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Date: 1865-11-03
By: Ottawa Union
Citation: “Doctor Brown Once More”, The Ottawa Union (3 November, 1865)
Other formats: TBA

Doctor Brown Once More.

Confederation of the British North American Provinces! magnificent myth! gigantic bubble! What is its aim—what would be its results? Coherence, unity and amalgamation, we are told. In plain words for plain men, the scheme is neither more nor less than a gross delusion. And further, even if carried out, it would affect nothing, it would give us nothing that we do not already possess. This point of view has not received the attention it merits. We are already united under our allegiance to and as integral portions of the British empire: for attack or defence we are and have been homogenous. Her Majesty’s representative in Canada is Governor-General of every rood of British soil on this side of the American continent, and can dispose of the forces of the whole for the advantage of all. Confederation might injure, it could not improve this arrangement. —It would not give us uniformity, for we sow independent legislatures broadcast over the whole territory, and he must be sanguine indeed who would dream of uniformity there. It is much more certain that their squabbles would necessitate the establishment of a legislatorial police to preserve legislatorial peace. If confederation, as proposed, gave us commercial freedom, or a uniform tariff we would credit it with the boon; but it does not, for the very agreement, arising out of the Quebec conference, on which the project is based, provides for differential duties. So much for the general question; —how would confederation affect, relatively, the two divisions of Canada? In the first days of the project it was presumed that it would be very generally opposed in Lower Canada, but this was not the case, and if (to the great surprise of its principal promoters) it was received with a quiet indifference by a people who are not slow either in perceiving or defending their interests, we may infer there were good reasons for the sang froid of our sensitive neighbors. The Quebec arrangement gave to Upper Canada several more representatives in the general legislature than it gave to the Lower Province, and thus far our prospect was cheering. There was something under the surface, however. The representatives from the maritime provinces very far outnumbered the Upper Canada excess, and the Lower Canadians prefectly well understood that the interests of those provinces were, in all important matters identical with their own, and, therefore, that the grand aim of the Confederators would be defeated and the project give increased strength to the Lower Canadian position. Under any other view, is it feasible that Lower Canada would have given her adhesion to the scheme; not only to the numerical superiority of the representation of the Upper Province, but to its periodical expansion and increase, while her own much smaller quota remained an unchangeable fixity? No, Dr. Brown, no! You have been overreached again, doctor; but, fortunately, the circumstances that scattered your foolish project to the winds, preserved us. Surely the lesson will not be thrown away in this portion of the province.

Last and least, appears Canadian Federation. This, at all events, cannot come before us with the plea of unity. Unquestionably, Canadian Federation implies disruption, not union. It would restore to us that very enviable state of things that existed before the amalgamation of the provinces and really might favor us by bringing in its train another rebellion. If there are Canadians mad enough or Brown enough to forego the advantages, accrued and accruing, from the Union, thank God they are too few and too insignificant to harm us. Canada will not embark with her Doctor on an uncertain sea of troubles, toils, uncertainty, expedients and ruin. The good ship is yet sound and fears not the gale, but the helm must be placed in other hands, and as for the Doctor, he must not be permitted even to touch a tiller rope again.

We have gone, cursorily, through the Doctor’s remedies: there is not one that will bear analysis. As might be expected from compounds, resulting from vanity and ambition, they are all opposed to the steady growth and quiet and peaceable development of a contented and prosperous population. Let us be permitted to prescribe; our remedy shall be as remarkable for simplicity as for efficacy—Doctor Brown, retire for ever from parliamentary and public life. You have now an opportunity to wrap your cloak around you with some little dignity: it will soon be too late. Every breeze whispers that the present state of affairs is near its end: the coalition exists but in syncope! To your tents, O Israel! for the olden strife is about to recommence, the olden division lines to be restored. Let the initiatory movement be to kick out the Doctor and to throw his physic to the dogs.