COMMERCIAL INTERCOURSE AND TRANSPORTATION. 949 
The entire history of all European Colonies in 
America proves that the sentiment of nationality, that 
is, of attachment to the Mother Country, is very weak, 
and readily yields place to other sentiments of ambi- 
tion, interest, or passion, so as to produce feelings of 
hostility between the inhabitants of the: Metropolis 
and those of the Colonies more intense than such as 
exist between either of them and the inhabitants of 
other countries. This fact is particularly remarkable 
in the incidents of revolution in Spanish America, ex- 
ample of which we have now before the eyes in the 
insurrection which rages in Cuba. But the same fact 
appears distinctly in the past history of British 
America, And there is no reason to suppose that 
the sentiment of mere loyalty, that is, political attach- 
ment to the Mother Country, is any more strong: at 
present in the Dominion of Canada than it formerly 
was in the British Colonies now constituting the 
United States. 
M. H. Blerzy, in a very instructive essay on the 
Colonies of the British Empire, discussing the question 
whether the English beyond sea, are likely to remain 
attached to England by recollections of family or of 
country, observes with great truth that “the very 
aptitude for colonization of which the English are. 
so proud could not exist without implying a cer- 
tain insouctance of family on their part and disdain 
of their native country.” 
How true is this remark! It is illustrated by 
contrasting the devoted attachment of the French to 
France, who in our day send so few colonists to 
