▁He ▁l amb asts ▁domestic ▁and ▁British ▁polit icians ▁who ▁challeng ed ▁Th r one ▁or ▁whose ▁trade ▁or ▁foreign ▁policies , ▁such ▁as ▁those ▁of ▁William ▁E wart ▁Glad stone , ▁threatened ▁Canada ' s ▁economic ▁or ▁social ▁security . ▁He ▁attacks ▁political ▁and ▁provincial ▁oppon ents ▁of ▁Confeder ation . ▁The ▁British ▁Con nex ion ▁had ▁to ▁be ▁maintained ▁at ▁all ▁costs . ▁He ▁campaign ed ▁in ▁pro se ▁and ▁verse ▁to ▁retain ▁the ▁Union ▁Jack ▁during ▁the ▁national ▁flag ▁debate ▁that ▁followed ▁the ▁signing ▁of ▁Confeder ation . ▁ ▁L ett ▁could ▁read ▁of ▁global ▁news ▁in ▁the ▁foreign ▁dispatch es ▁of ▁the ▁newsp apers . ▁He ▁was ▁concerned ▁about ▁the ▁defence ▁of ▁the ▁British ▁Empire ▁especially ▁in ▁India ▁and ▁Africa , ▁and ▁the ▁sh ifting ▁balance ▁of ▁power ▁in ▁Europe . ▁His ▁poetry ▁in ▁the ▁same ▁newsp apers ▁reflect s ▁his ▁fear ▁of ▁Russian ▁and ▁more ▁particularly ▁Pr uss ic - G erman ▁imperial ▁amb itions ▁for ▁Europe ▁and ▁the ▁world , ▁bel ieving ▁proph et ically ▁that , ▁in ▁the ▁long ▁run , ▁not ▁even ▁the ▁Amer icas ▁would ▁be ▁imm une . ▁He ▁l aments ▁the ▁fate ▁of ▁Poland ▁and ▁even ▁that ▁of ▁France ▁after ▁the ▁cal am it ous ▁sie ge ▁of ▁Paris ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 1 . ▁He ▁war ns ▁America ▁not ▁to ▁fuel ▁these ▁conflicts ▁through ▁international ▁trad ing ▁in ▁guns ▁and ▁m un itions . ▁He ▁keeps ▁a ▁w ary ▁eye ▁on ▁the ▁republic an ▁experiments ▁in ▁Europe ▁and ▁North ▁and