THE FOURTH OF JULY RETRIEVED.
The prisoners were left at Quebec suitably guarded; but the British and
Canadian forces, as fast as the railways could carry them, returned to
New York. The United States Constitution had not made provision for the
imprisonment or abduction of the President of the Republic, and there
was some doubt as to how the place of the chief of the executive should
be supplied. It was decided that, as in the President's absence on
ordinary occasions the deputy President represented him, so the same
precedent should be followed in the case of the present extraordinary
absence.
The President, however, was not anxious to resume her position. It was
to her headstrong action that the invasion of Canada was owing. The
President of the United States possesses more individual power in the
way of moving armies and declaring war than any other monarch. This has
always been the case. A warlike spirit is easily fostered in any nation.
Still the wise and prudent were aghast at the President's hasty action
on what seemed the slight provocation of the renewal of the immemorial
fisheries dispute. Of course public opinion could not gauge the sense of
wrong that the rejection by the Emperor of her daughter's hand had
occasioned in the mind of the President. Now that the episode was over,
and the empire of Britain had won a triumph which amply redeemed the
humiliation of centuries back, when the English colonies of America won
their independence by force of arms, public opinion was very bitter
against the President. The glorious 4th of July was virtually abolished.
How could they celebrate the independence and forget to commemorate the
retrieval by their old mother-country of all her power and prestige? No
wonder then that Mrs. Washington-Lawrence did not care to return to the
States!
"My dear," she said to her daughter in one of the luxurious cabins
assigned to them on the flagship, "do you think that I ought to send in
my resignation?"
"I cannot judge," replied the young lady. "You appear quite out of it.
Negotiations are said to be proceeding, but you are not consulted or
even informed of what is going on."
"If it were not for you," said the elder lady, "I would never again set
foot on the United States soil. Captain Hamilton" (alluding to the
captain of the vessel they were on, the _British Empire_) "says I ought
not to do so."
"I do not see that his advice matters," promptly answered the young
lady. "If Admiral Benedict had said so, I might have considered it more
important."
"I think more of the captain's opinion," said Mrs. Washington-Lawrence.
"Perhaps he thinks more of yours," retorted the unceremonious daughter.
"But what do you mean about returning for my sake?"
"My dear, you are very young, and cannot remain by yourself. Besides,
you will want to settle in the United States when you marry, to look
after the large property your father left you, and that will come to you
when you are twenty-one."
"I think, mother, you have interfered quite sufficiently about my
marrying. We should not be here now but for your anxiety to dispose of
me."
Mrs. Washington-Lawrence thought this very ungrateful, for her efforts
were not at the time at all repugnant to the ambitious young lady.
However, a quarrel was averted; and milder counsels prevailed. At length
the elder lady confessed, with many blushes, Captain Hamilton had
proposed to her, and that she would have accepted him but for the
thought of her daughter's probable dissatisfaction.
This aroused an answering confession from Miss Washington-Lawrence. The
admiral, it appeared, had twice proposed to her; and she had consented
to his obtaining the Emperor's permission, a condition considered
necessary under the peculiar circumstances.
The Emperor readily gave his consent. It was an answer to those of his
own subjects who had wished him to marry the New England girl with the
red hair, and opened the way to his announcing his marriage with Hilda.
The two weddings of mother and daughter took place amidst much rejoicing
throughout the whole squadron. The Emperor gave to each bride a
magnificent set of diamonds. Negotiations meanwhile with the United
States proceeded as to the terms on which the Emperor would consent to
peace, a month's truce having been declared in the meanwhile. Mrs.
Hardinge and Hilda met the chief ministers of the two powerful empires
in Europe, and satisfied them that the British Government would not ask
anything prejudicial to their interests.
The terms were finally arranged. The United States were to pay the
empire of Britain six hundred millions sterling and to salute the
British flag. The Childrosse family and Rorgon, Mose and Co. undertook
to find the money for the United States Government. The Emperor
consented to retire from New York in six months unless within that time
a plebiscite of that State and the New English States declared by a
majority of two to one the desire of the people to again become the
subjects of the British Empire, in which case New York would be
constituted the capital of the Dominion of Canada. To anticipate events,
it may at once be said that the majority in favour of reannexation was
over four to one, and that the union was celebrated with enormous
rejoicing. Most of the United States vessels were returned to her, and
the British Government, on behalf of the Empire, voluntarily
relinquished the money payment, in favour of its being handed to the
States seceding from the Republic to join the Canadian Dominion. This
provision was a wise one, for otherwise the new States of the Canadian
Dominion would have been less wealthy than those they joined.