous　country　to　the　needs　or　opportunities　of　a　small　and　backward　neighbor。　The　division　of　power　between　President　and　Congress　made　it　difficult　to　carry　any　negotiation　through　to　success。　Yet　these　obstacles　were　overcome。　The　depletion　of　the　fisheries　along　the　Atlantic　coast　of　the　United　States　made　it　worth　while；　as　I。D。　Andrews；　a　United　States　consul　in　New　Brunswick；　urged　persistently；　to　gain　access　to　the　richer　grounds　to　the　north　and；　if　necessary；　to　offer　trade　concessions　in　exchange。　At　Washington；　the　South　was　in　the　saddle。　Its　sympathies　were　strongly　for　freer　trade；　but　this　alone　would　not　have　counted　had　not　the　advocates　of　reciprocity　convinced　the　Democratic　leaders　of　the　bearing　of　their　policy　on　the　then　absorbing　issue　of　slavery。　If　reciprocity　were　not　arranged；　the　argument　ran；　annexation　would　be　sure　to　come　and　that　would　mean　the　addition　to　the　Union　of　a　group　of　freesoil　States　which　would　definitely　tilt　the　balance　against　slavery　for　all　time。　With　the　ground　thus　prepared；　Lord　Elgin　succeeded　by　adroit　and　capable　diplomacy　in　winning　over　the　leaders　of　Congress　as　well　as　the　Executive　to　his　proposals。　The　Reciprocity　Treaty　was　passed　by　the　Senate　in　August；　1854；　and　by　the　Legislatures　of　the　United　Kingdom；　Canada；　Prince　Edward　Island；　New　Brunswick；　and　Nova　Scotia　in　the　next　few　months；　and　of　Newfoundland　in　1855。　This　treaty　provided　for　free　admission　into　each　country　of　practically　all　the　products　of　the　farm；　forest；　mine；　and　fishery；　threw　open　the　Atlantic　fisheries；　and　gave　American　vessels　the　use　of　the　St。　Lawrence　and　Canadian　vessels　the　use　of　Lake　Michigan。　The　agreement　was　to　last　for　ten　years　and　indefinitely　thereafter；　subject　to　termination　on　one　year's　notice　by　either　party。

To　both　countries　reciprocity　brought　undoubted　good。　Trade　doubled　and　trebled。　Each　country　gained　by　free　access　to　the　nearest　sources　of　supply。　The　same　goods　figured　largely　in　the　traffic　in　both　directions；　the　United　States　importing　grain　and　flour　from　Canada　and　exporting　it　to　the　Maritime　Provinces。　In　short　the　benefits　which　had　come　to　the　United　States　from　free　and　unfettered　trade　throughout　half　a　continent　were　now　extended　to　practically　a　whole　continent。

Yet　criticism　of　the　new　economic　regime　was　not　lacking。　The　growth　of　protectionist　feeling　in　both　countries　after　1857　brought　about　incidents　and　created　an　atmosphere　which　were　dangerous　to　the　continuance　of　close　trade　relations。　In　1858　and　1859　the　Canadian　Government　raised　substantially　the　duties　on　manufactured　goods　in　order　to　meet　the　bills　for　its　lavish　railway　policy。　This　increase　hit　American　manufacturers　and　led　to　loud　complaints　that　the　spirit　of　the　Reciprocity　Treaty　had　been　violated。　Alexander　T。　Galt；　Canadian　Minister　of　Finance；　had　no　difficulty　in　showing　that　the　tariff　increases　were　the　only　feasible　sources　of　revenue；　that　the　agreement　with　the　United　States　did　not　cover　manufactures；　and　that　the　United　States　itself；　faced　by　war　demands　and　no　longer　controlled　by　free　trade　Southerners；　had　raised　duties　still　higher。　The　exports　of　the　United　States　to　the　Provinces　in　the　reciprocity　period　were　greater；　contrary　to　the　later　traditions；　than　the　imports。　On　economic　grounds　the　case　for　the　continuance　of　the　reciprocity　agreement　was　strong；　and　probably　the　treaty　would　have　remained　in　force　indefinitely　had　not　the　political　passions　roused　by　the　Civil　War　made　sanity　and　neighborliness　in　trade　difficult　to　maintain。


When　the　Civil　War　broke　out；　the　sympathies　of　Canadians　were　overwhelmingly　on　the　side　of　the　North。　The　railway　and　freer　trade　had　been　bringing　the　two　peoples　closer　together；　and　time　was　healing　old　sores。　Slavery　was　held　to　be　the　real　issue；　and　on　that　issue　there　were　scarcely　two　opinions　in　the　British　Provinces。

Yet　in　a　few　months　sympathy　had　given　way　to　angry　and　suspicious　bickering；　and　the　possibility　of　invasion　of　Canada　by　the　Northern　forces　was　vigorously　debated。　This　sudden　shift　of　opinion　and　the　danger　in　which　it　involved　the　provinces　were　both　incidents　in　the　quarrel　which　sprang　up　between　the　United　States　and　Great　Britain。　In　Britain　as　in　Canada；　opinion；　so　far　as　it　found　open　expression；　was　at　first　not　unfriendly　to　the　North。　Then　came　the　anger　of　the　North　at　Great　Britain's　legitimate　and　necessary；　though　perhaps　precipitate；　action　in　acknowledging　the　South　as　a　belligerent。　This　action　ran　counter　to　the　official　Northern　theory　that　the　revolt　of　the　Southern　States　was　a　local　riot；　of　merely　domestic　concern；　and　was　held　to　foreshadow　a　recognition　of　the　independence　of　the　Confederacy。　The　angry　taunts　were　soon　returned。　The　ruling　classes　in　Great　Britain　made　the　discovery　that　the　war　was　a　struggle　between　chivalrous　gentlemen　and　mercenary　counterhoppers　and　cherished　the　hope　that　the　failure　of　the　North　would　discredit；　the　world　over；　the　democracy　which　was　making　uncomfortable　claims　in　England　itself。　The　English　trading　classes　resented　the　shortage　of　cotton　and　the　high　duties　which　the　protectionist　North　was　imposing。　With　the　defeat　of　the　Union　forces　at　Bull　Run　the　prudent　hesitancy　of　aristocrat　and　merchant　in　expressing　their　views　disappeared。　The　responsible　statesmen　of　both　countries；　especially　Lincoln　and　Lord　John　Russell；　refused　to　be　stampeded；　but　unfortunately　the　leading　newspapers　served　them　ill。　The　〃Times〃；　with　its　constant　sneers　and　its　still　more　irritating　patronizing　advice；　and　the　New　York　〃Herald〃；　bragging　and　blustering　in　the　frank　hope　of　forcing　a　war　with　Britain　and　France　which　would　reunite　South　and　North　and　subordinate　the　slavery　issue；　did　more　t