Part 18 (1/2)
Behold just now how safely and wisely this Indian evolution is proceeding under the experienced direction of British statesmans.h.i.+p. It is ”TO BE ACHIEVED BY SUCCESSIVE STAGES”, declares the Secretary of State for India, speaking in the name of the whole British responsible Cabinet. Such have been accomplished all the const.i.tutional developments which have wrought so much perfection for British free inst.i.tutions.
True progress, in every form, is never revolutionary. And why? For the very reason that instead of fighting for destruction by brute force, it aims at perfecting by regular advances in the right direction, by successive improvements which experience justifies, which reason, intelligence and wisdom approve, which political sense recommends, which sound moral principles authorize and sanction.
A country favoured with the free British const.i.tutional regime is not the land where bolshevikism of any grade or stamp, can flourish and bear fruits of desolation and shame.
The wonderful Indian country, for so many centuries tortured by intestine troubles, at last rescued by England from that barbarous situation, given a reorganized administration able to maintain interior peace, favoured by British business experience and capital with material progress in many ways, specially in transportation facilities, may soon see--let us hope--the dawn of the glorious days of a large measure of political freedom and responsible government.
Far away indeed from the perilous Imperialism abhorred by our much depressed ”Nationalists” is India safely moving.
CHAPTER XXVII.
THE FUTURE CONSt.i.tUTIONAL RELATIONS OF THE EMPIRE.
Though very difficult to say what they will be, I thought proper, for the better information of my French Canadian readers, to consider some of the suggestions which of late years have been repeatedly made.
Mr. Boura.s.sa, in his recent pamphlets, reviewing the situation from his wrong and prejudiced standpoint, has decidedly come out in favour of Canadian Independence. The least that can be said is that the time was very badly chosen to raise the question. To select the moment when the Motherland was engaged in a fight for life or death, to propose to run away from the a.s.sailed home where we had lived many happy years, was certainly not an inspiration of loyal devotion and grat.i.tude. I am glad to say that the wild proposition met with no countenance on the part of our French Canadian compatriots.
To the point raised in England, some years ago, that it was not to be supposed that the British Empire was destined to exist forever, one of the leading British statesmen of the day, then a member of the Cabinet, answered that, though it was likely to be true that the British Commonwealth would not be eternal, like many other great political societies of times gone by, it was surely not the particular duty of a British minister to do his best to hasten the day of the final downfall of the country he was sworn to maintain. The rejoinder was no doubt peremptory. It can very properly be used in answer to Mr. Boura.s.sa's plea for the independence of Canada.
However, the question having been so unwisely raised, to say the least, for the obvious purpose of disheartening the French Canadians from their present situation and raising in their minds extravagant hopes of a change for the better, I believed it advisable to tell them not to be carried away by dreams of a too far distant possible realization.
In all frankness, I must say that I have never taken any stock in the suggestion made from time to time, for the last fifty years, in favour of Canadian Independence. It always seemed to me that our destinies were not moving along that way. In my opinion, which nothing has happened to alter, the steady growth of the consolidation of the Empire was yearly working against the a.s.sumption of the prospective independence of the Dominion.
But even supposing that the course of events would change and put an end to British connection, could we pride ourselves with having at last, though in a very peaceful way, achieved our national independence? I am more and more strongly impressed by the paramount consideration that, nominally independent, Canada would be very little so in reality.
Situated as she would be, she could not help being under the protectorate of the United States. I have always thought so. I think it more firmly than ever, when I see looming larger every day on the American political horizon the fact that the neighbouring Republic will come out of the present war with flying Colours, taking rank as one of the most powerful nations on earth.
Be that as it may, there is every certainty that the question of Canadian Independence is not within the range of practical politics. Mr.
Boura.s.sa's proposition is doomed to the failure it deserves.
Consequently, it is much better to try and foresee what the future political conditions of Canada are more likely to be after the close of the hostilities. And this must be done with the only purpose of wisely, and patriotically,--in the larger sense of the word--contributing our due share to the sound and solid framing of the changes, if any, which the best interests of the Empire, generally, and of all her component parts, in particular, may require.
We have not, and I most earnestly hope and pray that we shall not have, to consider what new political conditions would be as the consequence of the defeat of the Allies, or even as necessitated by a peace treaty due to a compromise. We must only look ahead for the encouraging days to follow the victory won by the united efforts and heroism of the nations who have rallied to put an end to Prussian militarism.
One certainty is daily becoming more evident. All loyal British subjects will applaud the triumphant close of the war with the desire to do their best to maintain and consolidate the Empire they will have saved from destruction at the cost of so much sacrifices of heroic lives and resources.
NO TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION.
The great objection raised by Mr. Boura.s.sa against the partic.i.p.ation of Canada in the wars of the Empire is that the Dominion is not represented in the Parliament to which the British ministers, advising the Sovereign on all matters of foreign relations, are responsible. He draws the conclusion that the Colonies are called upon to pay for the war expenditures of Great Britain in violation of the const.i.tutional principle:--NO TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION. The principle is no doubt true. But it is altogether wrong to pretend that so far it has been violated to coerce the Dominion to partic.i.p.ate in the wars which England has been obliged to wage. Our ”Nationalists” would be right in their opposition if the Imperial Parliament had attempted to pa.s.s laws compelling the autonomous Colonies to contribute men and money to a conflict. Had they claimed the right to raise revenues in Canada by an Imperial statute, we would certainly have been ent.i.tled to affirm that not being represented in the British House of Commons, we could not be taxed in any way for any Imperial purpose--war or others.
Nothing of the kind has ever been done, ever been attempted, even ever been hinted at.
The argument falls entirely to the ground, shattered to pieces, from the fact that Canada has only partic.i.p.ated in the wars of the Empire of her own free will, in the full enjoyment of her const.i.tutional rights.
Whatever sums of money the Dominion has to pay for the conflicts into which we have freely and deliberately decided to intervene, are perceived by the Canadian treasury in virtue of laws pa.s.sed by our federal Parliament upon the advice of our responsible Cabinet.
Last year, the people of Canada were called upon to elect new members of our House of Commons. The citizens of the Dominion had the undoubted const.i.tutional right to pa.s.s condemnation on the ministers and on the members of Parliament who had voted for the partic.i.p.ation in the war with men and money. They could have elected a new House of Commons to discontinue such partic.i.p.ation and recall our army from Europe. But had they not the equally undoubted right to do what they have done by such a solemn expression of a decided and matured opinion:--approve and order to fight until victory is won?
In accepting with deep grat.i.tude the n.o.ble and patriotic support we, Canadians, were giving her in the most terrible crisis of her Sovereign existence, was England in any way violating any of our cherished const.i.tutional privileges? No sensible, no reasonable, no unprejudiced man can so pretend. The case being such as it is, there is not the shadow of common sense in the a.s.sertion that Canada is taxed without representation for Imperial war purposes.