I have not attempted to write a history of the Imperial Unity movement, but only my personal recollections of the work which I have been doing in connection with it for so many years. I still feel, as I did when I was writing my military recollections, that I should follow the view laid down by the critic who said that reminiscences should be written just in the style in which a man would relate them to an old friend while smoking a pipe in front of a fire. I have tried to write the following pages in that spirit, and if the personal pronoun appears too often, it will be because, being recollections of work done, it can hardly be avoided. GEORGE T. DENISON. HEYDON VILLA, TORONTO, _January, 1909_. CONTENTS CHAPTER I CONDITION OF AFFAIRS IN CANADA BEFORE CONFEDERATION 7 CHAPTER II CANADA FIRST PARTY AND HUDSON'S BAY TERRITORY 10 CHAPTER III THE RED RIVER REBELLION 17 CHAPTER IV THE RED RIVER EXPEDITION 33 CHAPTER V NATIONAL SENTIMENT 49 CHAPTER VI ABORTIVE POLITICAL MOVEMENT 56 CHAPTER VII THE INDEPENDENCE FLURRY 62 CHAPTER VIII THE O'BRIEN EPISODE 69 CHAPTER IX THE IMPERIAL FEDERATION LEAGUE 77 CHAPTER X COMMERCIAL UNION 81 CHAPTER XI IMPERIAL FEDERATION LEAGUE IN CANADA 85 CHAPTER XII COMMERCIAL UNION A TREASONABLE CONSPIRACY 98 CHAPTER XIII THE YEARS 1888 AND 1889, WORK OF THE IMPERIAL FEDERATION LEAGUE 117 CHAPTER XIV THE YEAR 1890 130 CHAPTER XV VISIT TO ENGLAND, 1890 138 CHAPTER XVI THE GREAT ELECTION OF 1891 155 CHAPTER XVII CONTEST WITH GOLDWIN SMITH 168 CHAPTER XVIII DISSOLUTION OF THE IMPERIAL FEDERATION LEAGUE IN ENGLAND 194