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nal head； Governor or King； could act only on the advice of his ministers； who alone were held responsible to Parliament for the course of the Government。 It meant； further； national self…government。 The Governor could not serve two masters。 If he must take the advice of his ministers in Canada； he could not take the possibly conflicting advice of ministers in London。 The people of Canada would be the ultimate court of appeal。 And finally； responsible government meant party government。 The cabinet system presupposed a definite and united majority behind the Government。 It was the business of the party system to provide that majority； to insure responsible and steady action； and at the same time responsible criticism from Her Majesty's loyal Opposition。 Baldwin saw this clearly in 1841； but it took hard fighting throughout the forties to bring all his fellow countrymen to see likewise and to induce the English Government to resign itself to the prospect。
Sydenham fought against responsible government but advanced it against his will。 The only sense in which he； like Russell； was prepared to concede such liberty was that the Governor should choose his advisers as far as possible from men having the confidence of the Assembly。 They were to be his advisers only； in fact as well as form。 The Governor was still to govern； was to be Prime Minister and Governor in one。 When Baldwin； who had been given a seat in the Executive Council； demanded in 1841 that this body should be reconstructed in such a way as to include some French…Canadian members and to exclude the Family Compact men； Sydenham flatly refused。 Baldwin then resigned and went into opposition； but Sydenham unwillingly played into his hand。 By choosing his council solely from members of the two Houses； he established a definite connection between Executive and Assembly and thus gave an opportunity for the discussion of the administration of policy in the House and for the forming of government and opposition parties。 Before the first session closed； the majority which Sydenham had built up by acting as a party leader at the very time he was deriding parties as mere factions； crumbled away； and he was forced to accept resolutions insisting that the Governor's advisers must be men 〃possessed of the confidence of the representatives of the people。〃 Fate ended his work at its height。 Riding home one September evening； he was thrown from his horse and died from the injuries before the month was out。
It fell to the Tory Government of Peel to choose Sydenham's successor。 They named Sir Charles Bagot； already distinguished for his career in diplomacy and known for his hand in matters which were to interest the greater Canada； the Rush…Bagot Convention with the United States and the treaty with Russia which fixed； only too vaguely； the boundaries of Alaska。 He was under strict injunctions from the Colonial Secretary； Lord Stanley； to continue Sydenham's policy and to make no further concession to the demands for responsible government or party control。 Yet this Tory nominee of a Tory Cabinet； in his brief term of office； insured a great advance along this very path toward freedom。 His easy…going temper predisposed him to play the part of constitutional monarch rather than of Prime Minister； and in any case he faced a majority in the Assembly resolute in its determination。
The policy of swamping French influence had already proved a failure。 Sydenham had given it a full trial。 He had done his best； or his worst； by unscrupulous manipulation； to keep the French Canadians from gaining their fair quota of the members in the Union Assembly。 Those who were elected he ignored。 〃They have forgotten nothing and learnt nothing by the Rebellion； 〃 he declared； 〃and are more unfit for representative government than they were in 1791。〃 This was far from a true reading of the situation。 The French stood aloof； it is true； a compact and sullen group； angered by the undisguised policy of Anglicization that faced them and by Sydenham's unscrupulous tactics。 But they had learned restraint and had found leaders and allies of the kind most needed。 Papineau's placefor the great tribune was now in exile in Paris； consorting with the republicans and socialists who were to bring about the Revolution of 1848had been taken by one of his former lieutenants。 Louis Hippolyte La Fontaine still stands out as one of the two or three greatest Canadians of French descent； a man of massive intellect； of unquestioned integrity； and of firm but moderate temper。 With Baldwin he came to form a close and lifelong friendship。 The Reformers of Canada West； as Upper Canada was now called； formed a working alliance with La Fontaine which gave them a sweeping majority in the Assembly。 Bagot bowed to the inevitable and called La Fontaine and Baldwin to his Council。 Ill health made it impossible for him to take much part in the government； and the Council was far on the way to obtaining the unity and the independence of a true Cabinet when Bagot's death in 1843 brought a new turn in affairs。
The British Ministers had seen with growing uneasiness Bagot's concessions。 His successor； Sir Charles Metcalfe； a man of honest and kindly ways but accustomed to governing oriental peoples； determined to make a stand against the pretensions of the Reformers。 In this attitude he was strongly backed both by Stanley and by his successor； that brilliant young Tory； William Ewart Gladstone。 Metcalfe insisted once more that the Governor must govern。 While the members of the Council； as individuals； might give him advice； it was for him to decide whether or not to take it。 The inevitable clash with his Ministers came in the autumn of 1843 over a question of patronage。 They resigned； and after months of effort Metcalfe patched up a Ministry with W。 H。 Draper as the leading member。 In an election in which Metcalfe himself took the platform and in which once more British connection was said to be at stake； the Ministry obtained a narrow majority。 But opinion soon turned； and when Metcalfe； the third Governor in four years to whom Canada had proved fatal；； went home to die； he knew that his stand had been in vain。 The Ministry； after a precarious life of three years； went to the country only to be beaten by an overwhelming majority in both East and West。 When； in 1848； Baldwin and La Fontaine were called to office under the new Governor General； Lord Elgin； the fight was won。 Many years were to pass before the full implications of responsible government were worked out； but henceforth even the straitest Tory conceded the principle。 Responsible government had ceased to be a party cry and had become the common heritage of all Canadians。
Lord Elgin； who was Durham's son…in…law； was a man well able to bear the mantle of his predecessors。 Yet he realized that the day had passed when Governors could govern and was content rather to advise his advisers； to wield the personal influence that his experience and sagacity warranted。 Hitherto the stages in Canadian history had been recorded by the term of office of the Governors； henceforth it was to be the tenure of Cabinets which counted。 Elgin ceased even to attend the Council； and after his time the Governor became more and more the constitutional monarch； busied in laying corner stones and listening to tiresome official addresses。 In emergencies； and especially in the gap or interregnum between Ministries； the personality of the Governor might count； but as a rule this power remained latent。 Yet in two turning points in Canadian history； both of which had to do with the relations of Canada to the United States； Elgin was to play an important part： the Annexation Movement of 1849 and the Reciprocity Treaty of 1854。
In the struggle for responsible government； loyalty to the British Crown； loyalty of a superior and exclusive brand； had been the creed and the war cry of the Tory party。 Yet in 1849 men saw the hotheads of this group in Montreal stoning a British Governor General and setting fire to the Parliament Buildings； while a few months later their elders issued a manifesto urging the annexation of Canada to the United States。 Why this sudden shift？ Simply because the old colonial system they had known and supported had come to an end。 The Empire had been taken to mean racial ascendancy and trade profit。 Now both the political and the economic pillars were crumbling； and the Empire appeared to have no further excuse for existence。
In the past British connection had meant to many of the English minority in Lower Canada a means of redressing the political balance； of retaining power in face of a body of French…speaking citizens outnumbering them three or four to one。 Now that support had been withdrawn。 Britain had consented； unwillingly； to the setting up of responsible government and the calling to office of men who a dozen years before had been in arms against the Queen or fleeing from the province。 This was gall and wormwood to the English。 But when the Ministry introduced； and the Assembly passed； the Rebellion Losses Bill for compensating those who had suffered destruction of property in the outbreak； and when the terms were so drawn as to make it possible； its critics charged； that rebels as wel