(■, THE POLITICAL UNIFICATION OF THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA. An Address Delivered by Mr. William B. Ellison, THE President of the Fordham Club, at a Re- ception held at the Club House, on Kings- bridge Road, Fordham, New York City, on the Evening of March 14, 1891. Mr. Chairman and Gentlemen : It was with no inconsiderable diflfidence on my part that I accepted your courteous invitation to address you this evening on a subject so comprehensive in its nature and so vitally important to the people of the ITnited States and Canada as the political unification of their governments. You will also readily understand the impossibility of giving anything more than a mere superficial idea of tlio question in the short time war- ranted by an occasion like tlic present. Yet I may succeed this evening in placing the subject generally before you, and at least present for your after and more matured consideration some of its most important j)hases. It may, to begin with, be conceded that such a union must promise advantages to both countries before it will become possible of consummation, and it is natur- ally of great imj^ortance to us to ascertain the benefits that we would receive tlierefrom. That question has been given little or no consideration among us. It seems to me that if Americans were generally better in- formed in relation to Canada and her rosoui'ces, the question of polit'^^al union would at once receive greater attention and au impetus here that might be felt in Canada. At present it has, as we all know, little or no part in our affairs. In considering what Canada could offer, in case of union with us, I may properly first refer to her natural mineral wealth, at present very slightly developed, and wanting but the capital we can so readily spare to pro- duce it ready for use in almost uidimited quantities. I will speak only of the most important minorcds to be found in Canada and make some brief allusion to their quantity and quality. Phosphates, used largely in the manufacture of phosphoric acid, phosphorus and fertilizer of the soil, are found in vast quantities in the Provinces of Ontario and Quebec, and tiiey are considered the ^_iurest in the world. Cargoes exposed to analysis have run as high as 37 to 39 per cent, of phosphoric acid, equivalent to from 80 to 86 ])er cent, phosphate of lime. The mines in the valley of the Ottawa lliver have become famous and are now being worked. Asbestos, that fibrous mineral uoted for its power to resist fire and acids, is found and mined in the eastern portions of the Province of Quebec. Its uses in fire- proof cement and putty for joints and in the manufac- ture of fire and acid-proof blocks and bricks are now well known. Antimony is found in the Province of New Bruns- wick in such quantities as to place that province among the great antimony producing countries of the world Its analysis varies from 01 to (59 ])er cent. Barytes of very fine quality have been found in the y ^ ■■•■;:•■ ';«:,.,;:,•; -v-^^;. ■.■■■■' Provinces of Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia. This mineral is as 3'et almt it totally undeveloped. Bituminous shales, from which oils can be manufac- tured, are found in very large quantities in Nova Scotia, but there is little or no market for them in Canada, and our tariif prohibits their admission into this country. The yield is about GO gallons of oil from one ton of shales and 7,500 cubic feet of gas from the same quan- tity. The coal area is 97,000 square miles, and both bitu- minous and anthracite coal are found in great abun- dance. Copper is one of the most important of the mineral treasures of Canada. It has been found in almost all of the provinces, but the richest mines are along the north shore of Lake Superior. Gold is also found in almost all the Provinces, but in Nova Scotia alone the gold fields cover from 6,000 to 7,000 square miles. . ;; Graphites of the purest quality are also found in abundance. The Canadian product is almost identical with that of Ceylon, which is the finest in the world. Iron in unlimited quantities is found in all the ^ Provinces of the Dominion. These ores equal the Swedish and Russian in quality. They are in almost all instances located adjacent to the coal fields. The Haycock mine, situated near Ottawa, it is estimated coxild alone yield one hundred tons per day for one hiuidred and fifty years before it would bo exhausted. Petroleum, salt, silver, load, gypsum, manganese, and mica, arsenic, bismuth, cobalt, lignite, nickel, pyrites lithographic stone, stones suitable for grindstones^ marbles of various qualities, white, black, brown, gray, mottled, variegated, spotted and green, white quartz, soa]) stone, emery, agates, amethysts, jasper, garnets, topaz, bloodstont! and opals, are also found in large . quantities. As you will observe Canada has almost « i'.*' unlimited mineral wealth, but you must not conclude that her natural resources are confined to minerals. Let us now study for a few moments the dimensions of Canada and incidentally the nature of its soil and its products other than mineral. We have been so long accustomed to see Canada figure on our maps as a nai'- • row strip that it is difficult for us to realize that a rival nation with a territory vastly larger than the whole American Union (exclusive of Alaska) has arisen upon our borders. We are in the habit of laughing at the mistakes of English w-riters and tourists concerning tho geography of the United States, but this ignorance about America is not half srf great as the ignorance of the majority of our people respecting a counti'y imme- diately adjoining them. We can for the present leave out of consideration the beautiful Provinces of Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edw:ard Island, which may be known as Eastern Canada, and at once contemplate that vast region once known as the Northwestern Ter- ritory, purchased from tlie Hudson Bay Company in 1870 and now divided into four provinces : Assinaboia, containing 95,000 square miles ; Saskatchewan, 114,000 square miles ; Alberta, 100,000 square miles, and Atha- basca, 122,000 square miles. We have in these four provinces an area of 2,665,252 square miles, a region larger than all Russia in Europe, while the United States is but 3,547,000 square miles. The world is be- ginning to find out that this great region, commonly supposed to be the unquestioned home of the beaver and the jjolar bear, really contains some of the finest wheat and grazing lands of the continent. I do not allude now to the comparatively well-known resources of Manitoba and Assinaboia, but of regions lying 400 miles north of the Canadian Pacific Railway, as far up as the Wild Peace River, where has been grown the No. I wheat that received the first prize at the Cen- tennial Exposition held at Philadelphia in 1876. Proceeding, let us look at the Province of Manitoba, . with its 128,200 square miles of area. Here are 76,- 000,000 acres of wheat-growiug land and estimated to be at least as good as any in the world. The average yield appears to be 18 bushels to the acre, of which 95 per cent, will grade No. 1 hard. In the Qu'Appelle • f Yaliey there is in successful operation a joint stock ^ farm of 64,000 acres (100 square miles). The Manitoba wheat is well known as being extremelj hard, yield- ing over 25 per cent, more than Minnesota wheat. There are physical causes for this. The further j'ou travel toward the northern limit of its growth the finer the quality of the soil you meet. The sub-soil is kept moist in summer by the the slow melting of the deep winter frosts. Again, the sunshine is longer by nearly two hours each day in Manitoba than in Ohio between the 15th day of June and the 1st of July, whereby the grain obtains all the benefits of increased solar light. The Province of Alberta aftbrds the best grazing por- tion of Canada. It, while lying far to the nortli of the American line, has a temperature less severe than many of our AVesteru States. The climate is more like that of England ; it is cooler in summer and warmer in winter than in the plains below. The " Chinook " Avinds from the Gulf Stream of the Pacific Ocean, blowing through the expansive passes of the Eocky Mountains so temper the atmosphere during the winter that snow seldom accumtdates to any great depth or severe cold weather prevails to any great extent ; at any rate not to a 8uffici»nit extent to prevent cattle roaming ail the year around. Next and last we may refer to British Columbia, with an area of 341,305 square miles. It is larger than Great Britain and France combined, and five times as large as all of the New England States. It is a beau- tiful country, with fertile fields, rich mines and a perfect climate. To the enormous wealth in mineral and grain produc- -■,;,;.' ■ 6 ... ..„: ing lands must bo added Canada's almost unlimited supply of timber. That this inexhaustible source of lumber would be of untold value to this country will probably be thoroughly appreciated by every one of us who attempts to build or buy a home. Then again, we must not forget the Canadian fisheries that have been given so mucli of our attention during the past few years. It is along the shores of the Do- minion of Canada that almost all of our sea fish ar«^ caught. Canada fully appreciates the value of her fisheries and has tenaciously protected and preserved them, greatly to our discomfiture at times. It may occur to you, as some refutation of the kindlj' things I have said of Canada, that they are in some degree in conflict with the doleful pictures of Canadian distress presented to you through the medium of some of the political addresses made by Canadians in the past campaign. I can only say that in my opinion they were as badly overdrawn as were the statements of opposing parties who endeavored to impress the people with the fact that they were in a flood of pros- perity. Nevertheless, you and I appreciate that dis- paraging remarks made by Canadians concerning their own covmtry cannot fail to lower it in the estimation of others. Such a fault cannot certainl}' be attributed to Americans. I would not, however, feel justified in closing this portion of my n^raarks if I did not speak a few words for the Canadian people. We have within the United States about 1,000,000 native-born Canadians, and it cannot be disputed that there is no element among us who so readily assimilate themselves with us and our institutions. They are thrifty, energetic and law abiding. They readily naturalize and become good citizens. The educational facilities of Canada, its standard of commercial honor and its excellent system of government, place the country in an enviable posi- tion among the nations of the earth. / 7 It lia.s become a couijxiratively well-settled convic- tion in the minds of the Aniericau people that Canadians generally are desirous of allying themselves and their country with the American Republic. That this is not ' consistent with the facts has been very forcibly shown by the general elections held throughout Canada on the fifth of the present month, the result of which was to continue in power, by a large majority, the " Conservative" party, who made their loj'alty to fclie British Crown the distinguishing feature of their campaign, while on the other hand, the opposition, known as the " Reform " i)arty were vigorously scored for their alleged intention to further the political union of Canada with the United States. Yet it would not be safe to conclude that even the larger portion of the so-called " Reform " party ad- vocated or were in sympathy with a. policy looking toward union with this country ; on the contrary, they with great vigor discLiimed any such desire. That there is, however, an element within or in sympathy with the " Reform " party, not unfavorable to the political union of Canada and the Ihiited States, cannot now be fairly disputed. Nevei- before was the issue so fully and forcibly brought Ijefore the Canadian people as in the recent contest and never before was there pro- duced such evidences of strong and vigorous elements favorable to political union with this country, if such union should become necessary in order to obtain the - free and uni<:>8tricted entrance into the markets of the United States and obtain the use of our abundant cap- ital to develop their natural resources. The C^anadian people have considered and are now considering the advantages that they believe would accrue to them from freedom of trade with this country, and the at- tractiveness of tlie prospect has with many proven much stronger than their affections for Great Britain. It seems to me that since the late campaign it is too late to deny that many of Canada's ablest and best men believe that her interests will be best conserved by uur restricted trade with the United States; iu fact, I think it Ih the overwhehning consensus of opinion that such would be the case. The difficulty, however, is the price to be paid for the desired privileges. Some go so far as to openly advocate ])olitical union, if such freedom of trade coiild not be otherwise obtained ; while others, and they at present are largely controlling in numV)ers, are still Avedded to the British connection. How long that affection for the mother country will resist the apparent benefits incident to the freedom of our mar- kets and the use of our capital remains to be seen. That it has already succumbed with man 3^ has been made apparent, and that it will with others is not im- probable. It does not seem unreasonable to assume, if Canadians btdieve that our markets and our capital will be largely conducive to their prosperity, that the desire for that prosperity will materially lessen in the minds of the commercial public their present disin- clination to closer connection with their neighbors on the south. Time alone will jn-ove to the Canadian people the advantages of union with this country, while a greater degree of information about Canada and her resources will surely incline our people in the same di- rection. The natural markets for Canadian products are thost; of the United States, and the demand in Canada for those markets will so increase that political union will not be permitted to stand in their way. No \ini(m other than political will have suffi- cient assurances of permanency to ever thort)Ughly or satisfactorily warrant the people of the two countries trading unrestrainedly and no trade other than the most unrestricted will ultimately satisfy either. The movement is well started in Canada and will further develope, and a little more consideration of its merits by our people will certainly prompt them to keep pace with their Canadian cousins. There is one thing for us all to keep constantly in 9 mind and tbat is, tliat the Canadian people are proud of tliefr country, they behave in its future, and wi'l not bear with the idea of being simply absorbed. That they will ultimately be willing to join us under fair and equitable circumstances I have no doubt ; but that they can be driven to seek our protection by any acts of op- pression on our part I consider absurd. In my mind, threats of " non-intercourse " discrimination against them in tariff meas\ires or any other act that occurs to them as an imposition upon them, or a denial of their just claims or rights, will hinder and retard political union for ages to come, if not forever. No encourage- ment will be greater or bear better fruit than that of an ai)pareut desire on our part to deal with them equitably and justly. In conclusion, I trust that I can say that the invita- tion given Canada a century ago to join her fortunes with the American Eepublic is still open, and that the ■ child is born who will see it accepted. ■VI ^-: [499]