north america-1-第30章

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minister　them。　　True；　and　it　is　well　that　the　growing　son　should　do　something　for　himself。　　While　the　father　does　all　for　him；　the　son's　labor　belongs　to　the　father。　　Then　comes　a　middle　state　in　which　the　son　does　much　for　himself；　but　not　all。　　In　that　middle　state　now　stand　our　prosperous　colonies。　　Then　comes　the　time　when　the　son　shall　stand　alone　by　his　own　strength；　and　to　that　period　of　manly；　self…respected　strength　let　us　all　hope　that　those　colonies　are　advancing。　　It　is　very　hard　for　a　mother　country　to　know　when　such　a　time　has　come；　and　hard　also　for　the　child…colony　to　recognize　justly　the　period　of　its　own　maturity。　　Whether　or　no　such　severance　may　ever　take　place　without　a　quarrel；　without　weakness　on　one　side　and　pride　on　the　other；　is　a　problem　in　the　world's　history　yet　to　be　solved。　　The　most　successful　child　that　ever　yet　has　gone　off　from　a　successful　parent；　and　taken　its　own　path　into　the　world；　is　without　doubt　the　nation　of　the　United　States。　　Their　present　troubles　are　the　result　and　the　proofs　of　their　success。　　The　people　that　were　too　great　to　be　dependent　on　any　nation　have　now　spread　till　they　are　themselves　too　great　for　a　single　nationality。　　No　one　now　thinks　that　that　daughter　should　have　remained　longer　subject　to　her　mother。　　But　the　severance　was　not　made　in　amity；　and　the　shrill　notes　of　the　old　family　quarrel　are　still　sometimes　heard　across　the　waters。　From　all　this　the　question　arises　whether　that　problem　may　ever　be　solved　with　reference　to　the　Canadas。　　That　it　will　never　be　their　destiny　to　join　themselves　to　the　States　of　the　Union；　I　feel　fully　convinced。　　In　the　first　place　it　is　becoming　evident　from　the　present　circumstances　of　the　Union；　if　it　had　never　been　made　evident　by　history　before；　that　different　people　with　different　habits；　living　at　long　distances　from　each　other；　cannot　well　be　brought　together　on　equal　terms　under　one　government。　　That　noble　ambition　of　the　Americans　that　all　the　continent　north　of　the　isthmus　should　be　united　under　one　flag；　has　already　been　thrown　from　its　saddle。　　The　North　and　South　are　virtually　separated；　and　the　day　will　come　in　which　the　West　also　will　secede。　　As　population　increases　and　trades　arise　peculiar　to　those　different　climates；　the　interests　of　the　people　will　differ；　and　a　new　secession　will　take　place　beneficial　alike　to　both　parties。　　If　this　be　so；　if　even　there　be　any　tendency　this　way；　it　affords　the　strongest　argument　against　the　probability　of　any　future　annexation　of　the　Canadas。　　And　then；　in　the　second　place；　the　feeling　of　Canada　is　not　American；　but　British。　　If　ever　she　be　separated　from　Great　Britain；　she　will　be　separated　as　the　States　were　separated。　She　will　desire　to　stand　alone；　and　to　enter　herself　as　one　among　the　nations　of　the　earth。　She　will　desire　to　stand　alone；　alone；　that　is　without　dependence　either　on　England　or　on　the　States。　　But　she　is　so　circumstanced　geographically　that　she　can　never　stand　alone　without　amalgamation　with　our　other　North　American　provinces。　　She　has　an　outlet　to　the　sea　at　the　Gulf　of　St。　Lawrence；　but　it　is　only　a　summer　outlet。　Her　winter　outlet　is　by　railway　through　the　States；　and　no　other　winter　outlet　is　possible　for　her　except　through　the　sister　provinces。　　Before　Canada　can　be　nationally　great；　the　line　of　railway　which　now　runs　for　some　hundred　miles　below　Quebec　to　Riviere　du　Loup　must　be　continued　on　through　New　Brunswick　and　Nova　Scotia　to　the　port　of　Halifax。　When　I　was　in　Canada　I　heard　the　question　discussed　of　a　federal　government　between　the　provinces　of　the　two　Canadas；　New　Brunswick；　and　Nova　Scotia。　　To　these　were　added；　or　not　added；　according　to　the　opinion　of　those　who　spoke；　the　smaller　outlying　colonies　of　Newfoundland　and　Prince　Edward's　Island。　　If　a　scheme　for　such　a　government　were　projected　in　Downing　Street；　all　would　no　doubt　be　included；　and　a　clean　sweep　would　be　made　without　difficulty。　　But　the　project　as　made　in　the　colonies　appears　in　different　guises；　as　it　comes　either　from　Canada　or　from　one　of　the　other　provinces。　The　Canadian　idea　would　be　that　the　two　Canadas　should　form　two　States　of　such　a　confederation；　and　the　other　provinces　a　third　State。　　But　this　slight　participation　in　power　would　hardly　suit　the　views　of　New　Brunswick　and　Nova　Scotia。　　In　speaking　of　such　a　federal　government　as　this；　I　shall　of　course　be　understood　as　meaning　a　confederation　acting　in　connection　with　a　British　governor；　and　dependent　upon　Great　Britain　as　far　as　the　different　colonies　are　now　dependent。　I　cannot　but　think　that　such　a　confederation　might　be　formed　with　great　advantage　to　all　the　colonies　and　to　Great　Britain。　　At　present　the　Canadas　are　in　effect　almost　more　distant　from　Nova　Scotia　and　New　Brunswick　than　they　are　from　England。　　The　intercourse　between　them　is　very　slightso　slight　that　it　may　almost　be　said　that　there　is　no　intercourse。　　A　few　men　of　science　or　of　political　importance　may　from　time　to　time　make　their　way　from　one　colony　into　the　other；　but　even　this　is　not　common。　Beyond　that　they　seldom　see　each　other。　　Though　New　Brunswick　borders　both　with　Lower　Canada　and　with　Nova　Scotia；　thus　making　one　whole　of　the　three　colonies；　there　is　neither　railroad　nor　stage　conveyance　running　from　one　to　the　other。　　And　yet　their　interests　should　be　similar。　　From　geographical　position　their　modes　of　life　must　be　alike；　and　a　close　conjunction　between　them　is　essentially　necessary　to　give　British　North　America　any　political　importance　in　the　world。　　There　can　be　no　such　conjunction；　no　amalgamation　of　interests；　until　a　railway　shall　have　been　made　joining　the　Canada　Grand　Trunk　Line　with　the　two　outlying　colonies。　　Upper　Canada　can　feed　all　England　with　wheat；　and　could　do　so　without　any　aid　of　railway　through　the　States；　if　a　railway　were　made　from　Quebec　to　Halifax。　　But　then　comes　the　question　of　the　cost。　　The　Canada　Grand　Trunk　is　at　the　present　moment　at　the　lowest　ebb　of　commercial　misfortune；　and　with　such　a　fact　patent　to　the　world；　what　company　will　come　forward　with　funds　for　making　four　or　five　hundred　miles　of　railway；　through　a　district　of　which　one…half　is　not　yet　prepared　for　population？　　It　would　be；　I　imagine；　out　of　the　question　that　such　a　speculation　should　for　many　years　give　any　fair　commercial　interest　on　the　money　to　be　expended。　　But　nevertheless　to　the　coloniesthat　is；　to　the　enormous　regions　of　British　North　Americasuch　a　railroad　would　be　invaluable。　　Under　such　circumstances　it　is　for　the　Home　Government　and　the　colonies　between　them　to　see　how　such　a　measure　may　be　carried　out。　　As　a　national　expenditure；　to　be　defrayed　in　the　course　of　years　by　the　territories　interested；　the　sum　of　money　required　would　be　very　small。　But　how　would　this　affect　England？　　And　how　would　England　be　affected　by　a　union　of　the　British　North　American　colonies　under　one　federal　government？　　Before　this　question　can　be　answered；　he　who　prepares　to　answer　it　must　consider　what　interest　England　has　in　her　colonies；　and　for　what　purpose　she　holds　them。　　Does　she　hold　them　for　profit；　or　for　glory；　or　for　power；　or　does　she　hold　them　in　order　that　she　may　carry　out　the　duty　which　has　devolved　upon　her　of　extending　civilization；　freedom；　and