252 THE TREATY OF WASHINGTON. 



States and Canada, a possession * of Great Britain. 

 Nevertheless, the capability of a country to main 

 tain itself by force, if need be, is one of the elements 

 of its political life, and therefore can not be over- 

 looked in considering the condition of the Dominion 

 of Canada. * 



In regard to Canada the inquiry is the more impor 

 tant, seeing that military force depends in part on 

 geographical facts, which, in her case, equally as to 

 peace or war, and for the same reasons, place her at 

 disadvantage on the side of the United States. 



The British possessions in North America, begin 

 ning with Newfoundland on the Atlantic Ocean, and 

 ending with Queen Charlotte s Island on the Pacific, 

 extend across the continent in its broadest part, a 

 distance of 80 of longitude, but in a high latitude, 

 occupying the whole of the country north of the ter 

 ritory of the United States. The space thus described 

 looks large on the map ; but the greater part of it is 

 beyond the limit of the growth of trees, and much of 

 the residue is too cold to constitute a chosen residence 

 for Europeans. 



In a word, the Dominion stretches, along thousands 

 of miles, without capability of extension on the one 

 side, where it meets the frozen north, or on the other, 

 where it is stopped by the United States. As a 

 country, it resembles a mathematical line, having 

 length without breadth. 



Meanwhile, owing to their internal position, their 

 northern latitude, and the geographical configuration 

 of the whole country, the two great Provinces of On- 



