and out of which all communities ought in the
course of nature to strive to pass, how can you refuse to permit your
Colonies here, when they have arrived at the proper stage in their
existence, to place themselves in a condition which is at once most
favourable to their security and to their perfect national
development? What reasons can you assign for the refusal, except such
as are founded on selfishness, and are, therefore, morally worthless?
If you say that your great lubberly boy is too big for the nursery,
and that you have no other room for him in your house, how can you
decline to allow him to lodge with his elder brethren over the way,
when the attempt to keep up an establishment for himself would
seriously embarrass him?

* * * * *

_To the Earl Grey._

Toronto: November 1, 1850.

Sir H. Bulwer spent four days with us, and for many reasons I am glad
that he has been here. He leaves us knowing more of Canada than he did
when he came. I think too that both he and Sir E. Head return to their
homes re-assured on many points of our internal policy, on which they
felt doubtful before, and much enlightened as to the real position of
men and things in this province.

[Sidenote: Self-government not republican.]

With one important truth 1 have laboured to impress them, and I hope
successfully. It is this: that the faithful carrying out of the
principles of Constitutional Government is a departure from the
American model, not an approximation to it, and, therefore, a
departure from republicanism in its only workable shape. Of the
soundness of this view of our case I entertain no doubt whatever; and
though I meet with few persons to whom it seems to have occurred (for
the common belief of superficial observers is that we are
republicanising the colonies), I seldom fail in bringing it borne to
the understanding of any intelligent person with whom I have occasion
to discuss it. The fact is, that the American system is our old
Colonial system with, in certain cases, the principle of popular
election substituted for that of nomination by the Crown. Mr. Filmore
stands to his Congress very much in the same relation in which I stood
to my Assembly in Jamaica. There is the same absence of effective
responsibility in the conduct of legislation, the same