ANNEXATION,
The Ideas of the Late William H. Seward.
His Far-sighted Views of the Future Relations Between Canada and
Our Country.
To TiiK Editor of thk Sun :
Sir — Soon after the late Secretary Seward had completed the purchase of Alas-
ka, the late Senator Foote of Vermont invited the Hon. John Simpson, a Senator of
the Dominion of Canada, to visit him at AVashington. Senator Simpson (who died
in 1884) organized the Ontario Bank of Canada Avith a paitl-up cjipital of $1,000,-
000, which Avas afterward increased to $2,000,000, and he became its President.
Senator Foote was one of the original subscribers to its capital, to the extent of
$20,000, and held his stock until his death. The two Senators wei'c iutimiite
friends for a quarter of a century.
When in Washington Senator Foote invited Mr. Sinjpson to call with him up-
on Secretary Seward. He was introduced to the Secretary as an ardent and true
friend of the United States and as one who believed in and desired the political
union of the United States and Canada. The future of Canada was fully and freely
discussed by the three gentlemen. Mr. Seward knew well that it was the policy
of Great Britain to unite British North America under one (lovernment, and that
this was also the desire of the Government of Canada. He therefore assumed in
discussing the qu>!Stion with the two Senators that Canada would complete the
purchase of the claims of the Hudson Bay Company in Uupert's Land and that
British Columbia would join the confederation. Mr. Sev»ard said frankly tliat he
purchaseU Alaska to prevent its purchase by England, thereby preventing the ex-
tension of England's coast line on the I'acillc; also because he believed it would
strengthen American nifluence in British Columbui if it was l)oundcd on the north
as well as on the South by the United States.
He l)egan by describing Canada as a garter along our northern frontier, too
long for its width to have any inherent strength, and worse than all, that it was
'• i> 1' .111 '"^1
already practically broken in I'Muy places*- -first, , by tli** Stdtc of Maine, which
commercially separates the Mariiiilie Frovinces froui Qii! b>.iv; ; .iOcondly, at the
boundary line between Queb<<<' av>^l 6!iU'rl»)', by the* racjial' c.>\ll religious antagon-
ism which existed between the people 'of the tS'O proVinccs; thirdly, by the bar-
576!^
I 4
Cr^^CL
-a—
ren waste extending from the eastern end of Georgian Bay to the Red River, and
fonrtlily, by tlie Uocky Motintains, which separate Britisli Coluinl)ia from Rupert's
Laud. He also described Canada as a frinj?c of settlements along our northern
boundary. He asserted that the commercial interests of the Maritime Provinces
■would always be with our north Atlantic States, while those of Quebec would be
with the four norther<i New England States ; thj^t the interests of Ontario woulr^
be with New York, Ohio and Michigan, while those of British Columbia would b
with our Pacific States ; Anally that the interests of any province which might be
organized between the Red River and British Columbia would be with our North-
western States.
He was much more familiar, Mr. Simpson informed me, with the reports of
the factors of the Hudson Bay Company and the Roman Catholic missionaries
located throughout the Northwest Territories than either of tlie Senators, also
with the reports of various independent travellers who had explored thai vast
region. He kncAv that wheat had been grown very successfully at Fort Garry,
now Winnipeg, long before it Avas grown in Minnesota or Dakota, and he admitted
the possibility of its being produced over a very large area extending far up into
the valley of the Mackenzie River. (Sir Charles Tupper declared on the floor of
Parliament that there are 250,000,000 acres of land fairly fit for settlement between
the Red River and the Rocky Mountains in Canada, and Prof. Macoun, in his
" Manitoba and the Great Northwest," estimates land upon which wheat can be
raised at 200,000,000 acres.)
Mr. Seward expressed the opinion that the surplus products of that vast region
could never be successfully sent to market by way of Hudson Bay and Hudson
Straits, but would reach tidewater on the Atlantic by rail, the great lakes, and the
St. Lawrence River. He also expressed the opinion that Canada could never
maintain a successful railway system if her railways were strictly confined to the
transportation of her own products. He called the attention of the Senators to
the fact that the Grand Trunk Railway and the Great "Western Railway of Canada
would be compelled to go mto bankruptcy but for the traflUc which they received
from the United States.
The construction of a Canadian Pacific railway was discussed. Mr. Seward
declared that in his opinion 't would never be constructed by private capital nor
without very large subsidies from the Dominion Government, and that if denied
access to American traffic it could not even be operated without Government aid
He pointed out the fact that its only local traffic would be along the section be-
tween Fort Garry and the Rocky Mountains ; that to build it would certainly un-
duly tax the resources of Canada ^l\e pre^Jiq^ed Jt)iat Canada could uoi attract
and retain even Itvjijp^rifapi^a^' ftjiaj'o oijeni^gr<i»jcflt! from Great Britain and the
Continent eitiier ms a British d<M)i'iulencv or as an Independent State, because de-
velopment would aly4yull)e lAuih iamjm ^a^^ In/tqisS^ountry than ia Canada, and
^ ^ ^
-3-
that immiirration always foliowetl rapid devcloimicnt; that if Canada attempted
to force the development of a large territory witliout a corresponditig increase in
population she would soon increase her per capita taxation to such an extent as to
cause ah exodus of her own people ; that in this country, even with our war debt
to pay, we should rapidly decrease our taxation per capita because of our rapid
increase in population. He admitted that Canada undoubtedly had great and val-
■lable mineral resources, but he declared that she must have a large increase in
opulation before their development could be secured; that, for example, she
could not sell iron in feurope at a profit and compete with England, nor sell it to
us while we placed an import duty upon it. He called the attention of the Sena-
tors to the fact that in Cainada coal had been found only in New Brunswick and
Nova Scotia, and that the geological formation of the country was such that it
was unlikely that any would be found elsewhere. (Since then lignite has been
found in Manitoba and a fair (piality of coal at the eastern l)ase of the Rocky
Mountains, and bituminous coal on Vancouver Island;) that England without coal
would never have established her manufacturing industries, and that a new
country without coal would find great dilTiculty in successfully establishing manu-
facturing industries upon a large scale in competition with England or the United
States, both of whom have an unlimited supply well distributed over each country.
He remarked that, owing to the superior (piality of our coal, Nova Scotia coal did
not go west of Quebec ; that if a duty should be placed upon coal by Canada, to
force it farther west, her own people would be compelled to pay it ; that a tax on
coal Avould seriously embarrass her railways, and steam vessels on the lakes and
rivers, as well as her manufacturers, and that she must always buy corn, coal, and
cotton from the United States. He reminded his hearers that the embargo placed
upon anthracite coal, to prevent its purchase by blockade runners during our civil
war, caused great inconvenience to the manufacturers of Canada; that to procure
the lowest possible cost in the production of manufactured goods and the highest
possible grade of workmenshlp there must be a systematic division of labor ; that
such a division can only be accomplished in large establishments ; that to secure
to the consumers the goods at a fair profit on the cost of production, the market
must be large enough to maintain a sufficient number of such establishments to
create a healthy competition among the producers ; that it would be hopeless for
Canada to compete in foreign markets supplied l)y England or the United States ;
furthermore, that if Canada attempted to force capital into manufacturing indus-
tries by a protective tariU. without a very large increase in her population, her
own consumers would be obliged to pay the advance in price caused by the in-
creased duty He afflrmed that in our large and constantly increasing market the
cost of production would steadily decrease, compelling Canada to increase her
tariff to meet each decrease m the cost of production here. He thought the out-
look for an extensive manufacturing industry in Canada, either as a dependency
-4-
of (Iri'iil lirituin or iis iiii iiulfpeiidtint republic, Avithuiit ii liir^c increase in popu-
liition, Aviis far from liopofnl; lluit tlio prospcritj' of llic ('unudiun pcoi»le avus ile-
pcndcnt cliiclly upon i\w price of llsli, ■vvliite j)iiu!, and Avlu-al, Avitli l»arleyand peas
added in Ontario, and oats, liay, and potatoes in tlie lower provinces; tliat the
area in Avliicli frnit could ))e jironn was very small ; that corn could not l)e suc-
cessfully raised except in a small portion of Ontario, and, therofore, tliat Canada
could never compete with us in the production, for sale in foreiain nuirkets, of
animal food. lie said that she was compelled to imi)ort from us the pork and
ha(U)n (!onsnnied in her lumber camps, and also the corn consumed in the manu-
facture of alcohol.
Mr. S<!ward called the attention of liis hearers to the fact that the population
of the United States wr.s eleven times <ireater than that of Canada, or, in other
words, that our end of the whifHetree was eleven times lonaer than h<n"s, and
that each decade would show an increase of leverage in our favor (in l.S!)0 the
population of the United States was tliirteen times that of Canada), making it
more and more ditHcult for Canada to compote with us in any nml every Held of
enterprise. He reminded the Senators that it wouhl seriously affect her power to
attract immigration ; that with our large increase in popnlation the development
of our natural resources would be very great and our increase in wealth enormous;
that in this respect our advantage over Canada woulil be even greater than it was
in respect to population ; that it would add imuKuisely to our pow(!r to consume
manufactured goods, which would give stal)ility and increased value to our in-
dustrial investments, and also enal)le us to wisely produce a much larger variety
of manufactured articles; tliat a large population like ours, witli boundless re-
sources, where wealth was rapidly increasing, would always attract the most en-
terprising, skillful, and ambitious in all the walks of life; further, that the
rewards of skill and labor would always lie greater in such a country tLan in one
with a small population , Avhere development was comparatively slow. He believed
that we should draw from Canada the class she needed most, her best workers,
best thinkers, and best organizers; that, for (example, a valualile patent was
Avorth more than eleven times as much in the I'liittul States as it was in Canada,
because our consuming power per capita was greater than that of Canada and
therefore Canadian inventors Avould come here to develop or dispose of their in-
ventions. He affirmed that the value of a manufacturing estaiilishment was de
pendent upon the number and wealth of its patrons, and therefore capital seeking
investment in manufacturing industries would come here in preference to going
to Canada. , . , •,
Mr. SeAvard said he Avas pleased to observe that for many years Canada had
been becoming more and more American ; that she had never abandoned an Ameri-
can custom once adopted, Avhile she had abandoned many English customs ; tliat
she had adopted a decimal currency in jdace of the sterling, the net ton in place of
— 5—
tho lonj; ton, .and that, nioro than nil, Onliirio luul adopted our nuinicii)al system
of township, vilhi;;;(', town, rity, and county councils; that the township elections
and township councils were the schools in which the electors llrst learned to
govern theniselves and to assert their rijjht to ilo so, anil that the lesson ouce
learned was never forgotten ; that she had adopted the education of her children
In public schools supported by the State, representation according to population
and hatl abolished a State Church ; that her coniuiercial and fiscal policy, her rail-
way system and her judicial system, were gratlnally being assimilated to our own
simply because the people were becoming less English and more American in
spirit, sentiment, and aspiration; that American heaven Avas doing Its work gradu-
ally, but surely, in C anada. Mr. Seward derived great satisfaction from the fact
that Canada had formed a Ftnleral and not a Uigishitive union, which was desired
by English and Canadian conservatives ; also from the fact that each province
was to control its own local allairs through a Tarliament or Legislature of its own
creation, for the reason that it would educate the people to govern themselves in a
larger spliere than a city or county Council, and because it not only removed all
danger that a monarchical (iovernment would ever be established in North Ameri-
ca, should Camida l)ecome an independent State, but it assured a (Iovernment re-
publican in form in all essential features. He asserted that Canada as a part of
the United States would shan; in all the advantages of our immense home market
and in all the benellts to be derived from ihe immense variety of our nattiral pro-
ductions ; that the value of her railway investments Avould not be at the mercy of
our legislation ; that the value of her lisheries would be immensely intiVased ;
that her great mineral resources would be rai)idly developed ; her ara])h! lands
would be occupied and cultivated ; her water powers improveil ; her waterways
enlarged ; lier railway mileage rai)idly increased ; 'he St. Lawrence River de-
veloped to its utmost capacity; her shipping would share in our coasting trade on
the sea coasts as well as on the lakes ; the per capita cost to her people of gov-
ernment would ))e reduced, and that the large increase in her population would
cause an increase in the value of all her fixed mvestnumts.
Mr. Seward predicted that the development of our Southern States under in-
telligent free labor would be one of the commercial wonders of the world, and
that our increase in wealth in the future would far exceed that of the past.
Addressing himself to Mr. Simpson, he frankly said tuat political union was
the manifest destiny of Canada, and that he most earnestly desired it. He said
that it would remove the causes most likely to ]n*oduce irritation l)etween England
and the United States; that the longer Canaiia resisted the inevitable, the longer
she Avouhl delay the development of her natural resources; the more capital she
expended in costly public works unless she had secured such an increase in
population as justified the expenditure, the more deeply she woultl become in
volved; that if she attempted to compete -with the United States in granting sub.
-6-
sldics to promote railway construction to induce inuni,<;ratlon, she -wouUl add to
the cost of government ■\vitliout any corresi)ondin}^ increase of revenue; that
every increase in taxation would drive intendin.<{ innniitranls from her, and that
those amonji: lier present |)oj)ulation who were least attached to her institutions
would leave lier and come to us; tliat the youn^, ambitious, and courageous na-
tive-born Canadians, who were uuieli more American tlwin British, and who had
no personal relations witli tlie mollier country, who wei" compelled to worl< out
their own future, would not hesitate to leave lier. In addition, lu; said tliat Avhen
she lost her population by the emijjration of lier own sous and dauiihters, depre-
ciation in fixed Investmer.ts woultl surely follow, wliicii would make it still more
difficult for her to obtain emi<;rauts from across the sea; that the commercial in-
terests of British ColHml)ia in our I'acillc States would beconie j.:reater every )'ear
and far exceed her interest in tlie provinces east of her, and that if British Col-
umbia withdrew from the confederation, it would surely collapse, or if one of the
new provinces, to be formed lu'tween tlie Uocky Mountains and the IJed Kiver
should be settled ))y people hnvini;: no sympathy with Great Britain, left the con-
federation It wouhl be dissolved ; that if the racial and religious animosities exist-
ing between the people of Ontario and Quebec continued, and Quebec, who con-
trols the mouth of the St. Lawrence, determined to leave the confederacy, nothing
could prevent its dismemberment.
It was Mr. Rewards opinion that the racial and religious aidagonisms exist-
ing between the people of Ontario and Quebec could not be healed unless there
was an abnormal increase in the English-speaking i)opulati()n of Ontario. Que})ec, and
New Brunswick; that the French Canadians being more prolific tliau tlie English-
speaking race, the French population in the three provinces would eoutiuue to
hold the same relative position as to numbers, (unless overcome by immigration)
and therefore could not be assimilated or Anglicized; that if the three maritime
provinces, wearied by a constantly increasing rate of taxation without any cor-
responding gains, revolted and united with us, the other provinces would be
obliged to follow their example ; that sooner or later the garter mnst break in
pieces, and each of the parts come to us as seiiarate Stfites unless Canada Ix-came
an uulependeut nation, and then arranged as a whole for the admission of all the
provinces to the American I'nion, the enlarged nation assuming all the liabilities
of both the contracting parties.
Mr Seward in strong terms declared, that in his opinion the United States
wonlf! never negotiate another treaty of reciprocity with Canada, but would deal
with her as a portion of the British empire so long as she maintained her present
relations to Great Britain. Mr. Simpson was so strongly impressed with Mr
Seward's emphatic declaration in this respect that he never had any faith that the
negotiations which have since ])een entered into from time to time by the two.
Governments, would end successfully for Canada.
-7-
Mr. Seward did not iimc the terniH political union or continental union, but
annexation. I liuve nmde tlu; chanjie l)ecauuc the people of Canada are U8 we were
before the war, ambitious, proud, and sensitive, and the term annexation ott'eiids
thent. Tiiey are reatly and willinjjj to (Uhcums political or continental union, but
the word anncxatltm seems to them to imply hinniliation on their part. Therefore
I have ceased to use the term when tliscussinj>; the Canadum (luestlon.
Upon Mr. Simpson's return from Washington he invited me to vi^it him at
his home nt^ar Bowmanville, Out., and there repeated to me the conversation with
Mr. Seward. He had a marvelous memory, and, 1 havt; no doubt, gave me the
words of Mr. SeAvard almost verbatim. He kn(!W that I was an ardent. admirer
of the great Secretary, that I earnestly desired his nomination in IHJiO at Chicago
as a Prcsidenttil candidate of the Uepublicau party, and as 1 thought him the
greatest iihilosophical statesman of his time, it AV(mld give me great pleasure to
learn his views as to the future of Canada. He knew that I intensely desired the
political union of the United States and Canada, and woulil l)e pleased to ol)tain
any new information bearing upon the (piestion.
FRANCIS WAYLANl) GLEN,
2U(> McDoxouGii Stukkt, Brooklyn, ,Ian. 14, 1893.
[^From the Morninrj Advertiaer, Wcdncsdny, Feb. 22, 1893].
WILL CANADA COME IN ?
The Importance of Annexation — How the Sentiment Grows.
To the Editor of the Morniny Advertiser : , .
In this morning's Advkutiskr I read with pleasure your editorial en-
titled " Will Canada Come In?" Will you kindly give me space for a few facts
which are of great Importance in discussing the question of continental union or
the political union of the two great linglish-speaklug families who now occupy
and control this continent? The Canadian Govennnent, through the Imperial
Government, l)egan to negotiate as early as 18 Id with the Governujent of the
United States for the free admission of the surplus products of Canada Into this
market. Nothing having been accomplished in the direction of a treaty of Reci-
procity in 1837, there was a strong movement in Canada in favor of political union.
It was crushed by the Imperial Government. We were a slave-holding nation at
that time and were noii,^«ltfltiiJ aiBlWIolis fro wyr* territory jvhich would increase
the anti-slavery vote. ♦MUny^ftfTtW 4e«dfcr.'J (ff . tht ^feSelliJm in 1837 were obliged
to seek refuge in this cbtintty.* •^rhe»f«ithe»" yC Mr. Evwc^t 4-¥{tl^l)onald, the manag-
;/\:--: :"•.;.: :: ''ill'
• • •• •••
-8-
Inn «!(lltnr of tki! Sun of Toronto, tlui ory;ttii of tiic (^)iitiii(;ntiil rnioii party, was
anions tht; iiiiiiiIhh' (Mr. Mac Donald is now in New York and can be f«)nnd at tlie
Broadway Central Hotel), and the late William Lyon McKenzie and Dr. .Joiin
Uol|)h. There was another strong annexation or Continental Union nprisin^j in
184!), when snch leaders as Sir Alexander (ialt. Sir Leonard Tilley, Sir Davir^
McTherson, Sir (xeorjn! Cartier. and Sir .lolm J. C Abbott, th;* sncees.sov ot cue
late Uiji;ht IIononrai)le Sir Jolm Alexander .MacDoinihl as Preniier of Canada,
sinned a manifesto in favor of political union witli tlie United States. Continen-
tal union mij^ht have l)een consnnnnat^'d at thattiuK; l)nt for the pro slavery party
in this country. The movement wa.s s«) strong that tlie Southern leaders were
alarmed and to prevent political union they forced Tresident Pierce to enter into
the lieciprocity treaty of 1H54.
Ileciprocity and our Civil War and tlie jjreat debt we were compelled to create
quietc 1 the demand in Canada for political union, and not until i)rices of agricul-
tural and manufactured products came down to a j;old basis here after the panic
of 18i3, did the annexation sentiment in Canada fttronfjlij infiiiiJ'Kt itself. Tliose
who had no liope of an early settlement of the (piestion of political union bejjjan
at tliat time to couu' here in very larjfe inimlH'rs to reside, and now one-fourth of
all living native-born C^anadians are residents of the United States. The senti-
ment in fcvor of continental union has l)een steadily yrowiusi in Canadaever since
187:? and is now rii>enins; very rapidly. Continental union can be consuuunatcd
by July 4, 18!)(!, unless tiie incomiuf^AdministJ'ation commits tlu; criminal mistalvc
of changing our liscal policy toward Canada and continues the present bonding
system. I am in constant communication with persons in all i)arts of the Domin-
ion and know Avhereof I alllrm. The annexation of I^nvaii is a most important
step for this Nation, l)ut the political union of the United States and Canada is a
hundred times umre important to ourselves and all Euglisii-speaking conimuul-
ties throughout the world.
FUANCIS WAYLAND GLEN.
Nkw Yokk, Feb. 20.
fl Reason for Opposing Canadian Annexation.
To the Editor of the Tribune :
SiK — In this morning's Tkihuxk you quote from an address of .John Crerar,
Es(i., Q. C, of Hamilton Out., delivered at liochester, N. Y. Mr. Crerar i.s a clever
lawyer, who holds a life appointment worth !iii-'>,000 per annum. Some years ago
he was appointed by Sir Oliver Mowat Crown Attorney for the county in which
the city of Hamilton is located. His otilee does not prevent his practising his
profession. Of course he does not wish his life income disturl)ed l)y continental
union. In this respect his head may ha level. He pr-efers status ([uo to any
change which will disturb his life annuity from so sure a paymaster as the Province
of Ontario. He is a genuine loyal Canadian patriot of the tirst water. He ad-
mits that things are so l)Pd in Canada that 1,000,000 of his countrymen have left
for the United States. That terril)l(i ftictdows" not Inttavjst him half so much as
his life annuity. He is i; loyal patriot for rpye:iuo (jnly. • ,
^.UANCIS WAYLAND GLEN.
New Yokk, Feb. 2.\, i31>3.