the canadian dominion-第22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！


monopoly　of　the　Canadian　Pacific；　and　the　competition　of　the　States　to　the　south；　which　still　had　millions　of　acres　of　free　land；　brought　settlement　to　a　standstill。　From　all　parts　of　Canada　the　〃exodus〃　to　the　United　States　continued　until　by　1890　there　were　in　that　country　more　than　one…third　as　many　people　of　Canadian　birth　or　descent　as　in　Canada　itself。


It　was　not　surprising　that　in　these　extremities　men　were　prepared　to　make　trial　of　drastic　remedies。　Nor　was　it　surprising　that　it　was　beyond　the　borders　of　Canada　itself　that　they　sought　the　unity　and　the　prosperity　they　had　not　found　at　home。　Many　looked　to　Washington；　some　for　unrestricted　trade；　a　few　for　political　union。　Others　looked　to　London；　hoping　for　a　revival　of　the　old　imperial　tariff　preferences　or　for　some　closer　political　union　which　would　bring　commercial　advantages　in　its　train。

The　decade　from　1885　to　1895　stands　out　in　the　record　of　the　relations　of　the　English…speaking　peoples　as　a　time　of　constant　friction；　of　petty　pin　pricks；　of　bluster　and　retaliation。　The　United　States　was　not　in　a　neighborly　mood。　The　memories　of　1776；　of　1812；　and　of　1861　had　been　kept　green　by　exuberant　comment　in　school　textbooks　and　by　〃spread…eagle〃　oratory。　The　absence　of　any　other　rivalry　concentrated　American　opposition　on　Great　Britain；　and　isolation　from　Old　World　interests　encouraged　a　provincial　lack　of　responsibility。　The　sins　of　England　in　Ireland　had　been　kept　to　the　fore　by　the　agitation　of　Parnell　and　Davitt　and　Dillon；　and　the　failure　of　Home　Rule　measures；　twice　in　this　decade；　stirred　Irish…American　antagonism。　The　accession　to　power　of　Lord　Salisbury；　reputed　to　hold　the　United　States　in　contempt；　and　later　the　foolish　indiscretion　of　Sir　Lionel　Sackville…West；　British　Ambassador　at　Washington；　in　intervening　in　a　guileless　way　in　the　presidential　election　of　1888；　did　as　much　to　nourish　ill…will　in　the　United　States　as　the　dominance　of　Blaine　and　other　politicians　who　cultivated　the　gentle　art　of　twisting　the　tail　of　the　British　lion。

Protection；　with　the　attitude　of　economic　warfare　which　it　involved　and　bred；　was　then　at　its　height。　Much　of　this　hostility　was　directed　against　Canada；　as　the　nearest　British　territory。　The　Dominion；　on　its　part；　while　persistently　seeking　closer　trade　relations；　sometimes　sought　this　end　in　unwise　ways。　Many　good　people　in　Canada　were　still　fighting　the　War　of　1812。　The　desire　to　use　the　inshore　fishery　privileges　as　a　lever　to　force　tariff　reductions　led　to　a　rigid　and　literal　enforcement　of　Canadian　rights　and　claims　which　provoked　widespread　anger　in　New　England。　The　policy　of　discrimination　in　canal　tolls　in　favor　of　Canadian　as　against　United　States　ports　was　none　the　less　irritating　because　it　was　a　retort　in　kind。　And　when　United　States　customs　officials　levied　a　tax　on　the　tin　cans　containing　fish　free　by　treaty；　Canadian　officials　had　retaliated　by　taxing　the　baskets　containing　duty…free　peaches。

The　most　important　specific　issue　was　once　more　the　northeastern　fisheries。　As　a　result　of　notice　given　by　the　United　States　the　fisheries　clauses　of　the　Treaty　of　Washington　ceased　to　operate　on　July　1；　1885。　Canada；　for　the　sake　of　peace；　admitted　American　fishing　vessels　for　the　rest　of　that　season；　though　Canadian　fish　at　once　became　dutiable。　No　further　grace　was　given。　The　Canadian　authorities　rigidly　enforced　the　rules　barring　inshore　fishing；　and　in　addition　denied　port　privileges　to　deep…sea　fishing　vessels　and　forbade　American　boats　to　enter　Canadian　ports　for　the　purpose　of　trans…shipping　crews；　purchasing　bait；　or　shipping　fish　in　bond　to　the　United　States。　Every　time　a　Canadian　fishery　cruiser　and　a　Gloucester　skipper　had　a　difference　of　opinion　as　to　the　exact　whereabouts　of　the　three…mile　limit；　the　press　of　both　countries　echoed　the　conflict。　Congress　in　1887　empowered　the　President　to　retaliate　by　excluding　Canadian　vessels　and　goods　from　American　ports。　Happily　this　power　was　not　used。　Cleveland　and　Secretary　of　State　Bayard　were　genuinely　anxious　to　have　the　issue　settled。　A　joint　commission　drew　up　a　well…considered　plan；　but　in　the　face　of　a　presidential　election　the　Senate　gave　it　short　shrift。　Fortunately；　however；　a　modus　vivendi　was　arranged　by　which　American　vessels　were　admitted　to　port　privileges　on　payment　of　a　license。　Healing　time；　a　healthful　lack　of　publicity；　changing　fishing　methods；　and　Canada's　abandonment　of　her　old　policy　of　using　fishing　privileges　as　a　makeweight；　gradually　eased　the　friction。

Yet　if　it　was　not　the　fishing　question；　there　was　sure　to　be　some　other　issuebonding　privileges；　Canadian　Pacific　interloping　in　western　rail　hauls；　tariff　rates；　or　canal　tolls…to　disturb　the　peace。　Why　not　seek　a　remedy　once　for　all；　men　now　began　to　ask；　by　ending　the　unnatural　separation　between　the　halves　of　the　continent　which　God　and　geography　had　joined　and　history　and　perverse　politicians　had　kept　asunder？

The　political　union　of　Canada　and　the　United　States　has　always　found　advocates。　In　the　United　States　a　large　proportion；　perhaps　a　majority；　of　the　people　have　until　recently　considered　that　the　absorption　of　Canada　into　the　Republic　was　its　manifest　destiny；　though　there　has　been　little　concerted　effort　to　hasten　fate。　In　Canada　such　course　of　action　has　found　much　less　backing。　United　Empire　Loyalist　traditions；　the　ties　with　Britain　constantly　renewed　by　immigration；　the　dim　stirrings　of　national　sentiment；　resentment　against　the　trade　policy　of　the　United　States；　have　all　helped　to　turn　popular　sentiment　into　other　channels。　Only　at　two　periods；　in　1849；　and　forty　years　later；　has　there　been　any　active　movement　for　annexation。

In　the　late　eighties；　as　in　the　late　forties；　commercial　depression　and　racial　strife　prepared　the　soil　for　the　seed　of　annexation。　The　chief　sower　in　the　later　period　was　a　brilliant　Oxford　don；　Goldwin　Smith；　whose　sympathy　with　the　cause　of　the　North　had　brought　him　to　the　United　States。　In　1871；　after　a　brief　residence　at　Cornell；　he　made　his　home　in　Toronto；　with　high　hopes　of　stimulating　the　intellectual　life　and　molding　the　political　future　of　the　colony。　He　so　far　forsook　the　strait　〃Manchester　School〃　of　his　upbringing　as　to　support　Macdonald's　campaign　for　protection　in　1878。　But　that　was　the　limit　of　his　adaptability。　To　the　end　he　remained　out　of　touch　with　Canadian　feeling。　His　campaign　for　annexation；　or　for　the　reunion　of　the　English…speaking　peoples　on　this　continent；　as　he　preferred　to　call　it；　was　able　and　persistent　but　moved　only　a　narrow　circle　of　readers。　It　was　in　vain　that　he　offered　the　example　of　Scotland's　prosperity　after　her　union　with　her　southern　neighbor；　or　insisted　that　Canada　was　cut　into　four　distinct　and　unrelated　sections　each　of　which　could　find　its　natural　complement　only　in　the　territory　to　the　south。　Here　and　there　an　editor　or　a　minor　politician　lent　some　support　to　his　views；　but　the　great　mass　of　the　people　strongly　condemned　the　movement。　There　was　to　be　no　going　back　to　the　parting　of　the　ways：　the　continent　north　of　Mexico　was　henceforth　to　witness　two　experiments　in　democracy；　not　one　unwieldy　venture。

Commercial　union　was　a　half…way　measure　which　found　more　favor。　A　North　American　customs　union　had　been　supported　by　such　public　men　as　Stephen　A。　Douglas；　Horace　Greeley；　and　William　H。　Seward；　by　official　investigators　such　as　Taylor；　Derby；　and　Larned；　and　by　committees　of　the　House　of　Representatives　in　1862；　1876；　1880；　and　1884。　In　Canada　it　had　been　endorsed　before　Confederation　by　Isaac　Buchanan；　the　father　of　the　protection　movement；　and　by　Luther　Holton　and　John　Young。　Now　for　the　first　time　it　became　a　practical　question。　Erastus　Wiman；　a　Canadian　who　had　found　fortune　in　the　United　States；　began　in　1887　a　vigorous　campaign　in　its　favor　both　in　Congress　and　among　the　Canadian　public。　Goldwin　Smith　lent　his　dubious　aid；　leading　Toronto　and　Montreal　newspapers　joined　the　movement；　and　Ontario　farmers'　organizations　swung　to　its　support。　But　the　agitation　proved　abortive　owing　to　the　triumph　of　high　protection　in　the　presidential　election　of　1888；　and　in　Canada　the　red　herring　of　the　Jesuits'　Estates　controversy　was　drawn　across　the　trail。

Yet　the　question　would　not　down。　The　political　parties　were　compelled　to　define　their　attitude。　The　Liberals　had　been　defeated　once　more　in　the　election　of　1887；　where　the　continuance　of　the　National　Policy　and　of　aid　to　the　Canadian　Pacific　had　been　the　issue。　Their　leader；　Edward　Blake；　had　retired　disheartened。　His　place　had　been　taken　by　a　young　Quebec　lieutenant；　Wilfrid　Laurier；　who　had　won　fame　by　his　courageous　resistance　to　clerical　aggression　in　his　own　province　and　by　his　indictment　of　the　Macdonald　Government　in　the　Riel　issue。　A　veteran　Ontario　Liberal；　Sir　Richard　Cartwright；　urged　the　adoption　of　commercial　union　as　the　party　policy。　Laurier　would　not　go　so　far；　and　the　policy　of　unrestricted　reciprocity　was　made　the　official　programme　in　1888。　Commercial　union　had　involved　not　only　absolute　free　trade　between　Canada　and　the　United　States　but　common　excise　rates；　a　common　tariff　against　the　rest　of　the　world；　and　the　division　of　customs　and　excise　revenues　in　some　agreed　proportion。　Unrestricted　reciprocity　would　mean　free　trade　between　the　two　countries；　but　with　each　left　free　to　levy　what　rates　it　pleased　on　the　products　of　other　countries。

When　in　1891　the　time　came　round　once　more　for　a　general　election；　it　was　apparent　that　reciprocity　in　some　form　would　be　the　dominant　issue。　Though　the　Republicans　were　in　power　in　the　United　States　and　though　they　had　more　than　fulfilled　their　high　tariff　pledges　in　the　McKinley　Act；　which　hit　Canadian　farm　products　particularly　hard；　there　was　some　chance　of　terms　being　made。　Reciprocity；　as　a　form　of　tariff　bargaining；　really　fits　in　better　with　protection　than　with　free　trade；　and　Blaine；　Harrison's　Secretary　of　State；　was　committed　to　a　policy　of　trade　treaties　and　trade　bargaining。　In　Canada　the　demand　for　the　United　States　market　had　grown　with　increasing　depression。　The　Liberals；　with　their　policy　of　unrestricted　reciprocity；　seemed　destined　to　reap　the　advantage　of　this　rising　tide　of　feeling。　Then　suddenly；　on　the　eve　of　the　election；　Sir　John　Macdonald　sought　to　cut　the　ground　from　unde