232 WITH MR. CHAMBERLAIN IN THE 



caused the slaughter of more men and a waste of 

 more treasure than any other war this country was 

 ever engaged in — ^the great war with the French 

 RepubHc and the French Empire — and that war 

 lasted, with scarcely any intermission, I think only a 

 few months, for more than twenty years. Now, 

 suppose that the American colonies had not re- 

 volted, or suppose our stupid fathers at the time 

 had conquered them and subjected them, what 

 would have been the result ? Why, as a matter of 

 course, the American colonies would have been 

 involved in the twenty years' war in which this 

 country was involved. I think it was much better 

 that they were attending quietly to their own busi- 

 ness and going on in their own way. (Hear, hear.) 

 Therefore it would have been an enormous calamity 

 for the colonies of the United States — for the 

 thirteen revolted colonies — if they had continued 

 connected with this country, liable to all the 

 calamities of that frightful war which for more 

 than twenty years ravaged not only great portions 

 of Europe, but subjected the population of this 

 country to miseries and sufferings which no historian 

 has attempted to describe, nor can any of us, with 

 the greatest power of imagination, in the least degree 

 picture to ourselves. (Hear, hear.) Unfortunately 

 for us, our war policy is not abandoned. We are 

 always getting into some mischief, and I am sorry 

 to say that apparently it does not matter in the least 

 which party is in power. (Laughter.) I should 

 like to ask the advocates of federation whether they 

 find that Canada and the many great colonies that 



