MACDONALD’S FALL

1. MACDONALD’S FALL DAY 15

2. WASHINGTON TREATY • USA AND UK HAVE UNRESOLVED ISSUES FROM CIVIL WAR • 1871 DECIDE TO MEET IN WASH TO SOLVE • SINCE CANADA AFFECTED BR PICK JOHN A MACDONALD AS ONE OF THEIR 5 (FIRST TIME COLONIAL REPRESENTED) • USA VEHEMENT IN THEIR DEMANDS, BR WANTS TO PLACATE, CANADA WILL BE SACRIFICED ON THE ALTER OF ANGLO AMERICAN RELATIONS AGAIN

3. MACDONALD DID NOT WANT TO GO AS KNEW HE COULD DO LITTLE AS ONE MAN IN TEN • IF WENT HE WOULD BE BLAMED FOR OUTCOME, IF DIDN’T BLAMED FOR NOT TRYING • IN END HE GOES, BUT WAS RIGHT, HE CAN DO LITTLE TO INFLUENCE COURSE OF CONFERENCE AND IS BLAMED AT HOME FOR IT’S FAILURE

5. INSHORE FISHERIES • BEFORE REVOLUTION 13 COLONIES FISHED IN OUR FUTURE WATERS • AFTER, SUPPOSEDLY NOT ALLOWED • 1855 GIVE BACK RIGHT TO FISH IN EXCHANGE FOR RECIPROCITY • 1866 RECIPROCITY CANCELLED BY USA, BUT STILL FISH IN OUR INSHORE FISHERIES • FROM 1866-1871 WE DO LITTLE TO STOP THIS EXCEPT ASK FOR LICENSES TO BE PURCHASED. AMERICANS IGNORE LICENSING

6. 1871 TO SPUR USA TO DISCUSS RECIPROCITY WE INCREASE FEES. AMERICANS CONTINUE TO IGNORE THEM • AMERICAN VESSELS SEIZED, GRANT THREATENS WAR • 1871 WASHINGTON CONFERENCE TO SOLVE THIS ISSUE • MACDONALD OFFERS FISHING RIGHTS FOR RECIPROCITY • USA REFUSE (ECONOMIC WARFARE/MANIFEST DESTINY)

7. BR MAKE DEAL WITH USA. GET INSHORE RIGHTS FOR 10 YEARS IN EXCHANGE FOR ARBITER RULING ON LUMP SUM PAYMENT LATER • WE DO EVENTUALLY GET 5.5 MILLION (75 MILLION TODAY) BUT NOT RECIPROCITY • RECIPROCITY WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE VALUABLE, SO WE LOSE TO USA WITH BRITISH SELLING US OUT

8. FENIAN RAID COMPENSATION • NOW MACDONALD WANTS TO DISCUSS COMPENSATION FOR FENIAN RAIDS • USA REFUSES, THREATENS TO CALL OFF ENTIRE CONFERENCE • BR OFFERS TO PAY IF MACDONALD JUST STOPS DEMANDING • WE GET THE MONEY, BUT NOT THE APOLOGY OR THE RECOGNITION SO WE REALLY DON’T WIN

9. La bataille de Ridgeway, le 2 juin 1866Les troupes des Fenian eurent initiallement raison des miliciens volontaires canadiens déployés dans la confusion contre eux. Mais les Fenien dûrent bientôt s’en retourner aux États-Unis plutôt que de faire face au renforts de troupes canadiennes et britanniques qui convergaient vers la peninsule de Niagara. Des raids montés par les Fenian à la frontière du Québec furent repoussés quelques jour plus tard. FENIAN MEDAL ISSUED BY BRITISH GOV’T TO CDNS WHO FOUGHT OFF THE FENIAN RAIDERS

10. SAN JUAN ISLAND DISPUTE • 1871 REALLY A BC/BR VS AMERICAN ISSUE • BOUNDARY BTW USA AND BC NOT SET • BOTH CLAIM SAN JUAN ISLAND. ALLOWS CONTROL OF SHIPPING LANES, FISHERIES ETC • USA SENDS ARMY THERE IN 1850s WHILE BR HAS NAVY OFF SHORE. TENSION CLOSE TO WAR • AT WASHINGTON DECIDE TO SEND TO ARBITER (KAISER WILHELM I) HE SIDES WITH USA, BC AND LATER CANADA LOSE ON THIS ONE TOO

12. NAVIGATION OF RIVERS • AMERICANS DEMAND ACCESS TO ST LAWRENCE RIVER FOR FREE • CANADA WANTED TO CHARGE THEM, OR LINK TO RECIPROCITY • BR GIVES AWAY THIS RESOURCE TO USA IN EXCHANGE CANADA GETS RIGHTS TO LAKE MICHIGAN AND WATERS IN ALASKA, NOT EQUAL DEAL • AGAIN CANADA LOSING OUT IN INTERESTS OF BRITISH PEACE

13. ALABAMA CLAIMS • USA DEMAND 2 BILLION DOLLARS AND ALL OF BNA FOR COMP BECAUSE BR PROLONGED CIVIL WAR BY HELPING SOUTH BREAK BLOCKADE • IN END BR AGREES TO COMPENSATION BUT ARBITER TO DECIDE HOW MUCH. • DANGEROUS TO LEAVE THIS IN HANDS OF ARBITER, COULD HAVE LOST CANADA • IN END 15.5 MILLION DOLLARS GIVEN TO USA OR JUST UNDER 200 MILLION TODAY

15. MACDONALD’S REACTION • NOT HAPPY “THERE GOES THE FISHERIES” • FISH RESPONDS ‘AMPLY COMPENSATED FOR THEM’ • ‘THEY ARE GONE’ LEAVES • MACDONALD PLAYS TRUMP CARD! TELLS BR HE WILL SIGN AS HE IS BR REPRESENTATIVE, BUT WARNS THEM IT WILL NEVER PASS IN OTTAWA • HINTS THAT HE MIGHT BE ABLE TO SELL IT IF BR SWEETENS DEAL • THEY OFFER HIM 2.5 MILLION POUNDS TO FINANCE RWY PROJECTS. (SECRET CLAUSE)

16. BACK HOME • LABELED SELL OUT, JUDAS ISCARIOT ETC • HATED THE DEAL, BUT MACDONALD KEPT SILENT FOR SIX MONTHS • FINALLY WRITES BEAUTIFUL SPEECH AND DELIVERS IN THE HOUSE

17. THE SPEECH • Mr. Speaker, on proceeding to Washington, an American statesman said to me, “the rejection of the treaty now means war. Not war tomorrow or at any given period, but war whenever England happened to be attacked from other sources.” You may therefore imagine, Mr. Speaker the solemn considerations pressing upon my mind if by any unwise course or from any rigid or pre-conceived opinions, we should risk the destruction for ever of all hope of a peaceable solution of the difficulties between the two kindred nations.

18. Now, unless I am greatly misinformed, the fishing interests with one or two exceptions for local reasons in Nova Scotia, are altogether in favour of the treaty. They are anxious to get admission of their fish into the American market. The only market in the world for the Canadian number one mackerel is the United States and they are practically excluded from it by the present duty. The consequence of that duty is that they are at the mercy of the American fishermen. They are made the hewers of wood and drawers of water for the Americans. Let any one go down the St. Lawrence on a summer trip, as many of us do, and call from the deck of the steamer to a fisherman in his boat and see for what a nominal price you can secure the whole of his catch, and that is from the absence of a market and from the fact of the Canadian fishermen being completely under the control of the foreigner.

19. When someone writes my biography - if I am ever thought worthy of having such an interesting document prepared - and when as a matter of history, the questions connected with this treaty are upheld, it will be found that upon this, as well as upon every other point, I did all I could to protect the rights and claims of the Dominion!

20. I shall now move the first reading of this Bill. Reject the treaty, and you do not get reciprocity. Reject the treaty, and you leave the fishermen of the maritime provinces at the mercy of the Americans. Reject the treaty, and you will find that the bad feeling which formally and until lately existed in the United States against England will be transferred to Canada. The United States will say, and say justly, "here, when two nations like England and the United States have settled all their differences and all their quarrels upon a perpetual basis, these happy results are to be frustrated and endangered by the Canadian people, because they have not got the value of their fish for ten years."

21. I was perfectly aware in taking the course I did in signing the treaty, that I should be subject to reproach. Well I knew the storm of obloquy that would meet me on my return. Before even I crossed the border I was complimented with the names of Judas Iscariot, Benedict Arnold, etcetera. The whole vocabulary of Billingsgate was opened against me. But here I am, thank God, today, with the conviction that what I did was for the best interests of Canada. After the confidence that has been accorded me for so many years, I would have been unworthy of that position and that confidence if I were not able to meet reproach, and I have met it in silence. I have not said a word for twelve months. How eagerly was I watched! But silence is golden, Mr. Speaker, and I kept silence. We come down here and ask the people of Canada, through their representatives, to accept this treaty, to accept it with all its imperfections, to accept it for the sake of peace, and for the sake of the great Empire of which we form a part. I now beg leave to introduce the Bill, and to state that I have the permission of His Excellency to do so.

22. ELECTION OF 1872 • MANDATE UP IN 1872, MACDONALD CALLS ELECTION • ISSUES INCLUDED REPEALERS IN NOVA SCOTIA, RIEL AND MANITOBA REBELLION, WASHINGTON TREATY, AND THE RAILWAY • MACDONALD SOLD THE IDEA OF TREATY, KEPT UNION TOGETHER IN NS, ADDED MANY PROVS AND LANDS SO COULD ARGUE DID A GOOD JOB • DROPS SECRET PART OF TREATY, BRITISH MONEY FOR RWY WHICH WOULD LINK BC AND PROVIDE JOBS • WHILE ELECTION CLOSE, MACDONALD WINS 103-97 • LOSES NB 9-7 AND ONTARIO 50-38 WHY?

23. PACIFIC SCANDAL • MAJORITY OF ONLY 6, MUST AVOID SCANDAL (LESS PARTY SOLIDARITY THAN TODAY) • BEFORE DISSOLUTION OF GOV’T IN 1872 PUSHES THROUGH RWY BILL • NO CONTRACT AWARDED, BUT TWO COMPETING COMPANIES • DEAL WAS LUCRATIVE 30 MILLION DOLLARS, 50 MILLION ACRES OF WESTERN LAND TO DEVELOP AND SELL FOR FINANCES SO BOTH COMPANIES WANTED THE DEAL

24. POLITICAL CARTOON DURING THE PACIFIC SCANDAL OPPOSITION PARTIES SHOWING GOVERNOR GENERAL DUFFERIN EVIDENCE LINKING THE CONS TO PATRONAGE.

25. BOTH KNEW TO GET CONTRACT NEED CONS WIN • DONATED TO CONSERVATIVE CAMPAIGN • TORONTO SYNDICATE ORGANIZED BY SENATOR DL MACPHERSON RELIED HEAVILY ON ENGLISH INVESTMENT THROUGH THE GRAND TRUNK SUBSIDIARY • MONTREAL GROUP LED BY SIR HUGH ALLAN RELIED HEAVILY ON AMERICAN MONEY THROUGH THE NORTHERN RAILWAY CO • ALLAN SENT TELEGRAMS SAYING HIS GROUP COULD FINANCE THE ELECTION FOR THE CONSERVATIVES AND OVERCOME THE WASHINGTON TREATY IF HE COULD BE PROMISED THE RAILWAY • WHILE NO PROMISE WAS EVER MADE, ALLAN RECEIVED ENOUGH INNUENDO TO THINK HE’D SECURE THE RAILWAY WITH CONSERVATIVE VICTORY

26. TELEGRAMS FROM ALLEN TO MACDONALD SHOW THE LINK • NEED ANOTHER TEN THOUSAND. WILL BE LAST TIME DON’T FAIL ME. ANSWER TODAY • BY END ALLEN GROUP GIVES CONS 350,000 DOLLARS • CONSERVATIVES WIN, ALLEN GIVEN THE CONTRACT TO BUILD CP RWY • HOWEVER MACDONALD SAYS MUST LIMIT AMERICAN $ AS DOES NOT WANT FOREIGN OWNED

27. ALLEN SHUFFLES THE COMPANY, ANGRY US INVESTORS GO PUBLIC • GEORGE BROWN RUNS LEAKED STORY IN GLOBE • NEWS HITS HOUSE OF COMMONS IN 1873, BECOMES KNOWN AS PACIFIC SCANDAL • PATRONAGE NOT ILLEGAL, BUT MANY CRY FOUL • JOHN A LOSING SUPPORT OF PARTY AND CANNOT LOSE MORE THAN FOUR • GOV’T FALLS IN THE HOUSE, MACDONALD RESIGNS AS PM

28. HUGH ALLEN TO THE LEFT, AND GOVERNOR GENERAL LORD DUFFERIN TO THE RIGHT

29. GOV GEN LORD DUFFERIN MUST PICK NEW PM • HESITANT ABOUT “LIBERAL” LEADER ALEXANDER MACKENZIE AS A COMMONER • STILL NO OTHER CHOICE, AND DUFFERIN IMPRESSED WITH MACKENZIE AFTER MEETING, SO ALEXANDER MACKENZIE SWORN IN AS SECOND PM IN 1873 • WANTS OWN MANDATE SO ELECTION OF 1874

30. ALEXANDER MACKENZIE AND HIS MORE FAMOUS DOUBLE