Part 6 (1/2)
If we add to these difficulties the donize that the outlook was dark Canada was then a fringe of settle fro no independent access to the Atlantic except during the suely upon Great Britain for defence, and upon the United States for trade She had received warning that both these supports were to be weakened, and that she must rely more on her own resources, find new channels of trade and new means of defence The country lay in the midst of the continent, isolated from the west, isolated in part frohbour to the south Upper and Lower Canada, with their racial differences as sharply defined as in the days of Lord Durhaarded each other with distrust; one political co overner and difficulty, within and without, ht well arouse alarm, rebuke faction and stimulate patriotism
The election of 1863 was virtually a drawn battle The Refore majority in Upper Canada, their opponents a like majority in Lower Canada, and thus not only the two parties, but the two provinces, were arrayed against each other The Reforovernment, headed by Sandfield Macdonald and Dorion, found its position of weakness and huned in March, 1864 The troubled governor-general called upon A T Fergusson Blair, a colleague of Sandfield Macdonald, to form a new administration He failed He called upon Cartier with a like result He finally had a little better success with Sir E P Tache, a veteran who had been a colleague of Baldwin, of Hincks, and of Macdonald Tache virtually restored the Cartier-Macdonald govern in Foley and McGee from the other side In less than three overnment was defeated, and on the very day of its defeat relief ca the ht on the situation
On May 13th he writes: ”Things here are very unsatisfactory; no one sees his way out of the mess--and there is no way but reat talk to-day of coalition--and what do you think? Why, that in order to overnovernravely asked to-day by several if it is true, and whether I would accept My reply was, I would rather be proprietor of the _Globe_ newspaper for a few years than be governor-general of Canada, much less a tru has no foundation, beyond sounding what could be done to put ht at any price, shall we?” On May 18th he writes that he has brought on his es, and on May 20th that it has carried and taken Cartier and Macdonald by surprise ”Much that is directly practical ain to have the acknowledgreat evil exists, and that some remedy must be found”
On June 14th Mr Brown, as chairman of a committee appointed to consider the difficulties connected with the govern ”a federative system, applied either to Canada alone, or to the whole British North American provinces”
This was the day on which the Tache governotiations which followed between Mr Brown and the governiven by Sir John Macdonald in the House, and accepted by all parties as official, and a letter written by Mr Brown to a member of his family The official account represents the firstfroestion caeneral It would seeradually froovernor had proposed a coalition on the defeat of the Macdonald-Dorion governestion on the defeat of the Tache-Macdonald government; but his official es It would seereat deal of talk of coalition in the air before Brownhim an appointment that would remove him from public life But the Conservativemerely of a coalition that would break the dead-lock, and enable the ordinary business of the country to proceed Brown's idea was to find a pere in the constitution When he made his proposal to co-operate with his opponents for the purpose of settling the difficulties between Upper and Lower Canada, his proposal fell upon minds familiarized with the idea of coalition, and hence its ready acceptance On his part, Mr
Broas ready to abate certain party advantages in order to bring about constitutional reform Mr Ferrier, in the debate on confederation, says that it was he who suggested that the proposal made by Mr Brown to Mr Pope and Mr Morris should be coives a lively account of the current gossip as to thebetween Brown and thesaid, that when Mr Galt met Mr Brown he received him with that manly, open frankness which characterizes him; that when Mr Cartier e friends were not behind him, and that when he was satisfied they were not, he embraced him with open arms and swore eternal friendshi+p; and that Mr Macdonald, at a very quick glance, saw there was an opportunity of forreat and powerful dependency of the British eht, in fact, that a political millennium had arrived”
In a family letter written at this ti We have had great tioverneneral to dissolve parliaovernor's suggestion, they applied to overn the constitutional difficulties between Upper and Lower Canada I refused to accept office, but agreed to help theotiations were thereupon co on, with considerable hope of finding a satisfactory solution to our trouble The facts were announced in the House to-day by John A Macdonald, a from both sides of the House You never saw such a scene; but you will have it all in the papers, so I need not repeat Both sides are extreovernment, if it were only for a week; but I will not do this unless it is absolutely needed to the success of the negotiations A land to arrange the new constitution with the i may fail, ill not count our chickens just yet”
Sir Richard Cartwright, then a youngthe tension on men's minds at that time He says: ”On that memorable afternoon when Mr Brown, not without emotion, made his statement to a hushed and expectant House, and declared that he was about to ally hies Cartier and his friends for the purpose of carrying out confederation, I saw an excitable, elderly little French member rush across the floor, climb up on Mr Broho, as you re his ar several seconds there suspended, to the visible consternation of Mr
Brown and to the infinite joy of all beholders, pit, box and gallery included”[15]
The official account given by Mr Macdonald in the House, is that iht (the 14th), and on the following , Mr Brown spoke to several supporters of the ad that the present crisis should be utilized in settling forever the constitutional difficulties between Upper and Lower Canada, and assuring the or any other administration that would deal with the question promptly and firmly, with a view to its final settleestion was made, obtained leave to communicate it to Mr John A Macdonald and Mr Galt On June 17th Mr Macdonald and Mr Galt called upon Mr
Brown In the conversation that ensued Mr Brown expressed his extre that the public e dropped for the time, Mr Brown asked what remedy was proposed Mr
Macdonald and Mr Galt replied that their remedy was a federal union of all the British North American provinces Mr Brown said that this would not be acceptable to Upper Canada The federation of all the provinces ought to cohly considered by the people; and even were this otherwise, there were so many parties to be consulted that its adoption was uncertain and remote He expressed his preference for parliamentary reform, based on population On further discussion it appeared that a coht be found in an alternative plan, a federal union of all the British North American provinces or a federal union of Upper and Lower Canada, with provision for the admission of the Maritime Provinces and the North-West Territory when they desired
There was apparently a difference of opinion as to which alternative should be presented first One er federation; the second and final overn in adifficulties by introducing the federal principle into Canada, coupled with such provisions as will permit the Maritime Provinces and the North-West Territory to be incorporated into the sa representatives to the Lower Provinces and to England, use its best endeavours to secure the assent of those interests which are beyond the control of our own legislation to such a measure as eneral legislature based upon the federal principle”
It was Mr Broho insisted on this mode of presentation At the convention of 1859 he had expressed in the strongest language his hope for the creation of a great Canadian nationality; and he had for years advocated the inclusion of the North-West Territories in a greater Canada But he regarded the settlement of the difficulties of Upper and Lower Canada as thequestion of the hour, and he did not desire that the solution of this question should be delayed or imperilled Galt's plan of federation, comprehensive and admirable as it was, had failed because the assent of the Maritime Provinces could not be secured; and for five years afterwards no progress had been made It was natural that Brown should be anxiously desirous that the plan for the reform of the union of the Canadas should not fail, whatever elseof the members of the Opposition for Upper Canada It was resolved, on motion of Mr Hope Mackenzie, ”that we approve of the course which has been pursued by Mr Brown in the negotiations with the government, and that we approve of the project of a federal union of the Canadas, with provision for the inclusion of the Maritime Provinces and the North-West Territory, as one basis on which the constitutional difficulties now existing could be settled” Thirty-fourto vote A overn Alexander Mackenzie and Oliver Mowat, voting in the negative The Lower Canadian Reforislature, strongly opposed confederation
There were eneral (Monk) in the negotiations On June 21st he wrote to Mr Brown: ”I think the success or failure of the negotiations which have been going on for soovern to come into the cabinet
”Under these circu upon you, by this note, rave responsibility which you will take upon yourself if you refuse to do so
”Those who have hitherto opposed your views have consented to join with you in good faith for the purpose of extricating the province froerous position
”They have frankly offered to take up and endeavour to settle on principles satisfactory to all, the great constitutional question which you, by your energy and ability, have made your own
”The details of that settlerave debate in the cabinet, and I confess I cannot see how you are to take part in that discussion, or how your opinions can be brought to bear on the arrangement of the question, unless you occupy a place at the council table
”I hope I may, without impropriety, ask you to take these opinions into consideration before you arrive at a final decision as to your own course”
Mr Brorote ho to enter the cabinet, was influenced by the vote of the Reform members, by private letters froency of the governor-general ”The thing that finally determined me was the fact, ascertained by Mowat and myself, that unless ent in the whole effort for constitutional changes would break down, and the enorotiations probably be lost Finally, at three o'clock yester-day, I consented to enter the cabinet as 'president of the council,' with other two seats in the cabinet at my disposal--one of which Moill take, and probably Macdougall the other We consented with great reluctance, but there was no help for it; and it was such a te the sectional troubles of Canada forever The announcement was made in the House yester-day, and the excitement all over the province is intense I send you an official copy of the proceedings during the negotiations, from which you will see the whole story By next mail I intend to send you some extracts from the newspapers The unanimity of sentiment is without example in this country, and were it not that I know at their exact value the worth of newspaper laudations, I ht be puffed up a little in my own conceit After the explanations by ministers I had to make a speech, but was so excited and nervous at the events of the last few days that I nearly broke down However, after a little I got over it, andspeech I everwhen I sat down, and ratulate rand success, and I really believe will have an immense influence on the future destinies of Canada”
The formation of the coalition cabinet was announced on June 30th
Foley, Buchanan and Simpson, members of the Upper Canadian section of the Tache-Macdonald ministry, retired, and their places were taken by the Hon George Brown, Oliver Mowat, and Williaed Sir E P Tache, though a Conservative, was acceptable to both parties, and ell fitted to head a genuine coalition But it must have been evident from the first that the character of a coalition would not be long overnislature, was represented by only three ministers out of twelve; and this, with Macdonald's skill incombinations of men, made it morally certain that the ministry must eventually become Conservative, just as happened in the case of the coalition of 1854
Brown had asked that the Reformers be represented by four ministers from Upper Canada and two from Lower Canada, which would, as nearly as possible, have corresponded with the strength of his party in the legislature Galt and Macdonald represented that a change in the personnel of the Lower Canadian section of the cabinet would disturb the people and shake their confidence The Lower Canadian Liberal leaders, Dorion and Holton, were adverse to the coalition sche Macdonald and his friends to hold office