Strathcona and the making of Canada

Contents

Arrival in Canada — Rebellion in progress — Journey to Labrador — World's jumping-off place — The little girl passing Ottawa — A strange romance — Authority of chief officials — Military discipline — Foundation of fortune. . . -13

II

The Hudson's Bay Company's secret — Explorers and rival traders — Suspicion of the Indians — George Brown and the Company's possessions — Statesmanlike treatment of the red race — Domestic relations — Purchase by Canada. . . 22

III

Terms of purchase misunderstood — Effect on Company's shares — Panic on the market — Donald A. Smith a purchaser — The Riel rebellion — The first martyr — Lord Wolseley's chance. 37

IV

Canadian troops at Fort Garry — Treating with the rebels — The Company and the rebellion — New trading conditions — Competition with a tinker. ...... 47

V

Donald A. Smith elected to Parliament — Knowledge of the west — Dream of wealth and power — A great leader — Parliamentary talent — Buying a public franchise — Election subscriptions — Pacific scandal. . . . . -57

VI

Reverting to party lines — George Brown's break with the coalition — Parliament of talents — Interest in Parliament — The early days in Ottawa — Discovery of the Pacific scandal — Investigation by Parliament. ..... 68 vi CONTENTS

VII Pagk

The situation in Parliament — Partyism and patriotism — Deputation to Lord Dufferin — Donald A. Smith's position — A political crisis in sight — Donald A. against his party — Resignation of the Government. ..... 79

VIII

New Government in power — Donald A.'s railway purposes — Guarding the nation's heritage — Alexander Mackenzie — Lord Dufferin's speech — Tory hatred of Donald A. — Intriguing for a charter — Meeting with a patriot. . . 89

IX

Donald A. and the American railway — The Dutch bondholders — Negotiating with the Official Receiver — Borrowing from the bank — Issuing stock to themselves — In a tight place — Fortune suddenly realized. ...... 100

X

Tory insults to Donald A. — Intrigues for Pacific charter — Senate taking revenge — Failure of intrigues — The Government obdurate — Historical scene in House of Commons. . . 107

XI

Undiscovered intrigue — Before the elections — Elections postponed — Effect of chance conversation — The tempter again — Donald A.'s election — Corrupt practices — Loan to the Judge 114

XII

Sir John A. Macdonald in office again — " So much the worse for British connection " — Unseated by the Supreme Court — The Pacific railway charter in sight — The agreement — Donald A. Smith kept out of sight — Charter hunters' success. 122

XIII

Amassing great wealth — The skeleton in the cupboard — Facing sudden ruin — Failure to sell bonds — Applying for assistance — The penalty for deception — The Cabinet refusal. . 133

CONTENTS vii

XIV Page

Staggering under the load — An Irishman to the rescue — Frank Smith and his colleagues — Cabinet discussion — George Stephen's remorse — AScotchman's revenge — The bitter cup. 140

XV

Demoralization of public life — Members appeal for funds to the syndicate — Fraudulent company subscriptions — A hungry lot — Donald A.'s opinion — The cloak for many offences — A fortune in a night — Demorahzation run riot. . . 149

Once more amid old associations — Political predilections — Disallowance on Manitoba's legislation — Driving the golden spike — Fighting against slavery — What Manitoba paid for liberty 174

XX

" And Ahab spake unto Naboth " — Looking for another grab — The Intercolonial Railway — An unsatisfactory Prime Minister — Sir Mackenzie Bowell — The " nest of traitors " — A successful cabal . . . . . . .184 viii CONTENTS

XXI satisfactory First Minister — Fishing for forty millions — Sir Donald as High Commissioner — Laurier's political strength — Stirring up religious strife — Hierarchy recognized by the State — Laurier successful — The coming Prime Minister. ........ 193 xxn

Donald A. changing his politics again — Intriguing against Laurier's colleague — The power of wealth — The monetary kings win — Where the blow fell — Ambitions never realized — Liberals and the hierarchy — An appeal to Rome — Ultramontane and Orange — A Papal decree. .... 203 xxni

Making peace with the new ruler — The threatened Royal Commission —Laurier and Sir Donald — A seat with the Peers — Cecil Rhodes and Strathcona. . . . . .213

XXIV

Protecting the toilers — Opposition to rival railway lines — Knifing the Government policy — Standing by the combine — What negligence has cost Canada — Taking the farmer's life blood — Departmental neglect. .... 220

XXV

Starting new official life — An ancestral mansion — The ghosts in every room — Trouble with Agents-General — Sir Claude Macdonald — Official invitations — Resenting interference. 225

XXVI

Personal characteristics — Never lacking in courage — Reputations destroyed — Development of Canada — Solving the emigration problem — Strathcona threatened with arrest in Germany — Lord Salisbury's warning — Posing as the successful emigration worker — Hon. Clifford Sifton's work — Assistance of British Journalism — The Coronation Arch — Further Imperial honours. ...... 233

CONTENTS ix

XXVII

PAGE

Election journey to Canada — Keeping the C.P.R. quiet — Still afraid of investigation — The standard of British politics — Danger to the State. ....... 248

XXVIII

Distribution of wealth — The Strathcona Horse — Consternation at a banquet — Visits from the troopers' famihes — A share in the good times — Subscription to British political funds — The All Red Route — The ruling passion — Fear of possible successor — Sir Frederick Borden and Sir Gilbert Parker — A pathetic scene — Conclusion there is no hurry to resign — Lady Strathcona. ....... 254

XXIX

Lord Strathcona's will — Cancellation of Canadian loans — Securing friends in high places — Sir George E. Foster — Sir Richard Cartwright ruined by rival company — The great Samson shorn of his strength — Bleeding the Canadian public — Comparison with British procedure — Winnipeg — An unforgiven offence — The unaccepted atonement. . 269

XXX

What Donald A. Smith has cost Canada — Kingdom stolen from the public heritage — What might have been if . , . — Public obhgations to be met — What the future will cost — The burden bearers — Strathcona's legacy to the Dominion — Ottawa and Westminster — Hope from Laurier and Borden. 286

XXXI

A retrospect — The Hudson's Bay Company retarding Canada — Thirty years too late — Romance of Canadian life — Hope for the future — A fascinating personality — The records of irrevocable history. ....... 297

" You do not know the genius of that man's country, sir," answered Rashleigh, " discretion, prudence, and foresight are their leading qualities. These are only moderated by a narrow spirit but yet ardent patriotism, which forms, as it were, the outpost of the concentric bulwarks with which a Scotchman fortifies himself against all the attacks of a generous philanthropical principle. Surmount this mound, you will find an inner and still dearer barrier — the love of his province, his village, or, most probably, his clan ; storm the second obstacle, you have a third — his attachment to his own family — father, mother, sons, daughters, uncles, aunts, and cousins to the ninth generation. It is within these limits that a Scotchman's social affection expands itself, never reaching those which are outermost till all the means of discharging itself in the interior circles have been exhausted. It is within these circles that his heart throbs, being fainter and fainter, till, beyond the widest boundary, it is almost unfelt. And, what is worst of all, could you s<urmount all those concentric outworks, you have an inner citadel, deeper, higher, and more efficient than all — a Scotchman's love for himself."

On the last Monday in January, 1914, the great doors of Westminster Abbey were thrown open for a Service on all that was mortal of Donald Alexander Smith, first Baron Strathcona and Mount Royal.

The dull misty atmosphere of a winter's day added to the sombreness and solemnity within the vast Abbey.

The memory of ten centuries of England's illustrious dead haunted the scene. Representatives of the Crown, the Peerage, the Commons, the wealth of London, and a great congregation representing the Empire, surrounded the purple pall.

It was a long journey from the Covenanters' rugged Kirk in a little village in the north of Scotland, fourscore and ten years previously, to this ancient Temple of Peace and Reconciliation — from the Shorter Catechism to the magnificent Ritual of the Established Church.

Life is but a Book of White, Wherein each one of us must write Until the end — then sudden night.

THE LIFE AND TIMES OF LORD STRATHCONA