THE WORK OF THE FATHERS
The lapse of fifty years should make it possible for us to value the
work of the Fathers with due regard for historical truth. Time has
thrown into bold relief the essential greatness of their undertaking
and has softened the asperities of criticism which seem inseparable
from all political movements. A struggle for national unity brings out
the stronger qualities of man's nature, but is not a magic remedy for
rivalries between the leading minds in the state. On the contrary, it
accentuates for the time being the differences of temperament and the
clash of individual opinions which accompany a notable effort in
nation-making. But distance from the scene and from the men furnishes
a truer perspective. The Fathers were not exempt from the defects that
mark any group of statesmen who take part in a political upheaval; who
uproot existing conditions and disturb settled interests; and who bid,
each {178} after his own fashion, for popular support and approval.
The chief leaders in the federation movement survived to comparatively
recent years. The last of them, Sir Charles Tupper, died in the autumn
of 1915. All were closely associated with party politics. There yet
live many who walked and talked with them, who rejoiced with them in
victory and condoled with them in defeat. It were vain to hope that
the voice of faction has been silenced and that the labours of the
Fathers can be viewed in the serene atmosphere which strips the mind of
prejudice and passion. And yet the attempt should be made, because the
founders of Canada are entitled to share the fame of those who made the
nineteenth century remarkable for the unification of states and the
expansion of popular government.
During Sir John Macdonald's lifetime his admirers called him the Father
of Confederation. In length and prestige of official service and in
talent for leadership he had no equals. His was the guiding hand after
the union. The first constructive measures that cemented the Dominion
are identified with his regime. When he died in the twenty-fourth year
of Confederation he had been prime minister for nearly nineteen years.
To his contemporaries {179} he towered above others. Time established
his reputation and authority. The personal attachment of his followers
was like to nothing we have seen since, because to their natural pride
in his political triumphs was added a passionate devotion to the man
himself. His opponents have cheerfully borne tribute to the
fascination he exercised over young and old. Holton's delightfully
ambiguous remark, on the occasion of Macdonald's marvellous restoration
to office in 1878, is historic: 'Well! John A. beats the devil.' Sir
Oliver Mowat said, 'He was a genial man, a pleasant companion, full of
humour and wit.' Even his satirical foe, Sir Richard Cartwright,
recognized in him an unusual personality impressing all who came in
contact with it. 'He had an immense acquaintance,' wrote Cartwright,
'with men of all sorts and conditions from one end of Canada to the
other.'
As long as he lived, therefore, an impartial estimate of Macdonald's
share in effecting Confederation could not be expected. After his
death the glamour of his name prevented a critical survey of his
achievements. Even yet it is too soon to render a final verdict. He
took control of the situation at an early stage, because to frame a new
constitution was a task {180} after his own heart. He managed the
Quebec Conference with the arts which none of the other members
possessed in equal degree. As political complications arose his
remarkable astuteness soon overcame them; and he emerged from the
negotiations the most conspicuous figure in a distinguished group. It
is inevitable that genius for command should overshadow the merits of
others. True in every line of endeavour, this is especially so in
politics. With his great gifts, Macdonald preserved his ascendancy in
the young nation and was the chief architect of its fortunes for many
years.
[Illustration: An election campaign--George Brown addressing an
audience of farmers. From a colour drawing by C. W. Jefferys]
To assert, however, that one person was the author of Confederation, in
the sense that the others played subordinate parts and were mere
satellites revolving round the sun, is to mistake the nature and
history of the movement. It was a long battle against adverse
influences. If left unchallenged, they forbade the idea of a Dominion
stretching from sea to sea. It was not Macdonald who forced the issue
to the front, who bore down stubborn opposition, and who rallied to its
support the elements indispensable to success. Into the common fund
contributions were made from many sources. At least eight of the
Fathers of Confederation {181} must be placed in the first rank of
those to whom Canada owes undying gratitude. The names of Brown,
Cartier, Galt, Macdonald, Tupper, Tilley, McGee, and McDougall stand
pre-eminent. All these performed services, each according to his
opportunities, which history will not ignore.
The foremost champion of union at the critical moment was George Brown.
But for him, it is easy to believe, Confederation might have been
delayed for a generation or never have come at all. His enthusiasm
inspired the willing and carried the doubting. In the somewhat rare
combination of courage, force, and breadth of view no one excelled him.
As a political tactician he was not so successful, and to this defect
may be traced the entanglements in which he was prone to land both
himself and his party. His resignation from the coalition in 1865 was
a mistake. It could not be explained. In leaving the ship before it
reached the haven of safety he laid himself open to charges of spleen
and instability. Impulsive he was, but not unstable, and his jealousy
was not greater than other men's. He was always embarrassed by the
fact that the criticisms of his newspaper the _Globe_, in the exercise
of its undoubted rights as an organ {182} of public opinion, were laid
at his door. He found, as other editors have found, that the
compromises of political life and the freedom of the press are natural
enemies. In his patriotic sacrifice in behalf of Confederation lies
his best claim to the respect and affection of his countrymen.
The quality most commonly ascribed to Cartier is courage; and rightly
so. But equally important were his freedom from religious bigotry and
his devotion to the interests of his own people. He guarded at every
step the place of his race in the constitution of the Dominion; and if
we are to believe the story that he fought stoutly in London for strict
adherence to every concession agreed upon at Quebec, his insight into
the future proved equal to his courage. The French were rooted in the
belief that union meant for them a diminished power. There were
grounds for the apprehension. To Cartier was due the subordination of
prejudice to the common good. He was great enough to see that if Lower
Canada was to become the guardian of its special interests and
privileges, Upper Canada must be given a similar security; and this
threw him into the closest alliance with Brown. This principle, as
embodied in the {183} constitution, is the real basis of Confederation,
which cannot be seriously menaced as long as neither of the central
provinces interferes with the other. Cartier exemplified in his own
person the truth that the French are a tolerant and kindly community,
and that pride of race, displayed within its own proper bounds, makes
for the strength and not the weakness of the Dominion. Unhappily, his
health declined, and he did not live to lead his race in the
development of that larger patriotism of which, with good reason, he
believed them to be capable. But his example survives, and its
influence will be felt in the generations to come.
What share Galt had in affecting Cartier's course is not fully known,
but the two men between them dominated Lower Canada, and their
_rapprochement_ was more than a match for the nullifying efforts of
Dorion and Holton. Galt's best work was also done before the
consummation of the union. After 1867 he practically retired from the
activities of politics, owing more to a distaste for the yoke of party
than to any loss of interest in the welfare of Canada. He had an ample
mind, and in his speeches and writings there is a valuable legacy of
suggestion.
{184}
Thomas D'Arcy McGee was the orator of the movement. While other
politicians hung back, he proclaimed the advantages of union in season
and out with the zeal of the crusader. His speeches, delivered in the
principal cities of all the provinces, did much to rouse patriotic
fervour.
To Tupper and to Tilley, as this narrative has sought to show, we owe
the adherence of the Maritime Provinces. The present Dominion would
have been impossible but for their labours and sacrifice. A federated
state without an Atlantic seaboard would have resulted in a different
destiny for Canada. Each of these statesmen withstood the temptation
to bend before the storm of local prejudice. By yielding to the
passion of the hour each would have been a hero in his own province and
have enjoyed a long term of office. If evidence were needed that
Confederation inspired its authors to nobler aims than party victories,
the course taken by these leaders furnishes conclusive proof.
William McDougall's part in the movement has suffered eclipse owing to
his political mishaps. No one brought more brilliant qualities to bear
upon the work than he. On the platform and in parliament he had, as a
{185} speaker, no superior. In his newspaper, the _North American_, he
had espoused a federal union as the first article of his political
creed; and when Brown purchased the paper, McDougall, as the chief
writer for the _Globe_, strengthened Brown's hands and became his
natural ally in the coalition. They quarrelled openly when McDougall
elected to cast in his lot with Macdonald in the first Dominion
ministry. The Red River episode ruptured his relations with Macdonald,
who never again sought his support. Avoided by both leaders and never
tolerant of party discipline, McDougall sought to fill the role of
independent critic and thus earned for himself, unfairly, the sobriquet
'Wandering Willie.' But the Dominion owed much to his constructive
talent. There is evidence that his influence was potent in the
constitutional conferences, and that during his term as minister he had
a strong hand in shaping public policy.
Oliver Mowat left politics for the judicial bench immediately after the
Quebec Conference. He has related that, as the delegates sat round the
table, Macdonald, on being notified of the vacancy in the
vice-chancellorship of Upper Canada, silently passed him a note in
appreciative terms offering him the place. {186} For seven years he
remained on the bench. But he returned in 1872 to active political
life, and his services to the nation as prime minister of Ontario
display his balanced judgment and clearness of intellect.
Some Canadian statesmen who were invaluable to the new nationality
suffer in being judged too exclusively from a party standpoint. Canada
was fortunate in drawing from the ranks of both Conservatives and
Liberals many men capable of developing the Dominion and adapting an
untried constitution to unforeseen conditions. None had quite the same
opportunities as Sir John Macdonald, who not only helped to frame the
union but administered its policy for a lengthy period. Alexander
Mackenzie gave the country an example of rectitude in public life and
of devotion to duty which is of supreme value to all who recognize that
free government may be undermined and finally destroyed by selfishness
and corruption. Edward Blake, with his lofty conceptions of national
ambition and his profound insight into the working of the constitution,
also exerted a beneficial effect on the evolution of the state. He,
like Sir John Thompson, was a native of the country. In temperament,
in breadth of mind, and in contempt for petty {187} and sordid aims,
Blake and Thompson had much in common. They, and others who are too
near our own day for final judgment, fully grasped the work of the
Fathers and helped to give Canada its honourable status in the British
Empire and its distinctive place as a self-governing community.
A retrospective glance reveals the extent to which the Fathers attained
their principal objects. A threefold purpose inspired them. Their
first duty was to evolve a workable plan of government. In this they
succeeded, as fifty years of experience shows. The constitution, after
having stood the usual tests and strain, is firmly rooted in national
approval; and this result has been reached by healthy normal processes,
not by exaggerated claims or a spurious enthusiasm. The constitution
has always been on trial, so to speak, because Canadians are prone to
be critical of their institutions. But at every acute crisis popular
discontent has been due to maladministration and not to defects of
organization. The structure itself stands a monument to those who
erected it.
In the second and most trying of their tasks, the unification of the
provinces, the Fathers {188} were also triumphant. From the beginning
the country was well stocked with pessimists and Job's comforters.
They derived inspiration during many years from the brilliant writings
of Goldwin Smith. But in the end even the doubters had to succumb to
the stern logic of the facts. Under any federation, growth in unity is
bound to be slow. The relations of the provinces to the federal power
must be worked out and their relations to each other must be adjusted.
Time alone could solve such a problem. Until the system took definite
shape national sentiment was feeble. But a modified and well-poised
federation, with its strong central government and its carefully
guarded provincial rights, at last won the day. Years of doubt and
trial there were, but in due course the Nova Scotian came to regard
himself as a Canadian and the British Columbian ceased to feel that a
man from the East was a foreigner. The provinces have steadily
developed a community of interest. They meet cordially in periodical
conferences to discuss the rights and claims possessed in common, and
if serious, even menacing, questions are not dealt with as they should
be, the failure will be traced to faulty statesmanship and not to lack
of unity.
{189}
To preserve the Imperial tie was the third and greatest object of the
Fathers. They realized that many dangers threatened it--some tangible
and visible, others hidden and beyond the ken of man. It may not be
denied that the barque of the new nationality was launched into an
unknown sea. The course might conceivably lead straight to complete
independence, and honest minds, like Galt's, were held in thrall by
this view. Could monarchy in any shape be re-vitalized on the
continent where the Great Republic sat entrenched? What sinister ideas
would not the word Imperialism convey to the practical men of the
western world? These fears the Fathers met with resolute faith and the
seeing eye. They believed that inherent in the beneficent rule of
Queen Victoria there was a constitutional sovereignty which would
appeal irresistibly to a young democracy; that unwavering fidelity to
the crown could be reconciled with the fullest extension of
self-government; and that the British Empire when organized on this
basis would hold its daughter states beyond the seas with bonds that
would not break.
And so it has proved. Of all the achievements of the Fathers this is
the most splendid {190} and enduring. The Empire came to mean, not the
survival of antiquated ideas, but the blessings of a well-ordered
civilization. And when in 1914 the Great War shook the world,
Canadians, having found that the sway of Britain brought them peace,
honour, and contentment, were proud to die for the Empire. To debate
the future of Canada was long the staple subject for abstract
discussion, but the march of events has carried us past the stage of
idle imaginings. A knowledge of the laws by which Divine Providence
controls the destinies of nations has thus far eluded the subtlest
intellect, and it may be impossible for any man, however gifted, to
foresee what fate may one day overtake the British Empire. But its
traditions of freedom and toleration, its ideals of pure government and
respect for law, can be handed on unimpaired through the ages. The
opportunity to maintain and perpetuate these traditions and ideals is
the priceless inheritance which Canada has received from the Fathers of
Confederation.
{191}
BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTE
The printed material relative to Confederation is voluminous. The
earliest proposals are to be found in the _Constitutional Documents_ by
Shortt and Doughty. The parliamentary debates of the four provinces
from 1864 to 1867 record the progress of the movement which culminated
in the British North America Act. For the intimate history of the
coalition ministry and the conferences in Quebec and in London the two
works by Sir Joseph Pope, _Memoirs of Sir John Macdonald_ and
_Confederation Documents_, are mines of indispensable information. The
files of the Toronto _Globe_ and the Halifax _Chronicle_ are valuable,
while the pamphlets, especially those relating to the events in Quebec
and Nova Scotia, are essential. Gray's _Confederation_ confirms other
material, but is not in itself of paramount importance. Mr Chisholm's
_Speeches and Public Letters of Joseph Howe_ and Dr Saunders's _Three
Premiers of Nova Scotia_ must be consulted. Mr John Boyd's _Sir George
Etienne Cartier: His Life and Times_ exhibits full knowledge and is
free from bias. See also the _Life and Speeches of {192} George
Brown_, by Alexander Mackenzie, which contains some valuable material.
For a clear and impartial biography of Brown, see _George Brown_, by
John Lewis. For the period after the union, consult Pope's _Memoirs of
Sir John Macdonald_ and Sir John Willison's _Sir Wilfrid Laurier and
the Liberal Party_. _The Life and Times of Sir Leonard Tilley_ by
James Hannay and Sir Charles Tupper's _Recollections_ throw light on
the question in the Maritime Provinces. The official dispatches
between the colonial secretary and the governors of the provinces laid
before the Imperial parliament are collected in one volume. Mr
William Houston's _Constitutional Documents_ contains useful notes.
See also _Canada and its Provinces_, vols. v, vi, xiii, xix, xxi; and,
in the present Series, _The Day of Sir John Macdonald_, _The Day of Sir
Wilfrid Laurier_, and _The Railway Builders_.
{193}
INDEX
Adderley, Mr, 134.
Alberta, in the Dominion, 159, 168.
American Civil War, the, and Confederation, 20, 24-5, 67.
American Revolution, 1; cause of, 4.
Annand, William, his opposition to Confederation, 28, 115, 152, 154.
Annexation Manifesto of 1849, the, 15, 18.
Archibald, Adams G., a father of Confederation, 49, 62 n., 82, 102,
122, 145, 152-3; lieutenant-governor of Manitoba, 169.
Australia, her form of government, 66.
Belleau, Sir Narcisse, prime minister of Canada, 106, 123.
Bernard, Hewitt, secretary of the Quebec Conference, 61.
Blair, A. J. Fergusson, 107, 141, 145.
Blake, Edward, 76, 153, 186-187.
Bright, John, his anti-Imperial views, 119, 134-5.
British American League, the, 15.
British Columbia, 169-70; joins the Dominion, 170-3.
British North America Act, the, 76, 124-36. See Confederation.
Brown, George, advocates a federation confined to the Canadas, 19, 20;
and extension westward, 22-3, 158; his relations with Macdonald, 31-2,
106, 138, 142; his committee on federal union, 32-3; expresses his
readiness to co-operate with the Conservatives in promoting the federal
system, 32-3, 143; his conference with Macdonald and Galt, 34-8; joins
Macdonald in a coalition government, 38-43, 138, 151; an amusing
incident in the House, 42-3; at the Charlottetown Conference, 50-1; his
speech emphasizing the happy relations of Canada with Britain, 52-3; at
the Quebec Conference, 57, 62 n., 64, 71-3, 74, 77-8, 79, 80 and note,
82, 158; his speech upholding the Imperial link, 86-7, 88; admits
imperfection in the Confederation constitution scheme, 89-90, 94;
resigns from the coalition, 106-7; and the Manchester School, 106,
110-11, his influence in the London Conference, 124; after
Confederation denounces any further coalition of parties, 141-2, 144-5,
185; a member of the Senate, 153; an estimate of his work, 181-2; his
personality, 31-2, 43, 73, 86, 152 n., 181-2.
Buckingham, William, 161.
Cameron, Hillyard, 95.
Cameron, M. C., 95.
Campbell, Alexander, a father of Confederation, 50-1, 62 n., 146.
Canada, in the early nineteenth century, 11-14; the call of the West,
22-3; the visit of the Prince of Wales (Edward VII), 23-4; her
relations with United States, 25-6, 107; the intercolonial railway
negotiations, 28-9. See Dominion, Parliament.
Canada First party, the, 167.
Canada Union Bill of 1822, the, 8.
Cape Breton Island, 45.
Cardwell, Mr, colonial secretary, 109, 134; his dispatch urging
federation, 112-13.
Carleton, Sir Guy, 2. See Dorchester.
Carling, John, 153.
Carnarvon, Lord, on Canadian currency, 13-14; and Confederation, 123,
133-4.
Carter, F. B., a father of Confederation, 63 n.
Cartier, George E., his work on behalf of Confederation 18, 19, 37,
41-3, 50-1, 62 n., 73, 86, 95, 122, 145, 153, 160; Brown's tribute to,
42-3; accepts a baronetcy, 147-8; an estimate of his work, 182-3.
Cartwright, Sir Richard, on land communication in the early nineteenth
century, 12-13; an amusing incident in the House, 42-3; on Sir John
Macdonald, 179.
Chandler, E. B., a father of Confederation, 49, 63 n., 67.
Chapais, Jean C., a father of Confederation, 62 n., 146.
Charlottetown Conference, the, 47-55, 77. See Confederation.
Cobden, William, 26.
Cockburn, James, a father of Confederation, 62 n.
Coles, George H., a father of Confederation, 50, 63 n.
Confederation, when first mooted, 2; William Smith's plan, 3-6;
Sewell's plan, 7; W. L. Mackenzie's belief in, 8-9; Lord Durham's plan,
9-10; Constitutional Act of 1791, 10-11; a period of Particularism,
11-15; 21, 30-1; makes headway in Nova Scotia, 16-17, 26-7, 44-5;
becomes a question of practical politics, 17-20; events which hastened,
20-5; political deadlock, 30-2; coalition government formed to promote,
34-41; some opposition and objection to, 42-3, 49, 84, 89-90, 135; the
CHARLOTTETOWN CONFERENCE, 47-55, 77. THE QUEBEC CONFERENCE:
constituted, 56-7, 61-2; held with closed doors, 58-61; the Fathers of
Confederation, 62 n.-63 n.; federal union, 62-64; provincial
legislatures with a strong central government, 64, 66-9; federal
powers, 69-71; provincial powers, 71-77; the governor-general's powers,
76-7; the House of Commons, 77; the Senate, 77-80, 91-2, 129-31; the
financial terms, 80-3, 90; the Quebec resolutions adopted in Canada,
84-96; opposition in Maritime Provinces, 97-105; finally accepted in
New Brunswick, 112-14, and in Nova Scotia, 114-16. THE FRAMING OF THE
BILL: the lukewarm reception of the delegates in London, 118-22, 124,
135-6, 173-4; the desire to cement the Imperial tie by framing a
constitution similar in principle to that of Britain, 125-7; naming of
the Dominion, 127; the Senate, 129-131; the educational privileges of
minorities, 131-2; the passage of the British North America Act, 133-5;
some criticism, 90-1, 92-5; a priceless inheritance, 187-90. THE
DOMINION: Nova Scotia reconciled, 152-7; the prairie provinces, 158-9,
168; British Columbia, 158, 169-73; Prince Edward Island, 173-6. See
Dominion, Fathers, Parliament.
Constitutional Act of 1791, the, 3, 11.
Dawson, Simon, 161.
Day, Mr Justice, 133 n.
DeCosmos, Amor, advocates union, 169, 171.
Denison, Colonel G. T., vii, 167.
Dennis, Colonel J. S., 163. Dicey, Professor, his view of the
Canadian constitution, 126.
Dickey, R. B., a father of Confederation, 49, 62 n.
Dominion of Canada, the, source and extent of, 1-2; her constitution
compared, 65-6, 125-7; her government representative of all parts of
the country, 144; the naming of, 127-9; the forming of the first
ministry, 137-8, 144-6; the first general elections, 152-153; the
Hudson's Bay Company, 158-60; the Red River Rebellion, 159, 161-8; her
Imperialism, 190. See Canada, Confederation, Parliament.
Dorchester, Lord, and Confederation, 2-4.
Dorion, A. A., his opposition to Confederation, 28, 40, 42, 89, 92, 183.
Draper, Chief Justice, 22.
Dunkin, Christopher, his opposition to Confederation, 42, 89, 91.
Durham, Lord, his scheme of union, 9-10.
Edward VII, his visit to Canada, 23-4.
Fathers of Confederation, the, 62 n.-63 n.; the leaders honoured,
147-50; an estimate of their work, 177-90. See Confederation.
Fenian invasion, the, and Confederation, 113, 118.
Ferrier, James, 43.
Fisher, Charles, a father of Confederation, 63 n., 122, 130
Foster, W. A., 167.
Fournier, Telesphore, 42.
Galt, A. T., forces Confederation out of the sphere of speculation,
17-19, 34-8, 40, 50-1, 57, 62 n., 80, 86, 93, 106, 122, 132-3, 145,
181; his views on the ultimate destiny of Canada, 74, 148-9; desires to
extend educational privileges to all minorities, 132-3; K.C.M.G.,
147-50; his personality, 17-18, 132, 152 n., 183.
George III, and the American Revolution, 1.
Gladstone, W. E., favours cession of Canada to United States, 119.
Gordon, A. H., lieutenant-governor of New Brunswick, 55, 103, 104,
111-12, 113-14.
Gourlay, Robert, and Confederation, 6.
Gray, J. H. (P.E.I.), a father of Confederation, 49, 63 n.
Gray, J. H. (N.B.), a father of Confederation, 49, 59-61, 63 n., 81.
Great Britain: the Union Bill of 1822, 7; her colonial policy in 1852,
15; the Hudson's Bay Company, 22, 158-9; the 'Trent' Affair, 25; her
interest in Confederation, 26-27, 108-13, 170; opinions in regarding
the ultimate destiny of Canada, 110-11, 119-122; her consideration for
United States, 119, 128.
Granville, Lord, colonial secretary, 149, 172.
Grenville, Lord, and Dorchester's proposal, 3, 6.
Grey, Earl, governor-general, 15.
Haliburton, Robert, on opinion in Nova Scotia regarding Confederation,
100-1.
Halifax, the Canadian delegates entertained at, 48, 52-4.
Halliburton, Brenton, 8.
Hamilton, P. S., 15.
Hathaway, George, 99.
Haviland, T. Heath, a father of Confederation, 63 n.
Head, Sir Edmund, governor of Canada, 18.
Henry, William A., a father of Confederation, 49, 62 n., 122, 130, 153.
Hind, Prof. Henry Youle, 161.
Holton, Luther H., opposes Confederation, 28, 40, 42, 89, 183; on Sir
John Macdonald, 179.
House of Commons, the basis of representation in, 77. See Parliament.
Howe, Joseph, 28-9; his opposition to Confederation, 16-17, 46, 55, 57,
100, 102-3, 115-116, 135; favours maritime union, 47-8; his speech
upholding federation, 48; 'that pestilent fellow,' 153; goes to England
to demand repeal, 154, 156; his meeting with Tupper, 155-6; enters the
Dominion Cabinet, 156.
Howland, William P., and Confederation, 122, 130, 141, 143, 145; C.B.;
147.
Hudsons Bay Company, the, 2, 22; and the Dominion, 158-60.
Huntington, L. S., opposes Confederation, 28, 42.
Intercolonial Railway, the, 13, 28-9.
Jesuits' Estates Act, the, 71.
Johnston, J. W., and Confederation, 16.
Johnston, John M., a father of Confederation, 49, 63 n., 122.
Kenny, Edward, his inclusion in the first Dominion Cabinet, 145, 146.
Kent, Duke of, and Confederation, 7.
Kimberley, Lord, his views on the power to add to the Senate, 131.
Langevin, Hector L., a father of Confederation, 50-1, 62 n., 122, 146.
Letellier, Lieutenant-Governor, 42; the case of his dismissal, 69-70.
Liberals, and Confederation, 39, 40, 42, 141-4.
Lincoln, Abraham, and the 'Trent' Affair, 25.
Lotbiniere, Joly de, 42.
Lower Canada, 3; its relations with Upper Canada, 6-8; and
Confederation, 84, 95.
Lyons, Lord, and the 'Trent' Affair, 25.
Lytton, Sir E. B., and Confederation, 19.
McCully, Jonathan, a father of Confederation, 49, 62 n., 93 n., 102,
122.
Macdonald, A. A., a father of Confederation, 50, 63 n.
Macdonald, John A., the Father of Confederation, 19, 33, 54, 106,
178-81; his relations with Brown, 31-2, 106, 142; the reconciliation
and conference with Brown, 34-8, 39; the Charlottetown Conference,
50-1, 52; the Quebec Conference, 59, 61, 62 and note, 64, 180, 185; his
appeal for a strong central authority, 67-8; on the office of
lieutenant-governor, 70; on the mode of appointment to the Senate,
78-9, 80 and note; his prophetic utterance, 88; his policy of 'masterly
inactivity,' 117; chairman at the London Conference, 122; a tribute to,
123-4; forms the first Dominion Cabinet on a non-party basis, 137-8,
140, 142, 144-6, 150; K.C.B., 147; his troubles with Howe and Nova
Scotia, 153-6; the Red River Rebellion, 161; the Scott murder case,
168; and Sir John Rose, 175; his personality, 31, 86, 117, 150, 178-180.
Macdonald, John Sandfield, 151-2; opposed to Confederation, 27-8, 32,
89; prime minister of Ontario, 150-1, 153, 168.
Macdonnell, Sir R. G., governor of Nova Scotia, 53-4, 55, 103, 104.
McDougall, William, 160, 184-185; a father of Confederation, 40, 50-1,
62 n., 79, 80 n., 122, 181, 184-5; joins the Dominion Cabinet, 141,
143-4, 145, 160; C.B., 147; lieutenant-governor of the West Territory,
160-1, 163-164, 167.
McGee, Thomas D'Arcy, the orator of the Confederation movement, 24-5,
50-1, 62 n., 65 n., 181, 184; his patriotic conduct, 145, 146;
assassinated, 146-7.
Mackenzie, Alexander, 40, 153; and a hostile Senate, 131; his
integrity, 186.
Mackenzie, W. L., 6; his plan of Confederation, 8-9.
McLelan, A. W., 153.
Mair, Charles, 167.
Manitoba, in the Dominion, 159-68.
Maritime Provinces, the, and communication with Canada, 11-12; object
to direct taxation, 80-1, 97. See various provinces.
Miller, William, his troubles in Nova Scotia, 115-16.
Mitchell, Peter, 28; a father of Confederation, 63 n., 122, 146.
Monck, Lord, first governor-general of the Dominion, 27, 50, 84-5,
137-8, 147; his personality and record, 139-40.
Morris, Alexander, 15; and the meeting between Macdonald and Brown, 34,
35.
Mowat, Oliver, a father of Confederation, 40, 62 n., 74-5, 79, 80 n.;
and Macdonald, 179, 185; his career, 185-6.
Mulgrave, Lord, governor of Nova Scotia, 17, 26-7.
Musgrave, Anthony, governor of Newfoundland, 105; and of British
Columbia, 172.
New Brunswick, 13, 44-5, 49, 51; the agitation against Confederation,
97-9; a change of front, 112-14, 173-4.
Newcastle, Duke of, on Canadian loyalty, 24; and Confederation, 26-7,
28, 109, 120-121.
Newfoundland, 13-14, 44, 50; rejects Confederation, 105, 175-6.
North-West Company, the, 2.
Nova Scotia, 13, 14; favours maritime union, 27, 45, 47, 49, 51; the
opposition to Confederation, 99-104, 114-116; the agitation for repeal,
152-7; reconciled, 82, 156, 173-4.
Ontario. See Upper Canada.
Palmer, Edward, a father of Confederation, 49, 63 n.
Palmerston, Lord, 23; his adventurous foreign policy, 119, 120.
Parliament: Confederation a question of practical politics, 18-19;
political deadlock, 30-32; Brown's committee on federal union, 32-3;
the public reconciliation of Brown and Macdonald, 34; a coalition
formed to forward Confederation, 38-41, 44, 144; an amusing incident,
42-3; the debate on the Quebec resolutions, 84-96; the mission to
England and the resignation of Brown, 105-7; a period of 'masterly
inactivity,' 117; the educational privileges of minorities, 132-3; dual
premiership abolished, 137-9; the Hudson's Bay Company, 160. See
Dominion.
Penny, Edward Goff, 57.
Pope, James C., 174.
Pope, John Henry, and Brown, 34, 35.
Pope, Sir Joseph, quoted, 32, 36, 61, 72 n., 76 n., 80, 93 n., 129, 138
n.
Pope, W. H., a father of Confederation, 49, 63 n., 82.
Prince Edward Island, 14, 44-45, 49, 51; and Confederation, 77, 104-5,
173-6.
Quebec. See Lower Canada.
Quebec Conference, the, 56-83. See under Confederation.
Reciprocity Treaty, the, 14, 25-26, 107.
Red River Rebellion, the, 159, 161-8.
Riel, Louis, leader in the Red River Rebellion, 164-6, 167, 168; his
later career, 168-9.
Robinson, John Beverley, 8.
Rogers, Sir Frederic, his colonial views, 121-2; his tribute to
Macdonald, 123-4.
Rose, Sir John, 174-5.
Ross, John, 18.
Rouges, the, and Confederation, 42. See Liberals.
Russell, Lord John, 15.
Saskatchewan, in the Dominion, 159, 168.
Schultz, Sir John, 167.
Scott, Thomas, his murder, 165-6.
Senate, the, composition of, 77-78, 129-31; mode of appointment to,
78-80, 91-2. See Parliament.
Sewell, Chief Justice, his plan of Confederation, 7-8.
Seymour, Frederick, governor of British Columbia, 170, 172.
Shea, Ambrose, a father of Confederation, 63 n., 82.
Smith, Sir Albert, prime minister of New Brunswick, 112, 114.
Smith, Goldwin, quoted, 21, 30, 93, 188.
Smith, William, his plan of Confederation, 2, 3, 4-6.
South Africa, her form of government, 66.
Stanley, Lord, and the naming of Canada, 128.
Steeves, W. H., a father of Confederation, 49, 63 n.
Strachan, Bishop, 7-8.
Strathcona, Lord, and the Red River Rebellion, 165.
Tache, Sir Etienne, prime minister of Canada, 39, 40, 61, 62 n., 91-2;
death of, 106.
Tache, Bishop, and the Red River Rebellion, 162, 165, 169.
Tache, J. C., 15.
Thibault, Grand Vicar, 165.
Thirteen Colonies, granted independence, 1. See United States.
Thompson, Sir John, 186-7.
Tilley, S. L., 28, 54-5; a father of Confederation, 49, 57, 62 and
note, 82, 122, 145, 181, 184; his defeat in New Brunswick, 97-9, 184;
C.B., 147.
'Trent' Affair, the, 25.
Trutch, Joseph, advocates joining the Dominion, 172.
Tupper, Charles, 46, 154; proposes a maritime union, 45, 48-9; his
services to the cause of Confederation, 45-6, 57, 62 n., 64, 82, 122,
154-6, 181, 184; plays a waiting game in Nova Scotia, 99, 104, 115-116;
waives his claim to a place in the first Dominion Cabinet, 145, 146,
152; C.B., 147, 148; his meeting with Howe in London, 154-6, 116; his
death, 178.
United States, and the 'Trent' Affair, 25; the weakness of her
constitution, 67-8, 126.
Upper Canada, 3; its relations with Lower Canada, 6-8; and
Confederation, 94-5.
Vancouver Island, 169-70.
War of 1812, a proof of the necessity for Confederation, 6-7.
Watkin, Edward, 148.
Wetmore, A. R., defeats Tilley on Confederation, 98-9.
Whelan, Edward, a father of Confederation, 63 n.
Whitney, Sir James, 151 n.
Wolseley, Colonel, quells the Red River Rebellion, 168.
Wood, E. B., 153.
Printed by T. and A. Constable, Printers to His Majesty
at the Edinburgh University Press
THE CHRONICLES OF CANADA
THIRTY-TWO VOLUMES ILLUSTRATED
Edited by GEORGE M. WRONG and H. H. LANGTON
THE CHRONICLES OF CANADA
PART I
THE FIRST EUROPEAN VISITORS
1. THE DAWN OF CANADIAN HISTORY
By Stephen Leacock.
2. THE MARINER OF ST MALO
By Stephen Leacock.
PART II
THE RISE OF NEW FRANCE
3. THE FOUNDER OF NEW FRANCE
By Charles W. Colby.
4. THE JESUIT MISSIONS
By Thomas Guthrie Marquis.
5. THE SEIGNEURS OF OLD CANADA
By William Bennett Munro.
6. THE GREAT INTENDANT
By Thomas Chapais.
7. THE FIGHTING GOVERNOR
By Charles W. Colby.
PART III
THE ENGLISH INVASION
8. THE GREAT FORTRESS
By William Wood.
9. THE ACADIAN EXILES
By Arthur G. Doughty.
10. THE PASSING OF NEW FRANCE
By William Wood.
11. THE WINNING OF CANADA
By William Wood.
PART IV
THE BEGINNINGS OF BRITISH CANADA
12. THE FATHER OF BRITISH CANADA
By William Wood.
13. THE UNITED EMPIRE LOYALISTS
By W. Stewart Wallace.
14. THE WAR WITH THE UNITED STATES
By William Wood.
PART V
THE RED MAN IN CANADA
15. THE WAR CHIEF OF THE OTTAWAS
By Thomas Guthrie Marquis.
16. THE WAR CHIEF OF THE SIX NATIONS
By Louis Aubrey Wood.
17. TECUMSEH: THE LAST GREAT LEADER OF HIS PEOPLE
By Ethel T. Raymond.
PART VI
PIONEERS OF THE NORTH AND WEST
18. THE 'ADVENTURERS OF ENGLAND' ON HUDSON BAY
By Agnes C. Laut.
19. PATHFINDERS OF THE GREAT PLAINS
By Lawrence J. Burpee.
20. ADVENTURERS OF THE FAR NORTH
By Stephen Leacock.
21. THE RED RIVER COLONY
By Louis Aubrey Wood.
22. PIONEERS OF THE PACIFIC COAST
By Agnes C. Laut.
23. THE CARIBOO TRAIL
By Agnes C. Laut.
PART VII
THE STRUGGLE FOR POLITICAL FREEDOM
24. THE FAMILY COMPACT
By W. Stewart Wallace.
25. THE 'PATRIOTES' OF '37
By Alfred D. DeCelles.
26. THE TRIBUNE OF NOVA SCOTIA
By William Lawson Grant.
27. THE WINNING OF POPULAR GOVERNMENT
By Archibald MacMechan.
PART VIII
THE GROWTH OF NATIONALITY
28. THE FATHERS OF CONFEDERATION
By A. H. U. Colquhoun.
29. THE DAY OF SIR JOHN MACDONALD
By Sir Joseph Pope.
30. THE DAY OF SIR WILFRID LAURIER
By Oscar D. Skelton.
PART IX
NATIONAL HIGHWAYS
31. ALL AFLOAT
By William Wood.
32. THE RAILWAY BUILDERS
By Oscar D. Skelton.
TORONTO: GLASGOW, BROOK & COMPANY
End of Project Gutenberg's The Fathers of Confederation, by A. H. U. Colquhoun