ir duty to speak plainly, no matter how vehemently a section
of opinion in England or in the provinces protested. They held the
opinion, that since the provinces desired to remain within the Empire,
they must combine. All the grounds for this belief could not be
publicly stated. It was one of those exceptional occasions when
Downing Street, by reason of its superior insight into foreign affairs
and by full comprehension of the danger then threatening, knew better
than the man on the spot. The colonial opposition might be sincere and
patriotic, but it was wrong. Heed could not be paid to the agitations
in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick because they were founded upon narrow
conceptions of statesmanship and erroneous information.

Another difficulty with which British governments, whether Liberal or
Tory, had to contend was the separatist doctrine known as that of the
Manchester School. When George Brown visited England in 1864 he was
startled into communicating with John A. Macdonald in these terms:

I am much concerned to observe--and I {111} write it to you as a thing
that must seriously be considered by all men taking a lead hereafter in
Canadian public matters--that there is a manifest desire in almost
every quarter that, ere long, the British American colonies should
shift for themselves, and in some quarters evident regret that we did
not declare at once for independence. I am very sorry to observe this;
but it arises, I hope, from the fear of invasion of Canada by the
United States, and will soon pass away with the cause that excites it.

The feeling did pass away in time. The responsible statesmen of that
period were forced to go steadily forward and ignore it, just as they
refused to be dominated by appeals from colonial reactionaries who
abhorred change and who honestly believed that in so doing they
exhibited the best form of attachment to the Empire.

Why Mr Arthur Gordon, the lieutenant-governor of New Brunswick, was at
first opposed to Confederation, when his ministers were in favour of
it, is not quite clear.[1] {112} However this may be, his punishment
was not long in coming; and, if he escaped from the storm without loss
of honour, he certainly suffered in dignity and comfort. The new
ministry which took office in New Brunswick was formed by A. J. Smith,
who afterwards as Sir Albert Smith had a useful career in the Dominion
parliament. His colleagues had taken a prominent part in the agitat