Document Information

Date: 1864-06-24
By: Perth Courier
Citation: “The Crisis Over.—Grits & Corruptionists Agree”, Perth Courier (24 June, 1864)
Other formats: TBA

The Crisis Over.—Grits & Corruptionists Agree.

In Canadian politics wonders will never cease. Our readers will, however, hardly be prepared to believe that the famous trio, John A. McDonald, Cartier and Galt have so far yielded to the pressure of Upper Canadian public opinion as to call upon George Brown and the Western Grits and ask them to assist to carry on the Queen’s Government upon a satisfactory basis. That Mr. Brown should, for the time, forget the bitter and unrelenting hostility of these men and their followers, and give the country the benefit of his abilities and his long experience at a crisis so serious in its character as the present, is what would naturally be expected. It is to be hoped that the expectations of Mr. Brown and his friends will be fully realised, but this, time alone can tell. There is already one marked change in the Corruptionist press—instead of abusing, they cannot too highly praise the “Great Onontio” of other days; and for the future, we may expect to hear nothing of “Grits,” and that no leading Reformers will be accused of “looking to Washington.”

At present it is premature to discuss a policy which is not yet definitely announced. In other columns will be found the fullest intelligence, as well as the proceedings in the House, as the negotiations from day to day, which we have received up to the time of going to press. It may certainly be said that nothing has taken place in the political history of the country since the Union of deeper importance or which required graver consideration.—The situation in which both parties were placed—their equality in strength—the strong national differences between Upper and Lower Canada, presented difficulties of the most serious nature. It may be well, however, to remember that if Upper Canada enjoyed that share in the representation in the House to which, by her population, wealth, enterprise and contribution to the revenue, she is entitled, such “a chronic state of crisis” as we have suffered from could not, and would not, now exist. It does seem strange that after years of effort to that end, Mr. Brown should, if the rumours which are now afloat be correct, have abandoned it and adopted the scheme of Federation with the Lower Provinces: that he should adopt what seemed to be the most expedient and practicable mode of arriving at a solution of the difficulties in this way, can be comprehended, but one fails to see what are the good reasons for Federations. If, in the proposed Federal Legislature, the representation will be based upon the respective number of votes in each Province, the principle for which Reformers have contended is at once admitted, and why should it not be applied to Canada at once? If, on the other hand, the relative proportions remain as at present, we, in Upper Canada, instead of having one master in Lower Canada, will have five in the whole of the Provinces. Another evil will also, as a matter of course, arise under the Federative System—corruption and log-rolling upon an immense scale. Where such numerous and conflicting interests will clash, opportunities will be given to unprincipled and greedy politicians to take advantage and turn the necessities or the strifes of different colonies to their own private gain. It need hardly be said, that with such a class, wealthy Upper Canada will be fair game.

One other subject calls for attention :— Complaints of a very serious kind were made, and by none more strongly than by Mr. Brown, against the squandering of the public money and the general bad administration of Provincial affairs by Cartier, McDonald and Galt. No doubt the presence of Mr. Brown and two others with him, in the Cabinet, will afford some guarantee that the public interests will be better looked after, but the retention of office of the old offenders who have just been condemned, will create distrust. It will lessen the sympathies of Reformers, and may, in the end, render matters worse than they now are. There are not wanting people who think that the Federative scheme is but an empty bauble—that it is designed to divert the attention of the public by tedious negotiations which will end in smoke, and that, in the meantime, the Corruptionists will rule more safely than ever under the protection of their strongest opponents. We do not think this is so, but the suspicion is too wide-spread to be overlooked. A victory has certainly been gained, and those who are personally most interested profess the utmost confidence in the good faith of each other. Let us hope the country will reap the benefit, and that the good intentions of the Coalition (which by the way is a disagreeably suggestive word) will speedily be consummated by good legislation and economical government.