ULTIMATE POLITICS. 77 



present tlie race prejudices of California may get ^lassachusetts into 

 trouble with Japan; while a few Gloucester fishermen have .u.- 

 ceeded in keeping the rest of the United States from eating cheap 

 fish of a Friday. And again, it is a historical fact that the btates ot 

 the American Union once fell out; upon that you are ni a position to 

 offer first hand evidence. . ^ 



We are on common ground with regard to no small portion ot 

 our ultimate hopes; and less on common ground with regard to im- 

 mediate methods. I am all for Canadian independence of the UnUcd 

 States. I am all for going our own way, for developing m su-ength. 

 for showing the Americans and everybody else who may be inter- 

 ested that we have a type, an individualit}-, a way of looking at 

 things and of doing things, all of our own. I am all for drawinjr 

 closer to the Mother Country, whose part in world-politics is so 

 splendid and so noble, whose public morals are purer than those ot 

 this continent, whose standard of civilization is higher, whose influ- 

 ence must prove beneficial in almost ever>- particular. I am for 

 national Canadian development, pushed forward with all the rapidity 

 possible; I also am for Imperial organization, pushed forward with 

 all the rapidity possible; I refuse to see any discrepancy between 

 these two objects. I deliberately wish to cultivate closer relations 

 with the United Kingdom and the rest of the Empire, and I de- 

 liberately wish on the whole to leave the United States alone. For 

 one thing, it is necessary to strive against their overpowering bulk ; 

 to cite a smaller reason, independence will be a surer passport to 

 their friendly consideration than complaisance. But I do not advo- 

 cate rudeness; so far from it entering my head to complain of you 

 for treating of Lincoln and the American struggle for unity, I like 

 those poems; with you I deplore any attempt to upset the policy 

 which Great Britain is pursuing. Nor do I advocate a continuance 

 of our present policy of ignoring American affairs and preening our- 

 selves upon our supposed moral superiority. American hi^ti>r\- and 

 development should be our constant study. We should save our- 

 selves at least half of the mistakes from which tluy have suffered ; 

 and moreover they now are something like twenty years ahead of 

 us in public morality, in civic righteousness, in political virtue ; our 

 Pharisaic complacency is one of the things which I wish to upset. 

 But while we shotild emulate their progress in desirable things we 

 must keep the flag flying. We must study them, we must profit by 

 them, and we must leave them to themselves. As for pan-Anglican 

 Union, I am content to allow a future generation to work at it ; my 



