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H it\:' i>' 1 \ LORD STRATHCONA »» BY THE SAME AUTHOR The Gkbat Fuk Company The Tenth Island Deift: Canadian Poems fev--: :* LOKl, .SIKATHCOXA ANI. .MOUNT KOYAL U>U\AI.I> AI.KXAM)tk ,S.MHH> .tlAi 50 LORD STRATHCONA THE STORY OF HIS LIFE i^ t becki.es W/I.LSON W'lTH FOREWORDS BY THE DUKE OF ARGYLL, K,T.. P.C. THE EARL OF ABERDEEN, P.C. G.C.M.G. I WITH BIOHT 'Uu*f«4tfOR^ lORONTO GEORGE N. MOHANG & CO., L,m,^ IV02 I tOKl. MKAIHCON.V AXl. MOLM KOYAL .tiA T JO •5 i II r- If fe ^* LORD STRATHCONA THE STORY OF HIS LIFE BY BECKLES WILLSON WITH FOREWORDS BY THE DUKE OF ARGYLL. K.T., P.C. AND THE EARL OF ABERDEEN. P.c. G.C.M.G. '"««« » HO stcHw-na ucip. to« socoss is «»««» ^ WITH EIGHT ILtUSTRATIONS TORONTO GEORGE N. MORANG & CO., L,m™, 1903 FS-661 '1 (JOS' 120757 ^ lis Off 6, niNTSD IN FLVMOUTM, BNGLAHD J AUTHOR'S PREFACE JT has not been a simple task to compile even so «^"«y a record of a notable career as is contained in the following pages. Lord Stmthcona's uncon- querable modesty and his well-known aversion to publicity have strewn his biographer's path with obstacles. But admiring that career as I did, and believing too, that the main fects of it should be in the possession of the public during his lordship's life- time, I chose to persevere. To the many of his friends who have assisted me I acknowledge here my obligation. May, tgn FOREWORDS BY THE DUKE OF ARGYLL AND THE EARL OF ABERDEEN ORD STRATHCONA*S career has been so conspicuous and noteworthy, that U should be brought in its entirety to the knowledge of the pubUc, / do not think there is any other cinlian nam alive who has been able to do so much practical good to the Empire before filling an official position, Swce he has tahen t^ffice aU our fellomstroke op Finance . 63 93 133 »5i »7S *" CONTENTS _ CHAPTER IX C*MA»A* N.T,<»^ „,^^^^ llA.«« CHAPTER X t APPENDICES A. TM Rtt RiVM Rjn«U.,j,^ B. CoioMssioN TO Donald a. Smith C. Louis Rik. "ST OF IIXUSTIiATIOJrS t^ Stmthcoha-. B,,T«n«^ ,0^ « .«. ,„ JOMH Stdait • • M MOOWT Sir. iJoNAlD . * • • . 66 • 136 19s »37 sto «lf LOW) Stmthcona and Moont R«v« TH. Rov.. v:c^„, HOSPITAL Mokt.iul Dkivino ths Last «!i>,«.- -. * • • 165 °' ^"^ Strathcona Horsk ^-'^>***»— . _ LORD STRATHCONA CHAPTER I BO HOOD IN SCOTLAND WHEN .he courier, of the Prince Rege„, «., N«. C«edoni.^vfn iiL'l'rr:''.' ""*" '" not have > di~» , * Und-which did try rf A. i ~""" *" *• e"«0' .nd pe«.„. •T' of the extreme northern half of tit. w j .nd part-cularly of Morayri."™ " '""«"""'• building of thr,;ad!^r'h'"*^™' "■"' '"• roaas-the human migration had , *"""""»" «««««iy of Ei»i„. 2 LORD STRATHCONA been going on. You could scarcely find a single family without a toiling relation in England or Ireland, in India, America, Canada, and the distant parts of the empire. and the earth.* The royal messenger, dashing along westward from Aberdeen, shouting lustily his news of the overthrow of the mighty Corsican, may perchance have overtaken on the high road between Archie- ston and Grantown a fellow-countryman, tall and alert, with a characterful face, whose name was Alexander Smith, f Alexander, going out from his native village to make his way in the world, ready for any honest venture, whether for fighting or farming o«- trading, was of the type of Scots- men who have made the British Empire what it is to-day. Fate, however, had other things in store for * "Our parish," writes Rev. Dr. Forsyth, the present minister of Aijemethy, '• has continued to g^ve some of its best blood to other lands. We have sent bankers to England, farmers to Ireland, and parsons to every county in the Highlands. We have sent settters to Canada and the United States, shepherds to Fiji, stock-keepers to New Zealand, gold-diggers to Australia, diamond merchants to Africa, doctors to the Army and Navy, and soldiers to fight our cause in all parts of the world." t The Smiths were Highlanders long settled in the parish of Knockando, and there is constant mention of them in all the old records. One George Smith was out in the '45, and was famous for his strength and courage. He afterwards served with Clive in India. BOYHOOD IN SCOTLAND 3 Alexander Smith than fighting in Flanders. It led him no further than Grantown, where, soon after he set up m business, he met and won a Miss Barbara Stewart (or Stuart), of the manor of "Leth-na- Coyle," in the neighbouring parish of Abernethy. The Stewarts were considerable folk in the countryside. The young lady's particular family IS said to have held Leth-na-Coyle (now called Lainchoil) for three hundred years.* Among Miss Stewart's kinsfolk, too, were the Grants, after whom Grantown was named. By Sir Archibald Grant the town of Archieston had been founded half a century before. The match was consequently a most advan- tageous one for the aspiring young merchant. Soon after their marriage Alexander Smith re- moved with his bride to the town of Forres, where two sons were duly born. The elder was christened John Stewart, after a famous uncle, of whom we shall have occasion later to speak. The younger, destined to be the future financier, statesman, and philanthropist. Lord Strathcona and Mount Royal„ first saw the light August 6th, 1820, the year in' • Donald and John were the hereditary family names. In 1739 ther* was a John who was an elder of the Church. His son John mamed Marjorie Stewart, of Lynchum, who died a centenarian at Grantown in 183a Their son Donald married Janet, younger Jiughter of Robert Grant, of Cromdale, and had three sons, JoL. Robert, and Peter, and two daughters, Barbam and Marjorie, who survived till 1844. 4 LORD STRATHCONA which the light passed for ever away from the poor old monarch, George III., and which witnessed George IV. 's accession. The birthplace of Lord Strathcona is still standing, being at the west end of Forres and facing the Burn of Mosset. It is now occupied by a poor order of tenant, but at the time of his birth was suitabli:: for the residence of a middle-class family. If this part of Elgin is one of the most interesting districts of the Highlands, Forres is certainly the most interesting spot in the shire. It has been rendered classic ground by Shakespeare, in his tragedy of Macbeth, Time had been when Forres, which when Donald Alexander Smith was born contained about 3,500 souls, was a place of greater importance than the town of Elgin. It is not known when it became a royal burgh, all the older charters having been lost ; but in the verae of one of Scotia's minstrels :— " Forres, in the days of yore, A name 'mang Scotia's cities bore, And there her Judges o'er and o'er Did Scotland's laws dispense ; And there the monarchs of the land In former days held high command, And ancient architects had planned. By rules of art in order grand The royal residence." One of the local legends which early appealed to BOYHOOD IN SCOTLAND 5 little Donald Smith was that relating to King Duflfiis, the son of Malcolm, who is said to have been murdered in the castle at Forres by Donald the governor, in the year 967. There is a curious story that the body of Donald's victim was hidden under the bridge of Winloss, and that till it was found the sun did not shine. Many years after he had put a thousand leagues of sea between him and Kmloss Bridge the young fur-trader, seeing for the first time the dead body of an Indian hardly less rudely clad than the early natives of the High- lands, recalled vividly this enthralling countryside legend. It was at Forres that King Duncan held his court, and It is at Forres that Shakespeare has fixed the greater part of the action of Macbeth. Macbeth and Banquo, on their way to the camp, meet the weird sisters on the Hard Muir, in the adjacent parish of Dyke, and the memorable speech is uttered : " How far is it caUed to Forres ? What are these So withered and so wUd in their attire. That look not like the inhabitanU o' earth Butyetareon't?" Donald's mother had no intention that he should tread the somewhat uphill path his father had trod, bhe may have recalled the words which Dr. Samuel Johnson had used to Boswell d-^ring his journey through Morayshire fifty years before : - Every man 6 LORD STRATHCONA who comes into the world has need of friends. If he has to get them for himself, half his life is spent before his merit is known. Relations are a man's ready friends." With such kinsmen as John and Donald boasted, therefore, she determined to give them a proper schooling which would fit them to deserve Fortune's favour and that of the family. The Smiths were by no means greatly blessed with this world's goods; education at a private school was expensive, and the question how to obtain what she sought was not easy. Happily there was a resource lately established. One Jonathan Anderson, a native of Forres, who, like many of his neighbours, had wandered afar in pursuit of wealth and met with success, made over, some years before Donald's birth, to the magistrates and town council the lands of Cowlairs, now forming part of the city of Glasgow, for the purpose of creating a school and paying a teacher at Fones. His intention was that the chil- dren of necessitous parents in his native parish and those of Raflfard and Kinloss should be instructed in Jading, English, writing, arithmetic, and such branches of education as the provost, magistrates, and town council should think proper. The build- ing, in the Grecian style, was erected in 1824, and Donald became one of the earliest pupils. His youthful traits at that time were those appropriate to his later character. A fellow-pupil who remem- BOYHOOD IN SCOTLAND ^nedXc^"'' "''••"''"'•-''- °Mohn„„ This ertibUion of c«„ ig„o«„„ w„ gene«„y r«e.ved ,„ ,,le„ce, p«„p,ed by a wholesome d«J 1m ^'^ \-°"*'- ««'«««»o„.ha„Do„J »™M «.nd, he Uughed Robertson to scorn, who the Smith boys vntb one hand." Donald stood his ground manfany, as he afterwarts stood it in f„" TZr" '"" *" '^" "f '*««>««°". "0 only *e tmiely appearance of the master on the scene p.*. ™nted a iie«e combat and put an end to the incident. Robertson afterwaris perished in the Crimea. The holidays were spent at Findhora or Aber- nethy and these times Donald and his brother ^nLu°:d to*"" "•"" ""•■ "'-•'"• «- ^-^ brother. John Stewart, the daring fur-tmder, who d.sunt wids of the North American conUnent It .s hardly surprising that Stewart's career should h,s broker, but for the entire youth of For«s and Aber^y. other «lations-Smiths. Stewarts, and Grante-were scattered about the world-wide domain of the new kmg. William IV.. doing and daring. I BOYHOOD IN SCOTLAND 9 fcrmlng .nd digging, e^tori.g ^^ emp.«, but, to Donald at least, hi, uncle John', career was the most brilliant and seductive of all.* increased by the birth of a sister, Jane, discuss the achievements of the heroic pioneer of New Caledonia, after whom tte name, of Stewart Lalte and Stewarl Kiver have been bestowed. The feet that he was said to bear a striking physical resembance to his uncledid not diminish this interest. John Stewart had early in the centu,y left G«ntown for laontreal. and taken service with the North-West may re«i .n Washington Irving's romantic narrative, Astona. Another relation, Cuthbert Grant, had pre- ceded h.m. and doubtless on his advice, John Stewart had gone out to the distant and unknown regions A. for I^ S.„,hco«'. Cto „„^ „„d., P rt w„, 1... lO LORD STRATHCONA ■ k west of the RocIdes.» Those were the days of in- tense and bloody rivalry between the Hudson Bay Company and the Intruding North-Westers, and the Stewarts, the Grants, and other of young Smith's kinsmen were in the thick of the action. Many years afterwards Donald himself, addressing on a memorable occasion an excited body of half-breed insurgents in the Canadian North-West, said :— "Though personally unknown to you, I am as much interested in the welfare of this country as others you know here. On both sides I have a number of relations in this land, not merely Scotch cousins, but blood relations. Hence, though I am myself a Scotchman, you will not be surprised that I should feel a deep personal interest in this great country and its inhabitants." But although the lad was dazzled by his uncle's • John Stewart was not the only fur.{-ader of the trio of Donidd'. uncle* Robert was aI«o in the «a^ice of the North-West Company, •nd MOO became celebrated for his courage and ability. Hi. death was veiy tragic One day sailing down the Columbia River his «noe was upset, and he and his three companions were flung into the water. A temporary refuge was furnished by a rock, but Stewart was the only swimmer of the four, and he was therefore the only one they could turn to for assistance. " He bade them be of good cheer-that if God permitted he would save them. Then taking one of them on hu. back, he struck out for the shore." His enterprise was successful, so far as the first and second man were concerned ; but h.s further efforts to save the third man cost him his life. His strength had ebbed, and he and his companion he bore sank down in the mighty rush of waters and were never heard of again 4 BOYHOOD IN SCOTLAND n career, Mrs. Smith was very far from being reassured by tlie accounts which reached her of the life and prospects which might await her son in the North- West. In her heart of hearts she looked higher than a fur-trader's career for her sons : she wished to see .John a physician and Donald a lawyer. And as both showed mental aptitude, it seemed as if, in spite of the secret longing of the one to be a soldier and the other to be a rich fur-trader, the maternal designs would attain fulfilment. For in course of Ume John was sent to Aberdeen to study medicine, and the subject of this memoir entered the office of Mr. Robert Watson, the Town Clerk of Forres. It soon became evident, however, that while he applied himself rigidly to study, her younger son's heart was not in Hume and Dalrymple: the chances at the law were few, and he himself urged a calling in which he could find scope for his talents and his aspirations. At this time there resided in Manchester, where they had achieved great wealth and were highly esteemed for their personal characters, a femily of merchants named Grant, cousins of the Smith femily.» • The story of the Grants of Manchester is a most rpmantic one. WiUiam Grant, the elder, occupied the farm of "The Haurh" at Elchies. of Knockando; adjobinfir that was his first cousin, Alexander Smjth, Lord Strathcona's father. Grant was engaged in the pre- canous tntde of "droving." that is, buying cattle in the country and taking them south for sale. The year. ,782-3 were noUbly bad •» LORD STRATHCONA Son., few ye.™ fter DoniUd l»d »»*, «p w, „,„i .bou, hi. fu.u» .ph.„ of I.bou,. . friend rf J "ring young Undon noveli«, Cluirle. Dicken., •oolc him u, Mencheeter, where he nude U,e^ qualnunce of the* two w«m.he.rt«l men. Under the n.me of the "Cheeryble bother." Diclten, h« g.™^em to the world In hi. novel of ATicMa, Mr. Smith wrote to the elder of these Giant, .bout .n Scotland (how very few young Scot.men ,„I) .«d mving hi, .dvice. The re.„.t w.. . reply A.t .f the young m^, would «cept . «„ol in thei office he vnu, welcome, .nd zeal .nd induWry mirtt lead to profitable advancement * Donald Smith was eighteen years old when he h«l Aus to choose . calling fo, ,ife. ft ,, „„, m doubt which of the two oBers he would ta^ accepted, had not an event happened which ^Z the ac- if f1 BOYHOOD IN SCOTLAND 13 VkMy ovwcuraed hit mother*! pbuu for him and rwidered a decition in another direction altogether ineditible. Hia uncle, John Stewart, the ledoubt- •ble fur-trader, returned to Forrei, and through hit influence came the offer of a junior derlcahip in the •ervice of the great Hudaon's Bay Company. Thua it came about that in his eighteenth year, before the fair young Queen Victoria had been many months on the throne, Donald Smith took an •fiiecUonate farewell of h's parents, whom he was never to see again, gripped his uncle's hand, and sailed away from Scotland for the Canadas. Mr. Smith, his father, was then living at Archicston, uui in very robust health, and a dozen years later he died. His widow and daughter remained in Archies- ton for many years. While still in her prime Mrs. Smith's eyesight Called her: but to the last her son's letters were amongst the chief pleasures of her life. A Ithough at that time even she could not foresee her boy's future renown, it was a saying of hers long remembered in the district, '* They'll all be proud of my Donald yet" It is worth while our pausing a moment here to take note of a curious omen. Was it not of significance to other than the superstitious that the patron saint of Donald's native town should be St. Lawrence? For it was to the River of St. Uwrence that H LORD STRATHCONA the ship was bearing away an obscure youth, who was destined to spend many years on and in the immediate neighbourhood of Laurentian shores. He was destined also to return no longer obscure. Although h,s real life-work was but just beginning at the period of his first return, Donald Smith had already b.:en admitted into the councils of the wisest and most eminent in his adopted land. NOTE Lord Strathcona's kinsman, William Grant, one of the originals of Dickens's "Cheeryble brothers." once wrote a letter to a friend, which gives some veor interesting particulars of their beginnings in Manchester. "My father, he says, "was a dealer in cattle and lost his duction to Mr. Arkwright (afterwards Sir Richard and owner of one of the only two mills in Manchester), and came by way of Skipton to Manchester, acompanied by me We called upon Mr. Arkwright, but he had so many applications at the time he could not employ him. My father then applied to a Mr. Dinwiddie, a Scotch gentleman, who knew him in his prosperity, and who was a prmter and manufacturer near Buty. He agreed to give my father employment, and placed my brother James and me m situations where we had an opportunity of acquirmg a knowledge both of manufacturing and print- mg (cotton) ; and offered me a partnership when I had completed my apprenticeship. I declined this offer, and commenced business for myself on a small scale, assisted BOYHOOD IN SCOTLAND 15 by my brothers John, Daniel, and Cha Ics." Success attended them, and they rose to great wealth and in- fluence. •' In 1818 we purchased Springs de and in 1! a; we purchased the Park estate and erected a monmuent to commemorate my father's first visit to this valley, and on the very spot where he and I stood admiring the beauti- ful scenery below." Mr. Grant adds, •' We attribute much of our prosperity, under Divine Providence, to the good example and good counsel of our worthy parents." Indeed, their mother, Mrs. Grant, n^e Mackenzie, was a woman of rare character and piety, as was her sister, Lord Strathcona's grandmother. Does not every reader recall the description given by Dickens of the birthday festival of the "Brothers" to their confidential clerk, Tim Linkinwater? "Brother Charles, my dear fellow, my dear fellow, there is another association connected with this day which must never be forgotten by you and me. This day, which brought into the world a most faithful and excellent and exemplary fellow, took from it the kindest and very best of parents— the very best of parents to us both. I wish that she could have seen us both in our prosperity and shared it, and had the happiness of know- ing how dearly we loved her in it, as we did when we were poor boys— but that was not to be. My dear brother —The Memory of our Mother, " Rev. Mr. Elliot says that "as a matter of fact that mother's word or wish, to the end of her days, was the law of her sons." CHAPTER II FUR-TRADING IN LABRADOR "\yHEN I went to Canada," Lord Strathcona once said, many years afterwanis, " I took my first sea voyage; and it is interesting, by way of comparison, to state that it took between forty and fif^ days, and that the dipper ship in which I sailed, of 800 tons or thereabouts, was a con- ^derable vessel in those days-the largest boat of this kind being about i,ooo tons." Conditions of transatlantic travel have indeed altered. Fifty years later he was to leave London, spend a week in Montreal, and be back again twenty-one days from the time of his departure The arrival of the young Morayshire adventurer in Canada was coincident with a time of great political turbulence and uncertainty. The rebellion of 1837, instigated in Lower Canada by certain French- speaking malcontents led by the famous Papineau. had just been quelled, but disaffection still threatened both ,n Upper and Lower Canada, as the provinces of Ontario and Quebec were then named. The reconstructive genius of Lord Durham had yet to 16 FUR-TRADING IN LABRADOR ,7 to^hips own polWcal fortunes. Lower Canada had then a population of ba,«Iy 200,000, while Mo«rea.i« Chief cit.. boasted on.ys;n,e'35,J: souls. It has now ten times that number. It .s hardly necessary to go into the causes which led to the outbreak, except to observe that they were ^nnected with the demand for an elective Upper House and a responsible Executive, which Lord John Russell ,«fi,sed to grant. His bill authorising the Governor-General to help himself out of the Pro- sTool r*"^ ';'*'"" ~"'""'"'« "■« Assembly supplied the spark to the tinder. The French- Canadian leader of the malcontents arose and appealed to the arbitrament of the sword. Montreal became the refuge for the loyalists, who fled thither U.e ^bels gathered at St. Charles, St. Eustache, and St Benoit, and they fled before him. Martial law * I" "837 there was no Dominion of Canada Briii.1. M -i t^ """^ T"^ '■^ "- "» »«»- of^ ^^y we trappers, and the Indians All th.. ^„. • company. 18 LORD STRATHCONA was proclaimed ; and when Donald Smith landed at Montreal, Lower Canada was in the hands of the soldiery. The constitution of 1791 was sus- pended. Lord Durham had arrived on the scene in May as Governor-General and also as special commissioner, with power to settle disputes and to arrange for the effective working of representative government in the two Canadas. All the world knows now how hard his task was and how much harder ,t was made for him by the Imperial Govern- ment. After a few brief months of administration and investigation, he angrily resigned and returned home. His departure was the signal for a new uprising. Mr. Smith long remembered the new cry that was borne in the air from remote districts —the cry for a Canadian Republic. In November one Robert Nelson openly pro- claimed the Republic of Canada, but prudently retired, after a skirmish or two with the militia, to join their American sympathisers across the border Elsewhere there was burning and bloodshed: the gaols were filled with rebels, many were tried, con- victed, and executed for treason. But the rebellion was crushed.* t J.7° r *'"*^'"'"*^ ""■°"^'' °°**"° *"^ '••« other provinces t•« com. rades at the post spent most of their time trad- "Jg in furs with the Indians - particularly the Mountameers and the Nascopies. There was a certain amount of office work to be done ; there was also canoeing, boating, fishing, and shooting- Ballantyne has added, -wishing and skylarking." Some other occupation was necessary, and Donald Smith found it in reading and writing. What was ^id of another Hudson's Bay man was true of him. With a winter of eight months' duration and a temperature often fifty degrees below zero, time would otherwise have hung heavily upon his hands. With a view to lighten it a little he wrote lonir etters home to his mother in Scotland-necessarily long, because of the interval between the mails. Whenever he felt a touch of homesickness he got out his sheets of ' Imperial' paper and 'entered into spiritual interxjourse with home.' " There can be no doubt that to this practice of writing long letters, and to his regular devotion to reading while the other clerks were "skylarking," Lord Strathcona owes his after facility of composition and his un. usually ordered habits of mind. The great feature and the most important event in *• LORD STRATHCONA *• r~r — Ui. .rtvl of a,e Ub«do, po«. Tton. i. now protaWy no oth« country In^h. worid whw, «,.« ,ri«, , ,ong„ o, ™o« d.nge»«. P««U »u.. for men „d do,,.^ ^^_,^ ol tond*.vel from Qu.l»c to Ungtv, in th.dqKh ^^. which, in th«, .,«ic tatitud... i^ t^ »«mbertoJuBe. And y« this route in iu »,riou, «W. hM «tu.lly been t«ve«ed on foot «,d in Stmthcon.. By this Mn.«l or iemiwtnnil po« «». the l«t«, fron, home-" PPiy ot warm clothing, in the shape of fare and addiftonal provisions with him whenever he wT^ o„ his journeys, no matter how little th™, " ! weather, and it is p«bablv !, hf. *7''"'»e •"« "»« than once owL ht Hfe. '"""'* *^ "« The chief source of pride of Mr q«,:*i, . FUR-TRADING IN LABRADOR 29 subject to illness, and in this way he acquired no inconsiderable knowledge of medicine.* Once in his time there was a serious outbreak of Z ^7^'\^'"P*"»«d by diphtheria. Many of ^e people died and the survivors were so alarmed by the spread of the disease and its fatal results, and 2Z f" u ^1 ''^^"^ '"^"^ °^ ^^'' '^^' 'hey kept away f„,n. the houses in which people were known to be suflFenng. There is little doubt that many of the persons died from simple dread of the disease and the fright occasioned by the mortality. Mr. Smith, being sent to visit the settlement, came upon this unhappy state of things. It was reported to him also that the family of a former employee of the Cbmpany-a Scotchman-had taken the disease at a place some twelve miles distant. Young Smith went there, and found the whole family confined in a small hut, the various members being scattered Mi*dn^*Tr°*"'^ '***■'• •^''••«*»'°? the medical .tudenU of the wasusedbyhimmUbradorintheforUes. ml!*r?'" ^'^ *"'' "* P""'"^* *°d -omewhat rude form of treat- ment that was poictised in those day, before Lord Lister intld^ h.8 discovery. For the treatment of wounds, ulcer^t^^^"?^ . pulp was made by boiling the inner bark of the t"^ "^ The IndThett r '"' "" "'"' ^°^ '''""'"^ -<» tr^^tingh: w^ Jd3 .ndthe bark, beaten into a plastic, pliable mass, was applied after th^ thorough cleaning of the wound, forming a «,ft cushiof leX Tt^f to every mequality of the sore. Scrupulous deanliness was o^^^^ and fresh material used for every application." ' U)RD STRATHCONA Zd^ rr ; '" ^ '" ""^ p"** ""«« ™o« "BUckHote-ofOJcutt.. The door ™nh„t,.„d » -.« the window,. «d the odour that aun. when «he former w« opened en bea be left to the in.. Mr Smith did W.S to b«Ut open the window and et .n ae «r. and then to admini«er 5ome remedies. In a short time all the other membera of the family feel.n« of hope. Not a single &tal case subse. nl "^r^- *"" •«»«»-'«8e'y "suiting ^r"^ '^" ''"^ "^ '^« «Iminist,^ tion of a litUe common sense. B^re Mr. Smith left Ub™dor the Esldmos h«i »n but totally vanished fiom the lower coas^ They had parted in company with the polar bear, Ae walrus^ the eiders, the geese, and the a,u„aes^ «a-fow ; hunter and game had alike departed for tte arcf c regions. Their disappea,«,ce is ascribed partly to natunj causes, partly to contact with civili- sation, especially in the form of stoves «,d con. sequenUy dosed huts and no ventilation, a state which mduces respirato^r diseases. The hostility of the N«»pies may also have had something to do with the« impending e«inction. I„ the fortes. FUR-TRADING IN LABRADOR 3, however, it was by no means an uncommon thing to come across a white man married to a full-blooded Eskimo woman or even Eskimo half-breeds. At Roger's Harbour was a well-known chaiacter named Cole, with an Eskimo wife and half-breed children, and there was the "President of American Island," as he was called, a man named Williams, a great stand-by of the Company in the region about Tub Harbour. He had taken possession of an island, upon which he had bestowed the above tiUe, and had married a full-blooded Eskimo. Having no children of their own, they ultimately adopted, strange to relate, a Nascopie Indian's child. As to these Nascopies, they are th-. same called Montagnais by the French, and Mountaineers by the English-speaking Canadians. The tribe is a branch of the Algonquin stock, and is the only one known to inhabit the Ubrador Peninsula. They are still commonly met with at Rigoulette, but were very plentiful fifty or sixty years a^ . Perhaps 6,000 Indians used to frequent the Company's posts, whereas to-day there are hardly 2,soa On any visit paid by young Smith to an Esl imo habitation, he was obliged to bend under the low opening which served as door and circumspecUy thread his way between the suspended carcases of seal or codfish and "a vessel of femiliar democratic shape and use, filled with urine, in which the seal- 3» LORD STRATHCONA *«. « ».k«, brfo« being chewed between U.e p™^ of matang or mending sealskin boots." A great number of the r^^^» , "^^ married Eskimo women an^^T"'' *"'"°'^ h.»^ u-.j "omen, and of course tlie Iialf. »TOces in the tying of the nuptial knot. »evtr.r:fr"Jrsron:T;Le"r mu grown rich and now wore a /jold crown be' the day he married me and Isaac Diskyak^t Rigoulette same like it was yesterday. W he bought a ring at the Cbmpany-s sto^ to^:^ ^ tol»cco And so boss Smith tang now?" "^ ^ bu.at.^::a7ror'-'""°'««-^'^"«' al.'l^'":,'""' "'"''^ "" «""* •»" bare and buy up all Ubrador, and tack out the MVavians I " For, abs I she was a heathen, and bore a grud« against the good Ubrador missionaries. ^ Once a Scotchman at the post bought out a set 33 FUR-TRADING IN LABRADOR 33 of bagpipes, and when the Indiana anrf i? i.- ,"*?"' '°'' "* "■«" ■"<»'«>» -O crs they d^n* ^n the eccenmc «,u„ds p„KJuced by the inst^l^n, OM men, youth, .„„ „«.•<,.„, feasted o„ the pl^s .Tth. If "* ^^""^ " discussion .^ -troT.ir:::L^.-»-e„oi .•™;"erpir.^s^;rrrhTr —n whilst I was twirlin- *e p.p^ jv 1? f ' -J~.ava-they.vet.eSd'j:i7:„'*X;; John Tooktooshnah. He Z' .ZZ^'Zl «ng.e tooth in his head, which, being hu^ n^J" V-shaped, and strongly impressed upon his ,ol« ^vehtaa^stinctiveappea^nce. Z^Z ot::fedte .r Bri'r '""''"■ ^"^ ^""""""^ the H R « "^"" "« exhibited in tenn he often used was 'handy by,' meaning dose Mr. Smith received a visit f™m old John, and upojl 34 LORD STRATHCONA Wngr asked what he could do to oblige him he 2^ to pu«ha« one of a.e "s™.,, ^^.J J affected by Mr. in his eye. vou''.'"h'""l!'''" "'" "" *"""' ""• "»'' oWige you ..w"' "'" ""'" °" '^'«"^ '" yo". " When Mr. _ heard of the Eslcimo's request he rep^red to his box. fished out another eyeglass, and .n sp.te of |he prohibition ag«nst private tra^ng s belaeved to have parted with it for a good ™und sum. For the next day Tooktooshnah was goine S. sirr ' "'"^"'' ^'""'* »»"■•«"«' "Eh. mon." observed a Scot, "it's an eyeglass you mean. An eyeglass, d'ye no ken? >• The civilised Eskimosurveyed him blandlythrongh the-port-hole." "/«,>!^.«,"hedn.wled. * of Lord Strathcona that, during his Ubrador apprenuceship, he contracted a painful a&cUon of *e eyes, and, unable to endure the malady any longer, journeyed by arduous stages to Montr«d to consult an oculist Sir George Simpson, Ae Governor, hearing of his expected arrival by one of h,s trusty couriers, met him on the outskirte of the FUR.TRADING IN LABRADOR 35 ^Wdl. young „»„, „hy .„ you ,„, „ .oi;"^:';r;:^;rr,r- ^'"'■*' ■"■•""J i» «oggies. They fifot so verv hari ; I've come to see a doctor." «» very bad,; "And who gave you permission to leave vour^ post ? " thundered the Governor. ^ , As it would have Uken a full year to have obtained 1 officia consent to his journey, Mr. Smith was fo^^ to reply, "No one." "^^ "Then, sir," said the fur-trade autocrat, "if ,Vsl VTT '''"^" y°"^ 'y^^ *"d your servi e n «na return this instant to your post • ' AJthoujh stunned by this pronouncement, it J .^ He turned then and there in his trulal and commenced a painfi., „.„„ j ^ ^l . thousand miles to the scene of his irjy ij^'^l Advancement was slow. He served for tlen long years in this inhospitable climate "^7^" oompanionship save a few employees and Wsown ^oughts, l«r„ing the secrets of the Compa„; h" returns. But by this time the Governor had dil ~ -';?-'■•'«-">- -valuable ,Z o^urn^ Z ^'y^-'K 'o "count "No matter," it h« been heard of him, -however poor the p.;, IJ^ 3« LORD STRATHCONA right ,d. of the l«lg„... He w„ rewrted, fi«t by . chW t^derrtip. .„d .fter ten ye.„ „k« .^ «« *e jhore, of Hud«n'. Bay. .. on, of the ol^.^ of the Company., fo^., .^^ ^ «^^ «xtie. ^ pri„ he h.d » ,o„^ driven f„. Governor S.mp«,n h«i been de.u but . brief au«f.P«tori«theGre.tF»rComp,ny. Governor .^ » r' -"^ ■• '"'*" «^"«« "«« ^" .«d one d.y injUttg. i,wa, .nno«nc«. «„oughou UndTL^' *« Governor .„d committ^ i„ London h«l chosen Mr. Smith to £11 the po« of tl^Z f^ "^ *• ^"p-y ■■>^«h America, to be stationed at Montreal. Dunng ten yea« only Mr. Smith's advancement (Tjr ~"P^'ively rapid, and he had now com- pieted his forty^ighth year. NOTE ^.:r.;tn:rAronrr['.Tir^t says . "Hr?oM t ° ""^ »* Sir Donald Smith's. rfi^^ u '^ ^•^* vanquished men who would ny from no other enemv Um :- * ^ wouia which a friend of h- ^" '"stanced one case in he hL 1 * ™ '° '•"*'*^^« '« th«ir bites that he had to stop every half-hour on the march to «.h away the blood from his head and fact." ' CHAPTER III A DANGEROUS MISSION MR. SMITH had risen f™m . me« Crbh.p u, hi«oI ci '^"''" " "" '" *• •»-' °f *e ".the fur .«de. He could, „ he hin,«,f „id. ,«,k l»ck on more rt.n thirty yea« of .rduou. «rvice ■n ^ cpacity. He h«l been for mo« ."H «ene«,.on shut off in the .naic wilderness f™m his W^ow, , he h«. endured privations, cold, .nd &,igu Many who m« him at «,is Ume might ratiolly of his amtafon and as «>ttling down in a new posiuon to enjoy the fruits of power in Montreal.l, Z ^^o^^^predeoessor. Sir George Simpson, h«, done Who therefore could have d«amt that so far fi„m having reached its zenith, the ca«er of "DonJ^ Sn^U., te Hudson's Bay man- (as Sir Joh^ A Mcdonald came to call him), instead of ending was only ju« begmning? Or let us say «,her tta. he 37 3« LORD STRATHCONA h«l completed one orbit of • life which was detUned to pursue many.* Mr. Smith had not been settled long in his new position before serious trouble began to loom up over the i::bmpanys horixon. For a number tORD STRATHCONA ••yWX node up of Comour oAcml «-. ^ Undon upon ufcing u» „k. of .««K,ri.y o« o^ tewelf^ere were pertap. twelve chou«nd «,uh In the ^Wement. ««Ie up iUn,o« eqully „ n^^ To the nujonty of these C„«u mu „ foielm . countor « Amerlc. with whom, <^n7t^TJL medUte pro^rimity, the« w„ „^uch if IZlT ..«.o-gh the t^„, .pirit of i>Jt2S^' hererter-WM . Cn«li.„. Mwy of the orfa^ who n.i„i«er«. to the F«„cb^pe,Ung hLf-S^ weren«ivesofOIdFi.nce. "« '»'f-b'<*d. ceit.'t:."t'tj"r"it' ''^' "'• "■»'* ■-'■ mention to bnng .bout the tnmrier of Rupert'^ Und .0 €.»«!.. Indeed, in October, Sir 10^1 Mcdonald, the Cn«Ii.„ ?,«„.•.,. i^ X" t a mutual friend:— «tttedi the rapid march of events and the increase of poputoion on this conUnen. will compel EnZ^ .nd Cnada to come to some ar„ngemen?,.sSn J A OANOBROUS MISSION 41 ^* '"J~"" *°""'^- ^' •*^' '•"*"«• the sub. ft* during th. .MulBg ««rion of PiriUment, which eon,m«e« on A, 6«, of Novmber. .„d rtll b. •We to judge what the feeling of P«IUment ii" Perltamen.. It w„ «x>n «en, w« fo, .cquiring the couMor. .. Should we." „kcd th. P„mie,, « ^ dMermi, Aen, by thi. bugbear of . cUlm. which, If limit.? If oftred to the Unlt«l State, of Ameria- « Z^' fh ?^ of . u.ct of ice «ljolniBg-<.n we doubt that thejr would eonunt to pay for i, ,„ ^unt «,u.l to the whole debt of Can«J, four time. Bm Sir John Macdonald overlook the fkct that the Hud»n'. Bay Company would have refiued to -even had they been permitted to-accept any oftr from Amenca were i. equal a hundr«l time, to the emblem of the Company was the British flag. Messrs Cartier and Macdougall. representing the Government, sailed for England, In October, ,S68, to open negotiation, with the Company. An Mderauon of ^39^900. tiie latter agreed to surrender ^ th«,r .„tere«s in the Nortii-West to the Crown, mti. the reservation of one-twentieth of the fertile ot L^^'^Ty.""" '*"""' " *' "^'"^ •><»" "^^^^^^'fSfm 43 LORD STRATHCONA p But this important arrangement was concluded solely with the shareholders of the Company in ^Xondon, without any reference to the officers and jjjmployees composing the fur trade, or to the ^population of Red River. These elements were natuially greatly perturbed over the impending transfer, but for very different reasons. The half- breeds-especially those of French origin-had lone been attached to the Company, and regarded with alarm the prospect, as they put it, of being sold that their privileges and authority were thus to be supplanted by outsiders, without the hint of any recompense being aflforded them or their being at all consulted in the matter of the transfer. Another party clamoured for annexation to the States ; while It remained for still another-which, led by an ardent and ambitious man, finally succeeded in gaining the suffrages of the half-breeds, boldly to advocate the establishment of a Republicf •All thi. WM joy to the Americans. Mr. Bannatyne rtated that mto tte banj«n if he would only work for annexation To hHS^ Slhelp^^'n'r^"? '^'' '"* '' ^^^-^-^ incurred^he en^ty t It i. now known that a meeUng: wa. summoned by one William Deasc^ with Schult.'. approbation, and was attend J^b;or^" hundred French half-breeds. Dea,. addressed the peo^eT^I A DANGEROUS MISSION 43 Here we have, then, the elements of the situa- tion when, in the summer of 1869, Mr. Smith received a visit from Mr. Mactavish, the Governor of Assmiboia, who, with alarm on his face and a grievance in his bosom, had travelled thousands of miles to ascertain the truth of the terrible rumours he had heard about the transfer to Canada of Rupert's Land. Mr. Smith was too astute not to perceive that it was futile to try and set back the hands of the clock of progress. It may be thai because it had not fallen to his t to serve the Company in the Far West, and consequently had imbibed no local predilections, that he was able to look at the matter clearly and without prejudice He had all his life proved loyal to the Company • but his loyalty and affection did not prevent him' from seeing that the time had come when the situation as regarded the Company's exclusive and themselves to Canada, and were to receive some fJ^ .teriinif. He «ivi.ed them. the«fore. to ^leTTe^T^ pubhc money ftom the Company, and form T^^a^^t^, wWIl« Governor MacUvUh was sent for; be came and explained aU he EngUnd^ but that the money mentioned was only for the^pa^;; chartered righU and not for the people's lands. ^^P"y • «w"lh ^k!!*""' "**"""^ "•Pidous, disbelieved aU this when they 44 LORD ^ATHCONA '^ had to be fi««i. and U«, the wi„r .nd 7uZ '™"' ™'"'"f *e Company, as so many p,e^ d.ct<^ would prove in U,e long run p™fiuble ^ 1 "'^'^ *™ ""^ ■*"'' 'hat the Company'^ officer wouW get a share of any money paid o«r ^ Oma^ fo, the surrender. MacUvish ^J:.. ^^ to Fort Garry, on the Red River, with bitterness !„'.% ^'•k "'' "'*"'■ ■*«»" '° ^'. «he luZ a ;«mrr ."" ■*"" " ''«' ^^'^^ -« "PP--' The first communication Mr. Smith had with the W^ was from Sir John Rose, on the ««h August, when ,t was suggested that the Hon. Joseph Howe Inaead sa.d he long afterwards, "of any diffi. o^ties being thrown in the way of officiaU of the * He was dead in less than a vear t^^ a England from Hudson's Bay "iculh ''n f"' '^'"» RenUeman of the .trict JT LeJ^^ » ^"" "*" '^^'^ **» «- * Wghestprindplesof honour a ^n!^h '*^"**^ ''^ ""• the hearts of'he whor^^^'eTt^eTedT"'^ T."^"-^ '- would long be remember^or 1 1^ he kTJ ^ ^^' "* country."_5,>A«w«5-..V* • ""Vff* ^^ »»*» conferred on the y otr MMmald Smttk, tn a ,pe,ch delivered in 1876. A DANGERdUji MISSION 45 Sir John Rose thanked Mr. Smith for the assist- ance and facilities offered by the chief executive officer of the Company to Mr. Howe. Another etter received from Mr. Macdougall evinces that the Company had done everything it could to expedite the new Governor's entry into the country. On November 19th, 1869, the Deed of Surrender was signed in London. But long before tUt date, so eager were Canadians to invade and enjoy their prospective possession, that surveying parties were sent out to Red River. Mr. Macdougall, Canadian Minister of Public Works, who had been so active in promoting the transfer, was appointed Governor, and affiurs generally wer** conducted with great im- prudence and indiscretion. The result might have been foreseen-indeed was foreseen by many-great prejudice was inflamed against the new.comers,» and out of all the fierce clash of interests and excited babel of tongues at Red River there emerged the figure of the rebel and demagogue, Louis Riel. On his way the new Governor, Macdougall, heard rumours of the probability of resistance against his authority, and on his arrival at Pembina, on the American border, on the 21st October, 1869, he to * f; J^'^" Macdonald(«iys his biog^pher, Mr. Pope) attributed juj^yo^duj., the .u«„er of .86, „ucb or the t™^^^^ *» LORD STRATHCONA Governor «comp,„ied by Mr. Richwd.. hi, Attorney^n,^. Mr. Provencher, Dr. Uk^ Z bo»n R-el. who .ppe«, to be the moving ,piri. ,-, , WrL "V" "^ *•"'"' '""-vour't^Uin him u ,n officer in your future police. If voHo Jsp««^yi.wi„ be.mo«con^,cingS".^° you^«e not go,ng ,0 leave the hlf-breed, out of Riel w« indeed . rem«k.ble man. At m e«Iv •»« he M «t™ct«l the «tention of Bid,op" ^t e»raesUy studying Utin. In i8c8 th^ nuu obUined «hni»io„ for the boy inl't^ Mon.re.1. where he was educated « ;he eln« .n_.a5,*e Bishop ag«n «w Rie, -n Montr^. '"' I told him that, now that I had secured .„ h.m,elf. and endeavour .0 gain a respecUble living. A DANGEROUS MISSION 47 He went to the United States, and remained there until he returned to his mother in the Red River setUenient. in the autumn of ,868, when he got employment as 'freighter' on the plains." This was the personage who was to make more trouble for Canada than Papineau and all the Fenian raiders, and whose doings were to render for a time the Sovereign and the Imperial Cabinet uneasy. As for poor Governor Macdougall, he was fated never to enter into his dominions. With a handful of followers Riel erected a barrier across the road into which the new Governor must make his entry into the settlement, at a point near the Roman Catholic fir^K .'' ""^u^'" ^'''' ™^ ^^ "^« "^hting the firebrand. The next day three or four hundred men gathered together at the barrier with the avowed object of keeping Macdougall out at all hazards It must be remembered that the face of the country was untraversable; that even if the incoming executive were warned of what awaited him, he would have found it difficult, if not impossible, to gam the fort by any othrr route. The half-breeds continued to assemble; none felt it prudent to oppose them, fearing violence; few, indeed, cared m the settlement whether Macdougall made his entry or not ; certainly none were prepared to risk any- thing for him. Colonel Dennis, the hot-headed chief of the constabulary, who made a journey down the 4» LORD STRATHCONA Red River lunongtt the ««le™, found that not fifty men could be collected for the purpo* of e^ortin, n the Governor. Recognising- thi. «.,e of M:t the Counal of Awiniboi. met, they decid«l t^ «iv»e M«doug.ll fo „„^„ „ p,„^.„,^ ^ ^, for hj, own safety „ for the wel&re of the settlement ^ The ch««ter of the new government h«i been settled in Canada without our being consulted. We »« prepared to accept it respectfully, to obey the l»w» uid to become good subjects, but when you present to us the issue of a conflict with the French pwy. with whom we have hitherto lived in fnend. Catholic Church, which appears probable by the course at present being taken by the priests, in which conflict it is almost certain the M rf tte Ind«n, would be invoked and perhaps obtai„«l .^H^- rr* "* ^ *""»""«' «° •"'" "PO" it, •nd think tl»t the Dominion should assume the responsibility of establishing amongst us what it. «nd It atone, has decided upon." M«rfoug,lI and his advisers, civil and military, finding It useless alter one attempt to carry out thdr purpose, had no alternative but to retire to American territory and await the issue of events. r.!" ."'\'* "' November Governor Mactavish IT"? *• '^■^•'y °' *• Co">P«"y in London th«t The position is undoubtedly serious, and the A DANGEROUS MISSION 49 c«e will ,equi„ veiT c.reft.1 handling. „ any Indian, bemg bmugh. down on the ,.«.en,.n,'l.« •Pnng. as well as disturbances over all the olai-n -".nets, which will no. be put down for y^', tg befo« wh,oh ,he whole business of the c^un.; wm nave been destroyed." ^ Fort Garry penned this letter, he also addressed the following to Mr. Smith :— ..^ ** November oth. ]S6o "Dear Mr. Smith,-I re^et verv murh / k uougaii, Who had been warned by the CanArf.a« colony, on his arrival at Pembina, has been within the last week driven out of the Company WhH^h ment and fo«ed to withd«w withirL ^^"'4"; XXT "Tr"' °' ""' «■"« PortionrfTr population. At the same time that thev sent to are determined to go to et^t^r iLZlT.u^^u'' have vrt rf««- J ? greater lengths than they nave yet done; and the nominal leaders of tZ movement have invited delegates from tL Lk l-rtions of the population tf meef X^on fh" is trL'^"""'" the condition of the counti^ as well as to express their views as to the form nf government to be adopted." ™ °^ JO LORD STRATHCONA The issue did not appear less remote as the days paased. Governor Mactavish earnestly urged him to return to Canada. This advice Macdougall in- dignantly rejected j he and his friends instead began to concoct measures for forcibly entering the settle- ment and assuming authority. The half-breed element, growing daily more excited, now began to carry things with a high hand. Riel resolved on the capture of Fort Garry. The and of November saw several bodies or groups of men tramping along the road to Fort Garry. At the fort they were met by Dr. Cowan, a chief trader in the Company's service, who was in charge. "What do you want here with all these armed men?" he asked. *'We have come to guard the fort," answered Riel. "Against whom?" "Against danger," returned Riel insolenUy; "I have reason to believe it is threatened. I will explain no more at present." In spite of Cowan's protest, Riel and his hundred followers marched in and billeted themselves upon the Company, declaring, however, that they in- tended remaining but a few days until the mysterious danger was over. The promise was worthless; Fort Garry rested for many months in the hands of the insurgents, until the arrival of Colonel Wolseley A DANGEROUS MISSION 51 and an Imperial force sent to quell the Red River rebellion. \^iJ!Hi?2Sy^nton proclaiming himself Dictotor of the new province of Rupert's Und. One of his first acts was to seize the Nar^-lVester newspaper, make the editor a prisoner, and issue a proclamation to the inhabitants. '*The President and representotives," it ran, "of the French-speaking population of Rupert's Und m Council (the invaders of our rights being now expelled), already aware of your sympathy, extend the hand of friendship to you, our friendly fellow, inhabitants; and in doing so invite you to send twelve representatives in order to form one body to consider the present political state of this country, and to adopt such measures as may be deemed best for the future wel&re of the same.'.' In the meantime suspicion began to be harboured by more than a few spectators that the Hudson's Bay Company was in some way implicated with the in- surgents-that it was to its interest to prolong the tension and to make common cause against Governor Macdougall. The latter urged on its principal officer. Mr. Mactavish, who was then in a precarious state of health, the necessity of explaining the nature of the change m the government and suggesting a proc- tomation to the malcontents. This Mactavish at first refused to do. because, as he himself stated. Sa LORD STRATHCONA «P to that moment he was without "official in. timation from England or the Dominion of Canada of the &ct of the transfer or of its conditions, or of the date at which they were to Ulce practical effect upon tiie government of tiiis country." But »t lengtii, and to show that he was desirous of meeting the new Governor's wishes, a proclamation was pre- Pawd and launched at the meeting convened by Riel. In his capacity of Governor of Assiniboia he charged those engaged in the unlawful acts which he recited to disperse, under pains and penalties of tiie law and at the risk of precipitating the "evils of anarchy and the horrors of war." Riel's next step was to issue a bombastic proclama- ^on, dated the 8ti, December, to the people of Ruperts Und and tiie Nortii-West, refusing to rewgnise tiie autiiority of Canada ("comlngJs rule ^:^±aj2ioLdespotism") and decUrinTr^^J. visional Government, with John Bruce as President and Riel as secretary. This proclamation, whose concluding words were borrowed verbatim from tiie Declaration of Independence, was the literary effort of an American named Stutzman, who had all along taken active interest in the proceedings over the border, possibly with the hope of furthering a movement for annexation to America. Arrests of Louis Riel's enemies continued until over sixty persons were confined in Fort Garry. On A DANGEROUS MISSION j, December ,«h . new HhT w„ hohW over the fort -Ae enrign of *e Insurgent,. It eon,i«ed of . whit, pound with . reprewnution of . Heur^e-Ii. .nd . riumrock, the Utter believed to be in honour of. young Irish Catholic, O'Donoghue by n«ne Z • tf "t'.'"' r'""^"-*" ' order't^^n R«K To .uch lengths of in«,Ience .nd tyranny did *e.n,urg:.„t, p„«eed that before Chri«n», both M«doug.l| .nd Colonel Denni. felt th.. it w., hop^ ^ lt,T'"i '""''" '^ »"«»" "-.ir cUi,^ «d «f,«l ft«„ u,e Kene of «rife to St. P.ul The news tim the new Governor's procUmation was • &lse one spread rapidly and tended greaUy to elevated himself to the Presidency. ISS^S^ad miles away, in Montreal, Mr. Smith '"T^. *? aitustipn. He s.w what MacdoJg.^r* fe-lt. of policy had been. He saw the danger. .„d also perceived the remedy. What was n.^e»* .r -ft *?""P»"y » »»<• *« Can«iian standpoint, who^f he had nothing else, would a. least establish^ *e Company's &«a>fer and clear it from the imj putauons which were now being cast upon it. Tn ftom .t, although it now aune to involve a «ave' personal risk. * M U)RD STRATHCONA a^oha lfa«te„.,d writin, to th. I«ckl.„ Oo,^„ M^dougll .h.. hi. «tfo„ ..h„ ^^ ^ "nt^^d ^' ^'""'' ""■ •^•^ ■»- -»«'^- •ent, Md will continu. to ««d. u,^m mMVM u, In putting .0 ,„d to this Mate of .nwchy." down 1^. «rio», Ul««^ Who .mong* th. olBc« uJl^'*? *n."«ho«. Rup«f, Una „„„ ftom London before „„king up hi, mi„d „ ,„ J d-tjr. H. «»lTOd to deput immedhitely for R J Wv« .nd eommunicted this intention to th. C««««. P^nie,.. ,n view of .ny pr^udic. which " HvmoK't B»Y CowAinfi Omc», „ __ „ " "oimmu, 14a /fnml^, act. A DANGEROUS MISSION 55 might exitt Against Mr. Smitli «. « Hudion't Bay oificer, Sir John Macdonaid felt it would be for the public advantage if he could proceed in the capacity of CbmmiMioner from the Dominion Government. Accordingly, on December nth, Mr. Smith received • letter from the Secretory of Stote appointing bi.n, in the name of the Governor-General, Sir John Young,* Special Commissioner, "to enquire nto •nd report upon the causes and extent" oi the disaffection at Red River, to act as mediator amongst the inhabitonto, and also to report on "the best mode of dealing with the Indian tribes in the country" (see Appendix B). This was, indeed, a wide-sweeping commission, and the responsibilities under it were truly immense. LitUe time was lost in preparation. Requesting his brother-in-Uw, Richard Hardisty, an officer in the Company, to accompany him, and toldng an aflfectionate leave of his wife, he set out on the following day for Ottowa, where he had a brief inter- with the view of .Mliting the .uthoritie. at Red River to make their •rrwgement. for the government of the country. ^^' And, in view of the more wrious aqiect which affairs at R«d P»ny, to offer the amurance that their Governor factora .nrf ««? maintain order throughout the territory. "Ihave, etc., etc., • Afterward. Uni Liegar. " ^"^^^ ^ ^"""•'' $6 LORD STRATHCONA view with the authorities, and was equipped with further documents bearing upon his mission. "Leaving Ottawa on the 13th December," he says, "I reached St. Cloud, the terminus of railway com- munication, on the 17th, continuing on the same day by stage, and arriving at Abercrombie on the even- ing of the 19th. Here we had to abandon wheeled carnages, and procuring a sleigh, after a couple of hours' rest, we resumed the journey, and on the afternoon of the 21st met Howe, Mr. Macdougall, and party about thirty miles beyond Georgetown. From him I learned how serious the aspect of a&irs had latterly become at Red River;* and pushing on, we got to Pembina about 11 p.m. of the 24th." On his arrival at Pembina on Christmas Day, 1869, he found that two eminent French-Canadians had preceded him, ostensibly acting as commis- sioners from the Canadian Government in the pacifi- cation of the half-breeds, the Grand Vicar de Thibault and Colonel de Salaberiy. The former was supposed to possess enormous influence with the French-speaking faction, and in the absence in Rome of Bishop Tach^, to be the very best man in Canada to impress them with his good counsels His companion. Colonel de Salaberry, was a des- • Macdougall told him it w«i " „«,.« to attempt to go In, You jHllo„lyhe™,de.pr«o„er...he«Ud. "Ithink I will ^t In." wi« Mr. Smith's quiet retort. II A DANGEROUS MISSION 57 cendant of the hero of Chateaugay, a battle in which loyal French-Canadians repelled the American in- vaders of the King's territory. The Grand Vicar had been permitted to enter by Riel, although he soon perceived that his oppor- tunities for usefulness were limited. De Salaberry was detained until nearly a fortnight afterwards. As a matter of history they did and could do little or nothing, and remained at the Bishop's "Palace" Inactive for weeks. The royal proclamation and other_papers which they bore was entrusted by them to Riel, and consequently there was no likelihood of their ever being made public in the colony. The documents bearing upon Mr. Smith's mission^ were highly important He shrewdly suspected what had not occurred to de Thibault and de Salaberry, that if he brought them into the settlement Riel would seize and destroy them if it suited his purpose; wherefore he resolved upon a prudent step. Macdougall had departed, but his secretary Provencher was still at Pembina, and to him Mr. Sinith communicated his fears and his intentions. "Mr. Provencher, I wish you to keep these papers," he said, entrusting die packet to him; "yield them up on no pretence whatever to anyone but myself or my brother-in-law, Mr. Hardisty." Provencher gave his word, and Smith and Hardisty set out for Fort Garry. It would have $• LORD STRATHCONA been easy for the Commissioner to have sent an emissary to have reconnoitred the town and have made overtures and inquiries as to his personal safety. But he disdained such measures. To the astonishment of sudb of dw settlers who met him, as well as the senanels, Im drove in his sleigh straight up to the gales of Che fort, which were open. He requested to be shown into Governor MacUvish's house. "Comment appelle-tu?" inquired a sentinel surlily In French, garnishing his query with an oath. "Je me nomm6 Donald A. Smith et je viens de Montreal." This was possibly not the first time that the grim M6tis had heard a name which was afterwards to become a household word throughout the North- West He and his fellow-sentinels responded that they would inform "President" Riel. The tiUe "President" was news to the new-comer, who had not yet heard of Riel's accession of dignity. After a few moments' delay, Louis Riel appeared. Mr. Smith saw "a short, stout man, with a hrge head, a shallow, pufify £ace, a sharp, resUess, Intelli- gent eytt a square-cut, massive forehead n^^erhung by a mass of long and thickly clustering hair, and marked with well-cut eyebrows— altogether a remark- able-looking fece, all the more so, perhaps, because it was to be seen in a land where such things are rare sights." I <«««*| I ■ naji <• • • i>iecem6er lath, Ottawa, z86a «^ "u JTptd'"™'-' '^ ^ -^- fh. o" jf ?r**° y°"' services at the disDosal of ^nith^^n^! r'^ ^''^ *^^ parties that are at varwnce the benefit of your experience » » fo^ L r '""^'"^^^ «»e reading to ask, with forced parliamentaiy politeness "lQth»f7^ T,. or Drivate?" M.. c vu .! ^s that letter public w pnvatei- Mr. Smith replied, "It is a. iJL, ♦ me as Cbmmissioner." ' * '**^' '^ A mild uproar ensued, chiefly because the Fr,.nrh did not understand the nature^ 2h.i, ,T^^ to car^ out his wiiT-tj^v^'^r^S^ 1- 68 LORD STRATHCONA Blood might be shed at a signal. Both parties elared pubTc "^tS ft"' ^' "" ""• " The'doclttt public, ruled the chairman, "and ought to be r««i." Mr. Smith r— MalvUh naa authorised him to ask for his letter. "I, too," said Bishop Machray, "will ask mv Sit.'^- "'• °'°°"°«'-. and"l Jktw"l^ When Judge Black again urged the production of .?» LORD STRATHCONA the letter, Riel turned upon him „grily. He »id The question wa, finally put to the assembly that the confiscated documents be produced. It was «";ed by a large majority, Riel craftily aban- S. " '"'""'" """ "* »" •"« '— of "Gentlemen," said Riel, who now vainl- hoped There is little doubt that had this been done the missmg papers would never have been found. But Queen s Government, was not to be put off in this feh.on. He insisted on going in search at once, in O Donoghue's company. As he passed into the fort the pnest-rebel hissed at him. •'SdUratl" ^ . J""" °"'^ *"■»««• h« shoulder, and smiled They went straight to Schimdfs safe, and ,n a few moments Laveiller's eye lighted on handed them to the secretary. Riel was now n an .mpatien, frame of mind. He began to fear the effect which this Commissioner's methods might have on the people. He saw he had to deal ^th a man who was bent on undermining his influence i UNDERMINING THE DICTATOR 73 « Dictator. But „ y« he did not dream ,l«,t . copy of tlie Queen's proclamation Riel lud artfully destroyed was in Mr. Smith's possession. "The paper I want," said tli« Commissioner, "is a proclamation from the Gov., ,or-General, copies of which came into the settlement, but where tl,ey ore I do not know." At first the Commissioner delayed reading, so as » ejve R,el an opportunity to produce the missing proclamafon But this happened to be the on! document R.el had actually burnt He started a, Mr. Smith's next words. "One of the documents I am about to read is a communication from the Queen our Sovereign. It IS the telegraph message referred to in one of the papers addressed to me, and which was put into my hands in Canada very shortly after being received from England. It is a message from Earl Granville to bir John Young, dated November 26th." Amidst a profound silence Mr. Smith then read out the following:— Th" *n^^^ H"^' "'' ^°" '^'"^ ^'' °f ^hat follows. The Queen has heard with surprise and regret that certain misguided p. -sons have banded together to oppose by force the entiy of the future Lieutenant- Governor into our territory m Red River. Her that settlement, and can only ascribe to misunder- 74 LORD STRATHCONA standing or misrepresentation their opposition to a change planned for their advantage.' " The expression on Riel's face as Mr. Smith pre- ceeded was a study. Was he already counting the cost? "•She relies on your Government to use every eflfort to explain whatever misunderstandings .nay have arisen— to ascertain tiieir wants and conciliate the goodwill of tiie people of the Red River settle- ment But In the meantime she authorises you to signify to them the sorrow and displeasure witii which she views the unreasonable and lawless pro- ceedings that have taken place ; and her expectation that if any parties have desires to express or com- plaints to make, respecting their condition and prospects, they will address themselves to the Governor-General of Canada. " • The Queen expects from her representative that, as he will be always ready to receive well-founded grievances, so will he exercise power and authority she entrusted to him in the support of order and the suppression of unlawful disturbances.'" Tumultuous cheering greeted the close of this epistle. Mr. Smith felt that enough had been done for one day. This was shared by the majority, and the meeting was adjourned until the morrow, after a sitting of five hours. No sooner had this been done than one (Burke) sprang up .nd in the Queen's UNDERMINING THE DICTATOR 75 name demanded of Riel the release of the prisoners. But the Dictator was now bent on playing a bold game; he was in no mood for concessions or con- ciliation. "Not now," he answered coldly. Where- upon numerous voices cried, "Yes, yes." At a signal, as if to show that he was still master of the situation, Riel's men flew to arms. There was a momentary indecision. The challenge was not accepted, and the assemblage dispersed. Mr. Smith's feelings as he retired to rest that night alternated between fear and hope. He dreaded the further results of Riel's ambition and ipflue'ice among the M^is. He hoped that his own eflForts might nullify this influence and eflFect a reconciliation between the contending parties. But from his first interview with Louis Rid he was tot sanguine that bloodshed could be entirely avt- «d. He was right. But it was only to his own tfSofts, as we shall see, that bloodshed was confined b tte smallest proportions. On the following day he observed a larger nufc^* of Indians mingled in the crowd than before, even necessitating the services of an Indian interpret Several volunteered to become French interpreters, but this was an office Riel had specially reserved for himself. Mr. Smith again came forward to finish reading the documents. He began with one from ^ LORD STRATHCONA *. Go»e™o,.G«,e«l u> Oomno, Ifacuviri,, wd rcM a further one to Macdougall whth'RM"^ "'.! '""•^'"'' «»io«rnm.n^ during which R .1 w„ otaenred in do* confcbuUaon with h.s .Mocl.t«, th« Dicutor moved that twenty rton. ««t.t,v« .hould be elected by the Engli.h popul- «on of Red River to meet twenty other .^re^Ziy^ of the French on the following Tue«Uy .t the couru ho««. TTie buirinen of this meeting would be to insider the subject of Itfr. Smith', commission ,nd to dec.de wh.t would be the b.« for the wel&re of the country. The proposition seemed a fair one to most of those present, although one citizen was heard to exclaim that U,e resolution "seemed to cast a doubt on Mr. Smith s commission." «' Not at all," declared Riel • we accept his commission as genuine. " * Committees were then appointed to meet and ap- portion the English and French rtjpresentation for he different parishes in the colony and to determine the mode of election. It seemed as if the head of the "provisional Govern- ment" was reconsidering his steps, and both classes of the community felt considerably relieved ; caps were thrown in the air, and French and English shook hands over what they considered the happy prospects of the colony. All but a few of the shrewdest men looked upon UNDERMINING THE .CTATOR „ •to dHBc«ltl«i „ .11 b„. M«,ed. Louta Kiel w„ Po«n« »• patriot H. h«I promi«d to di.h.nd "»« of the .rmed men he commanded ,t Fort G.ror. He ceruinly h.d no Intention of keeping *.. prom«, but . ™mour which .pre«l , day o, fr»m the rep^h of breaiting hi. pledge. He had numerott, pr.«,ners Mill in confinement, and it was now «mo«red that a body of English and Scotch were advancing to efiSxt their release. This false report furnishe.: Kiel with an excuse for increasing rwherjhan diminishing hi, garrison. Moreover, he b««.«red himself so efectually amongst the French Mf-bre«U a. to elect his own nominees as repre. senunve, to the Convention, thus regaining the P^R. he had ios. and at the s«„e tim^e defllg Uvedler, party. His success encouraged him to commit another act of trespwa on the Hudson's Bay Company by taking po»ession of the mess-room and adjoinmg apartments, which were then occupied by Dr. Cowan. The Chief Factor was obliged to «ek other quarters. His departure was greeted by the jeers of the insurgents. Kiel now freelv approprmted any property whatsoever he chose in On the following day, 23rd of January, the chief pnsoner Dr. Schultz, succeeded in making his «<»pe by opening his window and lowering him- ■•1' 78 LORD STRATHCONA self by means of strips of bu&lo hide cut from A. robes which furnished his bed. Heth^mT^ ^ dimb «.e w.,,. .nd obuinin, "e ^e "fT^ Stone F^^T ' '"'"''• "«■ '" ^ ""-tio" of ^ ttefll!.^ ^''^""'"^"c.pe was discovered on --x.^ri;hn^^^L-r;:o^r- 4forr;--frv::r7"^'^'^ had been SM nn t^. ^-onvention. A movement of W^ri "*"°"«'' ** ^•'e"^ population of Wmn peg ,« establish a provisional (Wnme« '" °PP<»i«o» to tta, of Riel. "We I^^" 1". they in the course of a «s„Iution pr^l T empowered on the part of Canada to make to thu . ' "' "* *"<=» as will warrant the iv«. session immediately of this country by the (C.^^ Government, that the restora.on^b^'^r SfcTf Governor Ma«avi,h to the Executive to LaJd^ by a council elected by a popular vote." ^ UNDERMINING THE DICTATOR ro But this project was defeated by a larm horf. , upon the dererj;rw*:ir''''°'--^'''' mouth J„Z *e L^^h'Tr '"" """"^ •" '•"t one of tfei, „u„K ^i^'^''^ -"ounced Z'^lr' Placed under ar^t ^k^ ^" naturally caused g,ave misgivings Thl „ ^^ ""oke up Without anything 4^ Snsa^ "t "! <*»» on the following day. AH T^' " "■en was to send for m1 S» ith-s i^ Z T some discussion, to place them i^ ^^ T '^ Secretary. Louis SrhJ,^ r ** '""''' of the ■ating th^m^nrp^^r 'tI** ""'^ »' ««- occurred which ev,"^" Jt^ '™"'"« »" '""«'«»« which was set ZX L'^'P"*^ »' *« ""'eh Fort Gar^ Z Z ""f," ^ ' "^ ** "'""'^ «' st.D h. , u "'■• ^'"'* knew that every step he took was shadowed by soies • th« •- !7 from the moment he set f^,- i ' ""•""X a prisoner of Ri rs a^d Z H ""°"^ "* ""^ ■^t-'y at any mlmeTt '' '=°'*"' "^ "»"« » .et^«Ts27o« *■• "r^"--- -send some 'rusted ftem ,! * """'"«^ '" ""^^'on, en- P^l^UonrsuccIed^r • "'p' "^ """^ «-' , succeeded in leaving Fort Gany without 80 LORD STRATHCONA being observed. He had not gone far, however, when a man seemed to spring up out of the snow. He presented a musket, ordered the messenger to halt, then silently conducted him back through the gates into Riel's presence. Riel demanded his papers, received them, and smiling scornfully, returned them unopened to the Company's Governor. At noon on the 27th the Convention again sat, when all Mr. Smith's papers were read and dis- cussed. The proclamation was again called for, but, of course, could not be found. But, as we have seen, Riel's treachery had been foiled by Mr. Smith in reading out the telegram from Lord Granville upon which the proclamation was based. *• Gentlemen," said Mr. Smith at this meeting, "Canada is prepared to respect the people of this country and grant them everything that is just" It was then proposed that the original list of rights should be handed to Mr. Smith, in order that his views might be ascertained of the likelihood of their being assented to by Canada. This list of rights was duly drawn up to the extent of twenty articles by a special committee and carried by the Convention. As soon as the last article had been disposed of Riel proposed that, as they had fully discussed the terms upon which they would become a territory of the Dominion of Canada, it was now advisable to consider the advantages of ent-Hng the UNDERMINING THE DICTATOR 8i confederation as a province. At this time Riel was inciined to abate something of his ambition : he would not continue president of a republic, but at least he wished to be premier of a province. It was pointed out to him that almost as much, if not more, solid advantage was to be gained from an alliance on an equal footing with the great provinces which made up the Canadian Dominion as to be the dictator of a separate colony or state. But he was determined to emphasise the point that the territory had always belonged to the citizens and not to the Company. He therefore introduced a further clause, namely : — ' "That all bargains with the Hudson's Bay Com- pany for the transfer of this territory be considered null and void : and that any arrangements with reference to the transfer of this country shall be carried on only with the people of this country." But this was too much for the delegates, who negatived it by twenty-two to seventeen. "The language," says Mr. Smith, "used by Mr. Rid on this occasion was violent in the extreme." He jumped up and began pacing up and down the council-room in a state of great anger and excite- ment. "The devil take it-we must win. The voting here may go as it likes, but the measure must be carried all the same. But it is a pity it has been G 1 1 ■I 82 LORD STRATHCONA defeated-and by those traitors I" Whereat Rid pointed to certain of his French-speaking opponents. One of these jumped up and indignantly exclaimed, I was not sent here, Mr. Rid, to vote at your dictation, but a'.cording to my conscience. While there are some things for which we must blame the Company, there is a good deal for which we must thank them. I do not exculpate the Company alto- g^her, but I say that in time of need we have often been indebted to them for assistance and kindness." Remember," retort^ Rid, -that there is a pro- visional Government, and though this measure has been lost by the voice of the Convention, I have friends enough who are determined to add it to the 1st on thdr own responsibility. As for you," con- tinued the "little Napoleon," turning dramatically to the three men he had named, "your careers are iinished in this country for ever." The meeting broke up in * confusion. Rid, burning with hatred of the Company and its re! presentative, directed his footsteps to the bedchamber of Mactavish, where he lay already a dying man. The poor Governor thought his last hour had come, as Rid opened the floodgates of his violent abuse. Mr. Smith longed to go to his friend's assistance, but he was not even permitted to comfort Mrs. Mactavish, whose distress was pitiful to witness. Any attempt to thwart Rid by force at that moment UNDERMINING THE DICTATOR 83 •ould .ta„3, eeminly have had a faul termination. R.el . oriera to the guaris we« peremptonr. .«.««"! ^~'"'"'" S""* if he nLes an attempt a. «cape or disobeys my injunctions." wa^met ^ °' *" ■""" "''^'P""' "« ""O '"Posed W.II«m Hallett, for some trivial offence or an ^ Passion unflattering to Riel. was cruelly put in H^ A "«=a«=e«ted in the same nH,m with ™i«. A rumour spread a,rough fl>e setUement ^t both were u. be sho, by order of the Dicutor. Rtels plan was, of course, to overawe the English d^tes and fo.« ti,em into compliance witif It nutted by R,el against Governor Mactavish a messenger hurried to the latter's brother-in-law, Mr Bannatyne, and informed him of the scandl," ^ occurrence. That ge, ^man at once took ste^ T find out how far the . .,y of the prisoners at Fort ordered h.m peremptorily not .0 go near th; fort ^.b Februa.y) he so ^r accomplished his design ^ he had just chmbed over tiie wall of a,e fo^ Td 'i 84 LORD STRATHCONA was on the point of dropping down on the inside, when he was perceived by one of the guards. The next moment a heavy stick of wood flew past his head Bannatyne, finding himself discovered, was forced to abandon his design that night. The follo^ng day-a Sunday-while Riel and many of his followers were at church at St. Boniface on the other side of the river, Bannatyne succeeded, in company with a friend, in passing the guards and gaining an entrance to the Governor's house. There he found Mrs. Mactavish in a dreadful state at the condition of her husband. While he was talking to the Governor's wife several of the French at the fort, having perceived Bannatyne enter the gate «tn across the ice and the river to apprise Riel. It. f """" '" '^' "^' °^ P'^y^'' he rose hastily, fearing some treachery. On reaching the fort he found the two English citizens gone: he sent a guard after them and they were brought back. Bannatyne was arrested and placed in confinement. But an attempt to arrest a certain Nolin failed, through the action of that person's relatives, who set upon the guards and maltreated them so that hey were glad to return to the fort. Other turbu- lent episodes took place calculated to inflame the community. Riel's life at this period was, he believed, in constant jeopardy. One evening Riel went out and UNDERMINING THE DICTATOR 85 called upon a brother of Nolin's for the purpose, It IS said, of explaining matters and, if possible, effecting reconciliation. While he was sitting In the house eating supper a man with a gun passed tiie window, upon which Riel suddenly paled, threw dow^ h,s kn,fe and fork, and declared he was about to be shot. Nolin answered that he would not be shot in his house, and instantly went out to see who the man was. He turned out to be an Indian, seeking the way to a comrade's lodge, and perfectly innocent of an attempt on Riel's life. Nevertheless, it Ulustmtes the man's state of mind and the reason he always surrounded himself with a numerous body, guard. Almost immediately after the above incident ^is bodyguard-forty in number-arrived to accom- pany Riel back to his quarters. In the course of the Convention it was deemed advisable to take the opinion of Governor Mactavish on a certain point. Two delegates, Messrs. Sutherland and Fraser. therefore visited him at his residence within the walls of the fort. "In order to clear away my own doubts," said Mr. Sutherland to the Convention, "I asked (^vernor Mactavish's opinion as to the advisability of forming a provisional Government. He replied. Form a Government, for God's sake, and restore peace and order in the settlement." W LORD STRATHCONA They said that another question put was, "Will you delegate your power as Governor to another?" Mactavish answered, " I will not delegate my power to anyone." ' ^ Riel, ever anxious to pick a quarrel where the Cbmpany was concerned, here sprang up with a great show of fury. .*I would like to ask whether Mr. Mactavish declared himself the Governor " Mr. Fraser: "He did not." Riel (hastily): "It were well he did not As out of this Convention I would have formed a council of war, and-we would have seen the consequences I " .«I^%^"^"'*" ^^^^^""^ ^^"« ** ^ consented to the formation of a provisional Government as the only remedy for the evils which rent the colony in twain, nominations were made of the various officers. Irving that of president to the last. The friend^ of Riel proved feithful to their chief, and at midnight, on the 9th Februaiy, he was duly elected to b^ head of the new Government r^ZT^Z 'T^?" ""^ ^'^ ^°^""^ ^"» be found related, in Mr. Smith's own wonis, the stoiy of the Portage la Piairie rising, led by Major Boulton, the surrender of this English body to Riel, and his sentence of death upon the leader and the perfectly inoffensive young man, Thomas Scott Mr. Smith inten^eded for both of the unlawfully condemned UNDERMINING THE DICTATOR 87 men, and finally RIel consented to spare Boulton's life if the Commissioner lent him some assistance in his plans. " I will spare Boulton if you will go round and get the English to elect their representatives, and send them again to meet me in Council." To this Mr. Smith consented, as being in the interests of peace. When Mr. Smith consented, the so-called "Chief Justice" James Ross offered to accompany him; but on considering the matter Ross decided that it would be much better for the object of the mission that he should not do so, and he therefore wrote Mr. Smith the following letter:— "Monday Morning, 20th Februaty, 1870. ''Dear SiR,-On further consideration, I am satisfied that the mission projected for to-day will be much more successful if you alone undertake It My course at the Convention, which the people below highly disapproved of as being too friendly to the French, would not only render valueless any- thing I might urge, but perhaps even help to in- tensify the feeling against union. So satisfied am I of this, that in the public interest I must refrain from taking part in the mission. " I am, sir, "Yours faithfully, "(Signed) James Ross." If i «» LORD STRATHCONA Major Boulton, i„ hi, „,„«,,, «.te.M follow,,- ' During II m time Mr. Donald SmiU. h«. ^n * .«e«Uy pro«c»ti„g ,h. p,«,ic object of hh m.„io„ to bring *e p«>ple in^ direct immunio^ ^on wiU, the Dominion Government through^ delegate th.. h«, been .ppoi„.«,. .,a w„ .to' to g« them off He no doubt felt it of Imporunce *.. there ,houId be .„ evidence of .rm, being Wd down to en,ure . p^per reception for them, tl^ugh he himwlf never «em, to have conwnted to .n »™«e«jr in any way." He «y, el«whe„. '-ntrt were so many inflammable element,, and ,ucb . «rong feehng .gai„,t Riel', tyn.nny. that there wa, Z J T °' •"''**' "P"""?. «"d only great «»« and p^dence prevented this further calamity." But nothing could «ve poor Scott, who w« „ clearly murdered by Riel and his follower, „" they had stabbed him with their own hands. Mr. Smitt, supported BiAop Machray and the "ded, but R.el ,rfi.««,. The additional damning evidence of the hundred men might stand aga" n« tte perpetrators of the bloody deed. I. i, s.if Z Scott's body had been duly buried, bu, "had iZ balls, and sunk beneath the ice at the junction of the Seme w,th the Red River " close at hand. UNDERMINING THE DICTATOR 89 Finding it useless to attempt further with Louis Kiel, whose hands were stained with the murder of * nT"' ^'* ^"** departed from Fort Garry for Ottawa. There was only one power now whom the nsurgent leaders could be expected to recognise or to fear, and that power was the British Army. The country had quieted down : the leaders were without a following. "The mission on which I went at that time was • most delicate and difficult one. It was one of no ordinary difficulty, and I felt the great responsibility at the time; I felt the part I had to act was that of mediator, and I believe ?hat was the desire of the Government at Ottawa. U was not to wise up strife and bad feeling, but to assure the people that they would be received Into the Dominion on equitable, liberal terms, and to endeavour to keep the settlement quiet and peaceable until such time as the Canadian Government would be in a position to send a force into the country. 1 his it was which I endeavoured to carry out. Not only would one rash and un- guarded word have Increased the difficulty, but even the pointing of a finger might on more than one occasion have been sufficient to put the whole country into a flame." It Is easy to imagine what would have happened in such a country had the people once come into armed collision with each other. •• LORD STRATHCONA " No o,,,'. h* ritanwrt. told eh. Hou« of Com. ^u r 1^ "O" •»»" I *. th.t . .i.cl. life Uxnia moM fcmnUy that It wm no. . thouMadfold diftren, cou,« been pumued. I««e«l of our tovln, to deplo« the loe. of three live. ., would h.»e Men . LfT^" '^ .'r "^ '""»'• «" Mu«t.r or • half of the population." Immedtatel, on hi. mini .t Uie apit.1 of Zir^ .?*'•/""* *" '""^ *"* *>» Govern, meat of the d.y. he wrote out . full n«,.Uve of bJhTSr "^ «"•"•" '^«°" — "-00 at thta time, a formal lecopiWon of hi. «rvlce. m. aetoyed. Petty jealou.ie. and anImoriUe., whicU one can now earily under«.nd, Incre.«l the delay , «.d. rtry little to the credit of the Govemmentj' y^ rter hi. «rvlc-, we« „ndered. that Mr. Smift received any official recognition of what he h«l done. He wa, then thanked in a lengthy letter wht ..^'T'"-*^-"' '" '^"»«'- -^ event, whch led ,0 Mr. Smith', appointment in Deceml^r. '«69, as a Speaal Commiaioner to the North-West were "now matter, of hiaoiy." "But," «„ tbt document, ".he Gove™or.GenenU feeb ft,, u,e UNDERMINING THB DICTATOR 9, toporum i^rvice. which In that oiptclty you ren- soldiers, whose muscte and smews taxed and tested by continuous .^,"td equalled, and whose appearance and physioue browned unned, and powerful, told of the gS climate of these northern solitudes." too LORD STRATHCONA The rays of the sinking sun were suffusing the landscape when the large canoe touched the wooden pier opposite the fort. When the commander of the expedition stepped ashore he saw his men assembled for the first time together since they had left Lake Superior far behind. " It was a meeting not devoid of such associations as make such things memorable, and the cheer which went up from the soldiers who lined the steep bank to bid him welcome had in it a note of that sympathy which binds men together by the inward consciousness of difficulties shared in common and dangers successfully overcome together." Mr. Smith shook hands with Colonel Garnet Wolseley and his fellow-officers, and bade them welcome to Fort Alexander. The gallant colonel, who had been some years Deputy-Quartermaster- General in Canada, he had previously met. Among the others, of whom he then made the acquaintance for the first time, were two young officers who after- wards rose to distinction. One was Captain BuUer, a tall, sturdily built Devonian, with a blufif, good- natured manner ; the other, Lieutenant Butler, similar in build, a fearless Irishman, of witty speech and obvious ability. As General Sir Redvers Duller, v.c, and General Sir William Butler, K.C.B., these two officers after- wards became famous throughout the Empire. AFTER KIEL'S PLIGHT 101 After a dinner at which Mr. Smith was the host, the party retired for the night at the fort, and on the following day the united fleet put out into Lake Winnipeg, the object of their course being the Island of Elks, situated in the southern portion of the lake. That night an encampment was made, a hundred fires were lit, and the bugle notes of the sentries startled the solitudes. At noon on the following day the little army arrived at the mouth of the Red River, and after another day Colonel Wolseley and Mr. Commissioner Smith and their companions found themselves within six miles of Fort Garry. All that day the river banks had been alive with people shouting welcome to the soldiers ; even "church bells rang out peals of gladness as the boats passed by." But this was through the English and Scotch settlement, the people of which had, as we have seen, grown disgusted with the tyranny of Louis Riel, the Dictator and " New Napoleon." What had happened since Mr. Smith had left Fort Garry? The Commissioner's friends soon flocked about him with detailed accounts of the situation down to date. Riel still held his own within the walls of the fort, and in spite of his diminished power and influence, grave fears seem to have been enter- tained that he meditated some alarming step. "I hope," said one citizen to Mr. Smith, "that you will induce Colonel Wolseley to exercise the 108 LORD STRATHCONA J i I I gimvert caution. Rid is a despewte man and meditotes, you may depend upon it, some desperate •ct If lie is not now planning a &tal ambush for the troops, he intends to mine the Fort, allow the Colonel to take possession of it, and then blow It up." Mr. Smith listened patiently enough to all these alarming theories, and while he duly related to Colonel Wolseley the popular impressions of Riel's schemes, he himself was incredulous. Nevertheless, before proceeding farther, several oflScers and men carefully reconnoitred the woods, but without meeting with a trace of either Riel or his followers. That night a camp was formed for the last time on the west bank of the river, and "what a night of rain and storm then broke upon the Red River Ex- pedition, till the tents flapped and fell and the drenched soldiers shivered, shelterless, waiting for the dawn. The occupants of tents which stood the pelting of the pitiless storm were no better oflF than those outside; the surface of the ground became ankle deep in snow and water, and the men lay in pools during the last hours of the night. At length a dismal daylight dawned over the dreary scene, and the upward course was resumed." Yet the rain continued in torrents, and with water above, below, and around, the expedition approached its destination. ii 2 S s z o r; *-< 5 > o 9 ll AFTER KIEL'S FLIGHT iqj Some two miles north of Fort Garry the Red River makes a short bend to the east, and again bending to the west forms a projecting point or neck of land known as Point Douglas. This locality is celebrated in the history of the North- Wcst as the scene of a grim battle, or rather massacre, in 1816, when the voyagers and French half-breeds of the North -West Fur Company attacked the retainers of the Hudson's Bay Company, killing Governor Semple and about twenty of his men. It is here, where the usually abrupt bank of the Red River was less steep, that the troops were ordered to disembark from the boats for the final attempt upon Fort Garry. After a very brief delay all was in readiness, and the little army, with its two brass guns trundling along behind Red River carts, commenced its march over the mud-soaked prairie. The precaution had been taken of sending a company in advance the previous day with orders to stop any persons on the road going in the direction of Fort Garry, so that intelligence of the arrival of the troops might not reach Kiel's ears. Now a line of skirmishers was thrown out in advance, and the li»tle force drew near Fort Garry. Some of the nou? fjd men rode back to report that the place was apparently empty and the principal gate open. There was no flag on the flag-staff, and although the muzzles of one or two guns r IQ4 LORD STRATHCONA showed through the bastions, there was no sign of a garrison. Thereupon two mounted me i i>ut spurs to their horses, and passed through the open gate at a gallop. But in the meantime, in some manner, Riel, O'Donoghue, and Lepine, who constituted the "provisional Government," had been warned that the dreaded red-coats were close at hand. One of the conspirators afterwards said that, on receiving the intelligence, Riel turned deathly pale and trembled like a man with a palsy. / "It is too late now to make any defence," he cried. " We must fly now, and make terms after- wards." / No amnesty having been proclaimed, he doubt- less feared the result of capture by the military authorities. Three horses were instantly made ready, and the trio of rebel leaders sprang upon their backs and rode away. The only eye-witness of their departure not implicated in their proceed- ings was a veteran Hudson's Bay factor who had recently arrived at the fort from the Saskatchewan country. Opposite Fort Garry, on the Assiniboine, there was a ferry which was worked by means of a stout rope or hawser. This Riel, or one of his com- panions, cut vhen they had reached the other bank, thus preventing any immediate pursuit. Then the AFTER RIEL'S FLIGHT 105 three conspirators, who had brought a force of red- coated British soldiery six thousand miles from the seat of the empire to quell a rebellion, took up their position on the shores of St. Boniface and viewed from this safe distance Colonel Wolseley, Com- missioner Smith, and the 60th Regiment march into Fort Garry. When Riel perceived Mr. Smith entering the fort he clenched his fist and exclaimed, "There goes the man who upset my plans. Had I not listened to him there would have been unity amongst my followers. Bishop Tach6 could have made a better bargain for me at Ottawa, and those soldiers yonder would not have come here." All this was perfectly true, and attested by the course of events and by subsequent disclosures. As the principal representative of the Company, Governor Smith became the chief civil authority in Rupert's Land. The ;^3oo,ooo for the purchase of the territory had changed hands, and the terri- tory duly transferred to Canada. But the new Lieutenant-Governor, the Hon. Adams G. Archi- bald, had not yet arrived. Consequently Colonel Wolseley found himself in a predicament. As a military commander without civil authority, the only way for him to maintain his position was by the proclamation of martial law. But such a course as this might have led to disastrous results. His 106 LORD STRATHCONA J decision was soon taken. He held that the Hudson's Bay Company was the only civil authority pending Governor Archibald's arrival. In Mr. Mactavish's house in the fort, therefore, he called upon Governor Donald A. Smith to administer the afiEairs of the territory. The announcement of this decision was received with the greatest satisfaction by all classes through- out the new province. The citizens of Manitoba had not forgotten the eminent services which Mr. Smith had recently so ungrudgingly rendered as Commissioner from the Canadian Government, nor the tactful and masterly way in which he had steered his course between the rival factions. Even those who were inimical to the Hudson's Bay Company could hardly complain of a man who had oflFered to cut short his official connection with that body in order to further the interests of peace.* Meanwhile the Union Jack had been hoisted over Fort Garry, a royal salute fired, and three cheers given for the Queen by the troops, joined by a number of the residents of the settlement. Thus was accomplished Colonel Wolseley's errand, truly an errand of peace ; his gallant followers after an • Colonel Wolseley had offered to take the post of Lieutenant- Governor, but Sir John Macdonald declined the offer.-». the Li/k by Mr. Pope. "^ ' AFTER KIEL'S FLIGHT 107 arduous and dangerous journey through the wilder- ness, without firing a shot or sacrificing a life, had finished the task entrusted to them. "Gentlemen," said Mr. Smith, addressing a body of citizens who came to congratulate him on the successful termination of the rebellion, " it lies in ourselves to continue the work of pacification now so auspiciously begun. Let us all strive to banish discord and to make this new province a credit to the Dominion of Canada." Four days later, on the 27th of August, the Ontario Volunteers began to arrive. These were soon after- wards followed by the Quebec battalion, and on the 2nd of September Lieutenant-Governor Archibald arrived at Fort Garry, a royal salute being fired in his honour. Archibald was a Nova Scotia lawyer, of robust build and bluflF appearance. He was a man of steriing honesty and common sense, and as a Reformer or Liberal had cut a considerable figure in the politics of the maritime provinces, both before and since confederation. The meeting between the new governor and Mr. Smith was of a most cordial character. "I yield up my responsibilities with pleasure," remarked the latter. "Yes," returned Archibald drily, "I really don't anticipate much pleasure on my own account." His misgivings were well founded. Indeed it was 108 LORD STRATHCONA i no ordmary task which lay before him, even with all the assistance which the prudence, courage, and sagacity of Mr. Smith were able to afford him. On the 6th of September he held a levee at Fort Garry tn the house that had been occupied by Governor Mactavish, of which mention has previously been made, and which was afterwards known as Govern- ment House. Colonel Wolseley, Governor Archibald, and Mr Smith dined together in this house for the last time' pledging toasts to the prosperity of Manitoba and the Great Canadian North-West. The commander of the Red River Brigade then departed for the East with the 6oth Rifles, Artillery, and Engineers, leaving the Ontario and Quebec battalions quartered at the Stone Fort in command of Lieutenant-Generaf Jarvis, an Ontarian officer.* In the meantime, what of Riel and his followers? No sooner had Colonel Wolseley arrived at Fort Garry, in the manner we have related, and Mr Donald A. Smith been recognised by him as the chief civil authority, than a sudden revulsion of feeling seemed to take possession of the country. wh- u^^" *°**' **''*"'* °^ *''• Expedition was under £,00,000, of TecLt"' r"': °"'^ "" *° •" P*'"* ""y ^"^'-'^- There ^a, no reckless waste eUher in material or money. It may be safely asserted that no such d.stance ha, ever been traversed by an efficienf briga^^ numbenng about ,.400 souls, in any of our numerous little waTs a »uch a trifling cost."-Annual Register, ,87a h id n y ir n AFTER KIEL'S FLIGHT 109 The apathy and non-interference which had marked their conduct towards the half-breed Dictator seemed to be now replaced by active animosity and thirst for vengeance. The same delegation to whom we have noticed Mr. Smith addressing some pacific remarks on his accession to the duties of Acting Governor now loudly urged him to procure the in- ^nt arrest of the insurgent leaders. He was applied to during the next few days to issue warrants against Kiel, Lepine, and O'Donoghue before they could escape from the territory. A weaker man would have complied with their clamours, in order to secure the goodwill of the English section of the community. But, on the other hand, Mr. Smith, who had not shut himself up in the fort, but had gone about noting the temper of the French inhabi- tants, was quick to perceive that all danger was by no means over, and that a chance spark might still produce an outbreak.* • On the 27th August Governor Smith received the following letter from Archbishop Tach^ :— "The Palace, St. Boniface. "Dear Mr. Donald Smith,-I am told that special constables have been sworn in the name of peace for the security and weKare of the country. 1 humbly beg that these constables (as well as the magistrates and justices of the peace) will not be used except to mamtamthe tranquillity against af/«a/ movements or disturbances and that all and every one will refuse to act in reference to anything previous to the arrival of Her Majesty's troops in Fort Garry. I see a real danger in the gathering by you of a number of the same men you employed last winter; with a best wiU in the world you cannot no LORD STRATHCONA One of the French residents approached him and asked him if the promised amnesty for those who had participated in or supported "the provisional Government » had arrived. Upon Mr. Smith's reply in the negative this man appeared sullen and wallced away. In the face of this condition of a&irs. it would hardly have been prudent summarily to arrest, by civU process, the admired Dictator and his fol- lowers. Indeed, it was part of the policy of the Government at Ottawa that Riel should be allowed to escape into American territory. It was a singular fact that Bishop Tach^ had, early ,n the previous June, made the promise in the name of the Canadian Government that all who had borne a share in the insurrection would receive a full pardon. It was the hope of receiving this general amnesty which quieted the followers of Riel, as it was d«appointment at its nonappearance which rendered them sullen and uneasy. X" iiS?' ''^ °' ''• '"^'"°" °^ ''^ ^^-»* -Uon. of the J'^^\TT ''*"' "*"""■'*' *°'" ^'^ Mr. Smith afterwards "wen. thos. called Moyal French/ and the Bishop was apprXn1h;e tTa^ « those men had assisted me in ^tting up'»eeti„;i^,:X:ut ,h ' d^stJ'bwhe C "'.V' '° ""'•' **•• "P'^-^O" -"^ch I was to^'' ir ^'T"^' '^' Archbishop again wrote to Mr. Smith ArciLr* *^"^' '"' •''° ''"^-•«' •'^» views upon' Mn id 10 il y d [t AFTER RIEL'S FLIGHT n, As events very quickly showed, Archibald needed all the sympathy and support of Mr. Smith in his new position. His arrival was by no means heralded with joy by the English-speaking or Canadian classes. Owing chiefly, no doubt, to the misrepresentations of the Opposition press in Canada, he was regarded as secretly favouring and sympathising with the French as against the English residents of Manitoba. If there were any basis for such an allegation, it was never evinced by his conduct as Governor, which was throughout evenly balanced between the two parties. But even he seems to have believed that the best thing which could have happened was to allow the leaders of the rebellion to escape from the country. "If," said Governor Archibald in a letter to Sir John Macdonald, «'the Dominion has at this moment a province to defend and not one to conquer, they owe It to the policy of forbearance. If I had driven the French half-breeds into the hands of the enemy, O'Donoghue would have been joined by all the population between the Assiniboine and the frontier. Fort Garry would have passed into the hands of an armed mob, and the English settlers to the north of the Assiniboine would have suffered horrors which make me shudder to contemplate." In spite of Riel's asseverations of loyalty. Sir John Macdonald was not long in making up his mind "2 LORD STRATHCONA that the late Dictator was " playing a double game." His presence was certainly a menace to the peace of the settlement, which was in no condition to protect itself then in case of such an outbreak as h. ppened in 1885. A secret arrangement was therefore made with Archbishop Tach^ to induce Riel to leave the country. The sum of 11,000 was sent to the prelate to pay the late rebel's expenses, but as this sum appeared insufficient, Mr. Smith, as Chief Com- missioner of the Company, advanced a further «3,ooo on behrlf of the' Government. At one time It seemed as if, in spite of Governor Archibald's assurances, this sum would go to swell the other losses sustained by the Company, and which Canada refused to pay; but it was ultimately refunded by the Government. It was now in order to take the census of the province, whereupon writs were issued for the local elections. These were held on December 30th. Mr. Smith was asked to stand for Winnipeg for election to the first Legislative Assembly of the province of Manitoba. He consented, and in due course took his seat. On the 2nd of March, 1871, the election of mem. bers to the Dominion House of Commons took place. i*our members were to represent Manitoba A deputation of citizens waited upon Mr. Smith and begged him to consent to represent the division AFTER RIEL'S FLIGHT ,,3 hlf?''!! *'J^"^*' '^^'^ ^^ ^" ^-"Portant step, but already Mr. Smith was regarded as the leading Per^nage next to Governor Archibald, in the North! West, and it would have been difficult, had he so chosen to decline the offer. But he had no inten- tion of declining; he was flattered and pleased by the high opinion entertained of him by his country. men. He agreed to stand, and after a brisk campaign was triumphantly elected. • When, as Commissioner from the Dominion Government, he had left Montreal less than fifteen months before little did he dream of the possibilities in store for him, less did he think of political honours. He had gone out amidst the snows of winter, traversing a desolate, almost impassable country, to endeavour to quell an incipient rebellion -in a territory governed for nearly two centuries by his masters, the Hudson's Bay Company, in whose Smitht f^'''*!* ""• "*•" "" '^^ subsequent character of Mr " R«Ltt ^"^'?"'' *"'' '°"''*'"^ P^-^« ™-y be quoted!! Representative institutions had been establish^! ,„ tui . m^. l^ge of ,h. ,.„d. ..„p,w their ,ho«i„g.i°^? 2 I CI "4 LORD STRATHCONA wnrice he had passed his youth and manhood. When that rebelhon had had its day, and events had rendered it necessary for him to continue to represent the Company in the North-West, he could hardiy foresee that he would have a career in- dependent of that body and yet continue of it. Indeed, the turbulent meeting of the fur-traders at Norway House, over which he had presided, seemed o presage revolt from within, which would jeopard- ise the whole constitution of the North-West fur trade. Even if the Company continued to exist and prosper, the ancient hostility which had been fostered against it in the country seemed to render it in the last degree unlikely that any of its officers would ever be voluntarily chosen by the enfranchised in- habitants as their political leaders. But in the short space of fifteen months the un- expected had happened. In the course of that time Mr. Smith had gained the confidence of the inhabi- tants ; he had acquired a reputation for fairness and square dealing, as well as for those qualities of heart, mind, and purpose which denote the natural-born leader of men, and three months after the flight of Riel It 13 safe to say there was no more popular man, from Red River to the shores of the Pacific, than Donald A. Smith. He had by this time de- finitely decided to cast in his future lot with the North-West. He saw it already in his mind's eye a i JO d AFTER RIEL'S FLIGHT ,,5 great and prosperous country, demanding those advantages and presenting those opportunities which marlc every undeveloped country whose natural re- sources are not matters of conjecture, but palpable and visible to the eye. Nor was it long before his eye had seen and his brain was busy with schemes which were to lay the foundation of the fortune of the future millionaire. It will be remembered that Mr. Smith, at the close of his official report as Commissioner, some months before, had advocated the formation of a force of mounted police for the maintenance of law and order. The new administration fell In with the suggestion, and a smr.il body was gazetted almost immediately, the forerunners of the larger force shortly to be inaugurated, and which is tOKlay one of the great and one of the most admirable institu- tions in the North-West Mr. Smith had been all along convinced that the last had not yet been heard of Riel and his fellow- exiles, although Governor Archibald apprehended nothing further from that quarter, now that they had cleared out of the country. The news that Riel and O'Donoghue had held a meeting of French half-breeds at Riviere Sale on the 17th September seemed to forebode trouble. A company of volunteers was despatched to the boundary line, to frustrate any attempt at any Il6 LORD STRATHCONA •econd insurrection. At this time Mr. Smith had for his guest Lieutenant Butler, who continued to hover about Fort Garry and neighbourhood, unde. cided what new adventures to embark upon now that the Riel rebellion seemed to have ended in a fiasco. He was a very entertaining companion, and *t that time particularly interested, as most men were in the wilderness, in the progress of the Franco- Prussian War. One evening after dinner the future distinguished British General somewhat startled his host by announcing his determination to return to Europe, resign his command in the British Army and join the French forces. As he himself shortly afterwards transcribed this thought: "Why not offer to France, in the moment of her bitterest adversity, the sword and service of even one sym- pathising friend?" He confessed that "it would be at least congenial to my own longing for a life of service and my hopeless prospects in a profession of which wealth was made the test of ability. So as I lay there in tht quiet of the star-lit prairie, my mind, running in these eddying circles of thought, fixed Itself upon this idea. I would go to Paris." Mr. Smith took note of the young officer's uncer- tainty, and resolved to detain him as long as possible in the country, where such abilities as he possessed would surely prove useful. Who knows but what the Hudson's Bay Cover- AFTER KIEL'S FLIGHT ,,7 nor's action may have lost France a field-marshal, •nd gained the British Empire one of her most distinguished military commanders? Several communications passed between Mr. Smith and Governor Archibald with reference to the way in which Lieutenant Butler's services could be utilised. The former represented that within the last two years much disorder had prevailed in th- settlements along the line of the Saskatchevan, and that the -local authorities are utterly poweriess for the protection of life and property within that region." Mr. Smith felt it to be absolutely neces- Mry for the protection not only of the Hudson's Bay Company's forts, but for the safety of the setUements along the river, that a small body of troops should be sent to some of the fo.ts of the Company to assist the local authorities in the main- tenance of peace and order. It was Hnally decided to send Butler into the Saskatchewan country to investigate the matter entirely from an independent point of view ; first whether troops were necessary; secondly, to whal extent that dreaded scourge small-pox was prevalent amongst the native tribes, to enforce the liquor law to report on the number, classification, and language of the Indians between the Red River and the Rocky Mountains. "Take a couple of days to think over it," said the Ii8 LORD STRATHCONA Governor to Mr. BuUer, "and let me know your decision." "There is no necessity, sir," he replied, "to con- sider the matter, I have already made up my mind ; I will start in half an hour." Butler was absent for some months in the depth of winter. At this juncture, as it happened, a Council of Health came into existence in Manitoba, which despatched a surgeon to the small-pox country, leaving it to this gentieman to carry with him such medicines and comforts as he and the notorious Dr. Schultz should agree upon. Schultz, it is said, took it upon himself to supply this surgeon with a large quantity of brandy, whisky, and rum to the value of ;f 120. When Captain BuUer got into the country this handsome supply of "fire water" had been distributed, and he found the Indians and half- breeds, infected and otherwise, were for the most part in a brutal state of intoxication. Butler found it necessary personally to destroy a large quantity of this liquor, spilling it upon the ground, to the great chagrin and regret of the thirsty aborigines. AThe said to Mr. Smith, " Here I go in with a law passed prohibiting this thing, and behold, only to find an officer of the Dominion using it very freely and giving it liberally to all about him." "The scenes," said Mr. Smith afterwards, "at some of the posts, on account of this liquor, were AFTER RIEL'S FLIGHT 119 such as I do not care to describe" ; but anyone who has ever seen or read of a debauch by a band of excitable red-skins can easily conjure up the picture. Mr. Smith years afterwards openly accused Schultz of this strange conduct, but the latter vigorously denied it Mr. Smith, however, had made sure of his facts before he prepared the charge against his ardent political rival and antagonist. Mr. Smith, at no period of his regime In the North-West, desired, on behalf of the Company, to evade any of the responsibilities, moral or other- wise, of that body. Nor did he neglect to facilitate every inquiry and promote every project looking to the amelioration of the North- West* An old resident of the country, long hostile to the * As we have seen, one of the first steps Mr. Smith took was to put down the liquor tra£Bc with the Indians. It had been charged that the Hudson's Bay Company was at the bottom of all the mis- chief, and that they despatched enormous quantities of intoxicating drinks into the North-West. Although this was unfair and untrue, Mr. Smith had a rule passed by the Council, which was law to the Company's people, that not a dram of intoxicating drink should pass the boundary. From that time not even a few gallons of wine or brandy were permitted to go in by the officers of the Company. So strictly were the orders enforced that a small quantity of wine brought out in a Company's ship to Moose Factory was actually returned to England. When Governor Archibald, in October 1870^ appointed Mr. Smith to the North-West Council, his first act was to have this prohibitory law carried out in the name of Canada, as well as in that of the Company. This law is still known as the Smith Act Ii / lao LORD STRATHCONA Company's rule, once told the writer, first of the suspicion and then of the astonishment and admira- tion which the measures of the new Hudson's Bay administrator evoked. "At first," he said, "I was considerably puzzled • I knew it was only natural that the Company, having sold out its whole territorial rights for a million and a half dollars, should abandon he leading features of its old policy. But when it came to courting inquiry and helping rather than retarding the progress of the territory it had sold, it seemed to be playing rather a deep game. The only solution I could think of was that Governor Smith was acting somewhat recklessly, less in the interests ol the London Company than the wintering partners, and that his conduct, which offered a strong contrast to that of his predecessors, would not be relished in England. But I soon saw that the Company's afiairs were now in the hands of a strong man, lo intended to have a deep personal stake in the cou.ury and who already regarded it as his home. "At the first election I voted against him for the Legislative Assembly, because I had not met him and misunderstood and mistrusted his policy; but luckily I could quickly repair my error, and I voted for Donald A. Smith as our first representative in Parliament." The new North-West was now waking up with a AFTER KIEL'S FLIGHT 121 vengeance. Now, if ever, was the time when every faculty should be on the alert if advantage was to be taken of the opportunities which were daily arising, or if you were to be thrust ruthlessly aside in the onward march of the pioneering legions. There was something in all this to remind the visitor of the gold rushes in California or in Australia in 1849 and 1851. The name and fame of Manitoba rang throughout the world. Stout yeomen, pale students and professors, struggling tradesmen, wan- denng prodigals, shrewd speculators heard of the new country, and tiring of nearer and meaner hazards, started oflf to begin life anew in the new province situate in the heart of the great continent. But vast indeed was the diflference in the conditions of Manitoba and California or Australia twenty odd years before. This time the magnet was not gold— but land. No one knew what the new North-West might become-all hoped it might grant them that opportunity for which they had waited all their lives, and which had somehow always evaded them. It is certain that a great change had been wrought in the locality. Men in quest of fortune— many of them desperate-all of them feeling the reaction of their new environment, cannot congregate in num- bers for the purpose which had caused the majority of these men to leave their homes in the east with- out presenting a spectacle far different from a quiet laa LORD STRATHCONA B English or Canadian village. When Mr. Smith re- turned to his constituency of Selkirk after his first session as member of the Dominion Parliament, he was struck by the change which the country pre- sented from that which had first met his eyes at the close of 1869. "Two years," says one graphic writer of that time, "had worked many changes in scene and society; a railroad had reached the river; a 'city' stood on the spot where, during a former visit, a midnight storm had burst upon me in the then untenanted prairie. Three steamboats rolled the muddy tide of the winding river before their blufif, ill-shapen oars. Gambling-houses and drinking- saloons, made of boards and brown paper, crowded the black-mud-soaked streets. A r -^ee-coach ran north to Fort Garry, 250 miles, and a .g the track rowdyism was rampant. Horse-stealin^ was preva- lent, and in the < city ' just alluded to two murderers walked quietly at large. In fine, the land which borders the Red River, Minnesota, and Dakota had been thoroughly crvilised" This is exaggerated and satirical : but wholesome order was soon to be evolved out of the undoubted chaos. It is a commonplace in the North-West to assert that to no man was this gratifying result due more than to Donald Alexander Smith. CHAPTER VI A FIGURE IN PARLIAMENT JN describing the memorable meeting of the last Council of Rupert's Land, allusion was made to Mr. Smith's projected mission to London in 1871 to adjust the claims of the wintering partners of the Hudson's Bay Company before the Board in London. Sir Stafford Northcote had succeeded Mr. Goschen (now Viscount Goschen) as Governor of the historic corporation, and it was quickly found that the pro- position of the factors and traders to share in the urchase money as Canadian indemnity was one which had never entered the minds of the English shareholders, and consequently caused them one and all the deepest perturbation. It seemed to them monstrous that the body of working merchants and officials in the North-West should seriously set up a claim to participate in the ancient assets— the dead stock of the Company. They seemed to overlook the feet of the Deed Poll of 1834, whereby the members of the fiir trade were made partners in the concern ; they seemed, too, to be oblivious of the "3 "4 LORD STRATHCONA fact that they were really themselves a practically unnecessary fector in the operation of Hudson's Bay commerce. That commerce would go on if the Company in Leadenhall Street were to retire from business to-morrow-and it would go on in the hands of the same men who control it to-day. As Sir George Simpson had made it evident, the right hand of the Company-its power to barter, and If need be, to strike-was now in Canada and not in England. And if this were true in Simpson's time, how much more was it true since the transfer of the Company to outsiders in 1863? But in spite of all this, the shareholders for the most part indignantly denied the right of the winter- ing partners to any portion of the ;f 300,000 received from the Government of Canada in return for the cession of its chartered rights over the soil and inhabitants of Rupert's Land. It was gravely argued that this consideration which had been purchased by Canada was one with which the wintenng partners had nothing to do : it lay quite outside tiieir privileges and their just claims. The Company proper had never parted witii its dead stock to its employees, whom, in imitation of the co-operative principle of tiie Nortii-West Fur Company, it took into a kind of partnership in 1821 and confirmed by the Deed Poll of 1834. It had only agreed to share the yearly profits of the actual A FIGURE IN PARLIAMENT 125 sale and barter; the agreement took no cognizance of those intangible but valuable assets, such as were granted to the Company under the Charter of King Charles II. * The representative of the fur-trading officers quickly made himself master of the situation. He soon saw what opposition he had to encounter, and he resolved to meet it in the most direct fashion. Several conclaves of the committee and shareholders were held to discuss the matter, and they were not always conducted with peace or characterised by sweetness and light. Mr. Smith, facing the body of English shareholders in the great fur Company, undertook to convince them that the claims of those for whom he appeared were founded on truth and justice. It soon became obvious to the most grasping of his auditors that if the Company should imprudently deny these claims they could no longer count upon the oyal services of the factors and traders who composed the fur trade of the north. These men were truly in themselves the Hudson's Bay Company: they were no longer dependent upon Leadenhall Street; if they were not rich enough to supply the capical themselves there were plenty in the country who would have done it for them; and in any case their personal credit with the community was such that they need fear no rivals for some time to come. »>6 LORD STRATHCONA Sir Stafford Northcote was early convinced of the unwisdom of combating the claim put forward by Mr. Smith. After some stormy meetings the dele- gate from Rupert's Und gained the day. Com- pensation in the sum of ;f 107.000 was given to the officers for the relinquishment of their claims, and a new agreement, called the Deed Poll of 1871, was entered into on their behalf. In November, 1871, Sir Stafford Northcote, in his report to the Company, said :— "Since the holding of the General Court on the 38th June, the Committee have been engaged in proceeding with the reorganisation of the for trade, and have entered into an agreement with the chief factors and chief traders for revoking the Deed Poll of 1834 and settiing claims arising under it upon the terms sanctioned at the last General Court They have also prepared tiie draft of a new Deed Poll, adapted to the altered circumstances of the trade." The circumstances of the Company's trade were indeed altered. It ceased to be a governing institu- tion and descended into the status of a private trading body, with a capital of £1,700,000. But what influenced its character more than anything else was the feature of land sales. It had now an interest in one-twentieth of the land within the fertile belt, and with the growing settlement and A FIGURE IN PARLIAMENT ,j, pro^ of *e North-We* *.« tand*-„mion, iVoTT^""™^ '" "^"^ "^ «n«"«e posts Ar«.c Oce.„. but in tb, new centre, of poputation tiding po«, ,„„„ed . more pretentious style and tooltongre,te,«ope. The fur t«de proper „e«ly b«»n,e .n ium. In tl,e transactions of the Cbn,pany. profit from the land sales of the Company, but in o4er respect, the new arrangement dil^;ed but IiMe from that of the old Deed Poll. Up to this «d a Jr T*" ""^ •»•» *<»e of Chief Factor "d Chief Trader. Now two new g«de, in the C^psny, Mrvice were created, namely that of F«tor and Junior Chief Trader, which permitted *e appomtment of a large number of young men, '*o were constantly applying to be ulcen into th^ «rv,ce and who could while in their youth adapt ttamselves w,th more facility to the new requirement and new circumstances of the Company All this having been achieved, it became necessary ^ appoint a Chief Commissioner to assume contj liZ ?''TT "'^'■^ '" *« Nort-West, as pro- "d^ for by the terms of the Deed Poll. There •«t fitted for the post, and accordingly Mr. Donald "8 LORD STRATHCONA A. Smith received the appointment before he left London. Every shareholder who had made his acquaintance had been deeply impressed with his bearing and his knowledge of affiurs» and con- sequentiy all were satisfied that the business could not be in abler hands. The Report for July, 1871, showed a considerable loss on the trade. "This very unsatisfactory result IS due," stated the report, "to several causes, of which the most prominent is the loss of property during the disturbances at Red River, which has affected the accounts to the amount of about ;C3o.ooo. A claim for compensation has been presented to Her Majesty's Government of the Dominion of Canada, and is still under consideration, but as yet the Committee have not received any satisfactory answer to tiie representations which tiiey have made upon this subject and upon the Company's claim to interest upon the purchase money withheld by the Dominion from the ist December, 1869, till the nth May, 1870." In vain did the Company endeavour to obtain a settlement of these claims, and at length was forced to relinquish all hope of doing so, thus becoming losers to a considerable extent by the insurrection of Riel and his companions. In the first year of Mr. Smith's regime a marked improvement in tiie Company's afeirs was declared, A FIGURE IN PARLIAMENT .aj, S."^J^,""r' '^'y""^^ In A.lr power u, *.&«««.« Government in 1, „^„„ ^^ •Ith . view to the development of the ««,„,,« rf *e countor. feeling .h.. ,h. I„te««, of the CoZny Mr. Smith s policy from the first. After turning over the «Imlni.t«Uon to Governor Arched. Mr. Smith, in hi, .hr«rfbld eapTZ L Provinci.1 Legid«ure, and member of P.rli«„ent took . «,mewh.t p^minent p.,t in the lod S «rf the province. ju« then principlly concernS^wiA *e .fterm«h of the RW rebellion. The p^pfeo^ ^rn Cn«to, .nd parUcuUrly of Ont^Tcld no. undersund the necessity for virtual obu;,-, if not. form^ «„ne,.y, l„ the matter of the execution cned ^oud for vengeance on the murderers, leaard "ess of the bloody complications which any veS measure, might bring .bout in the ««er provinfro Mamtoba. indeed, the Ontario Legi,latrre w.« :^^. fiu- « to offer a rew«d of 5,«x> dollar, for the appre^ h«„,on and convicUon of Riel and hi, a»oc^L it.;iZng"p:L:^^r"""^'""''«« H^ ccuing appeared as an unwarrantable inter- IJO LORD STRATHCONA fcrence in its own afikirs, and in consequence a resolution was introduced by Mr. Clarice's Govern- ment resenting the action of Ontario, and carried by eighteen votes to five. Whereupon Mr. Smith introduced the following resolution in the Legisla- ture: — "That whereas during the period intervening between the passing of the Dominion Act and the temporary government of Rupert's Land and the North-West Territories, when the same should be united to Canada, and the date when the union actually took place, very serious troubles occurred in the country now known as the province of Mani- toba: and whereas Her Majesty's Imperial Govern- ment is the only authority competent to deal with this grave question ; and whereas, in the interests of peace and good order, it is not only desirable but requisite that steps should be taken to setUe and set at rest all questions connected with such troubles : Resolved therefore that an humble address be pre- sented to Her Majesty the Queen praying that Her Majesty would be pleased to command that this House be made acquainted with the action already taken or which it may be Her Majesty's Royal pleasure to take, with the view of satisfying justice and the best interests of this country." Mr. Smith's resolution struck right at the core of the facts of the Scott murder, and exposed cleariy FIGURE IN PARLIAMENT When rte o&nce w„ perp.u.ted by Riel, C.n.di.„ M.«,tt,b. did not .,i«. Rie, .„d hi. "p„vi,ion.I Government •• were the«fo« ,e.pon.ibl. for .hei «"on. to the Imperi., .„u»„.,|„. ,„, ^ ,^_^ dute mini«er. of .he Queen of G™t Britain were the only ones who could properly punirt or condone those «t,on, ,f contrary to law. The re«>lution w«i pa»«l w.*„u. a dissentient voice, and the address was duly drawn up and forwarded. On his arrival in Ottawa as representative of W nnipeg and St. Johns. Mr. Smith was warmly welcomed by the political chiefs of both parties The greaha. inhsrest and curiosity were manifested when on March 29th, .871, before the Manitoba Bill had received the Royal Assent, ti,e new member for &lk.rk, .ntroduced by Sir George Qirtier, took his seat .mmedmtely behind Dr. Tupper. Mr. Mac- kenz.e, the leader of the Opposition, called attention to ti,e fact that ti,e member "who had jus, Uken his seat d,d so under the Act," the confirmation of which was now sought for at the hands of the Imperial Parliament, and as doubts existed as to the propriety of any member taking his «at under the A« he thought that, following a precedent se, by Govern- ment themselves lately, the matter should be referred to a Commmee. At the same time the leader of ti,e 133 LORD STRATHCONA Opposition added that his party divested themselves of all responsibility after having given this notifica^ tion. Sir George Cartier replied that Mr. Smith had properly taken his seat under an Act which had met with the sanction of the Imperial Government At the same time, if the Opposition wished to raise the question of privilege with regard to the assumption of a seat in the House by the member for Selkirk, the Government would be ready to discharge their duty, and advise the House with regard to the ^aw as it was to be applied in the present case. The subject was then dropped without any exhibition of ill-feel- ing, although one obscure member had gone about hinting that he would move for the expulsion of the "member for the Hudson's Bay Company." He thought better of his threat; but it is singular to note that the incident associated with Mr. Smith's first taking his seat in the House was the prelude to a lifelong personal friendship between Mr. Alex- ander Mackenzie, afterwards Premier of Canada, and himself. The former was often his guest, and when he had long resigned the cares of office and of politics, it was Mr. Smith who received him and his friends at Silver Heights, Winnipeg, during the ex-Premier's visit to the North-West. It is also significant that the first vote of the new member was immediately concerned with the great b i .i* *m . M« LORD STPATHCONA distinct statements nude by the two M.nItob. m mbe« wete to his mind quite sstisfscoor. «d th.. view WW supported by otl,e, membe™. But Mr. Macdougall would not withdraw his motion. ';ih.ve."„idhe. "nodesi^toLfce hon^ member found guilty, but I will show 'e Houje . photograph of Riel's Privy Council in wh^*e picture of Jhehon. memberTor Pr^nth^ hJTL """^ °' •^' *^''"^'- Was this This caused a sensation. In the midst of it Detorme was heard to declare that he had no obje«.on to have the matter tried. He happen^ ThJ^ "'*«»•'"* « "•"»•« of Indian, wliVt^ photograph nefcr^i to was uken. and his picture «" «»ong the number. The« were «,verai the" who we„ not connected with the Cbuncil. and h" ^amongst these |atter. •. , never," he riterateS w« a member of Riel's Council." The photo^ graph, out of which political capiul was »ugh. It jm .nsunuy seen and pointed out that it con- ^ned photographs of Mr. Spence and othen,. who Council, and this both Mr. Dorion and Mr. Smith A FIGURE IN PARLIAMENT ,4, hL. Ih H *^' °*^ •» "'*<"•" ■"• motion, but fte Hou,e would not llow thi.. .„d i, w« pu •«dlo.,by.two^h.>d,»ot.. ManyofthememlL •fl»m.rt, wen, over .nd Aook hand, with Delorme. who jften«,rd. e,pr.,«d hi. g„,i,„de to Mr. Smith for^the chiviUrous w.y in which he h«l wood by On another oecwion Mr. Smith inquired of the Government if they intended u, provide for the reffutaeion of t«d. in the North-We« Territoriei^ .nd .!» wh« «eps they intended to taite regarding ^JT" u '»'»*'■'»•'"« "O-or,, which was being earned on by Americans to the demoialisaUon of the indMns. The Governor in Council, it was responded, had power to deal with these matten^ and Mr. Smith's reprraenutions would receive attention. Whereupon Mr Mackenzie, the leader of the Opposition, asked what regulations were in foree. The minister replied that before tiie union reguUtions had been made by the Hudson's Bay Company, but he was not aware of the.r nature. He referred to the member for Selkirk as knowing more about die matter tiian any. T "w. ^'' ^"'^" "'""^ "'^''^ that he thought Mr. Smith had more papers and knew more ;jbou, North-West af&irs than U.e Government There could be little doubt that this was the exact »43 LORD STRATHCONA state of the caae, for m yet Sir John Macdonald and ••'- colleagues had had no timt to aacerUin the hit conditions and needs of the new territories. It was therefore necessary for them to uke counsel of Mr. Smith and the other officers of the Hudson's Bay Company and the missionaries before formulating any policy for the management of the latest acquisi- tion to the Dominion. Consequently Mr. Smith at once became a Egure of peculiar importance at Ottawa. In the first place, he was the official head of the fur trade, the lineal succt^isor of Sir George Simpson, who for forty years had wielded an almost autocratic power at Montreal and Fort Garry ; and the fur trade had not yet lost ita prestige and glamour in the minds of men in civilised haunts. Furthermore, he represented a community upon which the attention of the whole people of the Dominion, and indeed of the empire, continued to be fastened by reason of the exploita of Riel and his half-breed following, and also because of the prominence it occupied as the newest British province and as a promising field for settlers and capital. A litUe later in the session (April i ith) the question of the murder of Thomas Scott arose, and a motion was made that the murderers be sought out and punished. It was commonly rumoured, according to Mr. Bowell, that Riel and the others were in « A FIGURE IN PARLIAMENT ,43 C^tan wrriwor. Moreover, i. w„ poln^d out O-t B.nM.yne, "whoM former connection with Riel WM notorio™." h«l been n»de po.tn.<«ter of Winni- '..'! •"". f^""^' *• '<>"»« editor of the new 'V. ■ Jiibald ., appointments. Sr Geo . , Cartier replied for the Government that un.>.. ,.u „o jurirtictlon in the North-Weat at the '""•' "' ;^- ,f •-« »'"*'. -nd U»t It had no co"nU^ When .t became alleg«l that the Hud»„-. Bay felt 1.^ * ^r * *~"'' """*""• "'• Smith felt U». he couM not let thi. charge re«, especially "" *» chiefly ,im«l at himself. He therefore "MO "1 his pbux and said .— "Sir. I was present at Fort Garry when Thorn*, S«,tt was murdered. I did all in my power ,0 sav" *e hfe rf that poor man. When I was vested with the chief av,I authority after Riel's departure a ^^' ::' m^ r "-"-* "^ "- -^ ""*- -came to me asking to be sworn in as special consubles to arrest the murderers. They said^^e W.1I go to shoot them down, but not to take thl m any other way.- m fact, .hey demanded a wa re« ^mm.t murde. , .efused to give them such a ^vth«!^ '' f""*"^' " '•' "•«' °'*^"«' one, bw by that time the murderers had escaped. I„ reply 144 LORD STRATHCONA to the other charges, I would say that as to Mr. Donnell, one of those appointed to office, he was never friendly to Riel, and had, in fact, been at one time imprisoned by the rebel chief." Mr. Smith also defended Bannatyne and Spence as not being im- plicated with Riel, and his defence gave umbrage to the impetuous Dr. Schultz, who said he regretted that a member from Manitoba should have thought it necessary to " stir up a dirty puddle." <* As to the statement of the hon. member respect- ing the application made to him for a warrant to arrest Scott's murderers, I was not in the province when that event occurred, but I hold in my hand evidence in the shape of an affidavit from one Thomas Lusted, reciting the facts connected with the case and affirming his belief that Donald Smith was anxious to give Riel and Lepine time to escape, and have been ready to let this drop. But if Mr. Smith wishes to refer to it, it is my duty to place the facts of my party before the public also." <* Could I," asked Mr. Smith, "have given a warrant under such circumstances? I put the question to the hon. member and to the House. Dr. Schultz has mentioned Lusted — does he know that on the very evening of the same day Lusted admitted to me that a warrant should not have been issued under the circumstances I have related ? When these men applied for a warrant, the Lord Bishop A FIGURE IN PARLIAMENT 145 of Rupert's Und and a number of the most respect- able men in the place were present" One of the members declared that after reading Mr. Smith's report his opinion of Riel was "a thousand times worse than it had been before.'* Others proclaimed that Riel ought to be arrested, and that if the authorities allowed him to remain at large they were deserving of all censure. The motion was lost. Nevertheless, the belief in the supposed complicity of the Hudson's Bay Company, or at least the criminal acquiescence of their officials, in the original outbreak at Red River was very general. A day or two later Schultz spoke at great length on the question of pecuniary indemnity to the sufferers from the rebellion, which was virtually an attack upon the Company. In the temper of the House it was clear the Company would never receive a penny of the losses it sustained. Mr. Bowell even went so fiir as to say that he "looked upon any claims by the Hudson's Bay Company as a mere piece of impu- dence, inasmuch as they had, in his opinion, been instrumental in causing the insurrection." Mr. Smith, forced to vote in a small minority chiefly of the Opposition, saw that nothing was to be gained just then, but asked "that a full investigation should be made into all the circumstances connected with the rebellion in the North-West It was due to 146 LORD STRATHCONA u ^1 H m lit the people of the North-West and the officers of the Hudson's Bay Company who had been so greatly maligned in connection with this affidr." Nevertheless, on the following day (April 13th) he turned his attention to a matter upon which he felt some representation ought to be made. Throughout Manitoba were scattered old settlers of iSia and 1820, who were not half-breeds, but of English and Scotch birth and parentage. <* These men," said he, *'have done a good deal of service to the country, and have helped to form the community, and were entitled to as liberal treatment as their children, the half-breeds. Would not therefore the Government extend the grant of 1,400,000 acres of lands to these pioneers who were excluded therefrom under the new Manitoba regulations?" But Sir George Cartier scouted the idea, at the same time admitting that the lands the Government proposed to turn over to the half-breeds were unencumbered by any conditions as to settlement In feet, Mr. Smith's position soon grew to be a very awkward one. When the insults and insinaa^ tions of certain honourable members were intoler- able, and he rose to repel them, every statement he made was regarded as a defence of the Hudson's Bay Company. On one occasion when he rose to reply to Dr. Schultz, the ex-Governor Macdougall cried out : — A FIGURE IN PARLIAMENT 147 ** I object to this irregular proceeding. Why, the people of this country will soon come to regard the hon. member for Selkirk as the represenutive of the Hudson's Bay Company sent to this House to rehabilitate them before the Dominion." (Cries of "Hear, hear.") Times and opinions have changed, and we now see the Company required then no rehabilitation from outside ; but prejudice was strong, and old calumnies die hard. In the next session (1873) Mr. Smith turned his efforts to enlarging the trade and immigration of the North-West He sought to obtain from the Govern- ment what he conceived to be a necessary regulation with regard to Americans residing within or entering the territories. He thought it only &ir that these should be placed on an equal footing as regarded trading relations with the Indian population as that on which British subjects stood within the Indian territories of America. While animated by no petty bias against Ameri- cans, he did not believe that they should enjoy privi- leges inimical to Canada. The introduction by them into the North-West of intoxicating liquors was opposed to all principles of moral law and order. "Although," said he, "the laws of America provide ■against such introduction into her own territory, yet it is well known that the people of the States are 148 LORD STRATHCONA able to trade largely with the Indians in arms and liquors. The Company had entirely prohibited such trading. This had operated most beneficially, and British subjects never traded with the Indians in such things ; but the Americans did so to a large extent, and the evil may prove very great if something is not done to put a stop to this very unsatisfactory state of things." Sir George Cartier for the Govern- ment agreed that the Americans should not enjoy greater privileges than British subjects in trading with the Indians. The matter was a very important one, and should be looked into at once. During the session of 1872 an Act was passed to provide for the government of the territories by the Lieutenant-Governor of Manitoba and a Council of eleven members. In the following January the first North-West Council was gazetted, of which Mr. Smith was a member. They met for the first time on the 8th of March, at Fort Garry, and to show the circumstances under which some of the members attended on this occasion, we may mention an experience mentioned by Mr. Alexander Begg. A century and a half ago in Great Britain it was considered a memorable feat and a notable illustration of his zeal for parliamentary duties that a Scottish member should traverse a distance of 600 miles in mid-winter— at no time really severe by comparison in these islands— from A FIGURE IN PARLIAMENT ,49 his Highland constituency to his seat at West- minster. To attend this meeting, Chief Factor Christie travelled 2,000 miles, from Fort Simpson, on the Mackenzie River, to Fort Garry, by dog train, the journey occupying fifty.five days of actual travel. His French half-breed driver ran or walked the entire distance on snow-shoes, often going ahead of the dogs, "making track" for days in succession. When Mr. Smith stood as a candidate for re- election, as a supporter of Mr. Mackenzie, in 1873 he was opposed by a gentleman named Wilson! The contest was of the most heated description : there were even riots and burnings in efRgy, and a great deal of vituperation. At one of the meetings a speaker, whom we may call Wiggins, although his patronymic was even less euphonious, undertook to create a prejudice against the holder of the name of Smith. As a sample of eloquence inspired by R)urbon whisky and a close study of the speeches div^rt'ij*!-!**"*'' "^^^'^ '^' ^°"^''^*"» "^^ '« "Smith! Why, fellow-citizens, who is Smith? I What IS Smith? Is the palladium of our destinies \ to be entrusted to Smith? What has Smith done that he should seek to grasp the Ark of the Covenant with one hand and with the other wrestle for the sceptre of the Almighty? Smith, why Smith isn't a name, but an occupation ! " ISO LORD STRATHCONA A reply to this tirade was soon forthcoming fnmi the other side : — "My opponent, boasting the classic name ci Wiggins, and championing the honour of another patrician named Wilson, has ridiculed you for giving your vote to the ablest man in the settlement He asks. Who would vote for Smith? Well, gentlemen, you cannot go far wrong if you always vote for Smith, wherever you are, or for whatever office he is running. If you ^ant boldness and bravery, vote for the eminent Captain John Smith; if you want the inventor of the most stupendous system of political economy, vote for Adam Smith; if jrou want higher wit than was ever vouchsafed to man, give your vote to Sydney Smith ; and if you want Scotch ability united to Canadian patriotism, vote for Donald A. Smith." It is not at all surprising to learn that the speaker sat down amidst cheers. In the end Mr. Smith was triumphantly elected. CHAPTER VII BATTLES WITH DR. SCHULT2 "YY^ now mch an interesting and significant passage in Mr. Donald Smith's career, for it «ay be said to mark the beginning of his connection with the characteristic problem of the nineteenth centuiy— rapid transit-a ooanection which was to lead to the building of a narveUous highway of steel and iron across tbe rugged breadth of a continent Up to 1872 aU mefchaadise was freighted to Manitoba and the North-West Territories by means of peculiar and primitive vdiides known &r and wide as "Red River carts." The nearest point to Manitoba touched by a lail- way was the town of Brainard, in the State of Minnesota, which was then the terminus of the Northern Pacific Railway. Between St Qoud and Red River the brigades of carts continued to make trips for the purpose of transporting the supplies demanded by the inhabitants of the province. The only steamer navigating the waters of the Red River was the International, belonging to the Hudson's Bay Company, which carried only the Company's 151 152 LORD STRATHCONA li U goods. But suddenly an American steamer, the Stlkirk, appeared heavily freighted with merchandise for the province. This circumstance alone would not have contributed to the complete breakdown of the cartage system ; but it appeared that, accord- ing to American law, all goods passing through American territory intended for Canada were required to be duly bonded in the United States Customs. This law had been practically a dead letter so far as the Red River carts were concerned, but the promoter of the new steamship enterprise had found means to induce the American Government to en- force it. The result was that, having himself taken the precaution of entering bonds, and as neither the cart brigades or the Hudson's Bay Company's steamer Intematumal had complied with the law, the new-comer for a brief space enjoyed a handsome and lucrative monopoly. It is interesting to recall that the tari£P levied from St Paul to Winnipeg was i6f. sterling per loo lbs. Moreover, it was payable in cash, whereas the freight by carts had been payable half in cash, half in kind, a prac- tice which considerably lessened the actual freight charges. When Mr. Smith heard of this proceeding he was for a moment nonplussed. But with his surprise was mingled considerable admiration for the shrewd- ness displayed by his trade antagonist in his exploit. ■ . i BATTLES WITH DR. SCHULTZ 153 " He must be a very able man," aaid he to a friend, afterwards his successor as Commissioner. Then he added, " We must not be caught napping." The promptness of the Commissioner's measures must have convinced the owner of the Selkirk that he had met his match in shrewdness. The steamer IntemaHonal was instanUy transferred to the Com- pany's agent at St Paul, Mr. N. W. Kittson, who WM an American citiien. In this capacity he secured her bonding, and now instead of carrying merely Company goods, he announced the steamer as ready to transport general freights and passengers. Moreover, the moment the Manitoba merchants heard of the arrangement, they gave the preference to the new pseudo-American boat, and a powerful competition thus sprang up. But it was not destined to last long. Mr. Smith and his rival from over the border, Mr. Hill, met for the first time. A coalition was suggested and agreed to, and Mr. Kittson was appointed manager of tiie new steam- boat company.* In Parliament just tiien and for several sessions • JwoM J. HUl, the mu wboM fortums were thus in a nuumer now joined to thoee of his future business associate, was by birth •od-rijr trdning a Canadian, being a native of the UtUe town of ^ph, Ontario. He has left it on r«x«I. in a speech delivered «t St Paul b ,893. that "the one pe«on to whose efforts and Whose confidence in the growth of our country and success in eariy rsUway development is due is Sir Donald Smith." *» w» &in to Z LT**"" P'«"^' » M- Smith Original invoirshl'nr*""^"*"""' '^* *« England' I« due J^' s^^ '""^r "'^ '«>» W» sutement for the ZZ^Zth'^'' '^ """less: the Govemment^nV ^^T^ ^ special Icind of win. th. . . ^ P^d for a veiy f.e Cbrnpa.;' «« t ^bTd I'"!!" " "^ '864, and the market pri^I^^ "?" '""^'" '" ^32 a ton. TheCbmn, ? T """^ '^'" ^5° «o . In making ^^"^''^^'"■■'"'"eWgher price. Mr. Mackenzi^ Jnr ^T^* '" *« House, ■"d been « ^,Tu' ^^Z"'"" "' *" ^"""■•^ explained. " No .1 T "" "°'"*''"^rily H-dson-sBay^lZ^S^rrfK""' *' n>ent," he added " h,„ •. "''"' ** Govern- ■"d been m^t'" Mr w.h °"«''"^' " "''^ Mr. Smith explained that the '<5o LORD STRATHCONA wotiM «•♦- J ^ weignt which in iron wire V^arlyle called a -good hater "t T """' P-iudices. and he nt^w^ed inT """* of tte Ho^ oTc '^'*"'' """"« *" «^'y ««!ons me House of Cbrnmons. Sometimes, as in tSjt they were very fierce sinH Wf. j ^'' -"«-.eade^:x;;t''C'rdf:::u'r tlTr . ^ ° Macdonald a long time to forrive more than one occasion let fall f™m his li™ an unparhamentaryph^se a litUe too expressive rf Ws sSyXred""""-"''----™- • „ "^"'-^S ^''TH DR. SCHULT2 « d'ssatis&ction was fci, i, ""'"red that ««at A Q.n.missio„ hadZ^ L " "*''''"*-«^««- .""t «.e Company :; .^"^ ""'^ "■» '«" ■"fluence over the GoveLf„ro"""*^ ""<•» speeches atb«=king .^cln °"* "' Schuto-s ''•ed into the I„dL tonerr^/" «"'^'J' ««"»- *« aborigines, w,u rhr;:::^ ^r'^'"-' -on^ •he" dissatisfied. SchulL°T •'*"°' "'""ering •""l been done und^ his au^T *"'"' "«" *^ • ve-y imprudent pJZZ Z' " "" ««"»'y ness which prevailed in thf m u '*^ »»'* ^""^ Smith's r^Vne was s Xttt^"?-^^' -der Mr. "Nations Which existed Z^^r r"' ** *«^ tte Company's officers *' '"''«»» Md Arohbid.op Tach^-s i„uS:r;1"'"^'''»»™' «duce Kiel h, leave ^ »' "^ »<'™»<=ed to opposed it It did n^LZZT ^'^'^ ''■o'«''"y "»« >•« woald be n.theraTr„? :" "^""^ *» W™ I>on,inion of Canada toa.L*"'"'^ *""» «" *e Moulder even sos^^^T.T "' "^ «"■"■»« «o P'operiy belonged Tthe „ J *" ^^' "««* "«ver eager J ob^n^^,'^^-- "'• S«ift was "o- *an once to his fri^T^ "^ -"""^d If «» 1 don t care whether f^ ««» LORD STRATHCONA Government leimbursee me or not I did what I did It I h«lnt «lv,Bced the money no one ebe then, would or could." To thl, those who knew the drcum«,nce, cried. No. not Yon did a patriotic thing, you did i atfte reque« of the Governor, and It would not be TT :: ?'^ *^' yo" »>»>■"' be thialm out of pocket." »„!",! '^/l *" "^ "^ "P '" *« •'""ates a number of the members, led by Mr. Schute. thought *^ he„ a w«ipon of attack not to ta IlgMy P<^by- They pounced upon it fie««Iy. They JSain charged Mr. Smith with compile!^ in Z d^gn, of Riel, they al«, asserted thafhe I^ pa^d the money well knowing that he would never get .t back, and they now added the charge that he bad purposely deJayed payment for thref ye«, n order that the d.ot might accumulate intS ^Arch!»^op Tach^., evidence, taken be(b« the North-West Committee, In the following words :_ A JLr **!: ""' ' "" "'•"'■""t-Govemor A«h.b.ld on U,e subject of money. There were "My conversations between the Governor and my- «U on the suyect He calM m Mr. Smith, and fn wLST" "^ " "• «""" '^"'^h the fun.^ which, of com*, he said would be reimbu«ed by the BATTLES WITH DR. sCHUm .«, I*P'»e for tten^, *' ~" "IJ""*" bj- Kiel .,* Governor „ked Mr L.h , ■"' *""'"'»- l^" mentioning ,he «„ J^ '"^ " °" ""»»«". without sterling." "" "" niuctd to ;f6oo Tlje member for Selldrk f„M "> an interview he I«d L !' f"""*^ **« «b*y had both exp.^^^, "'* «'• Archibald be »«.e on the t^L^T.^" "»' « «'«• "o-ld '^t therefrom, „ th" tlJL T"^°» ">«•« -TifoO' during "e win^"*"" "« '"'^ «he b^weenthemsefvesLIrftS- T?*^ "«'«<' «fi«ed to «cogni« u, ' * ^*^''" Gove™n,ent "«ain half .helo^ TheT"' *''' *"•"«■ ""b """I "iO he could nor^^ortTT '""'■"''*"« "oney, and hoped he ^1 °" "^^ »"'» "t er- GoverCn, b„*lfl'' T "^ *« slWhtest doubt it wou^d Z ^ "°* *• -»«-... added Arcl^'a^.r::':?- "'""«»• myself." °' ' would guarantee it If it comes to that " nr o • patriotic spirit, .. I „,„'*;• ,^°"* '»'» said in true Vetinspite'ofthtX^^^r^"--" *bo desi.^, to evade pa,me,1^ ^ T ™""«" 'aken by both the Pre^^rMr M t ^* "'" '^ ' ("'• Mackenzie) and Sir ««4 LORD STRATHCONA John A. Macdonald, who told Mr. Smith at the time "that, of course, the Lieutenant-Governor had no authority and no instruction to make any payment, because the point arose so suddenly that he could not have any communication with the Government; but that if Mr. Archibald, as the representative of Canada in the North-West, took the responsibility of making a promise of payment on the faith of its repayment by the Dominion Government, Parlia- ment would not allow the Hudson's Bay Company or Mr. Smith to lose the money." Other members, such as Mr. Edward Blake and Mr. Tuppcr, also declared that the Government should not shrink from discharging such a debt of honour through fear that political capital might be made out of it " This House," said the former member, "should respect that pledge and vote the money. The late Premier (Sir John Macdonald) would have been unworthy of his position if he had failed to respect that pledge, and that House would be equally unworthy if it refused to repay the money." After two separate debates, in which certain members distinguished themselves for their acerbity, Mr. Smith was ordered to be paid by the overwhelm- ing vote of the House, and also a further sum of ;f 500, which the Government had authorised him to pay to the loyal French at the time of tiie rebellion. 11 I 1 c X < X H BATTLES WITH DR. sCHUm ,«, ch.ri.y. ^ "'• ^'""* •" e»Pe«d«l i„ pub," w.« de,.s„ri :«""■'•; '^ "" ^""""^ — of .8,o.L;'':,th rcrz "»•" *• «"»e«l>in« damaging to th. T^ "^^ •" *"*»" -'-. T.. p^,« :. *-''^- o^«...r ma,e. be .upposed, heartily «ick .„/.■ I ' " ""y "u. Mr. Schultz and Lt «' ^'^.°* *' """J"*' of • sickened z«l. inVl!,* "^ "° "■»" Selkirk that he hJ ^ "" '»•'»'»' for Of .he connect" 'fXHu;:"/-: "^'"""o'' «'"> .he troubles of the N^^ w '^ "^""""y Committee had refused t! ^°'^-^'^' "« that the . Charges were ta^e ^^^^ Z "^' '■"^'*--- '■"«« against Mr. Smith-charg« of ' """""■™' nature, and traceable „'*^*' °f * "ost violent O'Donoghue. Has' M ,t""^ *" "■« '«'«' •"e .rust reposed inlta "a Cot "•"''* '*'"^«' «hile in that opacity", pLr""""*'' *"" "». o.he« against ^^ ^ZlZ"^,,^^:- T •« LORD STRATHCONA Majesty the Queen i„ t ^ ;^ve«ea?oZe.::,1l':-:,^- ST""''''"*"''— p'-oL.lr^'„r; "DONALD ALEXANDER SMITH a ^» ••W.B.O.ZK,NOCHUB.sUr"4St. Government? rent ar^"'"" *^ '"""-'»' Government of 4" In*; "^17« '"^ '"wfu. It is true that on seve«I Me^ ot " °°' *" '^• while there I met Ri,?. Tu "^"^ occasions ' ""' K'el and others- hnf n.„. '"^ were in pu„ua„ce of the dT i ^ T '"**^ as Commissioner for Canada i? -"iertalten and entirely „iu, ^.e^"^"^, ^"""J^" ^'"y -*e I»op.e of Red r7v^ l'"""""? *»« People •ion. and certainly nof^";^ T' •' "*" ~"'''*"- •he-n to remain, L ftey L L r"" "' *"^'''« enmity with the DomTnTon '^ " ^"^ ""*■ " ino^^'tr^t:^; :r r "-""■'^ "■"■•-«• -> Sergeant Muii^T: Zladl""' """"""'^ "^ » GarO- at the time f.u ^" ""P'^^"" « Fort O-Jnoghu^e^rus^^*; "o^^^ r""""""'^ mier's advice that h^u t "'^^^"^'^g the Pre- -he.whowereiary'reiJirr"^'^'- BATTLES WITH DR. SCHULTZ ,67 •sains, bin, ^^"^ '*^*»'"'" "^ ** «>»'«•« b«>«ght "It is false that I advi«P#i *i,- *. 'provisional i^yt^Z^ f^ '° '''*>^'' «» •his point «is«i by I loL '" r"*^"" *'* Schulb) I may say LfL '* "^^ ("••• accompanied LA^hV "7"°" ^'""''"»" "ho place las. .„.„„„ „p^ ^ ^P'"«' *l»ch took specially .opoinr«."o«Tandr' T ■^""' "^c^io" When speal^„° 1 "h ^ '^' °" '""^ the settlemen. I i^Z, t J^'.r'"" *""'«'■'"« no. under any c"cZ^„ •*" *"" *** *«y "«» «o address i^ X It?"? *" """*" «'«■' "« notice of U,e " cw ,"*" "^"^ ">«nner tte Who re^ly^'^r K ' *'^** "^ «'• B-nn. the s^L M^R T ^ ** ^"^""on ai .k- „'*'''• Mr. Bunn himself cave «v!rf.-„ 7 ^"CiroiT:-^-^- cr:r To^ p«'«onwLs°r:::^°:,;^»«Hedding,y. present to the sonall^ P . " P'"'"'"' to sion it was thattshLr n'otT ^r^""- P"- upon it was torn up At .1/.! ° ' "" ****• remembered that wb' e tL'Z^T " ""*^ ■" apHsonerandwasuuderst-^Sardr;:: '«8 LORD STRATHCONA ori,y. OneSsXehelTu himself bound to deal with M. c i. , . 6^ ™ '*" •hat a trunk full rf H *' "'• S*""^ had alleged '•n.v, .. . J"" Of documents belonging to the ^ToTT.^""'"^'"" "^ *-> "hLn dow*: Z Cin^S^o"" d°' f *' ""' "'■^ '"'•^ '™" wanb filZJ ^ ' "'' ""' *'■* """k was after- ^*«/ n^wspaJr"str.'^ '^" "*'* ■" *« Mr slirr^*^ ' ^'"'"^' "e*" •« «he Ume. olBcer named WaT anf If^ ^ " Company's -x«».ge„t,e::::srthran^,~3'--- at*;rhe"f f " °"^ •"'"" °' '"^ -»^^ It subsequentlv (!. ' " ''°"" *« *«"• osequently became necessary to have the well BATTLES WITH DR. sCHUm .6, cleared out to get water for ftetrooDS A fi,^ • ae^lne.^^rve'r^J::-''----.: «"sed to insert a denial of thTl • ""* P"" Mr. Smith w«.to the dt^LldlT'" *' ^*~'- «ion, but it never appej^a ' ^h f ™ "P''"- «« "P in tvDe h..;^^" ' '"'*' *" 'ndeed orderT ^' ^'" ^ '"^'"'^ by Schultz-s "Ihave," concluded Mr Smith ... >« Bay Cbn,pa„y^r^f "'",'«"»« ** "'«'«'»'» O'Donoghue w ' t "" """'' ""^ ^- »• O'Donofhue on^e \""""^ *"= ""O "' .entlemfn on'^r Yl Z °' '"^ "-"• P«» an opinion as to wh ch^ If '"^ T '^' •s correct" • **" gentlemen ^s is ha„«, the correct tone of parliamenta^ I/O LORD STRATHCONA Mr^r'n"^" » U». of . ge„..e«an of Mr Smith sel«racttr, and Mr. Schute lived u, see ^foIy«dl«eneMof«.ecomp.™o„. Butte was not content with this allusion. "The hon. genUeman's mission in .8;o,» he « ordinary degree of courage and competency- U was particularly, unfortunate the hon.TnX^ man should have allowed himself to be cho^„ fo, such a m.ss.on-the duties of which he was «, in- competent to perform." Schul.^ was p««eeding Tn *.s s^n when the Speaker called him to oMer. h" towed to the ruling, and then went on u> charge h.s colleague, the member for Selkirk, with havinir P-rposely declined to avail himself of two diS opportunities during his mission to crush the ,t beU.on and establish a proper government. He did no act upon these opportunities, and w«, ti,erefore guilty of cowardice and incompetency. '•Yes," repeated Uie member amidst considerable excitement, ■• I say cowardice and incompetency." The hon. member," e«Iaimed Mr. Smiti,, "has been pleased to use the words 'cowardice' and ^in- competenq,' concerning my conduct He has also given us his version of events. Permit me to 1^ he has entirely missuted what has occurred." Therft. upon,, .n a succinct and convincing manner, he BATTLES WITH DR. sCHUm .,. related what had haDn.n>-i • • "u. the Speaker XZ T k' ' '^•'"«"'' "'y such epithe" we" '^'^l/r ^'""'"' '"'«"- *oush. best that heZuid to '°,^ '•" " "" these imputations. "'*"' "'"'« "I liope/'said he, "that as .h. i, Lisgar really is awa~ rf h" r "' "'"'*' '" he used last ni^ht H. ^ " **' expressions '^ months Z'^e^Lur^lT "" ""' ' and was quite desim... • T?^ "°* *" "e, ^-Whel^^edt'T'^rhe^tr"''"' '^' ' repiesent. " ^' ''" *« eounty I now ''I deny iv declared Schultz. Ah, the hon. member had been willin., ,-> ^ -for certain considerations " Th! h *^ ^^ up its ears, and th-T "<""* P^ieked .nod,er. "The ho! ""• """^'^ ^'ared at one he expressed •,\o'l":"t.r '""••' -^^^ " Hudson's Bay cl^^y ^d , .f ■""""■ ""* jr vompany and himself, and that the i/a LORD STRATHCONA hon. member and myself should go hand in hand. Now, sir, if the hon. gentleman believed — if he sincerely believed — that I was a poltroon and recreant to my Queen and country, would he wish to have it supposed that he, a loyal, an honest man, came forward and desired, not to oppose, but to assist me at my election? The hon. member well knew that such statements as he had made would not be credited in the North-West; consequently he had never come forward there and made the assertions which he has made before this House. But it is, I believe, generally held in the country where the hon. member is best known that the hon. member is capable of making almost any assertion." This was paying his opponent back in his own coin, and although Mr. Smith was obliged to with- draw his concluding expression, the House, which had not hitherto credited tae "member for the Hudson's Bay Company" with so much vivacity, hugely enjoyed Mr. Schultz's discomfiture. "When I went to the North-West as Commis- sioner from Canada," resumed Mr. Smith, speaking in a loud, clear voice, "I did not go there for pay- ment. To the credit of the late Government let it be said that they would have paid me liberally, but I said I would not accept, and I did not accept a single dollar of the public money for my own use. But," added the speaker, raising his outstretched BATTLES WITH DR. SCHULT2 ,73 ion which left me poorer has been a godsend to the hon. member for Lisgar. At the time the tumult arose he had nothing, while to^ay he is company. tively a rich man-at the expense of his countnr » Again lx)wing before the storm raised by Schultz's adherents Mr. Smith withdrew this expression, which, however, he immediately went on to justify "I do not," said he, "question the propriety of the decision given by the Commission on Indemnities n i^pect of the claim of that hon. member, but If «iere is one thing more than another that has given dissatisfaction throughout the North-West, it is the large amount awarded to him, while other persons who had suflFered severely had received a pittance " The member for Lisgar sought to make an effec tive reply, but he foiled to impress the House, who agreed with those present in the Gallery that the honours of the day rested with Mr. Smith, who had besides the last word. " I do not think," said he, " it is necessaiy to say anything further, and if it were not unparliamentaiy, would now throw back on the hon. member for Lisgar the imputation of cowardice which he has cast upon me." nf m' 'T^l!'" "'*"' " '*''' *« " "« *« speech of Mr. Smith's and his bearing during ite deliveor I I •« LORD STRATHCX)NA Hrh.^ f^ """ ' "^ »■«" Wm credit for. I^h» cooIneMand re«,u,ee ,„d pl.u,ibi«.y, .„d J^r.^"'"""'*':*^^ We m«« certain,; ailed h,m . "mild old gentlenmn, easily .l.™,,^ »«»" odd. u>o. « .lie period of this writing. „«„,' thirty year, later, to come across the epithw "old » ««.en applied to a nu.n whose sphJ^ o" putc B:;LTCir'"^ *" '" '-"^ '- *• who.. Thus ended a memorable episode in the Canadian Ho«« of Commons ,• but the end of the dueltZ^! Mr. Smith and Dr. Schultz was not yet ^BOUT CHAPTER vill A MASTERSTROKE OP FRANCE •-PW length Z^rZ ZT^ "^"^ "» -"- *!» PTOjeded line of „nwT ^ "^ "P"" "oaders in tbt west I J™!!^' " "^ «<> *orIc •Phere of i„ intended opj^o^ " """"""^ Pmsperity „iU, „,. i J^^°"^ '« '^ to brin^ «d '-'-bearing ^io., of^Tnlt ^fT T'" »nd seventeen miles of it h.^ l " '"'ndred '•yn»ti,gin«,e,„tL'"lX^""^ '" ""» which had meant so much aZj. h *~' ""J*" 1«ady slain by a riv^ RuT^ '""'^' '""'*«'. «^"y. believed that i^ p^^T' """"'"« " even brighter than ever S^ ~ " "'«'«' Smith. • ™«« "an was Donald A. As.o„gagoas,,5,theAmericanO,ng^^ — # J '76 LORD STRATHCONA *n Act making a grant of Und to the Territory (as It then was) of Minnesota to assist in the construction of the Minnesota and Pacific Railway from St. Paul to the head of navigation on the Red River. In the spring of that year the Territorial Legislature in- corporated the Minnesota and Pacific Railway Com- pany with a capital of 5,000,000 dollars to build a road, whose branch connection was to lead close to the mouth of the Pembina River. But constant delays took place ; ilothing was done, and in March, 1862, the name of the Company was changed to the St. Paul and Pacific Railroad Company, and a further Act passed requiring the completion of the portion of the road between St Paul and St Anthony (now Minneapolis) by January, 1863, and to St Cloud by January ist, 1865. The Civil War was, of course, responsible for the delay; the ten miles were duly finished in accord- ance with the provisions of the Act; but it was a long time before much headway was made with the larger engagement Yet these ten miles formed "the first stretch in the network of railways which now covers the State of Minnesota." By 1864 the road had got as far as Elk River; in 1867 they had reached Uke Minnetonka ; in 1870, Benson ; and in 1871, when Mr. Smith became interested in Red River navigation, the rails were laid to Brecken- ndge, 217 miles from St Paul. Here the work A WNANClAt MASTERSTROKE „ *• riviJ ix)«J. " S^**" eraploymem on «olU^*^.rs\''p.'j,*!' ';*•»»'''''«'» of u,e «pita.i«,l,.d beench,^^", ^"'"^''- * l""" of C-'P.ny. E„; " i.'t '^:" "•«•«» R."w.y »f hod fi„„ u,, GotW^"?,*?, « «•*"•' ««»«» Pobllc good w™„gheTthl H r.*""^""" <" *• B« the* Una g.f„L^ote! '~"'"»« »' *e r^. °~^on to note in «,f C"" " ^ »h." yet h.v. •""on. no. .,4, .^b,!*""' "^^ -"y con. J"". '873. *. land g„„» o reTp"- , °" ""^^ *•» «o lapse on aooun. nf / "' "" ^'^6' P~v.,.on, of it, cCr ButXT"" "' *• e«« »en made a powerful .^- M'»»«30ta Con- •««"-ed for „i„e ZZ:!l' "T' ""'' "^ ™y perhaps recall the p^uU^ ^ ^'"^ Age, f c of American pol LCt ' °* '**»«•'- *"«n.e, and i.., rot ■Culrr"'''' '"* " of energeh-c "lobbying" ind^ 1 ' ' ^"''»' , ' s inaeed was done to save "• LORD STRATHCONA B«. ft. compete, ^ ud ft,„ «™a,„^?^ •» turned upon sir .^^ *" *^«'*=- All eve, •^ff- to ge. to wo' k!.^*' «=™»'»"y w„ »"<* seecMl « oae fell ^" "*»" ** "'ow, ^ved of U,e urgent nerf o^ **" "'"" *• »«« «"«"><•» vote .g»ii°frt^™'*«'-*><' Trived to '^ h-ve befo^tl"^*' "•«'■"'«•<• M'-i^^, « •^'"ed the fi.tu« of tte i ""r' '"»«y ^"^ ' «•"«>»» Pacific Railway^ il V- '8o LORD STRATHCONA vote aga,-„s. .h. Gov „re: 72 l"^ """ '^ ,^ve« ..«. . .e ,^. .Cp^: — T.^ "- anX^ ro;"„rs:!r r/"- - the Ministry fel, by a t^H ""^ ^' f-notrSLio^a'^r '■^" ""'""^ '^ -^"''^ •ouch that yX °";, "° "•'"»"''' ^" «™r tliose Du,!.h ™^ "^ *« =<>"* of you • inose Uutchmen would do w»ti .„ . ' J""" > «ll those «i,s for old iu„k" M T' T" """ quiefv. ■■ *''^- '^'>"* smiled "That railway isn't dead," he said. "A tr,~ii ■sn-t dead when he sits down by the wavsiiT and you and I, n,y friend, will te riir "f conunent on the Canadian' pJ-fi^-JthX"^*! now stretches ^..1^.^ t ^^fiT HT r;'"" confederation of the North 4 • '*"«'»«'« >»- become an J^^SsTJ^TL^^TTl S"iXti.hThe';;?T - -^^^^ P«>iectofin«nLeore:rrinr:t;Crt! A FINANCIAL MASTERSTROKE .s. ance, upon which the r«. „ of «>e pawnees wou^d^J.T^'? """ ""«»" -«■"« much oppositi: 'i'.trrt ?^^ "^ '° ">e work of building si «lT *""*' "^"^ «»-t^ of only mUr 'u" ""■'"*^ "y a P^l^sterous. An,onTs.Z '"'"'"'""'^ ^'^ Smith. *"*««"«» w« J«r. DonaM The Americans w*»rA a.h «Wch the British cl •"'""* "'""'"^"'"tages "-"way, if content:"''""' '"" '^"> -" '" «867, believere i„ an inf "^ ■**" a"*'""! "o™ I^opular than in fte ^ w" "" ""^ «"""« ""••ties in developing t " "^ ""'" '•^P°«'- -« ;•" cementing mlZTZ^i ""^ ^"""^ "'eariyappieciated. ^""'^ -""V were * 'Li:-:^rcatr:::2' *^'^'°- -o '--« of the United StJ^tel n""'''^ ^"^ "'Po" «a"way,. dated ttel J, of pr""""""" °» ''•"«o ^--ui-'nitrtift^^r™"-- and when built will drairth. ^ Po^essions, of «.e rich Saskatche^: ^ndT?""^ P'''^''^'' «»' of the mountai„n„<, !h ."f '"™' *""»•» ---^o„p.„,a„;---«-e.^on.e '«» LORD STRATHCONA •t IS Bfteen hundred miles nearer by the fortv-r h parallel of latitude than by the way of &„ pT • and New Vo,,. This L:.Zlns:^Z''Z overtand trade from Asia vi,, „„t be th^wn L*; by the English, unless it is taken away by our fi J bu.ld,ng the North Pacific road, esublishing m^ Z^ r"' V ""^'^ Sound, fixing m«L:i r^ there and getdng possession on land, and me^ ^"' "^ "" ""' "■""''""^ of *e new com. meree between Asia and Europe. The opening by us fi„t of a Northern Pacific railroad se^s Z f "! y^""'- They will become so Americanist •n interests and fillings that they will be in e^ severed from the New Dominion, and the que^^ of tor a„ne«Uo„ will be bu, a question of time." If anything were needed to act as a spur to the Canada, tius w„ calculated to perform that service. When British Columbia decided to enter the Dominion, in .87,, it stipulated that the Govemn,e„ should secure immediately "the commencement of ward?rT°C °' * ""™^ *"■" *« P-^-fic to. warfs the Rocky Mountains, and fi„m such point lar^sth P T' ^ "^ ** ^'^ Mo-"^- towards the Pacific to connect the seaboarf of British Columbia with the railway system of Canada, and A FINANCIAL MASTERSTROKE .83 M^S Sa-rjelXr^, '«'-'' ^- of American ^pMsts wCt™ ,1" ?" "'""^ fteir monev in .h. . . ™^^ "o embark «o gain control of^^„t ."^ '^ "^ """' '''»'"""» George EtiennV C^ .'"''"°"*"'«''*»J'-" Sir «.«4u«rrMXt c;:!"'- ^■"'■*-^ words on this head. '"'"*^'"«^ h« SO" i Uie subsidy by tlie rL ' "'='^''"- of lands and money The ^77""*"' "" *" ""''^' - "-H.wen^m!;^^-":;^,.^/'- *-oney subscription 3o.ccor;o d« south, tht '^' r„''rn;'!:'K" ^ Americans. abandoned by the Thfa rmvr^y ^ been completed f„n. St P.„i 1 « r^ "°'*-"'^ "f Breckenridge A ".e ume of the fUIu« Mr. Smith and Mr ffittsof l»v,n« satisfied themselves concerning rtfT?' Slate of a&irs of the insolv^nr^, d f *'"''' 0.mpany. now resolv^ ^t' mm '"' ""' ^""^ of the franchise. '^' ** acquisition sho.,M ;r ^ enormous capital, and where N^^A R r ""^ "^"^-'^ capitalists of «ew Yorlc, Boston, and Montreal derided th. i^ .^=rsraXr::ri" M^-JaJ^'esrH^r^^r-^--^- not unm ,8„ i" Z™" "'™' •»" afte'ward^ an.erchlL':7^o?j;--«^;^^-S^P.en, the 186 LORD STRATHCONA who married William Stephen, of Dufftown. As a young man he had gone to London and entered the employ of Messrs. Pawson, the linen-drapers, of St. Paul's Churchyard. He then emigrated to Montreal on the invitation of a relative, and there some years later became a partner in a local firm of drapers. He showed a turn for finance, and with the assistance and advice of his cousin, Mr^ Smith, met with success. Both were early con4 nected with the Bank of Montreal and kindred institutions, and were of constant mutual assistanci^ to each other. The first thing necessary was to negotiate with the Dutch bondholders, who were naturally not averse to obtaining some part of what they believed to be misspent capital. *' These four men, two of them Canadians by birth and two by adoption, by their splendid audacity and courage in raising the project from the ditch in which it had been abandoned by its former promoters, furnished a lesson in finance to the United States and the world that generations of Canadians may pomt to with pride. The history of the achievement reads like a modern fairy tale : it is certainly worthy of being classed as a romance of railroading." It involved the purchase of more than twentj^ million dollars' worth of bonds then in the possession of Messrs. Chouet, Weetjin, and Kirkhoven, of Am- A FINANCIAL MASTER-STROKE 187 sterdam, and others. For these payment was to be made within six months from the date of final judgment in the foreclosure proceedings. It was to be made partly in cash *nd partly in share capital of the Company. The bonds were bought at prices ranging from eleven to seventy-five cents per dollar on their par value, and the purchase inchided all the mortgaged property, together with an immense land grant. If they failed in their engagements the promoters would forfeit the large sum of money deposited in the hands of the trustees. On May 23rd, 1879, the St Paul, Minneapolis, and Manitoba Railway Compau/, with Mr. Stephen as President, Mr. Hill General Manager, and Mr. Smith as Principal Director, was incorporated. This import- ant «w/ created but little stir at the time in the finan- cial world, and the London Times referred to the St. Paul, Minneapolis, and Manitoba Railway merely as "an obscure" Canadian railway. Not a single rail was laid on Canadian soil. Having thus accomplished the foreclosure, the new company boldly issued bonds to the amount of eight million dollars and success- fully floated them in the money market of New York. Already the confidence of these four Canadians was justified, and by a slight expenditure of money, but a lavish outlay of brains, one of the most important railways on the North American continent passed into their hands. The road was duly completed, and 188 I^RD STRATHCONA ttegallerir ^ T "*''• '»«'■ *- «hejoy of "The hon. member for Lismr " mM m o . on one occasion, "ha. sZl , "'• ^™"' '■"cpacity i„ conaecut wS ;V r*"""* «"" «« imputation would <^me h ""' ""' *•"=" andjustice .gains. wlTwr' "'* """" ""* h« stronghl a. ti^^^l ^'T f'««"«*«' within did he not Iceen hu ">snrrection, why witi,whom hewL ften'"'^ "" ** '»">' °' "« un ne was then associated? Wen. n,. jj •^ e«at against him? If «, „,,' „ " *' "^"^ ««> turn round and uDb^lH^'..^ """""'J' " weaker and for more *ffl ?. *"* "*'' "*« '" » «'f when herur^Z^e^r '^''°" **■■ "^ «">- off to prison '" "Tf ""^ ""« and was marched «al ciroumstan«; we^ t *""' ""^ «*f°" '"e member-s co„du« aT^ed T "**"""« *' ''°"- had been lionised i„cf„H ' "^"^ """'^^ He had beeH , Sit; T*^"^ '"'"*'"«'• 'ecipient of valuable gifts, of A FINANCIAL MASTERSTROKE .Jj watches, of services of olate «j»i. very ple,»,„,, „„ ^^^^^ ^rl ^" '"" I hazard U.e suspiZnC^.T'"'' ""' •"' member told the House on a fo™.; ;,' ^ ""• p" "iXe-:::""^'^'.'^ -- -- - ^n...^Xt"Ar;.s.tt':::ii- who has served nn ♦».«* . ^ member -. -.errztrzTpS::^t:7^;: streaks." «Hpearea many dark ^.^•, ewer a«ai,a„ts Jwrrftl,: ^rZ » own, that the member for Selkirk ha^ foars of laughter i^- ^ ^ """^ ■="■"*" ''"<='' Joined. JtXytm rr;" '"""' «90 LORD STRATHCONA deliberately charged Mr. Smith with being present »t a certain illicit meeting in the North-West A rejoinder was not practicable at the moment, but when It came it was crushing. The leading citizens Implicated furnished separate and solemn affidavits that Mr. Smith had never been present. When these were read out to the applauding House an ordinary man would perhaps have shown discom. fiture. Instead of this Schultz rose with an assumption of amusement and surprise commingled. What, he demanded, had he done that he should be singled out as the victim of his hon. friend's peculiar views on North-West matters? "Sir, the hon. members of this House will re- member Coleridge's beautiful tale of the Ancient Mariner. This Ancient Mariner Is described as a man of weird and unearthly aspect, over whose soul the shadow of some great crime rested, and who, at stated intervals, was compelled by some hidden remorse within to pour out his doleful tale and re- lieve his misery." The amused House wondered what was comini? next. * "Sir," continued Schultz solemnly, "It almost ^ms to me a parallel case with my friend from Selkirk, who in and out of session seems to be ever boiling and simmering with his oft-told tale of North- A FINANCIAL MASTER-STROKE 191 Wwt troubles. I feel, sir, much as the wedding guest whom the Ancient Mariner stopped, who ex- cUimed — •I fMT thM, AneitQt MariiMr, 1 fwr thy tkinoy ImikI, By thy long grey beard and giUtmlag eye Now whertfora ttoppcd thou me ? ' " This pen-picture of the member for Selkirk could hardly &il to provoke laughter. "But," the speaker went on, in a deprecating tone, " he told his tale to the marines. Why should the hon. member afflict the House of Commons?" As a matter of fact, Schultz long believed that the Red River rebellion was the result of a Hudson's Bay Company conspiracy, and that Mr. Smith was criminally implicated. The absurdity of the charge has been long since disproved. Apropos of the poetical comparison, Mr. Smith afterwards said that if his hon. friend likened him to the Ancient Manner, he could liken Aim (Schultz) to another fictitious character-one who was always professing his readiness to fight -the redoubtable Sir John Falstafi: '' CHAPTER IX CANADA'S NATIONAL HIGHWAY not oeen far the indomitable pluck and ^*^. ^ !C^ S*- G«rge', Club. London, in J.„„.„. Commmloner for Canada. ' To all who have read aright the hlwory of thi. ^.undertaking .he tribate'i. i.^ ^^ ^ Can«U alone, but the empire which b;^ ^"^ huge «n.,egic work n»y read with «tiZ^„„ ^ h<«r one «rong, earne«, patriotic citizen g'id^ «..^d«un.es or Canada, national highway to' tht;; ^T^T''\'" ^"*'^ *«" ** Via Flaminia to Rome, the Canadian Paciiic Railway a. it, n=.,! ■ and Imperial hiehwav is C„Vrtl. °"*' 1 1~, •. " f "'"y- " Canada's greatest asset Upon ..s building depended her entire western CANADA'S NATIONAL HIGHWAY ,„ '" C^Un politic! "i^" ^l ""• ""^ '""• C^~dl.« wri..V". c„e«l™ """""'^•" «y» • "ent.«o.e.ndfell." "*"" "'""' ^'*'»- Following the defeat of si, i»i. .. ^p.. o, „.„i,^ LSir«".:f^r' "" announcement of th«» «:i '^■^wd for some Mr. Smith ^.Lt^^'r'' ■»"«'»"■•» •"«•«-. ">«w«.M,.;«"::s^-"he":::"'-'r'^ •PPointed when the tat.^, , ^'^"J' <«»• on the subject of th. *" """^ "'"""If P'rf-P.bet^to^'lTT' '•"-»^- " -"' "ce on thi, he^r^,*"- "•^»»ie-.fi« „^, -No«h-w«..rB"„i's-r'^°" •» VouLZr.Lt.^Hn^r"-' P«Cfi= Railway. I objected to the p^vZ J f °" °" *« «" within ten years. nI"T u """"'^ *" «"''«y ■-v. elapj^'d w~"^ Jf"! r*^ "f "»' '■•■»• ««»h ■•' witiiin i«„7«^7„vr" """•" "^ have always thought JT "* """"*»• ' municadon'^^^l'tl.* "^'^ "■"" "^ «>"- •"e good of .hrset* en,rr;r.h°'"'"'^ '" 194 LORD STRATHCONA undeveloped in the bosom of the earth. Without that communication their development cannot take place and immigration cannot be effected. It will be the duty of the administration in the first place to secure a means of communication to our navigable waters from Lake Superior to Fort Garry and the Rocky Mountains, at the same time commencing at the Pacific Ocean and constructing communication by the western slope. In the meantime communi- cation would be afforded in conjunction with the American lines until we have means sufficient to accomplish the work. If we once have these regions accessible— that is, British Columbia and the North- West Territory— we can afford thus to expend money in constructing other portions of the road, which will be necessary to complete our great national highway across the continent ; «..id I think it would be the duty as it will be the desire of the Govern- ment to develop any plan by which these results are to be accomplished." In his subsequent speeches the new Premier re- iterated the idea that delay was advisable in con- structing the main line. It will be remembered that British Columbia, on entering the Dominion, had expressly stipulated for the building of the road. Mr. Mackenzie now proposed to modify these terms. He proposed a plan for utilising the Canadian water privilege of the great western lakes and rivers, thus CANADA'S NATIONS HIGHVAY ,55 "•y to connect them « , . ""™'' "'«'- *. burden of the j^bTj pr*™"" """" '" """' «»« Canada was t»^ "*""' "K^^ents was ^« a p«.iec."nTwr;;c:7r "'■" -" » to come. ^^ '° ^ fo'* many years 4"'Jr^-r„xtefra' ** "--•"■ appeared :- ^* ** '°»°W'>g paragraph "The late Government having failed in „ • Reprosecution of that great entfj- I ""« *an Paafic Railway, yr»^, T'',:" *' *^"*- consider what plan InT, [ "^'^ "P"" «« vide means of^^:;:^',,^!!, °"^ "^"^P"- eineerwiIIbeIaidbefo!.„ T °' *« Chief En- ^ »«>e durij^e Z™'*°'""^'""'P'»gress «"iiHg^ me past year with *».- connected with the supposed ,i„es!^ '"""^ Premier, to u^e th' ^^"'" "*'■'«' <»> *• bmnch «irwa;t p*Lb^^^""'""=«o» °f "-e *. Governmentt^Ti tail 7'^''^ ?" *" a»d Pacific Railwav ^m! ^ *** ^"^ ''"•^^ Mi 196 LORD STRATHCONA completion of that railway, whose afiFairs we have already described in a previous chapter. A little later the Government brought in a Bill providing for the early construction of parts of the railway, leaving other parts to be built according to the state of the finances of the country. British Columbia from indignation passed into a state of anger. She pressed firmly for her rights, and one of the results of her agitation was the celebrated "Carnarvon Terms.? When Mr. Mackenzie sought to evade these terms there were loud calls for secession in the province. The Mackenzie Government vainly endeavoured to build the Canadian Pacific Railway as a Government work. Delay succeeded delay. "Mr. Mackenzie still clung to his pet theory of utilising the water stretches between Lake Superior and Fort Garry, and the waters of Lakes Winnipeg and Manitoba and Saskatchewan River, as a means of communication with the Far West." The truth is, he was not a sanguine man, nor was he far-seeing in the sense that Sir John A. Macdonald and Sir Donald A. Smith were far-seeing. One of the first mistakes he made with regard to transit in the west was the "Dawson Road," from Thunder Bay to Winnipeg. A man once came into Mr. Smith's office at Winnipeg in a pitiable state of exhaustion and dilapidation. Folding his arms and fixing a CANADA'S NATIONAL HIGHWAY ,97 bj^^i gaze upon the Chief Commissioner, I,e "Loolc here Mr. Smith, you're our representative in Parliament." " I believe I am, sir," was the answer. "Well, look at me, ain't I a healthy sight? I've come by the Government water route from Thunder Bay, and It's taken me twenty-five days to do it. During that time I've been half starved on victuals I wouldn t give a swampy Indian. The water used o pour into my bunk of nights, and the boat was so eaky that eveiy bit of baggage I've got is water- logged and ruined. But that ain't all," continued Mr. Smiths visitor, "IVe broke my arm and sprained my ankle helping to carry half a dozen trunks over a dozen portages, and when I refused to take a paddle in one of the boats, an Ottawa Irishman told me to go to h-1, and said that if I gave him any more of my d-d chat he'd let me get off and walk to Winnipeg." Mr. Smith looked deeply concerned. He had istened to numerous complaints on the part of travellers victims of the Government substitute for the Canadian Railway, but he never remembered a more extreme case. "But what can I do for you?" he aslced of the pitiable object before him. "Do?" said the man. "Well, when you go to i '98 LORD STRATHCONA Ottawa next time you can tell old Mackenzie that there s one man out here in Manitoba who don't hold much by his water route, and who wants that there Pacific Railway, and wants it badly; otherwise," he concluded, as he bowed himself out of the office, ^^you don t get my vote next General Election, that's An amusing incident, although by no means so to the chief actor in it, occurred early in Mr. Mac- kenzie s administration. Mr. S. J. Dawson, the onginator of this pleasant route through the wilder- ness was sent officially to investigate the condition of afiairs. When he had duly arrived at the north- west angle of the Lake of the Woods he was greeted by a huge assembly of disgusted and desperate patrons of the Dawson Road, stranded in the solitudes with the prospect of many hours' further waiting before they could continue their journey to Winnipeg The result was he had a narrow escape from being mobbed. He set out rapidly, however, for Point de Chene, and despatched a number of half-breeds with Red River carts to transport the starving passengers along the rest of the route. But this was not the only matter upon which com- plaints grew rife. When work was at last begun on the main line of railway a report was spread about that the Government had decided to alter its course to a more northerly direction, so as to shut off CANADA'S NATIONAL HIGHWAY ,99 to serv«» nn a ^ 1 ^™*'" ^as asked vil-ajes. ^""" P"'P*~"» «»"« and had to be conside J^^ ™He aid hH'"" °' '"'^'" Ax-*u . *"" "*s advisers claimpH across the continent. In reolv tn fh.c .v "ted though an unde,«anding based on the (^^vern- »e" maps, exhibiting the hne as south of Ute Manitoba. To alter i, ,0 the north would cTnstiTut a breach of faith with the people of those Luetnts we hne to the north would in the meantime "be of ^' i 300 LORD STRATHCONA L'Cnr." *' ~""'^ «»" • "-•-'»o'' would wh ^ti' " "'°"" ""' ** '•'"■°™»"on upon wh ch ttey a« actmg i, incor«ct, but are of opinfo" the Pe„b.„a b«„ch a, Winnipeg and St Boni&T oflrjir,?'* "' ""'■" ''■"<•" ">esan,e sMe pZk- '^,"'™»'»8«'<'S to fte countn, were the Pen,b.„a branch to be built, irrespeJve o7 th! Ult! irv,W It''""":' ~"" ■«" ■» '•"«'•'■-' - to -«- .x;xihitp:r''*' r^ which it would hi „ Pembina, besides should fiZl '^'^'y '^^' '*>« Minnesota line -nt wouid T i;r to Tr '■'' '^™™- branch. ^ *" ''"'''' *« Pembina Mr Mackenzie was not then awar^ihat Mr Smi* and three oth«.r r'«~ j- »«cii«i; mr. ^mith other Canadians were already resolved to CANADA'S NATIONAL HIGHWAY , A» upon fte completion ^mitTT'- ''"'"^■ fortunes of the Canadian P,.ii * ""mediate •- was eve^ reas^ or r^tir"" *° "''*"<'' bnn^ about tW, ^„,^ Mr „ ■- '"'^ •*"• •» «» weaor of Government «L "^""*°'' "^g*" «rti»ed for tender bTa^'' '""""''^- "« '"'^ "«« no bidders. Mr Smifh'^^^"""'""^' ">"« ««nts tiie Government v,TL "'"*"'*"»» "le land S'owly. ti,erefo„ ^e work w ^ '""'"^ '«««"'"•' """•' July, .8.,6, CthTL " ""' "" " "" "o* on me „ib „ ThundeX "" "^ ""^^^ ■^"aTutet:rmi''""""'««"*««^-son «.;Governmentt;:Srar -""■"--' '" the meantime, in ,s,« « „ «>"eagueshadsuco^ssfaUvf: ^'' ^""* "" his «» *e acquisitionT^e 1:"? ''"° "*«»'"«<'- "ay. He now app4«^^' 1""j »"" P«=«c R.i,. "■ew to establish rr„f <^''*™"e« with a Winnipeg and St. Paul "■" """""o" between '-elTaVrrb^teL'''"''''"' ''■^-- ="»-" ««■> y^a's to the nJ^^^^'^T """ "^ '<- was put before the House .^ amngement -- ■•" a diileren. ^ "^^T ' "« '"e Senate "°°- 1 ney so amended the Bill r 2oa LORD STRATHCONA M practically to destroy it Nevertheless, in May, i8;8, a contract was made to finish the Pembina branch, but the defeat of Mr. Mackenzie's Govern- ment in October eflPectually stopped all further negotiations with the St. Paul and Pacific Com- pany. Altogether, when the Liberal party went out of oflfice, there were not two hundred miles laid down of a road which was intended to comprise thousands. This virtual failure had cost Manitoba and the North- West a heavy price. It was a period of wholesale Immigration to North America, and the absence at this favourable moment of railway communication to toe Red River valley resulted in the loss of many thousands of settlers. It is now universally held that the Canadian Pacific Railway project was then passing through a crisis. That it could have been finished before Mr. Mackenzie went out of oflice in 1878 is our own firm conviction, but it needed a genius of an altogether different kind to disentangle all the loose cords which held it, to bind them firmly together, and, grasping the matter with no uncertain or faltering touch, carry it through to a successful fruition. The general elections were held in October, 1878. The Conservative Opposition, led by Sir John Mac- donald, went up and down the country denouncing in round terms the commercial and industrial policy CANADA'S NATIONAL HIOHWAV .3 " lie Uberal Governm.™ » •he country., «Iv.„tar .f^ *? P"""'* """ch fo.' »««««cy. and ^ ,^„ 'X" tTu" ~»- May loth, ,8,„ „.„ . , P'»f '" ""e House on Claries) Tup~* ,!^'" '^""'' "'• C*"' Sir When Mr T* •»«> decide, -.o r^ rr:itr*^ "'•"^ «*«« a bargain lad I^Tn m J T \. ™'»«»"»red -entwiathest PauuL p ."' ** ■»" G»'™'»- bina b«„oh for Z ^^^^f^, ?" "' *« ''"»- "ho buil, this branch untif .?! , «'"'"«*'« complete their worlc. As * °" "^ '"''' »» ■*«»* the road was ii„L!f ^ "" ""dertal^n '•"'0 «.e contractorp*"^""' "h """'^" """ pocjcets. The result of this 304 LORD STRATHCONA arrangement was an almost complete fiasco at a critical season of the year, and the Government had no other course than to make a contract with another firm, Upper and Company, to equip and operate the road. This arrangement proved success- ful and profitable. The St. Paul and Pacific lent their co-operation, and trains were run through to St. Boniface from the terminus of the American road. A bridge had yet, however, to be built across the Red River to Winnipeg. But although the new admin isf ration now decided to carry the main line south of Lake Winnipeg, it intended that it should pass through Selkirk, and not the city of Winnipeg. Soon after the prorogation of the Dominion Pariia- ment in 1879, the Premier and the Minister of Public Works left for London in the vain endeavour to seek British capital to carry out the great railway project which had been lingering so long. The utmost was done by these two able and patriotic men, but English capitalists turned away with a smile from a scheme which must have seemed to many of them almost foolhardy. A celebrated English financier long afterwards told Mr. Smith that when he first heard of the proposals to raise a loan to build a railway across the North American continent, he laughed aloud. "'Good heavensl* I thought, 'somebody will have CANADA'S NATIONAL HIGHWAY «>5 to hold Aese C.n«li«„ b„k, „, ^ BUk. ToJ m" °5 *• OPP"""""- M'- Edward Blake, now M.P. for an Irish constituency in tl,e ".penal Parlian,en, boldly moved .h.rj fe! .h. counuy fro„ ruin U.e British Columllt; of the road should be abandoned. I, is „„« Ae amendment was defeated by eighty^o IT. but *«« w.„ very few «.„guine members ^' *. Government benches. Jm m""c "'^'^ """ "" 5'" °f « «'««cu>r to Of 1880 a syndicate was formed. It soon becan,. nunour^ that the heads of this syndi^we^Mr George Stephen and Mr. Donald Smith On th. ««-.bling of Parliament on Decem^r .<^ 2l St**" ''*f ' '^"^y Company's conf^'w^ laid before the House of Commons. It bore .he s'^natures of Sir Charles Tupper (represent^^^. r > '^ LORD STRATHCONA tion with fte milwav .I "" "» "»»«■ time .go h. JS^rL .,T T "" "^ *™« »P»k of the forttnTi .i *•"' *" "^P" P«*« if I h«i never ^ ^^T •*""*■ '» enterpri*." ^ "^'"e «<> do with that m teraa on which the syndicate loolc u» A work were »s follow,: The raiiwavto .^ ''. "on, Montre., to Port Mo^^' X^. Z'T" P»nytorecelveas5nbsidvt«oL,L. .' """' — of Und. in b,ocS;r:rL?"^°* CANADA'S NATIONAL HIGHWAY ^ "y "» «llw.y, vlurt .. .. ""WAY «^ •"•"•y yan. In ^,,7 """ "^ • »I»ce of •^ ™«n. Of .0...^^^! •"' •- *• ""-l-y •«»ed „ „„j,..fi„„. ^ ^^. which on pap., sufficient to meet th. '"^'^ "o be in- -SeX^:teHit7-o«i,«. from ce«ing. „ """^ «» P«vent the work '" Montreal of JLll **1 f "" ™«»« hnliy •*».•.,. When the^^^/""":' """ '» *« ""^ *scu« the ti«h.„«^of .^e 2"" ""^ "> ">•«. and blank feo^ Durin/oneTr'' """■'' "'* ^"^ S-th.^atohaveVt^LbHsr "wT"^ "'• ■»ade aware of the situation hi • *" *• "^ adjournment. ° ''* '"«»»"y moved an ""'■» clear we want money "h ■"oney, he rem;..;-d drily. 208 LORD STRATHCONA " We can't raise it amongst ourselves. Let us come back to-morrow and report progress." According to this account, when the Board met on the following day the members regarded each other ,n dismay ; each had the same story to tell of failure, until it came to Mr. Smith's turn. "I have raised another million," he said slowly, in the characteristic Scotch accent which had never entirely deserted him. -It will carry us on for a bit. When it is spent we will laise some more. In such manner and under such difficulties was the work carried on.* These tremendous efibrts of a financial kind were, as ,t fortunately happened, ably seconded by the man who had charge of the actual construction of the road. To Mr. (now Sir) William C. Van Home's knowledge, zeal, and industry must be ascribed the rapidity with which the work was pushed forward. At last, on the yth November, -^hSSt^t^^^^'^'^^^ time allowed wa.*JrJo^1: J"'""""' * ^°°^ ^"' of anxiety while the woA a^^Z^ 7' !; *• """" "'"''"*^ ^y ^''« kno^Mg, that it ^ approved of and supported by Canada as a whole S\L CANADA'S NATIONAL HIGHWAY ^ fi»'»h«l. A, the liMe ^ ^ «~' """"J- »«« '" British Columbi,. ^ ~rf *"J'"''"^"«''«. ««». Mr. Donald A SmlTh "P***"**"™ body of »f co„g„.t„„«„„, ,i^"'f' <"* » few brirf ^^ weIW,„«ed blows of T ^ "' '"" *** *« ""■"■al exereise, drove 171"°', "'^"^'^ <» Canadian Paoifi; R,.-^,; *^, '«' .^P'ke of .he •^y which witnessed Thf ' "^f""^" »' *« Wegnun arrived f„„ l^O ""*'" """""^ » Governor-General, Urd , °T' *""»'' *« congratulating the Can-rf- "'*'°*"«' graciously «<«even,e„, wi^;'^"rM°.'^P'* °" ** "^''o-' British Empire." "»l«"nce to the whole occupied any „„f „f." .'^'»'<' A- Smith has never *•« Pacific'R^ray'clr' ':'"'''" '" ""* <^- *-tor («.«,u«hl^*^::™; «^« "' * ''"P" •"-^^r::r::r^^r^^^^^ 310 LORD STRATHCONA therefore, when he drove the last spike on the Canadian Pacific Railway at Craigellachie." * Canadians have reason to be grateful to Lord Strathcona for the efifbrts he has made for the pro- motion of immigration — ^that great and prime need of the Dominion. For thirty years those efforts have not been relaxed. He was one of the earliest to impress upon the Government the necessity of filling up the North-West; and to-day finds him still in what is the most effetetive official position in connec- tion with the emigration of Europeans and the migratum of British peoples into the fertile expanses of what used to be called the " Great Lone Land." Once, early in 1877, there was a powerful agitation to relax the efforts of Canada to obtain more popula- tion, and Mr. Smith manfully resisted the views of those concerned in this agitation. "I recognise," said he, "the necessity for economy in view of the reduction of revenue, but I sincerely hope the Government will be able to find some other means of effecting that economy than by reducing the vote for immigration purposes. I trust we are * *< It is impossible to travel from this city to the Western Ocean without feelings of admiration for the courage, and I am almost tempted to say the audacity, both of those who first conceived and of those who have carried to a successful consummation this great national work. The construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway stands alone in the history of great achievements in railway building." —Lord Lansdowne, in a spttch delivtrtd Novtmber, 1885. CANADA'S NATIONAL HIGHWAY ,„ •Srreed u to the importance of filli„» „„ ,,, nrpL^ r -^""'"^y' *° ^h»ch they were at present exposed." ^ ® *' governed by his Z^Z "No I "^ *"*''*'" "» ever b™„^h,CL a pI"'^"^^«' thni.. ^ ■ ""WAY 3,3 «' Smi'h«wa„,^J^"'"j»" '-"o *• Dominion ^'^ outside the ,i„t o7r. I** '»«''«^ ^onh- 'nexpedien. for it ^ J't^T "^ '"" ""<'«««' " •«.e„ territorial ap^nZetoM'"'" ^'•™™«' « «"» pressed upon tt" of! ""°'*- ""•"ere. •«rat,on to tl,e west, bet«^ n v J*'^'* *""""- « first hand witl, the „eed, i "*** """"ersant •"d been called for «t^'"'~°*''°"» of wl«t opposiuon. Sir John mU^T""" ^O"'" "cite fo' this step. .. /think -^ A .?"«' ** "^e^ity ""■ght well be gomnt. T ' ""'*>»' •e'rito.y of Manitoba%a, » iitUe ^f T'"'^ °°™™0' «"y enough for a «^ JT ' "" '~"»'»'^ •">oIeoftheto,ritori« A^ ""^^ *°''™ *• unnecessaiy." '^ ^P*"*" Government i, Bm the member behW...< .t North-West TerritoW« ^^ °*'™'«' »»<• » the oommunity «» *ey had decidT.I"^""t •)""°-"«d«i'.. "ent, and .ha, the prXw ". "•"""« G"™™- P'«e,somiI.,f„^r^p"!,«'P"»' """W be at . fi»m the city of Win^.l'^ ^Jl"" """"'^ "istan, Albert. "^ "' W-'-'W This toKUy i, p„.,„ of*:;'rierdr^'"*^--«'con.p«s •Uttemeasu.esp.x,^'! "T" '"^"^ "^^ «<> ^' ".e bettermen" :rS:'. °^^^-' ^ «'■ So..* on tte map as Rupen-, ^^ Cf '""* """'"" were his unti„„» efibrts t^* O" «"ongst many fon, notablyof tfe S«W^ '^"""* "*" ■»*'««- During Lo^ Dufen^'^rj^tV"'-^'"""''"'- he lead an address ,0 .h. r ^""'P«« « '87; by numerous iX cmlr"""*^"""' "^"'^ «s .ordship had to'crtyT;:^:^ "*"••"»• to Portage la Pra;«- • ^ waggon or carriai?e whichT. X "a -r "^ "^ *^ ^'»"»'ne theGove^merwoXX?"" °" *"' ««" °^ H" "ged that oJui'";„""f«' "*"«*•"- amoved, and although let Z u ""^^^ ■* finally carried hi, jfnt li """"* "P^''""' where bMiav i„ a ,., ""^niers are every- ^ '" *' North-West. "The future^- ai6 LORD STRATHCONA ht» said on one occuion, "might bring some means of cheapening the cost of transport by rail, but as matters stand now, even with the additional expense of u canal in the way, the transporting of goods will be much cheaper by water than by rail. If we can obtain both rail and water communication, our position will be much better Uian confined to only one means of transit" Mention has already been made of Uie enforce- ment of tiie Smitii Liquor Act throughout Rupert's Und. Excellent in principle, as time went on tiiis absolute prohibition of liquor in the North-West became a nuisance, and Mr. Smith was himself one of Uie first to see this and try to temper some of the stringencies of his own Act "We did away witii liquor," said he, "to save the Indian needless suffering. Now it is ourselves who are needlessly suffering ; and the Indian-where IS he?" In 1870 there were thousands and tens of Uiousands of Indians in tiie Nortii-West There were not a thousand white people in Uie whole of tiiat great territofy outside of Manitoba. " There was," said he, " no middle way of dealing with the subject ; it would have been of no use then to impose a high duty upon liquors. "There were at that time just one Customs-house and two Customs officers in tiie North-West, includ- CANADA'S NATIONAL HIGHWAY „, '"' M.nitob«( .nd they were .t Wi. . ft. other hand, you h^ T^nl , ""*• °" "■"es «retchin; to thTRjr » """ '•"» potion of Which 1 d be r^tr'"'' T'' •«y high „«, i„ .ny^nr^"" ;• ""'y " Yankee, were conwanL Jh. L '^' ""•' •"• The o„,y thin, wasto ^ at^T.ol'^!:* "• «« «II. and when i. „ / " to be introduced ground." ' *" ^""•"^ "> »P"' '•« on the " You tr» """' ~-"' ■«" '"« '<" -er. Th-y - d„l fl'TpT "o^t *- "- wuntry : thev h-v*. u^ ^""*P® *nd 'his -n. ^d^eifcir nr ^ ■"- •"•" thine to change thThlw^ „f ' h " '^'^ **'"" fte ve:y Uct of fo bMd wlt r^'"- '""'"'» drinks would have i„ it«tf* ™^ * "^ *""=■■ •»« upon intending iewL .'^ *"*" '"■''•^""« -^nsT^re^r '- ^'^-■"^' ^ '"« ^ ^aS/rn^^-in-^- ai8 I.' ■'I - It' tORD STRATHCONA Mlntatw of U.. c™wn .nd of our j«dg« i„c.«d* n introducing into eve^, portion of the Civil &rvl« ^«ly Who «, fit to do the work to h. ^^ to *em. If .uch c« be otaen-ed, we AouM b. •nd who do good work for the DominiVn." ' i-te,^ rf .r" '"•" *• ''" We« to «n« the todepen^nt of the Government «d of »nTjX U-t I declined to receive .nydiing wh.tev«^ the Government for .ny «nric« I hid rendered." JL*"., " "^"^ "' *"*• "»"«'<'»«' ** inter. ^« c,rcum«^ce that Mr. Sn,ith h«l, in the long y^ he spent in the bleak wilderness of Ubnulor ZT^^ graUu.1 e«inction there of the eZ^o! ttepoUr bear, the w.lr„,,.„d the wild fowl. Y«« rd-rr-^ ^^- *«"«^"n»in":^«^r wonderful beast, the bison, or buffiUo. „ h is m«l of h,s own pnvate eflbrt,, u.e buffiJo disappeared from the prames. until in Sir Donald SmithHwn^ possession was the final small herd of th«e oTc^ counUess denizens of the West. CANADA^ NATIONAt H.OHWAV a., When Mr. SmiO, h«i .^ ' *~"- Seven or eirtt „ "*"'»«*•<»« rf Oat •0 be found IvgoL *^:ir i!!: ^'^ *•" -"'y No. "•«>r^^:f "Z^^^r-'^•«•• onslaughts. Missouri made theiV »»de up the quou of de«r^on ^1^ *°""'»«' Father Uoombe . J^ °° "^ "*' »a»nHn» to *e ^rteughter <^ntinu^/ ","" r""""^ '^ » •"■(Wo would r«S„« V^ '^" • ""^^ *• »^".h.~. «,d thirrrone /.;:« ;""""■"•■■■"- on which he found him«Ti„ , * °~"'°" member for Liwar ^ k "f**""' *■* *« "The sla«j",i: and dt^"""" *" ""'j' •<» P^n. «"« Mr. Sn,fth, L . ,^^'rr'!.'""'* "'■*'<''" inducement, held ouZ aL" *' """"" «» *« out to American traders. A large 230 LORD STRATHCONA number of bufiklo robes go to the other side, and while the Canadian trader loses profit the buffiilo is gradually but surely being killed oflF. I hope the Government will be able to devise some means to exclude the ingress of American traders and also give protection to the buflfalo. Canadian hunters and traders are not allowed to go into American territory." But the required law establishing a close time for the buflEalo came too late— the stable-door was locked after the horse had been stolen. A little later, al- though Mr. Smith frequently beheld the bones of the buffalo whitening on the plains, not a live bufiblo could be seen for many hundreds of miles. There was no doubt that with the extinction of this animal, upon whom the Redmen depended for their staple article of food (known as pemmican), was connected the bloody uprising which occurred some years later (i88s) in the North-West. It had been predicted that if the bufiWo supply was cut oflF trouble would ensue, and this prediction also came true. When trouble occurred, however, it was not owing to misgovern- ment by, or to any grievance against, the Hudson's Bay Company. "The Americans," wrote Mr. Smith, " have had n-any such wars ; but our action towards the Indians has been very di£ferent from that of America." "Under any circumstances," declared Mr. Schultz, "it is far cheaper to feed the Indians CANADA'S NATIONAL HIGHWAY j,, Tn^mt *r" ""^' • <"■»«"«"■•*«» Ameri- can military officer once said flat "it would be cheaper to board and lodge a whole tribe of Red- skin, a. .he Fifth Avenue Hotel in New York tjn to have war with them." Once, referring to the late Lord Dufierin's (the Governor-General-s) speech on Manitoba and British ^mbia, in which he pictured in such eloquent terms the resources and future of the great North- West, Mr. Smith observed th.t a friend of his who happened to be in England ^„ afterwards, and who was m a position to meet a great many budness men m London and on the Exchange, told him that t was no unusual thing to see genUemen take out of . *«'.P»«*«^« copy of that speech and make further mqumes about the North-West. of which they h«I hitherto heard so little. They said that it must be an admirable country when so spoken of by Lord Dufienn, and doubtless deserved all that had been said about it by His Excellency. To evince his own ardent attachment for the beau^ful West, take the following eloquent passage ^m^^ne of T^ri Strathcona's speeches fifteen yea„ " Anyone who has gone to Banff, and from one of i^m^"'/,'"!^'" ^ ^°°^ "o™ "P"" «he 6.11 immediately beneath, a fell of eighty fee, or more with a large volume of water; who has looked on 332 LORD STRATHCONA h» beheld ft. mounuin, towering he.ve«wL. and not felt hB soul elevated, not felt p„„d tha, „ u,i. » I»rt of the Dominion, cnno, be a true dna^" Those who will ,„,el westward will find that evt^ «ch the sun. The ye«- before the cornerstone was laid the about It and maturing flieir plans. When it was finished at last, in ,893. some of the committee wanted to mark the imiuguretion by a ceremony, and approached Sir Donald to this effect. "No " he replied, "I want no flourish of trumpets. Iui« open the doors when the building is ready and let the patients come in." Could anything be more characteriaic of the man ? It was m this jubilee year that Sir Donald returned to polices. "Sir John Macdonald requested me," he said i^rwards, "I may say urged me, as a friend and as one who ha.i given him very general support, to come forward as a candidate of the Con- servative party. He did so in such terras that, uking this into con«deration and looking to the kindness of my fnends, I felt I ought to accede to their wish. Four years later it was very much the same, but RAISED TO THE PEERAGE ,„ Vet in 1895, when he said thi. 1. « e«ed „ independent candidate for ^1%^: "*"" *»».on of laontreal, and eleT^ t , ^'^ *"'<""• . I'^-f the prog,;« of tTsilTr"""- •••ctoral campwgn in .88, T T^ "' '"oeMful "ounce «In,i,^je*L''""«» "■"" """ "»« I»»- "^ Wend^ ^ "' ""' "P"*" eo'-ed Wm mLy i^-'S'^'^r^ZeZ/T^' "*"««'' "o ;-..r.Gove™n.e~h:4'r'"- ^t .he „„« ' «m no. dispo«d to op^ tt^^"" ""'^'" We know that success J^n^ "" °' *''• '»*«'0'>. but that^ i!^;? r "J"" '""olute success." ?«!W»«s u tba critaoQn of of the Hudson's ^T^Zr *." ™»^">'e« "» had, as one of theW^T 'k "" ''»«h-Wes,, •"endedtheannnS^^Xgsln^^^r"'"*'-'^ 8>ven the authorities .h. iT ^ ''°" ""d always Comn-issione, at Winnl^eHy Mn""." ^"'^ ■" '887 bjr Mr. J . ^ 7 "'• Biydges, and -■» hi, counsel,^? „^"*"^- »- » ""-"te « "*' "o °»« '"s suT,rised. on 226 LORD STRATHCONA the retirement of Mr. Eden Colvillc, in January, 1889, that he should be selected for the^Qovemor- ,»!??£.«.« lineal succession to the first ruler— Prince Rupert. This must have aflforded Sir Donald high gratifica- tion. He had now risen through every grade of the service— from apprentice - clerk in Ubrador and resident governor of the fiir trade— to the highest position of all. And yet this distinction, whose achievement would almost have appeared incredibl4 to him as a young man, and indeed none had eveil gained it from the ranks, was now soon lost &midsi the multitude of other honours. When Canada, and the whole empire, lost in 1891 that really great political genius. Sir John Macdonald, there were few who felt the loss more than Sir Donald Smith. The gulf created between them many years ago at the time of the Pacific scandals had long been bridged, and they were at the time of the Premier's death warm and intimate friends. "One of the most pleasing things to me," said Sir Donald a few years afterwards, "is that Sir John Macdonald himself told me, and in the most kindly way, that he could never have thought so well of me had I supported him on that occasion. I believe that in the latter days, and for several years before we lost him, I was as much in his RAISED TO THE PEERAGE „, to be seen that th;» , nowever, it began province ?„"*rp"*rr' "" '""'" "^ *« we« in an o ltim1"„f t"!^""« •»"■'"'"'" serious interferen™ ^S^^l T"'^ """ * ^^^ A^n.ep„n.:„r*--rrfe::^^ "der/^™ an'dT^*' '*■'"'' ** ="«'«" """ed cries of .h?" , ' *"■""' threatened. The cnes of u,e malcontent were echoed, with a few nouble exceptions, by ti.e ™i„ion aid a h!lf oT o^^ G S"*"-- " "" '='-ough l!!Jr L •^""•"' "^ ™^« o" the lines Wd down by Sir Donald Smith. It was a d.n«ro« -epfora F„„ch^„.aian P«mier .0 taice-to^ n g^l^ffl^aity has long been an institution *^ sited ?^r'"'" *• '■"•'-"'"^ '- n«a sustained. To find a successor to Sir William 2t f .""' '"* "' P"" '» E"«>"<' '" the wmter of ,895-«. It i. „ot every „„n, not every U«.v«»ty Chancellor, who has such a ^t w th^ ajo LORD STRATHCONA Ws gift, or, If he had, could acquit himself wiaelv of a choice. ^ "What we require In the principal of McGill » he said, "Is, first of all, administrative ability, and secondly, a mind broad enough to embrace and understand all the interests existent in the University It IS not easy to find the right man to step Into Sir Wilham Dawson's shoes." Nor was It easy. The story of that tour through Great Britain would alone fill a chapter. Sir Donald visited in turn Oxford and Cambridge, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, and Dundee In search of a head for one of the most admirably appointed and bountifully equipped seats of learning In the worid. For a long time the secret of his choice was kept and It cannot be denied that when It became known he had oflfered the post to Dr. William Peterson, Principal of Dundee, a man under forty, there was a slight feeling of disappointment But Sir Donald Smith's judgment has not proved false, and toiday nowhere will It be disputed that in the present Principal of McGill University there is to be found a rare combination of scholastic zeal, mental equip- ment, and executive ability upon which Canada and her leading school may well be congratulated. By the re-entry of Sir Charies Tupper into Canadian politics and his subsequent brief Premier- ship, the Important post of High Commissioner for RAISED TO THE PEERAGE ,3, C»n«u In London became vacant Having vainly endeavoured to induce Sir Donald to accept a political office in the Dominion, he waa..fiaally lused to of empire. which I th,nk those who know me will believe i did not covet My name was mentioned in con- nection with a ceruin office, but no pressure could induce me to accept it I have ever sought to free myself from mere partyism, while having a certain connection with public life. "It was thought that perhaps my connection with public matters would enable me to be of some service to the country, particularly in relation to certain large questions in which both the Imperial and Canadian Governments are interested. I do not know yet to what extent I shall be able to serve the country in this regard, but I think I am a Canadian in spirit, and what I shall do will be m the interest of the country as a whole and not of any party." The appointment was hailed with enthusiasm throughout Canada, and early in July he entered upon his new and arduous duties. History affords but few examples of a millionaire at Sir Donald Smith's time of life voluntarily devoting himself to labour which robbed him of all his leisure. He »J» LORD STRATHCONA WM not onlsr . mutmu,, .bl« to oop« with to», of the oeke had been before. m. - - ' CommiMioner Cwd. la. ew lad. dLT *" ""^ "' concueneM .nd pUto, practical common Mnse m«.. ^ i.i . m.«7^ .^"» '» • "^ «•• ««I««I Judg. •»•« and npened experience of Lorf St^theon. eLSTi.i::^"' " ""^ "• "^^ -•"- . Z?**"^" "'»'"»«>«• bene&etion,." «„ by Lord Sttathcona of hU time, hi, ^Uents. hi. Muence hi, ««w p„«ige. to whaZ^^.^ promi^offurtheringthe development, thepr^peritT Md well-being of Canada and Canadin^" ^' « cl«^ that he regarded it a, «rictly non-political, •nd the new Premier wa, of the wme o-ini!: " ,^rs'";!r "r ^"^ '"* "■« oppo»iuo„Ti «n«g Sir Donald to retain the High Cb«mi,«W RAISBD TO THB PBBRAOB ,„ Cn«U to Enriand'; H '^^ "• •»» "»". for ">« which Is happily visible daily h. .11. •owhichn^a^riX'^^'-;-- - the appointment of any C«»d«« to this imperial post The Governor- ^mlship and it, occ«p«.t form the chief Unk between Britain uid her greatest colony. This link should be. in the common acceptMion «rf the term. Imperial; it should be forged u the seat of the Empire. »•« « me i- CHAPTER XI PRACTICAL IMPERIALISM te»» pnmwn. of EnglW, civil .nd eccl«i.«ic.l la, oon.«npI«,„g whid, even ft, j„^,i ^^^ cwnot witlUwId tlM Wbute of a smile T^?^ « d«*.«d -&•.»«« oontiaued, amidst the derisio» «rf f ""Oj-..".- tl.e fruit of ,11 such alli«,ces ^ Butt ft""*' '^"«*™ "-^'^ "«'««' «'^ dl!^- '" J^ "« of "» Queen's domains the inier *cUon had been .bolish«I under laws signet He M.je«y. Consequently, what was leL .„d ^^Jlt2,t «-"'•• -" -^ - »38 LORD STRATHCONA •»«rriag« contracted in the Colonies, he faced one of the most numerous and splendid audiences that have ever paclced the Upper Chamber. Not only were Ae benches full of the nobility, including Rovi K •».,«"*«•»« and other members of thf .h" '^ commoners looked down upon him f«m the galleries. This moment was, beyond compari- son, the most brilliant of. his lifetime. "My lords," he began in a clear, low voice, I have very great diffidence in appearing to «ldr«s you at this time. It is the first occ«ion on wh.ch I l^ve had the privilege of addr^ssin^ you as a member of this House. NotwithsUnding! " " "'» "'* "-y great confidence that I come before you, my lords, for I know that you will h^much consideradon for one in the position I After detailing the provisions and scope of his Bill, he continued :— when Aey come home bear a mark of disg^? Why should they be legitimate in one part ofX emp.n, and illegitimate in another, when ti,e local P"l«imen,s and assented to by the Queen ? • • • Is tills, he continued, lowering his voice im- pressively, "is this a creditable state of tilings in PRACTICAL IMPERIALISM ,39 our present civilisation? P™ . Glad P^P e fl'" '°"°"' °' *'" "°*-'»»''- BrMsH^ '™'^ '"" °' "" "O'" "here the onteh flag IS paramount came last year to LnnH ^ do honour to their l«,„,e<, Sov^;^° """t wgetner, and the removal of tu;^ '<.«p-you:;::^,^nis*°"""'"'^'- o»«i . "Hpruvai ot this measure, whirh rrs?:r'":-'"«-«'«''-ve;n2: ^-oionies, to remove a restrirtinn «,i.- u both of the Esublished Church, of the other P,^ Utnt denommauons, and of the Ctholic Chu,c"t Canada, and , believe also in the other CoJni " »40 LOUD STRATHCONA "I would now. my lord., i„ doting, de,l« to „y ••one of fljo« cooing from Uie Colonic. Bve,; »- .»Jhe C.loni„ ,00k. upon htauelf „ being 2^ "»ch of «, E„gIiAm«, „ if h. „„ bo» wiftin tte bound. ^ u» UniW Kingdom. He glori.. in ft. n«j,e of Englirtman, „d he ha. mi tte „^,^ ^«s Uj.. you .nd „, a.o« who « loy., " .^ «.p.«h.ve. Thi.me«ureaffect.^nd^ve^ ofthe Cmwn to tte .„,..„. „d many of th«„ d„ w.ad«w U« h„ e,p,«.ion, -the mo« Ioy.1.. ■n^ughou. U.e Dominion of Can«I_inde«i, my one «andard, but one measure of loyalty. fAo- do .hat a,ey are, equally with those in this counut members ofthe gn.t empire to which we all Wo^' I am conHdent that you, my lords, will on ftfa «»«on «nd those who are in the posi^on I have "fcrred to a message of goodwill, that you are desirous of doing full justice to them." the Bi,,'",:!- ?""""" ^^'^ "■^""■T) opposed the B,1I, mainly becau«, he urged, it would\ilter 241 PRACTICAL IMPERIALISM ^»«e»lo„ to re,, property in U,i.coam,y. Tli, Colonie. ,pp«red to w,„, u, diettue to u. Z taw r^,, «,e .ucc^ion to ^ p^.," ^ •P~ch eflfeet.vely cnuhed this foolish argument, and . d.v«,on W.S t.l«„. Tl,e Prince of Wales (ffin, voted for Lord Strathcona's Bill, which was carried' by the most un«,pected majority of ,,9 u> 46. ij/ *e m,no„^ appeared the name, of Lords SalisburyJ C~ss, Balfour of Burleigh, and ten bishops. ^' Buuhe Government tefnsed ,0 ulce up the Bill in ^.^h T There we„ sworn enemies to refonn who could not pe«eive the anomaly ' '>«« sprung upon Pari«ment suddenly. „ i^ i„ „„ JJl "ll^l"' 'I'"'"- ^^ '"'■"^-^o" ^-«'- .^2^ ^?K " """'■"« ** ■"•«- •"»" *e attention of the .mperial authorities. I. affects, my 'ord,, the mo« imporunt and sa«ed of all con.;!' »42 LORD STRATHCONA and a£Eiects communities not less attached to the Christian religion than those of the Mother Country. ... The present time seems to me a singularly appropriate one for such action on the part of your lordships as I have ventured to recommend. For the last few years there has been a great awakening of imperial sentiment. The different parts of the empire have vied with one another in demonstrating their loyalty to the Crown and to the empire. They have shown not only the desire, but the determination to share both in its joys and in its troubles, and we have at the present time in South Africa an object- lesson to the world of the practical unity of the different parts of the British Empire, which has awakened an enthusiasm both in the Motherland and in every part of the world where the British flag flics never witnessed before. . . . Your favour- able decision would be regarded in some parts of the empire as a message of goodwill to our fellow- subjects, who are so closely connected with us by common ancestry, by common patriotism, by common love for the empire to which we are all proud to belong, and by common loyalty and veneration for our gracious Sovereign." The Archbishop of York this time joined his eloquence to that of the Lord Chancellor, but in vain. The majority for the Bill was ii6 to 31 votes, the Prince of Wales, the Duke of York, and the r- r _ I i ¥■ I. PRACTICAL IMPERIALISM 343 Duke of Connaught voting with the majority. This imposing majority proved, however, unavailing; Lord Salisbury had sufficient influence to prevent its being brought forward in the House of Commons. The Bill was treated with silent neglect by the leaders of that body. In the meantime, as intimated in the foregoing, the great and bloody struggle for supremacy between Briton and Boer had broken out in South Africa. From the commencement of the strife Lord Strath- cona took the deepest, closest interest in the progress of events at the theatre of war. He was one of the very first to perceive— alas I had it but been perceived earlier— that our chief need in those wild, barren stretches was a rugged, ardent, mobile force-a force such as the enemy themselves represented — under a fearless leader, but each man an eflfective unit, a good shot, and a tireless horseman. The repeated reverses, following on the mistaken tactics of those dark days early in 1900, suggested to Lord Strath- cona that the experiment of such a body of rough riders as the Canadian Mounted Police ought to be tried. The thought crystallised for a few days, and then early in January came the offer of such a mounted force from himself— as a Canadian— to the Queen and empire. It would be raised by himself, equipped by himself, and transported to South Africa at his own cost— narly six hundred mounted men •«»«»/ moiOTION TBT CHAW (ANSI and ISO TEST CHART No. 2) _^^5 t»53 Eo»t Moin SItmI '-^^ (7'«) 288 - 5989 - Fo, 244 LORD STRATHCONA and horses. It would not cost the War Office a penny: its expense to him would be over a million dollars. The magnificence of this offeralmost starUed the country ; needless to say, it was accepted. When, on the departure of a portion of the con- tingent en route from Canada to South Africa, Lord Strathcona addressed them a few words, the scene was an inspiring one. Briefly he complimented them on their fitness for the work which lay before them. " I am sure," he said simply, "you will do as the others have done. You can do no more, you will do no less. God speed you, and a safe return." 'Every man of us," said one of these hardy troopers, who afterwards gave a good account of himself in a dozen fights, "felt moved almost to teare. We knew that the old man believed in us, and we silently swore to reward that trust Well " he added, "I think most of us did-as-/;5^ otfjrs have done. We could do no more." The Strathconas ultimately became attached to Lord Dundonald's brigade. They had their first conflict on that day of glorious associations - Dominion Day-^nd made a number of prisoners, with the loss of only one man in action. After that fighting was common enough, and so were fetalities On one occasion the leader, Colonel Steele, had his horse shot under him, and "actually admitted, with a smile, that he had been in a tight corner." But PRACTICAL IMPERIALISM 245 the exploits of Strathcona's Horse properly belong to the history of the great Boer War. Much as this corps has been praised, it cannot be said that Colonel Steele and his men were given that chance to do their utmost to defeat and destroy the enemy, which the War Office in its subsequent stage of enlighten- ment would have granted. Amongst the enemy, it may be mentioned, the corps was known and dreaded widely as the " English Boers." A popular modern writer has said of his old-world hero:* "His character is one of those which combine activity of thought with great faculty of reverence and of submission. . . . These natures are enthu- siastic, tiiough generally not supposed to be so and tiiough little sign of it appears in their outward conduct; for the objects of tiieir enthusiasm being generally diflferent from tiiose which attract most men, they are conscious that they have little sym- pathy to expect in their pursuit of them, and this gives their enthusiasm a reserved and cautious demeanour. . . . This feeling, more than anything else, gives to persons of this nature a demeanour quite different from that of the ordinary religious or political enthusiast, a demeanour seemingly cold and indiflferent, tiiough courteous, and to some extent sympathetic." I believe these words might, without much altera- • "John Ingrleaant." 246 LORD STRATHCONA tion, be applied to Lord Strathcona and Mount Royal. His eightieth birthday found Lord Strathcona as hale and hearty, as clear in intellect, and as capable of hard work as most men of half these years. "Providence," said he on one occasion, "has Y^ favoured me with a good constitution. Then I have / had plenty of work to do all my life, and there is no doubt that that is the best thing for keeping a man well and strong; for in the very efiFort to do that work thoroughly well, he must cut ofiF any habits and practices that tend to weaken him and render him unfit for the best service." As to Lord Strathcona's hospitality, it has long been a byword amongst all who know him. In Montreal, in London, at Knebworth, at Glencoe, or at Winnipeg, there was the same lavish consideration for the comfort as well as the aesthetic perceptions of his guests. He entertained Lord DuflFerin in the early "seventies," and each succeeding Viceroy enjoyed his princely hospitality. Among the guests at the Montreal mansion have been numbered the Duke and Duchess of Connaught, the Marquis and Marchioness of Lansdowne, the Earl and Countess of Derby, the Earl and Countess of Aberdeen, the Earl and Countess of Minto, and last, but not least, their Royal Highnesses the present Prince and PRACTICAL IMPERIALISM 247 Princess of Wales, who remained under his lord- ship's roof during the whole of their recent stay in Montreal. In each of these instances the dinner- party was followed by a reception, to which over a thousand persons were invited. His love for art is amply attested by a valuable private collection of pictures. The highest price ever paid for a modern picture at auction (45,000 dollars) was given by him for Jules Breton's "The First Communion." He has also in his collection numerous examples of Raphael, Titian, Turner, Reynolds, Gainsborough, Romney, Millais, Constable, and other famous masters. Lord Strathcona has received many honours in the last twenty years, but there are few that he prizes more highly than his LL.D. degree, granted him by Cambridge University in 1887. Five years after this was followed by a similar doctoral conferment on the part of Yale University. In 1900 he was chosen to succeed the Earl of Aberdeen as Lord Rector of Aberdeen University. * Towards the close of his address he gave some views on the empire's future which deserve to be well conned by every subject. "We have," said he, " glanced at some of the milestones along the road which has led to the cross-roads we are now facing, * December, 1900. I ! ■ »48 LORD STRATHCONA taken ? Shall it be the one which points to the main- which W.U lead to closer unity for imperial purpo«! for commercial purposes, and for drfence? ^« seem, to be a general feeling in favour of the ^Z7 wh.ch wiU assure the difieren. parts of the e^ ^2^^". °' ^' -80— ment, while giving them . vo^ce ,r imperial policy, the desire for which i, STlTZrT"*'^^'^'- There a« some who. think that the solution of the problem is to be foun,- « the representation of Canada and the Colonies U the Imperial Parliament 1 am no. one of th^ wh ^ that view, at any rat*, until a truly Imperfe' b^ tha there „»y ^ ,^ ^,.^^^ ^ J^ |«al affiiirs m England, Scotland, and Ireland , and win be imperial in name and in its work. We W.U seek to havea.voioe in the foreign policy-and in o*er subjects affecting the well-being^f VtZ of meeiung the aspirations of the Colonies does not admit of doubt. I have made some reference to A^ n- er •e e s PRACTICAL IMPERIAL'SM J49 q»e«io« of .n Imperial Parliament That may be the ultimate solution or it may not But"« th! meantime the constitution of an Imperil (i„„* ■« conjunction with U,e Colonial OiBce. con^Z' o ^presentati^s of the Imperial Gove nme„. ? « a prehmmaor step, even if the Council were only consultative at the commencement" penal«t of over siay yeara' standing, and what he ^^Phesied it is our fervent hope Say he J^gS: "It is," he said again, in one of his Enelish Sf^^es, ..very much a,e fa^on to complain".^ fte Colon.es do not contribute to the expends of ti,e army and navy, although ti,e services exist for im! penal purposes. They do not perhaps, except T„ ttey alone are responsible, for works and develop, ments of imperial as well as local utility. Theh^ ^^nd'^T'*'' """ *""»""• -'»'*« fo' ^ and cable communication, expenses for local defences and militia establishments, all come u„X this heading. In Canada ti,e construction of ti,e railways entails an annual charge upon the coun^ 350 LORD STRATHCONA of one million sterling. These facts should be borne in mind in discussing the matter." Somebody once asked Lord Strathcona for some words of advice on behalf of young men, and in the reply he gave he revealed his own lifelong guiding principles. "Be content," said he, "with your lot, but always be fitting yourself for something better and something higher. Do not despise what you are. Be satisfied for the time, not grumbling and finding fault. If you want to get higher, to a better position, only cheerful perseverance wilj bring you there: grumbling wiU not help you an *"«^^- Your future really depends almost entirely ,,. 9JiJSm$}hM^JsyhtxmMliK.t^ i^ke it;! would like to impress this fact upon you. Do the work yourself; don't wait for friends to use their influence on your behalf; don't depend on the help of others. Of course, ppnprtunity is a great thing, and it comes to some men more frequently than to others. But there are very few it does not visit at one time or another, and if you are not ready for it and have not prepared to welcome it, that is your fault, and you are the loser. Apart from that i which we call genius, I believe that one man is able to do as well as any other, provided the opportunity presents itself and he is blessed with good health.' PRACTICAL IMPERIALISM 251 Much of what I would advise you young men to do IS contained in the old counsel, 'Trust in Providence, and keep your powder dry.'" And with no more fitting words than these-preg- nant with practical wisdom, and revealing so much of his own modest character-can we close this narrative of the remarkable career of one well meriting the title of Canada's "Grand Old Man." APPENDIX A HON. DONALD A. SMITH'S OWN NARRATIVE OF EVENTS DURING THE RED RIVER REBELLION, 1869-70 REPORT AS CANADIAN COMMISSIONER TO RED RIVER ADORBSSBD TO THE SBCRBTARY OP 8TATB LEAVING Ottawa on the 13th December last, I reached St. Cloud, the terminus of railway communication, on the 17th, continuing on the same day by stage, and arriving at Abercrombie on the evening of the 19th. Here we had to abandon wheeled carriages, and pro- curing a sleigh, after a couple of hours' rest, we resumed the journey, and on the afternoon of the aist met Hon. Mr. MacdougaU and party about thirty miles beyond Georgetown. From him I learned how serious the aspect of affairs had latterly become at Red River, and pushing on, we got to Pembina about 11 p.m. of the ;*4th and to Fort Garry on the 37th. The gate of the fort we found open, but guarded by several armed men, who on my desiring to be shown to Governor Mactavish's house, requested me to wait tiU they could communicate with their chief. In a short 253 THE RED RIVER REBELLION 353 time Mr Loui. Rid appeared. I announced my name. He «ild he had heard of my arrival at PemW,.,, and wa. about to .end off a party to bring me In. . then accompanied him to a room occupied by ten or a dozen »«n, whom he introduced to me a. member, of the provaional Government." He reqieated to Icnow the purport of my vi.it. to which I replied in substance that I wa. connected ^-ith the Hud«on'. Bay Company, out also held a commission from the Canadian Government to the people of Red River, and would be prepared to .how my credential, a. .oon a. they (the people) were wilhng to receive me. I wa. then a.ked to take oath not to attempt to leave the fort that night, nor to upset their Govermnent. legally e.tabH.hed. Thi. request I peremptorily refused to comply with, but said that, beine very tired, I had no desire to go outside the gate that mght, and promised to take no immediate steps forcibly to upset the so"«>. "» c.u«, ,„ «" tifo^tf t:r: r '"■'"''"^' the CoBfedwalion tbtir,Z. ""'."«'"' ^ '""ri-* into F"~h half-b^*" H™;" ■»■"? "»«'X " to do. th. ""Won, .„d orr;.J.°, .."^"^ •" '" ""' ""■ ««•" ih„ z stwi* :: rj""''"'^'" *• " .«it«. yet f.,teH.<, n,.ZrZ ^'.-TriTj' tis a c'reat oitv • h..f u ' * know, tin., a writroZfo rrdr""''"! " "■• -- To this , would not^^d* but „ ? '° "" ■"'""««'• -.wouidbedeurirr/Lxtrir; 256 LORD STRATHCONA should be afforded an opportunity of communicating their contents to the people, I consented to send a friend for them. It was so decided, and immediately after the messenger had received his instructions from me I was placed under strict arrest, a captain's guard being assigned me, whose instructions were not to lose sight of me, day or night, and prevent me from communicating either verbally or in writing with any individual. I pro- tested, saying, "Am I to consider myself a prisoner?" He replied, " Certainly not ; I have the utmost confidence in your honour, but circumstances demand this." It was now about ten o'clock, and my messenger having been marched out, I retired to bed, but only to be awakened 'twixt two or three o'clock in the morning of the isth by Mr. Riel, who, with a guard, stood by the bedside and again demanded a written order for the delivery of my official papers, which I again peremptorily refused to give. The well-affected French party became aware of what had happened, and not believing in Kiel's good faith, determined to prevent the papers from falUng into his hands. They got together some sixty or eighty men, who met my friend on his way back, and were escorting him, when on the i8th, about ten miles from the fort, they were accosted by Riel and some of his party and by the Rev. Mr. Richot. An altercation took place. Riel attempted to use his pistol, saying "he would not be taken alive in his own country," on which a revolver was levelled at hi- head, and Mr. Richot having inter- posed, he was unceremoniously told to stand aside and THE RED RIVER REBELLION ,57 "a.t to fatoftr. „y fisher wia, „,«.„ „c.n«cttd With his spiritual duti^ " ?♦ .^ "wnneciea all th«.. u . . ' "*y *^ ^e« to note that ail those who took oart in fhi. -« • -. with on., or . . *''*'' "^^ Catholics and. with one or two exceptions. French half-breeds. Nothing mc^e senous happened at this time, and the part^ or^ ceeded together to v,^^ n » "" me party pro- o^etner to Fort Garry, where they arrived in th« forenoon. A few minutes before they enterr^^h!^ J the Ve.y Rev. Mr. Thibaul, Pire LesUnc ^^^^ de Salaberrv ,>^u^ *-estanc, and Colonel was permitted to converse since the i^th n.- . to be much concerned and saTd7 ^ ^^^^"^ f I. -1 u ^"raea. and said it was currently reoorteH -d Witt z^;:^ ~'' '" *• 7" "f <»«« •»" »«<.r, the a™H^' ^ '^ "'""■"'d with the Hberal views of the CanadiM Government, ,0 that ang '•^4 ttar:„izror ^t'^Sdtj^ '-.r •- "ciua- at an after-stace • hnf *u^ ^ doing so, now lost, never r^^rLd '^^'""*^ °' As IS generally known, the result of the m^f the appointment of forty dele^aLV f ! T ^^ '"^^ side, to meet on th« ,!fu t ' "^^"'^ ^™" ^'^^er consideH;ir,„t;:n TZ^''''' ^^ °''^'-' °^ to decide what wouW 1 k , * ^"'""s'on and country" Zpvt ^'' ^^^ '^'^ ^«'^«r« of the 360 LORD STRATHCONA explanations g^ven and their earnest desire for union with Canada. On the aand Riel had several conferences with the well- affected French within the fort ; he was melted even to tears, told them how earnestly he desired an arrangement n^th Canada, and assured them that he would lay down his authority immediately on the meeting of the Conven- tion. They believed him sincere, and although I considered that their guard in the fort should not be decreased, they held that ten men would be amply sufficient to leave while they went to secure thdr elections. The consequence was that they had hardly gone when repressive measures were resorted to, and the Hudson's Bay Company's stores, which had hitherto been only partially in their hands, were now taken complete possession of by Riel. Efforts were made to have the prisoners released, but without effect The delegates met on the 35th and continued in session till the loth February. On the 26th I handed to their chairman, Judge Black, the documents read at the meetings of the 19th and 20th January, and on the ayth attended the Convention by appointment. I was received with much cordiality by all the delegates, explained to them the views of the Canadian Government, and gave assurances that on entering the confederation they would be secured in the possession of all rights, privileges, and immunities enjoyed by British subjects in other parts o£ the Dominion ; but on being requested by Mr. Riel to give an opinion regarding a certain *' List of Rights " prepared by his party in December last, I declined to do so, thinking THE RED RIVER REBELLION 361 it better that the present Convention should place in my hands a paper stating their vdshes, to which I should " be happy to give such assurances as I believed would be in accordance with the views of the Canadian Government." The Ccuvention then set about the task of preparing a ' * List of Rights " embodying the conditions on which they would be willing to enter the Confederation. While the discus- sion regardmg this list was going on, Mr. Rid called on me and asked if the Canadian Government would consent to recdve them as a pro^ance. My reply was that I could not speak with any degree of certainty on the subject, as it had not been referred to when I was at Ottawa, the intention then being that the North-West should in the first instance be incorporated under the Dominion as a territory ; but I added that no doubt it would become a province within two or three years. On this Mr. Rid, ixdth much emphasis, exclaimed, "Then the Hudson's Bay Company is not safe yet ! " To which I answered, «Mr. Rid, that cannot influence me in the slightest d^free, and I am quite prepared to act as may be required of me in my capadty as Canadian Commissioner." This was on the evening of the 3rd of February. On the follo^xnng day the proposition to enter as a province was negatived by the Convention, and on the 5th another motion, directed against the Hudson's Bay Company, also failed, the language used by Mr. Rid on the latter occa- sion having been violent in the extreme. The same evening Riel proceeded to Governor Mactavish, who had been dangerously ill for many weeks back, and heaping reproaches and insult upon him, declared that he would I, a«a LORD STRATHCONA have him .hot before midnight. Riel then wught out Dr. Cowan, the officer in immediate charge of Red River Distnct, upbraided him for his persistent opposition to the people," the insurgents, and declaring that his name would go down with infamy to posterity for the part he had taken, demanded that he would immediately swear allegiance to the "provisional Govermnent" or prepare for death within three hours, giving him a quarter of an hour for consideration. The Doctor immediately replied that he knew no legal authority in the country but that of Great Britain to which his aUegiance was due, and that he would not take the oath required of him. He was then seized and put in confine- ment along with the prisoners taken in December last. I was also put under strict charge, but not removed from the house. Notwithstanding this and the painful doubt created in the minds of the English members of the Convention as to the course they should pursue, after these arrests the delegates again met on the 7th. On the 5th they had placed in my hands the • • List of Rights " they had drawn up, which was done at eleven o clock on the nh, with an intimation that the Convention would be glad to meet me at one o'clock p.m., the intervening two houra being aUowed me to frame my answers. In drawing up these I was allowed no reference to any document, either written or printed, except the " List of Rights," and a guard stood over me to see that I should write nothing else ^an that to be presented to the Convention. I hZ just finished writing when Mr. Riel and his Adjutant- General, Lepine, who was also a member of the Conven- * THE RED RIVER REBELLION 263 tion, came in, and Riel, looking at tlie latter in a ■ignificant manner, said, "The answers to the 'List of Rights' must be simply 'yes ' or 'no.' " On this I remarked that I thought otherwise, and would act as circumstances might appear to me to require. I then retired, and on returning to the room a few minutes later, found there Mr. Riel, the Rev. Mr. Thibault, and Ck)lonel de Salaberry. We proceeded together to the Convention, and in course of conversation Colonel de Salaberry said he would gladly have come to see me before, but could not, as he had been a prisoner throughout. The proceedings of the Convention, as reported in the New Nation newspaper of the xith and i8th of February, copies of which I have had the honour of addressing to you, are sufficiently exact, and render it unnecessary for me here to enter into details. Suffice it to say that a large majority of the delegates expressed entire satis- faction with the answers to their "List of Rights," and professed confidence in the Canadian Government, to which I invited them to send delegates, with the view of effecting a speedy transfer of the territory to the Dominion, an invitation received with acclamation and unanimously accepted, as will appear by resolution hereto annexed, along with the " List of Rights » and my answer to the same. The delegates named were John Black, Esq., Recorder, the Rev. Mr. Richot, and Mr. Alfred H. Scott, a good deal of opposition having been offered to the election of the last-named of the three. The proceedings of this Convention came to a close on the loth of February by the nomination of the "pro- "«♦ LORD STRATHCONA Dr. CowM, and two or Uire. otber pMon, ,^ ^ .llo«d to com. .„d go .t pl«.„„, fc„, , ^"^ eonaned to the fort Ri.l .. t. • "' ' WM Mdl Judg, Bhck, Mng .ppr.h«^„ „ j^j tt« P»pte i„ th. .pp^w^ ^^,,^'' ^^ ^ tt.t 11 the pri«,„.„ rtould .oo« bo „|«„.d. OnT nU. .nd »U, 1, or tight f d.«„ ..r. «t .. ul^ «d Dr Cow« w« i„form«l i. my p««.c. that JZ h.d oocup.«i would b, pUced « hi. di.po«l to . ^l or two. R.ei ™„ridng ,t th. «une tm,. u»t to l»Jd hav. than thoroughly cl«m«J out "*"» "wUd Rumours now bogan to cireuht. of , rid™ ,t u« P<«.g.. «Kl on th. uight. of th. ■♦th ,r^,.4 rf ^^ ."::::'/"'*^ " -' hund,«.*„.. frj„**u,.°^ «o KUdouM, whM. th.y WOT jofart by from ZJT^ -.», Prindpliy EngU* half-br«d. trL Tl^ p^ olg^r' ""^ !*-■"". P^y ^^ FrMch party, wh«. th. Iatt.r took action about th. nu«,. 0^ J. or ««. to th. bcgio^*^ ^1^ ^ th. «thng of U.. Con«ntion, ord« might h.« b«u «sJo«d. and th. transf^ to Canada p^I, ," tt. n^m, ™s „o. only rash, but punx^...,. ^,, ^Z^, ■ts .nt.rv«t.on, a.. pri,„„«, ^^ u„,u«t^ooa;ty t« THB RED RIVER REBELLION 365 been rdewed. The party wa. entirely unorMniwd IndifferanUy armed, unprovided with food, even V^^ meal, and wholly incapable of coping with the French. prepared to offer the moat determined reaiatance. which, a. they were ,n possession of a number of guns (sixl and three-pounders). ample .tore, of ammunition, pro- vi.ion.. and every other requisite, they could have done met effectually. My aympathie. were, in a gZ «ea.uj^ with the Portage men. whom I beUevn. have been actuated by the beat of motive.; but under the arcumatance. it wa. not difficult to foresee that the ^ue oouldnot be otherwise than diaaatrou. to tiieir cause. The attempt was therefore to be deplored, as it resulted in placing tht whole settiement at the feet of Riel. The ^t majority of settiers, EngUsh and Scotch, dis- thow who had .et it on foot. Forty..even of the party wwe oiptured on their way home while passing ^thb a few hundred yards Of the fort Tlie expCati^ I hav^ heani given for their otiierwise inexpUcable conduct in having toking tiiis route, instead of making a d^ our Which ahould have ensured safety, being^ ^uppL?^ promise by RW that they would be permitted to^ Jjuno^ted. Their messenger, a young man na^ McLean, on being questioned by Archdeacon McLean and myself m presence of tiie Rev. Mr. Gardner and one or two otiier gentiemen, admitted that Riel. on being a.ked If tiie party would be permitted to pass, was silent, and only on being informed that they intended Mf LORD STRATHCONA |>«t <««n»e« ia anywite concarwd, Gunmo: H^rw. by „ Act of th, P.ril«n«>t of Quad. A« Ac. fcr the tempomor GovenuMnt of Rupert'. Und .«, «,. North-W^. Territory, whe. u^^to ^L:\ " r^ *^' " " ^"^ t^t " m.^ Wore tte tteo „.« .^rf,, ^ ^ ^^^^ J^* ««1 the. „ „ expedient to prep.™ for «„ u^„^ for the tnuufer of the «dd Local AuUioriUe. to^ Gov.™^ of Co.*.. .. thi, time appointed ^ Ist *e QvU Government of ,uch Territorie,, until more per- ■nanent .rrangement. can be made by the Government Vnd 280 COMMISSION TO DONALD A. SMITH at. tl» g««n».«t „ tt. Mid Ac. contonptated. ~M TwntoriM, our Governor of Cm«1, ,i„ p,,^ ^ "tooted to be Ui« Ueulenmnt-Govemor u .fore«Ud. o. J^J«-«n. "- lU. onto- tato the -Id TerritZ w:^ ^^>^ U»ir di^ontent „d di™tirf.!L ..^ t^^ «ni«, «„| u^, fa,„H^ to «.!« M,e «„„ And «her»« i, ^ «,pedien. thni inquiry Aould be ^1 «» c««. «Kl e^en. of .ueh .bl..Lon, oppt^ •itioo, and diKonteot, u eibresaid. ^^ Now Icnow j™, Uint bnrfng c«n«d«ice in you, hone..y. M*^. «d integrity w. do, by .b.« p^^. „.^„„t oon*ft,te. end appoint you. tl.. «dd Donald A. Snja, «u^ "'"2~^^*^"™^<»« to in,™-,, into a, the Red River, ,„ a. North-West TwitoriM, to the P«ce.ble n«,ess of the Honou«ble Waii«n McDougall «d^« parte, auU,ori.«l by our Go»«no,^.,;j^ ^ to p™«d Into the «n,e; «,d also to ln,ui„ mto the «,„«, „j ji^„^, ^_j di.«tirfaction alleged North-West Terttoriea »U. U.. Donunion of Quiada; a«a LORD STRATHCONA •nd further, to explain to the iiiluibitanta oT the ■aid oouatfy the priodplee on which the Oomimiant of Cwiada bteodi to adminiater the government of the country aooordiog to eueh Inatructlons aa may be given to you by our Governor b Council In thia behalf; and to take ftepe to remove any mlMipprehenalona which may wdrt In respect to the mode of government of the same; •nd to report to our Governor-General the result of such InquWei and on the best mode of quieting and removing •uch discontent and dissatisfaction; and also to report on the most proner and fitting mode for effecting the •peedy transfer of the country and government from the authority of the Hudson's Bay Company to the Govern- ment of Canada with the general consent of the in- habitants. And farther, to consider and report on the most advisable mode of dealbg with the Indian tribes in the North-West Territories. To have and to hold the said office of Commissioner for the purposes aforesaid unto you, the said Donald A. Smith, during pleasure. In testimony whereof, etc NoTi.-The foragoiiv docmneot wu not tent to Mr. Donald A. Smith unta the 25^ of January, .870, althongh it was gi»en onder the Great Seal on the 17th of December. Mr. Commlwioner Smith, however, acted on the letter of the loth of December, which wae, to fcct, a Commission givingr him the fullest authority to act accord- fag to the best of his judgment to dealing with the troubles at Red River. I have omitted the letter as be^og but a repeUUon. APPENDIX C LOUIS RIBL Of the lubMquent history of the celebrated half-breed •fiUtor, there is Uttle or nothing which directly concerns our narrative. In 1874, while stUl b exUe, he was elected to PaiUament as member for Provencher. He actually nnde his way to OtUwa, took the oath, and signed the rolL He then disappeared, and his expulsion was d voted. In 1885, his ambition once more inflamed, ] came out of his obscurity, provoked a rebellion Saskatchewan, and was eventually hanged at Regina,' in September, 1^5. 383 INDEX Aberdeen, Lord, 228 Aberdeen University, 247 Alexander, Fort, 98-100 Allan, Sir Hugh, 154, 183, 184 America, U.S. of, 40, 41, 147, 148 Amnesty Debate, 189 Anderson's Institution, 6 Archibald, Hon. A. O., 105, 107, 108, III, 115, i6i-3 Assiniboia, 38; Governor and Council of, 39, 48, 104 B Bank of Montreal, 186 Bannatyne, 83, 84, 143 Black, Judge, 65 Blake, Hon. Edward, 164, 305 Boulton, Major, 63 note, 86-8 Bowell, Hon. Mackenzie, 142,145, »6s, 337 British Columbia, 133, 193, 194 Buffalo, disappearance of the,3i9- 21 Buller, Captain Redvers, 100 Bunn, Thomas, 65, 167 Sutler, Lieutenant (afterwards Sir William), 100, 116-18 C Canada: its condition in 1838, 16- 191 rebellioK in, 17, 53, 80, 81 Canadian Pacific Railway, 154, ^SS i the scandals concerning, ^SS' 179-81, 184, 192, ig^etseg., 202; adverse opinion in Eng- land, 204; formation of com- Pa^yi 205; completed, 309, 323 "Carnarvon Terms," 196 Cartier, Sir George, 41, 131, 133, *43i 146. 183 Christie, Chief Factor, 149 Colbome, Sir John, 17 Colonial Marriage BiU, zyietseq. Colville, Eden^ 336 Cowan, Dr., 50, 79, 83 Dawson route, 196, 198, 301 Dawson, Sir W., 339, 330 Delorme, Pierre, 133, 134, 140, 14, Dennis, Colonel, 47, 53 Dufferin, Lord, 184, 315, 216 Durham, 16, 18 B Eskimos, 23, 34, 27, 30-3, 219 Forres, 3, 4 Forsyth, Rev. Dr., 2 noU Fort Garry, 44, 50, 57, 59, 98, »oi, 103, 104, 106, 148, 168 Fraser, Mr., 85 a6s 286 INDEX Glencoe, 233, 234 Orantown, 3 Grants of Manchester, n, la, t4H0U GranviUe, Lord (Colonial Secre- tary), 73, 80 H Hallett, William, 83 Hardisty, Richard, 55, 57 Hill, J. J., 153, 183 Hindu, Sir Francis, 138, 141, »S9 Howe. Hon. Joseph, 44, 45, 65 Hudson s Bay Company, 13, ,9, «?' »4, 35. 38, 41, SI. SS. 82; dissatisfaction among the offi- cera. 93. 94. 103, 123, 125, 126 «ts*g., 141, ,43, 158,159. ex. onerated, 159, 160 Immigration, aio Indians, 25, 31, 35, ztj J Jones, A. G., 132 K Kittson, N.W., 153, ,85 Ubrador, 22; the Labrador post, 27; coast of, 27, 31, a,9, ,36 Lacombe, Father, 220 Lainchoil, 3 Lansdowne, Lord, 209, 210 noU Laurier, Sir Wilfrid, 229 UveiUer, Pierre, 65, 72 Lepine, 104, 109, 144 M Macdonald, Sir John A., 40, 44, 45 nott, 46, 48, 54, 55, 59, 98, "h 14a. 154; overthrow of, »5S5 quarrels with Lord Strath- cona, 156-8, 160, 164, 17,, ,79, »83, 184, 193, ao2, 204, 213, 224, Macdougall, Hon. W., 4, . ap. pointed Governor, 45; arrives in North-West, 46 j barred out of Red River Settlement, 47, SO. 139. 141. 146 Machray, Bishop, 59, 71 Mackenzie, Hon. A., 13,, ,3,, 139. 149. 159. 163, 193, 195, ,96, 199.200,214 "^ Mactavish, William, Governor, 43. 44. 48 ; letter from, 49, 51 . his proclamation, 52; leaves Red River, 57, 76, 79. ha„h treatment of, 82, 83, 85 McLean, John, 23, 24 McLean, Archdeacon, 167 McGiU University, 229 McPherson, D. L., 183 Montreal, 17, ,9, „, 35, 3^ ^ "Sf 246 Moose Factory, 119 Morayshire, i Mountstephen, Lord, 185, 187. 305-7, 210 N Nolin, Charles, 84, 85 Northcote, SirStaflford,97, 123, 126 North-West : its progress, 120-2, 210; territories, 141, ,47, ,13; river navigation in, 215 North-West Council, 119, 119, ,48 Norway House, meeting at, oe. 96, 98 • ' ». INDEX 387 ODonoghue, W. B., 53, 7,, y,, 104. 109, lis, i6Si 166 Ontario, Legislature of, 129, 130 P Pembina, 48, 49, 56 Peterson, Principal, 230 Portage la Prairie, rising at, 85, "S Proclamation, Red River, 73 Provencher, Mr., 57 R Railway developments, 151, 175, 176 et seq., 201 Red River, 101, 103, 138, 151 ; transportation at, 151, 152 Red River Expedition, 98, 99 et seq., 108 Red River Settlement (see Mani- toba), 38, 39; population of, 40; famous meeting at, 63; convention at, 79, 137 • Ameri- cans at, 42, 79 Kiel, Louis, 45, 46, 50, 575 de- scribed, 58; President, 58, 61, 64. 65, 72, 75, 104 ; flight, los, "S. 144 Rigoulette, 24, 28 Rocky Mountains, 117, 182, 194, 218 Rose, Sir John, 44, 45 Ross, James, "Chief Justice, "87 Ross, Mr., 133, 134, 138 Rupert's Land, 21, 38, 51, 54, 124; arrangement to cede to Canada, 41 » deed of surrender of, 45 S Salaberry, Colonel de, 56, 57, 64 Saskatchewan, 117, 181, 213, 215 Scott, Thomas, murder of, 86, 88, 89, 129, 143, 143 Schultz, Dr. John, 40, 77, 78, 118, 144. 14s; death of, 160, 168, »69, 170, 188, 191 Silver Heights, 132 Simpson, Sir George, 21, 23, 34, 361 yjt ia4» >4a Smith, Alexander, 2, 3, 12 Smith, Dr. J. S., 3, 26 Smith, George, 2 note Steele, Colonel, 244, 245 Stewart, John, the fur-trader, 8, 9 Stewart, Miss Barbara, 3 Stone Fort, 78, 79 St. Paul Railway project, 175, 176 etseg., 187,203 Sutherland, Mr., 85 Strathcona, Lord, his birth, 3; childhood and schooling, 5, 6 etseg.; relatives in Canada, 9, 10; studies law, 11 ; leaves for Canada, 13 ; sent to Labrador, 32 ; bis life there, 25 ; his ex- periences in Labrador, 28, 29 etseg.; travels to Montreal, 34; Chief Factor, 36; resolves to go to Red River, 53 ; Government Commission, 55 ; sets out, 55, 56 ; arrives at Fort Garry, 58 ; a prisoner, 59; letter to Sir John Macdonald, 59; speaks at Red River, 66, 67 et seq. ; prosecutes his mission, 88; leaves for Ottawa, 89; thanked by Governor in Council, 80; re-enters Fort Garry, 105 ; ad- ministrator at Red River, 106 ; elected to Legislative Assembly, 112; to Canadian Parliament, 113; mission to England, 124, 388 INDEX «S *' **y. / rMolution in the Scott c«M, 1301 d 149. 150; the trans- portation problem, 151, 15,. clisagreement with Sir John Macdonald, 156, 157. resigns ■eat in Manitoba Ugislature and connection with Hudson's Bay Company, 188; interested in Canadian Pacific Railway, »03; his profits, 206; drives the last spike, 309: interest in immigration, aio; his liquor law, 217. hif attachment for the West, aaa; knighted, 333; phUanthropic work, 333, 224; Governor of the Company, 336; Commissioner on Manitoba schools question, 338; Chan- cellor of McGUl University, "9; High Commissioner for Canada, 331, 3331 Peerage, ^; proposed for Governor- Generalship, 335, 336; speeches in House of Lords, 237 etstf./ nuea and equips a troop for South Africa, 245) his honrf. tallty, 246; honours, ^7, hU imperialism, 247-9, advice to young men, 250 Strathcona Horse, 243-5 T Tachi, Archbishop, 46, 56, ,055 letter from, 109, no, 161, 162 Thibault, de. Grand Vicar, 56 Thompson, Sir J., 337 Tupper, Dr. (afterwards Sir Charles), ,3,, ,57, ,6^, ,g,^ «>Si 230. 33» V Van Home, Sir W. C, 308 Victoria Hospital, 223 W Winnipeg, 79, ,3,, ,35, ^^ ,^ Winnipeg, Uke, 96, 101, 204 Winnipeg, River, 99 Wdseley, Urd, 50, 98, 55, ,01, 'oa. 105, 108 Wrigley, Joseph, 225 Young, Sir John (afterwards Lord Lwgar), 55, 69, 73 W. MBNnoH AND »!.. nwTMK, rtTMOOTH. I hb « to 'osi 6a Sir '03. 18 ». rd ^* :t1