Excerpt from The Reorganization of the British Empire

It is perhaps hard for Americans, imbued with traditions of the struggle by which their country threw off the yoke of Jan oppressive English Government, to understand how completely, and for what strong reasons, the relations between Great Britain and her present colonies are those of profound sympathy and warm affection. The mother' land regards with natural pride the energy which is planting free political' institutions and extending civilization in so many quarters of the globe; which is opening -up such vast areas of virgin soil for British occupation, and which, by so doing, is preparing for her a solution of'the difficult problem pressing upon her at home from, dense population and limited land - a solution such as no other of the overcrowded nations of Europe can hope for. To the richness of her own past the colonies open a boundless vista of hope for the future. The colonies, on the other hand, feel equally proud of their unbroken connection with the grand traditions of the mother land. Little has occurred to mar the strength of this sentimental attachment. They have enjoyed the advantages of being members of a great empire without, as yet, bearing the severer weight of its burdens. All the perfect freedom of self-government for which they have asked has been ungrudgingly allowed. The population which is flowing into their waste lands comes chiefly from the mother country not driven out by religious persecution or political tyranny, but the over flow of a fecund race, impelled by the spirit of enterprise, or in search of the larger breathing-space of new continents. In almost every case they come to strengthen the loyalty of the colony. The emigrant is encouraged or even assisted in leaving the old Britain; he is heartily welcomed in the new Britain beyond the seas. For generations afterwards his descendants speak of going home without feeling it necessary to explain that by home they mean England, Scotland or Ireland. Great Britain's new colonial policy has thus given a' new cohesion to the empire. Even in the case of a distinct race, with strong race instincts, it has achieved a marked success. French-canadians are not only con tent with their political condition, but warmly loyal to British connection. Their greatest statesman emphasized, but scarcely exaggerated, this atti tude of mind when he described himself as an Englishman speaking French. So high an authority as Cardinal Manning told me not long since that F rench-canadian bishops and clergy had over and over again assured him that their people were practically a unit in preferring British to French connection. There is no doubt that in respect of either religious freedom or political security the preference is justified. The lapse of years bring into stronger relief the truth of Montalembert's remark, that the Frenchmen of Canada had gained under British rule a freedom which the Frenchmen of France never knew.

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