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A Study of Edmund Burke's Influence on Canadian Political Culture by M “What Shadows We Are, and What Shadows We Pursue” A Study of Edmund Burke’s Influence on Canadian Political Culture by Matthew Cain A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy with Specialization in Political Economy Carleton University Ottawa, Ontario © 2019 Matthew Cain ii ABSTRACT This historiographical study explores the influence of Edmund Burke on Canadian political culture. In the mid-twentieth century, conservative nationalist English-Canadian historians popularized the notion that Burkean thought had a formative influence on political traditions and government institutions in Canada. That claim has persisted to the present day despite its veracity having never been demonstrated by historical evidence. To address that oversight, this dissertation tests for the influence of Burke in a person and time that were critical to the formation of Canadian political culture, Sir John A. Macdonald and the Confederation project. Using an intellectual history methodology, it finds that Macdonald’s letters and speeches, the Confederation debates, and the BNA Act do not offer definitive proof of the Burkean claim. Macdonald and Confederation are then analysed through a political economy lens to demonstrate that the explanatory power of the Burkean claim is comparatively weak. The dissertation then focuses on the mid-twentieth century figures who made the claim, locating its origins in their responses to political and intellectual issues of their times. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I want to begin by stating what an honour and a privilege it is for me to make this contribution to scholarship on Canada and especially on Sir John A. Macdonald. Despite his well-documented failings, Macdonald remained committed to Canada when personal tragedy and short-sighted, petty colleagues could easily have led him at many points to abandon politics. I am thankful to the great “Cabinet Maker” and to all those who made Confederation possible. It was also a great pleasure to study the life and times of Edmund Burke. His political tracts contain timeless wisdom about human nature and the art of governance. There are many people to thank for their support. I was fortunate to have enlisted Paul Litt as my supervisor. He was very generous with his time when I needed it, and in countless hours of discussion he helped bring clarity to my thinking about all aspects of the project. I also benefitted tremendously from his knowledge of historical scholarship which consistently pointed my research in productive directions. Further, my writing markedly improved under his stewardship. I was proud that during the thesis defence, each committee member commented on how enjoyable it was to read. Finally, I have to add that I profited from his humorous anecdotes and good nature generally. Working with Paul has been a genuine privilege. I would also like to thank my committee members, Bryan Palmer and Anne Trépanier. Both advised on how best to strengthen my discussion of research methodologies. As the supervisor for my 2nd comprehensive exam, Bryan ensured that I had a thorough grounding in Canadian political economy and economic history. That focus served me especially well when writing my fourth and fifth chapters. Anne’s attention to detail strengthened the thesis immeasurably. She identified many of my blind spots where the thesis benefitted from additional discussion and elaboration. Thank you as well to Donna Patrick and Julia Harrison for their leadership of CDNS 6900. They fostered critical but polite discussion, and their help with the Literature Review gave my early research needed direction. Thanks to Donna, too, for helping me land a summer job on the Herb Stovel collection. In the department, Lori Dearman made me feel comfortable in new surroundings from my first day, and has been a rock of support ever since. Donna Malone, too, has been a warm and friendly presence. Thanks to both for their support and especially their help navigating the byzantine Carleton bureaucracy. Peter Hodgins gave me valuable experience as his research assistant, and I enjoyed our discussions of politics. Peter Thompson served on my 1st comprehensive exam and was a helpful resource whenever I had questions about the Ph.D. program. Thanks as well to Pauline Rankin, Bruce Curtis, and A.B. McKillop, all of whom served on my comprehensive exams, and to Richard Nimijean, Allan Ryan, and Eva Mackey, who were encouraging voices. It has been a pleasure to work with Timothy Browne teaching CDNS 1000 and CDNS 2600. Tim’s dedication to teaching is inspiring, and I learned a great deal by his example. My term as lecturer in 2017 would not have been possible without his help. More than that, however, he has been a great friend during the ups and downs of these past years. I am also indebted to Rob Buchanan for securing me a summer position at the Ice House in 2014, and for many long, edifying discussions about politics, JFK, and the Maple Leafs. Looking further back, I want to thank an all-time great teacher and wonderful man, Mr. John Allen, who taught me grades 3 and 4 at Breadner Elementary. He was equal parts encouraging and firm, teaching me the value of hard work at an early age but also that school iv could be fun. In high school, Mr. Brown was the best math teacher I ever had. I am thankful for his dad jokes and his OAC Calculus class. Thanks to Mr. Fellows for grade 10 history, where I developed a passion for Canadian history and politics. Thank you as well to long-time friends Derek Farrow, Aaron Gould and Jay Lang. Since high school we’ve shared many laughs together, though regrettably too few in recent years. I have really appreciated how my friendships with them have deepened from adolescence to adulthood. To my fellow Astrophysics majors Adam Cohen and Jamie Robeson, thank you as well. Since our first meeting at Queen’s, Adam, in particular, has challenged me to constantly expand my viewpoint and improve my arguments. I am a stronger intellectual for the (literally) thousands of hours we have spent in conversation. Natalie and Sam have been great friends, too, and thank you to Adam, Natalie and Sam for opening their home to me in the last two years. Thank you to my uncle Mike and aunt Nancy for their support, and for helping to nurture my interest in Canadian history from an early age. I will always remember trips with them to the Billy Bishop Museum in Owen Sound, and I still need to read the many excellent military history books they have contributed to my library. My grandmother Marion has been a constant, supportive presence in my life. Her generosity made sure I had warm clothing, good food, and every comfort I needed as I got by on a student budget. More important, her down-to-earth words of wisdom have always helped me weather the tougher times. Finally, my mother Sharron is owed so much for my success. It is only in recent years that I have truly come to appreciate how hard it must have been to raise a child on her own. As far back as I can remember (when the two of us were living in base housing in Kingston) mom has been my rock. She has been there every time I needed to talk, whether it was to celebrate my success, console me when I was upset, or simply to provide a sounding board when I needed it. If not for her constant love and support throughout the years, I would not be the man I am today. The best parts of my character, including my commitment to hard work and integrity, are a testament to her success. Though I can never fully repay her for the countless personal sacrifices she made so that I could pursue my dreams, I would like to dedicate this project to her. Thanks, Mom. v TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract……………………………………………………………………………………………ii Acknowledgements………………………………………………………………………………iii Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………….1 Chapter 1: The Burkean Claim in Canada – Its Origins and Afterlife……...………………...….38 Chapter 2: A Burkean “Test”……………………………………….. …………….………….....56 Chapter 3: The Burkean Legacy in Macdonald’s Formative Years……………….…………...111 Chapter 4: Looking for Burke in Macdonald’s Confederation Project……….……………......144 Chapter 5: Something Borrowed, Something Burke…... …….………………………………..206 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………………...263 Bibliography……………………………………………………………………………………275 1 INTRODUCTION English Canadian nationalists, always concerned with justifying Canada’s existence as a separate polity in North America, have long laid claim to a national identity distinct from that of the United States. Prior to the 1960s, it was common to argue that Canada was more conservative than its southern neighbour. This alleged characteristic, a legacy of Canada’s British heritage, became known as the “Tory Touch.” By the mid-twentieth century, a weakened Britain was dismantling its Empire, and the Tory Touch appeared to have lost its lustre, even its relevance, to younger and liberal-minded Canadians. Alarmed, some of English-Canada’s leading historians, largely conservative nationalists, attempted to reinvigorate the Tory Touch thesis in a new form. They suggested that fundamental and enduring principles that shaped Canadian political culture were attributable to the influence of Edmund Burke (1727-1797), the famous eighteenth-century Anglo-Irish statesman and political philosopher. Since then this claim has been picked up by other scholars and perpetuated as a shorthand signifier of Canada’s distinctiveness. The starting point for this dissertation is that this claim has never been given serious critical scrutiny. That Edmund Burke was and remains among the most important contributors to the British political tradition, as well as to western political philosophy more generally, is not in dispute.
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