iod within my own knowledge--that is to
say, during the last ten years of Macdonald's life--while ever
externally friends, the two in their personal relations were
antipathetic. This may in part be ascribed to Campbell's dignified
love of ease and disinclination to join in the rough-and-tumble of
party politics. When elections were to be fought (I speak only of my
own time) Campbell, if he did not find that he had business elsewhere,
was disposed to look on in a patronizing sort of way. He seldom took
off his coat or even his gloves in the fight, but he always turned up
when the victory was won. Sir John resented this. Yet assuredly
Campbell had some merits, or Macdonald would not have kept him in
successive Cabinets. Sir Alexander was an ideal leader of the Senate,
and this qualification alone rendered him of much value. He was,
moreover, _par excellence_ the aristocrat of the Cabinet, and such a
type of public man is rare in Canada.

The antithesis of Sir Alexander Campbell was John Henry Pope, sometime
minister of Agriculture and later of Railways and Canals. Pope was a
man of small education and less culture, but of great natural ability,
and was {152} gifted with remarkable political sagacity. Macdonald
used to say that Pope could have been anything he desired had he only
received a good education in his youth. He added that he had never
known Pope's judgment to be at fault. In times of stress and
difficulty Pope was the colleague of whom he first sought advice and
counsel, and upon whose rough good sense he implicitly relied. Pope
died two years before his chief, who never ceased to mourn his loss.

Another self-made colleague of the same stamp was Mr Frank Smith of
Toronto. Mr Smith was a member of the Cabinet from 1882 to 1891,
during which long period his keen business sagacity and sound common
sense were ever at his chief's disposal.

Sir Mackenzie Bowell, 'the best Minister of Customs I ever had,' was
another old-time friend and colleague for whom Sir John entertained a
high regard and respect. Sir Mackenzie's chief claims to prominence
are of a date subsequent to the day of Sir John Macdonald and therefore
do not fall within the compass of this work; but he is one who in
serene old age remains a connecting link with those stirring times.

The pre-eminence of Sir Charles Tupper {153} must not lead me to forget
that his son had the honour of being one of Sir John's colleagues in
the old chief