1789]

WASHINGTON PRESIDENT.

333 from the principles which govern it are apparent. The president, appointed for four years, selects his ministers, and after the ratification of their appointment, his cabinet remains in office, unaffected by a hostile majority in the lower house, for the period the president may determine. The British principle of a ministry being dependent on a majority of the house. of commons was set aside. United States ministers are even excluded from seats in the house of representatives or the senate. It does not fall to my duty to discuss the wisdom of this arrangement. It may, however, be remarked that it does not accord with the practice of our constitution in Canada, and has been followed in no British self-governing outer province.

Washington was elected president, John Adams vicepresident. The first congress met in New York in 1789.

By the new constitution, the first congress, which had achieved the nationality of the United States, passed out of existence amid perfect indifference. Its extinction is one of the curious events of history. It ceased its political life from its incapacity at the time to render any public service, and from the disregard into which it had fallen. Even before the war was half over, all the power had departed from it as a body, except in the nomination of its agents. The direction of the war had fallen upon the military leaders and some few of its members prominent by their ability. Congress finally became impotent for any purpose, being incapable of all action through debt, with the paper money valueless, and dependent on France for means to carry on the contest. A dependence unwillingly incurred from a non-accord of manners and political views, from the feeling that the intervention had only been undertaken to destroy the power of Great Britain, and the strong suspicion entertained of the designs of France upon Canada. When peace came, congress was powerless to influence events, or to apply a remedy to avert the confusion with which the new nationality was threatened. For the last months of its existence, it had been nominally represented by the occasional presence of some two or three

delegates. When the new constitution was promulgated, it passed out of view without recognition, set aside, unconsidered, and in its extinction not leaving the slightest regret.

The settlement of the constitution was not attained without much anxious feeling, and men, especially those experienced in public life, looked with the greatest anxiety to the future. A strong party entertained 'serious views towards the establishment of a monarchy. With many it took the form of an elective sovereign for life, but so much objection accompanied the proposition that the theory was formed the monarchy should be hereditary; that a prince of the house of Hanover should be sought and one of the king's sons be placed upon the throne. The sentiment that some such step was necessary to assure peace and tranquillity was not limited; and had Washington at this crisis been actuated by personal ambition, he could have obtained the rank of monarch. The circumstance of his being without children would have made his selection less difficult. In his case the question of hereditament could have been evaded for the time. But Washington's mind was not to be tempted by visions of such unstable greatness. He knew the temper of the people over whom he would have reigned. His career as commander-inchief had been fraught with so much that was painful that he would willingly have retired into private life. If he was ever sounded on the point, and there is reason to believe that he was so approached, he in no way countenanced the application personal to himself, nor did he accept the theory of many of his supporters, that the creation of a monarchy was the only resource left to secure order, peace, and civilization.

What was, however, necessary, was the foundation of a strong government which would confer power and influence on the United States as a nation, and affirm within the confederation security to property, life, and freedom of personal condition enforced by law. The theories which then prevailed have proved to be those by which the republic can best be governed. No constitutional restraint could have permanently prevented the civil war which arose in the assertion

1789]

GOVERNMENT ESTABLISHED.

335

of rights, in their application to southern interests held to be indestructible, for the spirit of conciliation would under any circumstances have ceased to prevail. No question can for a moment arise as to the wisdom of the determination taken. The able men who followed the theories of the British constitution, and transferred to the federation the spirit of their teaching, are obtaining year by year more honour in the national annals, for their patriotism, wisdom, and practical ability. "Those who think," as Goldsmith wrote, "must govern those who toil," and from its truth the maxim must ever gain fresh strength. On the other hand, those who strove to introduce extreme democratic influences, condescending to the meanest intrigue, and acting with constant disloyalty to the government of which they formed part, are obtaining the condemnation they deserve. Their feeble patriotism is plainly shown to have been entirely subservient to their desire of personal advancement.

I have deemed it incumbent to enter into this account of the establishment of the constitution of the United States, from the sense of the influence which the republic has exercised, and must ever exercise, over the fortunes of the dominion.

It is, moreover, important that we possess a correct knowledge of the circumstances under which the government was established, and the theories which prevailed regarding it. It was owing to the disorganization into which the United States had fallen that the demand for the surrender of the western ports was kept in abeyance until the declaration of war by France; and that the operations against the Indians were limited to raiding expeditions from Kentucky. For a time, there was even a party that looked to the formation of a western nationality independently of the United States, formed by states clustering around the Mississippi, access to the ocean being obtained by the great river. The necessity of possessing this outlet as a free line of unimpeded navigation became thus early a recognised principle, and was a

prompting motive with Jefferson in 1803 to accept from Napoleon the offer of the cession of Louisiana by purchase.* No event more fortunate could at this date have happened to the United States.

The price paid was fifteen millions of dollars. The surrender was formally made on the 20th of December, 1803. Jefferson wrote, "Whilst the prosperity and sovereignty of the Mississippi and its waters secured an independent outlet for the produce of the western states, and an uncontrolled navigation through their whole course, free from collision with other powers, and the danger to our peace from that source, the fertility of the country, its climate and extent, promise in due season important aids to our treasury, an ample provision for our pros. perity, and a widespread field for the blessings of freedom and equal laws."

1791]

LIEUT.-GOVERNOR SIMCOE.

337

CHAPTER V.

Carleton's absence in England entailed upon sir Alured Clarke the duty of carrying out the provisions of the Canada act. The instructions to establish the separate provinces of Upper and Lower Canada in accordance with the act of 1791 were delivered to him on the 11th of November by lieutenant-colonel Simcoe, the newly appointed lieutenantgovernor of Upper Canada. Clarke himself received a new commission as lieutenant-governor of Lower Canada: a circumstance which assumed importance, as it made it illegal on his part to act in relation to the upper province in the somewhat critical circumstances which followed.* In consequence of this communication, a proclamation dated the 18th of November was issued, declaring that the division of the ancient province of Quebec would take effect the following

26th of December. +

Lieutenant-colonel John Graves Simcoe, such was the rank he then bore, was the son of captain John Graves Simcoe, who commanded H.M.S. "Pembroke" during Wolfe's operations before Quebec, where he was killed, when only forty-five

The text of this proclamation is given [Can. Arch., Q. 55.1, p. 5]. It sets forth the establishment of the province in conformity with the act which prescribed that it should be made before the 31st December. The only point worthy of preservation is the description of the boundary line, viz., "To commence at a stone boundary on the north side of lake St. Francis, at the cove west of Point au Badet (sic), in the limit between the Township of Lancaster and the Seigneurie of New Longueuil, running along the said limit in the direction of north, thirtyfour degrees west of the westernmost angle of the said Seigneurie of New Longueuil, thence along the north-western boundary to the Seigneurie of Vaudreuil, running north twenty-five degrees east, until it strikes the Ottawa river, to ascend the said river into lake Tanuscanning, (sic) and from the west of the said lake by a line drawn due north until it strikes the boundary line of Hudson Bay, including all the Territory to the westward of the country commonly called or known by the name of Canada."

W