the canadian dominion-第17章

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s　on　Canadian　wheat　and　flour　had　been　greatly　lowered；　resulting　in　a　preference　over　foreign　grain　reckoned　at　eighteen　cents　a　bushel。　While　in　appearance　an　extension　of　the　old　system　of　preference　and　protection；　in　reality　this　was　a　step　toward　its　abandonment。　For　it　was　understood　that　American　grain；　imported　into　Canada　at　a　low　duty；　whether　shipped　direct　or　ground　into　flour；　would　be　admitted　at　the　same　low　rates。　The　Act；　by　opening　a　back　door　to　United　States　wheat；　foreshadowed　the　triumph　of　the　cheap　food　agitators　in　England。　But　the　merchants；　the　millers；　and　the　forwarders　of　Montreal　could　not　believe　this。　The　canal　system　was　rushed　through；　large　flour　mills　were　built；　and　heavy　investments　of　capital　were　made。　Then　in　1846　came　the　announcement　that　the　artificial　basis　of　this　brief　prosperity　had　vanished。　Lord　Elgin　summed　up　the　results　in　a　dispatch　in　1849：　〃Property　in　most　of　the　Canadian　towns；　and　more　especially　in　the　capital；　has　fallen　fifty　per　cent　in　value　within　the　last　three　years。　Three…fourths　of　the　commercial　men　are　bankrupt；　owing　to　free　trade。　A　large　proportion　of　the　exportable　produce　of　Canada　is　obliged　to　seek　a　market　in　the　United　States。　It　pays　a　duty　of　twenty　per　cent　on　the　frontier。　How　long　can　such　a　state　of　things　endure？〃

In　October；　1849；　the　leading　men　of　Montreal　issued　a　manifesto　demanding　annexation　to　the　United　States。　A　future　Prime　Minister　of　Canada；　J。　J。　C。　Abbott；　four　future　Cabinet　Ministers；　John　Rose；　Luther　Holton；　D。　L。　Macpherson；　and　A。　A。　Dorion；　and　the　commercial　leaders　of　Montreal；　the　Molsons；　Redpaths；　Torrances；　and　Workmans；　were　among　the　signers。　Besides　Dorion；　a　few　French　Canadians　of　the　Rouge　or　extreme　Radical　party　joined　in。　The　movement　found　supporters　in　the　Eastern　Townships；　notably　in　A。　T。　Galt；　a　financier　and　railroad　builder　of　distinction；　and　here　and　there　in　Canada　West。　Yet　the　great　body　of　opinion　was　unmistakably　against　it。　Baldwin　and　La　Fontaine　opposed　it　with　unswerving　energy；　the　Catholic　Church　in　Canada　East　denounced　it；　and　the　rank　and　file　of　both　parties　in　Canada　West　gave　it　short　shrift。　Elgin　came　out　actively　in　opposition　and　aided　in　negotiating　the　Reciprocity　Treaty　with　the　United　States　which　met　the　economic　need。　Montreal　found　itself　isolated；　and　even　there　the　revival　of　trade　and　the　cooling　of　passions　turned　men's　thoughts　into　other　channels。　Soon　the　movement　was　but　a　memory；　chiefly　serviceable　to　political　opponents　for　taunting　some　signer　of　the　manifesto　whenever　he　later　made　parade　of　his　loyalty。　It　had　a　more　unfortunate　effect；　however；　in　leading　public　opinion　in　the　United　States　to　the　belief　for　many　years　that　a　strong　annexationist　sentiment　existed　in　Canada。　Never　again　did　annexation　receive　any　notable　measure　of　popular　support。　A　national　spirit　was　slowly　gaining　ground；　and　men　were　eventually　to　see　that　the　alternative　to　looking　to　London　for　salvation　was　not　looking　to　Washington　but　looking　to　themselves。


In　the　provinces　by　the　sea　the　struggle　for　responsible　government　was　won　at　much　the　same　time　as　in　Canada。　The　smaller　field　within　which　the　contest　was　waged　gave　it　a　bitter　personal　touch；　but　racial　hostility　did　not　enter　in；　and　the　British　Government　proved　less　obdurate　than　in　the　western　conflicts。　In　both　Nova　Scotia　and　New　Brunswick　little　oligarchies　had　become　entrenched。　The　Government　was　unprogressive；　and　fees　and　salaries　were　high。　The　Anglican　Church　had　received　privileges　galling　to　other　denominations　which　surpassed　it　in　numbers。　The　〃powers　that　were〃　found　a　shrewd　defender　in　Haliburton；　who　tried　to　teach　his　fellow　Bluenoses　through　the　homely　wit　of　〃Sam　Slick〃　that　they　should　leave　governing　to　those　who　had　the　training；　the　capacity；　and　the　leisure　it　required。　In　Prince　Edward　Island　the　land　question　still　overshadowed　all　others。　Every　proposal　for　its　settlement　was　rejected　by　the　influence　of　the　absentee　landlords　in　England；　and　the　agitation　went　wearily　on。

In　Nova　Scotia　the　outstanding　figure　in　the　ranks　of　reform　was　Joseph　Howe。　The　son　of　a　Loyalist　settler；　Howe　early　took　to　his　father's　work　of　journalism。　At　first　his　sympathies　were　with　the　governing　powers；　but　a　controversy　with　a　brother　editor；　Jotham　Blanchard；　a　New　Hampshire　man　who　found　radical　backing　among　the　Scots　of　Pictou；　gave　him　new　light　and　he　soon　threw　his　whole　powers　into　the　struggle　on　the　popular　side。　Howe　was　a　man　lavishly　gifted；　one　of　the　most　effective　orators　America　has　produced；　fearing　no　man　and　no　task　however　great；　filled　with　a　vitality；　a　humor；　a　broad　sympathy　for　his　fellows　that　gave　him　the　blind　obedience　of　thousands　of　followers　and　the　glowing　friendship　of　countless　firesides。　There　are　still　old　men　in　Nova　Scotia　whose　proudest　memory　is　that　they　once　held　Howe's　horse　or　ran　on　an　errand　for　a　look　from　his　kingly　eye。

Howe　took　up　the　fight　in　earnest　in　1835。　The　western　demand　for　responsible　government　pointed　the　way；　and　Howe　became；　with　Baldwin；　its　most　trenchant　advocate。　In　spite　of　the　determined　opposition　of　the　sturdy　old　soldier　Governor；　Sir　Colin　Campbell；　and　of　his　successor；　Lord　Falkland；　who　aped　Sydenham　and　whom　Howe　threatened　to　〃hire　a　black　man　to　horse…whip；〃　the　reformers　won。　In　1848　the　first　responsible　Cabinet　in　Nova　Scotia　came　to　power。

In　New　Brunswick　the　transition　to　responsible　government　came　gradually　and　without　dramatic　incidents　or　brilliant　figures　on　either　side。　Lemuel　Wilmot；　and　later　Charles　Fisher；　led　the　reform　ranks；　gradually　securing　for　the　Assembly　control　of　all　revenues；　abolishing　religious　inequalities；　and　effecting　some　reform　in　the　Executive　Council；　until　at　last　in　1855　the　crowning　demand　was　tardily　conceded。


From　the　Great　Lakes　to　the　Atlantic　the　political　fight　was　won；　and　men　turned　with　relief　to　the　tasks　which　strife　and　faction　had　hindered。　Self…government　meant　progressive　government。　With　organized　Cabinets　coordinating　and　controlling　their　policy　the　provinces　went　ahead　much　faster　than　when　Governor　and　Assembly　stood　at　daggers　drawn。　The　forties　and　especially　the　fifties　were　years　of　rapid　and　sound　development　in　all　the　provinces；　and　especially　in　Canada　West。　Settlers　poured　in；　the　scattered　clearings；　widened　until　one　joined　the　next；　and　pioneer　hardships　gave　way　to　substantial；　if　crude；　prosperity。　Education；　notably　under　the　vigorous　leadership　of　Egerton　Ryerson　in　Canada　West；　received　more　adequate　attention。　Banks　grew　and　with　them　all　commercial　facilities　increased。

The　distinctive　feature　of　this　period　of　Canadian　development；　however；　was　the　growth　of　canals　and　railroads。　The　forties　were　the　time　of　canal　building　and　rebuilding　all　along　the　lakes　and　the　St。　Lawrence　to　salt　water。　Canada　spent　millions　on　what　were　wonderful　works　for　their　day；　in　the　hope　that　the　St。　Lawrence　would　become　the　channel　for　the　trade　of　all　the　growing　western　States　bordering　on　the　Great　Lakes。　Scarcely　were　these　waterway　improvements　completed　when　it　was　realized　they　had　been　made　largely　in　vain。　The　railway　had　come　and　was　outrivaling　the　canal。　If　Canadian　ports　and　channels　were　even　to　hold　their　own；　they　must　take　heed　of　the　enterprise　of　all　the　cities　along　the　Atlantic　coast　of　the　United　States；　which　were　promoting　railroads　to　the　interior　in　a　vigorous　rivalry　for　the　trade　of　the　Golden　West。　Here　was　a　challenge　which　must　be　taken　up。　The　fifties　became　the　first　great　railway　era　of　Canada。　In　1850　there　were　only　sixty…six　miles　of　railway　in　all　the　provinces；　ten　years　later　there　were　over　two　thousand。　Nearly　all　the　roads　were　aided　by　provincial　or　municipal　bonus　or　guarantee。　Chief　among　the　lines　was　the　Grand　Trunk；　which　ran　from　the　Detroit　border　to　Riviere　du　Loup　on　the　Gulf　of　St。　Lawrence；　and　which；　though　it　halted　at　that　eastern　terminus　in　the　magnificent　project　of　connecting　with　the　railways　of　the　Maritime　Provinces；　was　nevertheless　at　that　time　the　longest　road　in　the　world　operating　under　single　control。

The　railways　brought　with　them　a　new　speculative　fever；　a　more　comp