[wrong] fifty years OF CONFEDERATION 63 



however, cost us something, too, for it played a great part in delaying 

 the ultimate and necessary democratic self-government without 

 which Canada's real problems could not be confronted or solved. 

 Democracy is rarely beautiful in its working, for the many still refuse 

 to be refined, restrained and artistic. But, since democracy was 

 inevitable in Canada, it was a misfortune that this was not frankly 

 recognized when it was recognized in the neighbouring republic. To 

 this day, we suffer from the delay in Canada for we lost the experience 

 of more than half a century in learning how to work democratic 

 institutions. 



The middle of the nineteenth century may be taken to mark 

 the final triumph in Canada of the democratic idea. It was in 1849 

 that in tumult and riot was decided finally the principle that the 

 representatives in Parliament of the Canadian people had full au- 

 thority to determine without interference the policy of the country. 

 With this principle settled we are startled to see how rapidly political 

 life developed. Questions which had haunted politics for generations 

 were now quickly settled by the opinions of the majority. The 

 question of a state church, the attempt to keep the Anglican Church 

 in control of higher education, the problem of French feudal tenure 

 in land, that of closer trade relations with the United States, all 

 these were settled within five years of the time when the Canadian 

 people gained full authority over Canadian affairs. There never 

 was a better vindication of democracy. The fire continued to burn. 

 Fifteen years after the triumph of the democratic theory in Canada, 

 the people of British North America had agreed upon the creation 

 of a great British federal state and, in 1867, just fifty years ago, 

 it came into being. In no country was a democratic movement 

 more rapid and more wise than that which effected these great results 

 in so short a period of time. 



To-day, looking backward, we can survey the errors which 

 delayed these results and the merits which produced them. The 

 errors were based upon a haunting dread of the power of the people 

 to discern and determine what was wise. In all sincerity it was 

 believed that a few educated gentlemen, sitting in conference round 

 a table, could think better and see farther than the many in respect 

 to national destiny. Undoubtedly to be educated is better than to 

 be ignorant, to be refined is better than to be a boor. But human 

 nature has disappointing limitations and we are apt to see most 

 vividly only those things which relate to our immediate environment 

 and mode of life. It has often happened in history that a nation's 

 ablest men have been poor interpreters of the nation's need, because 

 they were protected by their situation from feeling the strength of 



