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Lyttelton Times, Volume LXXV, Issue 9431, 4 June 1891, Page 4

Sib John Macdohald will he greatly missed from Caiaadian politics, because there is no other personality like his in the whole of the great Dominion. Active, energetic, ardent, subtle, persevering, resourceful, he it was who brought about the Dominion which is the leading incentive towards federation ha the British Empire. Having federated Canada, Sir John induced tlva country to adopt Protection, an/i since that day thousands upon thou sands have blessed him for a far-seeing, capable statesman. The other day he fought a tremendous election battle, and won it by a rather narrow majority. He was considered to have gone rather too far ha his denunciations of his Soliti/aai opponents; but there is no oub'i that the documentary evidence agahast some of - them was extremely strung. Sir John Macdonald’s scathing diatribes were not the outcome of a partisan spirit; they were not inferences from political utterances of opponents ; nor were they the conclusions legitimately or by process of sophistical twisting drawn from their public acts. They were founded on their written letters to prominent American citizens. The utmost that the worst offender-—a very talented Toronto editor, an Irishman by the way—could say by way of rebuttal, was that the letters were not written for publication. However, there seems to be a general opinion that the Government party went too far; an opinion strengthened by the honour lately accorded to the leader of the Opposition, Mr Laurier. Evidently, neither Her Majesty nor Her Majesty’s advisers consider the distinguished Frenoh-Canadian in any degree disloyal. But this political exaggeration by Sir John Macdonald will be forgotten soon, and the services rendered to Canada and the Imperial connection will be remembered always. The man who founded the Dominion of Canada, and set the Empire an example of federation, who favoured the great Canadian-Pacific railway, and developed the resources of the northern half of the continent, will take his place in history as one of the foremost statesmen of his time. In the personal sense he cannot be replaced. Politically, Sir Charles Tapper will succeed him. Sir Charles worked with him through all his political campaigns, and is the heir to all his traditions, hopes and intentions. The position of High Commissioner of Canada, so long occupied by him in London will, after he has resigned it for the Premiership (a change we regard as certain) be an additional strong link between the Canadian Dominion and the Mother Country.