.^ ^. V. <^ n. .^^ A m. % e^ * /^ IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I IM m IIM IM III 2-^ 2.2 f4. li .. U£ y Hiotographic Sciences Corporation 7 / o {./ .difier une nage The copy filmed here has been reproduced thanks to the generosity of: Library of the Public Archives of Canada The images appearing here are the best quality possible considering the condition and legibility of the original copy and In keeping with the filming contract specifications. L'exemplaire filmi fut reproduit grAce d la g4n6rosit6 de: La bibliothdque des Archives pubiiques du Canada Les images suivantes ont 6x6 reproduites avec le plus grand soin, compte tenu de la condition et de la nettetd de l'exemplaire film6, et en conformity avec les conditions du contrat de filmage. Original copies in printed paper covers a: 9 filmed beginning with the front cover and ending on the last page with a printed or illustrated impres- sion, or the back cover when appropriate. All other original copies are filmed beginning on the first page with a printed or illustrated impres- sion, and ending on the last page with a printed or Illustrated impression. Les exemplaires orlginaux dont la couverture en papier est imprim6e sont film6s en commenpant par le premier plat et en terminant soit par la derniire page qui comporte une empreinte d'impression ou d'illustration, soit par ie second plat, selon le cas. Tous les autres exemplaires orlginaux sont filmds en commandant par la premidre page qui comporte une empreinte d'impression ou d'illustration et en terminant par la dernldre page qui comporte une telle empreinte. The last recorded frame on each microfiche shall contain the symbol — ^ (meaning "CON- TINUED"), or the symbol V (meaning "END"), whichever applies. Un des symboles suivants apparaitra sur la dernidre image de cheque microfiche, selon le cas: le symbols — ^ signifle "A SUIVRE", le symbols V signifle "FIN". Maps, plates, charts, etc., may be filmed at different reduction ratios. Those too large to be entirely included in one exposure are filmed beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to right and top to bottom, as many frames as required. The following diagrams illustrate the method: Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent dtre filmds A des taux de reduction diffdrents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour dtre reproduit en un seul clich6, II est film6 d partir de Tangle sup6rieur gauche, de gauche 6 droite, et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'imagas ndcessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mdthode. rrata o jelure, 1 d □ 32X 1 2 3 f 2 3 4 5 6 mw h0 wiffjmrmmmmm "TTmm^^M^ H K? ^"^ ^laA (--KY * »« '-4. .'. s ".-^ .^n- ;t,. J,' ■■•■?■' ^■■■, - ^f *\ t:RHAT\. On page 25— 9th line from tl.e top, 26- irth -6- 8th I^ead "Sir Ednumd Head' lor "Lord EK^in." l)<)tiom. i | |ii u iw Mmm ff^mm^mm >1 It -> 1 J , I L i ■M-if ;■ <* SIR JOHN A. MACDONALD. I T ? i yfcM"**'- \ THE POLITICAL ADVENTURES OP SIRJ,A,MACDONALD, ISL. O. B. The Toronto News Company. • •fcljl _l,.Li»' mm 1^79 die) ^Ai >2q^ i- i* ■?§*'*' H POMTICAL ADVENTURKS OF coming men. Not that his abilities \vere very great, or that he possessed that [)o\ver of speech which has been the sole means with some men of placing them in the front rank ; but he had a keen j)erception of mankind, how best to use and handle them, and j)ossessed that personal charm tD a remarkable degree which draws and keeps men firm. These qualities often succeed where better ones f;iil. In this case they were highly successful. It was in Kingston, in 1844, that Sir John Macdonald first ventured actively into politics, being then returned as a member of the Second Parliament of United Canada. He took his seat as a moderate Conservative, seemingly anxious to supi)ort I/jrd Metcalfe, who was then governing, in the Tory princi- ples he had enunciated. The year previous the (Governor had differed from his advisers upon the question of making appointments, and they had retired. Though Lord Met- calfe was sustained by a number of English statesmen, there is little doubt but that the views he held were erroneous, and at the present day would meet with but little favor. An able man, it is somewhat strange that he shoulo have taken such strong grounds against the introduction of even the first principles of responsible government. Sir John Macdonald was one of his disciples. His first vote Was given against responsible government. There have been times in his after career which indicate that his first political actions were the result of honest con- •• i RT. HON. SIR JOHN A. MAlDONAI.I), K.( .11. 13 victions. 'I'hoiigh tlic day lias some time passed away, it was when lie believed in the good old Tory doc- trine of an indi\idiial government, and that individual being himself. That at this time his ambition ran high can be little doubted. His every aeti(jn spoke it. Who can for a moment think that a man of abilitv of ])rophctic vision, or of oratorical power, would ally himself with a j)arty opi)osed to poi>ular rights ? Were not the great issues involved in a system of resj)onsible government suf- ficient to attract a man of superior mind to their side ? Ikit the (Governor's new Ministry was weak in intellectual pjwer. Daly, Morris, Cayley and their colleagues, respect- pl)le enomdi men, possessed no very great abilities. An Opposition, fronted with I.afontaiDe,. Baldwin and Hincks, \vas intellectually strong. The chances for a clever, sharp young man were with the Ministry, and this the youthful aspirant was not slow to perceive In 1847 '""i^ support was recognized, and rewarded l)y a position in the Cabinet, under Mr. Draper. He was first Receiver General and afterwards Commissioner of Crown Lands. As an administrator or departmental head no one will claim any very great distinction for him. He lacks that power which many of his colleagues and some opponents, notably the Opposition leader, have acquired, of mastering details. He grasps the whole, but seldomly understands the parts. To this rather than to any wilfij neglect is due the '■T<*:*,>«'Vt#ff't*»--iWl6!*:2*-»:*'- J !■ ' I. 1^1 if- «4 roiITICAI, ADVKNTURES OF fact that his work \\\is often l)chind and scarcely ever coni- ])lctcly done. He is t'ssentially a planner, schemer and ad- viser, but not a worker. A streak of sincerity must have crossed his mind when he was moved to place the two now famous letters " M. I,''* over the desk in his late office. It must Jiot be forgotten that those were different times from the present. 'I'he (iovernmental system was very imperfect. liesides the seas were often tempest-tossed, and the man who would launch his political banjue must needs be brave, l^ven the few years the member for Kingston had been in [)ublic life many changes had taken place. Lord Metcalf had returned home, and scarcely had his shadow vanished than Lord Cathcart, his successor, followed. Then came Lord Elgin antl a new era. Mr. Draper's administration was passing a most precarious existence. The addition made to its personnel in the young Macdonald could not save it, and during the session which lasted from June 4th to July 28th, 1847, it was several times defeated. A general election followed, resulting m the return of Baldwin, Lafontaine and Morin, sup^jorted by a large majority. The Ministry resigned and a Liberal one took its place. Sir John Macdonald has often claimed to be the descend- ant of those old-time Reformers — Baldwin and Lafontaine — but, in appealing to histjry, his ] opposition to them, fre- * Mr. Blake interpreted them "Masterly Inactivity." I RT. HON. SIR JOHN A. MACDONAI.I), K.(.n. '5 qujntly f;\(tii»us and often bitter, from 1.S4S to 1854, would be very poor evidence in support of his claim. It was durinj; these six years spent in (>i)position that Sir John Macdonald made his debut as a j)ublit; speaker. His first noticeable speech was an arraignment of tlie Hincks (Jovernment, and it was tlelivered in much the same style that characterizes his {^resent utterances. Mr. Hincks, with a surprising hardihood, had asserted that he would not allow any legislation during the session 'that did not suit his convenience. The young Macdonald made a vigorous onslaught on this declaration. "What 1 had it 'come to that? Were they a free Parliament or were they 'not? Had they to be told by the Minister in that House ' that they must do only that which he would allow them ' and no more, and after that be sent away to their homes. ' Might not the honorable gentleman go a stej) further, and ' say, take away that bauble (pointing to the mace). The ' honorable gentleman surpassed even himself in audacity ' when he ventured to thus express himself 'i'he majority of ' the honorable gentleman was becoming small by degrees * and beautifully less, and it might Ijc very convenient for him ' to have a short session, which would pass only such bills ' as he wanted. He believed that the announcement ' was an unconstitutional one, and that they might search in ' vain in the annals of the British Legislature for such an ' announcement from the lips of a Minister. He knew the If ^ i6 POLITICAL ADVENTURES OF " answer that would lie made on the part of the (iovern- *' ment. He would'be told that he (Sir John Macdonald) *' did not want to have the clergy reserves secularized this " session or any other session. That was quite true ; but " that did not alter the position of the Ministers. Every '' member of the House had an interest in insisting that the " pledges and promises of the (knernment should be kept, *' and that the public mind should not be debauched by the " moral wrongs of the Government. They had an interest "that the public mind should not be contaminated. It was "immoral that the (lovernmei.t should oi cupy their places " upon the strength of violated pledges and the grossest cor- *' ruption, while they enriched themselves by speculations in " public property.'' The notions of the ex[)ert are decided- ly at variance with the eloi[uence of the tyro. As a debater Sir John Macdonald has not been a very great success. He never understands a subject unless it refers to himself. With a surface knowledge of many things, he appears in- capable of diving into any one of them and becoming mas- ter of it. His greatest speeches, such as those upon the W\ashington Treaty, the North West Trjubles, the Quebec affair, and other subjects, abundantly prove this. In some of these he shows a sublime igHorance of the real (juestions under discussion. Not that he has really failed as a [)oliti- cal speaker, for in this view of his oratorical powers he can claim a measure of success. "He has none of the high- iiaiiiiii UMfiMillMMMi ■■■i RT. HON. SIR JOHxN A. MACDONALI), K.C.H. I? toned elociiience of Bright, combining the utmost dignity of thought and manner with the most beautiful simphcity of expression ; none of the keen incisive logic and the reserve of intellectual power that distinguishes the greater efforts of Mr. Blake ; none of the subtle analysis or the sustained argument cl(;thed in the ornate style of Mr. (lladstone. But he has the art of adapting himself precisely to the men- tal capacity of his audience ; of supplying the apt illustra- tion most familiar to their ideas and habits ; of assuming an air of earnestness even when it is sometimes hard to believe it real ; of seizing hold of some point that will afford an ap- peal to the passions or jjrejudices of the listener, and investing it with an importance sober thought might deem it hardly to deserve ; and dexterously ai)i)r()[)riating as his own j)Oj)ular ideas or patriotic sentiments." Our House of Commons has not yet reached that point when a man is viewed as a good sneaker only as he possesses a "business like directness and knowledge of affairs." To constitute an orator al present one simply re(iuires a fluency of emj^ty words and an occasional gush of menningless eloquence. Sir John Macdonald"s speeches, however, are always listen- ed to with pleasure. He studies well the temper of his audience, aiul learns how io please it. He is always ligi;t and fanciful. A retentive memory enables him to bring to his subject many ])leasing (juotations from the best authors. But he lacks thoroughness, and, what is of still greater im- iS POLITICAL ADVENTURES OF f ■■;» .-. •'I I portance, earnestness. He may, like Lord Beaconsfield, be very properly compared to that game which children are so fond of seeing played, in which two persons are conceal- ed behind a curtain, the head of one and the arms of the other only appearing. The head declaims and the arms gesticulate as nearly in harmony as may be, or with as ridiculous an incongruity as can be devised. So it often is with Sir John Macdonnld ; his head and arms are in his speeches, but his heart seldomly. Mr. Mac- kenzie, Mr. Tilley, and better still, Mr. Blake, bring their whole being, thought, feeling, voice and frame to the help of their subject ; but Sir John speaks mechanically. Often eloquent, always pleasant, his speeches excite curiosity but do not carry conviction. In 1849 the question agitating the public mind was the Rebellion Losses Bill. It was a Government meas- ure, and as such was opposed by Mr. Draper, the leader, and Mr. Macdonald, the lieutenant, of the Opposition. The latter's course was a temperate one, and he should in no way be held personally responsible for the frantic acts which followed its passage and sanction. As he had a right to do, he opposed it, but not by appeals to mob violence, as has been represented. His was the consti- tutional opposition. It may be true that the mob which burned the Parliament Buildings and insulted Royalty, was composed of men, who, for the most part, supported ■'ONAI,D, K.C.R. 7 but these require to be jubstantiated by more proof than has yet been presented. After a forty-eight hours' existence Mr. Brawn's Government died. During tliis crisis the con- duct of St John Macdona'd, to say the least of it, was censurable. If he knew, and he must have known, that he was sufficiently strong in the Assembly to force it at his dictation and under questionable circumstances to con- demn Mr. Brown, he was acting falsjly to his Sovereign and party in resigning. It was eminently the conduct of the political schemer. Mr. Cartler, as the leader of the largest following in the Hous:*, was called upon i)y the Ojvernor to assume the duty of forming a (iovernment, which task, with the help of his old chief, he accomi)lished. By what has since become known as "the double shuffle," one of t'.ie most disgraciful political proceeJings of our history, the new Ministers assumed office without seeking re-election. It was, so the Courts said, a strictly legal act, but not even the judges th?m»elves w)uld assert that it was within the spirit of t'le law. No public man in the present day will defend, but both parties heartily condemn it as a |)olitical fraud. It served the purposes of Sir John M.icdonald and his colleagues well, for whilst Mr. Brown and the other m3m')3rs of his Governm,»nt were before their constituen- cies seeking re-election, the business of the se.ssion was quietly carried on and completed. Slightly altering an old ' 38 POLITICAL ADVENTURES OP 1 I' .! i coujilet it can be well applied to those times : * "When all were for the party, And none were for the State." , , • Faction was rampant. Party spirit had dimmed the national honor. Each session witnessed some strange en- counters between the opposing parties. To the true patriot the signs of the times weri? anything but assuring. 'I'he present was dark a;id there was little light in the future. Amidst all this unseemly strife, however, great (|ue tions were gradually pusliin;:; their way to the fore. The "Con- feder.tion of the British North American Colonies" and "Representation by Population" were not dead issues. Only quietly hinted at in the past, they were now boldly agitated. The latter was the chief topic of discussion dur- ing the session of 1861. As was his custom Sir John Macdonald oi)p()sed it ; indeed, it has been a characteristic of his political life that he has opi)osed at first nearly all the great reforms which the country has asked for, and only when his own position was endangered and the popular recjue t could no longer be res sted has' he accepted and helped to carry them. On this particular question he took a most peculiar stand. "Let us," said he, towards the close of the session, "return to our h;)mjs determined to use every legitimate "m^ans for cirrym;^ out our views on other subjects, but let "us not make this question of representation by papulation KT. HON. SIR JOHN A. MAC!)ONAI.n, K.C.H. 29 *'a matter of party agitation and strife. He fleprctatcd the ''introduction of a (piestion so likely to endanger the peace "of the Province." 'I'his being freely interpreted meant that all matters CDukl be legitinvitely and properly dis- cussed, except those that might imperil the pcsition of Sir John Macdonald, and these were dangerous and disloyal. In 1862 the C'artier-Macdonald (lovernment suc- cuml)ed upon its Militia Hill, and was succeeded by the Macdonald-Sicoite. afterwards the Macdonald -I )orion, administration. According to Mr. Hrown the new (lovern- ment lived a precarious life until March, ICS64, when it resigned. Once more Sir John Macdonald, with his old colleague, cime to the fore, in an administration formed by Sir K. P. Tache. The new combination, however, was not strong, and met with continual defeats. Matter> uere be- coming serious and men upon both j-ides were asking the (juestion, *'what of the future.^" All were ])e(oming alarm- ed at the state of affiirs. I'llection had followed election — Minis. ry had succeeded Ministi) — with the same result. Parties were so ecjually balanced that the vote of one meml)er might decide the fate of the administration and the course of legis^.ali )n fir years, It is not surprising, such being the case, that in the session of 1S64 Mr. JJnnvn could readily obtain a committee to consider "the very grave difficulties which then presented themselves in conducting the Govern- i J t' $p POLITICAL ADVENTURES OF i 1' I 1: mcnt of Canada in such a manner as to show due regard to the wishes of its numerous populations." To this commit- ' tee prop2rly belongs most of the credit due for the Con- federation scheme. Mr. Brown was chairman, and .vlth him were associated the leading men of both parties, and prominent among them Sir John Macdonald. Its delibera- . tions wtre carried on and the subject discussed without referencL' to p ;litical antecedents. There was an honest d:;sire to fiod soiviL' ivjIuLion for the perilous problem before the committee. But this hour of momentous im- portance, nay, ahnost of national calamity — for such it was — shovved the world of what stuff Canadian statesmen were made. Who is there to-day that will deny that the Hon. George Brown and Sir John Macdonald in ''casting aside "political pr.rti/anf^hip, 1 anishirg personal ccnndc rations, *'and uniting fjr the accomi)lishment of a measure so "Taught with advantage to their common country," ex- hibited the grj.itest statesm mship of their lives ? Some there may be, but the race is almost extinct. On the 14th March, 1864, the committee reported to the Mouse that its general fueling was in favor of changes in the direction of a Federative system, applied either to Canada or the whole of the British North American Colonies. The des- perate position of affairs may be best understood by a knowledge of the fact that on this same day the Govern- ^i^itmmmmmmmmtmtKKtm RT. HOX. SIR JOHN A. MACDONALD, K.C.B. 3 1 ment was defeated by a vote of 58 to 60. The crisis was now at hand, but there were men equal to the exigency. Mr. Brown was the first to move. He urged the Govern- ment to utilize the moment by making some attempt to settle the great difficulties surrounding the proper govern- ance of the country, particularly the ccnstiluticr.al (jucsticns in dispute between Upper and Lower Canada, and at the same t.'me patriotcally offered h:s sei vices to the men who wculd deal with hese n:atteis. Sir John Macdcr.ald nobly responded, and then commenced that brilliant period in our history during which the greatest boon the country ever received was conferred upon it. The end of the session found Sir John Macdonald and Hon. George Brown in the same Cabinet together. They had opposed one another in the past, it was true ; but had either done anything to make him unworthy of the companionship of the other? This, too, was a national movement, and personal conduct should be subordinated to it. The two leaders recognized the country's peril, and as patriots sunk their own differences and hastened to the rescue. It has been a point of a great deal of discussion as to who was the " I'ather of Con- federation." In iS.sS, Sir A. T. (Jalt, with a fearlessness well becommg his high statesmanshiji, had brought the matter before the House, and even before that tlate the subject had been extensively written upon by others ; but, ,32 POLITICAL ADVENTURES OF* after giving the claims of all these due consideration, there are none more entitled to the honor of the position than o'r John Macdonald and Hon, George Brown. Speaking upon this point in the Assembly, on 6th February, 1865, Sir John Macdonald gave the credit of the introduction of the sub- ject to Sir A. T. Gait, but claimed that the Cartier-Mac- donald administration of 1858 had first made it a gjvernnijnt- al question. "He Delieved the attention of the Legislature " was first formally called to it by his honorable friend the "Minister of Finance. Some years ago, in an elaborate "si)eech, while an independent member of Parliament, he "(Sir A. T. Ga.t) had pressed his views on the Legislature, "at great length and with his usual force. But the subject "was not taken up by any party as a branch of their policy "until the formation of the Cartier-Macdonald administra- "tion in 1858, when the confederation of the colonies was "announced as one of the measures which they ))ledged "themselves to attempt, if possible, to bring to a satisfac- "tory conclusio'i." Two days after this, Mr. Brown, refer- ring to these remarks and some others made by Sir (ieorge Cartier, thought "it was all very well that his honorable "friends should receive credit for the large share they had "contributed towards maturing the measure before the " House ; but he could not help reflecting, while they "spoke, that if this was their very scheme in 1858, they sue ?; mmMsm ■■j.;jiti,.i hfjVi.if . v,..^u,^^|,:;^ri.,-^;r,:, ■■t'-.jiii^ RT. HOX. SIR JOHN A. MACDONALT), K.C.f!. 33 in, there than o'r ng upon Sir John the sub- er-Mac- mnunt- gislature iend the laborate nent, he fislature, ; subject r policy ministra- nies was pledged satisfac- vn, refer- r (jeorge onorable they had fore the lile they they sue ''ceeded wonderfully in bottling it up from all ihe world ''except themselves — and he could not help regretting that "it was not until 1864 that this mysterious plant of 1858 ** vas forced to fruition/' Whatever political demagogues may -ay, the [>eo})le will not forget that it was the coalition of Sir John Macdonald and Hon. ( Jeorge • Brown that l)rought about Confederation. Shoulder to shoulder they worked for the country's cause. It is not necessary for us to follow all the stejjs that were taken. Conferences, meet- ings and banijuets followed one another in rapid succession, at which the promoters of the scheme explained it in many able addresses. The debate in the old Assembly of Canada in the session of 1865 was the most elaborate and im])ortant of the series. Sir John .Macdonald's sj)eech was undoubt- edly a masterly one in many res])ccts. It had not the weight such a si)eech should carry, for he occupied a pecu- liar position. For many long 'years he had been opposing the jjruiciples for which he was now contending. Mr. Holton put the matter truthfully— though certainly not generously- when he stated that 'Hhe hon. gentleman (Sir -John) was in that speech giving the lie to twenty years of "his i)olitical life. He was offering to the cause he was "now advocating one speech against his continuous voice "and vote for twenty years. He was struggling all tlirough "that speech against the consciousness of the falseness of i if 34 rULITICAL ADVKNTURES OF ' 1*1 4»i «i r 1' ' , M i. • 5 ^ \ * [ ■i ' ' ■ , ' ' ■ , i ; . { , i ! ' ■ i -' ■- • .'\ : M- "his |)olitical position, and what everyone conceived would "be the l)rightest effort of his hfe was the feeblest address "he ever dehvered on any im})ortant (][uestion." In all these deliberations he took a prominent ])art, and was t:hair- inan of the l^ondon Confcienee (jf 1866-7, at which the final terms were agreed upon. During these negotiations his conduct, though not entirely free from suspicion, for his old ambition, doubly stimulated with the jirospects of the Premiership of the Dominion, ^till prompted him at times to questionable actions, had much that was patriotic and statesmanlike alxnit it. Through his efforts in no small degree were the people of Canada able, on the ist of July, 1867, to upraise the ensign of a united Dominion. During these years many changes had taken ]jlace. 3ir K. I^ Tache had passed away and Sir Narcisse Helleau taken his place. Mr. Mowat, who, with Mr. McDougall. had entered the Cabinet with Mr. IJrown as the representa- tives of the Liberal l)arty, h;id acce|>ted a N'ice-Chancellor- ship, and Mr. P>ri)wn, beci)ming dissatisfied with the Reci])n)city negotiations then being carried on between Canada and the Cnited States, had left the (iovernment. To fill their places Messrs. Howland and Blair were select- ed, but they were not the rejirescntatives ot the Reform l)arty. Sir John Macdonald was master of the situation. Confederation accomplished, he became Premier. With an RT. HOX. SIR fOHN A. MACDONALD, Kc;.R. 35 old time cunning he announced the demolition of all piirty lines, expressed his intention of conducting the (iovernment upon coalition ])rinciples, and by promises of economy and honesty secured an overwhelming majority at the elections that ensued. No statesman ever found himself in a prouder position. He \va>^ leader, not of a party, hut of a country. In his hands lay the uKJulding of the i)olitical and social standing of the Dominion. He was the first Premier t)f a new nation. All he had ever coveted must now have been obtained, and all the strivings of his ambition satistled. Kvery I'rovince rallied to his support but Nova Scotia, and the submission of the late Hon. Joseph Howe brought even it mto line. Surrounded by men of such liberal ideas as Howe, Tilley. Mcdee and Howland, his position seemed im])regnable. Tact and foresight were displayed in the for- mati(jn of his first C'abinet, and indeed in whatever other respects Sir John Macdonald's career may have been a fliil- ure, he has certainly sliown himself a most expert leader. Fcr this he is well adai)ted, especially if the re(iuisite ciualifica- tions be such as many contend. .\ot long ago a leading journal laid down the rule that a leader should be : 1. Frank and genial by constitutional temperament ; 2. Kind and courteous in manner ; 3. Easy of access ; 4. Unaffected; 36 POLITICAL ADVENTl'RFS OF »■ 5. Affable to all men; ' -■ .. - ' .5 '' * 6. Flexible in bearing ; ». 7. Always conciliatory, but never vacillating. These are the external (jualifications. There are also ihe internal ones : 1. Intellect; ' 2. Constitutional learning ; 3. Clear head ; . .,. Power of expressing what is j)assing through the mind ; 5. Tiiought ; ^ R .'.'"ness in resource. The iirsc .>even Sir John Macdonald possesses to a remarkable degree. He goes beyond them, for he can at times be a flatterer, a soother and an accommodater. He is an adei)t at suiting himself to all sorts of positions. Like Talleyrand, as described by Luclos, though in a different sense, "it is true he will yield to circumstances, and will deem that he can make sacrifi(^es to peace." He was e(|ual- ly at home governing arm-in-arm with Sir (leorge Cartier and sitting in a coalition Cabinet with Hon. (ieorge Brown ; in opi)osing a scheme of responsible government as in sup- porting it ; in j)roving iMr. Hincks black as in washing him white ; in thundering against corruption as in spending "the other ten thousand." The "internal" six he may not so fully pos.sess. He is not an ideal statesman, in fact, he falls RT. HON. SIR JOHN A. MACDONAI,I>, K.C.B. 37 far short of one. The perfect description which Mehnoth gives in such majestic language would but ill apply to him : ■ "See him in ^Senates act the patriot's jart, Truth on his lii)s, the jmhlic at his heart ; ' . Then neither fears can awe nor hopes control The honest purpose of his steady soul. No mean attachment e'er seduced his tongue : 'i'o gild the cause his heart suspected wrong ; But deaf to every factions plea, his voice Joins here or there, as reason guides the choice ; 'I'o one great })oint his faithful labors tend, And all his toils in Britain's interest end." Nevertheless, he has been a good leader. Mr. Mac- kenzie is too unbending and unswerving. Sir John Mac- donald can do both. When adherence to a jxarty's pro- gramme interferes with its pros[)ects he can afford to relax a little, but Mr. Mackenzie cannot. The one is a good deal of the politician and a little of the statesman, the other more of the statesman and less of the politician. To Sir. John Macdonald the Conservative party owes everything,; To it he has ever been faithful. His time, energies, talents and means have been freely sacrificed for its benefit. He has his reward in an undivided i'ory allegiance. At times he has been almost deified, for It mattered n(jt what were his acts, or what the evidence, his followers appeared to have adopted the old rtgal maxim, "Sir John can do no harm." We would not recommend to the i)oliti(ians of the „ I- 38 POLITICAL ADVENTURES OF S ^< ■]■ i' V :?' ■IF future the practice of those arts, or the acrjuirement of those qualities, that have distinguished his career. Rather to their natural ability let thein add — culture, integrity, patriotism, courage, industry, zeal for the public welfare, and fidelity to party and principles. The new (iovernment had few obstacles to contend against. Sujjported by a majority larger than was neces- sary, judged by a not over exacting, but an expectant, pub. lie, there was little to fear. It was only by degrees that those who had given a helping hand in the work of Con- federation, but who were oj)posed to the (Government upon •other matters, were forming themselves into an Opposition^ The sailing was smooth and the storms few. The advocates ,'of no-partyism might almost have claimed the arrival of 'their millennium. It was during this period, 1867-70, that Sir John Macdonald had ample opportunity of proving his powers as a law-maker. Important and wise as the .measures and laws then considered were, exclusive of the . Britisii North America Act, few are entitled to a place of ^prominence. It is somewhat strange that, long as he has ; occupied a place in the Legislature of the country, his name • is connected with but few great laws. He cannot claim the Insolvent Act, the Supreme Court Act, the present perfect , Election Law, the Ballot Act, or Trial of Controverted Elec. tions by the Judges, or any similarly important ones. Nor k<-ym *-*-w»t* «i.»r i^olicy of the (iovernment towards the new territory was bungling and unstatesmanlike. The initiative was taken by an attempt to force the inhabitants of that country without consultation into the union. At this they became indignant and res'sted the endeavors made, as thev thought bv a "foreign power,*' to put the machinery in motion for the j)roper government of the new Province. They claimed, with a show of justice, to be treated as other portions of Her Majesty's Hritish North American possessions had been. Fhis gave rise to those painful trouliles fronj the J h t^! I ;:; 4t POLITICAL ADVENTURKS OF i* ( ' ) ! conseciuences of which the country until recently seriously suffered. In the settlement of these difficulties much (lui)licity was practised by the two leaders of the dovern- ment. Pledges were given to-day and vio! to-morrow, as some fresh evidence of the state of feeling was brought to their sanctums from ( )ntario and (Quebec. The different steps taken — Mr. McDougall's attemi)t to reach the promised land, the formation and acts of the Provisional (rovernment, Colonel Wolseley's e\i)edition, the murder of Scott, and the Aiunesty (Question- are well known subjects. The whole proceeding was high- ly illustrative of that incapacity which Sir John Mac- donalds amiable colleague, the ex-i.ieu* nt-(jovernor, declared reigned supreme at Ottawa. aat peculiar faculty of the Premier which some call inconsistency was during this [)eriod displayed to its fullest extent. .Vt one time it i)ronn)ted its jjossessor to wish to (Jod he could catch one of the chief figures in the Troubles, and at anotlier to give this same individual a handsome donation with which to take a holiday. In 1871 Sir John Macdonald tried a new adven- ture. A Joint High Commission was appointed for the settlement of the Alabama Claims and other mat- ters in dispute between England and the United States. 'I'he Canadian Premier was offered and accept- k RT. HON. SIR JOHN A. MACUONAM), K.l.H 43 cd a position at the Hoard, in conjunction with Sir Stafford Northcoto, Sir Kdward Thorntijn, and the Kt. Hon, Montague liernard, as the Knglish representatives, .As a di|)lomatist his most ardent admirers will scarce- ly re- sentative was appointed, but he was only sui h nomin- ally, for he has often given us to underNtand that he was there as the delegate of (ireat Britain. His actions were entirely ruled by the English section, and, according to a leading American paj^er, he was obliged "'to do as he was bid." It was a much loftier thing to be styled the Plenipotentiary of Great IJritain than to be dubbed the Canadian Representa- tive. The Kingston Knight (for he had been de- servedly knighted at Confederation) knew also that the certain reward for his services was a new Imperial title. Preferring the good opinion of a few Knglish aristocrats to the welfare of the colony he governed, he surrendered every privilege upon which the covetous eyes of the Americans were resting. As Prime Min- ister of Canada he was bound in every way to pro- I ? : 1 . ■: ■t ; ' / e' ■ ■' ' ■ if !• J; ■ 111 1 15 it (J I ! H^i 44 POLITICAL ADVENTURES OF lect her interests. How did he d(* it ? For the navigation of our magnificent canals we received the graciously condescending promise "that the President would use his inthience with the State (iovernments to secure us the navigation of theirs for a term of years/" For the free use of the greatest water highway in the world this British Canadian I'lenijtotentiary ac- cepted the right to use the waters of two streams in Alaska^ about as well known to the (ordinary reader as the K-isliakovskaia. Hut, greater humiliation still, he was compelled to barter away as the British repre- sentative at Washington one of the most valuable of our national birthrights— the fisheries -and that, too, for what the Americans would pay for them. The execution of the Treaty was infinitely worse than its concei)tion, and for a number of years we presented the pitiable spectacle of one great nation giving to an- other almost everything and receiving nothing in return. A place at the I*ri\y Council o( longland and the prefix of Right Honorable were the inducements for these patriotic sacrifices. Upon returning from Wash- ington Sir John Macdonaid tbund ( )ntario in a state of incTeasing hostility. She had far more cause to complain than any of the other IMovinces, but the ;■ Knglish Privy Councillor resumed his position in t/ie RT. HON. SIK JOHN A. MACDON Al.O, K..C.H. 45 Commons amidst the loiulest acclaims. A servile majority voted the Treaty good without knowing the effect of its composition. A i)arliamentary Opposition numerically vveak raised its timid voice in Mun. The chief ador knew l)e>t how to ai)peal to those whose support he wanted ; a blatant and blustering gush ot e of common sense, and the loyalty P .scruples of a too confiding majority were easily sooth- ed into obedience. ; The ()piK)sition had undoubtedly been gaining strength. it was no longer composed of those strag- gling members that a cham;e vote was likely to catch. It embraced men of great ability and irreproachable character. With a dear record, and with purity and economy as tlieir watchwords, they were fast gaining the confidence of the country. 'I'he Washington Treaty had done much in weakening the (lovernment in On- tario. The policy of [)utting off and dui)licity in the North-West Troubles had a like effect in Quebci . The British Columbia terms l)y which was meant the granting of a large subsidy to British Columbia and the building of the Pacific Railway in ten years in ct)nsideration of that Province enicring the Union- - were unpopular throughout the Domini(;n. .After 1870 t lese were the chief toj^ics of discussion and the prin- I k V 1 46 POLITICAL ADVENTURES OF ripal questions that the Government had to deal with. The first Parhament of the Dominion was about to expire and the second general election to he held. Both parties were pre])aring for the struggle. The one was headed by Sir John Macdonald, Sir (leorge Cartier, Hon. S. L. Tilley, and Hon. Dr. 'J'upper ; the other by Hon. A. Mackenzie, Hon. K. Blake, Hon. (ieo. Brown, Hon. (now Sir) A. A. Dorion, and Hon, L. H. Holton. The contest proved to be a fierce one. Once commenced, it was waged with great vigor to its close. Means fair and unfair were used by both sides. One distinction, however, must be made. In the one case the leaders were to blame, in the other the fol- lowers. The Conservative party have no more right to be charged with the acts of the Kingston and Montreal Knights than Blake, Mackenzie, Dorion or Holton are to be held accountable for the acts of some of their followers. The battle was skilfully fought by the Government. Sir John Macdonald knows w^ell how to conduct a campaign. Into this one he carried all his past experience, suiting his ac- tions and words to the particular place and its cir- cumstances. With Sir Francis Hincks he made a tour of Ontario, holding monster demonstrations in many places, and these unquestionably had an effect upon tie RT. HON. SIR JOH\ A. MACDONAI.K, K.C.F^. 47 result of the elections. His sui)portcrs found that the Washington Treaty, the North-West 'lYoubles, and the British Columbia Terms were heavy l)urdens to (:arr3'. 'iJi"-' ''^st was called disloyal, the second bung- ling, and the last unconstitutional. But with all these odds against him the result proved that Sir John Macdonald's star was still in the ascendant. It wa>i true Sir (leorge Cartier was defeated in Montreal and Sir Francis Hincks was routed in Ontario, but the Min- istry ajjparently still possessed the confidence of the jjeojjle. When the House met majorities ranging from 1 6 to 35 testified to their su( cess at the polls. Thq shij) of State, manned by Captain John A. Macdonald and his crew, s.^emed safe for another five years' cruise, unless something unforeseen should hai)i)en. There was a torpedo ahead, and should it ex[)lode the ship would be blown to atoms, but it might be avoided. It was being fast approached : su|)erhiiman efforts were made to steer clear of it, but thev were futile. it was reached, and the exjjlosion came ; its success was complete. The l*a(ific S( andal lu-ed not bt' detailed here. Suffice it to say that an ( )i.- [);»sition anxious for [) jwer became, in some way (be>t known to themselves), possessed of exidemv of so damaging a nature that no .Ministry could stand * % .ft ? ■■Ill 111 u ... fT w^ m w'^^'d n i i ifci* » f yi n i n ipM U b i POLITICAL ADVEMURES OF ■ i li !i against it. Its publication confirmed the growing conviction that large sums of money had heeti spent in the elections. No wonder that. Sir (Jeo. K. Cartier with $80,000, Hon. Mr. Langevin with $32,500, and Sir John Macdonald with $4^,000, the ele.-tions were favorable to the (iovernment. The excuse for this lavish use of nionev was that the other side was spending more. Truthful as the statement might have been, sensible j)eople hardly thought the justification sufficient. There was also the ugly accusation that for these large sums of money a public contract had been sold. 'I'hc evidence may not bear such a charge out, but simple minded folk had their ^u-picions aroused, when it became known that one side had received the money and the other the contract. Look- ing at the evidence on both sides, setting argument against argument, tact against fact, perhaps the great- est sin in the whole transaction was the spending of such large sums of m )ney in influencing the voice of the people. Aside from this, there can be little doubt that eventually the misdeeds of the (iovernment, from time to time being found out, would have defeated any party. Other things aided the overthrow. The Conservative Government in Ontario had been defeat- ed, an almost unanimous request for a stringent elec- iM ■Mi ■■Hi RT. HON. SIR JOHN A. MACDONALD, K.C.H 49 tion law had l)een disregarded ; the authority of Parliament had hjeii overriden ; ami individual Minis- ters had been guilty of numerous [.etty acts not at all calculated to bring strength to the Cabinet. In the face of such a record it re()uired something more than ability and experience to carry the elections. None knew it better than the three Knights, and, as a conse(iuence, they did that which brought about their defeat. The last vote of the first session of 1873 gave the Ministry a majority of 35, but on the 23rd October of the same year, during a special session of the House, in order to escape an inglorious defeat, Sir John Macdonald and his colleagues resigned. Very few public men in any country had enjoyed a long r uninterrupted, or almost so, period of official life than did the now ex- Premier. For twenty years, in one position or another, he had remained in office. It was a record of which any man might be proud, but the cloud which hung over its close had almost dimmed the whole. Up to 1870 Sir John Macdon- ald's career had been that of a fUithful servant, but when to the Washington Treaty were added the British Columbia swindle, the North-VVest troubles, and the grave charges in connection with the Pacific Railway, mistrust took the place of confidence, and t:.e weight li "-^:-l*W'*Bt"(WWff^*»-t^'»^ **•»**■«*' MMiMiiiiMii H 50 POLITICAL AnVKNTlRES OF becoming greater than could ])e borne, he and his colleagues were swept away by the indignation of a people to whose trust they had i^roved recreant. That most sy( (^phantic of writers, the author of one of the works on the Administration of the Karl of Dufferin in Canada, has suj)i)lied us with word^ here, which, though somewhat overdrawn and not strictly correct, may be not improperly used : ^'A leader "confessedly the .most able statesman Canada '*^had ever yet produced, supported by a party of "warm admirers,— one who had been for a (juarter "of a century a member of every Conservative (iovern- "ment in the old Province and of the new Dominion "of Canada, who had rendered the Jm|)erial (iovern- "ment most signal and valuable services in its negotia- "tions with the I'nited States, who had been the "ruling spirit by which the noble work of Confederation "had been consummated,— a chief by whose astuteness "and adajitability to the reasonable wishes of the Vro- "vinces Nova Scotia had been ([uieted, and \ew "Brunswick satisfied ; and by whose skilful hand the "beautiful Province of Prince Kdward Islanil and the "magnificent territory of British Columbia hail been "added to the great Dominion,— a gentlenr>n whom "Her Majesty had signally honored,- -a Minister who RT. HON. SIR JOHN A. MACRON ALT), K.C.B. 5T "had dispensed the enormous patronage of the Crown "for ahiiost half an ordinary lifetime without his most '''l)itter political opponent daring to charge him with "personal dishonesty, one who had by his admirable "social (Qualities secured the esteem of all classes, "creeds and raies, who iounted his j)ersonal enemies "on his fingers, his personal friends as the sands of " the sea-shore, — one who had entered public life a "comparatively rich man, but now laid down the seals "of office a poor one,--a Minister who had raised "thousands to posts of honor and wealth, and had "taken no thought for his t)wn old age : this man "was compelled to bend to the verdict of the people "of Canada, when they reluctantly declared him "guilty of an act as to which much may be said in " extenuation, — in ju-ititic.ition, nothing." The Conser\ative party has never lost faith in its old leader. In the hour of his greatest adversity, when life-long friends were turning their backs upon him, and when the country so unmistakably con- demned him, the remnant gathered round him and declared that none other should rule over it. As they did upon a recent occasion, .so then, his sup- j)orters clamored 'Uiut Ci£sat\ ant null us.' Shorn to a certain extent of his laurels, deprived of place and I H II— H| l | »l|) l p«<« » l 1 ^m ^r Sa POLITICAL ADVENTURES OF " s I I- ^h i , power, he was still the idol of the faithful few who were returned to do service as Her Majesty's loyal Opposition. At first Sir John Macdonald seemed out of place in his new sphere. His long tenure of office had accustomed him to act on the defence, and he appeared ill prepared for the wDrk of aggression. His inactivity may also be accounted for in the paucity of his following, which was sufficient to have dampened the feelings of the most ardent. In a speech delivered about that time, in a confidential moment, he gave his own reason for allowing the Government to have things their own way as being *'that the Clrits could not govern the country for six "months, and if left alone would soon kill them- . "selves." To his notion, they had been so long in opposition that they knew nothing about government. Practically Premier Mackenzie had no opposition for two sessions. His measures were such as the country demanded, and met with almost universal approbation. His, too, was the work of settling the many intricate questions left him as a legacy by his predecessor. Conservatives were not at all dissatisfied that these should be disposed of, for they hoped some day to return to power, and certainly had no great desire to be again harassed with them. When for nearly three ffi ! I RT. HUN. SIR JOHN A. MACDONALD, K.C.B. 53 years Mr. Mackenzie and his colleagues had retained office, notwithstanding I'orv predictions to the con- trary, and the third session was about to be held," the Opposition leader began to bestir himself. The poor, 4.l)enighted, incapable (;rits were doing jiretty well, and the country seemed satisfied. Unlike the proverbial calf, they had refused to take suHicient rope to hang themselves. It re«iuired .something more than the ordinary every-day politics of the country to bring the ( onservative party back to power, antl none perceived this (quicker than its head. Nor indeed had Sir John Macdonald given up the idea of again be- coming Prime Minister, as his many speeches previous to the election prove. His old desires hao not all dej)arted. ''The seals of office glitter in his eyes, He climbs, he pants, he grasps them." There could yet be discerned the workings of his restless ambition All he wanted was his old-time means, Init these he had not. There were no con- tracts to award, no beguiling measures to pass, and only uncertain offices to promise. ]iut something more powerful than these was coming to his aid. .\ de- pression, destined to be the severest Canada ever felt, was setting in. All the rest of the world was suffer- «!*T(iW«_ -■ ...»«. *m-'^ srr^ ¥ ^1^ II I t r I 54 POfJTICAL ADVKNTURES OF ing and how rould the Dominion escape ? What could become more popular than to blame the (iovernment for the hard times ? No one thought of accusing Beaconsfield and his Cabinet, liismarck and his Min- istry, or Hayes and his Secretaries, of being the cause of depression in Kngland, (lermany, or the States; but in Canada it was different. We enjoyed the inesti- mable boon of being able, so Conservatives contended, to do away with commercial dei)ression by legislation, particularly if such legislation was carried by a Con- servative (iovernment. For two years previous to 17th September, 1878, Sir John Macdonald and his ' colleagues floated an ensign to the breeze inscribed with these words : iThr ^ixxi^ that ran $r0i$Uu S^way %ntA ^imt^. We need not stay here to describe how step by step protection became the issue before the country ; nor how stubbornly the Ciovernment closed their ears to the people's cries ; nor need we do any more than mention the summer tours of the "great John A. travelling combination." Never did party struggle harder than that led by him t) regain lost ground. Hopeless as the task at first appeared the time was propitious. The Mackenzie Covernment had fallen sadly from grace. The last three years of its I * "•Tri"p»"wnp»» RT. HON. SIR JOHN A. MACDUNAM), K.UH 55 probation had witnessed the wrf«k of many of the l)romises and professions made at its inception. Add- ed to these were a weak Cabinet and an extremely unj)opuIar fiscal policy. From all parts of the country came wails of distress. Anvils were silent; looms idle; furnaces Tireless. Dissatisfaction prevailed all over, and a restlessly anxious j)eople were willing to make any chan<,^e likely to give the least hoj.e for the future. Argument, logic and authorities were of no avail. A scheme far more ridicul<3us and ( hmiericul than the National Policy would have been accepted by the people in their longing for a change. The leaders and the ]>arty were both lost siglu ol, and the electorate seemed only imj)ressed with the one idea thi\.t there was a possibility, remote as it might be, of an improvement taking place if only Sir lohn Mac- donald became Premier. This was the adventure uj.on which he rode into power. His sincerity (annot now be questioned. Time alone will give oj^portunities of testing it. We may, perhaps, after looking at his past career and considering his past utterances, particularly those upon the Budget of i86oth Uith all that, the face has an im- -mense fascination for the beholder. Lowell siid "that the Venus of Mil., made all other Venuses seem " Ignoble. This man, with his incon.prehensible mixture "of great cpudities and incredible flippancy, nukes the "greatest of his rivals seem commonplace." But he speaks. ''VVith grave • Aspect he rose, and in his rising seemed -■" ^ 6o POLITICAL ADVENTURES OF I ^ A pillar of state. Deep on his front er graven Deliberation sat, and public care Majestic." His utterances are as indescribable as himself. Crafty ? Yes : " This is not the first occasion on •' which I have been honored in the city of Ottawa. " Whatever may have been the chances, changes and " reverses of political life, I, as an individual and a " public man, have always found that although betrayed ** elsewhere, although friends may have been estranged from " me, although my party may have met with political " adverses, in Ottawa I have always found a body of " staunch friends, personal, political, and social, and a " friendship which was not a fairweather friendship, " which was not accorded to me only when I was at " the head of the ruling party, but by the majority I " believe of the people of Ottawa, even when I had " fallen as it would appear like Lucifer, never to rise " again." Witty ? Yes : " 'I'rade prospects revived and bank " stock rose because of the confidence of the " people of Canada in the new administration of " the country. 1 know an old lady in Toronto who " solemnly assured me that her Conservative cow gave " two quarts of milk more each day than it had done ) ^-•■x^ ) RT. HON. SIR JOHN A. MACDONALD, K.C.B. 61 • " before the elections. Another story I heard was that ** the hens of a Conservative friend of mine in the " west, influenced by the general reaction consecjuent " upon the election, announced their intention of laying " inore eggs, larger eggs, fresher eggs, and more to the " dozen than ever they had done before." Spiteful ? Yes : ** You may all remember that the " Hon. (Jeorge Brown caused to be hauled to prison •' five of the employees of his establishment, under the "provisions of an old statute passed years and years "ago when the rights of men were not so acknowleged " as they are now, when men were not allowed to ask "a fair day's wages for a fair day's work. I myself, "though Minister of Justice, had supposed that that "act was not in operation in a country of eciual liberty " like this. It was an old statute of England, passed "in the early part of the reign of Ceorge III., and I had " not thought that in the Province of Ontario, in the city " of 1 oronto, in the midst of all our intelligence and "advancement of the age, it would be enforced. On " the day that I heard that this cruel act, this act of " oppression, had been enforced, I gave notice in " Parliament of a Hill that would prevent the continu- "ance of outrages of the kind which had been per- •'petrated. That act was passed at once, both sides ... J \ : 62 POLITICAL ADVENTURES OF "of the House, I am happy to say, supporting me. "The Oovernor (leneral came down, gave his assent " to the act, and the workingmen of Ontario again "felt that they were free men." Bombastic ? Yes : " Hut in the meantime we " cannot expect everything to come at once. We " would be overwhelmed with too many blessings. " 'I'hey have commenced gradually, freely and steadily ; " and so may they go on. Hut we must have an " opportunity of carrying out our measures ; we cannot, "under the constitution, alter the present law, until '* the usual meeting of Parliament. The ( iovernment • '" will then submit their measures, and we believe — "and I feel responsible for what I say -that the " measures which we hope then to introduce will tend ''greatly to relieve this tountry from its present de- "pression, will helji to foster our industries, to open " pur mines, to extetid our manufactories, to assist our • " fanners in adding field to held and house to house." Evasive ? Yes : " If our policy is to prevail, " Canada which has so long been fighting under such " adverse circumstances, hoping against hope, must of " necessity work again with renewed energy. She must " hope to bring back from the United States men of " her own blood and lineage, men who despite their lit ^ ■ --_.^.. NW)l'"*WiiMli>i^> '*<>] | | » ■ '* **■*■*» M.«|.* 1 RT. HON. SIR JOHN A. MACDONALD, K.l.H 6$ "skill, energy and construrtive ahility, have n.,t been "employed here and have gone to a foreign country. " I believe, gentlemen, upon my soul, that the legis- "lation of next session will bring back many a young "Canadian who has been expatriated from his nati\e "land; f believe that this country will have a new " era of prosperity, will rise from its ])resent slough of "despond." And this is the man who, for thirty-five years has been a leading Spirit in Canadian i)olitics. Neither oratorical powers, administrative ability, (;r statesmanlike acts have kept him in that position, but a combina-. tion of faculties more than ordinary and possessed by few. An opponent a hfe-long one has enumerated them as being: fertility of resource; a very facile temperament ; a mind always taking counsel with itself ; a talent for effe-t ; a readiness to use the best means' at hand for the accomi)lishment of the i)urposes of the moment ; a will unfettered by s( ruples when an end is to be gained ; a genial manner and a ready wit. Ambiti(nis he has been, but he has displaved no merely sordid selfishness, 'lo-day, after so long a public service, his friends truthfully boast that he is a |)oor man, and many instances are related of his will- ingness to forget self and his own liaum'ary interests 5 iv ^4 F'OMTICAL ADVENTURES OF 4 ( ■ in his desire for his party's welfare. " His servires to "Canada have b.-ea clouded by grave faults. Kriends "and o|)j)onents are fain to agree in t ondemning not "a few mistakes and errors. Hut when the necessity "for referring to those err.irs and mistakes as they "effect the present time, has passed, and the historian " of the future scans the chronicles of the i)ast, let " us hope the services may be remembered and the "faults forgotten." What he once said of himself— not boastingly — may very properly be now repeated — that there does not exist in our country a man who has given more of his time, more of his heart, more of his wealth, or more of his intellect, such as may be, for the good of this Dominion of Canada. :< {