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Date: 1865-03-29
By: The Montreal Herald
Citation: “What Next”, The Montreal Herald (29 March, 1865)
Other formats: TBA

WHAT NEXT?

—The enmity of Napoleon 1st. for two women is one of the most remarkable portions of the character of that powerful man. His hostility to one of these, Madame de Stael, is, by several writers, traced to a very short sentence in one of her works. “Nothing,” wrote the philosophic authoress, “which is sudden can be lasting.” The condemnation of the whole system of the Conqueror of Europe was summed up in those few almost prophetic words, which like all other truths in due time had their fulfillment. And may we not in view of some passing events make the same reflection as Madame de Stael, even though it should, like her utterance, be cause of offence to some who pretend to found Empires with the dexterity of Conjurers? A few months ago the Lower Provinces were in a natural way coming to a very useful and reasonable union among themselves. The union might not at first have embraced them all; but there was every reason to believe that the two principal Provinces—Nova Scotia and New Brunswick—would at least have been brought within one government. The extraordinary speed, however, with which our Canadian Ministry, after some of them had declared that Confederation would not satisfy the legitimate demands of Upper Canada, took up that scheme as the one thing which the people of Upper Canada were panting to obtain, interfered with the arrangements which were being quietly and efficiently consummated, and replaced them by a kind of phantasmagoria, whose rapidity of production has furnished only too just a measure of the speed of its disappearance. The union of the Lower Provinces will now we dare say be proceeded with; but it has been delayed and possibly more than delayed, by the interjection of this sudden, violent, but not enduring project, which to the astonishment of everybody was made for a moment to thrust it aside. We may apply the same reflection moreover to the position of the men, who so wonderfully became convinced at the same moment, of the advantages for Canada of the Confederation scheme which almost all of them had previously rejected—Mr. Brown, especially,—in the very conversation in which he and his present colleagues laid down the bases of their government and policy. The love on the part of Mr. Brown both for the persons of the corruptionists and for the strange measure which was evolved out of the conjunction of corruptionists and purists, seems also likely to be no exception to the generalization of the maxim. Within two or three weeks the Globe has had two or three changes of opinion as to what the future policy of the Government should be. On the first intelligence of the break down in New Brunswick, it proclaimed the necessity of at once going back to the original programme of the Coalition. That programme was first to confederate Canada, which, perhaps on account of the suddenness of the determination, was, within a few weeks, changed for the general confederation. But the latter failing, the Globe once more held that it would be proper to go on with the alternative scheme, which at first was to have had the preference. However, that announcement was hardly made at Toronto before we had at Quebec the counter declaration that the circumstance of the refusal of the other parties to contract our alliance was a reason why we should force on the alliance by ourselves. The Globe, therefore, at once took up that view of our future, and found that the public was heartily rejoiced at the somewhat bizarre determination of the Government to do that which an old nursery rhyme has taught many succeeding generations to consider impossible. The marriage without any wife may perhaps hereafter cease to be regarded as an absurdity. Still, the received view of the case was so strongly impressed on the minds of the conductors of the Globe that two or three days ago, in an article from which we quoted, they once more returned to the idea that “something must be done,” not in the way of confederation of the Provinces; but in that of Federation of the Canadas. It is true, this second sudden fit lasted very little longer than the first, for a couple of days after we had another counter blast, in which confederation once more formed the principal gas of the windy mixture. We regret to observe, however, that this time the wheel about was not performed with so much dexterity as to escape the proverbial danger—if we may change the figure—of a change of base. Two articles from French Canadian journals at Quebec, which we translate to-day, will serve to show that the suddenness of the affection conceived for Mr. Brown by the friends for whom he has acquired the sudden respect which we all wot of, is not likely to be more lasting than other conditions of being which have not arisen out of gradual combinations. Among other things, we notice that the Protestant horse is not so thoroughly dead as could be wished. We think, indeed, that the enemies of that once hard worked beast might be content with the miserable state of languor to which for more than a year he has been reduced. But it seems that the suddenness of the arrangements has been too great to permit of his being completely killed within the time desired, and the durability of the friendship between his master and the backers of the Roman racer is thence proportionably endangered. These last gentlemen evidently doubt the strength of the affection which grew up so hastily, and give signs that the love that they have to bestow in return is likely to be of a very transient character. Finally, we are glad to notice that some of our sudden apprehensions of danger are subject to the law, which, throughout this short essay, we have been attempting to illustrate. The time honoured Parliamentary custom of submitting the votes for the supplies to the House of Assembly and obtaining the approval of that body for every item, would, of course, not have been set aside except for some good and influential cause, especially by a ministry numbering Mr. Brown in its ranks. We know, however, that, like the violent dread which came over his present colleagues in the Spring of 1862, after the termination of all those prospects of immediate war which had not for one moment shaken their steadfast souls during the previous winter, there was an indescribable horror which beset him and them, simultaneously with the arrival of the intelligence of Mr. Tilley’s defeat. It was this which led them to the extreme measure of proroguing Parliament, in which they had a large majority, and of asking for a vote of credit instead of proceeding in the regular course. The fear was sudden; but that it has not been lasting is manifested by the fact that the deputation, whose conference with the British Government was, till Parliament was prorogued, judged essentially necessary to save the Province from subjugation, are still in Canada, and apparently are very leisurely arranging their private affairs before proceeding to save the country in the emergency which a short time ago seemed to them to involve such frightful possibilities. The fear of immediate danger therefore, has evaporated almost from the moment that all risk of a Parliamentary crisis was obviated; and its suddenness has evidently been once more anything but a guarantee for its durability. While, in our capacity of observers of passing events, we note and record these changes of political phenomena, however, we may, perhaps, be permitted to add the expression of a wish that the time may come when something more like permanent in our public affairs may grow out of greater slowness of deliberation. The matured policy of any great party in a State is likely to have its own excellencies as well, of course, as its own inconveniences. Conservatism is as necessary a principle as reform in every well ordered community, but the suddenness with which Conservatives in Canada abandon their standard, and Reformers take to high Tory doctrines can secure for us nothing, except it be the ever shifting motion of the shuttle-cock, thrown about for the pleasure of the players. Awaiting the blow of the battledore, we can only ask ourselves—what next?