LECTURE 
 
 DELIVERED BY 
 
 .* > .?- • 
 
 J. S. ARCHIBALD, M.A., B.C.L., 
 
 ON THE 
 
 26TH APRIL, 1886. 
 
 BEFORE THE 
 
 LITERARY SOCIETY OF ERSKINE 
 PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 
 
 PRINTED BY JOHN LOVELL ** SON 
 1886. 
 
\ 
 
LECTURE 
 
 DELIVERED BY 
 
 J. S. ARCHIBALD, M.A., B.C.L., 
 
 ox THE 
 
 26TH APRIL, 1886. 
 
 BEFORE THE 
 
 LITERARY SOCIETY OF ERSKINE 
 PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 
 
 • 4 > • 
 
 • • • 
 
 .. . ••• 
 
 • . • • . 
 
 • I • «- . • 
 
 • > » • . 
 
 Poutvcal : 
 
 PRINTED BY JOHN LOVELL &- SON 
 188G. 
 
• • • 
 
 • k • • 4 
 
 
 B. Q. R. 
 
LECTURE 
 
 DKLIVKRKU MY 
 
 J. S. ARCHIBALD, M. A., B.C.L., 
 
 ON THK 26111 APRIL, 1886, 
 
 BEFORE THE LirEKARV SOCIETY OF ERSKINE 
 
 PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. 
 
 THE RELATIONS OF THK FF^KNCH AND EN(;LISH 
 RACES IN THE PROVINCE OF QUEBEC. 
 
 This subject is, in my opinion, one of surpassing interest to 
 every person desiring the prosperity of this Province. It can- 
 not be denied that there exists at tiie present time, if not a latent 
 aversion and antagonism, at least a want of unity and sentiment 
 of common interest between the two races, and, furtlier, that this 
 regrettable state of feeling has of late years intensified rather 
 than diminished. What are the causes of this ? Where does 
 the blame lie ? Can the country achieve any worthy destiny 
 while it continues ? Can any remedy be proposed ? 
 
 It will not be necessary to go f;ir back into historical details 
 to work out this enquiry. It will be enough to say that the 
 country was colonized and occupied by inhabitants of France, 
 and was attached to that country i\v the same bonds of loyalty 
 and affection which bind us to the Motherland. 
 
 For seven years preceding 1763 the blast ot war with all its 
 most cruel accompaniments had blown over the land. The hor- 
 rors inseparable from warfare were aggravated by the tomahawk 
 and the scalping knife of the ruthless Indian, and blood, murder 
 and rapine stalked triumphant. FVance and the French 
 Colonists were not alone responsible for the employment of the 
 Savages in the war. The English also secured the adhesion of 
 several tribes who rendered effective service. The English, 
 however, succeeded in keeping in check the savage propensities 
 of their dusky allies to a greater extent than the French were able 
 to do. In the course of this long war there were many illustrations 
 
of heroic valor and illustrious generalship ; nor wore the French 
 defenders of their country and li)eir IUil;' i.i cither respect behind 
 their victorious adversaries. Victory did not always sit smiling 
 on the British banners. On the contrary, in at least half the 
 important pitched battles the British met with defeat, more or 
 less disastrous. The memorable cajjture of (Quebec by Wolfe 
 on the I rth September, 1759, was the turning point in the strug- 
 gle, and virtually decided the fate of the Colony. It was, how- 
 ever, about a year later, when Vaudreuil, then (lovernor. formally 
 capitulated the colony to General Amherst at Montreal. It is, 
 of course, imi)ossible to say what might have been the eventual 
 fate of this Colony had Quebec not tallen into the hands of the 
 English, but the history of that remarkable battle on the Plains 
 of Abraham furnishes an illustration of the accomplishment of 
 a feat in itself impossible by a marvelous concurrence of for- 
 tunate accidents. 
 
 Now, sir, I intend to refer to what I consider to be an 
 imreasonable feeling of distrust entertained by many of the 
 English citizens of this country against their French fellow- 
 citizens, in consequence of what they are pleased to regard as a 
 want of loyalty and affection on their part towards the glorious 
 flag of old England, that for a thousand years has braved the 
 battle and the breezj, and beneath whose folds no slave can 
 breathe. Sir, we, as descendants of the great Anglo-Saxon race, 
 know well what patriotism means : It is a love for one's country 
 which defies time or space to diminish. It will not yield itself 
 to reason, —not even injustice and wrong can cause it to waver. 
 
 It burns even more brightly in the heart of the absent 
 patriot, " If I forget thee, 0, Jerusalem," &c., 137th Psalm. This 
 is perhaps the tniest burst of patriotic feeling in existence. 
 Scott exclaims : 
 
 Jlreatlies there a man with soul so dead 
 Who never to liinuelf liatli said, 
 'I'liis is my own, my native land. 
 
 Patriotism is one of the most exalted and sacred emotions of 
 
 the human heart, and that individual or that community in 
 
 which it is not developed is, to a corresponing degree, sunk in 
 
 selfishness and egotism, and furnishes a ready field for the 
 
 growth of all sorts of sordid corruption. But how does this apply 
 
to the iiili;ibitants of this coiinlry in 176,3, coiKiucrcl ami 
 made Ikitisli subjecis by the victorious arms of l-jij^land ? Is 
 high patriotic fcchng t'ic birlhrigiit only of those noblemen of 
 the imiverse who speak the JMiglish language? And have the 
 inferior races, siuii as the ['"rench, no right to pretend to enter- 
 tain an emotion so miu:h above their sphere? It would sdine- 
 times seem that we entertain some such an idea. iJut what 
 are the facts ? C'anada was colonized by the very tlower oi the 
 French race. And, sir, if we intelligently study ilie history of 
 that race we will find it brilliant, with high and lofty attainment 
 in every brancli of civilization. What nation can carry off the 
 palm from her in the field of military glory ? What nation can 
 point to a greater general than Napoleon, or can produce a 
 jxarallel to his astonishing career, — nor did he shine alone ; on 
 tlie contrary the history of that country introdutes to us a lio.^t 
 of leaders, whose careers have made the military history of 
 France second to that of no other nation. In the arts of peace 
 France e([ually kept pace with the most enlightened countries: 
 scientit'ic and ])hilosoi)hical research tliert' foinid a congenial 
 home, and in the realm of literature, poes\- and oratoiy. llie names 
 of Moliere, Racine, Corneille. I'asch.d, Lafontaine. IJossuet, 
 Montes(piieu, and a host of others, do not pale in the presence of 
 the brightest names which ornament our own literature. In the 
 region of law. as a system built \i\) by abstract reasoning upon the 
 immutable ])rinciples of justice, I venture to say that in 1763, 
 France stood far ahead of f)ur own count r)', with the e\ce|)tion, 
 however, of that portion relating to criminal matters and to the 
 relation of the subject to the State. In view, sir, of all these facts, 
 in view of the gloritnis traditions of I'" ranee, handed down through 
 the ages, was it to be expected that the French inhabitants of 
 this Province, overwhelmed by the fortune (;f war, should 
 immediately turn their backs 011 all their previous patrimic 
 ardor, and sing with warm affection : " God save King (ieorge.'' 
 They did not do this, they would not have been worthy of our 
 esteem if they had done so. Bougainville, one of the French 
 commanders ])osted near Quel)ec, when ' . heard of Wolfe's 
 victory, exclaimed : "' Ah ! what a cruel day I How fiital to all 
 that was dearest to us ! ]\Iy heart is torn in its most tender 
 
6 
 
 parts. Wc shall be foriunate if the approach of winter saves 
 the cointry tVom total ruin.' ' 
 
 In 1760 V'audrcuil, then Governor of the Colony, wrote as 
 follows : " I am taking the most just measures to unite 
 our forces, and, if our situation permits, fight a battle or several 
 battles. It is to be feared that we shall go down before an enemy 
 so numerous and strong ; but whatever may be the event we will 
 save the honor of the Ring's arms. I have the honor to repeat 
 to you, Monseigneur, that if any resource were lelt me, whatever 
 the progress the English might make, I wouki maintain myself 
 in some |)art of the colony with my remaining troops, after 
 having fought with the greatest obstinacy, but I am absolutely 
 without the least renmant of the necessary means. In these 
 unhappy circumstances I shall continue to use every inancouvre 
 and device to keep the enemy in check; but if we succumb in 
 the battles we shall fight I shall apply myself to obtaining a 
 capitulation, which may avert the total ruin of a people who 
 Mill remain forever French, and who could not survive their 
 misfortunes, but for the hope of being restored bv the treaty of 
 peace to the rule of His Most Christian Majesty." 
 
 Now, if any of us supjjosed that Jkitish institutions were so 
 much and so obviously superior to those of France that the 
 conquered colonists of that early day, gifted even with a slight 
 spark of reason, could not M gladly to welcome the change in 
 their condition I trust we are by this time undeceived. The 
 change was submitted to as a stern necessity, but with heart- 
 breaking and despair. ]{y the treaty of i)eace which followed 
 the conquest, and by Imperial legislation shortly afterwards 
 enacted, the French inb.abitants were guaranteed the free exer- 
 cise of their religion and it was provided that the law of Canada 
 drawn from France, should be applied to the settlement of all 
 questions concerning property or civil rights, but at the same 
 time it was enacted : '• Seeing the 'great lenity and certainty of 
 the English criminal law which had been sensibly felt by an 
 experience of nine years during which it had been administer 
 among them, it should be adopted, etc." 
 
 J.et us for one moment look at the condition of affliirs as they 
 •existed at the time of the conquest. Up to that lime there were 
 
no English here. What had tlic I'Vench done ? In every branch 
 of enterprise they had shown themselves intrepid and daring. 
 They had scattered trading-posts over the greater part of the 
 continent. While the English settlers in New England were 
 trembling in their little encampments by the sea-shore, for fear 
 of the tomahawk of the treaciierous savage, the French in this 
 country had, by unexampled intrepidity and skill, gained the 
 friendship of the various bands of Indians who occupied the 
 country, and had pushed by indomitable enterprise to the 
 Gulf of Mexico to the South and to the foot of the Rocky 
 Mountains to the West. 
 
 While the New England colonists were relyin , upon impor- 
 tations from England for the supply of their necessities, the 
 French had established all sorts of manufactures necessary for 
 securing them a comfortable existence. They built vessels even 
 at that early time, and exported their furs as well as the surplus 
 pioduct of their agriculture to France and the Southern Islands. 
 If we compare the two peoples from the military standjjoint the 
 comparison is even more favorable to the Canadians. The 
 names of Monongahela, Oswego, William Henry, Carillon and 
 Saint Foye, still awaken the sentiment of military glory in the 
 Canadian heart. It is safe to say that the Canadian Militia 
 showed itself during the whole war superior to the New En- 
 gland troops. 
 
 In 1766 General Murray, explaining to the Imperial ministers 
 the situation of affairs in Canada said : 
 
 " The nobility," said he, '' is numerous, and prides itself on 
 its ancient descent as well as upon its military glory. These 
 nobles are seigneurs of all the cultivated land, and, although 
 poor, they are in a position in this country where money is 
 scarce and luxury yet unknown to maintain their dignity. Their 
 censitaires, who pay only about a dollar per annum for 
 every right, are in comfortable circumstances and live well and 
 have been accustomed to respect the nobility and to obey them. 
 They have supported together the labors of the war and their 
 mutual affection is strengthened since the conquest." 
 
 As to the moral and religious condition of the people, if you 
 will permit me, I will translate a portion of a letter of Monseig- 
 
8 
 
 neurSt. Valicr, their spiritual head, written in 1686 : " 'I'he peo- 
 ple generally are as tlevoted as the clergy are irre])roachal)le. 
 One remarks among them a certain air which was formerly 
 admired among the Christians of the first centuries. Simplicity, 
 devotion and charity, show themselves with eclat. They assist 
 each other in commencing to establish themselves. P^ach gives 
 something or lends something, and they all console and 
 encourage each other in their ditficullies. There is something 
 surprising in the dwellings which are the farthest removed from 
 the parishes, and which have been for a long time without seeing 
 a pastor. They have been kept in the practice of good, and 
 when the missionary who has care ove: Liiem makes his round, 
 to administer the .Sacraments, from house to house, they receive 
 him with a faith that it is impossible to exaggerate. They 
 perform all their devotions, and would be surprised if anyone 
 should neglect them. They are eager to hear the word of God, 
 and they receive it with respect, and protit from it with holy 
 emulation. He who gives his house for the celebration of the 
 Divine Mysteries esteems himself infmitely hap|)y and honored. 
 He gives a feast that day. where, without fear of any excess, 
 they rejoice in the Lord. They inform the priest afterwards of 
 the little differences which may exist among the families, and he 
 is always able to settle them without dilticulty. Each house is 
 a small community, well-regulated, where they have prayers in 
 common, morning and evening, and where the fathers and 
 mothers supply the want of |)riests, so far as regards the con- 
 duct of their children. ]':very one is the enemy of idleness. 
 They are always working at someihnig. Many have had sutT.- 
 cient industry to leach themselves trades without the help of a 
 master, so that they know how to do almost anything for them- 
 selves." 
 
 Father Chretien Leclerc expresses himself as follows : " I had 
 great difficulty to understand what was said to me one day by 
 a man of great talent, upon the point of my departure for 
 Canada, that I would be surprised to fmd there such fine 
 people; that he did not know an^ Province of the Kingdom, 
 where there existed, on the average, a greater fund of intelli- 
 gence, penetration, politeness, luxiiry even, a little ambition, 
 
9 
 
 desire of appearing well, courage, intrepidity, liberality and 
 genius for great things. He assured me that I would find 
 there a language more polished, an enunciation precise and 
 pure, a [)ronunciation without accent. I had difticulty to con- 
 ceive that a people formed of persons from all the Provinces of 
 r' ranee, of manners, conditions, interests, and genius so differ- 
 ent, and of a manner of life, custom and education so contrary, 
 could be so accomplished as he represented; but when I came 
 I found that nothinir had been exauuerated. The Canadians 
 are full of fire and spirit, of ca])acity and inclination for the 
 arts, although there has been little care taken to inspire in them 
 the ap]ilication to study, except where they are destined for the 
 priesthood." 
 
 I have sometimes, however, thought that these expressions 
 of o|)inion with regard to the cJiaraclei, and espcH'ially to the 
 language, of this people must be erroneous in the extreme, it is 
 so contrary to the experience of the younp peo|)le who. having 
 studied Krench at a boarding scht)ol, find the />atc)/s, as they 
 call it. of the Canadians simply intolerable. Now that wc have 
 seen what soil' of ])eople the brench were wlio became subjects 
 of the Crown of England in 1760. if _\'o i will bear with me 1 
 will shortly point out what sort of [)eople most of the JMiglish 
 Were who at that date came to li\e among them. — and first let 
 me sa}', they were excessively few in number. There was no 
 eoloni/.ation, pro[)erly so called, those who came were ahnost 
 entirel}' traders. Let me quote from a dispatch of (ieneral 
 Murray (Governor of the Colony), about the end of 1766: 
 '•The Province contains about 76.275 souls, of which there are 
 in the parishes 19 Protestant Knglish families, the rest of this 
 population, with the exception of a small number of half-i)ay 
 ofiicers, are merchants, artisans and hotel-keepers who reside in 
 the cities of Quebec and Montreal, and of whoui the greater 
 })art are people of little education who have followed the army, 
 or soldiers dismissed on the disbanding of the troops, — all have 
 their fortune to make and I much fear that very (cw are scrupu- 
 lous about the means when they can attain their design, la 
 general there has been the choice of the most immoral men, 
 that I have ever known, and consequently little fitted to inspire 
 
10 
 
 respect among our new subjeccs for our laws. The Canadians, 
 accustomed to an arbitrary and in some sort military govern- 
 ment, are a race of men, frugal, industrious and of good morals. 
 They are shocked at the insults that their nobility and the 
 officers of the King of England have received from the mer- 
 chants and from the English advocates, since civil government 
 has been established. In accordance with my instructions, 
 magistrates and jurors had to be taken from a number of 450 
 unworthy traders who had come to push their commerce in the 
 country. These hated the Canadian nobles, because their birth 
 and their conduct were such as to comniand respect, and they 
 execrated the habitants, because they saw them escaping from 
 menaced o|)pression. The bad clioice and the number of civil 
 officers sent from England added to the disquietude of the 
 colony. In the place of men of talent and pure morals, some 
 were named of qualities precisely contrary. The judge chosen 
 to conciliate the minds of the Canadians was taken from a 
 prison, and was entirely ignorant of the civil law and of the 
 language of the country. The solicitor general was no better 
 qualitied as regards the language. The i)oor Canadians sub- 
 mitted with patience to these abuses and to the heavy taxes 
 that they were obliged to support. I congratulate myself that I 
 have done all in my power to win for my royal master the 
 affection of tills brave and courageous people whose dei^arture 
 from the country, if ever it should take place, would be an irre- 
 parable loss to the empire." 
 
 In 1774, General Carleton, who had been Governor of Quebec 
 from 1766 to 1770 declared in the House of Commons that 
 the Protestants of Canada numbered 360, and not one of them 
 is fit to be elected a member of a Legislative Assembly." 
 
 We see, then, the conditions under which the two races were 
 placed face to f^ice in this country in 1760— Enirlish subjects, 
 but the immense majority, comprising the most worthy part 
 of the peoi)le, speaking the Frencli language and warmly 
 cherishing the traditions of France. 
 
 It is not necessary forme to follow the English adminis- 
 tration of the country from the period of the Conquest down to 
 1837. It is sufficient to say that, as bureaucratic Govern- 
 
11 
 
 ■ment everywhere iias done it degenerated into a system of 
 ■official tyranny, worse, in my judgment, than the worst speci- 
 mens of autocratic power vested in a single indiviaual. By 
 this time, too, the idea of government by the peo])le, whereby 
 those administering affairs should be responsible to the i)e{)j)le 
 had "made great progress, and it had become intolerable, that 
 the government should be entirely conducted by persons 
 appointed without reference to the people, and acting in the 
 interest of only a small minority of the population. Sir I do not 
 at any time justify armed revolt against constituted authority, 
 but I say that the revolutionists of 1837 ^^'ould have been un- 
 worthy of the lofty traditions of their ancestors, had they tamely 
 submitted to the wrongs they were then enduring. 
 
 The revolutionists of that dav were not exclusivelv French, 
 even in this Province, and they did no more than was accom- 
 plished by a patriotic party in LJpi)er Canada, nndcr the leader- 
 ship of Lyon McKenzie, and, though then branded as rebels, I 
 for one am disposed to say tiiat, whether they were rebels or not, 
 they accomplished a great work, in the interest of freedom, and 
 we now are reaping the fruits of tlieir labors. 
 
 I stated, sir, that after the conquest the French inhal)itants of 
 this Province were not like men relieved from a tyrannical 
 government which they hated, but, on the contrary, like men 
 torn by adverse fortune from the protection of a Hag that they 
 loved. But, sir, they accepted the situation, and addressed 
 themselves to tiie improvement of their own condition. Tliey 
 had most of them served in the militia during tiie war, and were 
 large liolders of the paper currency which the Government had 
 issued. This currency being repudiated upon the cession of 
 the country they found themselves in most cases reduced to 
 the very bottom rung of the ladder, and obliged either to 
 despair or commence again. They chose the latter course. 
 During eleven years they quietly submitted to be governed in a 
 manner which to-day would be regarded as outrageously un- 
 just. They had by treaty been guaranteed the use of their 
 civil laws, but these were administered chiefly by military 
 officers who knew nothing of law at all, much less of French 
 law, and who did not understand one word of French. General 
 
12 
 
 Murray set himself firmly against these abuses, but there is no 
 doubt that at that time there was a determined design to root 
 out the French language and race from this country. General 
 ]\Iiu-ray was too favorable to the French to please his colleagues, 
 who accordingly began to agitate for his recall, and, as is oftt.i 
 the case, religion was used as a cloak to cover up sinister 
 designs. "The Protestants of Canada " said the petitioners, are 
 in danger in the midst of a people professing the Catholic reli- 
 gion, which religion is known as sanguinary and idolatrous." 
 Bad counsels prevailed ; .Murray was recalled, and his i)oli(y of 
 conciliation reversed. In i 774, when I'aigland had become 
 convinced that coercion was not quite successful or safe witli 
 colonists, she changed her policy and granted a constitution, 
 very liberal for a Colonial Government at that period, and 
 which ]irovided for a Legislative Assembly com])osed partly of 
 French. This, on the whole, at the time contented th.c Can- 
 adians, but agiuiiion still continued in order to cbtain more 
 extended i)ri\ilegcs and liberties. In i7S4l>ucalvet published 
 in London an appeal to the justice of the .State, in which he 
 set lorward the bases of representative government, and it might 
 prove interesting just to name the principal demands which he 
 then made. I should be very sorry to disturb the very pleas- 
 ant notion that all the privileges which we now enjoy as the 
 fruits of our constitutional system were originated and worked 
 out by -Anglo-.Saxons, or even the other not less pleasant illusion 
 which has of late seized certain individuals that a new idea 
 had been born into the world in the shape of imperial feder- 
 ation, but 1 ri'aliy cannot ri'fra in from giving you Ducalvet's 
 proposals: i. Preservation of the French Civil Law. 2. Law 
 of Habeas Corpus. 3. Trial by jury. 4. Permanence of 
 legislative councillors aiid of judges during good behavior. 5. 
 Government to be subject to the laws of the Province. 6. 
 Elective Legislative Assembly. 7. Nomination of six members 
 to represent Canada in tlie Lni;erial Parliament. 8. Liberty 
 of conscience-no one to be deprived of his political rights on 
 account of h.s religi<.n. 9. Refnm of the judicature by the 
 re-estabhshment of the Superior Council. 10. A[ilitary estab- 
 lishment, creation of a Canadian regiment of two battalions. 
 
13 
 
 II. Liberty of the press. 12. Colleges for the instruction of 
 youth, employment of the property of the Jesuits for this \nir- 
 pose in conformity witii their original destination ; ])uhiic 
 schools in the parishes. 13. Naturalisation of Canadians in 
 the whole extent of the liritish Empire. 
 
 'J'here is really not much in that to condemn. In 1791 
 seven years later, a constitution was granted by whicii an elec- 
 tive legislative assembly was given. 1 cannot, however, further 
 follow the political history of the country, and shall come at 
 once up to the present time. 
 
 I might say, however, that at the first election under the new 
 constitution 15 English and 34 French were returned. 
 
 'I'he isolation of race from race had during recent years 
 been undergoing a steady accentuation, \\iihout ])retending 
 to enter into the causes of this dejilorable fiict at length, 1 
 would merely signalize one event, which, though it cannot be 
 said to be a cause, yet was of a nature to render the operation 
 of other causes in that direction possible, — I refer to the death 
 of Sir George Cartier. I am sure the French Canadian statesmen 
 of the present day, many of whom have justly obtained a very 
 high position in the service of their country, would heartily 
 join with me when I say that it is only at rare intervals that a 
 country can expect to produce a statesman of such enlightened 
 views, commanding abilities, and lofty patriotism, coupled with 
 unsullied integrity, as were found united in that great man. 
 The name of Cartier will ever be cherished by all Canadians, 
 and will stand among the few inig/iticst men, whose names 
 grace the pages of our history. Sectionalism and race i)rejudice 
 were impossible where Cartier's influence was felt. His country 
 was Canada ; his brethren were Canadians ; he knew no 
 distinctions of race ; to him every man was a citizen. Cartier 
 is dead, but his memory lives, and, sir, I fumly believe that the 
 time will yet come when his opinions and actions will 
 come back upon his countrymen with irresistible force, and 
 prove more powerful than even during his life. After the 
 death of Cartier there remained no leader among the French 
 who possessed the unhesitating confidence of the whole race. 
 As I said before, there were several able men, each of whom as- 
 
u 
 
 l)ired to Iciul, and lach of whom liacl their admirers, and 
 each of whom had unhouiuled ])oliti(:al ambition, which 
 sometimes proves sutricient to distort the judgment and to 
 echpse patriotism. 'I'he result was that the means by which 
 one leader could secure an advantage over another came to be 
 regarded as wortiiy of more consideration tlian the means best 
 adajjled to secure the prosperity of the country. It so hap- 
 pened that every idea which might be thought likely to move 
 the fickle air of popular enthusiasm was eagerly seized and 
 adojjted, no matter how illusory or mischievous it might be 
 found upon insi)ection to be. To take an example: — the 
 House of Commons, composed of the rejuesentatives from the 
 several provinces, presents a large majority of English-speaking 
 members ; Lower Canada alone returns a large majority of 
 French-speaking members. When Sir George Cartier died the 
 French-speaking members from this Province were pretty 
 evenly divided upon political lines — that is, by difference of 
 opinion upon questions of public policy. Not long after his 
 death the idea entered the head of some one, that, if 
 political distinctions could be wijjed out, Quebec might 
 be able to send to Ottawa a solid contingent of French- 
 speaking members, who could be trusted to stand, shoul- 
 der to shoulder, like the I'arnellites in the Imperial House, 
 and so hold the balance of jiower. and comjiel any government 
 to mould its policy to their liking, or step down and out. 'I'his 
 idea, sir, was, like the seed thrown ujjon the stony ground. It 
 sprang up ([uickly, and gave great api)earance of an abundant 
 harvest. But like the seed in the parable which fell ui/on stony 
 ground, when the sun shall have risen upon it, it will wither 
 away. 'Vhc idea of electing a man to Parliament be- 
 cause of his race was so popular, that neither party 
 could allow the uihcv to have a monopoly of it. The 
 Liberals vied with the Conservatives in |jromulgating it, 
 and the electors voted for the one who professed it most 
 strongly. The result was that the government of the country 
 has for some years been conducted by a series of compromises ; 
 and the understandings and agreements arrived at in secret 
 caucus, have to a certain extent taken the place of public de- 
 
15 
 
 bates on the floor of ParliniiK'nt. It does not re'|iiiie any great 
 political sagacity to foresee that in tiie preseni a^eof the world's 
 history such a course of procedure would rai)idly become dis- 
 credited. It was of a nature to strike at the very foundation of 
 our institutions. It was favorable to the growth of corruption 
 in every sha])e. It secured the adhesion, not of individuals, but 
 of a conijjact body of representatives to the jjolicy of the Gov- 
 ernment, not on the ground of any inherent virtue in the jJoIicy 
 itself, but as a consideration for equivalent advantages added 
 to the jiolicy of the Government, intended specially to benefit 
 the jjersons demanding them. Such a policy might with jjrop- 
 riety be called a "division of the sjjoils " policy. It rested 
 ujjon the proposition : you give me this, and I will give you that • 
 you do this for me, and I will do that for you. In my judg- 
 ment it could not fail, and that without great loss of time, to be 
 destructive of every vestige of good government in the state. 
 It may be said that it is easy to criticize and find iault with the 
 conduct of affairs, and even perhaps to ])ropose theoretical re- 
 medies, but, in j)ractice, how are such remedies to be applied ? 
 When the leader of the Government, for example, is met by a 
 united demand on the part of a body of his supporters strong 
 enough to turn his majority, what is he to do ? Is he to say to 
 them : Good gentlemen, this is very wrong ; you are imi)erilling 
 the position of the party you were elected to support; you arc 
 menacing the institutions and good government of the country. 
 This wise admonition they would probably laugh at ; they were 
 elected to follow the very ccnirse they adopted, and to laugh at 
 wise homilies opposed to it. There are only two alternatives — 
 one to adhere to political honesty and public policy and go 
 down, and the other to purchase a longer lease of power by 
 yielding to impolitic demands, and so conciliating the element 
 holding the balance of power. But, sir, how long can that l)e 
 successfully carried on. How long will the people stand it.'' 
 You will tell me, I have no doubt, and with much ap])arent truth, 
 that the people will stand, and even praise, anything that their 
 political leaders do. There is, unfortunately, too much truth in 
 that proi)Osition. Faith in political parties has not died out in 
 this country, whatevei may be said of a faith which really has 
 
16 
 
 a firm foundation. I liave often thouglu it a rcmarkahlc cir- 
 cumstance Uuit gentlcnicn of liigii intclligcnc'.and of unduuht- 
 ed integrity, all fi[ually wisliing tiie success of true prmciplcs, 
 and the prosperity of ilicir connnon country, will differ as wide 
 as the poles upon a proposed measure, — one declarin-; it a ^\h 
 from the gods, and the other the poisoned fruit of Hades ; and 
 that these opinions will almost invariably concur with the other 
 fact, whether the measure has been proposed by the jjolitical 
 l)arty to whicli the gentlemen respectively belong. Admitlingj 
 however, the strength of ])oliti(:al partizanship in its fullest de- 
 gree, it is at the same time tiue that the great bulk of the peo- 
 ple are governed in their political ()])inions by their own sense 
 of right. It is true that political prejudice is strong, and will 
 ■drive away and cover up truth as long as possible, but truth is 
 great and it will prevail. First conies a sort of hesitation at 
 the honesty of some measure, then follows apathy and indif- 
 ference, and finally the elector comes to the point of (le< iding 
 to change his vote at the next election. It is jjcrhaps not to 
 be expected that sudden revolutions of feeling on the i)ari of 
 the electorate will often take ])lace ; it is i)erhai)s not con- 
 clusive to the stability of our institutions that such should 
 take \)\dvc. The more usiud course of events, however, 
 is in the case of a country which has been conii)aratively 
 well governed, that the eciuilibrimn of parties should ho 
 changed by a silciu and gradual process ; but in any cvciU 
 mis-government cannot long escape the popular censure. 
 
 The system of balance of power government to which I have 
 above adverted could not long be contiiuied to exist. I'or 
 every evil a remedy must be foinid. If the evil is deadiv, a 
 heroic remedy must l,c > night. I have heard it vulgarlv and 
 profanely remarked that tiie devil must be fought witli hi's own 
 weapons. It is possible for a majority to combine as well as 
 ammonty. At any rate the people of this country will not 
 suffer us Parliament to he turned into a sort of shambles for 
 the barter and exchange of class interests. I have said. sir. 
 that durmg the la.t year the terulencvto pit class against class 
 mour governmental affairs has received a severe^heck. It 
 cantiot be doubted that during last fall, when the cpiestion as to 
 
17 
 
 the execution of Riel was before the country, that it would 
 have highly gratified the iMciuh Canadians of this Province if 
 the riovcrnmcnt had dLuidcd to conuuuic his : entence. Such 
 commutation was demanded from the Cloverinncnt in the most 
 energetic manner. Mass meetings were convened, the people 
 ran together by thousands, all the warm enthusiasm of the 
 French heart was aroused on behalf of a man speaking their 
 language, and undoubtedly gifted by Providence with many 
 good and noble ([ualities. Oratory at that time was like silver 
 in Jerusalem in the days of Solomon, so connnon that it was 
 nothing accounted of The (Government was ojjenly threatened 
 with the defection of their French sup])orters en masse. I 
 believe that this very event served to illustrate so strongly to 
 the French-speaking representatives, as well as to the English, 
 the danger and folly of attempting to use this political boom- 
 erang of combinations of class interests in the government of 
 the countr)', that it is even now enormously discredited, if not 
 completely abandoned. In the particular case just now men- 
 tioned, the o[)en antl unblushing attempt to coerce the Govern- 
 ment, whatever other effect it might have had, undoubtedly 
 rendered it im])Ossil)le to exercise clemency, without subjecting 
 itself to the accusation of truckling to jiopular clamor. What- 
 ever chances of commutation of sentence which Riel might 
 have had (and 1 am bound to say that there were powerful 
 reasons which would have excused, if not justified, the exercise 
 of mercy) his so-called friends, by ill-judged zeal and clamor, 
 irrevocably sealed his fate. 
 
 1 had not intended to say anything in this lecture which 
 could be interpreted as having a party bias, but 1 cannot re- 
 frain at this point from adverting to a very common rejjroach 
 cast upon that portion of the English inhabitants of this coun- 
 try which has been always allied with the conservative i)arty, 
 that they were uni)atriotic and short-sighted. That the liberals 
 were their natural allies, that the i)olicy of the liberals was pro- 
 gressive and more in accordance with English thought, I am 
 bound to confess that I have known liberals whose political 
 opinions 1 highly approved, but 1 think the search for a pro- 
 gressive policy in the record of the liberal party in this pro- 
 
 B 
 
18 
 
 vincc, as of late yrirs condiirtid would prove entirely Iriiitloss, 
 unless indeed i)ro^ress ran be found in their efforts to in- 
 lluence popular passion by the presentation of false issues and 
 by the promolion of hatred. 
 
 It seems to me that tiie present is a favorable time 
 for the adoption of a new course. 1 am satisfied that 
 today all classes of our population acknowlcds^e the necessity 
 of conmion and united action, in order to work out tin- 
 grand future to which our country is undoubtedly destined. 
 The country will no doubt advance in si)itc of our want ot 
 action and obstructions, just as the ice finally is forced down 
 our ma<;nificenl river in spile of a shoal here and an island 
 there. JUit how slowly ittjoes! how long it stands still ! what 
 damage it does by the way ! Let us be up and remove the 
 obstacles out of the way of the country's jjrogress. The true 
 progress of the coimtry demands that all its citizens should 
 contribute, not at ha|i-lKuard, or in opposing directions, but 
 with a fixed and uuiiorm design. But how can this be, when 
 the two races in the community are as separate and distinct as 
 oil and water which have been thrown into the same vessel? 
 After a complete century of government of this country under 
 the flag of England, no visible progress towards unifying the 
 races has been made. Most of you have no doubt read the 
 description contained in .Shakespeare of the rough and ready 
 courtship of King Henry V. of the Print ess Catherine of France. 
 " Shall not thou and 1 between Saint Denis and Saint Ceorge 
 compound a boy, half French half Isnglish, that shall go to 
 Constantinoj-le and lake the Turk by the beard? Shall we 
 not ? What sayest thou, my fairllower de luce ? " Now, sir. 1 
 am bound to say that i believe the fault lies largely with the 
 English. We came to this country a century ago. Wc found it, 
 peopled with a population speaking the I- rench language and 
 professing the Roman Catholic religion. We conqucMvd it. 
 and governed it by an arbitrary auil tyrannical system, till 
 human nature could endure no longer, and it rebelled. We 
 learned some wisdom from experience and gave it popular 
 government and representative institutions. We gave this 
 people the use of its own language, and we permitted it to 
 
19 
 
 exercise its own rcli^'ion, .hkI wc never cease to boast of the 
 iiiagn.iiiiniity of our fioiuluct. Sometimes we even regret that 
 we liail not ground down those who (oiild in»t resist, and 
 (Ifprived them of every |)rivilege which they held most dear. 
 There is no doubt that (jflen what is in reahty nothing more 
 than the invincible reserve so characteristic of the Jkitish race, 
 has, coming in contact with the warm and effusive I'lench 
 nature, been inter[)reted as the manifestation of conscious 
 sujteriority and contempt ; and produced, in conse<pience, not a 
 feehng of like indifference and contempt, i)ut one of active aver- 
 sion andhostihly. There is no doubt, also, on the otiier hand, 
 that many of our I'/Uglish-spcaking inhabitants have enter- 
 tained, and entertain to-day, an opinion (which I beg leave to 
 say is totally unloundeil) that the l<'rench,asa race, are inferior 
 to themselves, and are to be toleral<.'d by liie necessity of things 
 because they cannot be got rid of. It is said, sir, that 
 the I'"renc]i are more ignorant than the English. The 
 educational system is hopelessly defective and inelficient. 
 That 1 fear is undoubtedly in a large measure true, Init whose 
 is the fault? Who governed tlu- country from 1787 to 1S37? 
 Can a people in a few years be transferred from a low to a 
 high condition in educational m;'tters? The growth of general 
 education in a stale is necessarJy slow, ami it is ])roi)ortion- 
 ately slower in its beginnings tiian afterwards. We are, with- 
 out doubt, in this [)rovince, behind other c(juntries in the edu- 
 cation of the masses, and we have great difficulties to overcome ; 
 but I think none that, with houest effoitand the exercise of a 
 little patience, are of a nature to cause absolute discouragement. 
 The necessity of the education of the masses at all was an idea 
 born into the world within a comparatively recent date. In the 
 New World, on this side of the .\tlantic, peopled by the adven- 
 turous spirits who had originality enough to lay aside the Old 
 World, with its associations, its traditions, its ideas, as also its 
 ( omforts, the idea found a congenial home, and soon attained 
 universal acceptance ; but in the older and more conservative 
 communities it made slow progress, so much so that even in 
 England, within the memory of many of us, the common school 
 system was, if anything, worse than that existing even in the 
 
20 
 
 most unprogrcssivc parts of the Proviiirc of Quebec. In this 
 Province, in my jiul^inent, the State has too much (K'|n.iukd 
 upon the C'hnrcli to look after this most important biaMcliut 
 the public servic e. II there is a conservative institution uiitlor 
 the sun it is the ("atludic Church ; it o|)poses itself tu every 
 current; it moves neither in one (brection nor in another; it 
 breasts the tide of reform and revohition with ecpuil steadiness. 
 It is ama/ing how slow it learns, and how louj^ it remembers. 
 It is not, therefore, surprising iliat the new educational idea did 
 not for a long time fuid mm h favor with it. Here, sir, I deem 
 it my duly to oppose myself to an idea loo commonly enter- 
 tained among rroleslants that the Catholic Church is opposed 
 toeduiation. It was the Catholic llliurch which preserved 
 alive during the dark ages the fires of learning, and \i has ever 
 provided the most complete and etiicient means for the educa- 
 tion of its iirie^thtuul ; but, notwithstanding this, it (amiolhc 
 said that it has been the earnest friend ol' jtopular education. 
 The Church, however, acluatetl without doubt by the purest 
 and highest motives, strenuously desires to retain sii[)er\i-.i(iii 
 over if not control of the education of youth. And here springs 
 up one of the chief diflu ullies whi< h we have to encounter and 
 surmoimt if our secular eilucation is to keep pace with the times. 
 As you know, in this Ptovinee oiu- l-'.nglish population, which 
 IS comparatively small, is scattered over almost all parts of the 
 Province. We find all over the (ouiUry small villages com- 
 posed of a few 'nglish-speaking persons atid a large number uf 
 french-speaking. Every one wants their children to tea. I and 
 wrue at least. Some want religion taught in one way and some 
 want It taught in another, and all are afraid U> j.ermit religious 
 teachers other than those of their own way of thinking to come 
 ui contact with their children. The result is that there must he 
 two schools, or perhaps wheti two eannot be managed, none at 
 all. Whereas, ,f French and KnglisK children coidd attend the 
 same schocd and be taught by the same teachers, a fairly g.:nd 
 
 the rntscrable apology for schools which are so often fotnul. 
 
 Enghsh, tn the same schools ? As I said, difference of religion 
 
21 
 
 and the obstinacy of the dcinniul for religious tcacliin;; in the 
 schools. 'I'his (liffic iilty must, I think, l>c ovcrconic hyrcsohite 
 iiicasiircs on the part of our I.egishitiire. Siciilari/ation of edu- 
 t.ition ought to l>r in this I'rovnirc ,1 rallying cry. It will meet 
 with (Ictirmini'd and at tlrst oveiwhclniir.^ oitpwsitiou, hut I hc- 
 lirvc that it will make it.s way, and Ihially triuui|>h over all oppo- 
 sition, as it has in JManee today. I'roti'^t.uits cannot Idamt- 
 the Cadiolic.s for strenuously striving to retain lutilrol over 
 (.•diicalion. Our Assemblies und Synods are constantly offering 
 resolutions and sending down remits, and making overtures, 
 and doing a great many other things which would be just as 
 Will described in good haiglisli, to strive to perpetuati- reli- 
 gions leaching in the schools. We all ought to be taught reli- 
 gious (hify in our families. Wi; have our church organizations 
 for that very purpose ; we provide our schools for the teaching 
 of secular learning. In many cases otir teachers are not <iuali- 
 tkd to impart icligious instruction; yi't \\v insanely insist, as 
 if fin the mere pmpos(.' of di.'Stroying the efficiency of our 
 school .system, to ta( k on an element of discord. But supposing 
 the schools secularized, how could the ditliculties arising from 
 (lUTeieiice of language \)v oveMoine? These would, without 
 iloubl, re(|iiiie time to surmount. I believe it to be a crying dis- 
 gia( e to Ilk' haiglish eilucalioiial authorities of this province 
 that the I'lendi language is not taught with any effnaency in any 
 of our schools. It is true tlialsoine lessons in I'rench are given, 
 jiediaps for half an hour twi( e a week or something of that 
 sort, but the whole thing is done in such a half-hearted, lack- 
 adaisical manner, that it results in absolutely nothing. A impil, 
 after studying iMench in tliis w.iy for a trille of six years, will 
 possibly be able to pronounce " lion jour "or "C)ui, Monsieur," 
 with tolerable accuracy, but as to any useful practical knowledge 
 ofthc language, asa living language, spoken by three per.sonsout 
 of five whom he will meet in life, he knows nothing at all. I have, 
 sir. frc(|uenlly fell my indignation rising alinosl to the boiling 
 point ui)on a mere enumeration of the infinity d subjects 
 which children now-a-days are expected to I'otler at in school. 
 When a boy of twelve or thirteen has from fifteen to twenty 
 studies proceeding at the same time you may easily guess how 
 
22 
 
 much good he gets out of any of them. There's Latin and Greek, 
 for example, botli very useful in their way, and the attention of 
 children is more devoted to either of these than it is to I'Vench. 
 Boys are put into these studies from the age of seven or eight, 
 and are kept continually at them until they have passed through 
 their whole (X)urse. I believe it is sheer nonsense and waste of 
 time to take up the attention of children so young with these 
 subjects. Nothing is gained in the study of the languages iiiem- 
 selves; and, not only so, hut bad and superficial habits of study 
 are formed which re([uire to be afterwards discarded. I could 
 mention half a dozen other subjects, which could also be profit- 
 ably discarded and left to a much later stage. Prime import- 
 ance ought to be given to the study of English and French, the 
 two languages of the people, both of which we require to use at 
 every turn in life. There is absolutely no reason why our 
 children at the age of ten should not converse fluently in the 
 French language. If you say, why impose all this umiecessary 
 labour— one language is enough ; why have two ? We have two, 
 and we can't help it. And there is no sign that our language 
 is prevailing, or is likely to prevail over the other, and we must 
 make the best of it. There is no doubt that the conunon use 
 of a single language would be a great advantage, and that was 
 understood at the very outset of our system. In 1 79 1 , when the 
 first Assembly met, which, as I have said was comi)OSed of fifteen 
 English and thirty-four French, the very first debate, concerned 
 the use of the French language. It would have been nothing sur- 
 prising had the French, who luul so large a majority, insisted 
 upon using the French language (;nly, but the .piestion did not 
 come up in that f,;rm. li was whether the French languaL;e 
 should be used aiall. Kvery English member voted for the sole 
 use of English, and they were joined bytwo or three French. One 
 of the latter, 1'. E. Panet, a name well known in Canadian his- 
 tory, said m the Assembly : '' 1 n^aintain that we ought to choose 
 a bpeaker capable of speaking e<iually the two languages. Is 
 urn Heneh or ui English that he must address the Governer? 
 lo resolve this question I demand if this Colony is French 0, 
 
 °"^ wc hold our constitution ; what is in genera. 
 
2.T 
 
 the language of the Empire ; what is that of a portion of our co- 
 citizxns ; what will be that of Canadians and of the inhabitants 
 of the whole I'rovince at a future date ? I am a Canadian, the 
 son of a Canadian ; my language is the French language ; but 
 in consequence of the divisions which liave existed among us 
 all I have only been able to ac([uire a very imperfect knowledge 
 of English, so that my i)resent o])inion will not be taken as 
 interested. I am of o[)Iniou that it is an absolute necessity that 
 in the course of time the Canadians shouKl adopt the {'English 
 language as the only means of dissipating the suspicions and 
 aversions that the diflerenceof language maintains between two 
 peoi)le united by circumstances and obli ;ed to live together. 
 And in furtherance of this happy transformation, i think il is 
 proper that the Speaker of this Chamber should be in a position 
 to express himself in English when he approaches the represen- 
 tative of tne Sovereign." 
 
 On the odier side Mr. Joseph Papineau (also a historical 
 name) exclaimed : " Is it because Canada forms part of the 
 British Empire; is it because the Canadians do not speak the 
 language of the inhabitants on the banks of the Thames, that 
 they must be deprived of their rights." M. dc Lothiniere, in 
 the midst of profound attention, remarked as follows: "The 
 greater number of our electors, finding themselves in a j)eculiar 
 situation, we are obliged to depart from the ordinary rules and 
 to claim the use of a lantjuai^e which is not that of the em[)ire. 
 Uut, as just toward others as we hope they will be towards us, 
 we do not wish that our language should exclude that of the 
 other subjects of His Majesty. Wc demand that both should 
 be permitted, and that our procee(hngs should be recorded in 
 the two languages." M. de Rocheblave said : " Why tlu-n are 
 our English brethren angry in seeing us determined to con- 
 serve our customs, our laws and our maternal language, the 
 only means which remams to us to defend oiu" property. 
 Would the sterile honor of seeing their language predonnnant 
 carry them to the point of taking away the force and energy 
 of those laws, usages and customs which form the seciuUy ot 
 their own fortune ? Masters without competition of the com- 
 merce which our productions yield them, have they not infin- 
 
24 
 
 itely to lose in the general confusion which this injustice would 
 infalli!)ly produce, and is it not to render them a service to 
 oppose it ? " At that time, wlu'n the population of the couiUry 
 was comparatively small, it mii^ht have been possible, by the 
 exercise of coercive, though unjust measures, to have stamind 
 out the French languai^e. It is not now ])Ossible with a brench 
 l)opulation of a million and a h.ilf. It is impossible to coniptl 
 the French to be Fn^lish or the I'.ni^lish h'rench. and yet so 
 long as they stand ajiart, isolated from each other, as was elo- 
 quently remarked by I'anet, there nnist and will exist suspicidii 
 and distrust incomiiatible with ])rogress. It seems to me, sir. 
 that the only possible remedy for this state of things is to he 
 found in bringing the children of both together, in the same 
 schools, and in making enormously more complete i>ro\ision 
 for the teaching of buih laiigu.ages to every t bild. The asso- 
 ciation of the children ill school would infallibly result in thf 
 formation of friendship.; which would last through life, and 
 there can be no doubt that such a course would result in numer- 
 ous intermarriages which would gradually assimilate the people 
 to each other. Kven if this were not the case, the ability to 
 speak both languages which every one would possess would go 
 very far to break down the ignorance which each race has of 
 the other, and with it prejudice would also disappear, and social 
 relations of the most intimate character would become possible 
 —not only so, but also if this system were carried into i)ractico, 
 and the people generally had learned to speak both languages, 
 It might be possible to choose one for all legislative and public 
 acts without committing the serious injustice which otherwise 
 would result from such a course. 
 
 I^ut, sir, I will probably be told that the barrier between the 
 two races is not entirely one of language, but also one of religion. 
 Ihat no doubt, IS the case to a limited extent in social matters, 
 but I do not think that it e.xtends to any aoprcc:iable degree 
 into the region of politics, ..nd I am f.ir from thinking it an .n- 
 ^.perable obstacle to even the most intimate sociarrelations, 
 aLTn'\ '' ^"^'"^ ''''^' ''^'''' ^^" i"tellii^ent Canadian can 
 opmion on some question of theological interpre- 
 
25 
 
 tation. Clod has given us all intellects and consciousness, and we 
 arc responsible to Him alone for our opinions on these ques- 
 tions. Our Catholic neighbors as honestly and sincerely be- 
 lieve that their way is the best, as we do that ours is. 
 
 We are all too prone to i)e dogmatic when we come to ques- 
 tions of religious doctrine. We characterize much of the Catho- 
 lic worship as '* puerile superstition." The Catholics, on the 
 other hand, think that we have substituted a heartless philoso- 
 phy in the jilace of religion, and ridicule us in consequence of 
 the number of sects which we cherish in our bosom, which are 
 in one respect like the devils in the i)aralytic, their name is 
 legion. And we, sir, feel the sting of the taunt, and we try to 
 gloss it over by a juggle of words. We jjretend (the pretence 
 I do not think satisfies any of us) that though everything appears 
 to indicate disunion among us, it is in f;ict uniformity that we 
 lack. Far be it from nie to under-estimate the reforms neces- 
 sary in the Catholic Church, but I think we might spare a little 
 time to consider our own fiiults. There is a considerable (juan- 
 tity of glass exposed in our house ; it were well we did not ger 
 the habit of throwing too many stones. Sir, we recogiuze the 
 Roman Catholic religion as a Cnristian religion. I think we 
 ought to treat it and those professing it with due respect. W e 
 have a more excellent way, and we desire that our tellow-cUi- 
 zens of the Catholic faith should benefit by us. In my judg- 
 ment that result will not be attained by unduly depreciatmg the 
 system of worship as practised by the Catholics. Those wlio 
 are expecting to see the Catholics of this province become I'ro- 
 testants will, I think, have a long time to wait. I take it that 
 what we must expect to do is to set forward our own Church 
 life, and work in such a light as to compel the Catholic Church 
 by its own popular opinion to reform. 
 
 The fact is, that we need a hundred times more popular edu- 
 cation in this Province than we have got. As 1 have said above, 
 we need a common school in every district. It must be under 
 the control of the State. The Church must be excluded troin 
 any control over educational matters. The separate school 
 system has abvays r. ulted injuriously. The children belong- 
 ing to the different faiths grow apart from each other, and, as a 
 
 • • • 
 
 • < • » 
 
 « • • - « 
 
26 
 
 result, do not have sufiicient consideration for each others' views 
 and feehngs. A good system of common education eciuali/xs 
 and assimilates the people. It overturns jirejudice and strength- 
 ens every good tendency. I think, also, that its influence would 
 be just as powerfully felt in religious as ill political matters. 
 
 In conclusion, sir, I would say that we have been placed by 
 Providence in this country peopled by distinct races, living, up to 
 the present, in comparative isolation from each other. U is 
 clear that so long as this isolation continues to exist the total 
 progressive force must be vastly diminished, because individual 
 forces are not acting unitedly in the same direction. It is im- 
 possible under such circumstances to cultivate the pride of 
 citizenship, or to arouse that enthusiasm which is absolutely 
 necessary to i)reserve the State from taking wrong courses. 
 Where the citizens are indifferent the governors become cor- 
 rupt. The position is a grave one, and calls loudly for a remedy. 
 It may be that the ideas 1 have set forward are chimerical and 
 impracticable, but I trust that some means may be found 
 whereby we all, as citizens of a common country, may see eye 
 to eye and advance shoulder to >huuider in the pathway of 
 national luogress.