THE POLITICAL DESTINY OF CANADA. 



17 



Canadian nationality being a lost cause, the 

 ultimate union of Canada with the United States 

 appears now to be morally certain ; so that noth- 

 ing is left for Canadian patriotism but to provide 

 that it shall be a union indeed, and not an annex- 

 ation ; an equal and honorable alliance like that 

 of Scotland and England, not a submission of the 

 weaker to the stronger; and at the same time 

 that the political change shall involve no change 

 of any other kind in the relations of Canada with 

 her mother-country. The filaments of union are 

 spreading daily, though they may be more visible 

 to the eye of one who sees Canada at intervals 

 than to that of a constant resident. Intercourse 

 is being increased by the extension of railways ; 

 the ownership and management of the railways 

 themselves are forming an American interest in 

 Canada ; New York is becoming the pleasure, 

 and, to some extent, even the business, capital 

 of Canadians ; American watering-places are be- 

 coming their summer resort ; the periodical lit- 

 erature of the States, which is conducted with 

 extraordinary spirit and ability, is extending its 

 circulation on the northern side of the line ; and 

 the Canadians who settle in the States are multi- 

 plying the links of family connection between the 

 two countries. To specify the time at which a 

 political event will take place is hardly ever pos- 

 sible, however assured the event itself may be ; 

 and in the present instance the occurrence depends 

 not only on the circumstances of Canada, where, 

 as we have seen, there is a great complication of 

 secondary forces, but on the circumstances of the 

 United States. If the commercial depression 

 which at present prevails in Canada continues or 

 recurs, if Canadian manufactures are seen to be 

 dying under the pressure of the customs-line ; if, 

 owing to the depression or to over-costly under- 

 takings, such as the Pacific Railway, financial dif- 

 ficulties arise ; if, meantime, the balance of pros- 

 perity, which is now turning, shall have turned 

 decisively in favor of the United States, and the 

 reduction of their debt shall have continued at 

 the present rate — the critical moment may arrive, 

 and the politicians, recognizing the voice of Des- 



tiny, may pass in a body to the side of conti- 

 nental union. It will be fortunate if a misunder- 

 standing between the Canadian Government and 

 Downing Street, about some question such as that 

 respecting the pecuniary claims of British Colum- 

 bia, which is now assuming such exaggerated pro- 

 portions, does not supervene to make the final 

 dissolution of the political tie a quarrel instead 

 of an amicable separation. 



To Canada the economical advantages of con- 

 tinental union will be immense; to the United 

 States its general advantages will be not less so. 

 To England it will be no menace, but the re- 

 verse : it will be the introduction into the coun- 

 cils of the United States, on all questions, com- 

 mercial as well as diplomatic, of an element friend- 

 ly to England, the influence of which will be 

 worth far more to her than the faint and invidious 

 chance of building up Canada as a rival to the 

 United States. In case of war, her greatest dan- 

 ger will be removed. She will lose neither wealth 

 nor strength ; probably she will gain a good deal 

 of both. As to glory, we cannot do better than 

 quote in conclusion the words of Palmerston's 

 favorite colleague, and the man to whom he, as 

 was generally supposed, wished to bequeath his 

 power: 



" There are supposed advantages flowing from 

 the possession of dependencies, which are ex- 

 pressed in terms so general and vague that they 

 cannot be referred to any determinate head. Such, 

 for example, is the glory which a country is sup- 

 posed to derive from an extensive colonial empire. 

 We will merely remark, upon this imagined advan- 

 tage, that a nation derives no true glory from any 

 possession which produces no assignable advantage 

 to itself or to other communities. If a country pos- 

 sesses a dependency from which it derives no pub- 

 lic revenue, no military or naval strength, and no 

 commercial advantages or facilities for emigration, 

 which it would not equally enjoy though the de- 

 pendency were independent, and if, moreover, the* 

 dependency suffers the evils which (as we shall 

 show hereafter) are the almost inevitable conse- 

 quences of its political condition, such a possession 

 cannot justly be called glorious." 



— The Fortnightly Review. 





