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\
LORD STRATHCONA
»»
BY THE SAME AUTHOR
The Gkbat Fuk Company
The Tenth Island
Deift: Canadian Poems
fev--:
:*
LOKl, .SIKATHCOXA ANI. .MOUNT KOYAL
U>U\AI.I> AI.KXAM)tk ,S.MHH>
.tlAi 50
LORD STRATHCONA
THE STORY OF HIS LIFE
i^
t
becki.es W/I.LSON
W'lTH FOREWORDS BY
THE DUKE OF ARGYLL, K,T.. P.C.
THE EARL OF ABERDEEN, P.C. G.C.M.G.
I
WITH BIOHT 'Uu*f«4tfOR^
lORONTO
GEORGE N. MOHANG & CO., L,m,^
IV02
I
tOKl. MKAIHCON.V AXl. MOLM KOYAL
.tiA T JO
•5
i II
r-
If
fe
^*
LORD STRATHCONA
THE STORY OF HIS LIFE
BY
BECKLES WILLSON
WITH FOREWORDS BY
THE DUKE OF ARGYLL. K.T., P.C.
AND
THE EARL OF ABERDEEN. P.c. G.C.M.G.
'"««« » HO stcHw-na ucip. to« socoss is «»««» ^
WITH EIGHT ILtUSTRATIONS
TORONTO
GEORGE N. MORANG & CO., L,m™,
1903
FS-661
'1
(JOS'
120757
^ lis Off 6,
niNTSD IN FLVMOUTM, BNGLAHD
J
AUTHOR'S PREFACE
JT has not been a simple task to compile even so
«^"«y a record of a notable career as is contained
in the following pages. Lord Stmthcona's uncon-
querable modesty and his well-known aversion to
publicity have strewn his biographer's path with
obstacles.
But admiring that career as I did, and believing
too, that the main fects of it should be in the
possession of the public during his lordship's life-
time, I chose to persevere. To the many of his
friends who have assisted me I acknowledge here
my obligation.
May, tgn
FOREWORDS
BY THE DUKE OF ARGYLL
AND
THE EARL OF ABERDEEN
ORD STRATHCONA*S career has been so
conspicuous and noteworthy, that U should be
brought in its entirety to the knowledge of the pubUc,
/ do not think there is any other cinlian nam alive
who has been able to do so much practical good to the
Empire before filling an official position,
Swce he has tahen t^ffice aU our fellom<iiiMens have
been able to recognise his patriotic sacr^lces and the
noble example he has given.
His life should nerve evety young man to effitrt, to
work in honesty and hope, and to feel that he also
may become a power affecting for good the destinies
of peoples,
KKwmoTOM Paiace, Ma, gtk, igo» ARGYLL
This book is intended to meet an increasingly felt
want, "^
Everybody knows that Lord Strathcona occupies a
notable and distinguished position; but of the career
viii
FOREWORDS
which has led up to this poiUim there is but little
f^nof^edge of any d^nite and widespread kind.
^mcient however has been gleaned to awaken a desire
far more. It is the aim there/ore of the /allowing
pages to supply some information regarding the earlier
portion of a career which must undoubtedly possess
many features of public interest
^^ book does not, I take it, profess to be a biography
tn the strict sense of the word. Its design is rather
toprofoidea picture which wiU represent some of the
many sHrring and sign^ant events and achievements
^hwhich Lord Strathcona's life is associated. And
if the picture is found to be in any respect incomplete
(and the writer of this note does not necessarily idenHfy
himself with every expression regarding the events
alluded to), such incompleteness is largely due to the
Mt that Lord Strathcona has always shown a reticence
regarding his personal experiences, and a dislike to
recording his own performances.
Such a disposition, of course, adds to the value and
appreciation of what can be set forth, and this volume
wiU assuredly be found to evoke the sHmulating
admiration which is prompted by the contemplation of
successful perseverance and energy, together with the
generous manifestation of patriotism and zeal for the
public welfare.
ABERDEEN
CONTENTS
CHAPTER I
Boyhood in Scotlaot) .
CHAPTER II
Fux-TRAonro in Labraook
CHAPTER III
A Danoikovs Mission .
I
. 16
CHAPTER IV
UNOBRUININO THl DiCTATOK
CHAPTER V
After the Flight or Ribl
CHAPTER VI
A Figure in Parliament
CHAPTER VII
Battles with Dr. Schultz
CHAPTER VIII
A Mastsr>stroke op Finance .
63
93
133
»5i
»7S
*" CONTENTS
_ CHAPTER IX
C*MA»A* N.T,<»^ „,^^^^
llA.«« CHAPTER X
t
APPENDICES
A. TM Rtt RiVM Rjn«U.,j,^
B. CoioMssioN TO Donald a. Smith
C. Louis Rik.
"ST OF IIXUSTIiATIOJrS
t^ Stmthcoha-. B,,T«n«^ ,0^ « .«. ,„
JOMH Stdait • • M
MOOWT Sir. iJoNAlD . * • • . 66
• 136
19s
»37
sto
«lf
LOW) Stmthcona and Moont R«v«
TH. Rov.. v:c^„, HOSPITAL Mokt.iul
Dkivino ths Last «!i>,«.- -. * • • 165
°' ^"^ Strathcona Horsk
^-'^>***»— . _
LORD STRATHCONA
CHAPTER I
BO HOOD IN SCOTLAND
WHEN .he courier, of the Prince Rege„, «.,
N«. C«edoni.^vfn iiL'l'rr:''.' ""*" '"
not have > di~» , * Und-which did
try rf A. i ~""" *" *• e"«0' .nd pe«.„.
•T' of the extreme northern half of tit. w j
.nd part-cularly of Morayri."™ " '""«"""'•
building of thr,;ad!^r'h'"*^™' "■"' '"•
roaas-the human migration had
, *"""""»" «««««iy of Ei»i„.
2 LORD STRATHCONA
been going on. You could scarcely find a single
family without a toiling relation in England or
Ireland, in India, America, Canada, and the distant
parts of the empire. and the earth.*
The royal messenger, dashing along westward
from Aberdeen, shouting lustily his news of the
overthrow of the mighty Corsican, may perchance
have overtaken on the high road between Archie-
ston and Grantown a fellow-countryman, tall and
alert, with a characterful face, whose name was
Alexander Smith, f Alexander, going out from
his native village to make his way in the world,
ready for any honest venture, whether for fighting
or farming o«- trading, was of the type of Scots-
men who have made the British Empire what it is
to-day.
Fate, however, had other things in store for
* "Our parish," writes Rev. Dr. Forsyth, the present minister of
Aijemethy, '• has continued to g^ve some of its best blood to other
lands. We have sent bankers to England, farmers to Ireland, and
parsons to every county in the Highlands. We have sent settters to
Canada and the United States, shepherds to Fiji, stock-keepers to
New Zealand, gold-diggers to Australia, diamond merchants to
Africa, doctors to the Army and Navy, and soldiers to fight our
cause in all parts of the world."
t The Smiths were Highlanders long settled in the parish of
Knockando, and there is constant mention of them in all the old
records. One George Smith was out in the '45, and was famous
for his strength and courage. He afterwards served with Clive in
India.
BOYHOOD IN SCOTLAND 3
Alexander Smith than fighting in Flanders. It led him
no further than Grantown, where, soon after he set
up m business, he met and won a Miss Barbara
Stewart (or Stuart), of the manor of "Leth-na-
Coyle," in the neighbouring parish of Abernethy.
The Stewarts were considerable folk in the
countryside. The young lady's particular family
IS said to have held Leth-na-Coyle (now called
Lainchoil) for three hundred years.* Among Miss
Stewart's kinsfolk, too, were the Grants, after whom
Grantown was named. By Sir Archibald Grant the
town of Archieston had been founded half a century
before. The match was consequently a most advan-
tageous one for the aspiring young merchant.
Soon after their marriage Alexander Smith re-
moved with his bride to the town of Forres, where
two sons were duly born. The elder was christened
John Stewart, after a famous uncle, of whom we
shall have occasion later to speak. The younger,
destined to be the future financier, statesman, and
philanthropist. Lord Strathcona and Mount Royal„
first saw the light August 6th, 1820, the year in'
• Donald and John were the hereditary family names. In 1739
ther* was a John who was an elder of the Church. His son John
mamed Marjorie Stewart, of Lynchum, who died a centenarian at
Grantown in 183a Their son Donald married Janet, younger
Jiughter of Robert Grant, of Cromdale, and had three sons, JoL.
Robert, and Peter, and two daughters, Barbam and Marjorie, who
survived till 1844.
4 LORD STRATHCONA
which the light passed for ever away from the poor
old monarch, George III., and which witnessed
George IV. 's accession.
The birthplace of Lord Strathcona is still standing,
being at the west end of Forres and facing the Burn
of Mosset. It is now occupied by a poor order of
tenant, but at the time of his birth was suitabli:: for
the residence of a middle-class family.
If this part of Elgin is one of the most interesting
districts of the Highlands, Forres is certainly the
most interesting spot in the shire. It has been
rendered classic ground by Shakespeare, in his
tragedy of Macbeth, Time had been when Forres,
which when Donald Alexander Smith was born
contained about 3,500 souls, was a place of greater
importance than the town of Elgin. It is not
known when it became a royal burgh, all the older
charters having been lost ; but in the verae of one
of Scotia's minstrels :—
" Forres, in the days of yore,
A name 'mang Scotia's cities bore,
And there her Judges o'er and o'er
Did Scotland's laws dispense ;
And there the monarchs of the land
In former days held high command,
And ancient architects had planned.
By rules of art in order grand
The royal residence."
One of the local legends which early appealed to
BOYHOOD IN SCOTLAND 5
little Donald Smith was that relating to King
Duflfiis, the son of Malcolm, who is said to have
been murdered in the castle at Forres by Donald
the governor, in the year 967. There is a curious
story that the body of Donald's victim was hidden
under the bridge of Winloss, and that till it was
found the sun did not shine. Many years after he
had put a thousand leagues of sea between him and
Kmloss Bridge the young fur-trader, seeing for the
first time the dead body of an Indian hardly less
rudely clad than the early natives of the High-
lands, recalled vividly this enthralling countryside
legend.
It was at Forres that King Duncan held his court,
and It is at Forres that Shakespeare has fixed the
greater part of the action of Macbeth. Macbeth and
Banquo, on their way to the camp, meet the weird
sisters on the Hard Muir, in the adjacent parish of
Dyke, and the memorable speech is uttered :
" How far is it caUed to Forres ? What are these
So withered and so wUd in their attire.
That look not like the inhabitanU o' earth
Butyetareon't?"
Donald's mother had no intention that he should
tread the somewhat uphill path his father had trod,
bhe may have recalled the words which Dr. Samuel
Johnson had used to Boswell d-^ring his journey
through Morayshire fifty years before : - Every man
6 LORD STRATHCONA
who comes into the world has need of friends. If he
has to get them for himself, half his life is spent
before his merit is known. Relations are a man's
ready friends." With such kinsmen as John and
Donald boasted, therefore, she determined to give
them a proper schooling which would fit them to
deserve Fortune's favour and that of the family.
The Smiths were by no means greatly blessed with
this world's goods; education at a private school
was expensive, and the question how to obtain what
she sought was not easy. Happily there was a
resource lately established. One Jonathan Anderson,
a native of Forres, who, like many of his neighbours,
had wandered afar in pursuit of wealth and met
with success, made over, some years before Donald's
birth, to the magistrates and town council the lands
of Cowlairs, now forming part of the city of Glasgow,
for the purpose of creating a school and paying a
teacher at Fones. His intention was that the chil-
dren of necessitous parents in his native parish and
those of Raflfard and Kinloss should be instructed
in Jading, English, writing, arithmetic, and such
branches of education as the provost, magistrates,
and town council should think proper. The build-
ing, in the Grecian style, was erected in 1824, and
Donald became one of the earliest pupils. His
youthful traits at that time were those appropriate
to his later character. A fellow-pupil who remem-
BOYHOOD IN SCOTLAND <j
bers him describes him as of a shy, amiable dis-
position, but with a fund of sturdy resolution and
even hardihood when occasion demanded it. When
Donald was nine years the Findhorn and the Spey
broke their boundaries and flooded the country.
Many of the peasant folk with their families camcj
into Forres to seek relief, and among them th
parents c" -ne of Dor aid's childish playmates wh
was drowned. After school Donald called on th
bereaved family, and "with a gravity far beyon
his years condoled with them, and on leaving beggec
they would accept a slight token in memory of hii
friend. He then handed over all his pocket-money,
amounting to a shilling and some odd coppers.'
Thus was the child father to the man.
The master of this institution of learning pro-
fessed to be a great Shakespearian scholar, and was
especially fond of quoting from Macbeth. His father
had met Dr. Johnson on his Scottish itinerary, and
naturally cherished a large number of anecdotes of
that illustrious man, which he bequeathed to his
descendant. As these were retailed to the school on
all possible occasions, the pupils might have been
forgiven for sometimes confusing the itinerant lexi-
cographer with the royal murderer, as was actually
done on one occasion by a boy named Robertson.
The lads of the school were allowed as a great
treat to ascend the Nelson tower, and Robertson,
• LORD STRATHCONA
r/f* "^"^ *"^ " Ande«o„'s, who did «>
^nedXc^"'' "''••"''"'•-''- °Mohn„„
This ertibUion of c«„ ig„o«„„ w„ gene«„y
r«e.ved ,„ ,,le„ce, p«„p,ed by a wholesome d«J
1m ^'^ \-°"*'- ««'«««»o„.ha„Do„J
»™M «.nd, he Uughed Robertson to scorn, who
the Smith boys vntb one hand." Donald stood his
ground manfany, as he afterwarts stood it in f„"
TZr" '"" *" '^" "f '*««>««°". "0 only
*e tmiely appearance of the master on the scene p.*.
™nted a iie«e combat and put an end to the incident.
Robertson afterwaris perished in the Crimea.
The holidays were spent at Findhora or Aber-
nethy and these times Donald and his brother
^nLu°:d to*"" "•"" ""•■ "'-•'"• «- ^-^
brother. John Stewart, the daring fur-tmder, who
d.sunt wids of the North American conUnent
It .s hardly surprising that Stewart's career should
h,s broker, but for the entire youth of For«s and
Aber^y. other «lations-Smiths. Stewarts, and
Grante-were scattered about the world-wide domain
of the new kmg. William IV.. doing and daring.
I
BOYHOOD IN SCOTLAND 9
fcrmlng .nd digging, e^tori.g ^^
emp.«, but, to Donald at least, hi, uncle John',
career was the most brilliant and seductive of all.*
increased by the birth of a sister, Jane, discuss the
achievements of the heroic pioneer of New Caledonia,
after whom tte name, of Stewart Lalte and Stewarl
Kiver have been bestowed.
The feet that he was said to bear a striking physical
resembance to his uncledid not diminish this interest.
John Stewart had early in the centu,y left G«ntown
for laontreal. and taken service with the North-West
may re«i .n Washington Irving's romantic narrative,
Astona. Another relation, Cuthbert Grant, had pre-
ceded h.m. and doubtless on his advice, John Stewart
had gone out to the distant and unknown regions
A. for I^ S.„,hco«'. Cto „„^ „„d., P rt w„, 1...
lO
LORD STRATHCONA
■ k
west of the RocIdes.» Those were the days of in-
tense and bloody rivalry between the Hudson Bay
Company and the Intruding North-Westers, and the
Stewarts, the Grants, and other of young Smith's
kinsmen were in the thick of the action. Many
years afterwards Donald himself, addressing on a
memorable occasion an excited body of half-breed
insurgents in the Canadian North-West, said :—
"Though personally unknown to you, I am as
much interested in the welfare of this country as
others you know here. On both sides I have a
number of relations in this land, not merely Scotch
cousins, but blood relations. Hence, though I am
myself a Scotchman, you will not be surprised that
I should feel a deep personal interest in this great
country and its inhabitants."
But although the lad was dazzled by his uncle's
• John Stewart was not the only fur.{-ader of the trio of Donidd'.
uncle* Robert was aI«o in the «a^ice of the North-West Company,
•nd MOO became celebrated for his courage and ability. Hi. death
was veiy tragic One day sailing down the Columbia River his
«noe was upset, and he and his three companions were flung into
the water. A temporary refuge was furnished by a rock, but Stewart
was the only swimmer of the four, and he was therefore the only
one they could turn to for assistance. " He bade them be of good
cheer-that if God permitted he would save them. Then taking one
of them on hu. back, he struck out for the shore." His enterprise
was successful, so far as the first and second man were concerned ;
but h.s further efforts to save the third man cost him his life. His
strength had ebbed, and he and his companion he bore sank down in
the mighty rush of waters and were never heard of again
4
BOYHOOD IN SCOTLAND n
career, Mrs. Smith was very far from being reassured
by tlie accounts which reached her of the life and
prospects which might await her son in the North-
West. In her heart of hearts she looked higher than
a fur-trader's career for her sons : she wished to see
.John a physician and Donald a lawyer. And as
both showed mental aptitude, it seemed as if, in spite
of the secret longing of the one to be a soldier and
the other to be a rich fur-trader, the maternal designs
would attain fulfilment. For in course of Ume John
was sent to Aberdeen to study medicine, and the
subject of this memoir entered the office of Mr.
Robert Watson, the Town Clerk of Forres.
It soon became evident, however, that while he
applied himself rigidly to study, her younger son's
heart was not in Hume and Dalrymple: the
chances at the law were few, and he himself urged
a calling in which he could find scope for his
talents and his aspirations.
At this time there resided in Manchester, where
they had achieved great wealth and were highly
esteemed for their personal characters, a femily of
merchants named Grant, cousins of the Smith femily.»
• The story of the Grants of Manchester is a most rpmantic one.
WiUiam Grant, the elder, occupied the farm of "The Haurh" at
Elchies. of Knockando; adjobinfir that was his first cousin, Alexander
Smjth, Lord Strathcona's father. Grant was engaged in the pre-
canous tntde of "droving." that is, buying cattle in the country and
taking them south for sale. The year. ,782-3 were noUbly bad
•» LORD STRATHCONA
Son., few ye.™ fter DoniUd l»d »»*, «p w, „,„i
.bou, hi. fu.u» .ph.„ of I.bou,. . friend rf J
"ring young Undon noveli«, Cluirle. Dicken.,
•oolc him u, Mencheeter, where he nude U,e^
qualnunce of the* two w«m.he.rt«l men. Under
the n.me of the "Cheeryble bother." Diclten, h«
g.™^em to the world In hi. novel of ATicMa,
Mr. Smith wrote to the elder of these Giant, .bout
.n Scotland (how very few young Scot.men ,„I)
.«d mving hi, .dvice. The re.„.t w.. . reply
A.t .f the young m^, would «cept . «„ol in thei
office he vnu, welcome, .nd zeal .nd induWry mirtt
lead to profitable advancement *
Donald Smith was eighteen years old when he h«l
Aus to choose . calling fo, ,ife. ft ,, „„,
m doubt which of the two oBers he would ta^
accepted, had not an event happened which ^Z
the
ac-
if
f1
BOYHOOD IN SCOTLAND 13
VkMy ovwcuraed hit mother*! pbuu for him and
rwidered a decition in another direction altogether
ineditible. Hia uncle, John Stewart, the ledoubt-
•ble fur-trader, returned to Forrei, and through hit
influence came the offer of a junior derlcahip in the
•ervice of the great Hudaon's Bay Company.
Thua it came about that in his eighteenth year,
before the fair young Queen Victoria had been many
months on the throne, Donald Smith took an
•fiiecUonate farewell of h's parents, whom he was
never to see again, gripped his uncle's hand, and
sailed away from Scotland for the Canadas. Mr.
Smith, his father, was then living at Archicston,
uui in very robust health, and a dozen years later he
died. His widow and daughter remained in Archies-
ton for many years. While still in her prime
Mrs. Smith's eyesight Called her: but to the last her
son's letters were amongst the chief pleasures of her
life. A Ithough at that time even she could not foresee
her boy's future renown, it was a saying of hers long
remembered in the district, '* They'll all be proud of
my Donald yet"
It is worth while our pausing a moment here to
take note of a curious omen.
Was it not of significance to other than the
superstitious that the patron saint of Donald's
native town should be St. Lawrence?
For it was to the River of St. Uwrence that
H LORD STRATHCONA
the ship was bearing away an obscure youth, who
was destined to spend many years on and in the
immediate neighbourhood of Laurentian shores.
He was destined also to return no longer obscure.
Although h,s real life-work was but just beginning
at the period of his first return, Donald Smith had
already b.:en admitted into the councils of the wisest
and most eminent in his adopted land.
NOTE
Lord Strathcona's kinsman, William Grant, one of the
originals of Dickens's "Cheeryble brothers." once wrote
a letter to a friend, which gives some veor interesting
particulars of their beginnings in Manchester. "My
father, he says, "was a dealer in cattle and lost his
duction to Mr. Arkwright (afterwards Sir Richard and
owner of one of the only two mills in Manchester), and
came by way of Skipton to Manchester, acompanied by
me We called upon Mr. Arkwright, but he had so
many applications at the time he could not employ him.
My father then applied to a Mr. Dinwiddie, a Scotch
gentleman, who knew him in his prosperity, and who was
a prmter and manufacturer near Buty. He agreed to
give my father employment, and placed my brother James
and me m situations where we had an opportunity of
acquirmg a knowledge both of manufacturing and print-
mg (cotton) ; and offered me a partnership when I had
completed my apprenticeship. I declined this offer, and
commenced business for myself on a small scale, assisted
BOYHOOD IN SCOTLAND 15
by my brothers John, Daniel, and Cha Ics." Success
attended them, and they rose to great wealth and in-
fluence. •' In 1818 we purchased Springs de and in 1! a;
we purchased the Park estate and erected a monmuent
to commemorate my father's first visit to this valley, and
on the very spot where he and I stood admiring the beauti-
ful scenery below." Mr. Grant adds, •' We attribute much
of our prosperity, under Divine Providence, to the good
example and good counsel of our worthy parents."
Indeed, their mother, Mrs. Grant, n^e Mackenzie, was
a woman of rare character and piety, as was her sister,
Lord Strathcona's grandmother. Does not every reader
recall the description given by Dickens of the birthday
festival of the "Brothers" to their confidential clerk,
Tim Linkinwater? "Brother Charles, my dear fellow,
my dear fellow, there is another association connected with
this day which must never be forgotten by you and me.
This day, which brought into the world a most faithful and
excellent and exemplary fellow, took from it the kindest
and very best of parents— the very best of parents to us
both. I wish that she could have seen us both in our
prosperity and shared it, and had the happiness of know-
ing how dearly we loved her in it, as we did when we
were poor boys— but that was not to be. My dear brother
—The Memory of our Mother, " Rev. Mr. Elliot says that
"as a matter of fact that mother's word or wish, to the
end of her days, was the law of her sons."
CHAPTER II
FUR-TRADING IN LABRADOR
"\yHEN I went to Canada," Lord Strathcona
once said, many years afterwanis, " I took
my first sea voyage; and it is interesting, by way
of comparison, to state that it took between forty
and fif^ days, and that the dipper ship in which
I sailed, of 800 tons or thereabouts, was a con-
^derable vessel in those days-the largest boat of
this kind being about i,ooo tons."
Conditions of transatlantic travel have indeed
altered. Fifty years later he was to leave London,
spend a week in Montreal, and be back again
twenty-one days from the time of his departure
The arrival of the young Morayshire adventurer
in Canada was coincident with a time of great
political turbulence and uncertainty. The rebellion of
1837, instigated in Lower Canada by certain French-
speaking malcontents led by the famous Papineau.
had just been quelled, but disaffection still threatened
both ,n Upper and Lower Canada, as the provinces
of Ontario and Quebec were then named. The
reconstructive genius of Lord Durham had yet to
16
FUR-TRADING IN LABRADOR ,7
to^hips own polWcal fortunes. Lower Canada
had then a population of ba,«Iy 200,000, while
Mo«rea.i« Chief cit.. boasted on.ys;n,e'35,J:
souls. It has now ten times that number.
It .s hardly necessary to go into the causes which
led to the outbreak, except to observe that they were
^nnected with the demand for an elective Upper
House and a responsible Executive, which Lord John
Russell ,«fi,sed to grant. His bill authorising the
Governor-General to help himself out of the Pro-
sTool r*"^ ';'*'"" ~"'""'"'« "■« Assembly
supplied the spark to the tinder. The French-
Canadian leader of the malcontents arose and
appealed to the arbitrament of the sword. Montreal
became the refuge for the loyalists, who fled thither
U.e ^bels gathered at St. Charles, St. Eustache, and
St Benoit, and they fled before him. Martial law
* I" "837 there was no Dominion of Canada Briii.1. M -i
t^ """^ T"^ '■^ "- "» »«»- of^ ^^y
we trappers, and the Indians All th.. ^„. • company.
18
LORD STRATHCONA
was proclaimed ; and when Donald Smith landed
at Montreal, Lower Canada was in the hands of
the soldiery. The constitution of 1791 was sus-
pended. Lord Durham had arrived on the scene
in May as Governor-General and also as special
commissioner, with power to settle disputes and to
arrange for the effective working of representative
government in the two Canadas. All the world
knows now how hard his task was and how much
harder ,t was made for him by the Imperial Govern-
ment. After a few brief months of administration
and investigation, he angrily resigned and returned
home. His departure was the signal for a new
uprising. Mr. Smith long remembered the new
cry that was borne in the air from remote districts
—the cry for a Canadian Republic.
In November one Robert Nelson openly pro-
claimed the Republic of Canada, but prudently
retired, after a skirmish or two with the militia, to
join their American sympathisers across the border
Elsewhere there was burning and bloodshed: the
gaols were filled with rebels, many were tried, con-
victed, and executed for treason. But the rebellion
was crushed.*
t J.7° r *'"*^'"'"*^ ""■°"^'' °°**"° *"^ '••« other provinces
t<Mlay could imagine the state of things that existed in ,837 h
seems almost mcredible. Everything is made so easy for emiLnt"
now-^e t«velling is comfortable, the voyage is short, the f^ L
better than many of them get at home.
"In 1837 the only incorporated city in Ontario was Toronto, which
FUR-TRADING IN LABRADOR ,9
Perhaps had Donald Smith emigrated as a political
rather than a mercantile adventurer, he might be
thought to have arrived in the Canadas at a pro-
pitious moment. But indeed his lot was to be far
away from the metropolis : he was as yet to have no
part either as spectator or participator in the growth
of polity or material which was to make and mark
the colony during the next dozen years or so. But
It IS fitting, before we dwell on the causes which
operated to exclude him from the busy haunts of
men, briefly to refer to the remarkable trading body
into whose hands he had placed his fortunes.
The Hudson's Bay Company I Is there not a
magic in the name? What does it not conjure up
at that time had a population of fix», 13.000 to ,4.000 people. I„
Lower Canada. Quebec at that time was a more ilporuT^L t
many ways than Montreal. It wa, at the head of na^tl Tth^
6:^7J 'I'f^: ''' 'T ^ ''' ''' ^-nc:^ad r trrbi"
Lawrence trade than ,t has now. A few ocean vessels of lieht
draught went up to Montreal, but much of the merchandise for ha
cty was transhipped at Quebec into other vessels
-M 'I^l »<^^'.«'"dition of the people was naturally not of a hieh
standard. Their work was hard, their mode of living simple. S
days. In the towns and villages there was plenty of intercour«» •
of Joulr'^ 7 °"" ''"''' ^"P*"'"-' "f' •" ^^ censes
of population was pleasant and attmctive. and the Canadian. we«
a. generous „ their hospitality as they are known to beTo^i; "
» LORD STRATHCONA
of frontier batUes-what a„,ic sea. fighte- what
d«d, of endurance. Wha. fantastic llv«t
the wUderness with red^skinned savages-what wril
of flood-what pain of portage I "^
Sm'ii"'*""";" """'* ' ""P""*' »"*<" '■" Donald A.
Sn,.,hs early manhood, "an immense extent o
Hundred miles long, covered witi, dense forests
and m,gl„y mountains, and all in a state of primeva
s.mp,,c.ty_„„<,efaced oy the axe of civilised "Z
and untenanted by aught save great „ving horde
of Red Indians and myriads of wild animals
Imagme amidst this wilderness a number of s^U
ZTZuT'r"^'" "^^ ' '"'-" wooden ir^'
Z»-u ™ ■"*"' *"'' '»'"«n each of these
estabhshments a spa« of forest vatying froml^
a pretty good idea of the Hudson's Bay Company's
between their forts. The idea, however «,. u
«m morecorrectiyobUined by i^Sr^poTlu^
n the middle of Rupert's Land. The Company in
«.at case would build mree forts in it-oneTa^"
Land's End one in Wales, and one in the Hi^
^nds-so that in Britain there would be but ^^'
hamlets with a population of some thirty men, Jf
FUR-TRADING IN LABRADOR „
a dozen women, and a few children I Th.r„
P0«s extend, with «,e«, in JaT L.l«„'tlm7H
Atlantic to the Pacifin n '* "^^ween, from the
United Statel- "" boun6»ri^ of tl,e
Simpson, variously dubbed the <• Kin» J .T^l^
T«de" and the .-Empe^r If the Plls'- ^.-J"
at Lachine near Montreal. Not u^^ZL^^Z
^derete."" """^ °°"^'' «-* "'* -
But Simpson, for all his boundless power anrt
c7errheT"T' "r '^■' '"^"'^ ^-- ^o^a
Clerk in the London office of the Company H,v!„
on.he:nr:';^-rr;:ie^r:::.^::
unexpectedly, but as events proved ot nwC
chosen resident Governor. Short of statureTuTof
hir;ra"'r:f '"' -"t '"^'~^'"°- -^ --"^e
mmsdf a real power throughout this vast region
early ,n the Queen's n=ig„ undertook what p^t^
to be a successful vovace iv,.,n.( .1. , , ?""'«'
he has left a .econT^^ *' ""'''' "' "'"■<='•
Simpson consulted the interests nf ti,. n
and decided that the new recrrshlTbe'-aS
* R. M. Ballantyne.
aa LORD STRATHCONA
to the newly established Ubrador department A-
cordingly to Ubrador, the bleakest corner of the
earth, Donald was sent.
The huge peninsula which in 1838 went by the
name of Ubrador -although the designation is
stnctly proper only to the north-east portion -
occupies an area between the Atlantic and Hudson's
Bay. The Gulf of St. Uwrence, the North Atlantic,
Hudson's Straits, and Hudson's Bay bound it on
three sides, while the south-western limits may
roughly be said to be Rupert's River, the Mistas-
sini, and Betsiamites River. The reader may be
further informed that the area of this mighty region
-^s about 420,000 square miles, or equal to the
British Isles, France, and Prussia together.
Some few years before Mr. Smith's arrival the
attention of the Company had been directed to
this bleak district as a possible field of lucrative
enterprise. The Moravian missionaries among the
Eskimos had issued a pamphlet in which, after
describing the state of the natives, it was stated
that the fiirs of the fox, mink, and marten were to
be obtained. Acting on this hint, the Company sent
overland from Moose Factory,* and in 1831 took
possession of a district formerly included in its
ancient charter. At first the expense of maintaining
posts in Ubrador hardly seemed to be warranted by
• Toan adjacent port Lord Strathcon.. after ,8sa.bec««e«tUched.
FUR-TRADING IN LABRADOR 23
results, and t le project by no means commended it-
self to many of the partners. But Governor Simpson
was resolved to persevere, and despatched several
hardy factors to open up the country. One Erland-
son and his party, who traversed the country in
1834, do not appear to have been impressed with
the chances of trade, and Eriandson's successor,
McLean, thought even less favourably of the country,
judging by the description he has left of it. For
weeks with several Scotch boatmen, Indian guides
and dogs, in the midst of the bitterest cold and
snowlall, he journeyed to Michigoma Ukc, but
provisions failing, they were brought almost to
extremity before spring. From Fort Chimo, McLean
fitted out an expedition to explore the coast "with
the view of ascertaining the capabilities of that
quarter for the extension of the business." The
party was absent about a month, and their report
was, he tells us, entirely unfavourable :—
"The navigation of the coast is exceedingly
dangerous, from the continual presence of ice and
the extraordinary force of the currents. While the
coast proved so inaccessible, the interior of the
country wears a still more dreary and sterile aspect ;
not a tree, nor shrub, nor plant of any kind is to be
seen, save the lichens that cover the rocks and a few
willows."
Nevertheless, in the course of the summer several
24 LORD STRATHCONA
Eskimos arrived from the westward with a con-
siderable quantity of fox skins-the only fur the
district appeared to yield. Some of these wretched
creatures had spent nearly two years in making the
journey, being obliged to hunt or fish for their living
as they travelled. As a reward for all their toil and
hardships, they obtained, we are told, "a little
tobacco and a few strings of beads, very few having
the means of procuring guns and ammunition. "
It was mto such surroundings and to such pros-
pects that the future Governor of the Company was
now to be introduced. r- / «
J' In Septeml^r," writes McLean, " I w.s gratified
by the arrival of despatches from Canada by a younir
clerk appointed to the district. By him we received
the first intelligence of the stirring events that had
". P'r '" '^' '"^°"^'^ ^"""^ 'he preceding
year. The accounts of the triumphs of his country-
hIZ T" °''' ^''"'^ ''^^^^'y *"d Yankee
hatred he goes on to tell, diverted his thoughts
from the melancholy subject of his wife's d^th
which had recently taken place. *
Donald came ultimately to be stationed at Hamilton
Inlet, where the Company then had two posts. What
were the round of his daily duties at North-West
River, at Rigoulette, and elsewhere in those thirteen
years the future peer-millionaire spent in the Com-
panys service in Labrador, and the many years
FUR-TRADING IN LABRADOR 25
afterwards on the inhospitable shores of Hudson's
hose stjll performed by the clerks and traders
«dA .^k"***'''" ^"' '™**'- "« *»d »>•« com.
rades at the post spent most of their time trad-
"Jg in furs with the Indians - particularly the
Mountameers and the Nascopies. There was a
certain amount of office work to be done ; there was
also canoeing, boating, fishing, and shooting-
Ballantyne has added, -wishing and skylarking."
Some other occupation was necessary, and Donald
Smith found it in reading and writing. What was
^id of another Hudson's Bay man was true of him.
With a winter of eight months' duration and a
temperature often fifty degrees below zero, time
would otherwise have hung heavily upon his hands.
With a view to lighten it a little he wrote lonir
etters home to his mother in Scotland-necessarily
long, because of the interval between the mails.
Whenever he felt a touch of homesickness he got
out his sheets of ' Imperial' paper and 'entered into
spiritual interxjourse with home.' " There can be no
doubt that to this practice of writing long letters,
and to his regular devotion to reading while the
other clerks were "skylarking," Lord Strathcona
owes his after facility of composition and his un.
usually ordered habits of mind.
The great feature and the most important event in
*• LORD STRATHCONA
*• r~r — Ui. .rtvl of a,e Ub«do, po«.
Tton. i. now protaWy no oth« country In^h.
worid whw, «,.« ,ri«, , ,ong„ o, ™o« d.nge»«.
P««U »u.. for men „d do,,.^ ^^_,^
ol tond*.vel from Qu.l»c to Ungtv, in th.dqKh
^^. which, in th«, .,«ic tatitud... i^ t^
»«mbertoJuBe. And y« this route in iu »,riou,
«W. hM «tu.lly been t«ve«ed on foot «,d in
Stmthcon.. By this Mn.«l or iemiwtnnil po«
«». the l«t«, fron, home-<ette« ftom hb b^,
mottor. .nd ri«er. tellinj him of the new, in Forrei
Md the Momydiire countryside , of the death of hi.
uade. John Stewart, the fi.r-,«der, the dep«u„
»d other tiding, of hi, relation, .nd «hooI friend,
whKh the young exile wished to Icnow. The
i^d^' P°« beg« „ Bersimi,. «,„. hundred
"d <% mile, below Quebec , from thence the post.
«M, on ,«ow.du,e. «d Itomad,^ proceedefto
MIngan, and bom thi. Company po« near the
PUR.TRADINO IN LABRADOR a;
wouth of the St Uwrance to EiMfflo Point Here
he WM relieved by the mail man from Bonne Bsper.
•nee, who had to retrace his steps for hundreds of
miles along the most difficult parts of the coast,
•nd so on to the end of his journey, when he hands
over the mail-bag to others, who convey it on to
Rigoulette. But this is by no means the end of the
route. Indeed, from this sUtion the most difficult
part of the journey commences. Even to this day
* fcctor named Ford regularly carries the mail twice
during the Ubrador winter, with his team of dogs
and accompanied by two hardy Eskimos, from Davis
Inlet across the arctic peninsula to Fort Chimo,
Ungava Bay, a perilous journey over an immense
icy wilderness.
Nearly the entire Ubrador coast is lined with
multitudes of small islands, separated by deep,
narrow channels from the mainland, with here and
there a bay of some extent where the islands are
more widely sundered. These numberless islets and
channels are too numerous and intricate to be
accurately mapped. Our ordinary charts give only
an approximate idea of their situation, and navi-
gation along the whole coast is largely a matter of
guess-work. It was much worse during the many
years that the subject of this biographical sketch
was a resident of Labrador. More than once,
travelling between posts on the seaboard, he has
38
LORD STRATHCONA
;^.-ons « a fish "p,an4" m". Li*^":;;?::!
only ^^Z """? r*"'^ ""^'O. and ^
' ^P***" "V a miracle, for another »i,
"posed in a simihr situation n„.rdSa„T° T
»me occasion mise„Wy perf^^^ '"^"' °" ^«
made a oractice «f «i amith
supply of d clol "^ '=*^"«f " P'«"«>"
PPiy ot warm clothing, in the shape of fare and
addiftonal provisions with him whenever he wT^ o„
his journeys, no matter how little th™, " !
weather, and it is p«bablv !, hf. *7''"'»e •"«
"»« than once owL ht Hfe. '"""'* *^ "«
The chief source of pride of Mr q«,:*i, .
FUR-TRADING IN LABRADOR 29
subject to illness, and in this way he acquired no
inconsiderable knowledge of medicine.*
Once in his time there was a serious outbreak of
Z ^7^'\^'"P*"»«d by diphtheria. Many of
^e people died and the survivors were so alarmed
by the spread of the disease and its fatal results, and
2Z f" u ^1 ''^^"^ '"^"^ °^ ^^'' '^^' 'hey kept
away f„,n. the houses in which people were known
to be suflFenng. There is little doubt that many of
the persons died from simple dread of the disease
and the fright occasioned by the mortality.
Mr. Smith, being sent to visit the settlement, came
upon this unhappy state of things. It was reported
to him also that the family of a former employee of
the Cbmpany-a Scotchman-had taken the disease
at a place some twelve miles distant. Young Smith
went there, and found the whole family confined in
a small hut, the various members being scattered
Mi*dn^*Tr°*"'^ '***■'• •^''••«*»'°? the medical .tudenU of the
wasusedbyhimmUbradorintheforUes.
ml!*r?'" ^'^ *"'' "* P""'"^* *°d -omewhat rude form of treat-
ment that was poictised in those day, before Lord Lister intld^
h.8 discovery. For the treatment of wounds, ulcer^t^^^"?^
. pulp was made by boiling the inner bark of the t"^ "^ The
IndThett r '"' "" "'"' ^°^ '''""'"^ -<» tr^^tingh: w^ Jd3
.ndthe bark, beaten into a plastic, pliable mass, was applied after th^
thorough cleaning of the wound, forming a «,ft cushiof leX Tt^f
to every mequality of the sore. Scrupulous deanliness was o^^^^
and fresh material used for every application." '
U)RD STRATHCONA
Zd^ rr ; '" ^ '" ""^ p"** ""«« ™o«
"BUckHote-ofOJcutt.. The door ™nh„t,.„d
» -.« the window,. «d the odour that aun. when
«he former w« opened en bea be left to the in..
Mr Smith did W.S to b«Ut open the window and
et .n ae «r. and then to admini«er 5ome remedies.
In a short time all the other membera of the family
feel.n« of hope. Not a single &tal case subse.
nl "^r^- *"" •«»«»-'«8e'y "suiting
^r"^ '^" ''"^ "^ '^« «Iminist,^
tion of a litUe common sense.
B^re Mr. Smith left Ub™dor the Esldmos h«i
»n but totally vanished fiom the lower coas^
They had parted in company with the polar bear,
Ae walrus^ the eiders, the geese, and the a,u„aes^
«a-fow ; hunter and game had alike departed for
tte arcf c regions. Their disappea,«,ce is ascribed
partly to natunj causes, partly to contact with civili-
sation, especially in the form of stoves «,d con.
sequenUy dosed huts and no ventilation, a state
which mduces respirato^r diseases. The hostility
of the N«»pies may also have had something to
do with the« impending e«inction. I„ the fortes.
FUR-TRADING IN LABRADOR 3,
however, it was by no means an uncommon thing
to come across a white man married to a full-blooded
Eskimo woman or even Eskimo half-breeds. At
Roger's Harbour was a well-known chaiacter named
Cole, with an Eskimo wife and half-breed children,
and there was the "President of American Island,"
as he was called, a man named Williams, a great
stand-by of the Company in the region about Tub
Harbour. He had taken possession of an island,
upon which he had bestowed the above tiUe, and
had married a full-blooded Eskimo. Having no
children of their own, they ultimately adopted,
strange to relate, a Nascopie Indian's child.
As to these Nascopies, they are th-. same called
Montagnais by the French, and Mountaineers by
the English-speaking Canadians. The tribe is a
branch of the Algonquin stock, and is the only
one known to inhabit the Ubrador Peninsula. They
are still commonly met with at Rigoulette, but were
very plentiful fifty or sixty years a^ . Perhaps
6,000 Indians used to frequent the Company's posts,
whereas to-day there are hardly 2,soa
On any visit paid by young Smith to an Esl imo
habitation, he was obliged to bend under the low
opening which served as door and circumspecUy
thread his way between the suspended carcases of
seal or codfish and "a vessel of femiliar democratic
shape and use, filled with urine, in which the seal-
3»
LORD STRATHCONA
*«. « ».k«, brfo« being chewed between U.e
p™^ of matang or mending sealskin boots."
A great number of the r^^^» , "^^
married Eskimo women an^^T"'' *"'"°'^
h.»^ u-.j "omen, and of course tlie Iialf.
»TOces in the tying of the nuptial knot.
»evtr.r:fr"Jrsron:T;Le"r
mu grown rich and now wore a /jold crown
be' the day he married me and Isaac Diskyak^t
Rigoulette same like it was yesterday. W he
bought a ring at the Cbmpany-s sto^ to^:^ ^
tol»cco And so boss Smith tang now?" "^ ^
bu.at.^::a7ror'-'""°'««-^'^"«'
al.'l^'":,'""' "'"''^ "" «""* •»" bare and buy up
all Ubrador, and tack out the MVavians I "
For, abs I she was a heathen, and bore a grud«
against the good Ubrador missionaries. ^
Once a Scotchman at the post bought out a set
33
FUR-TRADING IN LABRADOR 33
of bagpipes, and when the Indiana anrf i? i.-
,"*?"' '°'' "* "■«" ■"<»'«>» -O crs they d^n*
^n the eccenmc «,u„ds p„KJuced by the inst^l^n,
OM men, youth, .„„ „«.•<,.„, feasted o„ the pl^s
.Tth. If "* ^^""^ " discussion .^
-troT.ir:::L^.-»-e„oi
.•™;"erpir.^s^;rrrhTr
—n whilst I was twirlin- *e p.p^ jv 1? f '
-J~.ava-they.vet.eSd'j:i7:„'*X;;
John Tooktooshnah. He Z' .ZZ^'Zl
«ng.e tooth in his head, which, being hu^ n^J"
V-shaped, and strongly impressed upon his ,ol«
^vehtaa^stinctiveappea^nce. Z^Z
ot::fedte .r Bri'r '""''"■ ^"^ ^""""""^
the H R « "^"" "« exhibited in
tenn he often used was 'handy by,' meaning dose
Mr. Smith received a visit f™m old John, and upojl
34 LORD STRATHCONA
Wngr asked what he could do to oblige him he
2^ to pu«ha« one of a.e "s™.,, ^^.J J
affected by Mr. in his eye.
vou''.'"h'""l!'''" "'" "" *"""' ""• "»'' oWige
you ..w"' "'" ""'" °" '^'«"^ '" yo". "
When Mr. _ heard of the Eslcimo's request
he rep^red to his box. fished out another eyeglass,
and .n sp.te of |he prohibition ag«nst private tra^ng
s belaeved to have parted with it for a good ™und
sum. For the next day Tooktooshnah was goine
S. sirr ' "'"^"'' ^'""'* »»"■•«"«'
"Eh. mon." observed a Scot, "it's an eyeglass
you mean. An eyeglass, d'ye no ken? >•
The civilised Eskimosurveyed him blandlythrongh
the-port-hole." "/«,>!^.«,"hedn.wled. *
of Lord Strathcona that, during his Ubrador
apprenuceship, he contracted a painful a&cUon of
*e eyes, and, unable to endure the malady any
longer, journeyed by arduous stages to Montr«d to
consult an oculist Sir George Simpson, Ae
Governor, hearing of his expected arrival by one of
h,s trusty couriers, met him on the outskirte of the
FUR.TRADING IN LABRADOR 35
^Wdl. young „»„, „hy .„ you ,„, „
.oi;"^:';r;:^;rr,r- ^'"'■*' ■"■•""J
i» «oggies. They fifot so verv hari ;
I've come to see a doctor." «» very bad,;
"And who gave you permission to leave vour^
post ? " thundered the Governor. ^ ,
As it would have Uken a full year to have obtained 1
officia consent to his journey, Mr. Smith was fo^^
to reply, "No one." "^^
"Then, sir," said the fur-trade autocrat, "if ,Vsl
VTT '''"^" y°"^ 'y^^ *"d your servi e n
«na return this instant to your post • '
AJthoujh stunned by this pronouncement, it J
.^ He turned then and there in his trulal
and commenced a painfi., „.„„ j ^ ^l
. thousand miles to the scene of his irjy ij^'^l
Advancement was slow. He served for tlen
long years in this inhospitable climate "^7^"
oompanionship save a few employees and Wsown
^oughts, l«r„ing the secrets of the Compa„; h"
returns. But by this time the Governor had dil
~ -';?-'■•'«-">- -valuable ,Z o^urn^
Z ^'y^-'K 'o "count "No matter," it h«
been heard of him, -however poor the p.;, IJ^
3« LORD STRATHCONA
right ,d. of the l«lg„... He w„ rewrted, fi«t
by . chW t^derrtip. .„d .fter ten ye.„ „k« .^
«« *e jhore, of Hud«n'. Bay. .. on, of the ol^.^
of the Company., fo^., .^^ ^
«^^ «xtie. ^ pri„ he h.d » ,o„^ driven f„.
Governor S.mp«,n h«i been de.u but . brief
au«f.P«tori«theGre.tF»rComp,ny. Governor
.^ » r' -"^ ■• '"'*" «^"«« "«« ^"
.«d one d.y injUttg. i,wa, .nno«nc«. «„oughou
UndTL^' *« Governor .„d committ^ i„
London h«l chosen Mr. Smith to £11 the po« of
tl^Z f^ "^ *• ^"p-y ■■>^«h
America, to be stationed at Montreal.
Dunng ten yea« only Mr. Smith's advancement
(Tjr ~"P^'ively rapid, and he had now com-
pieted his forty^ighth year.
NOTE
^.:r.;tn:rAronrr['.Tir^t
says . "Hr?oM t ° ""^ »* Sir Donald Smith's.
rfi^^ u '^ ^•^* vanquished men who would
ny from no other enemv Um :- * ^ wouia
which a friend of h- ^" '"stanced one case in
he hL 1 * ™ '° '•"*'*^^« '« th«ir bites that
he had to stop every half-hour on the march to «.h
away the blood from his head and fact." '
CHAPTER III
A DANGEROUS MISSION
MR. SMITH had risen f™m . me« Crbh.p u,
hi«oI ci '^"''" " "" '" *• •»-' °f *e
".the fur .«de. He could, „ he hin,«,f „id. ,«,k
l»ck on more rt.n thirty yea« of .rduou. «rvice
■n ^ cpacity. He h«l been for mo« ."H
«ene«,.on shut off in the .naic wilderness f™m his
W^ow, , he h«. endured privations, cold, .nd &,igu
Many who m« him at «,is Ume might ratiolly
of his amtafon and as «>ttling down in a new posiuon
to enjoy the fruits of power in Montreal.l, Z
^^o^^^predeoessor. Sir George Simpson, h«, done
Who therefore could have d«amt that so far fi„m
having reached its zenith, the ca«er of "DonJ^
Sn^U., te Hudson's Bay man- (as Sir Joh^ A
Mcdonald came to call him), instead of ending was
only ju« begmning? Or let us say «,her tta. he
37
3« LORD STRATHCONA
h«l completed one orbit of • life which was detUned
to pursue many.*
Mr. Smith had not been settled long in his new
position before serious trouble began to loom up
over the i::bmpanys horixon. For a number <i
years malcontents residing in the Company's western
domains had been endeavouring to stir up an affita-
tion which would divorce the settlement at Red
River from the Company's rule and possession.
From time to time during its long history the
sovereign rights of the Company under its charter
over the huge territoty of Rupert's Und had been
impugned, but that body had rallied from every
onslaught The rapid increase of population in the
.w' liTT "" '^'''''^^ ^^' '^^^^^^'^ clearly
imperilled the continued tenure of the Company
Agitators arose in their midst , the wise and peaceft.1
administration, as it is now known to have been.
was denounced as despotic; representative institu!
tions were demanded, and the noise occasioned by
all tills tumult was not long in reaching tiie outside
wri*ti"-',T.S 1^" '""' '"^ • y*»«"» ««««' of »»» Comply
^Lir\,"" °' *'* •*"'^*' "^ ^" •"'Prb.d to find h J «^
A DANGEROUS MISSION ^
world and there creating considerable sympathy for
those supposed to be the victims of an unrighteous
tyranny. In Canada particuiariy was an ear lent to
these complaints, and soon after confederation ceruin
enterprising politicians decided that the time was
now ripe to annex this disaffected north-west
region, whose area was not less than that of
European Russia. As events were to show, these
men entirely misconceived both the agitation and
the aims and purposes of the agitators.
To understand broadly the character and origin
of the Red River settlement it must be borne ii^'
mind that in the eariy days the prairies round about
were overrun by vast herds of buflhlo, which had
from time immemorial produced the staple articlei
of food for the Indians. As the settlers and th(^
servants of the Company, French and Scotch, in-
creased and intermarried with the natives, they also
took part in the bufelo hunts, large camps being
organised by the half-breeds to penetrate into the
interior. Feuds ensued between Indian and half-
breed (or M6tis), and the fact of these feuds being
characterised by frequent bloodshed did not detract
from the pleasure they afforded to a hardy, ad-
venturous, somewhat excitable population, little fitted
as yet for the soberer occupations of husbandman
and artisan. In the midst of this population the
Governor and Council of Assiniboja (as they were
*> tORD STRATHCONA
••yWX node up of Comour oAcml «-. ^
Undon upon ufcing u» „k. of .««K,ri.y o« o^
tewelf^ere were pertap. twelve chou«nd «,uh
In the ^Wement. ««Ie up iUn,o« eqully „ n^^
To the nujonty of these C„«u mu „ foielm .
countor « Amerlc. with whom, <^n7t^TJL
medUte pro^rimity, the« w„ „^uch if IZlT
..«.o-gh the t^„, .pirit of i>Jt2S^'
hererter-WM . Cn«li.„. Mwy of the orfa^
who n.i„i«er«. to the F«„cb^pe,Ung hLf-S^
weren«ivesofOIdFi.nce. "« '»'f-b'<*d.
ceit.'t:."t'tj"r"it' ''^' "'• "■»'* ■-'■
mention to bnng .bout the tnmrier of Rupert'^
Und .0 €.»«!.. Indeed, in October, Sir 10^1
Mcdonald, the Cn«Ii.„ ?,«„.•.,. i^ X" t
a mutual friend:—
«tttedi the rapid march of events and the increase
of poputoion on this conUnen. will compel EnZ^
.nd Cnada to come to some ar„ngemen?,.sSn J
A OANOBROUS MISSION 41
^* '"J~"" *°""'^- ^' •*^' '•"*"«• the sub.
ft* during th. .MulBg ««rion of PiriUment, which
eon,m«e« on A, 6«, of Novmber. .„d rtll b.
•We to judge what the feeling of P«IUment ii"
Perltamen.. It w„ «x>n «en, w« fo, .cquiring
the couMor. .. Should we." „kcd th. P„mie,, « ^
dMermi, Aen, by thi. bugbear of . cUlm. which, If
limit.? If oftred to the Unlt«l State, of Ameria-
« Z^' fh ?^ of . u.ct of ice «ljolniBg-<.n
we doubt that thejr would eonunt to pay for i, ,„
^unt «,u.l to the whole debt of Can«J, four time.
Bm Sir John Macdonald overlook the fkct that
the Hud»n'. Bay Company would have refiued to
-even had they been permitted to-accept any oftr
from Amenca were i. equal a hundr«l time, to the
emblem of the Company was the British flag.
Messrs Cartier and Macdougall. representing the
Government, sailed for England, In October, ,S68,
to open negotiation, with the Company. An
Mderauon of ^39^900. tiie latter agreed to surrender
^ th«,r .„tere«s in the Nortii-West to the Crown,
mti. the reservation of one-twentieth of the fertile
ot L^^'^Ty.""" '*"""' " *' "^'"^ •><»"
"^^^^^^'fSfm
43 LORD STRATHCONA
p But this important arrangement was concluded
solely with the shareholders of the Company in
^Xondon, without any reference to the officers and
jjjmployees composing the fur trade, or to the
^population of Red River. These elements were
natuially greatly perturbed over the impending
transfer, but for very different reasons. The half-
breeds-especially those of French origin-had lone
been attached to the Company, and regarded with
alarm the prospect, as they put it, of being sold
that their privileges and authority were thus to be
supplanted by outsiders, without the hint of any
recompense being aflforded them or their being at
all consulted in the matter of the transfer. Another
party clamoured for annexation to the States ; while
It remained for still another-which, led by an ardent
and ambitious man, finally succeeded in gaining the
suffrages of the half-breeds, boldly to advocate the
establishment of a Republicf
•All thi. WM joy to the Americans. Mr. Bannatyne rtated that
mto tte banj«n if he would only work for annexation To hHS^
Slhelp^^'n'r^"? '^'' '"* '' ^^^-^-^ incurred^he en^ty
t It i. now known that a meeUng: wa. summoned by one William
Deasc^ with Schult.'. approbation, and was attend J^b;or^"
hundred French half-breeds. Dea,. addressed the peo^eT^I
A DANGEROUS MISSION 43
Here we have, then, the elements of the situa-
tion when, in the summer of 1869, Mr. Smith
received a visit from Mr. Mactavish, the Governor
of Assmiboia, who, with alarm on his face and a
grievance in his bosom, had travelled thousands of
miles to ascertain the truth of the terrible rumours
he had heard about the transfer to Canada of
Rupert's Land. Mr. Smith was too astute not to
perceive that it was futile to try and set back the
hands of the clock of progress. It may be thai
because it had not fallen to his t to serve the
Company in the Far West, and consequently had
imbibed no local predilections, that he was able to
look at the matter clearly and without prejudice
He had all his life proved loyal to the Company •
but his loyalty and affection did not prevent him'
from seeing that the time had come when the
situation as regarded the Company's exclusive
and themselves to Canada, and were to receive some fJ^
.teriinif. He «ivi.ed them. the«fore. to ^leTTe^T^
pubhc money ftom the Company, and form T^^a^^t^,
wWIl«
Governor MacUvUh was sent for; be came and explained aU he
EngUnd^ but that the money mentioned was only for the^pa^;;
chartered righU and not for the people's lands. ^^P"y •
«w"lh ^k!!*""' "**"""^ "•Pidous, disbelieved aU this when they
44 LORD ^ATHCONA
'^ had to be fi««i. and U«, the wi„r .nd
7uZ '™"' ™'"'"f *e Company, as so many p,e^
d.ct<^ would prove in U,e long run p™fiuble ^
1 "'^'^ *™ ""^ ■*"'' 'hat the Company'^
officer wouW get a share of any money paid o«r
^ Oma^ fo, the surrender. MacUvish ^J:.. ^^
to Fort Garry, on the Red River, with bitterness
!„'.% ^'•k "'' "'*"'■ ■*«»" '° ^'. «he luZ
a ;«mrr ."" ■*"" " ''«' ^^'^^ -« "PP--'
The first communication Mr. Smith had with the
W^ was from Sir John Rose, on the ««h August,
when ,t was suggested that the Hon. Joseph Howe
Inaead sa.d he long afterwards, "of any diffi.
o^ties being thrown in the way of officiaU of the
* He was dead in less than a vear t^^ a
England from Hudson's Bay "iculh ''n f"' '^'"»
RenUeman of the .trict JT LeJ^^ » ^"" "*" '^^'^ **» «- *
Wghestprindplesof honour a ^n!^h '*^"**^ ''^ ""•
the hearts of'he whor^^^'eTt^eTedT"'^ T."^"-^ '-
would long be remember^or 1 1^ he kTJ ^ ^^' "*
country."_5,>A«w«5-..V* • ""Vff* ^^ »»*» conferred on the
y otr MMmald Smttk, tn a ,pe,ch delivered in 1876.
A DANGERdUji MISSION 45
Sir John Rose thanked Mr. Smith for the assist-
ance and facilities offered by the chief executive
officer of the Company to Mr. Howe. Another
etter received from Mr. Macdougall evinces that
the Company had done everything it could to
expedite the new Governor's entry into the country.
On November 19th, 1869, the Deed of Surrender
was signed in London. But long before tUt date,
so eager were Canadians to invade and enjoy their
prospective possession, that surveying parties were
sent out to Red River. Mr. Macdougall, Canadian
Minister of Public Works, who had been so active
in promoting the transfer, was appointed Governor,
and affiurs generally wer** conducted with great im-
prudence and indiscretion. The result might have
been foreseen-indeed was foreseen by many-great
prejudice was inflamed against the new.comers,»
and out of all the fierce clash of interests and excited
babel of tongues at Red River there emerged the
figure of the rebel and demagogue, Louis Riel.
On his way the new Governor, Macdougall, heard
rumours of the probability of resistance against his
authority, and on his arrival at Pembina, on the
American border, on the 21st October, 1869, he
to * f; J^'^" Macdonald(«iys his biog^pher, Mr. Pope) attributed
juj^yo^duj., the .u«„er of .86, „ucb or the t™^^^^
*» LORD STRATHCONA
Governor «comp,„ied by Mr. Richwd.. hi,
Attorney^n,^. Mr. Provencher, Dr. Uk^ Z
bo»n<Ury .„„ ,00k up hi. position « Z fi„
Hud»n's Bay po« to .wit the l„„. of event.
In h., letter .t thi, tin,e ,0 the P.«„ier he „^
. gre. de^ of Riel. „ the le«.er of the insur^T
We. who ^'*" '^'^' »^' "■^^'>
R-el. who .ppe«, to be the moving ,piri. ,-, ,
WrL "V" "^ *•"'"' '""-vour't^Uin
him u ,n officer in your future police. If voHo
Jsp««^yi.wi„ be.mo«con^,cingS".^°
you^«e not go,ng ,0 leave the hlf-breed, out of
Riel w« indeed . rem«k.ble man. At m e«Iv
•»« he M «t™ct«l the «tention of Bid,op" ^t
e»raesUy studying Utin. In i8c8 th^ nuu
obUined «hni»io„ for the boy inl't^
Mon.re.1. where he was educated « ;he eln«
.n_.a5,*e Bishop ag«n «w Rie, -n Montr^. '"'
I told him that, now that I had secured .„
h.m,elf. and endeavour .0 gain a respecUble living.
A DANGEROUS MISSION 47
He went to the United States, and remained there
until he returned to his mother in the Red River
setUenient. in the autumn of ,868, when he got
employment as 'freighter' on the plains."
This was the personage who was to make more
trouble for Canada than Papineau and all the Fenian
raiders, and whose doings were to render for a time
the Sovereign and the Imperial Cabinet uneasy.
As for poor Governor Macdougall, he was fated
never to enter into his dominions. With a handful
of followers Riel erected a barrier across the road into
which the new Governor must make his entry into
the settlement, at a point near the Roman Catholic
fir^K .'' ""^u^'" ^'''' ™^ ^^ "^« "^hting the
firebrand. The next day three or four hundred men
gathered together at the barrier with the avowed
object of keeping Macdougall out at all hazards
It must be remembered that the face of the country
was untraversable; that even if the incoming
executive were warned of what awaited him, he
would have found it difficult, if not impossible, to
gam the fort by any othrr route. The half-breeds
continued to assemble; none felt it prudent to
oppose them, fearing violence; few, indeed, cared
m the settlement whether Macdougall made his entry
or not ; certainly none were prepared to risk any-
thing for him. Colonel Dennis, the hot-headed chief
of the constabulary, who made a journey down the
4» LORD STRATHCONA
Red River lunongtt the ««le™, found that not fifty
men could be collected for the purpo* of e^ortin,
n the Governor. Recognising- thi. «.,e of M:t
the Counal of Awiniboi. met, they decid«l t^
«iv»e M«doug.ll fo „„^„ „ p,„^.„,^ ^ ^,
for hj, own safety „ for the wel&re of the settlement
^ The ch««ter of the new government h«i been
settled in Canada without our being consulted. We
»« prepared to accept it respectfully, to obey the
l»w» uid to become good subjects, but when you
present to us the issue of a conflict with the French
pwy. with whom we have hitherto lived in fnend.
Catholic Church, which appears probable by the
course at present being taken by the priests, in
which conflict it is almost certain the M rf tte
Ind«n, would be invoked and perhaps obtai„«l
.^H^- rr* "* ^ *""»""«' «° •"'" "PO" it,
•nd think tl»t the Dominion should assume the
responsibility of establishing amongst us what it.
«nd It atone, has decided upon."
M«rfoug,lI and his advisers, civil and military,
finding It useless alter one attempt to carry out thdr
purpose, had no alternative but to retire to American
territory and await the issue of events.
r.!" ."'\'* "' November Governor Mactavish
IT"? *• '^■^•'y °' *• Co">P«"y in London
th«t The position is undoubtedly serious, and the
A DANGEROUS MISSION 49
c«e will ,equi„ veiT c.reft.1 handling. „ any
Indian, bemg bmugh. down on the ,.«.en,.n,'l.«
•Pnng. as well as disturbances over all the olai-n
-".nets, which will no. be put down for y^', tg
befo« wh,oh ,he whole business of the c^un.; wm
nave been destroyed." ^
Fort Garry penned this letter, he also addressed the
following to Mr. Smith :—
..^ ** November oth. ]S6o
"Dear Mr. Smith,-I re^et verv murh / k
uougaii, Who had been warned by the CanArf.a«
colony, on his arrival at Pembina, has been within
the last week driven out of the Company WhH^h
ment and fo«ed to withd«w withirL ^^"'4";
XXT "Tr"' °' ""' «■"« PortionrfTr
population. At the same time that thev sent to
are determined to go to et^t^r iLZlT.u^^u''
have vrt rf««- J ? greater lengths than they
nave yet done; and the nominal leaders of tZ
movement have invited delegates from tL Lk
l-rtions of the population tf meef X^on fh"
is trL'^"""'" the condition of the counti^
as well as to express their views as to the form nf
government to be adopted." ™ °^
JO LORD STRATHCONA
The issue did not appear less remote as the days
paased. Governor Mactavish earnestly urged him
to return to Canada. This advice Macdougall in-
dignantly rejected j he and his friends instead began
to concoct measures for forcibly entering the settle-
ment and assuming authority. The half-breed
element, growing daily more excited, now began
to carry things with a high hand. Riel resolved
on the capture of Fort Garry. The and of November
saw several bodies or groups of men tramping along
the road to Fort Garry. At the fort they were met
by Dr. Cowan, a chief trader in the Company's
service, who was in charge.
"What do you want here with all these armed
men?" he asked.
*'We have come to guard the fort," answered
Riel.
"Against whom?"
"Against danger," returned Riel insolenUy;
"I have reason to believe it is threatened. I
will explain no more at present."
In spite of Cowan's protest, Riel and his hundred
followers marched in and billeted themselves upon
the Company, declaring, however, that they in-
tended remaining but a few days until the mysterious
danger was over. The promise was worthless;
Fort Garry rested for many months in the hands of
the insurgents, until the arrival of Colonel Wolseley
A DANGEROUS MISSION 51
and an Imperial force sent to quell the Red River
rebellion.
\^iJ!Hi?2Sy^nton proclaiming himself Dictotor
of the new province of Rupert's Und. One of his
first acts was to seize the Nar^-lVester newspaper,
make the editor a prisoner, and issue a proclamation
to the inhabitants.
'*The President and representotives," it ran, "of
the French-speaking population of Rupert's Und
m Council (the invaders of our rights being now
expelled), already aware of your sympathy, extend
the hand of friendship to you, our friendly fellow,
inhabitants; and in doing so invite you to send
twelve representatives in order to form one body
to consider the present political state of this country,
and to adopt such measures as may be deemed best
for the future wel&re of the same.'.'
In the meantime suspicion began to be harboured
by more than a few spectators that the Hudson's Bay
Company was in some way implicated with the in-
surgents-that it was to its interest to prolong the
tension and to make common cause against Governor
Macdougall. The latter urged on its principal officer.
Mr. Mactavish, who was then in a precarious state of
health, the necessity of explaining the nature of the
change m the government and suggesting a proc-
tomation to the malcontents. This Mactavish at
first refused to do. because, as he himself stated.
Sa LORD STRATHCONA
«P to that moment he was without "official in.
timation from England or the Dominion of Canada
of the &ct of the transfer or of its conditions, or
of the date at which they were to Ulce practical
effect upon tiie government of tiiis country." But
»t lengtii, and to show that he was desirous of meeting
the new Governor's wishes, a proclamation was pre-
Pawd and launched at the meeting convened by Riel.
In his capacity of Governor of Assiniboia he charged
those engaged in the unlawful acts which he recited
to disperse, under pains and penalties of tiie law and
at the risk of precipitating the "evils of anarchy and
the horrors of war."
Riel's next step was to issue a bombastic proclama-
^on, dated the 8ti, December, to the people of
Ruperts Und and tiie Nortii-West, refusing to
rewgnise tiie autiiority of Canada ("comlngJs rule
^:^±aj2ioLdespotism") and decUrinTr^^J.
visional Government, with John Bruce as President
and Riel as secretary. This proclamation, whose
concluding words were borrowed verbatim from tiie
Declaration of Independence, was the literary effort
of an American named Stutzman, who had all
along taken active interest in the proceedings over
the border, possibly with the hope of furthering a
movement for annexation to America.
Arrests of Louis Riel's enemies continued until
over sixty persons were confined in Fort Garry. On
A DANGEROUS MISSION j,
December ,«h . new HhT w„ hohW over the fort
-Ae enrign of *e Insurgent,. It eon,i«ed of .
whit, pound with . reprewnution of . Heur^e-Ii.
.nd . riumrock, the Utter believed to be in honour
of. young Irish Catholic, O'Donoghue by n«ne
Z • tf "t'.'"' r'""^"-*" ' order't^^n
R«K To .uch lengths of in«,Ience .nd tyranny did
*e.n,urg:.„t, p„«eed that before Chri«n», both
M«doug.l| .nd Colonel Denni. felt th.. it w., hop^
^ lt,T'"i '""''" '^ »"«»" "-.ir cUi,^
«d «f,«l ft«„ u,e Kene of «rife to St. P.ul
The news tim the new Governor's procUmation was
• &lse one spread rapidly and tended greaUy to
elevated himself to the Presidency.
ISS^S^ad miles away, in Montreal, Mr. Smith
'"T^. *? aitustipn. He s.w what MacdoJg.^r*
fe-lt. of policy had been. He saw the danger. .„d
also perceived the remedy. What was n.^e<i wai
a man on the spot who could treat with both fection^
f^ Zr •^''1'°" """" '~'' " "■«"'" >»*
.r -ft *?""P»"y » »»<• *« Can«iian standpoint,
who^f he had nothing else, would a. least establish^
*e Company's &«a>fer and clear it from the imj
putauons which were now being cast upon it. Tn
ftom .t, although it now aune to involve a «ave'
personal risk. *
M U)RD STRATHCONA
a^oha lfa«te„.,d writin, to th. I«ckl.„ Oo,^„
M^dougll .h.. hi. «tfo„ ..h„ ^^ ^
"nt^^d ^' ^'""'' ""■ •^•^ ■»- -»«'^-
•ent, Md will continu. to ««d. u,^m mMVM u,
In putting .0 ,„d to this Mate of .nwchy."
down 1^. «rio», Ul««^ Who .mong* th. olBc«
uJl^'*? *n."«ho«. Rup«f, Una „„„
ftom London before „„king up hi, mi„d „ ,„ J
d-tjr. H. «»lTOd to deput immedhitely for R J
Wv« .nd eommunicted this intention to th.
C««««. P^nie,.. ,n view of .ny pr^udic. which
" HvmoK't B»Y CowAinfi Omc»,
„ __ „ " "oimmu, 14a /fnml^, act.
A DANGEROUS MISSION 55
might exitt Against Mr. Smitli «. « Hudion't Bay
oificer, Sir John Macdonaid felt it would be for the
public advantage if he could proceed in the capacity
of CbmmiMioner from the Dominion Government.
Accordingly, on December nth, Mr. Smith received
• letter from the Secretory of Stote appointing bi.n,
in the name of the Governor-General, Sir John
Young,* Special Commissioner, "to enquire nto
•nd report upon the causes and extent" oi the
disaffection at Red River, to act as mediator
amongst the inhabitonto, and also to report on "the
best mode of dealing with the Indian tribes in the
country" (see Appendix B). This was, indeed, a
wide-sweeping commission, and the responsibilities
under it were truly immense.
LitUe time was lost in preparation. Requesting
his brother-in-Uw, Richard Hardisty, an officer in
the Company, to accompany him, and toldng an
aflfectionate leave of his wife, he set out on the
following day for Ottowa, where he had a brief inter-
with the view of .Mliting the .uthoritie. at Red River to make their
•rrwgement. for the government of the country. ^^'
And, in view of the more wrious aqiect which affairs at R«d
P»ny, to offer the amurance that their Governor factora .nrf ««?
maintain order throughout the territory.
"Ihave, etc., etc.,
• Afterward. Uni Liegar. " ^"^^^ ^ ^"""•''
$6
LORD STRATHCONA
view with the authorities, and was equipped with
further documents bearing upon his mission.
"Leaving Ottawa on the 13th December," he says,
"I reached St. Cloud, the terminus of railway com-
munication, on the 17th, continuing on the same day
by stage, and arriving at Abercrombie on the even-
ing of the 19th. Here we had to abandon wheeled
carnages, and procuring a sleigh, after a couple of
hours' rest, we resumed the journey, and on the
afternoon of the 21st met Howe, Mr. Macdougall, and
party about thirty miles beyond Georgetown. From
him I learned how serious the aspect of a&irs had
latterly become at Red River;* and pushing on, we
got to Pembina about 11 p.m. of the 24th."
On his arrival at Pembina on Christmas Day,
1869, he found that two eminent French-Canadians
had preceded him, ostensibly acting as commis-
sioners from the Canadian Government in the pacifi-
cation of the half-breeds, the Grand Vicar de
Thibault and Colonel de Salaberiy. The former was
supposed to possess enormous influence with the
French-speaking faction, and in the absence in
Rome of Bishop Tach^, to be the very best man
in Canada to impress them with his good counsels
His companion. Colonel de Salaberry, was a des-
• Macdougall told him it w«i " „«,.« to attempt to go In, You
jHllo„lyhe™,de.pr«o„er...he«Ud. "Ithink I will ^t In." wi«
Mr. Smith's quiet retort.
II
A DANGEROUS MISSION 57
cendant of the hero of Chateaugay, a battle in which
loyal French-Canadians repelled the American in-
vaders of the King's territory.
The Grand Vicar had been permitted to enter by
Riel, although he soon perceived that his oppor-
tunities for usefulness were limited. De Salaberry
was detained until nearly a fortnight afterwards.
As a matter of history they did and could do little
or nothing, and remained at the Bishop's "Palace"
Inactive for weeks. The royal proclamation and
other_papers which they bore was entrusted by them
to Riel, and consequently there was no likelihood of
their ever being made public in the colony.
The documents bearing upon Mr. Smith's mission^
were highly important He shrewdly suspected what
had not occurred to de Thibault and de Salaberry,
that if he brought them into the settlement Riel
would seize and destroy them if it suited his
purpose; wherefore he resolved upon a prudent
step. Macdougall had departed, but his secretary
Provencher was still at Pembina, and to him Mr.
Sinith communicated his fears and his intentions.
"Mr. Provencher, I wish you to keep these
papers," he said, entrusting die packet to him;
"yield them up on no pretence whatever to anyone
but myself or my brother-in-law, Mr. Hardisty."
Provencher gave his word, and Smith and
Hardisty set out for Fort Garry. It would have
$• LORD STRATHCONA
been easy for the Commissioner to have sent an
emissary to have reconnoitred the town and have
made overtures and inquiries as to his personal
safety. But he disdained such measures. To the
astonishment of sudb of dw settlers who met him,
as well as the senanels, Im drove in his sleigh
straight up to the gales of Che fort, which were open.
He requested to be shown into Governor MacUvish's
house.
"Comment appelle-tu?" inquired a sentinel surlily
In French, garnishing his query with an oath.
"Je me nomm6 Donald A. Smith et je viens
de Montreal."
This was possibly not the first time that the grim
M6tis had heard a name which was afterwards to
become a household word throughout the North-
West He and his fellow-sentinels responded that
they would inform "President" Riel. The tiUe
"President" was news to the new-comer, who had
not yet heard of Riel's accession of dignity. After
a few moments' delay, Louis Riel appeared.
Mr. Smith saw "a short, stout man, with a hrge
head, a shallow, pufify £ace, a sharp, resUess, Intelli-
gent eytt a square-cut, massive forehead n^^erhung
by a mass of long and thickly clustering hair, and
marked with well-cut eyebrows— altogether a remark-
able-looking fece, all the more so, perhaps, because
it was to be seen in a land where such things are
rare sights."
I
<«««*| I ■ naji <• • • <n .
A DANGEROUS MISSION $9
He said he had heard of Mr. Smith's arrival a*
Pembina, and was about to send off a party to
eflbct his capture.
"I then," relates Mr. Smith, "accompanied him
to a room occupied by ten or a dozen men, whom
he introduced to me as members of the * provisional
Government.' ... I was then asked to take an oath
not to attempt to leave the fort that night, nor to
upset their Government, legally esteblished. This
request I peremptorily refused to comply with."
As a consequence, from that day until the close of
February Mr. Smith found himself a prisoner.
On the 4th of January he sat down and penned
the following letter to the Prime Minister, Sir John
Macdonald : —
" You are aware that upwards of sutty individuals,
principally from Canada, have been imprisoned here
for three weeks back; of these seven have been
liberated. ... It is said that others will be allowed
to go free shorUy, and this I think is not im-
probable ; but it cannot be taken as an indication
of an intention to reUx in the course already
determined on by the moving spirits in the 'pro-
visional Government' Bishop Machray called on
me to-day, and he evidently has not the slightest
hope that anything short of the introduction of a
considerable body of troops can result in restoring
order, and this appears to be the prevailing opinion
fc LORD STRATHCONA
of the welMisposed portion of the community.
Some of the most intelligent and trustworthy men
I have seen, and they are now more than ever
impressed with the necessity of unanimity and per-
fect accord among the English-speaking party, who,
with vejy few exceptions, are well aflfected to the
Bntish Crown and a large majority to the connection
with Canada.
"But in the present condiUon of matters there
cannotand must not be any hostile collision between
the diflferent parties. Nothing is more to be de-
precated than this, and any influence I can exert
shall certainly be given to prevent it. I am, how-
ever, not altogether without hope that more moderate
and rational counsels may prevail ; and you may
rest satisfied that if apparently paying little heed
to the course of events, I am verjr far from being
Idle or indifferent But while saying so, it is
impossible, with the outside influences at work, to
say what complications may arise, and I feel it my
duty to urge upon you, and through you to Her
Majesty's Imperial Government, the necessity for
being prepared at the earliest possible moment to
throw in a sufficient force to crush an insurrection
even at the present moment formidable, and which,
before many months hence, may become so strong
as. looking to the position and circumstances of
the country, to offer littie hope of the possibility of
i«Kflawif.uui>i>i<i
A DANGEROUS MISSION 6i
putting it down. Should life and property be iiv
imminent peril and no recourse to British protection
possible, I am inclined to think that with hardly a
dissentient voice the law-abiding and substantial
portion of the inhabitants would call on the United
Sutes Government to come to their aid, and the
eflFect of such requisition it is needless to me to
point out."
This masterly diagnosis of the existing situation
and the very clear perception displayed of possible
complications would, had it been published by its
recipient, have spared the sender a world of sub-
sequent calumny and the country a world of mis-
representation. But for some reason the letter was
not made public by the Government of the day.
On the isth of January, as Mr. Smith relates, he
was awakened about three o'clock in the morning.
Springing up in bed, he saw Riel surrounded by a
guard at his bedside. The Dictator demanded of
his prisoner a written order for the delivery of his
Commission and official papers which had been sent
for. But Mr. Smith was not to be terrified by vague
threats, and emphatically refused to give any such
order. The well-affected French party becoming
aware of what had happened, and beginning to have
doubts concerning Riel's good faith, resolved to
prevent the papers from falling into his hands.
Bloodshed seemed at one time imminent; but all
sa
tORD STRATHCONA
PJ«<1 off, Md Ultin»«y, .ft., . ^ d«l of «K
be »IIed for the 19*, « which the ptpen be«ine
WMr Smith, O Do«rl,„, . „,,„^ ^ g„ •pmUho^ L-Z
CHAPTER IV
UNDERMINING THE DICTATOR
'pHE part I had to act was that of a mediator
Not only would one rash or unguarded word
h^ increased the difficulty, but even the pointing of a
finger might, on more than one occasion, have been
*mcient to put the whole country into a flame »
Probably never before in history has a risguUriy
ordained meeting been held in British territory under
such conditions. Iwleed, it would be difficult to find
* parallel unless we turn to the assembly of Polirii
patriots in the public square of Warsaw, in 1830.
the out^f^oors deliberations of the Moscow Patriotic
Committee, in the memorable winter of 1812, the
memorable gathering in Podolia in 1786, even the
most femous of the open^ir congregations of the
jwuits of New France as related in the pages of
ftirkman. All are impressive, but none surpasses
the scene before us. It furnishes a striking object-
I«won ,n Anglo-Celtic manners, of Saxon traditions
Of free speech, of simple physical endurance. '
In the open air, wi^ the thermometer twenty
degrees below zero, in the teeth of a biting blast,
^ LORD STRATHCONA
this meeUng is conducted with . respect for de-
wrum and ancient parliamentary methods worthy of
Westminster itself. Icicles hang on men's l«i^;
the fiices of many of the aged In that vast sea of
faces are pinched and blue with cold.
Out of the precincts of the fort four or five men
emerge and step out upon the small platform, flanked
by two tumbrils.
The first is seen to be Louis Riel. President of
the provisional Government- His eyes burn with
« strange brightness, his dark skin is overshot with
P«Ilor, his lips are sternly compressed. At sight
ofhim a cheer goes up from the French and half-
k.Tu;T." !^ ^ ''''" "^**^ ^*^ half-Indian,
half- Highland, not at all a French ao^amation
S«W| of the Scotch and English settlers feebly
jow in the cheer, perhaps through policy. They
do not know yet what to make of RW. Some
openly admire him ; many «e afraid. At his side
IS O Donoghue, the recreant priest, next is Colonel
nf H l^"^' '"''^ •^'^ * """" "^^^ by millions
of his fcllow^untrymen. By his side walks a man
whose fiice is unfamiliar to nearly the whole of those
present He is destined soon to be known by all.
It IS the man whom they have come to meet ; it is on
his account this meeting has been summoned.
Riel ad^nces towards the edge of the plaiform
and raises his voice to address the mulUtud.. Those
UNDERMINING THE DICTATOR 65
who expect an ImpMsloncd speech, perhaps a de-
ctaration that the Commissioner from Canada has
been placed under arrest, are disappointed. He
merely moves that one of the old settlers, a Mr.
Bunn, be called into the chair. The motion Is
Mconded by a certain Pierre Lavcillcr, and Mr.
Bunn strides forward to his seat. Although an
undercurrent of excitement is flowing, it is evident
hat every effort will be made to prevent its coming
to the surface. The chairman instantly opens the
proceedings. There is no prayer; Piotestants and
Roman Catholics are watching each other narrowly
out of their eyes. ^
Never before in the whole of this vast domain-
a domain as large as Europe-had white men fore-
gathered m such numbers. Riel adroitly managed
to have himself appointed French interpreter, and
one Judge Black became secretary to the meeting.
Without further delay, the chairman begged to
introduce the Canadian Commissioner to the people
of Red River, who would himself expUin his mission
amongst them.
At the mention of Mr. Donald A. Smith a loud
cheer was rai«od, but almostly instantly suppressed
on a signal from Rid. Mr. Smith arose and came
forward, holding a packet of papers in his right
^nd. He began by reading Secretory of State
Howe's official letter to him, which, he said, "had
66
LORD STRATHCONA
been handed to him in Canada." When he had
finished there was some more applause, but the
French party remained ominously silent. Rid having
transited the letter into French, Mr. Smith now
thought it prudent, by striking a personal note, to
place himself more en rapport with the gathering.
He therefore spoke as follows :—
"As reference has been repeatedly made in these
papers to Mr. Macdougall, I may say that neither
with that gentleman nor any of his party have I any,
even the slightest acquaintance, having never seen
him or any of his people, save for a few minutes on
the road from Pembina to Georgetown. (Cheers.)
And at this present moment I have not written a
single word either to him or any of his party. My
commission is simply and solely from the Government
of Canada. Although," he continued, "I am per-
sonally unknown to you, I am as much interested in
the welfare of this country as others I could name.
On both sides I have a number of relations in this
land (cheers), not merely 'Scotch cousins,' but blood
relations. Besides that, my wife and her children are
natives of Rupert's Und. (Cheers.) Hence, though
I myself am a Scotchman, you will not be surprised
that I should feel a deep interest in this great country
and its inhabitants. (Cheers.)"
It became increasingly difficult to speak and be
heard ; but Mr. Smith, by raising his voice to the
utmost, resolved on stating his case.
JOHN MLAKI
••ooconf MBouirioN tbt omit
(ANSI ond so TEST CHA«T No. 2)
APPLIED KVHGE
1653 Eott Main StrMi
fteejyrtw. Nm Yof* 14609 USA
(716) 482 - 0300 - Ption.
(716) 286 - 9666 - Fox
UNDERMINING THE DICTATOR 67
•oact (Cheers.) As to the Hudson's Bay Comoanv
taown but I wll say that if i, could do any possible
^ to the country, I would, at this ,^„ent,
fwgn my position in that Company I sin«»I„
«ontt,bute to bnngabout, peaceably, union and ent.^
J^».o„gaii cusses Of the peopie of this laTr
Mr. Smith read the following letter sent by the
Governor^nenU of Canada to himself person^!-
,t t m« , * '^>ecem6er lath, Ottawa, z86a
«^ "u JTptd'"™'-' '^ ^ -^-
fh. o" jf ?r**° y°"' services at the disDosal of
^nith^^n^! r'^ ^''^ *^^ parties that are at
varwnce the benefit of your experience » »
fo^ L r '""^'"^^^ «»e reading to ask, with
forced parliamentaiy politeness "lQth»f7^ T,.
or Drivate?" M.. c vu .! ^s that letter public
w pnvatei- Mr. Smith replied, "It is a. iJL, ♦
me as Cbmmissioner." ' * '**^' '^
A mild uproar ensued, chiefly because the Fr,.nrh
did not understand the nature^ 2h.i, ,T^^
to car^ out his wiiT-tj^v^'^r^S^
1-
68
LORD STRATHCONA
Blood might be shed at a signal. Both parties elared
pubTc "^tS ft"' ^' "" ""• " The'doclttt
public, ruled the chairman, "and ought to be r««i."
Mr. Smith r<suraed his reading of the letter.]
— give the parties that are at variance the benefit
of your experience, influence, and mSItiom t
Briti*tt A "'• ""^"'^'^ 'epresentative in tie
leterf ta r "i?" possessions I hav. addressed
of r1 „w*'T "«*»"«''. *« Protestant Bishop
Tn UeTo^'th^R*^' """ '''\^'''="-GeneraI, who ac^
in lieu of the Roman Catholic Bishop durine his
presence in Rome. I have sent them ^p"^ o^ U,e
".essage re-^ived by u^legraph fmm H^MaW^s
Secretary of State, which forms the stapie Tftf
any who have complaints to make or wishes to
«press to address themselves to me as Her jSStv^
rep^entauve. And you may state with the utmtt
confidence that the Imperial Government ha7^
^tention of acting otherwise, or permUting o^„ t^
a« otherwise than in perfect good feith tfwatd., the
m^bitants of the Red River district of the No^.
persuasions (loud cheers , 'that titles of everv de-
scription of property will be perfectly guarS^ (~
Iibe«lly conf^d • '■"" ** ""'y «»"'"''''' or
UNDERMINING THE DICTATOR 69
HerMaiet^l^'rfK-'^! "*"" """ determination of
Mer Majesty s Cabinet you may safely use tlie terms
sulirt'''vf. ''°" '• P««I«"« journey and all
success m your mission of peace and goodwill, I
(I (
Faithfully yours,
'"John Young.'"
As the reading finished Riel instantly sprang
glowering to his feet. ^
"John Young?" he iterated. " Who is he? That
letterisnotsigned 'Governor.'"
"But," urged Mr. Smith, "it is written and signed
In my caf^city as Her Majesty's representative/ »
Riel TOs fein to be content with this, and at once
volubly and in a loud though somewhat harsh
Turning to Vicar^neral Thibault, who had taken
h« s^ on the platform, Mr. Smith requested that
he produce certain letters f™m the Government of
Canada to Governor Mactavish and the Bishop of
Ruperts Land, which had been confided to his Le
Wore leaving Canada. '. , have been authorised by
Governor Mactavish ,0 make this request. The
document I particularly ask for is an official one,
addressed by the Governor-General of Canada .^
Mr. Mactavish. In explanation I would say that the
70 LORD STRATHCONA
Vicar^eneral and Colonel de Salaberry preceded m.
from Canada by a few dav^ i* • P*^*^*^ me
we shouH h. u L ^ '' "^^^ intended that
we should have had communications by the way
lie was on the eve of taln'no- « k^u
pnncipM step, he .Istened ^''^ ^ ^\2
o prudence, and desisted in .he ni^k t 7^
ODonoghue once said to him "u.-.i
become P^ident of the Rep Wic of UnaT r"
kept your back stiff all the time " " '""'
The Dictator now interposed H. ... ^
Mr. Smith almost fiei^Iy .., f ' T "■»"
documents .0 be «ad." ''° ""' "*"' "«'
have^-^'c"'.** ^"*'"* '^""^^ *«• "We will
.he ci^Ur ""'^'' ^"""^ ^'^ '" »"»- f«.m
Kiel seemed to stand firm-his follower exchanged
ne
at
ce
le
e
UNDERMINING THE DICTATOR 7,
blmg .„ pockeu, and a man named Tail muttered
^ h,s neighbour that the French were all arme^
coolness can save us from bloodshed. If i, comra
i^^:.br fZTmS:' '" '"^-'"•'
"Who has them now?" cried a voice in Scotch
agents amidst the babel, ,0 which Uveill^^
Pl.ed, "Mr. O'Donoghue has them."
'• ^e' vtrr "", «""'»-'«' "y "-e chairman :
seized them, and has got them."
"I ask the Vicar-General," called out Riel "if
e.««r^„f the letters alluded .0 belongs ^' m'
•ng. The Commissioner paused a moment and
^d"aXr T*^"''" "»' «<>— MalvUh
naa authorised him to ask for his letter.
"I, too," said Bishop Machray, "will ask mv
Sit.'^- "'• °'°°"°«'-. and"l Jktw"l^
When Judge Black again urged the production of
.?» LORD STRATHCONA
the letter, Riel turned upon him „grily. He »id
The question wa, finally put to the assembly that
the confiscated documents be produced. It was
«";ed by a large majority, Riel craftily aban-
S. " '"'""'" """ "* »" •"« '— of
"Gentlemen," said Riel, who now vainl- hoped
There is little doubt that had this been done the
missmg papers would never have been found. But
Queen s Government, was not to be put off in this
feh.on. He insisted on going in search at once, in
O Donoghue's company. As he passed into the
fort the pnest-rebel hissed at him. •'SdUratl"
^ . J""" °"'^ *"■»««• h« shoulder,
and smiled They went straight to Schimdfs safe,
and ,n a few moments Laveiller's eye lighted on
handed them to the secretary. Riel was now n an
.mpatien, frame of mind. He began to fear the
effect which this Commissioner's methods might
have on the people. He saw he had to deal ^th
a man who was bent on undermining his influence
i
UNDERMINING THE DICTATOR 73
« Dictator. But „ y« he did not dream ,l«,t .
copy of tlie Queen's proclamation Riel lud artfully
destroyed was in Mr. Smith's possession.
"The paper I want," said tli« Commissioner, "is
a proclamation from the Gov., ,or-General, copies
of which came into the settlement, but where tl,ey
ore I do not know."
At first the Commissioner delayed reading, so as
» ejve R,el an opportunity to produce the missing
proclamafon But this happened to be the on!
document R.el had actually burnt He started a,
Mr. Smith's next words.
"One of the documents I am about to read is a
communication from the Queen our Sovereign. It
IS the telegraph message referred to in one of the
papers addressed to me, and which was put into
my hands in Canada very shortly after being received
from England. It is a message from Earl Granville
to bir John Young, dated November 26th."
Amidst a profound silence Mr. Smith then read
out the following:—
Th" *n^^^ H"^' "'' ^°" '^'"^ ^'' °f ^hat follows.
The Queen has heard with surprise and regret that
certain misguided p. -sons have banded together to
oppose by force the entiy of the future Lieutenant-
Governor into our territory m Red River. Her
that settlement, and can only ascribe to misunder-
74 LORD STRATHCONA
standing or misrepresentation their opposition to a
change planned for their advantage.' "
The expression on Riel's face as Mr. Smith pre-
ceeded was a study. Was he already counting the
cost?
"•She relies on your Government to use every
eflfort to explain whatever misunderstandings .nay
have arisen— to ascertain tiieir wants and conciliate
the goodwill of tiie people of the Red River settle-
ment But In the meantime she authorises you to
signify to them the sorrow and displeasure witii
which she views the unreasonable and lawless pro-
ceedings that have taken place ; and her expectation
that if any parties have desires to express or com-
plaints to make, respecting their condition and
prospects, they will address themselves to the
Governor-General of Canada.
" • The Queen expects from her representative that,
as he will be always ready to receive well-founded
grievances, so will he exercise power and authority
she entrusted to him in the support of order and the
suppression of unlawful disturbances.'"
Tumultuous cheering greeted the close of this
epistle. Mr. Smith felt that enough had been done
for one day. This was shared by the majority, and
the meeting was adjourned until the morrow, after
a sitting of five hours. No sooner had this been
done than one (Burke) sprang up .nd in the Queen's
UNDERMINING THE DICTATOR 75
name demanded of Riel the release of the prisoners.
But the Dictator was now bent on playing a bold
game; he was in no mood for concessions or con-
ciliation. "Not now," he answered coldly. Where-
upon numerous voices cried, "Yes, yes." At a
signal, as if to show that he was still master of the
situation, Riel's men flew to arms. There was a
momentary indecision. The challenge was not
accepted, and the assemblage dispersed.
Mr. Smith's feelings as he retired to rest that
night alternated between fear and hope.
He dreaded the further results of Riel's ambition
and ipflue'ice among the M^is. He hoped that his
own eflForts might nullify this influence and eflFect
a reconciliation between the contending parties. But
from his first interview with Louis Rid he was tot
sanguine that bloodshed could be entirely avt- «d.
He was right. But it was only to his own tfSofts,
as we shall see, that bloodshed was confined b tte
smallest proportions.
On the following day he observed a larger nufc^*
of Indians mingled in the crowd than before, even
necessitating the services of an Indian interpret
Several volunteered to become French interpreters,
but this was an office Riel had specially reserved for
himself. Mr. Smith again came forward to finish
reading the documents. He began with one from
^ LORD STRATHCONA
*. Go»e™o,.G«,e«l u> Oomno, Ifacuviri,, wd
rcM a further one to Macdougall
whth'RM"^ "'.! '""•^'"'' «»io«rnm.n^ during
which R .1 w„ otaenred in do* confcbuUaon with
h.s .Mocl.t«, th« Dicutor moved that twenty rton.
««t.t,v« .hould be elected by the Engli.h popul-
«on of Red River to meet twenty other .^re^Ziy^
of the French on the following Tue«Uy .t the couru
ho««. TTie buirinen of this meeting would be to
insider the subject of Itfr. Smith', commission ,nd
to dec.de wh.t would be the b.« for the wel&re
of the country.
The proposition seemed a fair one to most of those
present, although one citizen was heard to exclaim
that U,e resolution "seemed to cast a doubt on Mr.
Smith s commission." «' Not at all," declared Riel •
we accept his commission as genuine. " *
Committees were then appointed to meet and ap-
portion the English and French rtjpresentation for
he different parishes in the colony and to determine
the mode of election.
It seemed as if the head of the "provisional Govern-
ment" was reconsidering his steps, and both classes
of the community felt considerably relieved ; caps
were thrown in the air, and French and English
shook hands over what they considered the happy
prospects of the colony.
All but a few of the shrewdest men looked upon
UNDERMINING THE .CTATOR „
•to dHBc«ltl«i „ .11 b„. M«,ed. Louta Kiel w„
Po«n« »• patriot H. h«I promi«d to di.h.nd
"»« of the .rmed men he commanded ,t Fort
G.ror. He ceruinly h.d no Intention of keeping
*.. prom«, but . ™mour which .pre«l , day o,
fr»m the rep^h of breaiting hi. pledge. He had
numerott, pr.«,ners Mill in confinement, and it was
now «mo«red that a body of English and Scotch
were advancing to efiSxt their release. This false
report furnishe.: Kiel with an excuse for increasing
rwherjhan diminishing hi, garrison. Moreover, he
b««.«red himself so efectually amongst the French
Mf-bre«U a. to elect his own nominees as repre.
senunve, to the Convention, thus regaining the
P^R. he had ios. and at the s«„e tim^e defllg
Uvedler, party. His success encouraged him to
commit another act of trespwa on the Hudson's Bay
Company by taking po»ession of the mess-room
and adjoinmg apartments, which were then occupied
by Dr. Cowan. The Chief Factor was obliged to
«ek other quarters. His departure was greeted
by the jeers of the insurgents. Kiel now freelv
approprmted any property whatsoever he chose in
On the following day, 23rd of January, the chief
pnsoner Dr. Schultz, succeeded in making his
«<»pe by opening his window and lowering him-
■•1'
78 LORD STRATHCONA
self by means of strips of bu&lo hide cut from A.
robes which furnished his bed. Heth^mT^
^ dimb «.e w.,,. .nd obuinin, "e ^e "fT^
Stone F^^T ' '"'"''• "«■ '" ^ ""-tio" of ^
ttefll!.^ ^''^""'"^"c.pe was discovered on
--x.^ri;hn^^^L-r;:o^r-
4forr;--frv::r7"^'^'^
had been SM nn t^. ^-onvention. A movement
of W^ri "*"°"«'' ** ^•'e"^ population
of Wmn peg ,« establish a provisional (Wnme«
'" °PP<»i«o» to tta, of Riel. "We I^^" 1".
they in the course of a «s„Iution pr^l T
empowered on the part of Canada to make to thu
. ' "' "* *"<=» as will warrant the iv«.
session immediately of this country by the (C.^^
Government, that the restora.on^b^'^r SfcTf
Governor Ma«avi,h to the Executive to LaJd^ by
a council elected by a popular vote." ^
UNDERMINING THE DICTATOR ro
But this project was defeated by a larm horf. ,
upon the dererj;rw*:ir''''°'--^''''
mouth J„Z *e L^^h'Tr '"" """"^ •"
'•"t one of tfei, „u„K ^i^'^''^ -"ounced
Z'^lr' Placed under ar^t ^k^ ^"
naturally caused g,ave misgivings Thl „ ^^
""oke up Without anything 4^ Snsa^ "t "!
<*»» on the following day. AH T^' "
"■en was to send for m1 S» ith-s i^ Z T
some discussion, to place them i^ ^^ T '^
Secretary. Louis SrhJ,^ r ** '""''' of the
■ating th^m^nrp^^r 'tI** ""'^ »' ««-
occurred which ev,"^" Jt^ '™"'"« »" '""«'«»«
which was set ZX L'^'P"*^ »' *« ""'eh
Fort Gar^ Z Z ""f," ^ ' "^ ** "'""'^ «'
st.D h. , u "'■• ^'"'* knew that every
step he took was shadowed by soies • th« •- !7
from the moment he set f^,- i ' ""•""X
a prisoner of Ri rs a^d Z H ""°"^ "* ""^
■^t-'y at any mlmeTt '' '=°'*"' "^ "»"« »
.et^«Ts27o« *■• "r^"--- -send some
'rusted ftem ,! * """'"«^ '" ""^^'on, en-
P^l^UonrsuccIed^r • "'p' "^ """^ «-'
, succeeded in leaving Fort Gany without
80 LORD STRATHCONA
being observed. He had not gone far, however, when
a man seemed to spring up out of the snow. He
presented a musket, ordered the messenger to halt,
then silently conducted him back through the gates
into Riel's presence. Riel demanded his papers,
received them, and smiling scornfully, returned them
unopened to the Company's Governor.
At noon on the 27th the Convention again sat,
when all Mr. Smith's papers were read and dis-
cussed. The proclamation was again called for, but,
of course, could not be found. But, as we have
seen, Riel's treachery had been foiled by Mr. Smith
in reading out the telegram from Lord Granville
upon which the proclamation was based.
*• Gentlemen," said Mr. Smith at this meeting,
"Canada is prepared to respect the people of this
country and grant them everything that is just"
It was then proposed that the original list of
rights should be handed to Mr. Smith, in order that
his views might be ascertained of the likelihood of
their being assented to by Canada. This list of
rights was duly drawn up to the extent of twenty
articles by a special committee and carried by the
Convention. As soon as the last article had been
disposed of Riel proposed that, as they had fully
discussed the terms upon which they would become
a territory of the Dominion of Canada, it was now
advisable to consider the advantages of ent-Hng the
UNDERMINING THE DICTATOR 8i
confederation as a province. At this time Riel was
inciined to abate something of his ambition : he
would not continue president of a republic, but at
least he wished to be premier of a province. It was
pointed out to him that almost as much, if not more,
solid advantage was to be gained from an alliance
on an equal footing with the great provinces which
made up the Canadian Dominion as to be the
dictator of a separate colony or state. But he was
determined to emphasise the point that the territory
had always belonged to the citizens and not to the
Company. He therefore introduced a further clause,
namely : — '
"That all bargains with the Hudson's Bay Com-
pany for the transfer of this territory be considered
null and void : and that any arrangements with
reference to the transfer of this country shall be
carried on only with the people of this country."
But this was too much for the delegates, who
negatived it by twenty-two to seventeen. "The
language," says Mr. Smith, "used by Mr. Rid
on this occasion was violent in the extreme." He
jumped up and began pacing up and down the
council-room in a state of great anger and excite-
ment.
"The devil take it-we must win. The voting
here may go as it likes, but the measure must be
carried all the same. But it is a pity it has been
G
1 1
■I
82 LORD STRATHCONA
defeated-and by those traitors I" Whereat Rid
pointed to certain of his French-speaking opponents.
One of these jumped up and indignantly exclaimed,
I was not sent here, Mr. Rid, to vote at your
dictation, but a'.cording to my conscience. While
there are some things for which we must blame the
Company, there is a good deal for which we must
thank them. I do not exculpate the Company alto-
g^her, but I say that in time of need we have often
been indebted to them for assistance and kindness."
Remember," retort^ Rid, -that there is a pro-
visional Government, and though this measure has
been lost by the voice of the Convention, I have
friends enough who are determined to add it to the
1st on thdr own responsibility. As for you," con-
tinued the "little Napoleon," turning dramatically
to the three men he had named, "your careers are
iinished in this country for ever."
The meeting broke up in * confusion. Rid,
burning with hatred of the Company and its re!
presentative, directed his footsteps to the bedchamber
of Mactavish, where he lay already a dying man.
The poor Governor thought his last hour had
come, as Rid opened the floodgates of his violent
abuse. Mr. Smith longed to go to his friend's
assistance, but he was not even permitted to comfort
Mrs. Mactavish, whose distress was pitiful to witness.
Any attempt to thwart Rid by force at that moment
UNDERMINING THE DICTATOR 83
•ould .ta„3, eeminly have had a faul termination.
R.el . oriera to the guaris we« peremptonr.
.«.««"! ^~'"'"'" S""* if he nLes an
attempt a. «cape or disobeys my injunctions."
wa^met ^ °' *" ■""" "''^'P""' "« ""O '"Posed
W.II«m Hallett, for some trivial offence or an ^
Passion unflattering to Riel. was cruelly put in
H^ A "«=a«=e«ted in the same nH,m with
™i«. A rumour spread a,rough fl>e setUement
^t both were u. be sho, by order of the Dicutor.
Rtels plan was, of course, to overawe the English
d^tes and fo.« ti,em into compliance witif It
nutted by R,el against Governor Mactavish a
messenger hurried to the latter's brother-in-law, Mr
Bannatyne, and informed him of the scandl," ^
occurrence. That ge, ^man at once took ste^ T
find out how far the . .,y of the prisoners at Fort
ordered h.m peremptorily not .0 go near th; fort
^.b Februa.y) he so ^r accomplished his design ^
he had just chmbed over tiie wall of a,e fo^ Td
'i
84 LORD STRATHCONA
was on the point of dropping down on the inside,
when he was perceived by one of the guards. The
next moment a heavy stick of wood flew past his
head Bannatyne, finding himself discovered, was
forced to abandon his design that night. The
follo^ng day-a Sunday-while Riel and many of
his followers were at church at St. Boniface on the
other side of the river, Bannatyne succeeded, in
company with a friend, in passing the guards and
gaining an entrance to the Governor's house. There
he found Mrs. Mactavish in a dreadful state at the
condition of her husband. While he was talking to
the Governor's wife several of the French at the
fort, having perceived Bannatyne enter the gate
«tn across the ice and the river to apprise Riel.
It. f """" '" '^' "^' °^ P'^y^'' he rose
hastily, fearing some treachery. On reaching the fort
he found the two English citizens gone: he sent a
guard after them and they were brought back.
Bannatyne was arrested and placed in confinement.
But an attempt to arrest a certain Nolin failed,
through the action of that person's relatives, who
set upon the guards and maltreated them so that
hey were glad to return to the fort. Other turbu-
lent episodes took place calculated to inflame the
community.
Riel's life at this period was, he believed, in
constant jeopardy. One evening Riel went out and
UNDERMINING THE DICTATOR 85
called upon a brother of Nolin's for the purpose,
It IS said, of explaining matters and, if possible,
effecting reconciliation. While he was sitting In
the house eating supper a man with a gun passed
tiie window, upon which Riel suddenly paled, threw
dow^ h,s kn,fe and fork, and declared he was about
to be shot. Nolin answered that he would not be
shot in his house, and instantly went out to see who
the man was. He turned out to be an Indian,
seeking the way to a comrade's lodge, and perfectly
innocent of an attempt on Riel's life. Nevertheless,
it Ulustmtes the man's state of mind and the reason
he always surrounded himself with a numerous body,
guard. Almost immediately after the above incident
^is bodyguard-forty in number-arrived to accom-
pany Riel back to his quarters.
In the course of the Convention it was deemed
advisable to take the opinion of Governor Mactavish
on a certain point.
Two delegates, Messrs. Sutherland and Fraser.
therefore visited him at his residence within the
walls of the fort.
"In order to clear away my own doubts," said
Mr. Sutherland to the Convention, "I asked
(^vernor Mactavish's opinion as to the advisability
of forming a provisional Government. He replied.
Form a Government, for God's sake, and restore
peace and order in the settlement."
W LORD STRATHCONA
They said that another question put was, "Will
you delegate your power as Governor to another?"
Mactavish answered, " I will not delegate my power
to anyone." ' ^
Riel, ever anxious to pick a quarrel where the
Cbmpany was concerned, here sprang up with a
great show of fury. .*I would like to ask whether
Mr. Mactavish declared himself the Governor "
Mr. Fraser: "He did not."
Riel (hastily): "It were well he did not As
out of this Convention I would have formed a
council of war, and-we would have seen the
consequences I "
.«I^%^"^"'*" ^^^^^""^ ^^"« ** ^ consented
to the formation of a provisional Government as the
only remedy for the evils which rent the colony in
twain, nominations were made of the various officers.
Irving that of president to the last. The friend^
of Riel proved feithful to their chief, and at midnight,
on the 9th Februaiy, he was duly elected to b^
head of the new Government
r^ZT^Z 'T^?" ""^ ^'^ ^°^""^ ^"» be found
related, in Mr. Smith's own wonis, the stoiy of the
Portage la Piairie rising, led by Major Boulton, the
surrender of this English body to Riel, and his
sentence of death upon the leader and the perfectly
inoffensive young man, Thomas Scott Mr. Smith
inten^eded for both of the unlawfully condemned
UNDERMINING THE DICTATOR 87
men, and finally RIel consented to spare Boulton's
life if the Commissioner lent him some assistance in
his plans.
" I will spare Boulton if you will go round and get
the English to elect their representatives, and send
them again to meet me in Council."
To this Mr. Smith consented, as being in the
interests of peace.
When Mr. Smith consented, the so-called "Chief
Justice" James Ross offered to accompany him;
but on considering the matter Ross decided that it
would be much better for the object of the mission
that he should not do so, and he therefore wrote
Mr. Smith the following letter:—
"Monday Morning, 20th Februaty, 1870.
''Dear SiR,-On further consideration, I am
satisfied that the mission projected for to-day will
be much more successful if you alone undertake
It My course at the Convention, which the people
below highly disapproved of as being too friendly
to the French, would not only render valueless any-
thing I might urge, but perhaps even help to in-
tensify the feeling against union. So satisfied am I
of this, that in the public interest I must refrain from
taking part in the mission.
" I am, sir,
"Yours faithfully,
"(Signed) James Ross."
If i
«» LORD STRATHCONA
Major Boulton, i„ hi, „,„«,,, «.te.M follow,,-
' During II m time Mr. Donald SmiU. h«. ^n
* .«e«Uy pro«c»ti„g ,h. p,«,ic object of hh
m.„io„ to bring *e p«>ple in^ direct immunio^
^on wiU, the Dominion Government through^
delegate th.. h«, been .ppoi„.«,. .,a w„ .to'
to g« them off He no doubt felt it of Imporunce
*.. there ,houId be .„ evidence of .rm, being Wd
down to en,ure . p^per reception for them, tl^ugh
he himwlf never «em, to have conwnted to .n
»™«e«jr in any way." He «y, el«whe„. '-ntrt
were so many inflammable element,, and ,ucb .
«rong feehng .gai„,t Riel', tyn.nny. that there wa,
Z J T °' •"''**' "P"""?. «"d only great
«»« and p^dence prevented this further calamity."
But nothing could «ve poor Scott, who w« „
clearly murdered by Riel and his follower, „"
they had stabbed him with their own hands.
Mr. Smitt, supported BiAop Machray and the
"ded, but R.el ,rfi.««,. The additional damning
evidence of the hundred men might stand aga" n«
tte perpetrators of the bloody deed. I. i, s.if Z
Scott's body had been duly buried, bu, "had iZ
balls, and sunk beneath the ice at the junction of the
Seme w,th the Red River " close at hand.
UNDERMINING THE DICTATOR 89
Finding it useless to attempt further with Louis
Kiel, whose hands were stained with the murder of
* nT"' ^'* ^"** departed from Fort Garry for
Ottawa. There was only one power now whom the
nsurgent leaders could be expected to recognise or
to fear, and that power was the British Army.
The country had quieted down : the leaders were
without a following.
"The mission on which I went at that time was
• most delicate and difficult one. It was one of no
ordinary difficulty, and I felt the great responsibility
at the time; I felt the part I had to act was that of
mediator, and I believe ?hat was the desire of the
Government at Ottawa. U was not to wise up strife
and bad feeling, but to assure the people that they
would be received Into the Dominion on equitable,
liberal terms, and to endeavour to keep the settlement
quiet and peaceable until such time as the Canadian
Government would be in a position to send a force
into the country. 1 his it was which I endeavoured
to carry out. Not only would one rash and un-
guarded word have Increased the difficulty, but even
the pointing of a finger might on more than one
occasion have been sufficient to put the whole
country into a flame."
It Is easy to imagine what would have happened in
such a country had the people once come into armed
collision with each other.
•• LORD STRATHCONA
" No o,,,'. h* ritanwrt. told eh. Hou« of Com.
^u r 1^ "O" •»»" I *. th.t . .i.cl. life
Uxnia moM fcmnUy that It wm no. . thouMadfold
diftren, cou,« been pumued. I««e«l of our tovln,
to deplo« the loe. of three live. ., would h.»e Men
. LfT^" '^ .'r "^ '""»'• «" Mu«t.r or
• half of the population."
Immedtatel, on hi. mini .t Uie apit.1 of
Zir^ .?*'•/""* *" '""^ *"* *>» Govern,
meat of the d.y. he wrote out . full n«,.Uve of
bJhTSr "^ «"•"•" '^«°" — "-00
at thta time, a formal lecopiWon of hi. «rvlce. m.
aetoyed. Petty jealou.ie. and anImoriUe., whicU
one can now earily under«.nd, Incre.«l the delay ,
«.d. rtry little to the credit of the Govemmentj'
y^ rter hi. «rvlc-, we« „ndered. that Mr.
Smift received any official recognition of what he
h«l done. He wa, then thanked in a lengthy letter
wht ..^'T'"-*^-"' '" '^"»«'- -^ event,
whch led ,0 Mr. Smith', appointment in Deceml^r.
'«69, as a Speaal Commiaioner to the North-West
were "now matter, of hiaoiy." "But," «„ tbt
document, ".he Gove™or.GenenU feeb ft,, u,e
UNDERMINING THB DICTATOR 9,
toporum i^rvice. which In that oiptclty you ren-
<IWKl to the country have not yet received that
offlclal recognition to which they are ju«ly entitled."
TTie Viceroy went on to exprew hi. "appreciation
o the patriotism with which on that occasion you
placed your services at the disposal of the Govern-
ment, and at an inclement season of the year cheer-
Mbr undertook a long and fatiguing journey to
Fort Garry to aid, by your presence and Influence,
in the repression of the unlooked-for disturbance
^^ had unhappily broken out in the North-
"Subswjuent events have, In His Excellency's
opinion, fully jusUfied the wisdom of his selection
of a O .mmlssioner, for If the serious dangers which
then threatened the settiement were happily averted,
and law and order peacefully reestablished at Fort
Gariy His Excellency feels that the result was in no
small degree due to the ability, discretion, and firm-
ness with which you executed your commission, and
to the judicious use of the influence which your
cha«cter and standing ena led you to exercise over
an classes of the community at Red River."
Lord Strathcona has recalled good-humouredly
the eagerness with which the Government desired
to thank him. "So anxious was the Ministry that
I should obtain their letter thanking me for what I
bac .^nc while acUng as Commissioner in 186^70,
92 LORD STRATHCONA
that having sent one copy to Fort Garry, I was
informed by telegraph-for I was then on the point
of leaving for England-that another duplicate had
been sent to my address by the same steamer by
which I took passage."
His services had indeed borne fruit. He had
undermined the power of Riel. The army would
come, but not a single blow would be struck by
the people in defence of the pretensions of the
** Dictator."
CHAPTER V
AFTER THE FLIGHT OF KIEL
fJAVING penned his report to the Government of
Canada on his extraordinary experiences at Red
River, Mr. Smith had no intention of seeking rest
and leisure in the haunts of civilisation. The West
again called him, and in this instance the call was
hardly less important in its way, although it did not
encompass the possibility of bloodshed.
No one who in 1870 travelled in the remote fast-
nesses of mountain, forest, or prairie, and paused at
any one of the numerous Hudson's Bay Company
posts scattered throughout this vast region, but
would have been made aware of the profound dis-
satisfaction which existed as a result of the great
transfer of Rupert's Land to Canada.
It was called "the Great Betrayal." As a result
of the coalition of the Hudson's Bay Company and
the North-West Company, there had been an agree-
ment with the officers of both companies whereby
their interests were amalgamated with those of the
London shareholders. This arrangement became
known as the Deed Poll of 1834, and it was still
93
//
94 LORD STRATHCONA
in force when the news of the transfer of the terri-
Nor^^'^'*"'^^-^-^^^«'^-^^outthe
It was the time-honoured custom for the principal
officers of the Company scattered throughout Rupert's
Land to hold an annual meeting at Norway House
to discuss trade matters and r^c^ulate the affairs for
he ensuing season. They called themselves the
Wintering Partners" in contradistinction to those
somewhat prosaic persons in London who supplied
-or whose ancestors had supplied-the capital for
the fur trade. Among these men were many of the
first explorers of remote parts of the North-West
men whose pluck and endurance had led them to
penetrate into unknown parts of the far north in the
interests of that company of which they held them-
selves to form each a unit. Was it strange that they
should feel themselves entitled to share with the stay-
at-home capitalists any sum which should be received
as compensation for the relinquishment of the great
tur company's sovereignty ?
Consequently, when it was known that the Com-
pany in London had concluded its bargain with the
Colonial Office to cede its sovereignty to Canada
upon the payment of ;^30o,ooo the factors and
^ders secretly resolved that their claims should not
be Ignored.
In July the council of officers was to me-t at Nor-
AFTER KIEL'S FLIGHT 95
way House for the last time under the old regime.
Mr. Smith, as chief executive officer of the Com-
pany, decided to be present and preside over the
gathering. Few of the officers knew his intention,
when one morning a few days before the meeting
his canoe arrived opposite this famous Hudson's Bay
Company post.
Of the body of tanned and rugged veterans who
faced Mr. Smith on this memorable occasion, all
were men of brains and courage. Some of them
were scholars of no mean type. One officer might
have made a reputation as an artist, and another as a
musician; another has been characterised as "one
of the most intrepid among the many brave men
who had sought for the lost Franklin in the dark-
ne^s of the long polar night." These men had
voluntarily chosen the career they had followed in
the wilderness: loyalty to the Company, however,
did not prevent on their part a grim resolve not to
be defrauded of their just rights.
The future Governor-in-Chief of the Hudson's
Bay Company i„ London-the official successor of
Prince Rupert-came in the course of a long life to
preside over many and strangely diverse assem-
Wages; but there were few which in its milieu, its
personnel, and its objects could be compared to this
one in the wilds of the Great Lone Land
Outside the fort, Red Indians, in picturesque
u
^ LORD STRATHCONA
garb, smoked and listened to the noise of the white
man's deliberations as the sound came through the
open windows. The Indian squaws and children
crooned and gambolled in the midsummer sun,
while an array of white clerks and half-breed
voyagers, who had accompanied their superiors to
the famous meeting place at the head of Lake
Winnipeg, stood about and t:.lked in low tones of
the issue of the "pow-wow."
The discussion partook of a somewhat stormy
character. But Mr. Smith did not lose for a moment
his hold of the meeting. They could listen with
patience to the modern views of one who had spent
Uiirty-two years in the Company's service. Mr.
Smith admitted that it was a critical time in their
aflfairs, but that the situation demanded coolness and
deliberation. His language inspired confidence,
and It was decided to represent the claims of the
wintering partners to the Company in England.
The upshot was that the presiding officer was
unanimously appointed representative of the officers
and accepted the task of presenting their claims.'
Here is an extract from a leading newspaper at the
time, which shows the opinion entertained by the
public of the meeting :—
"But the traders of the Nor'-West proposed a
game which, if carried out, would more than make
up to them the share of the ^^300,000 which they say
t
i*«*
AFTER KIEL'S FLIGHT 97
the English shareholders intend robbing them of.
At a meeting of the Council of Rupert's Land-the
body which controls the Company's affairs of the
terntory-a motion was submitted by one of the chief
factors, proposing that they should secrete for their
special use and benefit furs to the value of Ao,ooo,
to be divided amongst the factors and those interested
just as soon as it should be clearly shown that the
English shareholders intended gobbling up the
whole of the Canadian purchase money. A lengthy
and animated discussion took place on this ex-
ceedingly dishonest proposition, after which, the
motion being put, it was lost simply by the casting
vote of the chairman."
One of those present said to the writer many years
afterwards: "From the moment that Donald A.
Smith promised us to go to England to obtain our
share of the transfer money, I felt that our interests
were safe. Someone remarked to me, 'Do you
really think that Sir Stafford Northcote and the
committee in London will listen to your representa-
tive?' I said, 'You may depend upon it, a man
like Donald A. Smith will make himself listened to
anywhere.' 'But how much money do you think
he will get out of that ;^300,ooo? ' I replied that he
would obtain a fair share. ' What do you call a fair
share— £10,000, fifty thousand dollars?' 'No, sir,'
said I, ' mark my words, he will not return to cInadL
If
9S
LORD STRATHCONA
without at least ;f 100,000.' My prediction, as you
know, came true; only the estimate happened to be
under the mark."
But of this mission to England more anon.
Before the meeting broke up the subject of supply-
ing liquor to the Indians was dealt with, and it was
decided that so far as the Company was concerned
an end would be put to the traffic. It was arranged
that representations on the subject should be made
to the Canadian Government, and when some months
later Mr. Smith was appointed by Sir John Macdonald,
with two other gentlemen, to act as the first Council
of the North-West Territories prior to the formation of
the Council of ,873, one of the strongest recom-
mendations made by these gentlemen to the authori-
ties at Ottawa related to the prevention of the sale
or supply of intoxicants to the Indians inhabiting
this vast region.
Meanwhile, in this summer of 1870 Colonel Garnet
Wolseley and the men of the Red River Brigade
were pressing on to Fort Gariy. The story of the
difficulties and hardships endured by the Red River
Brigade is a familiar one to readers of modern militanr
history. The bad roads, the dense forests, the little-
known waterways, the leaky boats, the irksome port-
ages, all contributed to retard the expedition and to
damp the spirits of the men.
Arriving at Fort Alexander from Norway House,
AFTER RIEL-S FLIGHT „
to Fort G«o' ^"*^"'°"' """^ ««»»pany .hem
B^ud, officer who had reached Fort Garry Ls
Amencan territory, conversed with Riel, and de
This Hudson's Bay post stood about a mile f,»m
«^e entrance to Winnipeg River, and w^ ni^
1 „" Ind«n couriers announced to Mr. Smith
fte near approach of the little Imperial force.
It was nearing nightfell when the entire body of
tte troops^ headed by Colonel Wolseley and hfe
^^r'ol.f "*'"""'"• "So-Ldents,"
TTk. ^ ** '*^' "^ <«<=""«•, and many
had b«n «,e close shaves of rock and rapid b«
no hfe had been lost. From the 600 miles o w^
derness there emerged 4«> soldiers, whose muscte
and smews taxed and tested by continuous .^,"td
equalled, and whose appearance and physioue
browned unned, and powerful, told of the gS
climate of these northern solitudes."
too
LORD STRATHCONA
The rays of the sinking sun were suffusing the
landscape when the large canoe touched the wooden
pier opposite the fort. When the commander of the
expedition stepped ashore he saw his men assembled
for the first time together since they had left Lake
Superior far behind. " It was a meeting not devoid
of such associations as make such things memorable,
and the cheer which went up from the soldiers who
lined the steep bank to bid him welcome had in it
a note of that sympathy which binds men together
by the inward consciousness of difficulties shared
in common and dangers successfully overcome
together."
Mr. Smith shook hands with Colonel Garnet
Wolseley and his fellow-officers, and bade them
welcome to Fort Alexander. The gallant colonel,
who had been some years Deputy-Quartermaster-
General in Canada, he had previously met. Among
the others, of whom he then made the acquaintance
for the first time, were two young officers who after-
wards rose to distinction. One was Captain BuUer,
a tall, sturdily built Devonian, with a blufif, good-
natured manner ; the other, Lieutenant Butler,
similar in build, a fearless Irishman, of witty speech
and obvious ability.
As General Sir Redvers Duller, v.c, and General
Sir William Butler, K.C.B., these two officers after-
wards became famous throughout the Empire.
AFTER KIEL'S PLIGHT
101
After a dinner at which Mr. Smith was the host,
the party retired for the night at the fort, and on
the following day the united fleet put out into Lake
Winnipeg, the object of their course being the
Island of Elks, situated in the southern portion of
the lake. That night an encampment was made,
a hundred fires were lit, and the bugle notes of
the sentries startled the solitudes. At noon on the
following day the little army arrived at the mouth
of the Red River, and after another day Colonel
Wolseley and Mr. Commissioner Smith and their
companions found themselves within six miles of Fort
Garry. All that day the river banks had been alive
with people shouting welcome to the soldiers ; even
"church bells rang out peals of gladness as the
boats passed by." But this was through the English
and Scotch settlement, the people of which had, as
we have seen, grown disgusted with the tyranny of
Louis Riel, the Dictator and " New Napoleon."
What had happened since Mr. Smith had left Fort
Garry? The Commissioner's friends soon flocked
about him with detailed accounts of the situation
down to date. Riel still held his own within the
walls of the fort, and in spite of his diminished power
and influence, grave fears seem to have been enter-
tained that he meditated some alarming step.
"I hope," said one citizen to Mr. Smith, "that
you will induce Colonel Wolseley to exercise the
108
LORD STRATHCONA
J i
I
I
gimvert caution. Rid is a despewte man and
meditotes, you may depend upon it, some desperate
•ct If lie is not now planning a &tal ambush for
the troops, he intends to mine the Fort, allow the
Colonel to take possession of it, and then blow
It up."
Mr. Smith listened patiently enough to all these
alarming theories, and while he duly related to
Colonel Wolseley the popular impressions of Riel's
schemes, he himself was incredulous. Nevertheless,
before proceeding farther, several oflScers and men
carefully reconnoitred the woods, but without meeting
with a trace of either Riel or his followers. That
night a camp was formed for the last time on the
west bank of the river, and "what a night of rain
and storm then broke upon the Red River Ex-
pedition, till the tents flapped and fell and the
drenched soldiers shivered, shelterless, waiting for
the dawn. The occupants of tents which stood
the pelting of the pitiless storm were no better
oflF than those outside; the surface of the ground
became ankle deep in snow and water, and the
men lay in pools during the last hours of the night.
At length a dismal daylight dawned over the dreary
scene, and the upward course was resumed." Yet
the rain continued in torrents, and with water above,
below, and around, the expedition approached its
destination.
ii
2
S
s
z
o
r;
*-<
5
>
o
9
ll
AFTER KIEL'S FLIGHT iqj
Some two miles north of Fort Garry the Red
River makes a short bend to the east, and again
bending to the west forms a projecting point or
neck of land known as Point Douglas. This
locality is celebrated in the history of the North-
Wcst as the scene of a grim battle, or rather massacre,
in 1816, when the voyagers and French half-breeds
of the North -West Fur Company attacked the
retainers of the Hudson's Bay Company, killing
Governor Semple and about twenty of his men.
It is here, where the usually abrupt bank of the
Red River was less steep, that the troops were
ordered to disembark from the boats for the final
attempt upon Fort Garry. After a very brief delay
all was in readiness, and the little army, with its
two brass guns trundling along behind Red River
carts, commenced its march over the mud-soaked
prairie. The precaution had been taken of sending
a company in advance the previous day with orders
to stop any persons on the road going in the
direction of Fort Garry, so that intelligence of the
arrival of the troops might not reach Kiel's ears.
Now a line of skirmishers was thrown out in
advance, and the li»tle force drew near Fort Garry.
Some of the nou? fjd men rode back to report that
the place was apparently empty and the principal
gate open. There was no flag on the flag-staff,
and although the muzzles of one or two guns
r
IQ4 LORD STRATHCONA
showed through the bastions, there was no sign
of a garrison. Thereupon two mounted me i i>ut
spurs to their horses, and passed through the open
gate at a gallop.
But in the meantime, in some manner, Riel,
O'Donoghue, and Lepine, who constituted the
"provisional Government," had been warned that
the dreaded red-coats were close at hand. One of
the conspirators afterwards said that, on receiving
the intelligence, Riel turned deathly pale and
trembled like a man with a palsy.
/ "It is too late now to make any defence," he
cried. " We must fly now, and make terms after-
wards."
/ No amnesty having been proclaimed, he doubt-
less feared the result of capture by the military
authorities. Three horses were instantly made
ready, and the trio of rebel leaders sprang upon
their backs and rode away. The only eye-witness
of their departure not implicated in their proceed-
ings was a veteran Hudson's Bay factor who had
recently arrived at the fort from the Saskatchewan
country.
Opposite Fort Garry, on the Assiniboine, there
was a ferry which was worked by means of a stout
rope or hawser. This Riel, or one of his com-
panions, cut vhen they had reached the other bank,
thus preventing any immediate pursuit. Then the
AFTER RIEL'S FLIGHT 105
three conspirators, who had brought a force of red-
coated British soldiery six thousand miles from the
seat of the empire to quell a rebellion, took up their
position on the shores of St. Boniface and viewed
from this safe distance Colonel Wolseley, Com-
missioner Smith, and the 60th Regiment march
into Fort Garry.
When Riel perceived Mr. Smith entering the fort
he clenched his fist and exclaimed, "There goes the
man who upset my plans. Had I not listened to
him there would have been unity amongst my
followers. Bishop Tach6 could have made a better
bargain for me at Ottawa, and those soldiers yonder
would not have come here."
All this was perfectly true, and attested by the
course of events and by subsequent disclosures.
As the principal representative of the Company,
Governor Smith became the chief civil authority
in Rupert's Land. The ;^3oo,ooo for the purchase
of the territory had changed hands, and the terri-
tory duly transferred to Canada. But the new
Lieutenant-Governor, the Hon. Adams G. Archi-
bald, had not yet arrived. Consequently Colonel
Wolseley found himself in a predicament. As a
military commander without civil authority, the only
way for him to maintain his position was by the
proclamation of martial law. But such a course as
this might have led to disastrous results. His
106
LORD STRATHCONA
J
decision was soon taken. He held that the Hudson's
Bay Company was the only civil authority pending
Governor Archibald's arrival. In Mr. Mactavish's
house in the fort, therefore, he called upon
Governor Donald A. Smith to administer the
afiEairs of the territory.
The announcement of this decision was received
with the greatest satisfaction by all classes through-
out the new province. The citizens of Manitoba
had not forgotten the eminent services which Mr.
Smith had recently so ungrudgingly rendered as
Commissioner from the Canadian Government, nor
the tactful and masterly way in which he had
steered his course between the rival factions. Even
those who were inimical to the Hudson's Bay
Company could hardly complain of a man who
had oflFered to cut short his official connection
with that body in order to further the interests
of peace.*
Meanwhile the Union Jack had been hoisted over
Fort Garry, a royal salute fired, and three cheers
given for the Queen by the troops, joined by a
number of the residents of the settlement. Thus
was accomplished Colonel Wolseley's errand, truly
an errand of peace ; his gallant followers after an
• Colonel Wolseley had offered to take the post of Lieutenant-
Governor, but Sir John Macdonald declined the offer.-». the Li/k
by Mr. Pope. "^ '
AFTER KIEL'S FLIGHT 107
arduous and dangerous journey through the wilder-
ness, without firing a shot or sacrificing a life, had
finished the task entrusted to them.
"Gentlemen," said Mr. Smith, addressing a body
of citizens who came to congratulate him on the
successful termination of the rebellion, " it lies in
ourselves to continue the work of pacification now
so auspiciously begun. Let us all strive to banish
discord and to make this new province a credit to
the Dominion of Canada."
Four days later, on the 27th of August, the Ontario
Volunteers began to arrive. These were soon after-
wards followed by the Quebec battalion, and on the
2nd of September Lieutenant-Governor Archibald
arrived at Fort Garry, a royal salute being fired
in his honour.
Archibald was a Nova Scotia lawyer, of robust
build and bluflF appearance. He was a man of
steriing honesty and common sense, and as a
Reformer or Liberal had cut a considerable figure
in the politics of the maritime provinces, both before
and since confederation. The meeting between the
new governor and Mr. Smith was of a most cordial
character. "I yield up my responsibilities with
pleasure," remarked the latter. "Yes," returned
Archibald drily, "I really don't anticipate much
pleasure on my own account."
His misgivings were well founded. Indeed it was
108
LORD STRATHCONA
i
no ordmary task which lay before him, even with
all the assistance which the prudence, courage, and
sagacity of Mr. Smith were able to afford him. On
the 6th of September he held a levee at Fort Garry
tn the house that had been occupied by Governor
Mactavish, of which mention has previously been
made, and which was afterwards known as Govern-
ment House.
Colonel Wolseley, Governor Archibald, and Mr
Smith dined together in this house for the last time'
pledging toasts to the prosperity of Manitoba and
the Great Canadian North-West. The commander
of the Red River Brigade then departed for the
East with the 6oth Rifles, Artillery, and Engineers,
leaving the Ontario and Quebec battalions quartered
at the Stone Fort in command of Lieutenant-Generaf
Jarvis, an Ontarian officer.*
In the meantime, what of Riel and his followers?
No sooner had Colonel Wolseley arrived at Fort
Garry, in the manner we have related, and Mr
Donald A. Smith been recognised by him as the
chief civil authority, than a sudden revulsion of
feeling seemed to take possession of the country.
wh- u^^" *°**' **''*"'* °^ *''• Expedition was under £,00,000, of
TecLt"' r"': °"'^ "" *° •" P*'"* ""y ^"^'-'^- There ^a, no
reckless waste eUher in material or money. It may be safely asserted
that no such d.stance ha, ever been traversed by an efficienf briga^^
numbenng about ,.400 souls, in any of our numerous little waTs a
»uch a trifling cost."-Annual Register, ,87a
h
id
n
y
ir
n
AFTER KIEL'S FLIGHT 109
The apathy and non-interference which had marked
their conduct towards the half-breed Dictator seemed
to be now replaced by active animosity and thirst
for vengeance. The same delegation to whom we
have noticed Mr. Smith addressing some pacific
remarks on his accession to the duties of Acting
Governor now loudly urged him to procure the in-
^nt arrest of the insurgent leaders. He was applied
to during the next few days to issue warrants against
Kiel, Lepine, and O'Donoghue before they could
escape from the territory. A weaker man would
have complied with their clamours, in order to
secure the goodwill of the English section of the
community. But, on the other hand, Mr. Smith,
who had not shut himself up in the fort, but had
gone about noting the temper of the French inhabi-
tants, was quick to perceive that all danger was by
no means over, and that a chance spark might still
produce an outbreak.*
• On the 27th August Governor Smith received the following letter
from Archbishop Tach^ :—
"The Palace, St. Boniface.
"Dear Mr. Donald Smith,-I am told that special constables
have been sworn in the name of peace for the security and weKare
of the country. 1 humbly beg that these constables (as well as the
magistrates and justices of the peace) will not be used except to
mamtamthe tranquillity against af/«a/ movements or disturbances
and that all and every one will refuse to act in reference to anything
previous to the arrival of Her Majesty's troops in Fort Garry. I see
a real danger in the gathering by you of a number of the same men
you employed last winter; with a best wiU in the world you cannot
no
LORD STRATHCONA
One of the French residents approached him and
asked him if the promised amnesty for those who
had participated in or supported "the provisional
Government » had arrived. Upon Mr. Smith's reply
in the negative this man appeared sullen and wallced
away. In the face of this condition of a&irs. it
would hardly have been prudent summarily to arrest,
by civU process, the admired Dictator and his fol-
lowers. Indeed, it was part of the policy of the
Government at Ottawa that Riel should be allowed
to escape into American territory.
It was a singular fact that Bishop Tach^ had,
early ,n the previous June, made the promise in the
name of the Canadian Government that all who had
borne a share in the insurrection would receive a full
pardon. It was the hope of receiving this general
amnesty which quieted the followers of Riel, as it
was d«appointment at its nonappearance which
rendered them sullen and uneasy.
X" iiS?' ''^ °' ''• '"^'"°" °^ ''^ ^^-»* -Uon. of the
J'^^\TT ''*"' "*"""■'*' *°'" ^'^ Mr. Smith afterwards "wen.
thos. called Moyal French/ and the Bishop was apprXn1h;e tTa^
« those men had assisted me in ^tting up'»eeti„;i^,:X:ut ,h '
d^stJ'bwhe C "'.V' '° ""'•' **•• "P'^-^O" -"^ch I was
to^'' ir ^'T"^' '^' Archbishop again wrote to Mr. Smith
ArciLr* *^"^' '"' •''° ''"^-•«' •'^» views upon' Mn
id
10
il
y
d
[t
AFTER RIEL'S FLIGHT n,
As events very quickly showed, Archibald needed
all the sympathy and support of Mr. Smith in his
new position. His arrival was by no means heralded
with joy by the English-speaking or Canadian classes.
Owing chiefly, no doubt, to the misrepresentations of
the Opposition press in Canada, he was regarded as
secretly favouring and sympathising with the French
as against the English residents of Manitoba. If
there were any basis for such an allegation, it was
never evinced by his conduct as Governor, which
was throughout evenly balanced between the two
parties. But even he seems to have believed that
the best thing which could have happened was to
allow the leaders of the rebellion to escape from the
country.
"If," said Governor Archibald in a letter to Sir
John Macdonald, «'the Dominion has at this moment
a province to defend and not one to conquer, they
owe It to the policy of forbearance. If I had driven
the French half-breeds into the hands of the enemy,
O'Donoghue would have been joined by all the
population between the Assiniboine and the frontier.
Fort Garry would have passed into the hands of an
armed mob, and the English settlers to the north of
the Assiniboine would have suffered horrors which
make me shudder to contemplate."
In spite of Riel's asseverations of loyalty. Sir John
Macdonald was not long in making up his mind
"2 LORD STRATHCONA
that the late Dictator was " playing a double game."
His presence was certainly a menace to the peace of
the settlement, which was in no condition to protect
itself then in case of such an outbreak as h. ppened
in 1885. A secret arrangement was therefore made
with Archbishop Tach^ to induce Riel to leave the
country. The sum of 11,000 was sent to the prelate
to pay the late rebel's expenses, but as this sum
appeared insufficient, Mr. Smith, as Chief Com-
missioner of the Company, advanced a further
«3,ooo on behrlf of the' Government. At one time
It seemed as if, in spite of Governor Archibald's
assurances, this sum would go to swell the other
losses sustained by the Company, and which Canada
refused to pay; but it was ultimately refunded by
the Government.
It was now in order to take the census of the
province, whereupon writs were issued for the local
elections. These were held on December 30th. Mr.
Smith was asked to stand for Winnipeg for election
to the first Legislative Assembly of the province of
Manitoba. He consented, and in due course took
his seat.
On the 2nd of March, 1871, the election of mem.
bers to the Dominion House of Commons took place.
i*our members were to represent Manitoba
A deputation of citizens waited upon Mr. Smith
and begged him to consent to represent the division
AFTER RIEL'S FLIGHT ,,3
hlf?''!! *'J^"^*' '^^'^ ^^ ^" ^-"Portant step,
but already Mr. Smith was regarded as the leading
Per^nage next to Governor Archibald, in the North!
West, and it would have been difficult, had he so
chosen to decline the offer. But he had no inten-
tion of declining; he was flattered and pleased by
the high opinion entertained of him by his country.
men. He agreed to stand, and after a brisk campaign
was triumphantly elected. •
When, as Commissioner from the Dominion
Government, he had left Montreal less than fifteen
months before little did he dream of the possibilities
in store for him, less did he think of political
honours. He had gone out amidst the snows of
winter, traversing a desolate, almost impassable
country, to endeavour to quell an incipient rebellion
-in a territory governed for nearly two centuries by
his masters, the Hudson's Bay Company, in whose
Smitht f^'''*!* ""• "*•" "" '^^ subsequent character of Mr
" R«Ltt ^"^'?"'' *"'' '°"''*'"^ P^-^« ™-y be quoted!!
Representative institutions had been establish^! ,„ tui .
m^. l^ge of ,h. ,.„d. ..„p,w their ,ho«i„g.i°^? 2
I
CI
"4 LORD STRATHCONA
wnrice he had passed his youth and manhood.
When that rebelhon had had its day, and events
had rendered it necessary for him to continue to
represent the Company in the North-West, he could
hardiy foresee that he would have a career in-
dependent of that body and yet continue of it.
Indeed, the turbulent meeting of the fur-traders at
Norway House, over which he had presided, seemed
o presage revolt from within, which would jeopard-
ise the whole constitution of the North-West fur
trade. Even if the Company continued to exist and
prosper, the ancient hostility which had been fostered
against it in the country seemed to render it in the
last degree unlikely that any of its officers would
ever be voluntarily chosen by the enfranchised in-
habitants as their political leaders.
But in the short space of fifteen months the un-
expected had happened. In the course of that time
Mr. Smith had gained the confidence of the inhabi-
tants ; he had acquired a reputation for fairness and
square dealing, as well as for those qualities of heart,
mind, and purpose which denote the natural-born
leader of men, and three months after the flight of
Riel It 13 safe to say there was no more popular
man, from Red River to the shores of the Pacific,
than Donald A. Smith. He had by this time de-
finitely decided to cast in his future lot with the
North-West. He saw it already in his mind's eye a
i
JO
d
AFTER RIEL'S FLIGHT ,,5
great and prosperous country, demanding those
advantages and presenting those opportunities which
marlc every undeveloped country whose natural re-
sources are not matters of conjecture, but palpable
and visible to the eye.
Nor was it long before his eye had seen and his
brain was busy with schemes which were to lay the
foundation of the fortune of the future millionaire.
It will be remembered that Mr. Smith, at the close
of his official report as Commissioner, some months
before, had advocated the formation of a force of
mounted police for the maintenance of law and
order. The new administration fell In with the
suggestion, and a smr.il body was gazetted almost
immediately, the forerunners of the larger force
shortly to be inaugurated, and which is tOKlay one
of the great and one of the most admirable institu-
tions in the North-West
Mr. Smith had been all along convinced that the
last had not yet been heard of Riel and his fellow-
exiles, although Governor Archibald apprehended
nothing further from that quarter, now that they
had cleared out of the country.
The news that Riel and O'Donoghue had held a
meeting of French half-breeds at Riviere Sale on
the 17th September seemed to forebode trouble. A
company of volunteers was despatched to the
boundary line, to frustrate any attempt at any
Il6
LORD STRATHCONA
•econd insurrection. At this time Mr. Smith had
for his guest Lieutenant Butler, who continued to
hover about Fort Garry and neighbourhood, unde.
cided what new adventures to embark upon now
that the Riel rebellion seemed to have ended in a
fiasco. He was a very entertaining companion, and
*t that time particularly interested, as most men
were in the wilderness, in the progress of the Franco-
Prussian War. One evening after dinner the future
distinguished British General somewhat startled his
host by announcing his determination to return to
Europe, resign his command in the British Army
and join the French forces. As he himself shortly
afterwards transcribed this thought: "Why not
offer to France, in the moment of her bitterest
adversity, the sword and service of even one sym-
pathising friend?" He confessed that "it would
be at least congenial to my own longing for a life
of service and my hopeless prospects in a profession
of which wealth was made the test of ability. So as
I lay there in tht quiet of the star-lit prairie, my
mind, running in these eddying circles of thought,
fixed Itself upon this idea. I would go to Paris."
Mr. Smith took note of the young officer's uncer-
tainty, and resolved to detain him as long as possible
in the country, where such abilities as he possessed
would surely prove useful.
Who knows but what the Hudson's Bay Cover-
AFTER KIEL'S FLIGHT ,,7
nor's action may have lost France a field-marshal,
•nd gained the British Empire one of her most
distinguished military commanders?
Several communications passed between Mr. Smith
and Governor Archibald with reference to the way
in which Lieutenant Butler's services could be
utilised. The former represented that within the
last two years much disorder had prevailed in th-
settlements along the line of the Saskatchevan, and
that the -local authorities are utterly poweriess
for the protection of life and property within that
region." Mr. Smith felt it to be absolutely neces-
Mry for the protection not only of the Hudson's
Bay Company's forts, but for the safety of the
setUements along the river, that a small body of
troops should be sent to some of the fo.ts of the
Company to assist the local authorities in the main-
tenance of peace and order.
It was Hnally decided to send Butler into the
Saskatchewan country to investigate the matter
entirely from an independent point of view ; first
whether troops were necessary; secondly, to whal
extent that dreaded scourge small-pox was prevalent
amongst the native tribes, to enforce the liquor law
to report on the number, classification, and language
of the Indians between the Red River and the Rocky
Mountains.
"Take a couple of days to think over it," said the
Ii8
LORD STRATHCONA
Governor to Mr. BuUer, "and let me know your
decision."
"There is no necessity, sir," he replied, "to con-
sider the matter, I have already made up my mind ;
I will start in half an hour."
Butler was absent for some months in the depth of
winter. At this juncture, as it happened, a Council
of Health came into existence in Manitoba, which
despatched a surgeon to the small-pox country,
leaving it to this gentieman to carry with him such
medicines and comforts as he and the notorious
Dr. Schultz should agree upon. Schultz, it is said,
took it upon himself to supply this surgeon with
a large quantity of brandy, whisky, and rum to the
value of ;f 120. When Captain BuUer got into the
country this handsome supply of "fire water" had
been distributed, and he found the Indians and half-
breeds, infected and otherwise, were for the most
part in a brutal state of intoxication. Butler found
it necessary personally to destroy a large quantity of
this liquor, spilling it upon the ground, to the great
chagrin and regret of the thirsty aborigines. AThe
said to Mr. Smith, " Here I go in with a law passed
prohibiting this thing, and behold, only to find an
officer of the Dominion using it very freely and
giving it liberally to all about him."
"The scenes," said Mr. Smith afterwards, "at
some of the posts, on account of this liquor, were
AFTER RIEL'S FLIGHT 119
such as I do not care to describe" ; but anyone who
has ever seen or read of a debauch by a band of
excitable red-skins can easily conjure up the picture.
Mr. Smith years afterwards openly accused Schultz
of this strange conduct, but the latter vigorously
denied it Mr. Smith, however, had made sure
of his facts before he prepared the charge against
his ardent political rival and antagonist.
Mr. Smith, at no period of his regime In the
North-West, desired, on behalf of the Company,
to evade any of the responsibilities, moral or other-
wise, of that body. Nor did he neglect to facilitate
every inquiry and promote every project looking
to the amelioration of the North- West*
An old resident of the country, long hostile to the
* As we have seen, one of the first steps Mr. Smith took was to
put down the liquor tra£Bc with the Indians. It had been charged
that the Hudson's Bay Company was at the bottom of all the mis-
chief, and that they despatched enormous quantities of intoxicating
drinks into the North-West. Although this was unfair and untrue,
Mr. Smith had a rule passed by the Council, which was law to the
Company's people, that not a dram of intoxicating drink should pass
the boundary. From that time not even a few gallons of wine or
brandy were permitted to go in by the officers of the Company. So
strictly were the orders enforced that a small quantity of wine
brought out in a Company's ship to Moose Factory was actually
returned to England. When Governor Archibald, in October 1870^
appointed Mr. Smith to the North-West Council, his first act was to
have this prohibitory law carried out in the name of Canada, as
well as in that of the Company. This law is still known as the Smith
Act
Ii
/
lao LORD STRATHCONA
Company's rule, once told the writer, first of the
suspicion and then of the astonishment and admira-
tion which the measures of the new Hudson's Bay
administrator evoked.
"At first," he said, "I was considerably puzzled •
I knew it was only natural that the Company, having
sold out its whole territorial rights for a million and
a half dollars, should abandon he leading features
of its old policy. But when it came to courting
inquiry and helping rather than retarding the
progress of the territory it had sold, it seemed to be
playing rather a deep game. The only solution
I could think of was that Governor Smith was acting
somewhat recklessly, less in the interests ol the
London Company than the wintering partners, and
that his conduct, which offered a strong contrast to
that of his predecessors, would not be relished in
England. But I soon saw that the Company's
afiairs were now in the hands of a strong man, lo
intended to have a deep personal stake in the cou.ury
and who already regarded it as his home.
"At the first election I voted against him for the
Legislative Assembly, because I had not met him
and misunderstood and mistrusted his policy; but
luckily I could quickly repair my error, and I voted
for Donald A. Smith as our first representative in
Parliament."
The new North-West was now waking up with a
AFTER KIEL'S FLIGHT 121
vengeance. Now, if ever, was the time when every
faculty should be on the alert if advantage was to
be taken of the opportunities which were daily
arising, or if you were to be thrust ruthlessly aside
in the onward march of the pioneering legions.
There was something in all this to remind the
visitor of the gold rushes in California or in Australia
in 1849 and 1851. The name and fame of Manitoba
rang throughout the world. Stout yeomen, pale
students and professors, struggling tradesmen, wan-
denng prodigals, shrewd speculators heard of the
new country, and tiring of nearer and meaner
hazards, started oflf to begin life anew in the new
province situate in the heart of the great continent.
But vast indeed was the diflference in the conditions
of Manitoba and California or Australia twenty odd
years before. This time the magnet was not gold—
but land. No one knew what the new North-West
might become-all hoped it might grant them that
opportunity for which they had waited all their lives,
and which had somehow always evaded them.
It is certain that a great change had been wrought
in the locality. Men in quest of fortune— many of
them desperate-all of them feeling the reaction of
their new environment, cannot congregate in num-
bers for the purpose which had caused the majority
of these men to leave their homes in the east with-
out presenting a spectacle far different from a quiet
laa
LORD STRATHCONA
B
English or Canadian village. When Mr. Smith re-
turned to his constituency of Selkirk after his first
session as member of the Dominion Parliament, he
was struck by the change which the country pre-
sented from that which had first met his eyes at the
close of 1869.
"Two years," says one graphic writer of that
time, "had worked many changes in scene and
society; a railroad had reached the river; a 'city'
stood on the spot where, during a former visit, a
midnight storm had burst upon me in the then
untenanted prairie. Three steamboats rolled the
muddy tide of the winding river before their blufif,
ill-shapen oars. Gambling-houses and drinking-
saloons, made of boards and brown paper, crowded
the black-mud-soaked streets. A r -^ee-coach ran
north to Fort Garry, 250 miles, and a .g the track
rowdyism was rampant. Horse-stealin^ was preva-
lent, and in the < city ' just alluded to two murderers
walked quietly at large. In fine, the land which
borders the Red River, Minnesota, and Dakota had
been thoroughly crvilised"
This is exaggerated and satirical : but wholesome
order was soon to be evolved out of the undoubted
chaos. It is a commonplace in the North-West to
assert that to no man was this gratifying result due
more than to Donald Alexander Smith.
CHAPTER VI
A FIGURE IN PARLIAMENT
JN describing the memorable meeting of the last
Council of Rupert's Land, allusion was made to
Mr. Smith's projected mission to London in 1871
to adjust the claims of the wintering partners of
the Hudson's Bay Company before the Board in
London.
Sir Stafford Northcote had succeeded Mr. Goschen
(now Viscount Goschen) as Governor of the historic
corporation, and it was quickly found that the pro-
position of the factors and traders to share in the
urchase money as Canadian indemnity was one
which had never entered the minds of the English
shareholders, and consequently caused them one and
all the deepest perturbation. It seemed to them
monstrous that the body of working merchants and
officials in the North-West should seriously set up
a claim to participate in the ancient assets— the
dead stock of the Company. They seemed to
overlook the feet of the Deed Poll of 1834, whereby
the members of the fiir trade were made partners in
the concern ; they seemed, too, to be oblivious of the
"3
"4 LORD STRATHCONA
fact that they were really themselves a practically
unnecessary fector in the operation of Hudson's Bay
commerce. That commerce would go on if the
Company in Leadenhall Street were to retire from
business to-morrow-and it would go on in the
hands of the same men who control it to-day. As
Sir George Simpson had made it evident, the right
hand of the Company-its power to barter, and
If need be, to strike-was now in Canada and not
in England. And if this were true in Simpson's
time, how much more was it true since the transfer
of the Company to outsiders in 1863?
But in spite of all this, the shareholders for the
most part indignantly denied the right of the winter-
ing partners to any portion of the ;f 300,000 received
from the Government of Canada in return for the
cession of its chartered rights over the soil and
inhabitants of Rupert's Land. It was gravely
argued that this consideration which had been
purchased by Canada was one with which the
wintenng partners had nothing to do : it lay
quite outside tiieir privileges and their just claims.
The Company proper had never parted witii its
dead stock to its employees, whom, in imitation of
the co-operative principle of tiie Nortii-West Fur
Company, it took into a kind of partnership in 1821
and confirmed by the Deed Poll of 1834. It had
only agreed to share the yearly profits of the actual
A FIGURE IN PARLIAMENT 125
sale and barter; the agreement took no cognizance
of those intangible but valuable assets, such as were
granted to the Company under the Charter of King
Charles II. *
The representative of the fur-trading officers
quickly made himself master of the situation. He
soon saw what opposition he had to encounter, and
he resolved to meet it in the most direct fashion.
Several conclaves of the committee and shareholders
were held to discuss the matter, and they were not
always conducted with peace or characterised by
sweetness and light. Mr. Smith, facing the body
of English shareholders in the great fur Company,
undertook to convince them that the claims of those
for whom he appeared were founded on truth and
justice.
It soon became obvious to the most grasping of
his auditors that if the Company should imprudently
deny these claims they could no longer count upon the
oyal services of the factors and traders who composed
the fur trade of the north. These men were truly in
themselves the Hudson's Bay Company: they were
no longer dependent upon Leadenhall Street; if
they were not rich enough to supply the capical
themselves there were plenty in the country who
would have done it for them; and in any case
their personal credit with the community was such
that they need fear no rivals for some time to come.
»>6 LORD STRATHCONA
Sir Stafford Northcote was early convinced of the
unwisdom of combating the claim put forward by
Mr. Smith. After some stormy meetings the dele-
gate from Rupert's Und gained the day. Com-
pensation in the sum of ;f 107.000 was given to the
officers for the relinquishment of their claims, and
a new agreement, called the Deed Poll of 1871, was
entered into on their behalf.
In November, 1871, Sir Stafford Northcote, in his
report to the Company, said :—
"Since the holding of the General Court on the
38th June, the Committee have been engaged in
proceeding with the reorganisation of the for trade,
and have entered into an agreement with the chief
factors and chief traders for revoking the Deed Poll
of 1834 and settiing claims arising under it upon
the terms sanctioned at the last General Court
They have also prepared tiie draft of a new Deed
Poll, adapted to the altered circumstances of the
trade."
The circumstances of the Company's trade were
indeed altered. It ceased to be a governing institu-
tion and descended into the status of a private
trading body, with a capital of £1,700,000. But
what influenced its character more than anything
else was the feature of land sales. It had now
an interest in one-twentieth of the land within the
fertile belt, and with the growing settlement and
A FIGURE IN PARLIAMENT ,j,
pro^ of *e North-We* *.« tand*-„mion,
iVoTT^""™^ '" "^"^ "^ «n«"«e posts
Ar«.c Oce.„. but in tb, new centre, of poputation
tiding po«, ,„„„ed . more pretentious style and
tooltongre,te,«ope. The fur t«de proper „e«ly
b«»n,e .n ium. In tl,e transactions of the Cbn,pany.
profit from the land sales of the Company, but in
o4er respect, the new arrangement dil^;ed but
IiMe from that of the old Deed Poll. Up to this
«d a Jr T*" ""^ •»•» *<»e of Chief Factor
"d Chief Trader. Now two new g«de, in the
C^psny, Mrvice were created, namely that of
F«tor and Junior Chief Trader, which permitted
*e appomtment of a large number of young men,
'*o were constantly applying to be ulcen into th^
«rv,ce and who could while in their youth adapt
ttamselves w,th more facility to the new requirement
and new circumstances of the Company
All this having been achieved, it became necessary
^ appoint a Chief Commissioner to assume contj
liZ ?''TT "'^'■^ '" *« Nort-West, as pro-
"d^ for by the terms of the Deed Poll. There
•«t fitted for the post, and accordingly Mr. Donald
"8 LORD STRATHCONA
A. Smith received the appointment before he left
London. Every shareholder who had made his
acquaintance had been deeply impressed with his
bearing and his knowledge of affiurs» and con-
sequentiy all were satisfied that the business could
not be in abler hands.
The Report for July, 1871, showed a considerable
loss on the trade. "This very unsatisfactory result
IS due," stated the report, "to several causes, of
which the most prominent is the loss of property
during the disturbances at Red River, which has
affected the accounts to the amount of about ;C3o.ooo.
A claim for compensation has been presented to Her
Majesty's Government of the Dominion of Canada,
and is still under consideration, but as yet the
Committee have not received any satisfactory answer
to tiie representations which tiiey have made upon
this subject and upon the Company's claim to
interest upon the purchase money withheld by the
Dominion from the ist December, 1869, till the nth
May, 1870."
In vain did the Company endeavour to obtain a
settlement of these claims, and at length was forced
to relinquish all hope of doing so, thus becoming
losers to a considerable extent by the insurrection of
Riel and his companions.
In the first year of Mr. Smith's regime a marked
improvement in tiie Company's afeirs was declared,
A FIGURE IN PARLIAMENT .aj,
S."^J^,""r' '^'y""^^ In A.lr power u,
*.&«««.« Government in 1, „^„„ ^^
•Ith . view to the development of the ««,„,,« rf
*e countor. feeling .h.. ,h. I„te««, of the CoZny
Mr. Smith s policy from the first.
After turning over the «Imlni.t«Uon to Governor
Arched. Mr. Smith, in hi, .hr«rfbld eapTZ L
Provinci.1 Legid«ure, and member of P.rli«„ent
took . «,mewh.t p^minent p.,t in the lod S
«rf the province. ju« then principlly concernS^wiA
*e .fterm«h of the RW rebellion. The p^pfeo^
^rn Cn«to, .nd parUcuUrly of Ont^Tcld
no. undersund the necessity for virtual obu;,-, if
not. form^ «„ne,.y, l„ the matter of the execution
cned ^oud for vengeance on the murderers, leaard
"ess of the bloody complications which any veS
measure, might bring .bout in the ««er provinfro
Mamtoba. indeed, the Ontario Legi,latrre w.« :^^.
fiu- « to offer a rew«d of 5,«x> dollar, for the appre^
h«„,on and convicUon of Riel and hi, a»oc^L
it.;iZng"p:L:^^r"""^'""''««
H^ ccuing appeared as an unwarrantable inter-
IJO
LORD STRATHCONA
fcrence in its own afikirs, and in consequence a
resolution was introduced by Mr. Clarice's Govern-
ment resenting the action of Ontario, and carried
by eighteen votes to five. Whereupon Mr. Smith
introduced the following resolution in the Legisla-
ture: —
"That whereas during the period intervening
between the passing of the Dominion Act and the
temporary government of Rupert's Land and the
North-West Territories, when the same should be
united to Canada, and the date when the union
actually took place, very serious troubles occurred
in the country now known as the province of Mani-
toba: and whereas Her Majesty's Imperial Govern-
ment is the only authority competent to deal with
this grave question ; and whereas, in the interests
of peace and good order, it is not only desirable but
requisite that steps should be taken to setUe and set
at rest all questions connected with such troubles :
Resolved therefore that an humble address be pre-
sented to Her Majesty the Queen praying that Her
Majesty would be pleased to command that this
House be made acquainted with the action already
taken or which it may be Her Majesty's Royal
pleasure to take, with the view of satisfying justice
and the best interests of this country."
Mr. Smith's resolution struck right at the core of
the facts of the Scott murder, and exposed cleariy
FIGURE IN PARLIAMENT
When rte o&nce w„ perp.u.ted by Riel, C.n.di.„
M.«,tt,b. did not .,i«. Rie, .„d hi. "p„vi,ion.I
Government •• were the«fo« ,e.pon.ibl. for .hei
«"on. to the Imperi., .„u»„.,|„. ,„, ^ ,^_^
dute mini«er. of .he Queen of G™t Britain were
the only ones who could properly punirt or condone
those «t,on, ,f contrary to law. The re«>lution w«i
pa»«l w.*„u. a dissentient voice, and the address
was duly drawn up and forwarded.
On his arrival in Ottawa as representative of
W nnipeg and St. Johns. Mr. Smith was warmly
welcomed by the political chiefs of both parties
The greaha. inhsrest and curiosity were manifested
when on March 29th, .871, before the Manitoba Bill
had received the Royal Assent, ti,e new member for
&lk.rk, .ntroduced by Sir George Qirtier, took his
seat .mmedmtely behind Dr. Tupper. Mr. Mac-
kenz.e, the leader of the Opposition, called attention
to ti,e fact that ti,e member "who had jus, Uken his
seat d,d so under the Act," the confirmation of which
was now sought for at the hands of the Imperial
Parliament, and as doubts existed as to the propriety
of any member taking his «at under the A« he
thought that, following a precedent se, by Govern-
ment themselves lately, the matter should be referred
to a Commmee. At the same time the leader of ti,e
133
LORD STRATHCONA
Opposition added that his party divested themselves
of all responsibility after having given this notifica^
tion.
Sir George Cartier replied that Mr. Smith had
properly taken his seat under an Act which had met
with the sanction of the Imperial Government At
the same time, if the Opposition wished to raise the
question of privilege with regard to the assumption
of a seat in the House by the member for Selkirk,
the Government would be ready to discharge their
duty, and advise the House with regard to the ^aw as
it was to be applied in the present case. The subject
was then dropped without any exhibition of ill-feel-
ing, although one obscure member had gone about
hinting that he would move for the expulsion of the
"member for the Hudson's Bay Company." He
thought better of his threat; but it is singular to
note that the incident associated with Mr. Smith's
first taking his seat in the House was the prelude
to a lifelong personal friendship between Mr. Alex-
ander Mackenzie, afterwards Premier of Canada, and
himself. The former was often his guest, and when
he had long resigned the cares of office and of
politics, it was Mr. Smith who received him and his
friends at Silver Heights, Winnipeg, during the
ex-Premier's visit to the North-West.
It is also significant that the first vote of the new
member was immediately concerned with the great
b i .i* *m . M« <ww ^ ^'icas
A FIGURE IN PARLIAMENT 133
trans-continental railway, of which he was to prove
the active protagonist, and whose completion was
literally to be the work of his own hands. In the
debate on the Bill for the admission of British
Columbia, a Nova Scotia Liberal (Mr. A. G. Jones,
of Halifax), in view of the great burden which would
be entailed on the country by the proposed railway,
moved an amendment looking to a suppression of
the scheme. One of his supporters (Mr. Dorion)
quoted from a report of Mr. Fleming characterising
the Pacific Railway as a "commercial absurdity."
It was altogether impracticable. "If," said this
member, "confederation must be had in some direc-
tion, better have it with Newfoundland or Prince
Edward Island than with a body of mere roving
adventurers." Mr. Smith voted against the amend-
ment, and subsequently for the Bill. A little later
he consented to act as sponsor in the introduction of
his fellow-member, Mr. Delorme, of Provencher, to
the House, little anticipating the stir which this little
act of his was to occasion. Delorme, a Red River
French-Canadian, had been one of Riel's friends,
and had been already accused in some quarters of
being not only in sympathy, but in active collusion
with the " New Napoleon " at the time of the troubles.
No word was spoken on the day he took his seat, but
the report spread throughout Ottawa and the country,
and at last, on the loth April, a Mr. Ross drew atten-
134
LORD STRATHCONA
tion, in a crowded house, to the report that Delorme
had been a member of Riel's Government, and, if
so, was clearly guilty of the crime of high treason.
This was not all. " It was also said," he continued,
"that the honourable member had been a member of
the court-martial which had condemned Scott. If
so, the honourable member was guilty of murder."
Whereupon a scene of great excitement ensued in
the House, and Delorme, with a very white face, half
rose and gesticulated violently in his seat, many
French-speaking member^ appearing to sympathise
with him. Continuing, Mr. Ross declared that there
was a feeling among the people that anyone con-
nected with such an atrocious murder should be
brought to justice. He had heard that Riel was
frc luently in Manitoba, and he did not understand,
if it were so, why the local government had not
arrested him.
How surprised the speaker would have been had
he known that Riel had actually received money from
the Government since his crime, to keep out of
Manitoba I
Delorme duly declared, with great indignation,
that the rumours about him were false. His state-
ment that he knew nothing about the murder till two
days after it was committed was received with cheers.
** I had nothing to do with Riel's Council," he pur-
sued. " When Mr. Smith was sent as Commissioner
A FIGURE IN PARLIAMENT
135
by the Canadian Government to Manitoba I was a
delegate to the Convention."
Attention was now centred upon the member for
Selkirk. He was now expected to make his maiden
speech in the House. It was he who had introduced
Delorme, and he felt that it was a matter directly
afifecting his honour. This first utterance is very
characteristic.
An eye-witness in the gallery describes his appear-
ance as follows : —
"A figure over the medium height, but looking
taller from the alert, well-knit character of the frame,
arises, and all eyes are directed upon Donald A.
Smith, the senior member of the brand-new prairie
province. No one can scrutinise the massive head
and face which crowns this figure, with its high fore-
head, strong nose, long upper lip, and pent-house
brows which jut out to twice the ordinary dimensions,
without making up his mind that the member for
Selkirk is a man out of the common. His report on
the Riel disturbances led us to expect something
from the chief officer of the Hudson's Bay Company
in this session. But whether he speak or not, it is
an open secret that the Government relies chiefly
upon his knowledge to bring order out of chaos in
the new territories."
"It would," he began, "be in the recollection of
most of the members of this House that a certain
136
LORD STRATHCONA
party in Red River got up a Council last winter,
which was called the ' provisional Government' That
was composed of Mr. Riel and several French
members. With that Council, he was convinced,
the hon. member in question had nothing to do.
(Cheers.)" Mr. Smith then went on to refer to the
events connected with his mission to the people of
the rJorth-West. ** I agreed to the public meeting
which was held on the i8th and 19th January.
Members were freely elected to that Convention by
both sides. The Convention met in February, and
was occupied in discussing the so-called Bill of
Rights. The discussion was as free and unre-
strained as any discussion in the House up to a
certain point. The hon. member for Provencher
was a member of the Convention, and then, and
not till then, had the hon. gentleman anything to
do with the disturbance or insurrection at Red River.
(Hear, hear.) I never heard an3rthing mooted
against Mr. Delorme until the other day, and cer-
tainly had I believed there was any foundation for
such a charge, I would not only have hesitated, but
actually refused to have been in an3rwise instru-
mental in introducing the hon. member before this
House as I have done. I would have regarded it
as unbecoming my position as a member of this
House, and still more an insult to my honour, if I
had thought the hon. member had been in any way
LORD STKATHCONA AND .MOUNT ROYAL
^TAT 80
A FIGURE IN PARLIAMENT 137
connected with the so-called court-martial. (Hear,
hear.) As to who constituted that court-martial I
do not know, but this I can gainsay, that Mr.
Delorme was one of those people who arrogated
to themselves the power to sit in judgment on a
British subject and condemn him to death.
"There was a further Convention and delegation,"
continued Mr. Smith, "which was sometimes called
the House of Assembly of Red River. To that
also, I believe, the hon. gentleman had been elected,
but elected by his parish. I took some litUe part
in bringing that Assembly together. A great deal
has been said about that— « great deal erroneously.
What was done at that time was this : There was
at that time a gentleman from Canada condemned
to death. Intercession had been made for him by
several parties, but without avail. At a Ute hour
in the evening I visited those who were then in
power, and it was given me to understand that
they were absolutely in favour of the union with
Canada, and merely desired to have the people of
Red River come to an understanding exactly on
what terms and conditions they were to enter the
Confederation. I assented, so far as my assent was
necessary, on behalf of Canada, to this Council being
called, and further said I would go amongst the
people and induce them to take part in this Council
or Convention, but absolutely and only with the
138
LORD STRATHCONA
view of making arrangements for a union with
Canada. Of that CdnvenUon the hon. member
for Provencher was also a member. I believe that
having said this, I have said all that is necessary
on the subject There was, in the first instance, a
Council called the 'provisional Government '—the
member for Provencher had nothing to do with
that. In the Convention of which the hon. gentle-
man was subsequently a member there were several
gentlemen who took part in it, not simply because
they happened to be pr^nt, but they actually took
a more active part in bringing matters forward than
the French-speaking members, and there can be
no imputation against their loyalty. (Hear, hear.)
Further," concluded the speaker, "I might say that
I fully believe there are none who deplore the sad
events of last winter more than the people of Red
River, not only the English, but the French-speaking
people of Red River."
This speech was listened to with the greatest
attention, and at its close was received with cheers.
The inquiring member was, however, not yet satis-
fied. "The member for Selkirk had," he said,
" distinctly stated that he did not know who com-
posed the court-martial. If so, how did he know
that the member for Provencher was not a member
of it?" (Cries of "Oh, oh," and confusion ensued.)
Sir Francis Hincks : " It is entirely out of order.
A FIGURE IN PARLIAMENT 139
The hon. member has asked a question and got a
reply. What more does he want ? "
Mr. Mackenzie immediately arose and declared
his friend to be quite in order. The member for
Selkirk had not in this particular corroborated the
statements made. Whereupon Mr. Macdougall, glad
of an opportunity to avenge himself upon someone
associated with his late discomfiture, moved that a
Select Committee be appointed to inquire into the
allegations. "This House," he declared vociferously,
"must be relieved of the disgrace and dishonour
of receiving amongst its members anyone guilty of
these offences. If it is true the hon. member for
Provencher had never been connected with Riel's
Council, it should be proved and made plain in
the most public manner. The hon. member's mere
statement was not sufficient" Turning to Mr.
Smith, the ex-Governor said, with what he intended
to be cutting emphasis, "As for tiie hon. member
for Selkirk, he will see that when his speech is
published his statements are not quite in conformity
with some of the facts which have been made public
respecting this North-West difficulty."
For answer Mr. Smith smilingly declared that
the honourable gentleman seemed to take upon
himself the championship of the North-West people.
As for what he himself had said, every statement
could be substantiated.
'*> LORD STPATHCONA
distinct statements nude by the two M.nItob.
m mbe« wete to his mind quite sstisfscoor. «d
th.. view WW supported by otl,e, membe™.
But Mr. Macdougall would not withdraw his
motion. ';ih.ve."„idhe. "nodesi^toLfce
hon^ member found guilty, but I will show 'e
Houje . photograph of Riel's Privy Council in
wh^*e picture of Jhehon. memberTor Pr^nth^
hJTL """^ °' •^' *^''"^'- Was this
This caused a sensation. In the midst of it
Detorme was heard to declare that he had no
obje«.on to have the matter tried. He happen^
ThJ^ "'*«»•'"* « "•"»•« of Indian, wliVt^
photograph nefcr^i to was uken. and his picture
«" «»ong the number. The« were «,verai the"
who we„ not connected with the Cbuncil. and h"
^amongst these |atter. •. , never," he riterateS
w« a member of Riel's Council." The photo^
graph, out of which political capiul was »ugh.
It jm .nsunuy seen and pointed out that it con-
^ned photographs of Mr. Spence and othen,. who
Council, and this both Mr. Dorion and Mr. Smith
A FIGURE IN PARLIAMENT ,4,
hL. Ih H *^' °*^ •» "'*<"•" ■"• motion,
but fte Hou,e would not llow thi.. .„d i, w« pu
•«dlo.,by.two^h.>d,»ot.. ManyofthememlL
•fl»m.rt, wen, over .nd Aook hand, with Delorme.
who jften«,rd. e,pr.,«d hi. g„,i,„de to Mr. Smith
for^the chiviUrous w.y in which he h«l wood by
On another oecwion Mr. Smith inquired of the
Government if they intended u, provide for the
reffutaeion of t«d. in the North-We« Territoriei^
.nd .!» wh« «eps they intended to taite regarding
^JT" u '»'»*'■'»•'"« "O-or,, which was being
earned on by Americans to the demoialisaUon of the
indMns.
The Governor in Council, it was responded, had
power to deal with these matten^ and Mr. Smith's
reprraenutions would receive attention. Whereupon
Mr Mackenzie, the leader of the Opposition, asked
what regulations were in foree. The minister replied
that before tiie union reguUtions had been made by
the Hudson's Bay Company, but he was not aware
of the.r nature. He referred to the member for
Selkirk as knowing more about die matter tiian any.
T "w. ^'' ^"'^" "'""^ "'^''^ that he
thought Mr. Smith had more papers and knew more
;jbou, North-West af&irs than U.e Government
There could be little doubt that this was the exact
»43 LORD STRATHCONA
state of the caae, for m yet Sir John Macdonald and
••'- colleagues had had no timt to aacerUin the
hit
conditions and needs of the new territories. It was
therefore necessary for them to uke counsel of Mr.
Smith and the other officers of the Hudson's Bay
Company and the missionaries before formulating
any policy for the management of the latest acquisi-
tion to the Dominion.
Consequently Mr. Smith at once became a Egure
of peculiar importance at Ottawa. In the first place,
he was the official head of the fur trade, the lineal
succt^isor of Sir George Simpson, who for forty
years had wielded an almost autocratic power at
Montreal and Fort Garry ; and the fur trade had not
yet lost ita prestige and glamour in the minds of men
in civilised haunts. Furthermore, he represented a
community upon which the attention of the whole
people of the Dominion, and indeed of the empire,
continued to be fastened by reason of the exploita
of Riel and his half-breed following, and also because
of the prominence it occupied as the newest British
province and as a promising field for settlers and
capital.
A litUe later in the session (April i ith) the question
of the murder of Thomas Scott arose, and a motion
was made that the murderers be sought out and
punished. It was commonly rumoured, according
to Mr. Bowell, that Riel and the others were in
«
A FIGURE IN PARLIAMENT ,43
C^tan wrriwor. Moreover, i. w„ poln^d out
O-t B.nM.yne, "whoM former connection with Riel
WM notorio™." h«l been n»de po.tn.<«ter of Winni-
'..'! •"". f^""^' *• '<>"»« editor of the new
'V. ■ Jiibald ., appointments.
Sr Geo . , Cartier replied for the Government that
un.>.. ,.u „o jurirtictlon in the North-Weat at the
'""•' "' ;^- ,f •-« »'"*'. -nd U»t It had no co"nU^
When .t became alleg«l that the Hud»„-. Bay
felt 1.^ * ^r * *~"'' """*""• "'• Smith
felt U». he couM not let thi. charge re«, especially
"" *» chiefly ,im«l at himself. He therefore
"MO "1 his pbux and said .—
"Sir. I was present at Fort Garry when Thorn*,
S«,tt was murdered. I did all in my power ,0 sav"
*e hfe rf that poor man. When I was vested with
the chief av,I authority after Riel's departure a
^^' ::' m^ r "-"-* "^ "- -^ ""*-
-came to me asking to be sworn in as special
consubles to arrest the murderers. They said^^e
W.1I go to shoot them down, but not to take thl
m any other way.- m fact, .hey demanded a wa re«
^mm.t murde. , .efused to give them such a
^vth«!^ '' f""*"^' " '•' "•«' °'*^"«' one,
bw by that time the murderers had escaped. I„ reply
144
LORD STRATHCONA
to the other charges, I would say that as to Mr.
Donnell, one of those appointed to office, he was
never friendly to Riel, and had, in fact, been at one
time imprisoned by the rebel chief." Mr. Smith also
defended Bannatyne and Spence as not being im-
plicated with Riel, and his defence gave umbrage
to the impetuous Dr. Schultz, who said he regretted
that a member from Manitoba should have thought
it necessary to " stir up a dirty puddle."
<* As to the statement of the hon. member respect-
ing the application made to him for a warrant to
arrest Scott's murderers, I was not in the province
when that event occurred, but I hold in my hand
evidence in the shape of an affidavit from one
Thomas Lusted, reciting the facts connected with
the case and affirming his belief that Donald Smith
was anxious to give Riel and Lepine time to escape,
and have been ready to let this drop. But if Mr.
Smith wishes to refer to it, it is my duty to place the
facts of my party before the public also."
<* Could I," asked Mr. Smith, "have given a
warrant under such circumstances? I put the
question to the hon. member and to the House.
Dr. Schultz has mentioned Lusted — does he know
that on the very evening of the same day Lusted
admitted to me that a warrant should not have been
issued under the circumstances I have related ? When
these men applied for a warrant, the Lord Bishop
A FIGURE IN PARLIAMENT 145
of Rupert's Und and a number of the most respect-
able men in the place were present"
One of the members declared that after reading
Mr. Smith's report his opinion of Riel was "a
thousand times worse than it had been before.'*
Others proclaimed that Riel ought to be arrested,
and that if the authorities allowed him to remain
at large they were deserving of all censure.
The motion was lost.
Nevertheless, the belief in the supposed complicity
of the Hudson's Bay Company, or at least the
criminal acquiescence of their officials, in the original
outbreak at Red River was very general. A day or
two later Schultz spoke at great length on the question
of pecuniary indemnity to the sufferers from the
rebellion, which was virtually an attack upon the
Company. In the temper of the House it was clear
the Company would never receive a penny of the
losses it sustained. Mr. Bowell even went so fiir
as to say that he "looked upon any claims by the
Hudson's Bay Company as a mere piece of impu-
dence, inasmuch as they had, in his opinion, been
instrumental in causing the insurrection." Mr.
Smith, forced to vote in a small minority chiefly
of the Opposition, saw that nothing was to be gained
just then, but asked "that a full investigation should
be made into all the circumstances connected with
the rebellion in the North-West It was due to
146
LORD STRATHCONA
u
^1
H
m
lit
the people of the North-West and the officers of the
Hudson's Bay Company who had been so greatly
maligned in connection with this affidr."
Nevertheless, on the following day (April 13th) he
turned his attention to a matter upon which he felt
some representation ought to be made. Throughout
Manitoba were scattered old settlers of iSia and
1820, who were not half-breeds, but of English and
Scotch birth and parentage. <* These men," said he,
*'have done a good deal of service to the country,
and have helped to form the community, and were
entitled to as liberal treatment as their children, the
half-breeds. Would not therefore the Government
extend the grant of 1,400,000 acres of lands to these
pioneers who were excluded therefrom under the new
Manitoba regulations?" But Sir George Cartier
scouted the idea, at the same time admitting that the
lands the Government proposed to turn over to the
half-breeds were unencumbered by any conditions as
to settlement
In feet, Mr. Smith's position soon grew to be a
very awkward one. When the insults and insinaa^
tions of certain honourable members were intoler-
able, and he rose to repel them, every statement he
made was regarded as a defence of the Hudson's
Bay Company. On one occasion when he rose to
reply to Dr. Schultz, the ex-Governor Macdougall
cried out : —
A FIGURE IN PARLIAMENT 147
** I object to this irregular proceeding. Why, the
people of this country will soon come to regard the
hon. member for Selkirk as the represenutive of
the Hudson's Bay Company sent to this House to
rehabilitate them before the Dominion." (Cries of
"Hear, hear.")
Times and opinions have changed, and we now
see the Company required then no rehabilitation from
outside ; but prejudice was strong, and old calumnies
die hard.
In the next session (1873) Mr. Smith turned his
efforts to enlarging the trade and immigration of the
North-West He sought to obtain from the Govern-
ment what he conceived to be a necessary regulation
with regard to Americans residing within or entering
the territories. He thought it only &ir that these
should be placed on an equal footing as regarded
trading relations with the Indian population as that
on which British subjects stood within the Indian
territories of America.
While animated by no petty bias against Ameri-
cans, he did not believe that they should enjoy privi-
leges inimical to Canada. The introduction by
them into the North-West of intoxicating liquors was
opposed to all principles of moral law and order.
"Although," said he, "the laws of America provide
■against such introduction into her own territory, yet
it is well known that the people of the States are
148
LORD STRATHCONA
able to trade largely with the Indians in arms and
liquors. The Company had entirely prohibited such
trading. This had operated most beneficially, and
British subjects never traded with the Indians in such
things ; but the Americans did so to a large extent,
and the evil may prove very great if something is
not done to put a stop to this very unsatisfactory
state of things." Sir George Cartier for the Govern-
ment agreed that the Americans should not enjoy
greater privileges than British subjects in trading
with the Indians. The matter was a very important
one, and should be looked into at once.
During the session of 1872 an Act was passed to
provide for the government of the territories by the
Lieutenant-Governor of Manitoba and a Council of
eleven members. In the following January the first
North-West Council was gazetted, of which Mr.
Smith was a member.
They met for the first time on the 8th of March, at
Fort Garry, and to show the circumstances under
which some of the members attended on this occasion,
we may mention an experience mentioned by Mr.
Alexander Begg. A century and a half ago in
Great Britain it was considered a memorable feat and
a notable illustration of his zeal for parliamentary
duties that a Scottish member should traverse a
distance of 600 miles in mid-winter— at no time
really severe by comparison in these islands— from
A FIGURE IN PARLIAMENT ,49
his Highland constituency to his seat at West-
minster.
To attend this meeting, Chief Factor Christie
travelled 2,000 miles, from Fort Simpson, on the
Mackenzie River, to Fort Garry, by dog train, the
journey occupying fifty.five days of actual travel.
His French half-breed driver ran or walked the
entire distance on snow-shoes, often going ahead of
the dogs, "making track" for days in succession.
When Mr. Smith stood as a candidate for re-
election, as a supporter of Mr. Mackenzie, in 1873
he was opposed by a gentleman named Wilson!
The contest was of the most heated description :
there were even riots and burnings in efRgy, and a
great deal of vituperation. At one of the meetings
a speaker, whom we may call Wiggins, although his
patronymic was even less euphonious, undertook to
create a prejudice against the holder of the name of
Smith. As a sample of eloquence inspired by
R)urbon whisky and a close study of the speeches
div^rt'ij*!-!**"*'' "^^^'^ '^' ^°"^''^*"» "^^ '«
"Smith! Why, fellow-citizens, who is Smith? I
What IS Smith? Is the palladium of our destinies \
to be entrusted to Smith? What has Smith done
that he should seek to grasp the Ark of the Covenant
with one hand and with the other wrestle for the
sceptre of the Almighty? Smith, why Smith isn't
a name, but an occupation ! "
ISO
LORD STRATHCONA
A reply to this tirade was soon forthcoming fnmi
the other side : —
"My opponent, boasting the classic name ci
Wiggins, and championing the honour of another
patrician named Wilson, has ridiculed you for giving
your vote to the ablest man in the settlement He
asks. Who would vote for Smith? Well, gentlemen,
you cannot go far wrong if you always vote for
Smith, wherever you are, or for whatever office
he is running. If you ^ant boldness and bravery,
vote for the eminent Captain John Smith; if you
want the inventor of the most stupendous system of
political economy, vote for Adam Smith; if jrou
want higher wit than was ever vouchsafed to man,
give your vote to Sydney Smith ; and if you want
Scotch ability united to Canadian patriotism, vote
for Donald A. Smith."
It is not at all surprising to learn that the speaker
sat down amidst cheers. In the end Mr. Smith was
triumphantly elected.
CHAPTER VII
BATTLES WITH DR. SCHULT2
"YY^ now mch an interesting and significant
passage in Mr. Donald Smith's career, for it
«ay be said to mark the beginning of his connection
with the characteristic problem of the nineteenth
centuiy— rapid transit-a ooanection which was to
lead to the building of a narveUous highway of steel
and iron across tbe rugged breadth of a continent
Up to 1872 aU mefchaadise was freighted to
Manitoba and the North-West Territories by means
of peculiar and primitive vdiides known &r and
wide as "Red River carts."
The nearest point to Manitoba touched by a lail-
way was the town of Brainard, in the State of
Minnesota, which was then the terminus of the
Northern Pacific Railway. Between St Qoud and
Red River the brigades of carts continued to make
trips for the purpose of transporting the supplies
demanded by the inhabitants of the province. The
only steamer navigating the waters of the Red River
was the International, belonging to the Hudson's
Bay Company, which carried only the Company's
151
152
LORD STRATHCONA
li
U
goods. But suddenly an American steamer, the
Stlkirk, appeared heavily freighted with merchandise
for the province. This circumstance alone would
not have contributed to the complete breakdown of
the cartage system ; but it appeared that, accord-
ing to American law, all goods passing through
American territory intended for Canada were required
to be duly bonded in the United States Customs.
This law had been practically a dead letter so far
as the Red River carts were concerned, but the
promoter of the new steamship enterprise had found
means to induce the American Government to en-
force it. The result was that, having himself taken
the precaution of entering bonds, and as neither
the cart brigades or the Hudson's Bay Company's
steamer Intematumal had complied with the law,
the new-comer for a brief space enjoyed a handsome
and lucrative monopoly. It is interesting to recall
that the tari£P levied from St Paul to Winnipeg
was i6f. sterling per loo lbs. Moreover, it was
payable in cash, whereas the freight by carts had
been payable half in cash, half in kind, a prac-
tice which considerably lessened the actual freight
charges.
When Mr. Smith heard of this proceeding he was
for a moment nonplussed. But with his surprise
was mingled considerable admiration for the shrewd-
ness displayed by his trade antagonist in his exploit.
■
. i
BATTLES WITH DR. SCHULTZ 153
" He must be a very able man," aaid he to a friend,
afterwards his successor as Commissioner. Then he
added, " We must not be caught napping."
The promptness of the Commissioner's measures
must have convinced the owner of the Selkirk that
he had met his match in shrewdness. The steamer
IntemaHonal was instanUy transferred to the Com-
pany's agent at St Paul, Mr. N. W. Kittson, who
WM an American citiien. In this capacity he
secured her bonding, and now instead of carrying
merely Company goods, he announced the steamer
as ready to transport general freights and passengers.
Moreover, the moment the Manitoba merchants
heard of the arrangement, they gave the preference
to the new pseudo-American boat, and a powerful
competition thus sprang up. But it was not destined
to last long. Mr. Smith and his rival from over
the border, Mr. Hill, met for the first time. A
coalition was suggested and agreed to, and Mr.
Kittson was appointed manager of tiie new steam-
boat company.*
In Parliament just tiien and for several sessions
• JwoM J. HUl, the mu wboM fortums were thus in a nuumer
now joined to thoee of his future business associate, was by birth
•od-rijr trdning a Canadian, being a native of the UtUe town
of ^ph, Ontario. He has left it on r«x«I. in a speech delivered
«t St Paul b ,893. that "the one pe«on to whose efforts and
Whose confidence in the growth of our country and success in eariy
rsUway development is due is Sir Donald Smith."
<S4
LORD STRATHCONA
the chief topic of interest related to the propoMd
railway acron the continent Mr. Smith alwayi
regretted, and said so repeatedly, "that party feeling
should have been permitted in any wise to enter
into the discussion of this subject— one of vast and
general importance. It is," he added, "an under-
taking of such magnitude as to demand the cordial
co-operation of the whole country to ensure its
successful completion, and which ought therefore to
be regarded wholly outside of party considerations."
^ It is a curious fact that in the beginning of this
great enterprise Mr. Smith was wholly opposed to
its being undertaken by any but Government He
was, he said, against having the Canadian Pacific
Railway built by any company, however honourable
or competent
In the light of after events, the following passage
in a speech delivered April sth, 1876, is of considerable
significance : —
"The gentlemen who composed the [original]
Company were doubtless men of the highest respect,
ability, and some of them possessed great wealth ;
but I would ask Sir John Macdonald if Sir Hugh
Allan, who presided over that Company, had not
before leaving this country misgivings as to the
success of the mission he was about to undertake,
and he would ask others interested in the deputation
to London whether within eight days after their
BATTLBS WITH DR. SCHULTZ 155
arrival they were not convinced that it was im-
powible to procure the money required on the
terms proposed, and in fact nothing short of a
guarantee from the Government of interest on the
whole amount of the bonds could induce capiullsts
to embark on the enterprise ? "
Indeed, Mr. Smith had been in England at the
time, and well knew that capitalists would not touch
the scheme of a trans-continental railway. Som^
might suppose that Mr. Smith came to change his
view with regard to a company. He never did ; but
when each Government failed, when it was seen that
unless private capitalists and private ability were to
take the work in hand the project would never bo
realised, then it was that he came forward and, facing
desperate financial risks, saved the great work.
But to return to the pariiamentary session of 1873.
As a consequence of what are known as the Pacific
Railway scandals,* the Macdonald Ministry sustained
a defeat in the autumn of that year. The country
blazed with excitement On the eve of the event-
ful 4th of November Mr. Smith was approached by
certain members of the Government of the day,
who were anxious to sound him and learn which
way he intended to vote. He was requested to meet
/ • It WM cbMrgtd that the Goverament had received from Sir
Hugh Allan certain funds for electioneering puipoeee in return for
a charter to conatnict the raUway. See p. 184.
t^tCMOCXm MKNIITION TBT CNAIT
(ANSI and ISO TEST CHAUT No. 2)
A
^IPPLIED IIVHGE Ine
teu Cost Main S<rM<
ftocha«l*r. New Ywli 14«09 USk
(716) 482 - 0300 - PhonT^
(716) 2W - 9M6 - Fa
156
LORD STRATHCONA
three of Sir John's friends in the Speaker's room.
A lengthy interview took place between this quar-
tette, the upshot being that Mr. Smith declared that
he could not vote to defeat the amendment which
was to retain Sir John in power. What followed
may best be related in Mr. Smith's own words :—
"I said I could not conscientiously support the
Government, but I offered and proposed that there
should be another amendment, and a very diflferent
one, i,e. the Government should frankly confess
their fault to the House, and then, if the country
condoned it, it would be a very different thing."
Afterwards, in response to a telegram, Mr. Smith
met and was closeted with Sir John, but although
the Premier used every argument, his supporter
could not be induced to change his mind. This
incident is mentioned here somewhat fully because
it is impossible to conceive the degree of acrimony
it afterwards occasioned in the ranks of the Con-
servative party, and especially amongst Sir John's
intimate supporters, by Mr. Smith's defection. They
were betrayed into the most violent abuse of the
member for Selkirk. He was repeatedly called
a coward, and his constituency characterised by the
ex-Premier as **a rotten borough— an Old Sarum."
He was accused— a certain member named Rochester
was the organ of this school of opinion— of having
shamefully sold his vote to Mr. Mackenzie because
BATTLES WITH DR. SCHULTZ ,57
Sir John's oflfer was not large enough. It was
alleged that the member for Selkirk evidently
desired to be made a member of the Privy Council
of Canada, but that this was refused him by the
Tones. The only basis for this latter assertion was
that years before he was a member of the House,
when travelling to Red River with Dr. (now Sir)
Charles Tupper, he had intimated such a wish, as
being a distinction arising naturally from his
official position as head of the Hudson's Bay
Company, and in view of the stake he had in the
country. It would invest him with greater influence
over the people nominally under his control ; but
so far as such a desire sprang from ambition, the
charge may well be dismissed.
To return to the House of Commons. A division
had to be taken upon Mr. Mackenzie's motion. " In
a telling and dramatic speech," writes an observer,
"Sir John threw himself upon the mercy of the
House and the country. It became evident, as the
debate proceeded, that one or two votes would
decide the fate of the Government.
"At one o'clock in the morning of the sth
Mr. Smith got upon his feet. His utterance was to
be oracular, for he and the people he represented
were most vitally concerned in the building of a
railway necessary to their existence. It has been his
device never to allow anyone to know what he is
«58 LORD STRATHCONA
going to do until he has done it When that has
transpired it seems tremendously worth while-the
only right thing to have done. This scene was to be
a case in point The House that had been before in
a whirlpool of excited noise fell into a dead calm
Even until his closing words it was not evident
whether he would adhere to his party or desert it"
The speech of the member for Selkirk was delivered
amidst intense silence, broken only by hysterical
bursts of applause. " For the honour of the country,"
he concluded, " nb Government should exist that has
a shadow of suspicion resting upon it, and for that
reason I cannot give it my support."
He sat down amidst cheers, frantic and deafening
from the Opposition, with which he had cast in his
lot "The House," continues an eye-witness,
broke up in disorder. In the corridors the members
rushed together, cheering and hand-shaking, or
reviling and threatening. Suddenly there was a
storm centre round Mr. Smith, upon whom Sir John
T^,*^3'^°''"- "' ^^' ^"^^ ^^^' gesticulating
wildly. What he said never got into the blue books
HIS language was sometimes * frequent and painful
and free.' He cried out, ' I'd slap your face as quick
as hell would scorch a feather.' "
As an instance of the perpetual suspicion to which
the Hudson's Bay Company was subject, I may cite
the case of the North-West telegraphs. Part of the
BATTLES WITH DR. SCHULTZ .«
Government at com price. When SI • ^ "'""
duly presented to the Publfc A '""<"«"««
«•« price «emed to ttL ""''"'' Committee
discovered in a fiTn 1 "'"'^^ """^ "*«»
place, but .ie« ^1 „^ P'"'«'= "'"""'on took
tide of pubhc opZn r "^'"'"'''« •» «*"> *»
w» &in to Z LT**"" P'«"^' » M- Smith
Original invoirshl'nr*""^"*"""' '^* *«
England' I« due J^' s^^ '""^r "'^ '«>»
W» sutement for the ZZ^Zth'^'' '^
"""less: the Govemment^nV ^^T^ ^
special Icind of win. th. . . ^ P^d for a veiy
f.e Cbrnpa.;' «« t ^bTd I'"!!" " "^
'864, and the market pri^I^^ "?" '""^'" '"
^32 a ton. TheCbmn, ? T """^ '^'" ^5° «o
. In making ^^"^''^^'"■■'"'"eWgher price.
Mr. Mackenzi^ Jnr ^T^* '" *« House,
■"d been « ^,Tu' ^^Z"'"" "' *" ^"""■•^
explained. " No .1 T "" "°'"*''"^rily
H-dson-sBay^lZ^S^rrfK""' *'
n>ent," he added " h,„ •. "''"' ** Govern-
■"d been m^t'" Mr w.h °"«''"^' " "''^
Mr. Smith explained that the
'<5o LORD STRATHCONA
wotiM «•♦- J ^ weignt which in iron wire
V^arlyle called a -good hater "t T """'
P-iudices. and he nt^w^ed inT """*
of tte Ho^ oTc '^'*"'' """"« *" «^'y ««!ons
me House of Cbrnmons. Sometimes, as in tSjt
they were very fierce sinH Wf. j ^''
-"«-.eade^:x;;t''C'rdf:::u'r
tlTr . ^ ° Macdonald a long time to forrive
more than one occasion let fall f™m his li™ an
unparhamentaryph^se a litUe too expressive rf Ws
sSyXred""""-"''----™-
• „ "^"'-^S ^''TH DR. SCHULT2 «
d'ssatis&ction was fci, i, ""'"red that ««at
A Q.n.missio„ hadZ^ L " "*''''"*-«^««-
.""t «.e Company :; .^"^ ""'^ "■» '«"
■"fluence over the GoveLf„ro"""*^ ""<•»
speeches atb«=king .^cln °"* "' Schuto-s
''•ed into the I„dL tonerr^/" «"'^'J' ««"»-
*« aborigines, w,u rhr;:::^ ^r'^'"-' -on^
•he" dissatisfied. SchulL°T •'*"°' "'""ering
•""l been done und^ his au^T *"'"' "«" *^
• ve-y imprudent pJZZ Z' " "" ««"»'y
ness which prevailed in thf m u '*^ »»'* ^""^
Smith's r^Vne was s Xttt^"?-^^' -der Mr.
"Nations Which existed Z^^r r"' ** *«^
tte Company's officers *' '"''«»» Md
Arohbid.op Tach^-s i„uS:r;1"'"^'''»»™'
«duce Kiel h, leave ^ »' "^ »<'™»<=ed to
opposed it It did n^LZZT ^'^'^ ''■o'«''"y
"»« >•« woald be n.theraTr„? :" "^""^ *» W™
I>on,inion of Canada toa.L*"'"'^ *""» «" *e
Moulder even sos^^^T.T "' "^ «"■"■»« «o
P'operiy belonged Tthe „ J *" ^^' "««*
"«ver eager J ob^n^^,'^^-- "'• S«ift was
"o- *an once to his fri^T^ "^ -"""^d
If «» 1 don t care whether
f^
««» LORD STRATHCONA
Government leimbursee me or not I did what I did
It I h«lnt «lv,Bced the money no one ebe then,
would or could."
To thl, those who knew the drcum«,nce, cried.
No. not Yon did a patriotic thing, you did i
atfte reque« of the Governor, and It would not be
TT :: ?'^ *^' yo" »>»>■"' be thialm
out of pocket."
»„!",! '^/l *" "^ "^ "P '" *« •'""ates a
number of the members, led by Mr. Schute. thought
*^ he„ a w«ipon of attack not to ta IlgMy
P<^by- They pounced upon it fie««Iy. They
JSain charged Mr. Smith with compile!^ in Z
d^gn, of Riel, they al«, asserted thafhe I^
pa^d the money well knowing that he would never
get .t back, and they now added the charge that
he bad purposely deJayed payment for thref ye«,
n order that the d.ot might accumulate intS
^Arch!»^op Tach^., evidence, taken be(b« the
North-West Committee, In the following words :_
A JLr **!: ""' ' "" "'•"'■""t-Govemor
A«h.b.ld on U,e subject of money. There were
"My conversations between the Governor and my-
«U on the suyect He calM m Mr. Smith, and fn
wLST" "^ " "• «""" '^"'^h the fun.^
which, of com*, he said would be reimbu«ed by the
BATTLES WITH DR. sCHUm .«,
I*P'»e for tten^, *' ~" "IJ""*" bj- Kiel .,*
Governor „ked Mr L.h , ■"' *""'"'»- l^"
mentioning ,he «„ J^ '"^ " °" ""»»«". without
sterling." "" "" niuctd to ;f6oo
Tlje member for Selldrk f„M
"> an interview he I«d L !' f"""*^ **«
«b*y had both exp.^^^, "'* «'• Archibald
be »«.e on the t^L^T.^" "»' « «'«• "o-ld
'^t therefrom, „ th" tlJL T"^°» ">«•«
-TifoO' during "e win^"*"" "« '"'^ «he
b^weenthemsefvesLIrftS- T?*^ "«'«<'
«fi«ed to «cogni« u, ' * ^*^''" Gove™n,ent
"«ain half .helo^ TheT"' *''' *"•"«■ ""b
"""I "iO he could nor^^ortTT '""'■"''*"«
"oney, and hoped he ^1 °" "^^ »"'» "t
er- GoverCn, b„*lfl'' T "^ *«
slWhtest doubt it wou^d Z ^ "°* *•
-»«-... added Arcl^'a^.r::':?- "'""«»•
myself." °' ' would guarantee it
If it comes to that " nr o •
patriotic spirit, .. I „,„'*;• ,^°"* '»'» said in true
Vetinspite'ofthtX^^^r^"--"
*bo desi.^, to evade pa,me,1^ ^ T ™""«"
'aken by both the Pre^^rMr M t ^* "'" '^
' ("'• Mackenzie) and Sir
««4 LORD STRATHCONA
John A. Macdonald, who told Mr. Smith at the time
"that, of course, the Lieutenant-Governor had no
authority and no instruction to make any payment,
because the point arose so suddenly that he could
not have any communication with the Government;
but that if Mr. Archibald, as the representative of
Canada in the North-West, took the responsibility
of making a promise of payment on the faith of
its repayment by the Dominion Government, Parlia-
ment would not allow the Hudson's Bay Company
or Mr. Smith to lose the money."
Other members, such as Mr. Edward Blake and
Mr. Tuppcr, also declared that the Government
should not shrink from discharging such a debt
of honour through fear that political capital might
be made out of it " This House," said the former
member, "should respect that pledge and vote the
money. The late Premier (Sir John Macdonald)
would have been unworthy of his position if he
had failed to respect that pledge, and that House
would be equally unworthy if it refused to repay
the money."
After two separate debates, in which certain
members distinguished themselves for their acerbity,
Mr. Smith was ordered to be paid by the overwhelm-
ing vote of the House, and also a further sum of ;f 500,
which the Government had authorised him to pay to
the loyal French at the time of tiie rebellion.
11
I
1
c
X
<
X
H
BATTLES WITH DR. sCHUm ,«,
ch.ri.y. ^ "'• ^'""* •" e»Pe«d«l i„ pub,"
w.« de,.s„ri :«""■'•; '^ "" ^""""^
— of .8,o.L;'':,th rcrz "»•" *•
«"»e«l>in« damaging to th. T^ "^^ •" *"*»"
-'-. T.. p^,« :. *-''^- o^«...r ma,e.
be .upposed, heartily «ick .„/.■ I ' " ""y
"u. Mr. Schultz and Lt «' ^'^.°* *' """J"*'
of • sickened z«l. inVl!,* "^ "° "■»"
Selkirk that he hJ ^ "" '»•'»'»' for
Of .he connect" 'fXHu;:"/-: "^'"""o''
«'"> .he troubles of the N^^ w '^ "^""""y
Committee had refused t! ^°'^-^'^' "« that the
. Charges were ta^e ^^^^ Z "^' '■"^'*---
'■"«« against Mr. Smith-charg« of ' """""■™'
nature, and traceable „'*^*' °f * "ost violent
O'Donoghue. Has' M ,t""^ *" "■« '«'«'
•"e .rust reposed inlta "a Cot "•"''* '*'"^«'
«hile in that opacity", pLr""""*'' *"" "».
o.he« against ^^ ^ZlZ"^,,^^:- T
•« LORD STRATHCONA
Majesty the Queen i„ t ^
;^ve«ea?oZe.::,1l':-:,^-
ST""''''"*"''— p'-oL.lr^'„r;
"DONALD ALEXANDER SMITH a ^»
••W.B.O.ZK,NOCHUB.sUr"4St.
Government? rent ar^"'"" *^ '"""-'»'
Government of 4" In*; "^17« '"^ '"wfu.
It is true that on seve«I Me^ ot " °°' *" '^•
while there I met Ri,?. Tu "^"^ occasions
' ""' K'el and others- hnf n.„.
'"^ were in pu„ua„ce of the dT i ^ T '"**^
as Commissioner for Canada i? -"iertalten
and entirely „iu, ^.e^"^"^, ^"""J^" ^'"y
-*e I»op.e of Red r7v^ l'"""""? *»« People
•ion. and certainly nof^";^ T' •' "*" ~"'''*"-
•he-n to remain, L ftey L L r"" "' *"^'''«
enmity with the DomTnTon '^ " ^"^ ""*■ "
ino^^'tr^t:^; :r r "-""■'^ "■"■•-«• ->
Sergeant Muii^T: Zladl""' """"""'^ "^ »
GarO- at the time f.u ^" ""P'^^"" « Fort
O-Jnoghu^e^rus^^*; "o^^^ r""""""'^
mier's advice that h^u t "'^^^"^'^g the Pre-
-he.whowereiary'reiJirr"^'^'-
BATTLES WITH DR. SCHULTZ ,67
•sains, bin, ^^"^ '*^*»'"'" "^ ** «>»'«•« b«>«ght
"It is false that I advi«P#i *i,-
*. 'provisional i^yt^Z^ f^ '° '''*>^'' «»
•his point «is«i by I loL '" r"*^"" *'*
Schulb) I may say LfL '* "^^ ("•••
accompanied LA^hV "7"°" ^'""''"»" "ho
place las. .„.„„„ „p^ ^ ^P'"«' *l»ch took
specially .opoinr«."o«Tandr' T ■^""'
"^c^io" When speal^„° 1 "h ^ '^' °" '""^
the settlemen. I i^Z, t J^'.r'"" *""'«'■'"«
no. under any c"cZ^„ •*" *"" *** *«y "«»
«o address i^ X It?"? *" """*" «'«■' "«
notice of U,e " cw ,"*" "^"^ ">«nner tte
Who re^ly^'^r K ' *'^** "^ «'• B-nn.
the s^L M^R T ^ ** ^"^""on ai
.k- „'*'''• Mr. Bunn himself cave «v!rf.-„ 7
^"CiroiT:-^-^- cr:r To^
p«'«onwLs°r:::^°:,;^»«Hedding,y.
present to the sonall^ P . " P'"'"'"' to
sion it was thattshLr n'otT ^r^""- P"-
upon it was torn up At .1/.! ° ' "" ****•
remembered that wb' e tL'Z^T " ""*^ ■"
apHsonerandwasuuderst-^Sardr;::
'«8 LORD STRATHCONA
<n insurrection." ^^
Mr. Smith, in liis speecli, whicl. was listened tn l-
profound silence by a crowded H„„.
«~«nd already irlyerZl^tlZ^r"' T' *'
also several ,et.e„ which ^^^ZT:^ ""*
l^*?«'-«>ori,y. OneSsXehelTu
himself bound to deal with M. c i. , . 6^ ™ '*"
•hat a trunk full rf H *' "'• S*""^ had alleged
'•n.v, .. . J"" Of documents belonging to the
^ToTT.^""'"^'"" "^ *-> "hLn dow*:
Z Cin^S^o"" d°' f *' ""' "'■^ '"'•^ '™"
wanb filZJ ^ ' "'' ""' *'■* """k was after-
^*«/ n^wspaJr"str.'^ '^" "*'* ■" *«
Mr slirr^*^ ' ^'"'"^' "e*" •« «he Ume.
olBcer named WaT anf If^ ^ " Company's
-x«».ge„t,e::::srthran^,~3'---
at*;rhe"f f " °"^ •"'"" °' '"^ -»^^
It subsequentlv (!. ' " ''°"" *« *«"•
osequently became necessary to have the well
BATTLES WITH DR. sCHUm .6,
cleared out to get water for ftetrooDS A fi,^ •
ae^lne.^^rve'r^J::-''----.:
«"sed to insert a denial of thTl • ""* P""
Mr. Smith w«.to the dt^LldlT'" *' ^*~'-
«ion, but it never appej^a ' ^h f ™ "P''"-
«« "P in tvDe h..;^^" ' '"'*' *" 'ndeed
orderT ^' ^'" ^ '"^'"'^ by Schultz-s
"Ihave," concluded Mr Smith ...
<r«at regret ., !»„•„» b«„ „T' k """^ "y
1 felt that these ac«,«.: " * "°"«'" >>«
Bay Cbn,pa„y^r^f "'",'«"»« ** "'«'«'»'»
O'Donoghue w ' t "" """'' ""^ ^- »•
O'Donofhue on^e \""""^ *"= ""O "'
.entlemfn on'^r Yl Z °' '"^ "-"•
P«» an opinion as to wh ch^ If '"^ T '^'
•s correct" • **" gentlemen
^s is ha„«, the correct tone of parliamenta^
I/O
LORD STRATHCONA
Mr^r'n"^" » U». of . ge„..e«an of
Mr Smith sel«racttr, and Mr. Schute lived u, see
^foIy«dl«eneMof«.ecomp.™o„. Butte
was not content with this allusion.
"The hon. genUeman's mission in .8;o,» he
« ordinary degree of courage and competency-
U was particularly, unfortunate the hon.TnX^
man should have allowed himself to be cho^„ fo,
such a m.ss.on-the duties of which he was «, in-
competent to perform." Schul.^ was p««eeding Tn
*.s s^n when the Speaker called him to oMer. h"
towed to the ruling, and then went on u> charge
h.s colleague, the member for Selkirk, with havinir
P-rposely declined to avail himself of two diS
opportunities during his mission to crush the ,t
beU.on and establish a proper government. He did
no act upon these opportunities, and w«, ti,erefore
guilty of cowardice and incompetency.
'•Yes," repeated Uie member amidst considerable
excitement, ■• I say cowardice and incompetency."
The hon. member," e«Iaimed Mr. Smiti,, "has
been pleased to use the words 'cowardice' and ^in-
competenq,' concerning my conduct He has also
given us his version of events. Permit me to 1^
he has entirely missuted what has occurred." Therft.
upon,, .n a succinct and convincing manner, he
BATTLES WITH DR. sCHUm .,.
related what had haDn.n>-i • •
"u. the Speaker XZ T k' ' '^•'"«"''
"'y such epithe" we" '^'^l/r ^'""'"' '"'«"-
*oush. best that heZuid to '°,^ '•" " ""
these imputations. "'*"' "'"'«
"I liope/'said he, "that as .h. i,
Lisgar really is awa~ rf h" r "' "'"'*' '"
he used last ni^ht H. ^ " **' expressions
'^ months Z'^e^Lur^lT "" ""' '
and was quite desim... • T?^ "°* *" "e,
^-Whel^^edt'T'^rhe^tr"''"' '^' '
repiesent. " ^' ''" *« eounty I now
''I deny iv declared Schultz.
Ah, the hon. member had been willin., ,-> ^
-for certain considerations " Th! h *^ ^^
up its ears, and th-T "<""* P^ieked
.nod,er. "The ho! ""• """^'^ ^'ared at one
he expressed •,\o'l":"t.r '""••' -^^^ "
Hudson's Bay cl^^y ^d , .f ■""""■ ""*
jr vompany and himself, and that the
i/a
LORD STRATHCONA
hon. member and myself should go hand in hand.
Now, sir, if the hon. gentleman believed — if
he sincerely believed — that I was a poltroon and
recreant to my Queen and country, would he wish
to have it supposed that he, a loyal, an honest man,
came forward and desired, not to oppose, but to
assist me at my election? The hon. member well
knew that such statements as he had made would
not be credited in the North-West; consequently
he had never come forward there and made the
assertions which he has made before this House.
But it is, I believe, generally held in the country
where the hon. member is best known that the hon.
member is capable of making almost any assertion."
This was paying his opponent back in his own
coin, and although Mr. Smith was obliged to with-
draw his concluding expression, the House, which
had not hitherto credited tae "member for the
Hudson's Bay Company" with so much vivacity,
hugely enjoyed Mr. Schultz's discomfiture.
"When I went to the North-West as Commis-
sioner from Canada," resumed Mr. Smith, speaking
in a loud, clear voice, "I did not go there for pay-
ment. To the credit of the late Government let
it be said that they would have paid me liberally,
but I said I would not accept, and I did not accept
a single dollar of the public money for my own use.
But," added the speaker, raising his outstretched
BATTLES WITH DR. SCHULT2 ,73
ion which left me poorer has been a godsend to
the hon. member for Lisgar. At the time the tumult
arose he had nothing, while to^ay he is company.
tively a rich man-at the expense of his countnr »
Again lx)wing before the storm raised by Schultz's
adherents Mr. Smith withdrew this expression, which,
however, he immediately went on to justify
"I do not," said he, "question the propriety of the
decision given by the Commission on Indemnities
n i^pect of the claim of that hon. member, but If
«iere is one thing more than another that has given
dissatisfaction throughout the North-West, it is the
large amount awarded to him, while other persons
who had suflFered severely had received a pittance "
The member for Lisgar sought to make an effec
tive reply, but he foiled to impress the House, who
agreed with those present in the Gallery that the
honours of the day rested with Mr. Smith, who had
besides the last word.
" I do not think," said he, " it is necessaiy to say
anything further, and if it were not unparliamentaiy,
would now throw back on the hon. member for
Lisgar the imputation of cowardice which he has
cast upon me."
nf m' 'T^l!'" "'*"' " '*''' *« " "« *« speech
of Mr. Smith's and his bearing during ite deliveor
I I
•« LORD STRATHCX)NA
Hrh.^ f^ """ ' "^ »■«" Wm credit for.
I^h» cooIneMand re«,u,ee ,„d pl.u,ibi«.y, .„d
J^r.^"'"""'*':*^^ We m«« certain,;
ailed h,m . "mild old gentlenmn, easily .l.™,,^
»«»" odd. u>o. « .lie period of this writing. „«„,'
thirty year, later, to come across the epithw "old »
««.en applied to a nu.n whose sphJ^ o" putc
B:;LTCir'"^ *" '" '-"^ '- *• who..
Thus ended a memorable episode in the Canadian
Ho«« of Commons ,• but the end of the dueltZ^!
Mr. Smith and Dr. Schultz was not yet
^BOUT
CHAPTER vill
A MASTERSTROKE OP FRANCE
•-PW length Z^rZ ZT^ "^"^ "» -"-
*!» PTOjeded line of „nwT ^ "^ "P""
"oaders in tbt west I J™!!^' " "^ «<> *orIc
•Phere of i„ intended opj^o^ " """"""^
Pmsperity „iU, „,. i J^^°"^ '« '^ to brin^
«d '-'-bearing ^io., of^Tnlt ^fT T'"
»nd seventeen miles of it h.^ l " '"'ndred
'•yn»ti,gin«,e,„tL'"lX^""^ '" ""»
which had meant so much aZj. h *~' ""J*"
1«ady slain by a riv^ RuT^ '""'^' '""'*«'.
«^"y. believed that i^ p^^T' """"'"« "
even brighter than ever S^ ~ " "'«'«'
Smith. • ™«« "an was Donald A.
As.o„gagoas,,5,theAmericanO,ng^^
— # J
'76 LORD STRATHCONA
*n Act making a grant of Und to the Territory (as
It then was) of Minnesota to assist in the construction
of the Minnesota and Pacific Railway from St. Paul
to the head of navigation on the Red River. In the
spring of that year the Territorial Legislature in-
corporated the Minnesota and Pacific Railway Com-
pany with a capital of 5,000,000 dollars to build a
road, whose branch connection was to lead close to
the mouth of the Pembina River. But constant
delays took place ; ilothing was done, and in March,
1862, the name of the Company was changed to the
St. Paul and Pacific Railroad Company, and a
further Act passed requiring the completion of the
portion of the road between St Paul and St Anthony
(now Minneapolis) by January, 1863, and to St Cloud
by January ist, 1865.
The Civil War was, of course, responsible for the
delay; the ten miles were duly finished in accord-
ance with the provisions of the Act; but it was a
long time before much headway was made with the
larger engagement Yet these ten miles formed
"the first stretch in the network of railways which
now covers the State of Minnesota." By 1864 the
road had got as far as Elk River; in 1867 they had
reached Uke Minnetonka ; in 1870, Benson ; and
in 1871, when Mr. Smith became interested in Red
River navigation, the rails were laid to Brecken-
ndge, 217 miles from St Paul. Here the work
A WNANClAt MASTERSTROKE „
*• riviJ ix)«J. " S^**" eraploymem on
«olU^*^.rs\''p.'j,*!' ';*•»»'''''«'» of u,e
«pita.i«,l,.d beench,^^", ^"'"^''- * l""" of
C-'P.ny. E„; " i.'t '^:" "•«•«» R."w.y
»f hod fi„„ u,, GotW^"?,*?, « «•*"•' ««»«»
Pobllc good w™„gheTthl H r.*""^""" <" *•
B« the* Una g.f„L^ote! '~"'"»« »' *e r^.
°~^on to note in «,f C"" " ^ »h." yet h.v.
•""on. no. .,4, .^b,!*""' "^^ -"y con.
J"". '873. *. land g„„» o reTp"- , °" ""^^
*•» «o lapse on aooun. nf / "' "" ^'^6'
P~v.,.on, of it, cCr ButXT"" "' *•
e«« »en made a powerful .^- M'»»«30ta Con-
•««"-ed for „i„e ZZ:!l' "T' ""'' "^
™y perhaps recall the p^uU^ ^ ^'"^ Age,
f c of American pol LCt ' °* '**»«•'-
*"«n.e, and i.., rot ■Culrr"'''' '"* "
of energeh-c "lobbying" ind^ 1 ' ' ^"''»'
, ' s inaeed was done to save
"• LORD STRATHCONA
B«. ft. compete, ^ ud ft,„ «™a,„^?^
•»<l WM opentlng tn hundred mll«. ^ Tl
-""d it. del. to wa mIMIon ««.^ Und p.^
aJ!!!^''*" 'I" '""*""'•"' Chi«iyb»rgh«,of
AiMnc. «,d ft. p„ap^ ^ ^ Omptny IZ
»P ft.!, „|„<u ft.. .„eh . nur^y wJd ^J Zf
•omely. Event. provKl ft« ft,. _«! "^
8^ «m. to light, i. did „« .«,„ Sm^
•Ppoint«l for one portion of fte io«l .nd .h-T
"e« ften 56 mile, of g^Ung .nH'.* ml. 1^
rails needMi ♦« ««• u .1. ^ ^'« "*"«* of
fte iCVk r"° "'•""' '" -"'" •» ~"P'«f
en.«::t:!:;rr,.r"^:' 'zt-" •»
»o.forftcon.ing,noh«.yofrrair'r7«r
^ A FINANCIAL MASreR^TROKB
^'^^li::^^:^^ "-"•-"^
we St Paul and PMcUiVJ ^ *'°**'»- Thut
•»««««.. A. ^ rte hlT *«« been «, .nrfou,!.
"•«> turned upon sir .^^ *" *^«'*=- All eve,
•^ff- to ge. to wo' k!.^*' «=™»'»"y w„
»"<* seecMl « oae fell ^" "*»" ** "'ow,
^ved of U,e urgent nerf o^ **" "'"" *• »««
«"«"><•» vote .g»ii°frt^™'*«'-*><' Trived to
'^ h-ve befo^tl"^*' "•«'■"'«•<• M'-i^^, «
•^'"ed the fi.tu« of tte i ""r' '"»«y ^"^
' «•"«>»» Pacific Railway^
il
V-
'8o LORD STRATHCONA
vote aga,-„s. .h. Gov „re: 72 l"^ """ '^
,^ve« ..«. . .e ,^. .Cp^: — T.^
"- anX^ ro;"„rs:!r r/"- -
the Ministry fel, by a t^H ""^ ^'
f-notrSLio^a'^r '■^" ""'""^ '^ -^"''^
•ouch that yX °";, "° "•'"»"''' ^" «™r
tliose Du,!.h ™^ "^ *« =<>"* of you •
inose Uutchmen would do w»ti .„ . ' J""" >
«ll those «i,s for old iu„k" M T' T" """
quiefv. ■■ *''^- '^'>"* smiled
"That railway isn't dead," he said. "A tr,~ii
■sn-t dead when he sits down by the wavsiiT
and you and I, n,y friend, will te riir "f
conunent on the Canadian' pJ-fi^-JthX"^*!
now stretches ^..1^.^ t ^^fiT HT r;'""
confederation of the North 4 • '*"«'»«'«
>»- become an J^^SsTJ^TL^^TTl
S"iXti.hThe';;?T - -^^^^
P«>iectofin«nLeore:rrinr:t;Crt!
A FINANCIAL MASTERSTROKE .s.
ance, upon which the r«. „
of «>e pawnees wou^d^J.T^'? """ ""«»"
-«■"« much oppositi: 'i'.trrt ?^^ "^ '°
">e work of building si «lT *""*' "^"^
«»-t^ of only mUr 'u" ""■'"*^ "y a
P^l^sterous. An,onTs.Z '"'"'"'""'^ ^'^
Smith. *"*««"«» w« J«r. DonaM
The Americans w*»rA a.h
«Wch the British cl •"'""* "'""'"^"'"tages
"-"way, if content:"''""' '"" '^"> -"
'" «867, believere i„ an inf "^ ■**" a"*'""!
"o™ I^opular than in fte ^ w" "" ""^ «"""«
""••ties in developing t " "^ ""'" '•^P°«'-
-« ;•" cementing mlZTZ^i ""^ ^"""^
"'eariyappieciated. ^""'^ -""V were
* 'Li:-:^rcatr:::2' *^'^'°- -o '--«
of the United StJ^tel n""'''^ ^"^ "'Po"
«a"way,. dated ttel J, of pr""""""" °» ''•"«o
^--ui-'nitrtift^^r™"--
and when built will drairth. ^ Po^essions,
of «.e rich Saskatche^: ^ndT?""^ P'''^''^''
«»' of the mountai„n„<, !h ."f '"™' *""»•»
---^o„p.„,a„;---«-e.^on.e
'«» LORD STRATHCONA
•t IS Bfteen hundred miles nearer by the fortv-r h
parallel of latitude than by the way of &„ pT •
and New Vo,,. This L:.Zlns:^Z''Z
overtand trade from Asia vi,, „„t be th^wn L*;
by the English, unless it is taken away by our fi J
bu.ld,ng the North Pacific road, esublishing m^
Z^ r"' V ""^'^ Sound, fixing m«L:i
r^ there and getdng possession on land, and
me^ ^"' "^ "" ""' "■""''""^ of *e new com.
meree between Asia and Europe. The opening
by us fi„t of a Northern Pacific railroad se^s Z
f "! y^""'- They will become so Americanist
•n interests and fillings that they will be in e^
severed from the New Dominion, and the que^^
of tor a„ne«Uo„ will be bu, a question of time."
If anything were needed to act as a spur to the
Canada, tius w„ calculated to perform that service.
When British Columbia decided to enter the
Dominion, in .87,, it stipulated that the Govemn,e„
should secure immediately "the commencement of
ward?rT°C °' * ""™^ *"■" *« P-^-fic to.
warfs the Rocky Mountains, and fi„m such point
lar^sth P T' ^ "^ ** ^'^ Mo-"^-
towards the Pacific to connect the seaboarf of British
Columbia with the railway system of Canada, and
A FINANCIAL MASTERSTROKE .83
M^S Sa-rjelXr^, '«'-'' ^-
of American ^pMsts wCt™ ,1" ?" "'""^
fteir monev in .h. . . ™^^ "o embark
«o gain control of^^„t ."^ '^ "^ """' '''»'"""»
George EtiennV C^ .'"''"°"*"'«''*»J'-" Sir
«.«4u«rrMXt c;:!"'- ^■"'■*-^
words on this head. '"'"*^'"«^ h«
SO" i Uie subsidy by tlie rL ' "'='^''"-
of lands and money The ^77""*"' "" *" ""''^'
- "-H.wen^m!;^^-":;^,.^/'-
*-oney subscription 3o.ccor;o d<!,J^' X;
I
Iff
'«4 LORD STRATHCONA
.o cover ^e c^'TCv T "1" '"'"~'^'
companies, so a v,„oTTT f •"" "P'""*
"ew body. u. whom the <iuJZJ^f„l'^'^
♦he difficulties were n„.^^ granted. But
Hunti„gto„.lr,r slir '".^'•"' «'•
-ivedt lur::^^ :Zes^- - -.
opinion asir,:^,::ro<:rorTr"°
•nent, Macdonald thought it n„?rf . *'""
Alexander Mackenzie, thf Uer'^^ Opo.^^"-
was instantly summoned by tori Dulri T, "'
a Government The Gene«X°:f ",: 1^
g-nning of ,874 resulted in an ovemhelmil .
for the Liberals tk« u, '''"^''^'""''g vctoor
hinted, waTT IriJ "' " "* ""^ "^""dy
-- Ka^^nfyt rrrrsa^-
I
ne
)
A FINANCIAL MASTERSTROKE ,85
«■>« south, tht '^' r„''rn;'!:'K" ^
Americans. abandoned by the
Thfa rmvr^y ^ been completed f„n. St P.„i
1 « r^ "°'*-"'^ "f Breckenridge A
".e ume of the fUIu« Mr. Smith and Mr ffittsof
l»v,n« satisfied themselves concerning rtfT?'
Slate of a&irs of the insolv^nr^, d f *'"'''
0.mpany. now resolv^ ^t' mm '"' ""' ^""^
of the franchise. '^' ** acquisition
sho.,M ;r ^ enormous capital, and where
N^^A R r ""^ "^"^-'^ capitalists of
«ew Yorlc, Boston, and Montreal derided th. i^
.^=rsraXr::ri"
M^-JaJ^'esrH^r^^r-^--^-
not unm ,8„ i" Z™" "'™' •»" afte'ward^
an.erchlL':7^o?j;--«^;^^-S^P.en,
the
186
LORD STRATHCONA
who married William Stephen, of Dufftown. As
a young man he had gone to London and entered
the employ of Messrs. Pawson, the linen-drapers,
of St. Paul's Churchyard. He then emigrated to
Montreal on the invitation of a relative, and there
some years later became a partner in a local firm
of drapers. He showed a turn for finance, and
with the assistance and advice of his cousin, Mr^
Smith, met with success. Both were early con4
nected with the Bank of Montreal and kindred
institutions, and were of constant mutual assistanci^
to each other.
The first thing necessary was to negotiate with the
Dutch bondholders, who were naturally not averse
to obtaining some part of what they believed to be
misspent capital.
*' These four men, two of them Canadians by birth
and two by adoption, by their splendid audacity and
courage in raising the project from the ditch in
which it had been abandoned by its former promoters,
furnished a lesson in finance to the United States
and the world that generations of Canadians may
pomt to with pride. The history of the achievement
reads like a modern fairy tale : it is certainly worthy
of being classed as a romance of railroading." It
involved the purchase of more than twentj^ million
dollars' worth of bonds then in the possession of
Messrs. Chouet, Weetjin, and Kirkhoven, of Am-
A FINANCIAL MASTER-STROKE 187
sterdam, and others. For these payment was to
be made within six months from the date of final
judgment in the foreclosure proceedings. It was
to be made partly in cash *nd partly in share capital
of the Company. The bonds were bought at prices
ranging from eleven to seventy-five cents per dollar
on their par value, and the purchase inchided all
the mortgaged property, together with an immense
land grant. If they failed in their engagements
the promoters would forfeit the large sum of money
deposited in the hands of the trustees.
On May 23rd, 1879, the St Paul, Minneapolis, and
Manitoba Railway Compau/, with Mr. Stephen as
President, Mr. Hill General Manager, and Mr. Smith
as Principal Director, was incorporated. This import-
ant «w/ created but little stir at the time in the finan-
cial world, and the London Times referred to the St.
Paul, Minneapolis, and Manitoba Railway merely as
"an obscure" Canadian railway. Not a single rail was
laid on Canadian soil. Having thus accomplished
the foreclosure, the new company boldly issued bonds
to the amount of eight million dollars and success-
fully floated them in the money market of New York.
Already the confidence of these four Canadians was
justified, and by a slight expenditure of money, but a
lavish outlay of brains, one of the most important
railways on the North American continent passed
into their hands. The road was duly completed, and
188
I^RD STRATHCONA
ttegallerir ^ T "*''• '»«'■ *- «hejoy of
"The hon. member for Lismr " mM m o .
on one occasion, "ha. sZl , "'• ^™"'
'■"cpacity i„ conaecut wS ;V r*"""* «""
«« imputation would <^me h ""' ""' *•"="
andjustice .gains. wlTwr' "'* """" ""*
h« stronghl a. ti^^^l ^'T f'««"«*«' within
did he not Iceen hu ">snrrection, why
witi,whom hewL ften'"'^ "" ** '»">' °' "«
un ne was then associated? Wen. n,. jj
•^ e«at against him? If «, „,,' „ " *' "^"^
««> turn round and uDb^lH^'..^ """""'J' "
weaker and for more *ffl ?. *"* "*'' "*« '" »
«'f when herur^Z^e^r '^''°" **■■ "^ «">-
off to prison '" "Tf ""^ ""« and was marched
«al ciroumstan«; we^ t *""' ""^ «*f°" '"e
member-s co„du« aT^ed T "**"""« *' ''°"-
had been lionised i„cf„H ' "^"^ """'^^
He had beeH , Sit; T*^"^ '"'"*'"«'•
'ecipient of valuable gifts, of
A FINANCIAL MASTERSTROKE .Jj
watches, of services of olate «j»i.
very ple,»,„,, „„ ^^^^^ ^rl ^" '""
I hazard U.e suspiZnC^.T'"'' ""' •"'
member told the House on a fo™.; ;,' ^ ""•
p" "iXe-:::""^'^'.'^ -- -- -
^n...^Xt"Ar;.s.tt':::ii-
who has served nn ♦».«* . ^ member
-. -.errztrzTpS::^t:7^;:
streaks." «Hpearea many dark
^.^•, ewer a«ai,a„ts Jwrrftl,: ^rZ
» own, that the member for Selkirk ha^
foars of laughter i^- ^ ^ """^ ■="■"*" ''"<=''
Joined. JtXytm rr;" '"""'
«90 LORD STRATHCONA
deliberately charged Mr. Smith with being present
»t a certain illicit meeting in the North-West A
rejoinder was not practicable at the moment, but
when It came it was crushing. The leading citizens
Implicated furnished separate and solemn affidavits
that Mr. Smith had never been present. When
these were read out to the applauding House an
ordinary man would perhaps have shown discom.
fiture.
Instead of this Schultz rose with an assumption of
amusement and surprise commingled. What, he
demanded, had he done that he should be singled
out as the victim of his hon. friend's peculiar views
on North-West matters?
"Sir, the hon. members of this House will re-
member Coleridge's beautiful tale of the Ancient
Mariner. This Ancient Mariner Is described as a
man of weird and unearthly aspect, over whose soul
the shadow of some great crime rested, and who, at
stated intervals, was compelled by some hidden
remorse within to pour out his doleful tale and re-
lieve his misery."
The amused House wondered what was comini?
next. *
"Sir," continued Schultz solemnly, "It almost
^ms to me a parallel case with my friend from
Selkirk, who in and out of session seems to be ever
boiling and simmering with his oft-told tale of North-
A FINANCIAL MASTER-STROKE 191
Wwt troubles. I feel, sir, much as the wedding
guest whom the Ancient Mariner stopped, who ex-
cUimed —
•I fMT thM, AneitQt MariiMr,
1 fwr thy tkinoy ImikI,
By thy long grey beard and giUtmlag eye
Now whertfora ttoppcd thou me ? ' "
This pen-picture of the member for Selkirk could
hardly &il to provoke laughter.
"But," the speaker went on, in a deprecating
tone, " he told his tale to the marines. Why should
the hon. member afflict the House of Commons?"
As a matter of fact, Schultz long believed that the
Red River rebellion was the result of a Hudson's
Bay Company conspiracy, and that Mr. Smith was
criminally implicated. The absurdity of the charge
has been long since disproved. Apropos of the
poetical comparison, Mr. Smith afterwards said that
if his hon. friend likened him to the Ancient
Manner, he could liken Aim (Schultz) to another
fictitious character-one who was always professing
his readiness to fight -the redoubtable Sir John
Falstafi: ''
CHAPTER IX
CANADA'S NATIONAL HIGHWAY
not oeen far the indomitable pluck and ^*^. ^
!C^ S*- G«rge', Club. London, in J.„„.„.
Commmloner for Canada. '
To all who have read aright the hlwory of thi.
^.undertaking .he tribate'i. i.^ ^^ ^
Can«U alone, but the empire which b;^ ^"^
huge «n.,egic work n»y read with «tiZ^„„ ^
h<«r one «rong, earne«, patriotic citizen g'id^
«..^d«un.es or Canada, national highway to' tht;;
^T^T''\'" ^"*'^ *«" ** Via Flaminia to
Rome, the Canadian Paciiic Railway a. it, n=.,! ■
and Imperial hiehwav is C„Vrtl. °"*'
1 1~, •. " f "'"y- " Canada's greatest asset
Upon ..s building depended her entire western
CANADA'S NATIONAL HIGHWAY ,„
'" C^Un politic! "i^" ^l ""• ""^ '""•
C^~dl.« wri..V". c„e«l™ """""'^•" «y» •
"ent.«o.e.ndfell." "*"" "'""' ^'*'»-
Following the defeat of si, i»i. ..
^p.. o, „.„i,^ LSir«".:f^r' ""
announcement of th«» «:i '^■^wd for some
Mr. Smith ^.Lt^^'r'' ■»"«'»"■•» •"«•«-.
">«w«.M,.;«"::s^-"he":::"'-'r'^
•PPointed when the tat.^, , ^'^"J' <«»•
on the subject of th. *" """^ "'"""If
P'rf-P.bet^to^'lTT' '•"-»^- " -"'
"ce on thi, he^r^,*"- "•^»»ie-.fi« „^,
-No«h-w«..rB"„i's-r'^°" •»
VouLZr.Lt.^Hn^r"-' P«Cfi= Railway.
I objected to the p^vZ J f °" °" *« «"
within ten years. nI"T u """"'^ *" «"''«y
■-v. elapj^'d w~"^ Jf"! r*^ "f "»' '■•■»•
««»h ■•' witiiin i«„7«^7„vr" """•" "^
have always thought JT "* """"*»• '
municadon'^^^l'tl.* "^'^ "■"" "^ «>"-
•"e good of .hrset* en,rr;r.h°'"'"'^ '"
194
LORD STRATHCONA
undeveloped in the bosom of the earth. Without
that communication their development cannot take
place and immigration cannot be effected. It will
be the duty of the administration in the first place
to secure a means of communication to our navigable
waters from Lake Superior to Fort Garry and the
Rocky Mountains, at the same time commencing at
the Pacific Ocean and constructing communication
by the western slope. In the meantime communi-
cation would be afforded in conjunction with the
American lines until we have means sufficient to
accomplish the work. If we once have these regions
accessible— that is, British Columbia and the North-
West Territory— we can afford thus to expend money
in constructing other portions of the road, which
will be necessary to complete our great national
highway across the continent ; «..id I think it would
be the duty as it will be the desire of the Govern-
ment to develop any plan by which these results are
to be accomplished."
In his subsequent speeches the new Premier re-
iterated the idea that delay was advisable in con-
structing the main line. It will be remembered that
British Columbia, on entering the Dominion, had
expressly stipulated for the building of the road.
Mr. Mackenzie now proposed to modify these terms.
He proposed a plan for utilising the Canadian water
privilege of the great western lakes and rivers, thus
CANADA'S NATIONS HIGHVAY ,55
"•y to connect them « , . ""™'' "'«'-
*. burden of the j^bTj pr*™"" """" '" """'
«»« Canada was t»^ "*""' "K^^ents was
^« a p«.iec."nTwr;;c:7r "'■" -" »
to come. ^^ '° ^ fo'* many years
4"'Jr^-r„xtefra' ** "--•"■
appeared :- ^* ** '°»°W'>g paragraph
"The late Government having failed in „ •
Reprosecution of that great entfj- I ""«
*an Paafic Railway, yr»^, T'',:" *' *^"*-
consider what plan InT, [ "^'^ "P"" ««
vide means of^^:;:^',,^!!, °"^ "^"^P"-
eineerwiIIbeIaidbefo!.„ T °' *« Chief En-
^ »«>e durij^e Z™'*°'""^'""'P'»gress
«"iiHg^ me past year with *».-
connected with the supposed ,i„es!^ '"""^
Premier, to u^e th' ^^"'" "*'■'«' <»> *•
bmnch «irwa;t p*Lb^^^""'""=«o» °f "-e
*. Governmentt^Ti tail 7'^''^ ?" *"
a»d Pacific Railwav ^m! ^ *** ^"^ ''"•^^
Mi
196
LORD STRATHCONA
completion of that railway, whose afiFairs we have
already described in a previous chapter.
A little later the Government brought in a Bill
providing for the early construction of parts of the
railway, leaving other parts to be built according to
the state of the finances of the country. British
Columbia from indignation passed into a state of
anger. She pressed firmly for her rights, and one
of the results of her agitation was the celebrated
"Carnarvon Terms.? When Mr. Mackenzie sought
to evade these terms there were loud calls for
secession in the province.
The Mackenzie Government vainly endeavoured to
build the Canadian Pacific Railway as a Government
work. Delay succeeded delay. "Mr. Mackenzie
still clung to his pet theory of utilising the water
stretches between Lake Superior and Fort Garry, and
the waters of Lakes Winnipeg and Manitoba and
Saskatchewan River, as a means of communication
with the Far West."
The truth is, he was not a sanguine man, nor was
he far-seeing in the sense that Sir John A. Macdonald
and Sir Donald A. Smith were far-seeing. One of
the first mistakes he made with regard to transit in
the west was the "Dawson Road," from Thunder
Bay to Winnipeg. A man once came into Mr. Smith's
office at Winnipeg in a pitiable state of exhaustion
and dilapidation. Folding his arms and fixing a
CANADA'S NATIONAL HIGHWAY ,97
bj^^i gaze upon the Chief Commissioner, I,e
"Loolc here Mr. Smith, you're our representative
in Parliament."
" I believe I am, sir," was the answer.
"Well, look at me, ain't I a healthy sight? I've
come by the Government water route from Thunder
Bay, and It's taken me twenty-five days to do it.
During that time I've been half starved on victuals
I wouldn t give a swampy Indian. The water used
o pour into my bunk of nights, and the boat was so
eaky that eveiy bit of baggage I've got is water-
logged and ruined. But that ain't all," continued
Mr. Smiths visitor, "IVe broke my arm and
sprained my ankle helping to carry half a dozen
trunks over a dozen portages, and when I refused to
take a paddle in one of the boats, an Ottawa Irishman
told me to go to h-1, and said that if I gave him
any more of my d-d chat he'd let me get off and
walk to Winnipeg."
Mr. Smith looked deeply concerned. He had
istened to numerous complaints on the part of
travellers victims of the Government substitute for
the Canadian Railway, but he never remembered a
more extreme case.
"But what can I do for you?" he aslced of the
pitiable object before him.
"Do?" said the man. "Well, when you go to
i
'98 LORD STRATHCONA
Ottawa next time you can tell old Mackenzie that
there s one man out here in Manitoba who don't hold
much by his water route, and who wants that there
Pacific Railway, and wants it badly; otherwise," he
concluded, as he bowed himself out of the office,
^^you don t get my vote next General Election, that's
An amusing incident, although by no means so
to the chief actor in it, occurred early in Mr. Mac-
kenzie s administration. Mr. S. J. Dawson, the
onginator of this pleasant route through the wilder-
ness was sent officially to investigate the condition
of afiairs. When he had duly arrived at the north-
west angle of the Lake of the Woods he was greeted
by a huge assembly of disgusted and desperate
patrons of the Dawson Road, stranded in the solitudes
with the prospect of many hours' further waiting
before they could continue their journey to Winnipeg
The result was he had a narrow escape from being
mobbed. He set out rapidly, however, for Point de
Chene, and despatched a number of half-breeds with
Red River carts to transport the starving passengers
along the rest of the route.
But this was not the only matter upon which com-
plaints grew rife. When work was at last begun on
the main line of railway a report was spread about
that the Government had decided to alter its course
to a more northerly direction, so as to shut off
CANADA'S NATIONAL HIGHWAY ,99
to serv«» nn a ^ 1 ^™*'" ^as asked
vil-ajes. ^""" P"'P*~"» «»"« and
had to be conside J^^ ™He aid hH'"" °' '"'^'"
Ax-*u . *"" "*s advisers claimpH
across the continent. In reolv tn fh.c .v
"ted though an unde,«anding based on the (^^vern-
»e" maps, exhibiting the hne as south of Ute
Manitoba. To alter i, ,0 the north would cTnstiTut
a breach of faith with the people of those Luetnts
we hne to the north would in the meantime "be of
^' i
300
LORD STRATHCONA
L'Cnr." *' ~""'^ «»" • "-•-'»o'' would
wh ^ti' " "'°"" ""' ** '•'"■°™»"on upon
wh ch ttey a« actmg i, incor«ct, but are of opinfo"
the Pe„b.„a b«„ch a, Winnipeg and St Boni&T
oflrjir,?'* "' ""'■" ''■"<•" ">esan,e sMe
pZk- '^,"'™»'»8«'<'S to fte countn, were the
Pen,b.„a branch to be built, irrespeJve o7 th!
Ult! irv,W It''""":' ~"" ■«" ■» '•"«'•'■-' -
to -«- .x;xihitp:r''*' r^
which it would hi „ Pembina, besides
should fiZl '^'^'y '^^' '*>« Minnesota line
-nt wouid T i;r to Tr '■'' '^™™-
branch. ^ *" ''"'''' *« Pembina
Mr Mackenzie was not then awar^ihat Mr Smi*
and three oth«.r r'«~ j- »«cii«i; mr. ^mith
other Canadians were already resolved to
CANADA'S NATIONAL HIGHWAY ,
A» upon fte completion ^mitTT'- ''"'"^■
fortunes of the Canadian P,.ii * ""mediate
•- was eve^ reas^ or r^tir"" *° "''*"<''
bnn^ about tW, ^„,^ Mr „ ■- '"'^ •*"• •»
«» weaor of Government «L "^""*°'' "^g*"
«rti»ed for tender bTa^'' '""""''^- "« '"'^
"«« no bidders. Mr Smifh'^^^"""'""^' ">"«
««nts tiie Government v,TL "'"*"'*"»» "le land
S'owly. ti,erefo„ ^e work w ^ '""'"^ '«««"'"•'
"""•' July, .8.,6, CthTL " ""' "" " "" "o*
on me „ib „ ThundeX "" "^ ""^^^
■^"aTutet:rmi''""""'««"*««^-son
«.;Governmentt;:Srar -""■"--'
'" the meantime, in ,s,« « „
«>"eagueshadsuco^ssfaUvf: ^'' ^""* "" his
«» *e acquisitionT^e 1:"? ''"° "*«»'"«<'-
"ay. He now app4«^^' 1""j »"" P«=«c R.i,.
"■ew to establish rr„f <^''*™"e« with a
Winnipeg and St. Paul "■" """""o" between
'-elTaVrrb^teL'''"''''"' ''■^-- ="»-"
««■> y^a's to the nJ^^^^'^T """ "^ '<-
was put before the House .^ amngement
-- ■•" a diileren. ^ "^^T ' "« '"e Senate
"°°- 1 ney so amended the Bill
r
2oa LORD STRATHCONA
M practically to destroy it Nevertheless, in May,
i8;8, a contract was made to finish the Pembina
branch, but the defeat of Mr. Mackenzie's Govern-
ment in October eflPectually stopped all further
negotiations with the St. Paul and Pacific Com-
pany.
Altogether, when the Liberal party went out of
oflfice, there were not two hundred miles laid down
of a road which was intended to comprise thousands.
This virtual failure had cost Manitoba and the North-
West a heavy price. It was a period of wholesale
Immigration to North America, and the absence at
this favourable moment of railway communication to
toe Red River valley resulted in the loss of many
thousands of settlers. It is now universally held
that the Canadian Pacific Railway project was then
passing through a crisis. That it could have been
finished before Mr. Mackenzie went out of oflice in
1878 is our own firm conviction, but it needed a
genius of an altogether different kind to disentangle
all the loose cords which held it, to bind them firmly
together, and, grasping the matter with no uncertain
or faltering touch, carry it through to a successful
fruition.
The general elections were held in October, 1878.
The Conservative Opposition, led by Sir John Mac-
donald, went up and down the country denouncing
in round terms the commercial and industrial policy
CANADA'S NATIONAL HIOHWAV .3
" lie Uberal Governm.™ »
•he country., «Iv.„tar .f^ *? P"""'* """ch fo.'
»««««cy. and ^ ,^„ 'X" tTu" ~»-
May loth, ,8,„ „.„ . , P'»f '" ""e House on
Claries) Tup~* ,!^'" '^""'' "'• C*"' Sir
When Mr T*
•»«> decide, -.o r^ rr:itr*^ "'•"^
«*«« a bargain lad I^Tn m J T \. ™'»«»"»red
-entwiathest PauuL p ."' ** ■»" G»'™'»-
bina b«„oh for Z ^^^^f^, ?" "' *« ''"»-
"ho buil, this branch untif .?! , «'"'"«*'«
complete their worlc. As * °" "^ '"''' »»
■*«»* the road was ii„L!f ^ "" ""dertal^n
'•"'0 «.e contractorp*"^""' "h """'^" """
pocjcets. The result of this
304
LORD STRATHCONA
arrangement was an almost complete fiasco at a
critical season of the year, and the Government
had no other course than to make a contract with
another firm, Upper and Company, to equip and
operate the road. This arrangement proved success-
ful and profitable. The St. Paul and Pacific lent
their co-operation, and trains were run through to
St. Boniface from the terminus of the American
road. A bridge had yet, however, to be built across
the Red River to Winnipeg.
But although the new admin isf ration now decided
to carry the main line south of Lake Winnipeg, it
intended that it should pass through Selkirk, and
not the city of Winnipeg.
Soon after the prorogation of the Dominion Pariia-
ment in 1879, the Premier and the Minister of Public
Works left for London in the vain endeavour to
seek British capital to carry out the great railway
project which had been lingering so long. The
utmost was done by these two able and patriotic
men, but English capitalists turned away with a
smile from a scheme which must have seemed to
many of them almost foolhardy. A celebrated
English financier long afterwards told Mr. Smith
that when he first heard of the proposals to raise
a loan to build a railway across the North American
continent, he laughed aloud.
"'Good heavensl* I thought, 'somebody will have
CANADA'S NATIONAL HIGHWAY «>5
to hold Aese C.n«li«„ b„k, „, ^
BUk. ToJ m" °5 *• OPP"""""- M'- Edward
Blake, now M.P. for an Irish constituency in tl,e
".penal Parlian,en, boldly moved .h.rj fe!
.h. counuy fro„ ruin U.e British Columllt;
of the road should be abandoned. I, is „„« Ae
amendment was defeated by eighty^o IT. but
*«« w.„ very few «.„guine members ^' *.
Government benches.
Jm m""c "'^'^ """ "" 5'" °f « «'««cu>r to
Of 1880 a syndicate was formed. It soon becan,.
nunour^ that the heads of this syndi^we^Mr
George Stephen and Mr. Donald Smith On th.
««-.bling of Parliament on Decem^r .<^ 2l
St**" ''*f ' '^"^y Company's conf^'w^
laid before the House of Commons. It bore .he
s'^natures of Sir Charles Tupper (represent^^^.
r >
'^ LORD STRATHCONA
tion with fte milwav .I "" "» "»»«■
time .go h. JS^rL .,T T "" "^ *™«
»P»k of the forttnTi .i *•"' *" "^P"
P«*« if I h«i never ^ ^^T •*""*■ '»
enterpri*." ^ "^'"e «<> do with that
m teraa on which the syndicate loolc u» A
work were »s follow,: The raiiwavto .^ ''.
"on, Montre., to Port Mo^^' X^. Z'T"
P»nytorecelveas5nbsidvt«oL,L. .' """'
— of Und. in b,ocS;r:rL?"^°*
CANADA'S NATIONAL HIGHWAY ^
"y "» «llw.y, vlurt .. .. ""WAY «^
•"•"•y yan. In ^,,7 """ "^ • »I»ce of
•^ ™«n. Of .0...^^^! •"' •- *• ""-l-y
•«»ed „ „„j,..fi„„. ^ ^^. which on pap.,
sufficient to meet th. '"^'^ "o be in-
-SeX^:teHit7-o«i,«.
from ce«ing. „ """^ «» P«vent the work
'" Montreal of JLll **1 f "" ™«»« hnliy
•*».•.,. When the^^^/""":' """ '» *« ""^
*scu« the ti«h.„«^of .^e 2"" ""^ "> ">•«. and
blank feo^ Durin/oneTr'' """■'' "'* ^"^
S-th.^atohaveVt^LbHsr "wT"^ "'•
■»ade aware of the situation hi • *" *• "^
adjournment. ° ''* '"«»»"y moved an
""'■» clear we want money "h
■"oney, he rem;..;-d drily.
208 LORD STRATHCONA
" We can't raise it amongst ourselves. Let us come
back to-morrow and report progress."
According to this account, when the Board met
on the following day the members regarded each
other ,n dismay ; each had the same story to tell of
failure, until it came to Mr. Smith's turn.
"I have raised another million," he said slowly,
in the characteristic Scotch accent which had
never entirely deserted him. -It will carry us
on for a bit. When it is spent we will laise some
more.
In such manner and under such difficulties was
the work carried on.*
These tremendous efibrts of a financial kind were,
as ,t fortunately happened, ably seconded by the
man who had charge of the actual construction of
the road. To Mr. (now Sir) William C. Van
Home's knowledge, zeal, and industry must be
ascribed the rapidity with which the work was
pushed forward. At last, on the yth November,
-^hSSt^t^^^^'^'^^^ time allowed
wa.*JrJo^1: J"'""""' * ^°°^ ^"' of anxiety while the woA
a^^Z^ 7' !; *• """" "'"''"*^ ^y ^''« kno^Mg, that it ^
approved of and supported by Canada as a whole S\L
CANADA'S NATIONAL HIGHWAY ^
fi»'»h«l. A, the liMe ^ ^ «~' """"J- »««
'" British Columbi,. ^ ~rf *"J'"''"^"«''«.
««». Mr. Donald A SmlTh "P***"**"™ body of
»f co„g„.t„„«„„, ,i^"'f' <"* » few brirf ^^
weIW,„«ed blows of T ^ "' '"" *** *«
""■"■al exereise, drove 171"°', "'^"^'^ <»
Canadian Paoifi; R,.-^,; *^, '«' .^P'ke of .he
•^y which witnessed Thf ' "^f""^" »' *«
Wegnun arrived f„„ l^O ""*'" """""^ »
Governor-General, Urd , °T' *""»'' *«
congratulating the Can-rf- "'*'°*"«' graciously
«<«even,e„, wi^;'^"rM°.'^P'* °" ** "^''o-'
British Empire." "»l«"nce to the whole
occupied any „„f „f." .'^'»'<' A- Smith has never
*•« Pacific'R^ray'clr' ':'"'''" '" ""* <^-
*-tor («.«,u«hl^*^::™; «^« "' * ''"P"
•"-^^r::r::r^^r^^^^^
310
LORD STRATHCONA
therefore, when he drove the last spike on the
Canadian Pacific Railway at Craigellachie." *
Canadians have reason to be grateful to Lord
Strathcona for the efifbrts he has made for the pro-
motion of immigration — ^that great and prime need
of the Dominion. For thirty years those efforts have
not been relaxed. He was one of the earliest to
impress upon the Government the necessity of filling
up the North-West; and to-day finds him still in
what is the most effetetive official position in connec-
tion with the emigration of Europeans and the
migratum of British peoples into the fertile expanses
of what used to be called the " Great Lone Land."
Once, early in 1877, there was a powerful agitation
to relax the efforts of Canada to obtain more popula-
tion, and Mr. Smith manfully resisted the views
of those concerned in this agitation.
"I recognise," said he, "the necessity for economy
in view of the reduction of revenue, but I sincerely
hope the Government will be able to find some other
means of effecting that economy than by reducing
the vote for immigration purposes. I trust we are
* *< It is impossible to travel from this city to the Western Ocean
without feelings of admiration for the courage, and I am almost
tempted to say the audacity, both of those who first conceived and
of those who have carried to a successful consummation this great
national work. The construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway
stands alone in the history of great achievements in railway building."
—Lord Lansdowne, in a spttch delivtrtd Novtmber, 1885.
CANADA'S NATIONAL HIGHWAY ,„
•Srreed u to the importance of filli„» „„ ,,,
nrpL^ r -^""'"^y' *° ^h»ch they were at
present exposed." ^ ® *'
governed by his Z^Z "No I "^ *"*''*'"
"» ever b™„^h,CL a pI"'^"^^«'
thni.<rk f -s^nsc a public man: and al.
*;-«* many, for purely personal or part; reasons
w^ .empo«riIy ied to join i„ t^Ts 1^^^^
Llr rl "''""*' *«"«-'-« -inoes iu u^"
Sg" slLT'' T"~' """ "^ »•«'". M-
me he was LJ^ , Sttathcona once assured
was hundreds of thousands of pounds out
2" LORD STRATHCONA
of pocket through his connection with that iriMntic
undertaking. * *
Mr. Smith was from the first of the opinion that
It was not alone necessary to grant immigrants
facilities to get into the North-West; they should
also be given every opportunity to acquire lands
when they arrived. "It is a most unfortunate
thing, he once said, "that Manitoba has been
rendered one great reserve. Almost every section
IS reserved, not for settlement, but to keep out settle-
ment. About one-third of the whole nine million acres
in Manitoba is virtually a reserve at this moment,
that is to say, all the lands easily accessible are
taken up. I do not direct attention to this point
m order to find fault with the present or with the late
Government It is to be regretted that occasion
should be so frequently taken to convert almost
everything which comes before the House into a
party question."
He repeatedly urged in public and in private
that there should be some means of oreventing
speculators from locking up whole townships, which
there was a tendency to do, with a view to holding
them until settlement in the neighbourhood would
render them more valuable. This, in his opinion,
and as events showed, really interfered very seri-
ously with the work of peopling the country.
A few years after the organisation of the province
CANADA'S NATIONAL HIGHWAY ,
ot Manitoba and .>. ^ ■ ""WAY 3,3
«' Smi'h«wa„,^J^"'"j»" '-"o *• Dominion
^'^ outside the ,i„t o7r. I** '»«''«^ ^onh-
'nexpedien. for it ^ J't^T "^ '"" ""<'«««' "
•«.e„ territorial ap^nZetoM'"'" ^'•™™«' «
«"» pressed upon tt" of! ""°'*- ""•"ere.
•«rat,on to tl,e west, bet«^ n v J*'^'* *""""-
« first hand witl, the „eed, i "*** """"ersant
•"d been called for «t^'"'~°*''°"» of wl«t
opposiuon. Sir John mU^T""" ^O"'" "cite
fo' this step. .. /think -^ A .?"«' ** "^e^ity
""■ght well be gomnt. T ' ""'*>»' •e'rito.y
of Manitoba%a, » iitUe ^f T'"'^ °°™™0'
«"y enough for a «^ JT ' "" '~"»'»'^
•">oIeoftheto,ritori« A^ ""^^ *°''™ *•
unnecessaiy." '^ ^P*"*" Government i,
Bm the member behW...< .t
North-West TerritoW« ^^ °*'™'«' »»<• » the
oommunity «<Mlay, p™™,-^'*^ "»»"'« POIWcal
"ost opulent as they are th- I """"S^ *«
of the Dominion, it is^!^.^^ =*»»««« «ctio„
efibrts for y^ '^ L^^s^ "^ *« P^^istent
««« a large population „^'"*7»- «« '"owed
"---ftbeSas^tohlr^-i-.
314 LORD STRATHCONA
was a population of one thousand souls; at Bow
River and beyond Edmonton and Fort Albert ; while
a vast territory was being developed in the Peace
River district. The great argument against the
Governor of Manitoba's governing so boundless a
region was the relations with the Indian tribes.
Constant negotiations and treaties were necessary,
and the Governor could hardly be expected to travel
hundreds of miles for weeks at a time on these
peculiar errands of diplomacy. Mr. Smith advocated,
therefore, removing the seat of government further
west. —
*'It must be recollected," said he, in a speech
delivered on this subject, "that in this portion of
the territory the great body of the Indian population
is found; these are very different to those in the
south, and if there are any troubles to be experienced,
danger is to be apprehended from the Indian tribes
living on the upper portion of the Saskatchewan.
I do not myself fear any such troubles, but many
do, and I consider it only prudent to take the
necessary precautions. I know," he continued,
"there is a very large extent of country to the
north which is as well suited for settlement as the
portion to the south. Settlers will come both from
the United States in the direction of Bow River,
and also from British Columbia and the United
States by way of Peace River, and it is absolutely
CANADAS NATIONAL HIGHWAY \.,
•rise." *"'' "'fflculties which may
Mr. Smith's arguments prevailed i .u
of '876 the Premier (Mr M u. " ** «»'<>»
*ey had decidT.I"^""t •)""°-"«d«i'..
"ent, and .ha, the prXw ". "•"""« G"™™-
P'«e,somiI.,f„^r^p"!,«'P"»' """W be at .
fi»m the city of Win^.l'^ ^Jl"" """"'^ "istan,
Albert. "^ "' W-'-'W This toKUy i, p„.,„
of*:;'rierdr^'"*^--«'con.p«s
•Uttemeasu.esp.x,^'! "T" '"^"^ "^^ «<>
^' ".e bettermen" :rS:'. °^^^-' ^ «'■ So..*
on tte map as Rupen-, ^^ Cf '""* """'""
were his unti„„» efibrts t^* O" «"ongst many
fon, notablyof tfe S«W^ '^"""* "*" ■»*'««-
During Lo^ Dufen^'^rj^tV"'-^'"""''"'-
he lead an address ,0 .h. r ^""'P«« « '87;
by numerous iX cmlr"""*^"""' "^"'^
«s .ordship had to'crtyT;:^:^ "*"••"»•
to Portage la Pra;«- • ^ waggon or carriai?e
whichT. X "a -r "^ "^ *^ ^'»"»'ne
theGove^merwoXX?"" °" *"' ««" °^
H" "ged that oJui'";„""f«' "*"«*•"-
amoved, and although let Z u ""^^^ ■*
finally carried hi, jfnt li """"* "P^''""'
where bMiav i„ a ,., ""^niers are every-
^ '" *' North-West. "The future^-
ai6 LORD STRATHCONA
ht» said on one occuion, "might bring some means
of cheapening the cost of transport by rail, but as
matters stand now, even with the additional expense
of u canal in the way, the transporting of goods
will be much cheaper by water than by rail. If
we can obtain both rail and water communication,
our position will be much better Uian confined to
only one means of transit"
Mention has already been made of Uie enforce-
ment of tiie Smitii Liquor Act throughout Rupert's
Und. Excellent in principle, as time went on tiiis
absolute prohibition of liquor in the North-West
became a nuisance, and Mr. Smith was himself one
of Uie first to see this and try to temper some of the
stringencies of his own Act
"We did away witii liquor," said he, "to save
the Indian needless suffering. Now it is ourselves
who are needlessly suffering ; and the Indian-where
IS he?"
In 1870 there were thousands and tens of Uiousands
of Indians in tiie Nortii-West There were not a
thousand white people in Uie whole of tiiat great
territofy outside of Manitoba.
" There was," said he, " no middle way of dealing
with the subject ; it would have been of no use then
to impose a high duty upon liquors.
"There were at that time just one Customs-house
and two Customs officers in tiie North-West, includ-
CANADA'S NATIONAL HIGHWAY „,
'"' M.nitob«( .nd they were .t Wi. .
ft. other hand, you h^ T^nl , ""*• °"
"■"es «retchin; to thTRjr » """ '•"»
potion of Which 1 d be r^tr'"'' T''
•«y high „«, i„ .ny^nr^"" ;• ""'y "
Yankee, were conwanL Jh. L '^' ""•' •"•
The o„,y thin, wasto ^ at^T.ol'^!:* "•
«« «II. and when i. „ / " to be introduced
ground." ' *" ^""•"^ "> »P"' '•« on the
" You tr» """' ~-"' ■«" '"« '<" -er.
Th-y - d„l fl'TpT "o^t *- "-
wuntry : thev h-v*. u^ ^""*P® *nd 'his
-n. ^d^eifcir nr ^ ■"- •"•"
thine to change thThlw^ „f ' h " '^'^ **'""
fte ve:y Uct of fo bMd wlt r^'"- '""'"'»
drinks would have i„ it«tf* ™^ * "^ *""=■■
•»« upon intending iewL .'^ *"*" '"■''•^""«
-^nsT^re^r '- ^'^-■"^' ^ '"« ^
^aS/rn^^-in-^-
ai8
I.'
■'I -
It'
tORD STRATHCONA
Mlntatw of U.. c™wn .nd of our j«dg« i„c.«d*
n introducing into eve^, portion of the Civil &rvl«
^«ly Who «, fit to do the work to h. ^^
to *em. If .uch c« be otaen-ed, we AouM b.
•nd who do good work for the DominiVn." '
i-te,^ rf .r" '"•" *• ''" We« to «n« the
todepen^nt of the Government «d of »nTjX
U-t I declined to receive .nydiing wh.tev«^
the Government for .ny «nric« I hid rendered."
JL*"., " "^"^ "' *"*• "»"«'<'»«' ** inter.
^« c,rcum«^ce that Mr. Sn,ith h«l, in the long
y^ he spent in the bleak wilderness of Ubnulor
ZT^^ graUu.1 e«inction there of the eZ^o!
ttepoUr bear, the w.lr„,,.„d the wild fowl. Y««
rd-rr-^ ^^- *«"«^"n»in":^«^r
wonderful beast, the bison, or buffiUo. „ h is m«l
of h,s own pnvate eflbrt,, u.e buffiJo disappeared
from the prames. until in Sir Donald SmithHwn^
possession was the final small herd of th«e oTc^
counUess denizens of the West.
CANADA^ NATIONAt H.OHWAV a.,
When Mr. SmiO, h«i .^ '
*~"- Seven or eirtt „ "*"'»«*•<»« rf Oat
•0 be found IvgoL *^:ir i!!: ^'^ *•" -"'y
No. "•«>r^^:f "Z^^^r-'^•«••
onslaughts. Missouri made theiV
»»de up the quou of de«r^on ^1^ *°""'»«'
Father Uoombe . J^ °° "^ "*' »a»nHn» to
*e ^rteughter <^ntinu^/ ","" r""""^ '^ »
•"■(Wo would r«S„« V^ '^" • ""^^ *•
»^".h.~. «,d thirrrone /.;:« ;""""■"•■■■"-
on which he found him«Ti„ , * °~"'°"
member for Liwar ^ k "f**""' *■* *«
"The sla«j",i: and dt^"""" *" ""'j' •<» P^n.
«"« Mr. Sn,fth, L . ,^^'rr'!.'""'* "'■*'<''"
inducement, held ouZ aL" *' """"" «» *«
out to American traders. A large
230
LORD STRATHCONA
number of bufiklo robes go to the other side, and
while the Canadian trader loses profit the buffiilo is
gradually but surely being killed oflF. I hope the
Government will be able to devise some means to
exclude the ingress of American traders and also
give protection to the buflfalo. Canadian hunters
and traders are not allowed to go into American
territory."
But the required law establishing a close time for
the buflEalo came too late— the stable-door was locked
after the horse had been stolen. A little later, al-
though Mr. Smith frequently beheld the bones of
the buffalo whitening on the plains, not a live bufiblo
could be seen for many hundreds of miles. There
was no doubt that with the extinction of this animal,
upon whom the Redmen depended for their staple
article of food (known as pemmican), was connected
the bloody uprising which occurred some years later
(i88s) in the North-West. It had been predicted that
if the bufiWo supply was cut oflF trouble would ensue,
and this prediction also came true. When trouble
occurred, however, it was not owing to misgovern-
ment by, or to any grievance against, the Hudson's
Bay Company. "The Americans," wrote Mr. Smith,
" have had n-any such wars ; but our action towards
the Indians has been very di£ferent from that of
America." "Under any circumstances," declared
Mr. Schultz, "it is far cheaper to feed the Indians
CANADA'S NATIONAL HIGHWAY j,,
Tn^mt *r" ""^' • <"■»«"«"■•*«» Ameri-
can military officer once said flat "it would be
cheaper to board and lodge a whole tribe of Red-
skin, a. .he Fifth Avenue Hotel in New York tjn
to have war with them."
Once, referring to the late Lord Dufierin's (the
Governor-General-s) speech on Manitoba and British
^mbia, in which he pictured in such eloquent
terms the resources and future of the great North-
West, Mr. Smith observed th.t a friend of his who
happened to be in England ^„ afterwards, and
who was m a position to meet a great many budness
men m London and on the Exchange, told him that
t was no unusual thing to see genUemen take out of
. *«'.P»«*«^« copy of that speech and make further
mqumes about the North-West. of which they h«I
hitherto heard so little. They said that it must be
an admirable country when so spoken of by Lord
Dufienn, and doubtless deserved all that had been
said about it by His Excellency.
To evince his own ardent attachment for the
beau^ful West, take the following eloquent passage
^m^^ne of T^ri Strathcona's speeches fifteen yea„
" Anyone who has gone to Banff, and from one of
i^m^"'/,'"!^'" ^ ^°°^ "o™ "P"" «he 6.11
immediately beneath, a fell of eighty fee, or more
with a large volume of water; who has looked on
332
LORD STRATHCONA
h» beheld ft. mounuin, towering he.ve«wL. and
not felt hB soul elevated, not felt p„„d tha, „ u,i.
» I»rt of the Dominion, cnno, be a true dna^"
Those who will ,„,el westward will find that evt^
«ch <rf g„„nd is a picture either of sublimity o^
l^o^ A " '■' ""' •" ** '<""■" "^^on
tnis North American continent."
One of the "mountain, towering heavenward" of
an adjacent range, having an altitude of ,0,662 feet
we Sir Donald," to commemorate the leading part
he h^ played in the building of the nUIway and^
development of the North-West. yanatne
iU for Lord Strathcona himself, in spite of his
Scottish origin, of U,ose boyhood's yea„ i„ FoLl
d^l^ J ^ *" """" "P •»'"■<"■■»"' «»0 good
at«ensh.p he was. and is, a "true Canadian."
CHAPTER X
RAISED TO THE PEERAGE
Her Majesty ^te^'^' '' "" """"""-0 *a,
«<' energies .^a^^ n' 'ST ^ S^:::'' -«°J
community u«, ^^ gn-wing ^^^^^ ^' *'
'"crease his philanft * LTT ? '' *""^ •»
"js 'cni^rhU.ood beforhis^-.^CT''^"^*^
g'gantic proportions Th. *^ *" "^'""1
Canada was a7 commereial capital o3
m-nificenr t !"^'" °''^"' "' ^ir r^^4
•o er«t a free hit J''' """ °' ♦'''^V'*''
«»- ^coco . endow^L^ inltn'Sm ^ t
»'4 LORD STRATHCONA
fcnks of Mount Roy... I, «oupie, one of tbe fine«
sites for a hospiul in the world. " Behind rises the
mountain terraced with lovely gariens, before lie
the squares and steeples, the glittering river, «,d
beyond that the misty champaign, ^'.h he.^ and
there a domed mountain, and at intervals a town
or village marked by a breath of smoke or the steeple
sl'..""^ "t "^^ '^'» "'«' « •»»««• '■> the
sun. The ye«- before the cornerstone was laid the
about It and maturing flieir plans. When it was
finished at last, in ,893. some of the committee
wanted to mark the imiuguretion by a ceremony,
and approached Sir Donald to this effect. "No "
he replied, "I want no flourish of trumpets. Iui«
open the doors when the building is ready and let
the patients come in."
Could anything be more characteriaic of the man ?
It was m this jubilee year that Sir Donald returned
to polices. "Sir John Macdonald requested me,"
he said i^rwards, "I may say urged me, as a
friend and as one who ha.i given him very general
support, to come forward as a candidate of the Con-
servative party. He did so in such terras that, uking
this into con«deration and looking to the kindness
of my fnends, I felt I ought to accede to their wish.
Four years later it was very much the same, but
RAISED TO THE PEERAGE ,„
Vet in 1895, when he said thi. 1.
« e«ed „ independent candidate for ^1%^: "*""
*»».on of laontreal, and eleT^ t , ^'^ *"'<""•
. I'^-f the prog,;« of tTsilTr"""-
•••ctoral campwgn in .88, T T^ "' '"oeMful
"ounce «In,i,^je*L''""«» "■"" """ "»« I»»-
"^ Wend^ ^ "' ""' "P"*" eo'-ed Wm mLy
i^-'S'^'^r^ZeZ/T^' "*"««'' "o
;-..r.Gove™n.e~h:4'r'"- ^t .he „„«
' «m no. dispo«d to op^ tt^^"" ""'^'"
We know that success J^n^ "" °' *''•
'»*«'0'>. but that^ i!^;? r "J"" '""olute
success." ?«!W»«s u tba critaoQn of
of the Hudson's ^T^Zr *." ™»^">'e«
"» had, as one of theW^T 'k "" ''»«h-Wes,,
•"endedtheannnS^^Xgsln^^^r"'"*'-'^
8>ven the authorities .h. iT ^ ''°" ""d always
Comn-issione, at Winnl^eHy Mn""." ^"'^
■" '887 bjr Mr. J . ^ 7 "'• Biydges, and
-■» hi, counsel,^? „^"*"^- »- » ""-"te
« "*' "o °»« '"s suT,rised. on
226
LORD STRATHCONA
the retirement of Mr. Eden Colvillc, in January,
1889, that he should be selected for the^Qovemor-
,»!??£.«.« lineal succession to the first ruler— Prince
Rupert.
This must have aflforded Sir Donald high gratifica-
tion. He had now risen through every grade of the
service— from apprentice - clerk in Ubrador and
resident governor of the fiir trade— to the highest
position of all. And yet this distinction, whose
achievement would almost have appeared incredibl4
to him as a young man, and indeed none had eveil
gained it from the ranks, was now soon lost &midsi
the multitude of other honours.
When Canada, and the whole empire, lost in
1891 that really great political genius. Sir John
Macdonald, there were few who felt the loss more
than Sir Donald Smith. The gulf created between
them many years ago at the time of the Pacific
scandals had long been bridged, and they were at
the time of the Premier's death warm and intimate
friends.
"One of the most pleasing things to me," said
Sir Donald a few years afterwards, "is that Sir
John Macdonald himself told me, and in the most
kindly way, that he could never have thought so
well of me had I supported him on that occasion.
I believe that in the latter days, and for several
years before we lost him, I was as much in his
RAISED TO THE PEERAGE „,
to be seen that th;» , nowever, it began
province ?„"*rp"*rr' "" '""'" "^ *«
we« in an o ltim1"„f t"!^""« •»"■'"'"'"
serious interferen™ ^S^^l T"'^ """ * ^^^
A^n.ep„n.:„r*--rrfe::^^
"der/^™ an'dT^*' '*■'"'' ** ="«'«" """ed
cries of .h?" , ' *"■""' threatened. The
cnes of u,e malcontent were echoed, with a few
nouble exceptions, by ti.e ™i„ion aid a h!lf oT
o^^ G S"*"-- " "" '='-<y the d„; of „:/
Ottawa Government to take conciliatory slL. but
Bowell II 1 *^- 7"' P«""e'. Sir Maclcenzie
oweii, held office under infinite difficulties »„rf
convulse the entire country.
33« LORD STRATHCONA
Such was the situation when Sir Donald Smith
had a friendly interview with the Viceroy, the Earl of
Aberdeen, and expressed his willingness to act as
mediator amongst the people of the disturbed
province. Lord Aberdeen recognised the value of
the oflfer, but could do nothing without the assent
of his constitutional advisers. While they hesitated,
in February Sir Donald Smith travelled into the
West
A full quarter of a century before Sir Donald
Smith, as a Commissioner from Canada to Red
River, had found himself discussing at a public
meeting a Bill of Rights. In that instrument was
an article guaranteeing to the Roman Catholic and
French-speaking people all the rights and privileges
of race and religion they had theretofore enjoyed
under the rule of the great fur company. This
article they submitted to him, and he dechuvd that
it would be sanctioned by the Government of
Canada. But at that time, it must be remembered,
there were only some 11,000 or 12,000 people in
the whole of Manitoba, of whom but litUe more
than half, or 6,000, were French-speaking Roman
Catholics. The other 5,000 od^f were English-
speaking; and Protestant Manitoba was confined
to a comparatively small area sixty to sixty-five miles
on either side of Winnipeg.
He went to Winnipeg on his own initiative and
RAISED TO THE PEERAGE ,,9
finely nud. ou,, b». no. unUI „« M««h. .nd by
hinudfnuuter of the situation.
Jl!f H V.'".''"'^' "■"'* '^y *«''»»ion in
"«.». but dont-Klon-t 1« „ have . ,e„g.o„
in this new country." ^
The.ppe„ did no, fell upon derf ear,. AItI>ough
l!!Jr L •^""•"' "^ ™^« o" the lines
Wd down by Sir Donald Smith. It was a d.n«ro«
-epfora F„„ch^„.aian P«mier .0 taice-to^ n
g^l^ffl^aity has long been an institution
*^ sited ?^r'"'" *• '■"•'-"'"^ '-
n«a sustained. To find a successor to Sir William
2t f .""' '"* "' P"" '» E"«>"<' '" the
wmter of ,895-«. It i. „ot every „„n, not every
U«.v«»ty Chancellor, who has such a ^t w th^
ajo LORD STRATHCONA
Ws gift, or, If he had, could acquit himself wiaelv
of a choice. ^
"What we require In the principal of McGill »
he said, "Is, first of all, administrative ability, and
secondly, a mind broad enough to embrace and
understand all the interests existent in the University
It IS not easy to find the right man to step Into Sir
Wilham Dawson's shoes."
Nor was It easy. The story of that tour through
Great Britain would alone fill a chapter. Sir
Donald visited in turn Oxford and Cambridge,
Edinburgh, Aberdeen, and Dundee In search of a
head for one of the most admirably appointed and
bountifully equipped seats of learning In the worid.
For a long time the secret of his choice was kept
and It cannot be denied that when It became known
he had oflfered the post to Dr. William Peterson,
Principal of Dundee, a man under forty, there was a
slight feeling of disappointment But Sir Donald
Smith's judgment has not proved false, and toiday
nowhere will It be disputed that in the present
Principal of McGill University there is to be found
a rare combination of scholastic zeal, mental equip-
ment, and executive ability upon which Canada and
her leading school may well be congratulated.
By the re-entry of Sir Charies Tupper into
Canadian politics and his subsequent brief Premier-
ship, the Important post of High Commissioner for
RAISED TO THE PEERAGE ,3,
C»n«u In London became vacant Having vainly
endeavoured to induce Sir Donald to accept a political
office in the Dominion, he waa..fiaally lused to
of empire.
which I th,nk those who know me will believe i
did not covet My name was mentioned in con-
nection with a ceruin office, but no pressure could
induce me to accept it I have ever sought to free
myself from mere partyism, while having a certain
connection with public life.
"It was thought that perhaps my connection
with public matters would enable me to be of some
service to the country, particularly in relation to
certain large questions in which both the Imperial
and Canadian Governments are interested. I do
not know yet to what extent I shall be able to
serve the country in this regard, but I think I
am a Canadian in spirit, and what I shall do will
be m the interest of the country as a whole and
not of any party."
The appointment was hailed with enthusiasm
throughout Canada, and early in July he entered
upon his new and arduous duties. History affords
but few examples of a millionaire at Sir Donald
Smith's time of life voluntarily devoting himself
to labour which robbed him of all his leisure. He
»J» LORD STRATHCONA
WM not onlsr . mutmu,, .bl« to oop« with to»,
of the oeke had been before.
m. - - ' CommiMioner Cwd. la. ew lad.
dLT *" ""^ "' concueneM .nd pUto,
practical common Mnse m«.. ^ i.i .
m.«7^ .^"» '» • "^ «•• ««I««I Judg.
•»•« and npened experience of Lorf St^theon.
eLSTi.i::^"' " ""^ "• "^^ -•"-
. Z?**"^" "'»'"»«>«• bene&etion,." «„
by Lord Sttathcona of hU time, hi, ^Uents. hi.
Muence hi, ««w p„«ige. to whaZ^^.^
promi^offurtheringthe development, thepr^peritT
Md well-being of Canada and Canadin^" ^'
« cl«^ that he regarded it a, «rictly non-political,
•nd the new Premier wa, of the wme o-ini!: "
,^rs'";!r "r ^"^ '"* "■« oppo»iuo„Ti
«n«g Sir Donald to retain the High Cb«mi,«W
RAISBD TO THB PBBRAOB ,„
Cn«U to Enriand'; H '^^ "• •»» "»". for
">« which Is happily visible daily h. .11.
•owhichn^a^riX'^^'-;--
-<rf the £«»*„ GoM^^J "W-hot from the press
»l«ht of IhTTiZ^n-. , ^""* """-*' ~*er Uie
« P«r of fte ^"^^J"' ^^ °°'»"' Smia.
of *.. -u-mr^hrnir^^^rT"*
"""blag, of men and i.^^^ C^ " * '»'»«'
q'-n.r of U,e British JZ!° "^""^ "°» "^^r
S««« / ^ " '^'^ '^^^ completed.
•»»• b«» ««umed that he would choose
234 LORD STRATHCONA
Glencoe for his title, and a newspaper having made
the announcement on its own authority, the High
Commissioner enjoyed the distinction for some weelcs
of being addressed to and referred to as Lord
Glencoe.
But one of his old friends, the Marquess of Lome,
was not to fall into the trap. Eulogising his charao-
ter and achievements at the Dominion Day dinner
that eventful year, the ex-Governor-General said,
amidst laughter and cheers, "He has not confided
in me by what titie to address him. I shall, how-
ever, make no mistake if I congratulate him and
call him Lord High Commissioner for Canada."
It is interesting to recall that this was actually the
title which many years before Sir John Macdonald
had suggested for this important post !
It was not until the latter part of August that the
title he was henceforth to bear was announced. He
was gazetted Baron Strathcona and Mount Royal
of Glencoe, Argyllshire, and Montreal, Canada.
At the same time the Heralds' College was re-
quired to produce a coat-of-arms. It was obvious
that the occasion demanded an incursion into a fresh
field for emblems. Weapons, coats of mail, castles,
and collared wolves, typifying and celebrating feudalX
prowess and old-world deeds, were here inappro-
priate. The result finally composed forms one of
RAISED TO THE PEERAGE 235
the most interesting and truly significant coats^f.
arms in the entire roll of the British peerage :
Arms-^gules on a fesse argent between a demi-
lion rampant in chief or and a canoe of the host
with four men paddling proper, in the bow a flag
of the second, flowing to the dexter, inserted with
the letters N. W. Sable in base. A hammer sur-
mounted by a nail in saltire of the last. Crest^n
a mount vert, a beaver eating into a maple tree
proper. Then follows the motto, " Perseverance."
Someone has said of the recital of these arms that
*'it sounded like a fur-trading vayageufs song
played upon a mediaeval sackbut." The hammer
and nail commemorate the driving of the last spike
of the Canadian Pacific Railway. As to the motto-
" Perseverance "-to no man and no career could it
be more fitly applied.
Lord Aberdeen's term of office expiring at the
close of the year 1897, there was much conjecture
as to his successor. A demand now arose in Canada
that the new peer should be appointed to the vacant
viccroyalty.
"The Governor-Generalship," declared a leading
organ, the Montreal Star, "is the imperial office
most immediately under the eye of our people ; and
to seat a Canadian there would be as conspicuous a
recognition of this colonial right to share in imperial
»36 LORD STRATHCONA
honours « could be gi«a ^ the five million* dwelt
"ng in this put of the empire."
But Lord Sttettcomi very qujcld, imparted to Us
faends h» opi.«« of uie propo«J. It U enough
a- hejTM irhoify against it, and he would equaUy
Jfve been oppo«< u> the appointment of any
C«»d«« to this imperial post The Governor-
^mlship and it, occ«p«.t form the chief Unk
between Britain uid her greatest colony.
This link should be. in the common acceptMion
«rf the term. Imperial; it should be forged u the
seat of the Empire. »•« « me
i-
CHAPTER XI
PRACTICAL IMPERIALISM
te»» pnmwn. of EnglW, civil .nd eccl«i.«ic.l la,
oon.«npI«,„g whid, even ft, j„^,i ^^^
cwnot witlUwId tlM Wbute of a smile T^?^
« d«*.«d -&•.»«« oontiaued, amidst the derisio»
«rf f ""Oj-..".- tl.e fruit of ,11 such alli«,ces ^
Butt ft""*' '^"«*™ "-^'^ "«'««' «'^
dl!^- '" J^ "« of "» Queen's domains the inier
*cUon had been .bolish«I under laws signet
He M.je«y. Consequently, what was leL .„d
^^Jlt2,t «-"'•• -" -^ -
»38 LORD STRATHCONA
•»«rriag« contracted in the Colonies, he faced one
of the most numerous and splendid audiences that
have ever paclced the Upper Chamber. Not only
were Ae benches full of the nobility, including
Rovi K •».,«"*«•»« and other members of thf
.h" '^ commoners looked down upon him f«m
the galleries. This moment was, beyond compari-
son, the most brilliant of. his lifetime.
"My lords," he began in a clear, low voice,
I have very great diffidence in appearing to
«ldr«s you at this time. It is the first occ«ion
on wh.ch I l^ve had the privilege of addr^ssin^
you as a member of this House. NotwithsUnding!
" " "'» "'* "-y great confidence that I come
before you, my lords, for I know that you will
h^much consideradon for one in the position I
After detailing the provisions and scope of his
Bill, he continued :—
when Aey come home bear a mark of disg^?
Why should they be legitimate in one part ofX
emp.n, and illegitimate in another, when ti,e
local P"l«imen,s and assented to by the Queen ?
• • • Is tills, he continued, lowering his voice im-
pressively, "is this a creditable state of tilings in
PRACTICAL IMPERIALISM ,39
our present civilisation? P™ .
Glad P^P e fl'" '°"°"' °' *'" "°*-'»»''-
BrMsH^ '™'^ '"" °' "" "O'" "here the
onteh flag IS paramount came last year to LnnH
^ do honour to their l«,„,e<, Sov^;^° """t
wgetner, and the removal of tu;^
'<.«p-you:;::^,^nis*°"""'"'^'-
o»«i . "Hpruvai ot this measure, whirh
rrs?:r'":-'"«-«'«''-ve;n2:
^-oionies, to remove a restrirtinn «,i.- u
both of the Esublished Church, of the other P,^
Utnt denommauons, and of the Ctholic Chu,c"t
Canada, and , believe also in the other CoJni "
»40 LOUD STRATHCONA
"I would now. my lord., i„ doting, de,l« to „y
••one of fljo« cooing from Uie Colonic. Bve,;
»- .»Jhe C.loni„ ,00k. upon htauelf „ being 2^
"»ch of «, E„gIiAm«, „ if h. „„ bo» wiftin
tte bound. ^ u» UniW Kingdom. He glori.. in
ft. n«j,e of Englirtman, „d he ha. mi tte „^,^
^«s Uj.. you .nd „, a.o« who « loy., " .^
«.p.«h.ve. Thi.me«ureaffect.^nd^ve^
ofthe Cmwn to tte .„,..„. „d many of th«„ d„
w.ad«w U« h„ e,p,«.ion, -the mo« Ioy.1..
■n^ughou. U.e Dominion of Can«I_inde«i, my
one «andard, but one measure of loyalty. fAo-
do .hat a,ey are, equally with those in this counut
members ofthe gn.t empire to which we all Wo^'
I am conHdent that you, my lords, will on ftfa
«»«on «nd those who are in the posi^on I have
"fcrred to a message of goodwill, that you are
desirous of doing full justice to them."
the Bi,,'",:!- ?""""" ^^'^ "■^""■T) opposed
the B,1I, mainly becau«, he urged, it would\ilter
241
PRACTICAL IMPERIALISM
^»«e»lo„ to re,, property in U,i.coam,y. Tli,
Colonie. ,pp«red to w,„, u, diettue to u. Z
taw r^,, «,e .ucc^ion to ^ p^.," ^
•P~ch eflfeet.vely cnuhed this foolish argument, and
. d.v«,on W.S t.l«„. Tl,e Prince of Wales (ffin,
voted for Lord Strathcona's Bill, which was carried'
by the most un«,pected majority of ,,9 u> 46. ij/
*e m,no„^ appeared the name, of Lords SalisburyJ
C~ss, Balfour of Burleigh, and ten bishops. ^'
Buuhe Government tefnsed ,0 ulce up the Bill in
^.^h T There we„ sworn enemies to
refonn who could not pe«eive the anomaly <rf the
««.ng situation. Two yea« bter, therefo^^^
on .8th May, ,900, there was the same brilliant
:S.rnde^ueL^^'--— ~ .
S'^^ T'^"" "''' "•• ""^ "<>' '>«« sprung
upon Pari«ment suddenly. „ i^ i„ „„ JJl
"ll^l"' 'I'"'"- ^^ '"'■"^-^o" ^-«'-
.^2^ ^?K " """'■"« ** ■"•«- •"»" *e
attention of the .mperial authorities. I. affects, my
'ord,, the mo« imporunt and sa«ed of all con.;!'
»42 LORD STRATHCONA
and a£Eiects communities not less attached to the
Christian religion than those of the Mother Country.
... The present time seems to me a singularly
appropriate one for such action on the part of your
lordships as I have ventured to recommend. For
the last few years there has been a great awakening
of imperial sentiment. The different parts of the
empire have vied with one another in demonstrating
their loyalty to the Crown and to the empire. They
have shown not only the desire, but the determination
to share both in its joys and in its troubles, and we
have at the present time in South Africa an object-
lesson to the world of the practical unity of the
different parts of the British Empire, which has
awakened an enthusiasm both in the Motherland
and in every part of the world where the British flag
flics never witnessed before. . . . Your favour-
able decision would be regarded in some parts of
the empire as a message of goodwill to our fellow-
subjects, who are so closely connected with us by
common ancestry, by common patriotism, by common
love for the empire to which we are all proud to
belong, and by common loyalty and veneration for
our gracious Sovereign."
The Archbishop of York this time joined his
eloquence to that of the Lord Chancellor, but in
vain. The majority for the Bill was ii6 to 31 votes,
the Prince of Wales, the Duke of York, and the
r- r
_ I
i ¥■
I.
PRACTICAL IMPERIALISM 343
Duke of Connaught voting with the majority. This
imposing majority proved, however, unavailing; Lord
Salisbury had sufficient influence to prevent its being
brought forward in the House of Commons. The
Bill was treated with silent neglect by the leaders of
that body.
In the meantime, as intimated in the foregoing,
the great and bloody struggle for supremacy between
Briton and Boer had broken out in South Africa.
From the commencement of the strife Lord Strath-
cona took the deepest, closest interest in the progress
of events at the theatre of war. He was one of the
very first to perceive— alas I had it but been perceived
earlier— that our chief need in those wild, barren
stretches was a rugged, ardent, mobile force-a force
such as the enemy themselves represented — under
a fearless leader, but each man an eflfective unit, a
good shot, and a tireless horseman. The repeated
reverses, following on the mistaken tactics of those
dark days early in 1900, suggested to Lord Strath-
cona that the experiment of such a body of rough
riders as the Canadian Mounted Police ought to be
tried. The thought crystallised for a few days, and
then early in January came the offer of such a
mounted force from himself— as a Canadian— to the
Queen and empire. It would be raised by himself,
equipped by himself, and transported to South Africa
at his own cost— narly six hundred mounted men
•«»«»/ moiOTION TBT CHAW
(ANSI and ISO TEST CHART No. 2)
_^^5 t»53 Eo»t Moin SItmI
'-^^ (7'«) 288 - 5989 - Fo,
244 LORD STRATHCONA
and horses. It would not cost the War Office a
penny: its expense to him would be over a million
dollars. The magnificence of this offeralmost starUed
the country ; needless to say, it was accepted.
When, on the departure of a portion of the con-
tingent en route from Canada to South Africa, Lord
Strathcona addressed them a few words, the scene was
an inspiring one. Briefly he complimented them on
their fitness for the work which lay before them.
" I am sure," he said simply, "you will do as the
others have done. You can do no more, you will
do no less. God speed you, and a safe return."
'Every man of us," said one of these hardy
troopers, who afterwards gave a good account of
himself in a dozen fights, "felt moved almost to
teare. We knew that the old man believed in us,
and we silently swore to reward that trust Well "
he added, "I think most of us did-as-/;5^ otfjrs
have done. We could do no more."
The Strathconas ultimately became attached to
Lord Dundonald's brigade. They had their first
conflict on that day of glorious associations -
Dominion Day-^nd made a number of prisoners,
with the loss of only one man in action. After that
fighting was common enough, and so were fetalities
On one occasion the leader, Colonel Steele, had his
horse shot under him, and "actually admitted, with
a smile, that he had been in a tight corner." But
PRACTICAL IMPERIALISM 245
the exploits of Strathcona's Horse properly belong
to the history of the great Boer War. Much as this
corps has been praised, it cannot be said that Colonel
Steele and his men were given that chance to do
their utmost to defeat and destroy the enemy, which
the War Office in its subsequent stage of enlighten-
ment would have granted. Amongst the enemy, it
may be mentioned, the corps was known and dreaded
widely as the " English Boers."
A popular modern writer has said of his old-world
hero:* "His character is one of those which combine
activity of thought with great faculty of reverence
and of submission. . . . These natures are enthu-
siastic, tiiough generally not supposed to be so and
tiiough little sign of it appears in their outward
conduct; for the objects of tiieir enthusiasm being
generally diflferent from tiiose which attract most
men, they are conscious that they have little sym-
pathy to expect in their pursuit of them, and this
gives their enthusiasm a reserved and cautious
demeanour. . . . This feeling, more than anything
else, gives to persons of this nature a demeanour
quite different from that of the ordinary religious or
political enthusiast, a demeanour seemingly cold and
indiflferent, tiiough courteous, and to some extent
sympathetic."
I believe these words might, without much altera-
• "John Ingrleaant."
246
LORD STRATHCONA
tion, be applied to Lord Strathcona and Mount
Royal.
His eightieth birthday found Lord Strathcona as
hale and hearty, as clear in intellect, and as capable
of hard work as most men of half these years.
"Providence," said he on one occasion, "has
Y^ favoured me with a good constitution. Then I have
/ had plenty of work to do all my life, and there is no
doubt that that is the best thing for keeping a man
well and strong; for in the very efiFort to do that
work thoroughly well, he must cut ofiF any habits
and practices that tend to weaken him and render
him unfit for the best service."
As to Lord Strathcona's hospitality, it has long
been a byword amongst all who know him. In
Montreal, in London, at Knebworth, at Glencoe, or
at Winnipeg, there was the same lavish consideration
for the comfort as well as the aesthetic perceptions
of his guests. He entertained Lord DuflFerin in the
early "seventies," and each succeeding Viceroy
enjoyed his princely hospitality. Among the guests
at the Montreal mansion have been numbered the
Duke and Duchess of Connaught, the Marquis and
Marchioness of Lansdowne, the Earl and Countess
of Derby, the Earl and Countess of Aberdeen, the
Earl and Countess of Minto, and last, but not least,
their Royal Highnesses the present Prince and
PRACTICAL IMPERIALISM 247
Princess of Wales, who remained under his lord-
ship's roof during the whole of their recent stay in
Montreal. In each of these instances the dinner-
party was followed by a reception, to which over
a thousand persons were invited.
His love for art is amply attested by a valuable
private collection of pictures. The highest price
ever paid for a modern picture at auction (45,000
dollars) was given by him for Jules Breton's
"The First Communion." He has also in his
collection numerous examples of Raphael, Titian,
Turner, Reynolds, Gainsborough, Romney, Millais,
Constable, and other famous masters.
Lord Strathcona has received many honours in the
last twenty years, but there are few that he prizes
more highly than his LL.D. degree, granted him by
Cambridge University in 1887. Five years after this
was followed by a similar doctoral conferment on the
part of Yale University.
In 1900 he was chosen to succeed the Earl of
Aberdeen as Lord Rector of Aberdeen University. *
Towards the close of his address he gave some views
on the empire's future which deserve to be well
conned by every subject. "We have," said he,
" glanced at some of the milestones along the road
which has led to the cross-roads we are now facing,
* December, 1900.
I !
■
»48 LORD STRATHCONA
taken ? Shall it be the one which points to the main-
which W.U lead to closer unity for imperial purpo«!
for commercial purposes, and for drfence? ^«
seem, to be a general feeling in favour of the ^Z7
wh.ch wiU assure the difieren. parts of the e^
^2^^". °' ^' -80— ment, while giving them .
vo^ce ,r imperial policy, the desire for which i,
STlTZrT"*'^^'^'- There a« some who.
think that the solution of the problem is to be foun,-
« the representation of Canada and the Colonies U
the Imperial Parliament 1 am no. one of th^ wh
^ that view, at any rat*, until a truly Imperfe'
b^ tha there „»y ^ ,^ ^,.^^^ ^ J^
|«al affiiirs m England, Scotland, and Ireland , and
win be imperial in name and in its work. We
W.U seek to havea.voioe in the foreign policy-and in
o*er subjects affecting the well-being^f VtZ
of meeiung the aspirations of the Colonies does not
admit of doubt. I have made some reference to A^
n-
er
•e
e
s
PRACTICAL IMPERIAL'SM J49
q»e«io« of .n Imperial Parliament That may be
the ultimate solution or it may not But"« th!
meantime the constitution of an Imperil (i„„*
■« conjunction with U,e Colonial OiBce. con^Z'
o ^presentati^s of the Imperial Gove nme„. ?
« a prehmmaor step, even if the Council were only
consultative at the commencement"
penal«t of over siay yeara' standing, and what he
^^Phesied it is our fervent hope Say he J^gS:
"It is," he said again, in one of his Enelish
Sf^^es, ..very much a,e fa^on to complain".^
fte Colon.es do not contribute to the expends of ti,e
army and navy, although ti,e services exist for im!
penal purposes. They do not perhaps, except T„
ttey alone are responsible, for works and develop,
ments of imperial as well as local utility. Theh^
^^nd'^T'*'' """ *""»""• -'»'*« fo'
^ and cable communication, expenses for local
defences and militia establishments, all come u„X
this heading. In Canada ti,e construction of ti,e
railways entails an annual charge upon the coun^
350 LORD STRATHCONA
of one million sterling. These facts should be borne
in mind in discussing the matter."
Somebody once asked Lord Strathcona for some
words of advice on behalf of young men, and in
the reply he gave he revealed his own lifelong
guiding principles.
"Be content," said he, "with your lot, but
always be fitting yourself for something better
and something higher. Do not despise what you
are. Be satisfied for the time, not grumbling and
finding fault. If you want to get higher, to a
better position, only cheerful perseverance wilj
bring you there: grumbling wiU not help you an
*"«^^- Your future really depends almost entirely
,,. 9JiJSm$}hM^JsyhtxmMliK.t^ i^ke it;!
would like to impress this fact upon you. Do the
work yourself; don't wait for friends to use their
influence on your behalf; don't depend on the help
of others. Of course, ppnprtunity is a great thing,
and it comes to some men more frequently than to
others. But there are very few it does not visit
at one time or another, and if you are not ready
for it and have not prepared to welcome it, that is
your fault, and you are the loser. Apart from that i
which we call genius, I believe that one man is able
to do as well as any other, provided the opportunity
presents itself and he is blessed with good health.'
PRACTICAL IMPERIALISM 251
Much of what I would advise you young men to
do IS contained in the old counsel, 'Trust in
Providence, and keep your powder dry.'"
And with no more fitting words than these-preg-
nant with practical wisdom, and revealing so much
of his own modest character-can we close this
narrative of the remarkable career of one well
meriting the title of Canada's "Grand Old Man."
APPENDIX A
HON. DONALD A. SMITH'S OWN NARRATIVE
OF EVENTS DURING THE RED RIVER
REBELLION, 1869-70
REPORT AS CANADIAN COMMISSIONER TO RED RIVER
ADORBSSBD TO THE SBCRBTARY OP 8TATB
LEAVING Ottawa on the 13th December last, I reached
St. Cloud, the terminus of railway communication, on
the 17th, continuing on the same day by stage, and
arriving at Abercrombie on the evening of the 19th.
Here we had to abandon wheeled carriages, and pro-
curing a sleigh, after a couple of hours' rest, we resumed
the journey, and on the afternoon of the aist met Hon.
Mr. MacdougaU and party about thirty miles beyond
Georgetown. From him I learned how serious the aspect
of affairs had latterly become at Red River, and pushing
on, we got to Pembina about 11 p.m. of the ;*4th and to
Fort Garry on the 37th.
The gate of the fort we found open, but guarded by
several armed men, who on my desiring to be shown to
Governor Mactavish's house, requested me to wait tiU
they could communicate with their chief. In a short
253
THE RED RIVER REBELLION 353
time Mr Loui. Rid appeared. I announced my name.
He «ild he had heard of my arrival at PemW,.,, and
wa. about to .end off a party to bring me In. . then
accompanied him to a room occupied by ten or a dozen
»«n, whom he introduced to me a. member, of the
provaional Government." He reqieated to Icnow the
purport of my vi.it. to which I replied in substance that
I wa. connected ^-ith the Hud«on'. Bay Company, out
also held a commission from the Canadian Government
to the people of Red River, and would be prepared to
.how my credential, a. .oon a. they (the people) were
wilhng to receive me. I wa. then a.ked to take oath
not to attempt to leave the fort that night, nor to upset
their Govermnent. legally e.tabH.hed. Thi. request I
peremptorily refused to comply with, but said that, beine
very tired, I had no desire to go outside the gate that
mght, and promised to take no immediate steps forcibly
to upset the so<alled "provisional Government," legal
or .ll<«al as it might be, without first amiouncing my
intention to do so, Mr. Riel taking exception to the word
Illegal, while I insisted on retaining it. Mr. O'Donoghue
to get over the difficulty, remarked, "That is as he"
(meaning myself) "understands it," to which I repued.
Precisely so." The above explanation I am the more
particular in giving as it has been reported that I at once
acknowledged the "provisional Government" to be legal
Neither then nor afterwards did I do so.
I took up my quarters in one of the houses occupied
by the Hudson's Bay Company's officers, and from that
date till towards the end of February was virtually a
254
LORD STRATHCONA
prisoner within the fort, although with permission to
go outside the walls for exereise accompanied by two
armed guards, a privilege of which I never availed
myself.
All my official papers had been left in charge of Mr.
Provencher at Pembina, as I had been warned that,
if found in my possession, they would unquesUonably
be seised, as were those brought into the settlement
shortly after by the Rev. Mr. Thibault and Colonel de
Salaberry.
The state of matters at this time in and around Fort
Garry was most unsatisfactory and truly humiUating.
Upwards of sixty British subjects were held in close con-
finement as "political prisoners"; security for persons
or property there was none ; the fort, with its large
supplies of ammunition, provisions, and stores of all
Icinds, was in the possession of a few hundred French
half-breeds, whose leaders had declared tiieir determina-
tion to use every effort for tiie purpose of annexing tiie
territory to the United States, and the Governor and
Council of Assiniboia were poweriess to enforce the
law.
On the 6th of January I saw Mr. Riel, and soon came
to the conclusion that no good could arise from entering
mto any negotiations witii his "Council," even were we
to admit their authority, which I was not prepared to
do. We learnt that on the 13th the Grand Vicar Thibault
and Colonel de Salaberry appeared before tiie "President
and Council of the People." when some explanations and
compliments were exchanged, after which the very rev.
THE RED RIVER REBELLION ,55
irentletnan and hia AaanH.*.
let aight or *• ""•'• P*^"^«'y ^^ out and
MeanUme, we had frequent visita In »h- r ^ r
of the n.o.t InfluentiaTand I^^^re all ™";""'
•ettJement, who riadlv m.rf. u * """ '" *•»«
•tation with Unada aLT^ ■ *°' "" »«»»>"«>.
"» c.u«, ,„ «" tifo^tf t:r: r '"■'"''"^'
the CoBfedwalion tbtir,Z. ""'."«'"' ^ '""ri-* into
F"~h half-b^*" H™;" ■»■"? "»«'X " to do. th.
""Won, .„d orr;.J.°, .."^"^ •" '" ""' ""■
««•" ih„ z stwi* :: rj""''"'^'" *•
" .«it«. yet f.,teH.<, n,.ZrZ ^'.-TriTj'
tis a c'reat oitv • h..f u ' * know,
tin., a writroZfo rrdr""''"! " "■• --
To this , would not^^d* but „ ? '° "" ■"'""««'•
-.wouidbedeurirr/Lxtrir;
256
LORD STRATHCONA
should be afforded an opportunity of communicating their
contents to the people, I consented to send a friend for
them. It was so decided, and immediately after the
messenger had received his instructions from me I
was placed under strict arrest, a captain's guard being
assigned me, whose instructions were not to lose sight
of me, day or night, and prevent me from communicating
either verbally or in writing with any individual. I pro-
tested, saying, "Am I to consider myself a prisoner?"
He replied, " Certainly not ; I have the utmost confidence
in your honour, but circumstances demand this."
It was now about ten o'clock, and my messenger
having been marched out, I retired to bed, but only to
be awakened 'twixt two or three o'clock in the morning
of the isth by Mr. Riel, who, with a guard, stood by
the bedside and again demanded a written order for the
delivery of my official papers, which I again peremptorily
refused to give.
The well-affected French party became aware of what
had happened, and not believing in Kiel's good faith,
determined to prevent the papers from falUng into his
hands. They got together some sixty or eighty men,
who met my friend on his way back, and were escorting
him, when on the i8th, about ten miles from the fort,
they were accosted by Riel and some of his party and
by the Rev. Mr. Richot. An altercation took place.
Riel attempted to use his pistol, saying "he would not
be taken alive in his own country," on which a revolver
was levelled at hi- head, and Mr. Richot having inter-
posed, he was unceremoniously told to stand aside and
THE RED RIVER REBELLION ,57
"a.t to fatoftr. „y fisher wia, „,«.„ „c.n«cttd
With his spiritual duti^ " ?♦ .^ "wnneciea
all th«.. u . . ' "*y *^ ^e« to note that
ail those who took oart in fhi. -« • -.
with on., or . . *''*'' "^^ Catholics and.
with one or two exceptions. French half-breeds. Nothing
mc^e senous happened at this time, and the part^ or^
ceeded together to v,^^ n » "" me party pro-
o^etner to Fort Garry, where they arrived in th«
forenoon. A few minutes before they enterr^^h!^ J
the Ve.y Rev. Mr. Thibaul, Pire LesUnc ^^^^
de Salaberrv ,>^u^ *-estanc, and Colonel
was permitted to converse since the i^th n.- .
to be much concerned and saTd7 ^ ^^^^"^
f I. -1 u ^"raea. and said it was currently reoorteH
-d Witt z^;:^ ~'' '" *• 7" "f <»«« •»" »«<.r,
the a™H^' ^ '^ "'""■"'d with the Hberal views of
the CanadiM Government, ,0 that <t peacefnl trenZ of
K cu. in me meantime, the party in oosses«nn
L«.tanc jo.„ed then,, whUe Messrs. TObam, „. !!
SaUberr, went outside, ta^ediateiy after they "uref
Dut ,„ the hands of men who had no right to have it-
with the Zl' He .^ '"""'"*' '"''' '» «»"»unicat.
« people. He at once removed the guard, and we
258
II :
LORD STRATHCONA
went up to the party who had juat arrived. Measrs. Riel
and O'Donoghue with a few of their frienda were preaent,
and vehemenUy protested against the action now being
taken, while the ex<ounciUors accused them of treason
to the Imperial Crown, and of using every effort to bring
about the annexation of the country to the United States.
Riel -eplied that was only supposing the people desired
It, but that he was willing the question should be sub-
mitted to them. P6re Lestanc spoke warmly in favour
of the "President," who, he said, had acted so as to merit
the gratitude of his countrymen, and begged them still
to place confidence in him. This evidentiy had no effect,
and ultimately, after a good deal of recrimination, it was
arranged that a meeting of the inhabitants from all parts
of the settlement should be called for the morrow, the
19th, at which the papers bearing on the subject should
be read, a guard of forty men remaining in the house to
ensure the safe-keeping of the documents.
Kiel's men were now falling away from him, while the
loyal party expressed their determination no longer to be
guided in the matter either by him or by Fire Lestanc
and h,s associates. They were full of hope and confident
that the following day would bring with it complete
success to the cause of Canada.
Late that night Fire Lestanc paid them another visit,
which was prolonged for several hours beyond midnight,
and next morning it was found that a majority of those
who had seceded from Riel were again on friendly terms
with him. The hour for the meeting having arrived,
upwards of a thousand people attended, and deeming it
THE RBD RIVER REBELLION ,59
Witt .^p4o^ :ini ■"«""• '» -n,c.i„„
<«««». or hi!:^;:.^ «?=' ""''•"°'"'"'''
accordingly. * appointed
Otter d,i::."r:z *'^r ' r-' -" -^-^
ultimately carrirf. .n^^T * """" """""cy. but
pr«»c'an""X?r:L"'" '""' '» ""^"f" tt.
Judge Black .nT .? <*«"»"■ of the secrettnr,
I «que.W^1?:,- "" eommencemem of the „«>ang
'•^4 ttar:„izror ^t'^Sdtj^ '-.r •-
"ciua- at an after-stace • hnf *u^ ^
doing so, now lost, never r^^rLd '^^'""*^ °'
As IS generally known, the result of the m^f
the appointment of forty dele^aLV f ! T ^^ '"^^
side, to meet on th« ,!fu t ' "^^"'^ ^™" ^'^^er
consideH;ir,„t;:n TZ^''''' ^^ °''^'-' °^
to decide what wouW 1 k , * ^"'""s'on and
country" Zpvt ^'' ^^^ '^'^ ^«'^«r« of the
360
LORD STRATHCONA
explanations g^ven and their earnest desire for union
with Canada.
On the aand Riel had several conferences with the well-
affected French within the fort ; he was melted even to
tears, told them how earnestly he desired an arrangement
n^th Canada, and assured them that he would lay down
his authority immediately on the meeting of the Conven-
tion. They believed him sincere, and although I considered
that their guard in the fort should not be decreased, they
held that ten men would be amply sufficient to leave while
they went to secure thdr elections. The consequence
was that they had hardly gone when repressive measures
were resorted to, and the Hudson's Bay Company's stores,
which had hitherto been only partially in their hands, were
now taken complete possession of by Riel.
Efforts were made to have the prisoners released, but
without effect
The delegates met on the 35th and continued in
session till the loth February. On the 26th I handed to
their chairman, Judge Black, the documents read at the
meetings of the 19th and 20th January, and on the ayth
attended the Convention by appointment. I was received
with much cordiality by all the delegates, explained to
them the views of the Canadian Government, and gave
assurances that on entering the confederation they would
be secured in the possession of all rights, privileges, and
immunities enjoyed by British subjects in other parts o£
the Dominion ; but on being requested by Mr. Riel to give
an opinion regarding a certain *' List of Rights " prepared
by his party in December last, I declined to do so, thinking
THE RED RIVER REBELLION 361
it better that the present Convention should place in my
hands a paper stating their vdshes, to which I should " be
happy to give such assurances as I believed would be in
accordance with the views of the Canadian Government."
The Ccuvention then set about the task of preparing a ' * List
of Rights " embodying the conditions on which they would
be willing to enter the Confederation. While the discus-
sion regardmg this list was going on, Mr. Rid called on
me and asked if the Canadian Government would consent
to recdve them as a pro^ance. My reply was that I
could not speak with any degree of certainty on the
subject, as it had not been referred to when I was at
Ottawa, the intention then being that the North-West
should in the first instance be incorporated under the
Dominion as a territory ; but I added that no doubt it
would become a province within two or three years. On
this Mr. Rid, ixdth much emphasis, exclaimed, "Then the
Hudson's Bay Company is not safe yet ! " To which I
answered, «Mr. Rid, that cannot influence me in the
slightest d^free, and I am quite prepared to act as may be
required of me in my capadty as Canadian Commissioner."
This was on the evening of the 3rd of February. On the
follo^xnng day the proposition to enter as a province was
negatived by the Convention, and on the 5th another
motion, directed against the Hudson's Bay Company, also
failed, the language used by Mr. Rid on the latter occa-
sion having been violent in the extreme. The same
evening Riel proceeded to Governor Mactavish, who had
been dangerously ill for many weeks back, and heaping
reproaches and insult upon him, declared that he would
I,
a«a LORD STRATHCONA
have him .hot before midnight. Riel then wught out
Dr. Cowan, the officer in immediate charge of Red River
Distnct, upbraided him for his persistent opposition to
the people," the insurgents, and declaring that his
name would go down with infamy to posterity for the
part he had taken, demanded that he would immediately
swear allegiance to the "provisional Govermnent" or
prepare for death within three hours, giving him a
quarter of an hour for consideration. The Doctor
immediately replied that he knew no legal authority in
the country but that of Great Britain to which his
aUegiance was due, and that he would not take the oath
required of him. He was then seized and put in confine-
ment along with the prisoners taken in December last.
I was also put under strict charge, but not removed from
the house. Notwithstanding this and the painful doubt
created in the minds of the English members of the
Convention as to the course they should pursue, after
these arrests the delegates again met on the 7th. On the
5th they had placed in my hands the • • List of Rights " they
had drawn up, which was done at eleven o clock on the
nh, with an intimation that the Convention would be
glad to meet me at one o'clock p.m., the intervening two
houra being aUowed me to frame my answers. In drawing
up these I was allowed no reference to any document,
either written or printed, except the " List of Rights," and
a guard stood over me to see that I should write nothing
else ^an that to be presented to the Convention. I hZ
just finished writing when Mr. Riel and his Adjutant-
General, Lepine, who was also a member of the Conven-
*
THE RED RIVER REBELLION 263
tion, came in, and Riel, looking at tlie latter in a
■ignificant manner, said, "The answers to the 'List of
Rights' must be simply 'yes ' or 'no.' " On this I remarked
that I thought otherwise, and would act as circumstances
might appear to me to require. I then retired, and on
returning to the room a few minutes later, found there
Mr. Riel, the Rev. Mr. Thibault, and Ck)lonel de
Salaberry. We proceeded together to the Convention,
and in course of conversation Colonel de Salaberry said
he would gladly have come to see me before, but could
not, as he had been a prisoner throughout.
The proceedings of the Convention, as reported in the
New Nation newspaper of the xith and i8th of February,
copies of which I have had the honour of addressing
to you, are sufficiently exact, and render it unnecessary
for me here to enter into details. Suffice it to say that
a large majority of the delegates expressed entire satis-
faction with the answers to their "List of Rights," and
professed confidence in the Canadian Government, to
which I invited them to send delegates, with the view
of effecting a speedy transfer of the territory to the
Dominion, an invitation received with acclamation and
unanimously accepted, as will appear by resolution hereto
annexed, along with the " List of Rights » and my answer
to the same. The delegates named were John Black,
Esq., Recorder, the Rev. Mr. Richot, and Mr. Alfred
H. Scott, a good deal of opposition having been offered
to the election of the last-named of the three.
The proceedings of this Convention came to a close on
the loth of February by the nomination of the "pro-
"«♦ LORD STRATHCONA
Dr. CowM, and two or Uire. otber pMon, ,^ ^
.llo«d to com. .„d go .t pl«.„„, fc„, , ^"^
eonaned to the fort Ri.l .. t. • "' ' WM Mdl
Judg, Bhck, Mng .ppr.h«^„ „ j^j
tt« P»pte i„ th. .pp^w^ ^^,,^'' ^^ ^
tt.t 11 the pri«,„.„ rtould .oo« bo „|«„.d. OnT
nU. .nd »U, 1, or tight f d.«„ ..r. «t .. ul^
«d Dr Cow« w« i„form«l i. my p««.c. that JZ
h.d oocup.«i would b, pUced « hi. di.po«l to . ^l
or two. R.ei ™„ridng ,t th. «une tm,. u»t to l»Jd
hav. than thoroughly cl«m«J out "*"» "wUd
Rumours now bogan to cireuht. of , rid™ ,t u«
P<«.g.. «Kl on th. uight. of th. ■♦th ,r^,.4 rf
^^ ."::::'/"'*^ " -' hund,«.*„.. frj„**u,.°^
«o KUdouM, whM. th.y WOT jofart by from ZJT^
-.», Prindpliy EngU* half-br«d. trL Tl^ p^
olg^r' ""^ !*-■"". P^y ^^
FrMch party, wh«. th. Iatt.r took action about th.
nu«,. 0^ J. or ««. to th. bcgio^*^ ^1^
^ th. «thng of U.. Con«ntion, ord« might h.«
b«u «sJo«d. and th. transf^ to Canada p^I, ,"
tt. n^m, ™s „o. only rash, but punx^...,. ^,, ^Z^,
■ts .nt.rv«t.on, a.. pri,„„«, ^^ u„,u«t^ooa;ty t«
THB RED RIVER REBELLION 365
been rdewed. The party wa. entirely unorMniwd
IndifferanUy armed, unprovided with food, even V^^
meal, and wholly incapable of coping with the French.
prepared to offer the moat determined reaiatance. which,
a. they were ,n possession of a number of guns (sixl
and three-pounders). ample .tore, of ammunition, pro-
vi.ion.. and every other requisite, they could have done
met effectually. My aympathie. were, in a gZ
«ea.uj^ with the Portage men. whom I beUevn.
have been actuated by the beat of motive.; but under
the arcumatance. it wa. not difficult to foresee that the
^ue oouldnot be otherwise than diaaatrou. to tiieir cause.
The attempt was therefore to be deplored, as it resulted
in placing tht whole settiement at the feet of Riel. The
^t majority of settiers, EngUsh and Scotch, dis-
thow who had .et it on foot. Forty..even of the party
wwe oiptured on their way home while passing ^thb
a few hundred yards Of the fort Tlie expCati^ I hav^
heani given for their otiierwise inexpUcable conduct in
having toking tiiis route, instead of making a d^ our
Which ahould have ensured safety, being^ ^uppL?^
promise by RW that they would be permitted to^
Jjuno^ted. Their messenger, a young man na^
McLean, on being questioned by Archdeacon McLean
and myself m presence of tiie Rev. Mr. Gardner and
one or two otiier gentiemen, admitted that Riel. on being
a.ked If tiie party would be permitted to pass, was
silent, and only on being informed that they intended
Mf
LORD STRATHCONA
|>«t <l.y to UM tbe rout, Ju.t outdd, tt» »« j^rf,^
"Ah, u... u ^ I •■ And f„ u. p„^ ,, r:^:^;
M«d. . U« Port,,. ^^ ^ y^, ^
«»m . a„ h« m«n«. ,h«, h. «iw U»j, wr. drt...
™on o. tt, Ml«Hn, d.y, but .. «„ ta«^,„ ^
SI. 7 "^ ""• "" " '^ "~" "'~*^ tb^
of S.turd.y a» ,9U,. Furth., Uuu, ttl.. RW jj^'
^ could ».. would .«« yi^. .^p.. i^;, ^ 1^
rtould b. «pft«d in U» m«nti«„, i, wUd, c«, ta
would b« ihot bttetd of B<».ii». « uj .
I..rf 1— 1 7™"" tioulion. ArchdMcoo McUm
Sl^ \ "• '"""^ •» <^P«^ "•""o. fc,
f»enty.fou, hou«, 1«1 ,d„Jnl.ter«i «, him a., S«™.
««.. ««lv«l hi. |„. con,«„d., „d h«. pi
I «M th. Arc*d«coa on my way ^ «. Ri,l. .b.u, dgJJ
H. N. RobinMn, of the A*. JVa/im newsDaoer lud
entered, followed in . few minute, by Mr. B«mZ^
Po,ta«ter, who had been order«l to bVing tt. Z'J?^;
n.aU.b^, whioh Riel open«i, n„d ex^nilj a,e ll«
perused .«, r«ain«i one or mo«. Mr. lo,. p3
THE RBO RIVER REBELLION t&j
""*" »'»» '»««"«Pt«l by Mr. R.M., „,„^ ™
» Uk. tt, life rf ,„yo„,, ,^ u,„ ^^^^
«-- 1. W.UM b. tap,„,M. „ h.v. p.«. ^ „jr^
for doing «,. I „,„^ with hto. long «ri M,ne.U,
r" " ■««*. ••»« •" .•dock. h. ,iZ., ITZ^
I h.™ b«n d«f tt ,u «to«tiM, „d to now gr«a„,
h l.«»«r I c«. do." H. continnrt: -tJCd. ti
♦« «K* • .u .. * English to join us simply
2 «*«" and .nduce th.m to go on with the elation of
delegate, for that pun»»e "; and he repUed. " If you c«
J6I
LORD STRATHCONA
<lo tUa war wUl IM avokM. Not only ih« «»,. but tbt
Ubwrtjr of aU the priioiieni wiU be Mcured, for oo your
•uocMf dapMid the Uv« of alJ the Caoadiau in the
country." He Immediately proceeded to the prlKm and
Intimated to Archdeacon McLean that he had been In-
duced by me to spare Captain Boulton'e Ufe, and had
further promiied to me that Immediately on tue meeting
of the Council ihortly to be elff^ed the whole of the
prlMners should be released, requesting the Archdeacon
at the same time to explain these drtnunstances to Captain
Boulton and the^ther prisoners. The moment was a fear-
ful one for the settlement Every man's Ufa was In the
»»«nd« of RIel, and fuUy appreciating the signiflcance of
this, the Bishop of Rupert's Land and the ProtesUnt
dergy generally now earnestly counseUed tha people to
elect their delegates without loss of time, as by this
means they might to some extent control the course of
events, while otherwise they were utteriy powerless. I
•ntirely concurred In this view of the case, and Arch-
deacon McLean having kindly offered to accompany me,
we visited the different parts of the settiement, and found
that in several parishes the people and those most loyal
to the British Crown and most desirous for union with
Canada had already chosen their counciMors. I explained
to all that the CouncU was to be provisional, in the
strictest sense of the word, intended expressly for efiect-
ing the transference of the country to Canada, and for
ensuring the safety of life and property in the meantime.
In some instances I found they had drawn up petitions
to Mr. Rid. as "President," expressing submission, etc.
THE RED RIVER REBELLION 369
Thwt I raquMtod Umoi to dattroy, advitlng that nothing
mort should bo done than under the dreumatancoa waa
abaotutdy nocaaaary, namely, that having made their
•lecUon, they ahould aimply inUmate the fact in formal
terma to Mr. Bunn, who had been named Secretary of
the CouneU, and not to Mr. Rial. The electiona in the
Bngliah pariahea having taken place on the a6th February,
I agafai aaw Rial, who reaaaured me that aU the priaonera
would be releaaed within a day or two after the firat
meeting of the Council. On the a8th he again sent for
me, and in the presence of Mr. Fraser, delegate from the
Scotch pariah, Kildonan, repeated hia promise that the
Uvea of the priaonera were secured, and that their releaae
would ahortly foUow.
I had no further communication with Rial until Monday,
the 4th March, when about ten o'clock in the morning
P*re Leatanc called on me. He bformed me of Bishop
Tach^'a expected arrival— not later certainly than the
8th, and probably aome daya earlier— adding that his
lordship had telegraphed to request that if about to leave
for Canada I ahould defer my departure till he could com-
munkate personaUy with me. He then said that the
"conduct of the prisoners was very unsatisfactory, that
they were very unruly, innolent to the •soldiers,' and their
behaviour altogether so very bad that he was afraid the
guards might be forced to retaliate in self-defence." I
expressed much surprise at the information he gave, as
the prisoners, without exception, had promised to Arch-
deacon McLean and myself that, seeing their helpless
condition, they would endeavour to act so as to avoid
»70 LORD STRATHCONA
t. look forward to te n«di,y „„^ ;„ f.^^^
P™™« m«l. b, Mr. Ri.L On. man. Parker, .a. »«.
6o.«l as hanng „„rf, u„^ particularly obaoxiou. by
hu. «ol„, conduct, but not on. word waa ..id «, Z
o««.on r^rding Scott, or ti.. .lights i.tin»tion gi«n
Zl Z "'' •*" •"'*"' '""' '*"' «»><««n»e<l to b.
"hot About ele™, o'clock Pire IxstUK left „, and
went npatour. to commumcat. to Governor Mactayirt, a,
h« «.d, U.. good new, that Bishop Tachi wa. exp«=ted
~ soon." The Rev. Mr. Voung. MeU.odi.t cler^n"^
*ad just «.ter«J ti.. house, and meeting the P t^Ttiie
ban. con»er,«l with him a few minutes. Mr. Young U,«,
"m. up to ^^^^ f„„ y„ , ^ ^^ ^^^ ^^
tha .t was mtended to shoot Thomas Scott, and U«t the
^tence w« to be carried into eifect at twelve o'clock
ooon that day. We ag«ed in beUeving U„,t the thing
was too monstrous to be possible, and Mr. Young mei!
tioned that poor Scon himself wa, equally incr«llr<l
tt. subject, thinking ti..y merely intended ^ frighten^
However, even to keep hhn in suspense was „f it«« a
hornble cruelty, «,d it was arranged ti«t as Mr. Young
tad been sent for to attend the man, he should see Rief
ascertam exactly how the matter stood, and if ^'
senovu, to le, me know at once. Mr. Young accortingly
called on Ri„, ^ ^^^ ^^, ^^^^ ^^ ^*^y
demned. tta. a,e sentence was irrevocable and would not
be delayed one minute beyond noon. Mr. Young begg«l
for dday, «iying " Uie man is not prepared to <B. ■■fZt
aU without .«ul. He was paralysed witi, hom,r. turned
im
he
n-
'y
is
in
le
d
s
d
THE RED RIVER REBELLION 271
to the prisoner, and immediately sent a messenger to in-
fom, me of the result of his visit I determined to find
out Riel immediately, but recollecting that P6re Lestanc
^ss^U upstair with Mr. Mactavish, went to hhn, related
what I had heard, and asked him if he knew anything
about the matter. His answer I cannot give in precise
words, but It ^s to the effect that they had seen Mr. Riel
on the other side (St. Boniface) and had all spoken to him
about ,t, by which I understood that they had interceded
for Scott. Governor Mactavish was greatly shocked on
bcmg informed of Kiel's purpose, and joined in reprobating
U o *!'*"' '°°''"*'^ '° accompany me, and we
caUed on R,el. When we entered he asked me, " What
news from Canada?" The mail had arrived the preceding
Tach6w.Il be here very soon." I then mentioned what I
had heard regarding Scott, and before Riel answered P6re
Lestanc mterposed in French words, meaning, "Is there
no way of escape?" Riel replied to him. "My Rev.
P6re, you know exactly how the matter stands"; then
turning to me he said, " I will explain to you," speaking
at firs in English, but shortly afterwards using the French
remarking to me, "You understand that language?"
He said m substance that Scott had throughout been a
troublesome character, had been the ringleader in a rising
against Mr. Snow, who had charge of the party employed
^y the Canadian Government during the preceding
summer .n road-making; that he had risen against the
provisional Govermnent » in December last; that his
life was then spared; that he escaped, had again been
V . -, ,.,.^_.iii. ■ ^
272
LORD STRATHCONA
I
I:
taken in arms, and once more pardoned, referring, no
doubt, to the promise he had made to me ; that the lives
and liberty of all the prisoners were secured, but that he
was incorrigible and quite incapable of appreciating the
clemency with which he had been treated ; that he was
rough and abusive to the guards and insulting to him,
Mr. Riel ; that his example had been prodttctive of the
very worst effects on the other prisoners, who had become
insubordinate to such an extent that it was difficult to
withhold the guards from retaliating.
He furthei- said, "I sat down vnih Scott as we are
doing now, and asked him truthfully to tell me — as I
would not use his statement against him — what he and
the Portage people intended to have done with me had
they succeeded in capturing me when they surroimded
Conture's house," to which he replied, *<We intended to
keep you as a hostage for the safety of the prisoners."
I argued with Riel and endeavoured to show that some
of the circumstances he had mentioned, and especially
the last, were very strong reasons to ui^ why Scott's
life should not be sacrificed, and that if, as he represented,
Scott was a rash, thoughtless man, whom none cared to
have anything to do vnth, no evil need be apprehended
from his example. I pointed out that the one great merit
claimed for the insurrection was that so far it had been
bloodless, except in one sad instance, which all were
willing to look upon as an accident, and implored him not
now to stain it, to burden it with what would be con-
sidered a horrible crime. He exclaimed, "We must
make Canada respect us!" I replied, "She has every
THE RED RIVER REBELLION J73
rtown u. hM h.»„« „„, Commissioner, to t«.l with
b«k, wl,« ttq, commissioned me to «.y to tl.«r fri«,d,
«o ttem agam and „a«,„ „itl, ,hem should that b.
atm^T: "P^^tative, went to see the prisoner^
at my desire, and on aslcing then, whom they would vote
for « counciito^. if «,ey were permitted a choice outsM^
of U,«r own hody, Thomas Scott «une forward and said!
My h^ys, have ..thing to do wifl, those Americans."'
for alttough we have not been with them, they are wift
us. and h.« be«, better fri«,ds to us than a^e C^«.^*
M«* m.„ was said on both sides, but argumenC^n-
treaty, and protest alilte failed to dmw him from hi,
P^. and he clos«. by saying, ", bave don."hX
good tl^mg, smce I have commenced: I have spared
Boulton's Me at your instance, «,d I do not regret it, f„
he. a anefeUow, I pardons. Gaddy, and heXwed Z
grawud. by escapmg out of the BasHon, but I don't
^ Wm his miserable Hfe, .nd now 1 shaU ^
S~tt. Lep,ne. the Adjutant^eral-who was presi-
d«t of the council of seven which tried Scott, five of
Whom, Kiel told me, "with tears streaming f™mLv
wbch he had confirmed-now entered, and in answer to
T
n ^
274
LORD STRATHCONA
Rid said, " He must die." Riel then requested the Rev.
P6re Lestanc to put the people on their knees for prayer,
as it might do good to the condemned man's soul.
Referring to P6re Lestanc, and making a final appeal
unnecessary here to repeat, I retired. It was now within
a few minutes of one o'clock, and on entering the
Governor's house, Rev. Mr. Young joined me and said,
" It is now considerably past the hour ; I trust you have
succeeded." "No," I said, "for Clod's sake go back at
once to the poor man, for I fear the worst." He left
immediately, and'a few minutes after he entered the room
in which the prisoner was confined some guards marched
in and told Scott his hour was come. Not until then did
the reality of his position flash upon poor Scott. He
said good-bye to the other prisoners, was led outside the
gate of the fort with a white handkerchief covering his
head ; his coffin, having a piece of white cotton thrown
over it, was carried out His eyes were then bandaged ;
he continued in prayer, in which he had been engaged on
the way for a few minutes. He asked Mr. Young how
he should place himself, whether standing or kneeling ;
then knelt in the snow, said farewell, and immediately
fell back, pierced by three bullets, which had passed
w«.fough his body. The firing party consisted of six men,
all of whom, it is said, were more or less intoxicated. It
has been further stated that only three of the muskets
were loaded with ball cartridge, and that one man did not
discharge his piece. Mr. Young turned aside when the
first shots were fired, then went back to the body, and
again retired for a moment, while a man discharged t.:
THE RED RIVER REBELLION 075
•)» and punng round th< bead.
m. «,„„d«l m«, g™„.d beh^ tt. tin,, of re.
wlvmg tte muAet .hot. and the diwhanre of Z
'wolwr. Mr. Youne aalnd .„ h. ~~ ^ " "»
into™,-. ■ ./ . ^ '"™ "» remains for
^u^' -. t: k"", "" "^"^ to. and a luiar
^ rrfused. He wa. buried witi,i„ tt, ^u of U..
X ^« "T "^ *' """ "^ <■"»- *' P"™
poor Scott, addresring Mr. Young, .aid, "Tbis a a
cold-blooded munlar " . ri... ^ . 'uui is a
„ occuoi J^ .7! ' "'^'*** *" ""''"• "" was
•0 occupied until he was shot
After thi, date I held no communication what.oe,er
I fdt Uia, under Uie ci„un,st«,ce, it wa, not de.i™ble
la^rthT-^-H^T " "**■ ^^" ""« " "" •»' ^
^uldK^T^ *<*»■«* "otaccompliddnV all tiiat
r^all ":^ '~" ""'"'• "■• "■-"» "' ««« River, i
su««sfu^ may fairly be attributed to tte cireumstance.
above referral .0. in connection witi. the action uC
-d m,«mgs held in Januaiy last. Suc«s., altiio^a
•a a lesser degree, might also have been gained a7.
can hardly bhime, knowing, a. already stated. UiaJ
2^6
LORD STRATHCONA
1 !
those who took part b it were actuated and impeUed
by generous motives.
On reaching Red River b December last I found the
EngKsh- speaking portion of the inhabitants greaUy
divided in opinion as to the comparative advantages
of union v/ith Canada and the formation of a Crown
Colony, while a few, a very small number, favoured
annexation to the United States. The explanations
offered on the part of Canada they received as satisfac
tory, and with hardly a dissentient voice they would
now vote for the immediate transfer to the Dominion.
They earnestiy requested me to assure His ExceUency
the Governor-General of their warm loyalty to the British
Crown.
The case is difficult as regards the French half-breeds.
A not inconsiderable number of them remabed true to
their allegiance during all the troubles through which
Aey have had to pass, and with these wiU now be found
Issociated many others whose minds had for a time been
poisoned by gross misrepresentations made by designing
men for tiieir own selfish ends. A knowledge of the true
state of the case and of tiie advantages they would
derive from union with Canada had been carefully kept
from tiiem, and they were told to judge of Canadians
generally by the acts and bearing of some of tiie less
reflective immigrants who had denounced tiiem as
"cumberers of the ground," who must speedily make
way for the "superior race" about to pour b upon
them.
It is also too true tiiat b tiie unautiiorised proceedings
THE RED RIVER REBELLION »„
^'h°l !^"^* "^""^ '"*'^' ""« Ptaulbl.
!»» off for themselve, considwible and In some wav.
M.,f tta, tte ^. had con,. wh«, in Adr own couohy
. bd.rf. however, which I have no doubt n,lgh.T«
b«ncon,p,e.^y preclude, by .he preven«o„ of^ai ^"
opmhon. untU Canada had My „ni.:d«l her policy and
•Iwwa the rroundlewness of these feara.
Let u. further bear in mind that many of the Catholic
d«^«. in the country are not Fr«i.Cana^^
Frenchmen, «,d cons«,uently, i, may be pre,um«l n«
WunJy attached to their flodts, they deemed it n«:^
my to exact some guarantee that In their newpoUtlcal
cond..™, ti,ey would not be tr.a.«J wlU, mjustlce ut
ntue dreamt of m the commencement, even by those who
jomed most heartUy in fl,e movement It U faTm"„
adence, U»t a U-ge majority of d.e French parly have
no mngivrngs a. to union with Canada, and that joined
by «.d under the guidance of hi, loMshlp, Bishop T^t
i 11
378
LORD STRATHCONA
I ,
and other memben of the dergy who enjoy their eon-
6dence, they will shortly prove themselves to be steunch
supporters of the Dominion, firm in their alleginnoe to
England.
In the course of the insurrection one deplorable crime
and many grossly illegal acts have unquestionably been
committed, but it would be alike unpolitic and unjust to
chai^ them to the French population generally.
Much obloquy has been heaped on the Hudson's Bay
Company and their Governor and officers in the North-
west, which I consider it unnecessary at this moment
even to attempt to answer or refute, although not doubt-
ing that both could be readily and satisfactorily done.
Errors, many and grave, have, it cannot be denied, been
committed on all sides, but wilful and iutentional n^ect
of duty cannot, I feel convinced, be laid to the cha^e
dther of the Hudson's Bay Company or their representa-
tives b the country. Personally I have been entirdy
unconnected with the adminis?««tion of affairs in that
department.
I would respectfully submit that it is of the utmost
importance there should be a strong military force in the
North-West as early as practicable. The minds of the
Indians, especially the tribes in the Saskatchewan country,
have been so perplexed and confused by the occurrences
of the past six months that it would be very unsafe to
trust to their forbearance ; and, indeed, until the question
of Indian claims has been finally settied, it would not, in
my opinion, be prudent to leave the country unprotected
by military. The adjustment of those claims will require
THE RED RIVER REBELLION 279
Mriy attention, and some memoranda and evidence in my
hand* on the subject I shall, if desired, be prepared to
lay before the Government.
I have the honour to be, sir.
Your obedient servant,
Donald A. Smith.
Ottawa, laik A^l, 187a
Thb Hon. Joibph Howb,
Stentaty tf Stott Jbr tht Provinctt.
' !
APPENDIX B
Araonmm aiH CoHHmioim
CANADA.
VicKwu, bx tin gnct of Ood, etc.,
T. D.O.M A. S«1U,. oia^atyot Montn^ rf
a» Promc. of Ou.l«, i. u,. D«,Union of
0»«<ta. aqul™, «Kl toiUI oth«« to »ho» th.
"»• l>« ia anywite concarwd, Gunmo:
H^rw. by „ Act of th, P.ril«n«>t of Quad.
A« Ac. fcr the tempomor GovenuMnt of Rupert'.
Und .«, «,. North-W^. Territory, whe. u^^to
^L:\ " r^ *^' " " ^"^ t^t " m.^
Wore tte tteo „.« .^rf,, ^ ^ ^^^^ J^*
««1 the. „ „ expedient to prep.™ for «„ u^„^
for the tnuufer of the «dd Local AuUioriUe. to^
Gov.™^ of Co.*.. .. thi, time appointed ^ Ist
*e QvU Government of ,uch Territorie,, until more per-
■nanent .rrangement. can be made by the Government Vnd
280
COMMISSION TO DONALD A. SMITH at.
tl» g««n».«t „ tt. Mid Ac. contonptated.
~M TwntoriM, our Governor of Cm«1, ,i„ p,,^ ^
"tooted to be Ui« Ueulenmnt-Govemor u .fore«Ud. o.
J^J«-«n. "- lU. onto- tato the -Id TerritZ w:^
^^>^ U»ir di^ontent „d di™tirf.!L ..^
t^^ «ni«, «„| u^, fa,„H^ to «.!« M,e «„„
And «her»« i, ^ «,pedien. thni inquiry Aould be
^1 «» c««. «Kl e^en. of .ueh .bl..Lon, oppt^
•itioo, and diKonteot, u eibresaid. ^^
Now Icnow j™, Uint bnrfng c«n«d«ice in you, hone..y.
M*^. «d integrity w. do, by .b.« p^^. „.^„„t
oon*ft,te. end appoint you. tl.. «dd Donald A. Snja,
«u^ "'"2~^^*^"™^<»« to in,™-,, into a,
the Red River, ,„ a. North-West TwitoriM, to the
P«ce.ble n«,ess of the Honou«ble Waii«n McDougall
«d^« parte, auU,ori.«l by our Go»«no,^.,;j^
^ to p™«d Into the «n,e; «,d also to ln,ui„
mto the «,„«, „j ji^„^, ^_j di.«tirfaction alleged
North-West Terttoriea »U. U.. Donunion of Quiada;
a«a LORD STRATHCONA
•nd further, to explain to the iiiluibitanta oT the ■aid
oouatfy the priodplee on which the Oomimiant of
Cwiada bteodi to adminiater the government of the
country aooordiog to eueh Inatructlons aa may be given
to you by our Governor b Council In thia behalf; and
to take ftepe to remove any mlMipprehenalona which may
wdrt In respect to the mode of government of the same;
•nd to report to our Governor-General the result of such
InquWei and on the best mode of quieting and removing
•uch discontent and dissatisfaction; and also to report
on the most proner and fitting mode for effecting the
•peedy transfer of the country and government from the
authority of the Hudson's Bay Company to the Govern-
ment of Canada with the general consent of the in-
habitants.
And farther, to consider and report on the most
advisable mode of dealbg with the Indian tribes in the
North-West Territories.
To have and to hold the said office of Commissioner
for the purposes aforesaid unto you, the said Donald A.
Smith, during pleasure. In testimony whereof, etc
NoTi.-The foragoiiv docmneot wu not tent to Mr. Donald A.
Smith unta the 25^ of January, .870, althongh it was gi»en onder
the Great Seal on the 17th of December. Mr. Commlwioner Smith,
however, acted on the letter of the loth of December, which wae,
to fcct, a Commission givingr him the fullest authority to act accord-
fag to the best of his judgment to dealing with the troubles at
Red River. I have omitted the letter as be^og but a repeUUon.
APPENDIX C
LOUIS RIBL
Of the lubMquent history of the celebrated half-breed
•fiUtor, there is Uttle or nothing which directly concerns
our narrative. In 1874, while stUl b exUe, he was elected
to PaiUament as member for Provencher. He actually
nnde his way to OtUwa, took the oath, and signed the
rolL He then disappeared, and his expulsion was d
voted. In 1885, his ambition once more inflamed, ]
came out of his obscurity, provoked a rebellion
Saskatchewan, and was eventually hanged at Regina,'
in September, 1^5.
383
INDEX
Aberdeen, Lord, 228
Aberdeen University, 247
Alexander, Fort, 98-100
Allan, Sir Hugh, 154, 183, 184
America, U.S. of, 40, 41, 147, 148
Amnesty Debate, 189
Anderson's Institution, 6
Archibald, Hon. A. O., 105, 107,
108, III, 115, i6i-3
Assiniboia, 38; Governor and
Council of, 39, 48, 104
B
Bank of Montreal, 186
Bannatyne, 83, 84, 143
Black, Judge, 65
Blake, Hon. Edward, 164, 305
Boulton, Major, 63 note, 86-8
Bowell, Hon. Mackenzie, 142,145,
»6s, 337
British Columbia, 133, 193, 194
Buffalo, disappearance of the,3i9-
21
Buller, Captain Redvers, 100
Bunn, Thomas, 65, 167
Sutler, Lieutenant (afterwards Sir
William), 100, 116-18
C
Canada: its condition in 1838, 16-
191 rebellioK in, 17, 53, 80, 81
Canadian Pacific Railway, 154,
^SS i the scandals concerning,
^SS' 179-81, 184, 192, ig^etseg.,
202; adverse opinion in Eng-
land, 204; formation of com-
Pa^yi 205; completed, 309, 323
"Carnarvon Terms," 196
Cartier, Sir George, 41, 131, 133,
*43i 146. 183
Christie, Chief Factor, 149
Colbome, Sir John, 17
Colonial Marriage BiU, zyietseq.
Colville, Eden^ 336
Cowan, Dr., 50, 79, 83
Dawson route, 196, 198, 301
Dawson, Sir W., 339, 330
Delorme, Pierre, 133, 134, 140, 14,
Dennis, Colonel, 47, 53
Dufferin, Lord, 184, 315, 216
Durham, 16, 18
B
Eskimos, 23, 34, 27, 30-3, 219
Forres, 3, 4
Forsyth, Rev. Dr., 2 noU
Fort Garry, 44, 50, 57, 59, 98,
»oi, 103, 104, 106, 148, 168
Fraser, Mr., 85
a6s
286
INDEX
Glencoe, 233, 234
Orantown, 3
Grants of Manchester, n, la,
t4H0U
GranviUe, Lord (Colonial Secre-
tary), 73, 80
H
Hallett, William, 83
Hardisty, Richard, 55, 57
Hill, J. J., 153, 183
Hindu, Sir Francis, 138, 141,
»S9
Howe. Hon. Joseph, 44, 45, 65
Hudson s Bay Company, 13, ,9,
«?' »4, 35. 38, 41, SI. SS. 82;
dissatisfaction among the offi-
cera. 93. 94. 103, 123, 125, 126
«ts*g., 141, ,43, 158,159. ex.
onerated, 159, 160
Immigration, aio
Indians, 25, 31, 35, ztj
J
Jones, A. G., 132
K
Kittson, N.W., 153, ,85
Ubrador, 22; the Labrador post,
27; coast of, 27, 31, a,9, ,36
Lacombe, Father, 220
Lainchoil, 3
Lansdowne, Lord, 209, 210 noU
Laurier, Sir Wilfrid, 229
UveiUer, Pierre, 65, 72
Lepine, 104, 109, 144
M
Macdonald, Sir John A., 40, 44,
45 nott, 46, 48, 54, 55, 59, 98,
"h 14a. 154; overthrow of,
»5S5 quarrels with Lord Strath-
cona, 156-8, 160, 164, 17,, ,79,
»83, 184, 193, ao2, 204, 213, 224,
Macdougall, Hon. W., 4, . ap.
pointed Governor, 45; arrives
in North-West, 46 j barred out
of Red River Settlement, 47,
SO. 139. 141. 146
Machray, Bishop, 59, 71
Mackenzie, Hon. A., 13,, ,3,,
139. 149. 159. 163, 193, 195, ,96,
199.200,214 "^
Mactavish, William, Governor,
43. 44. 48 ; letter from, 49, 51 .
his proclamation, 52; leaves
Red River, 57, 76, 79. ha„h
treatment of, 82, 83, 85
McLean, John, 23, 24
McLean, Archdeacon, 167
McGiU University, 229
McPherson, D. L., 183
Montreal, 17, ,9, „, 35, 3^ ^
"Sf 246
Moose Factory, 119
Morayshire, i
Mountstephen, Lord, 185, 187.
305-7, 210
N
Nolin, Charles, 84, 85
Northcote, SirStaflford,97, 123, 126
North-West : its progress, 120-2,
210; territories, 141, ,47, ,13;
river navigation in, 215
North-West Council, 119, 119, ,48
Norway House, meeting at, oe.
96, 98 • ' ».
INDEX
387
ODonoghue, W. B., 53, 7,, y,,
104. 109, lis, i6Si 166
Ontario, Legislature of, 129, 130
P
Pembina, 48, 49, 56
Peterson, Principal, 230
Portage la Prairie, rising at, 85,
"S
Proclamation, Red River, 73
Provencher, Mr., 57
R
Railway developments, 151, 175,
176 et seq., 201
Red River, 101, 103, 138, 151 ;
transportation at, 151, 152
Red River Expedition, 98, 99 et
seq., 108
Red River Settlement (see Mani-
toba), 38, 39; population of,
40; famous meeting at, 63;
convention at, 79, 137 • Ameri-
cans at, 42, 79
Kiel, Louis, 45, 46, 50, 575 de-
scribed, 58; President, 58, 61,
64. 65, 72, 75, 104 ; flight, los,
"S. 144
Rigoulette, 24, 28
Rocky Mountains, 117, 182, 194,
218
Rose, Sir John, 44, 45
Ross, James, "Chief Justice, "87
Ross, Mr., 133, 134, 138
Rupert's Land, 21, 38, 51, 54, 124;
arrangement to cede to Canada,
41 » deed of surrender of, 45
S
Salaberry, Colonel de, 56, 57, 64
Saskatchewan, 117, 181, 213, 215
Scott, Thomas, murder of, 86, 88,
89, 129, 143, 143
Schultz, Dr. John, 40, 77, 78, 118,
144. 14s; death of, 160, 168,
»69, 170, 188, 191
Silver Heights, 132
Simpson, Sir George, 21, 23, 34,
361 yjt ia4» >4a
Smith, Alexander, 2, 3, 12
Smith, Dr. J. S., 3, 26
Smith, George, 2 note
Steele, Colonel, 244, 245
Stewart, John, the fur-trader, 8, 9
Stewart, Miss Barbara, 3
Stone Fort, 78, 79
St. Paul Railway project, 175,
176 etseg., 187,203
Sutherland, Mr., 85
Strathcona, Lord, his birth, 3;
childhood and schooling, 5, 6
etseg.; relatives in Canada, 9,
10; studies law, 11 ; leaves for
Canada, 13 ; sent to Labrador,
32 ; bis life there, 25 ; his ex-
periences in Labrador, 28, 29
etseg.; travels to Montreal, 34;
Chief Factor, 36; resolves to go
to Red River, 53 ; Government
Commission, 55 ; sets out, 55,
56 ; arrives at Fort Garry, 58 ;
a prisoner, 59; letter to Sir
John Macdonald, 59; speaks
at Red River, 66, 67 et seq. ;
prosecutes his mission, 88;
leaves for Ottawa, 89; thanked
by Governor in Council, 80;
re-enters Fort Garry, 105 ; ad-
ministrator at Red River, 106 ;
elected to Legislative Assembly,
112; to Canadian Parliament,
113; mission to England, 124,
388
INDEX
«S *' **y. / rMolution in the
Scott c«M, 1301 d<but at
Ottawa, 131 ; defend. Ddorme,
13s J •ptech in Parliament on
Scott case, 143 , electoral cam.
P^V°> 149. 150; the trans-
portation problem, 151, 15,.
clisagreement with Sir John
Macdonald, 156, 157. resigns
■eat in Manitoba Ugislature
and connection with Hudson's
Bay Company, 188; interested
in Canadian Pacific Railway,
»03; his profits, 206; drives
the last spike, 309: interest in
immigration, aio; his liquor
law, 217. hif attachment for
the West, aaa; knighted, 333;
phUanthropic work, 333, 224;
Governor of the Company, 336;
Commissioner on Manitoba
schools question, 338; Chan-
cellor of McGUl University,
"9; High Commissioner for
Canada, 331, 3331 Peerage,
^; proposed for Governor-
Generalship, 335, 336; speeches
in House of Lords, 237 etstf./
nuea and equips a troop for
South Africa, 245) his honrf.
tallty, 246; honours, ^7, hU
imperialism, 247-9, advice to
young men, 250
Strathcona Horse, 243-5
T
Tachi, Archbishop, 46, 56, ,055
letter from, 109, no, 161, 162
Thibault, de. Grand Vicar, 56
Thompson, Sir J., 337
Tupper, Dr. (afterwards Sir
Charles), ,3,, ,57, ,6^, ,g,^
«>Si 230. 33»
V
Van Home, Sir W. C, 308
Victoria Hospital, 223
W
Winnipeg, 79, ,3,, ,35, ^^ ,^
Winnipeg, Uke, 96, 101, 204
Winnipeg, River, 99
Wdseley, Urd, 50, 98, 55, ,01,
'oa. 105, 108
Wrigley, Joseph, 225
Young, Sir John (afterwards Lord
Lwgar), 55, 69, 73
W. MBNnoH AND »!.. nwTMK, rtTMOOTH.
I hb
« to
'osi
6a
Sir
'03.
18
».
rd
^*
:t1