Mr. Consul
Potter, United States Consul at Montreal, Canada, and Mr. O. S. Wood,
Manager of the Montreal Telegraph Company, appear in the following
report of a speech of the Consul at a meeting specially convened by him
at Detroit: -
"Mr. Consul Potter, at Detroit, July 12th, 1865, said, "'I would meet
the people of Canada on the most friendly footing, but I would say to
them, in making an arrangement, we must look to our own interest as
well as yours, and in looking to our interest we cannot forget that the
policy we may adopt in relation to reciprocity will have a very great
influence on the future relations of the two countries. Now, we are
ready to give you in Canada the most perfect reciprocity. We will give
you complete free trade, but we ask you to come and share with us the
responsibilities of our own government. We make this proposition, but
not in a spirit of conquest, for, as I remarked before, if it were
positively certain that by one day of war we could obtain possession of
the whole Provinces for ever I would say - No! - for this reason, that
after the conquest you would find a feeling of opposition to the United
States and our government on the part of the people of Canada which
would prevent any harmonious working. When they come, let them come by
their own consent, let them come as brothers, and let us be all
brothers with one flag, under one destiny. The question then is, Shall
we simply be content to give the Canadians all the privileges of our
markets? For the true policy is, that in getting those privileges they
should be placed on equal footing with our own citizens in relation to
our responsibilities and in relation to taxation. I believe I express
the general feeling of those who are the most friendly to the United
States in Canada when I say it is not the policy of our Government, or
our policy, to continue this treaty, and I believe that in two years
from the abrogation of the Reciprocity Treaty, the people of Canada
themselves will apply for admission to the United States. I repeat that
I believe in two years they would ask for admission. I have a letter
which I received on the evening of my departure for Detroit, and I may
say I came here, with the consent of my own Government, to express my
views on reciprocity. This letter is from a gentleman in Montreal, than
whom none stands higher - a gentleman of intelligence and wealth, and
whose judgment is as good as that of any person in Canada on these
matters: -
"'MONTREAL,
"'July 10th.
'"MY DEAR. MR. POTTER,
"'I am much delighted to hear that you have decided to attend the
Detroit Convention, as it is in my opinion of the greatest importance
that the real friends of the United States who reside here shall be
represented at Detroit, or that our friends, before committing
themselves to a renewal of the Reciprocity Treaty, may know our views
on the subject; and I can assure you, from the knowledge I have of the
sentiments of those who have been and still are the friends of the
United States in this country, that not one in fifty of them wants a
renewal or extension of the treaty. On the other hand, every man who
has been openly hostile to us is for the renewal. The reasons are
obvious, as it is clear to all intelligent men that a failure to renew
the treaty will result in thorough reciprocity. All the friends of the
Western States here, and they are rapidly increasing in numbers and
influence, would rejoice to submit to temporary inconvenience and loss,
for the purpose of accomplishing this result, while those who are
against us wish for a renewal of the treaty which, during the last four
years, has given so much trouble to both sides. They know that a
renewal of the treaty would be the only effectual check on the
annexation movement. I believe the renewal of it would be one of the
greatest political blunders on the part of the United States. This is
the feeling of our friends on this side, and I am sure our friends on
the other side of the frontier who have already suffered so much, will
join us heartily in this additional sacrifice, if such it should
prove.'
"As Mr. Potter closed reading the letter there were loud cries from the
Canadian delegates of 'Name, name.'
"Mr. Potter gave the name, 'O. S. Wood, Superintendent of the Montreal
Telegraph Company' - a gentleman, he said, of wealth and the highest
respectability in Montreal.
"Some one asked whether Wood was a born Canadian.
"Mr. Potter replied he was not, but came originally from New York.
"The Republican journals in the West have since taken up this tone, and
Mr. Morrill, the Protectionist chairman of the 'Committee of Ways and
Means,' echoed it even in conference with the provincial delegates at
Washington last February: - Witness the following: -
"'Chicago Tribune' (Republican), Jan. 6th, 1866.
"The 'Tribune' concludes: - 'The Canadians will soon discover that free
trade and smuggling will not compensate them for the loss of the
Reciprocity Treaty. They will stay out in the cold for a few years and
try all sorts of expedients, but in the end will be constrained to
knock for admission into the Great Republic. Potter was right when he
predicted that the abrogation of the treaty would cause annexation.'
"(Mr. MORRILL, Chairman of Ways and Means, "Washington, Feb.
6th, 1866.)
"'Mr. GALT: We would not build those canals for our own trade alone. I
think, indeed, it might well be considered whether it would not suit
both parties to put this trade on a better footing. I am not authorized
to make any proposition looking to this end, but my idea is that these
waters might be neutralized with advantage to both.
