The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. FRIDAY, JULY 8, 1927. CANADA’S ACHIEVEMENTS.

Hokitika Guardian, 8 July 1927, Page 2

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. FRIDAY, JULY 8, 1927. CANADA’S ACHIEVEMENTS.

At a time- when few people read history, and fewer still remember it. the meaning of the national celebrations lately held in Canada, says an exchange, is likely to be lost upon the general public. After all, it is sixty years since the British North American Act was passed, and the circumstances that accompanied and produced the Federation of Canada have naturally tended to fade into oblivion. So far back as 1810 the two provinces of Upper and Lower Canada were formed into a union and received responsible Government. But during the next twenty years the growth of population and the conflict of rival interests lllnde some further readjustment inevitable. It is the passing of the British North America Act which in 1807 signalised the final consummation of Canadian* unity that the people of the great Dominion have commemorated. There were a great many forces operating in Canada at this time which tended to render the work of efficient administration. difficult, and. indeed, almost impossible. “The mingled interests and conflicting opinions of Catholic and Protestant. Upper and Lower Canadians, French and English. Scotch and Irish, constantly thwarting and crossing one another,” eventually broke down the system of party government, and compelled the rival loaders to realise that the one path to progress, security, and prosperity for Canada lay by way of closer political union Ivefween its component parts. John A. Macdonald, a Conservative, George Cartier. a French-Can ad ian, and George Brown, a Radical, laid aside tlieir personal differences and allied themselves together to secure those ends. At a conference hold at Quebec in 1804 there were drawn up certain terms and conditions on which the I

Kiitish North America Act of 180, was ultimately based. Them was one fact which no doubt exercised great m--11 uenee upon puhlie opinion both i" O.mada and in Britain in favour <>l the proposal to federate- the possible hostility of the United States. After the rinse of the American Civil War there was a widespread apprehension that t.ho Great Republic, now unified and consolidated, might prove a dangerous neighbour to Canada and this no doubt was one reason that persuaded the Imperial authorities to incept, the Canadian proposal. And. fortunately, in accepting the scheme outlined by the Quebec. Conference, the British Government paid due heed to Macdonald's warning against the danger of conflict between local and central authority il. as in the American republic, all rowers not clearly delegated t> the central Government were reserved to the various States “A strong central Government’’ was Macdonald's primary requisite, and though he would have preferred complete legislative union, ho accepted a federal union as a. reasonable alternative so long as the federal authority was firmly foil titled and its powers well secured In many ways, therefore, the inauguration of political unity in Canada was carried out mul«r very favourable auspices. 'I lie suggestion came in the first place from the Canadians themselves; the change was made with tin* consent and sympathetic assistance of Britain; and though the maritime provinces stood out for seme little time, the benefits offered by amalgamation finally proved irresistible. From the time of the parsing of tiro Act of 1807 Canada lias never looked back. Like all other members of the Empire, if has passed through periods of storm and stress, and its proximity to the United Slates even to-day tends to complicate its political outlook. But the patriotic and Ncifsueriliemg efforts of the founders of federation have not. been lost upon their siiecssors, and to-day. in spite of local jealousies and racial rivalries, The people of Canada are already a united nation distinguished not only by their devotion to their own country, but also by their loyalty to the British Crown.