north america-1-第29章

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annot　say　that　I　thought　it　was　well　done　to　send　them　at　the　beginning　of　the　war。　　The　English　government　did　not；　I　presume；　take　this　step　with　reference　to　any　possible　invasion　of　Canada　by　the　government　of　the　States。　　We　are　fortifying　Portsmouth；　and　Portland；　and　Plymouth；　because　we　would　fain　be　safe　against　the　French　army　acting　under　a　French　Emperor。　　But　we　sent　2000　troops　to　Canada；　if　I　understand　the　matter　rightly；　to　guard　our　provinces　against　the　filibustering　energies　of　a　mass　of　unemployed　American　soldiers；　when　those　soldiers　should　come　to　be　disbanded。　　When　this　war　shall　be　over　a　war　during　which　not　much；　if　any；　under　a　million　of　American　citizens　will　have　been　under　armsit　will　not　be　easy　for　all　who　survive　to　return　to　their　old　homes　and　old　occupations。　　Nor　does　a　disbanded　soldier　always　make　a　good　husbandman；　notwithstanding　the　great　examples　of　Cincinnatus　and　Bird…o'…freedom　Sawin。　　It　may　be　that　a　considerable　amount　of　filibustering　energy　will　be　afloat；　and　that　the　then　government　of　those　who　neighbor　us　in　Canada　will　have　other　matters　in　hand　more　important　to　them　than　the　controlling　of　these　unruly　spirits。　　That；　as　I　take　it；　was　the　evil　against　which　we　of　Great　Britain　and　of　Canada　desired　to　guard　ourselves。　But　I　doubt　whether　2000　or　10；000　British　soldiers　would　be　any　effective　guard　against　such　inroads；　and　I　doubt　more　strongly　whether　any　such　external　guarding　will　be　necessary。　　If　the　Canadians　were　prepared　to　fraternize　with　filibusters　from　the　States；　neither　three　nor　ten　thousand　soldiers　would　avail　against　such　a　feeling　over　a　frontier　stretching　from　the　State　of　Maine　to　the　shores　of　Lake　Huron　and　Lake　Erie。　　If　such　a　feeling　did　existif　the　Canadians　wished　the　changein　God's　name　let　them　go。　　It　is　for　their　sakes；　and　not　for　our　own；　that　we　would　have　them　bound　to　us。　　But　the　Canadians　are　averse　to　such　a　change　with　a　degree　of　feeling　that　amounts　to　national　intensity。　　Their　sympathies　are　with　the　Southern　States；　not　because　they　care　for　cotton；　not　because　they　are　anti…abolitionists；　not　because　they　admire　the　hearty　pluck　of　those　who　are　endeavoring　to　work　out　for　themselves　a　new　revolution。　　They　sympathize　with　the　South　from　strong　dislike　to　the　aggression；　the　braggadocio；　and　the　insolence　they　have　felt　upon　their　own　borders。　　They　dislike　Mr。　Seward's　weak　and　vulgar　joke　with　the　Duke　of　Newcastle。　　They　dislike　Mr。　Everett's　flattering　hints　to　his　countrymen　as　to　the　one　nation　that　is　to　occupy　the　whole　continent。　　They　dislike　the　Monroe　doctrine。　　They　wonder　at　the　meekness　with　which　England　has　endured　the　vauntings　of　the　Northern　States；　and　are　endued　with　no　such　meekness　of　their　own。　　They　would；　I　believe；　be　well　prepared　to　meet　and　give　an　account　of　any　filibusters　who　might　visit　them；　and　I　am　not　sure　that　it　is　wisely　done　on　our　part　to　show　any　intention　of　taking　the　work　out　of　their　hands。　But　I　am　led　to　this　opinion　in　no　degree　by　a　feeling　that　Great　Britain　ought　to　grudge　the　cost　of　the　soldiers。　　If　Canada　will　be　safer　with　them；　in　Heaven's　name　let　her　have　them。　　It　has　been　argued　in　many　places；　not　only　with　regard　to　Canada；　but　as　to　all　our　self…governed　colonies；　that　military　service　should　not　be　given　at　British　expense　and　with　British　men　to　any　colony　which　has　its　own　representative　government　and　which　levies　its　own　taxes。　　〃While　Great　Britain　absolutely　held　the　reins　of　government；　and　did　as　it　pleased　with　the　affairs　of　its　dependencies；〃　such　politicians　say；　〃it　was　just　and　right　that　she　should　pay　the　bill。　　As　long　as　her　government　of　a　colony　was　paternal；　so　long　was　it　right　that　the　mother　country　should　put　herself　in　the　place　of　a　father；　and　enjoy　a　father's　undoubted　prerogative　of　putting　his　hand　into　his　breeches　pocket　to　provide　for　all　the　wants　of　his　child。　　But　when　the　adult　son　set　up　for　himself　in　businesshaving　received　education　from　the　parent；　and　having　had　his　apprentice　fees　duly　paidthen　that　son　should　settle　his　own　bills；　and　look　no　longer　to　the　paternal　pocket。〃　Such　is　the　law　of　the　world　all　over；　from　little　birds；　whose　young　fly　away　when　fledged；　upward　to　men　and　nations。　　Let　the　father　work　for　the　child　while　he　is　a　child；　but　when　the　child　has　become　a　man；　let　him　lean　no　longer　on　his　father's　staff。　The　argument　is；　I　think；　very　good；　but　it　proves　not　that　we　are　relieved　from　the　necessity　of　assisting　our　colonies　with　payments　made　out　of　British　taxes；　but　that　we　are　still　bound　to　give　such　assistance；　and　that　we　shall　continue　to　be　so　bound　as　long　as　we　allow　these　colonies　to　adhere　to　us　or　as　they　allow　us　to　adhere　to　them。　　In　fact；　the　young　bird　is　not　yet　fully　fledged。　　That　illustration　of　the　father　and　the　child　is　a　just　one；　but　in　order　to　make　it　just　it　should　be　followed　throughout。　　When　the　son　is　in　fact　established　on　his　own　bottom；　then　the　father　expects　that　he　will　live　without　assistance。　　But　when　the　son　does　so　live；　he　is　freed　from　all　paternal　control。　　The　father；　while　he　expects　to　be　obeyed；　continues　to　fill　the　paternal　office　of　paymasterof　paymaster；　at　any　rate；　to　some　extent。　And　so；　I　think；　it　must　be　with　our　colonies。　　The　Canadas　at　present　are　not　independent；　and　have　not　political　power　of　their　own　apart　from　the　political　power　of　Great　Britain。　　England　has　declared　herself　neutral　as　regards　the　Northern　and　Southern　States；　and　by　that　neutrality　the　Canadas　are　bound；　and　yet　the　Canadas　were　not　consulted　in　the　matter。　　Should　England　go　to　war　with　France；　Canada　must　close　her　ports　against　French　vessels。　If　England　chooses　to　send　her　troops　to　Canadian　barracks；　Canada　cannot　refuse　to　accept　them。　　If　England　should　send　to　Canada　an　unpopular　governor；　Canada　has　no　power　to　reject　his　services。　　As　long　as　Canada　is　a　colony　so　called；　she　cannot　be　independent；　and　should　not　be　expected　to　walk　alone。　　It　is　exactly　the　same　with　the　colonies　of　Australia；　with　New　Zealand；　with　the　Cape　of　Good　Hope；　and　with　Jamaica。　　While　England　enjoys　the　prestige　of　her　colonies；　while　she　boasts　that　such　large　and　now　populous　territories　are　her　dependencies；　she　must　and　should　be　content　to　pay　some　portion　of　the　bill。　　Surely　it　is　absurd　on　our　part　to　quarrel　with　Caffre　warfare；　with　New　Zealand　fighting；　and　the　rest　of　it。　　Such　complaints　remind　one　of　an　ancient　pater　familias　who　insists　on　having　his　children　and　his　grandchildren　under　the　old　paternal　roof；　and　then　grumbles　because　the　butcher's　bill　is　high。　　Those　who　will　keep　large　households　and　bountiful　tables　should　not　be　afraid　of　facing　the　butcher's　bill　or　unhappy　at　the　tonnage　of　the　coal。　　It　is　a　grand　thing；　that　power　of　keeping　a　large　table；　but　it　ceases　to　be　grand　when　the　items　heaped　upon　it　cause　inward　groans　and　outward　moodiness。　Why　should　the　colonies　remain　true　to　us　as　children　are　true　to　their　parents；　if　we　grudge　them　the　assistance　which　is　due　to　a　child？　　They　raise　their　own　taxes；　it　is　said；　and　administer　them。　　True；　and　it　is　well　that　the　growing　son　should　do　something　for　himself。　　While　th