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/S'. C. t^^^c" 
 
 THE ATTITUDE 
 
 -OF THE— 
 
 FRENCH CA-NADIAN RACE 
 
 -AND- 
 
 SEIP^I^^TJEl SCHOOLS, 
 
 Speech DEr.ivEKEU bv Mk. VV. Jl. BAllllV, at Casselman, on 
 
 8()th May, 1S90. 
 
 The largest public meeting ever held at C'asselman took place in 
 the Town Hall on Friday the 30th May, 1890, it having been called 
 in the interests of Alexander Robillard, Esq., who was contesting the 
 County of Russell in the Liberal cause during the recent Provincial 
 Elections. 'I'he hall was crowded to its utmost capacity, many persons 
 being unable to get admission. Mayor Quesiineville presided, and after 
 Dr, Savard had addressed the audience in French, the Chairman said it 
 was now his pleasing duty to introduce to the electors, a barrister of 
 Ottawa who had already proved himself a friend to the French Can- 
 adian, and was well-known for his liberality of sentiment towards those 
 of other nationalities and now he ap|)eared before them as a supporter 
 of Mr. Alexander Robillard. 
 
 Mr. Barry who was received with applause said ; — 
 
 The large assemblage here to-night and the enthusiasm with which 
 you have greeted Mr. Robillard augur well for his successful return. But 
 although we are now somewhat kindly disposed towards each other, the 
 spirit in which this campaign has opened is exceedingly to be regretted : 
 for whatever may have been our differences heretofore on political ques- 
 tions, they were never embittered by religious feelings until the leader 
 of the Tory party in our Province rang out in his London speech the 
 key-note for the revival of intolerance and prejudice which old quarrels 
 
 - 11 
 
 :'Tt| 
 
2 
 
 of creed and pride of race had allowed to smoulder in the breasts of his 
 ( ountrymen. One would have thought that in the interval between the 
 delivery of this address and the close of the debate on the dual lan- 
 guages in the Commons, Mr. Meredith would have deemed it proper to 
 repent of his former utterances, on being made avare that he wab dilating 
 on questions which on account of numerous other claims on his time 
 and attention, he had not carefully examined nor perfectly understood, 
 and that his appeals to the passions of the people could do nothing 
 other than serious harm. Hut the discussion at Ottawa profited him 
 in no manner, because the mind of a bigot is like the pupil of the eye, 
 the more light you throw on it the more it contracts, and actuated by 
 the ancient spirit of domination, which in this country as in others 
 has always characterized pure unadulterated Toryism, he thought 
 political capital could be made out of the movement by endeavoring to 
 open the flood-gates of passion, which, once aroused, no human power 
 may stem, and by incitmg national and religious bias he might set up 
 the strong and numerous against the weaker minority and ride into 
 power ever the prostitution of the most sacred right.s ard privileges. 
 (Ap|)lause.) 
 
 But you, gentlemen, are not deceived by the extravagance of 
 his speech and by his exuberance of sophistry. His flourishes of ex- 
 aggeration exercise a different influence on your minds, and just as 
 •'the diamond breastpin sometimes kills i]vt social effect of the wearer 
 who might have passed for a gentleman without it," so the effulgence of 
 bigotry betrays the shallow politician whom people otherwise might have 
 believed to be a statesman. (Ai);)lause.) 
 
 The fever of bad feeling had about subsided when, under the guise 
 of political expediency, Mr. Meredith renewed his attacks on the issue 
 of his manifesto to the electors at the Pavilion meeting in Toronto. 
 He set out with the proposition that for homogenity in a nation, unity 
 of language is necessary and the abolition of Separate Schools must of 
 course follow, and from the tone of his address one could net otherwise 
 than conclude that he regarded the French Canadians as a secondary 
 and mferior peof)le, and intended to impress his audience with that 
 view. 
 
 But all his statements are ecjually fallacious. He well knew when 
 he ask»d his hearers to accept as truth what he addressed to them, that 
 it is r jt by language and community of language alone that men are 
 formed into a nation. That history is a testimony to the opposite 
 teaching, that no matter in what tongue the Saxon, Celt, Indian or 
 Negro may exjiress his thoughts his ethnical condition will remain un 
 changed, and he will think and feel in sympachy with the people of the 
 nation from which he sprung. But, in point of fact, gentlemen, wns 
 there ever a nation of importance which at some period of its existence, 
 either early or late, was not composed of various races speiking different 
 languages ? No. 'iVadition does not inform us of any state which 
 acquired lasting greatness wherein one language alone was continuously 
 spoken. 
 
 
^^ermany after the peace of Westphalia, illustrates what Mr. Mere- 
 dith would call a country homogenous in language and according to 
 mm on such account should have been bound fast together bv the ties 
 of national spirit. But what has been the result ? History tells of no 
 people more torn by internal dissensions, rebellious and internecine 
 strile until it was divided up into the states which now compose Austria 
 ana the (merman Empire. 
 
 Of the various nations of Europe Italy, Portugal, Denmark and 
 .reece are the only ones with unity of languages, yet no one i)retends 
 that they are prosperous peoples. 
 
 It is not by assimilation of language that a homogenous people is 
 maGe but by oneness of sentiment and purpose, a union of hearts and 
 this should be the object of every honest citizen who is anxious to form 
 a nation. I his is the problem and we look for the solution, and if efforts 
 are made to antagonize French Canadian fellow citizens they will be 
 more exclusive -f they are deprived of what they consider their rijchts 
 and the crusade against them will have the effect of making their language 
 more permanent, and perhaps of dispelling forever their confidence in 
 us which we have so proudly and honorably won. (Applause.) Ought 
 not profit to be nowinade from the experience of the past. We know that 
 
 Fn!nlf L^^^iT"^ '5^7 the French held themselves aloof from 
 English-speaking fellow subjects and were regarded as an alien and a 
 hostile race, but afterwards and following the union a different feeling 
 began to set m and another state of affairs prevailed and created the 
 most unswerving loyalty to the British Crown and Canada, and had it 
 not been for the wisdom, moderation and generosity of England at that 
 
 he"re to-da '''*''^' '''"'^ '"'^'''^' ^"^ '"'""'"^ ""* ^'''''^ ''' ^^"''''' ^^'''°">' 
 
 'I'here must be no compulsion to discontinue the French language 
 It must be left to the voluntary action of the people " 
 
 to J\Tli ^''^'^ ^° ^"u^^ its language on the Poles, but the persecution 
 hJfpH 'h^^hT;;^ '''^i^''^^ "^^^^« their language more dear and more 
 studied and added more to its permanence and dissemination than any 
 other efforts, while it gave to this country a large number of thrifty and 
 welcome immigrants. ^ 
 
 Alsace was German at one time but became transferred to France 
 
 and being governed by the kind and tolerant spirit of her new ruler she 
 
 came to love France who had conquered her and adopt the French 
 
 K^^^'/d u°''^''y '^^t" ^.^^ (•e""aiis are trying to accomplish what 
 
 he Equal Righters and Tones aim at in Ontario, they have eliminated 
 
 the affections of the Alsatians, many of whom have left the country 
 
 while others who remain are so disaffected that they are only kept in 
 
 subjugation by the presence of a large standing army > ' ^ '" 
 
 We should therefore feel kindly disposed towards French Canadians 
 
 to esteem them as our English-speaking countrymen, and whenever a 
 
 desirable change is proposed in which they are interested we should 
 
 approach them with the deference due to their high importance and 
 
great worth, as nothing at the present day can be accomplished by 
 coercion, '['his is a Tory method of ruling which proceeds not from 
 the higher and nobler instincts of the human heart or affection for those 
 who are governed, but arises from the dread, the diffidence and the dis- 
 trust of the Tory party, which was ever suspicious and tyrannical. Be 
 just then to your fellow J'rench (!anadians, ( Loud applause. ) If Mr, 
 .Meredith wants a united people he must lay down a law for Ontario 
 that shall apply h> (Canada, to the whole liritish lMui)ire, and this shall 
 not be merely a unity in language, as when this election is over he will 
 learn to his sorrow and his wisdom, but that oneness of sentiment and 
 union of hearts, which are attained only l)y forbearani e, tolerance and 
 affection, are the surer homogenity for the building up of a prosperous 
 people. (Apj)lause and cheers. ) 
 
 We now come to the question of Sejxirate Schools. When referring 
 to the subject in his Pavillion speech in Toronto Mr. Meredith said : 
 " It ^eems to me that we did away with the connection between Church 
 and State with regard to Protestant domination t»ut that the conditit)n 
 is to exist with regard to the Roman Catholic religion in this Province 
 of Ontario. Agamst this pro])osition I intend to exert my utmost in- 
 lluence. It can never be permitted in this free county that the Catholic 
 Church shall absorb the functions of the State. We have determined 
 that one of the foundations of our government is that the education of 
 tlie young belongs to the State and that it is the duty of the State to see 
 that every child is instructed and every citizen contributes to the sup- 
 ])ort and education of every child in the State." And further on he adds; 
 " an agitation ought from this hour to arise and be continued until the 
 Separate Schools are swept away by its force. '" In reply to this onslaught 
 against his Roman ('atholic fellow citizens, I tell Mr. Meredith that the 
 privileges they enjoy are guarnteed by the act of confederation and 
 were the indispensible concession for carrying into effect the union of 
 the Provinces in the Dominion. That it is now a settled controversy 
 not to be reopened, and it is the duty of those who truly regard the pro- 
 gress and prosperity of Canada, who wish to see it advance on the path 
 towards nationality, to defend the rights of the minorities as by law and 
 by convention and by national sentiment established. (Applause.) In 
 this agitation of which he speaks he encourages race against race, creeil 
 against creed, Roman ('atholics against their hierarchy, and his conduct 
 is certainly to be deprecated by all honest men. ("an a more flagrant 
 violation of the liberty of conscience and liberty of teaching of which 
 he has so often boasted be conceived in Cai.ada than to openly 
 insult a man because of his religion. 
 
 He well knows that the teaching of the Catholic Church is that the 
 State has no right to bring up children ; that not even parents simply 
 as parents have the right or the duty in the matter of education. It is 
 to the Church alone belongs the right and the duty to educate children 
 but the State has che right and the duty to oblige children to be 
 educated by the ( .'hurch. 
 
 i 
 
 t 
 
! 
 
 (Catholics Understand education to have a two-fold object, the 
 teaching of the truth and the formation of a virtuous character ; that 
 religion is this means to the end, and it is reasonable to conclude that 
 in manycases if religion be not taught in schools little effort will be made 
 to form the children's moral character at home, especially when parents 
 are absent for I he greater part of the day or are themselves wanting in re- 
 ligious education and for many other and graver reasons. 
 
 Perhaps Mr. Meredith and his unequal righters may say, as Mr. 
 Brodet told us yesterday at Duncanville, that Sunday schools and the 
 administration of justice will supply the necessity of further religious 
 teaching, liut it is a fact, undisputed, that not one half of those attend- 
 ing public schools ])resent themselves for instruction on Sunday, 
 What will then become of the other half of young .society and what will 
 be their end whose sparse intellectual light without moral warmth is 
 scarcely conducive to ensure to them a healthy social future and who 
 through poverty or other causes are allowed but a few years of imper- 
 fect early training, though they require more encouragement to bear up 
 against the present adversities ol life ? 
 
 The teaching of obedience to the laws of the country as enfor» ed 
 by our courts and discussed m parliament, is an insufficient substitute 
 for public school religious education. I'hese only deal with transgres- 
 sions that lie on the surface of human depravity, while countless viola 
 tions committed in secret are never brought to light. How can these 
 laws reach the merchant, the statesman, the magistrate who wrong the 
 ])eople with whom they come in contact ? How do they restrain 
 the private immorality of passionate youth or the secret infidelity of 
 wedded love ? Will Mr. Meredith or his adherents answer this dit^- 
 culty ? The laws may to a certain extent arrest public disorder but they 
 cannot reach the heart of the offender who plans his mischief in the 
 dark and consummates his villany in the attics or the cellars where 
 dwell his accomplices of crinvj. 
 
 I ask you, gentlemen electors, here to-night, if it be honorable and 
 fair because on such grounds Catholics have conscientiously formed a 
 religious belief, that they should be insulted for their convictions ? Is 
 it tolerant and just and consi.stent with the principles of British liberty 
 that any one will seek to incite his fellow citizens to agitate until by 
 force Roman (Catholics will be deprived of the privileges which they are, 
 and have ever been, generously disposed to grant to other denomina- 
 tions. 
 
 Experience has taught that in the moral training of youth depends 
 in a great measure the safety of society hereafter. I'hat the jjrinciples 
 instilled at school and subsequently developed in active life are those 
 which influence the public opinion of the day. Insiruc lion without 
 moral trainin;^ has produced the religious indifference of the jiresent, 
 and consequmilv tlu- disrespect for authority so widespread, and the 
 doctrines of socialism, anarchy and other hurtful principles against social 
 order. 
 
wm 
 
 t 
 
 i 
 
 As all authority romes from Ood and as our sovereign (|ueen pr'o^ 
 claims that she reigns by Divine grace, no one can have due respect for 
 or be a truly loyal citi/en who is not a religiously edu( ated man, and this 
 is what His Excellency our late (lovcrnor (leneral had in view when 
 addressing the tacully and students ol Ottawa University ; and well 
 knowing how such education favorably inlluences proper regard for the 
 majesty of the law and strengthens the loyalty of the sutiject, he said; — 
 " A coll>;ge such as yours is di)ing a woik the importance of which it Is 
 impossible to overrate. It is the great factory in which the raw material 
 is shai)ed, polished and sent for active servi<-e into the world. I am 
 glad tc know that part of the equipment yon receive here ccjnsists in 
 tlie uc(piisiti()n of fecliuLis of loyally to the sovereigri and ai,t;ichment to 
 imperial connection. That is, i believe, the feehng which the church 
 whose influence rules supreme within these walls loses no opportunity 
 of inculcating. I recognize the importance of inculcating these loyal 
 sentiments in tlie rising generation. \'our fathers have given you a 
 united Canada. It will he for you who are growing up and will some 
 day take their places to maintain that union and guide the fortunes of the 
 country in the right direction. I trust you will be faithful to the sound 
 teachmgs which you have received here and will continue to believe in 
 the unity of the emiiire as we in the old country believe in it." ■ 
 
 This is the doctrine of Her Majesty by her viceroy and against 
 which Mr. Meredith intends to exert his utmost influence. (Applause.) 
 
 If such teaching have no effect on the agitators against creed, I 
 would also recall the significant coincidence that about the time of Mr. 
 Meredith's London s|)eech the Honorable Mr. (Gladstone and Lord 
 Salisbury in England both exi)res.sed the one opinion that in view of 
 the present condition of society never greater than now was religious 
 instruction needed in schools, because a man who is indifferent in 
 religion, is indifferent to the constituted authority of the land, an in- 
 different citizen, an indifferent husband, an indifferent father. 
 
 If the one opinion of the.se eminent parliamentarians be entitled 
 to any weight, a preponderance in their favor will undoubtedly be given 
 when it is contrasted with the utterances of Mr. Meredith, who from his 
 small experience is a mere inferior politician in comparison with these 
 great statesmen of England who have passed their lives in the busy 
 arena of public affairs. 
 
 Notwithstanding this wholesome advice Mr. Meredith insisted in 
 his pavillion speech that the evil of Separate Schools divided us into 
 two hosile camps, Protestant and C^atholic, when we should be living 
 together as man and man. 
 
 Crentlemen, I would ask you to pardon me for offering a personal 
 instance to reply to this unfound d charge. I have passed the earlier 
 and happier period of my boyhood and youth under the influence of 
 denominational schools ; I have the honor to be a graduate of a 
 Catholic university and throughout my entire student life, I never heard 
 other counsels than to honor and respect and have the like affection for 
 
 
»■ 
 
 1 
 
 those w1h» (liffcrcci Irom us in cicfd as lor those in my own rehgion. 
 (Applause.) And as a humble uicniber of that },'reat Calholir (hurrh, 
 while endeavoring; lo put into prai ti< e the teachinj^s therein reeeived 
 I have had iVoui my fusl years friends auionj; many denominations. 1 
 may say, 1 have lived at my profession almost exclusively hy the 
 patronage of those separated from me hy religious belief. The greatest 
 personal sac^rifux- I iver made was for a Protestant and I earnestly hope 
 that the last ad of my life may L„ one of generosity and kindness to a 
 Protestant fellow-citizen if it be only as a protest against this persistent 
 calunmy. ( I, oud applause and(heers). 
 
 Mr. Meredith has told me that I am more liberally disposed thi'n 
 the rest of my co religionists towards those of other faiths, and I had lo 
 apologi/e for differing from his opinion, because among the vast nuujber 
 of Roman (latholics with whom I havL' come in contact, whom I have 
 long known and with whom I am intimately acquainted, counting 
 among my friends many of the clergy and episcopacy, I have never yet 
 heard any statement or utterance from them inconsistent with the ex- 
 perience I have just mentioned ; l)Ut they have, moreover, always 
 expres.sed the wish that Protestant church^'s flourish rather than that 
 the godless intention of banishing religion from sr hools should ever be- 
 come a reality. 
 
 There is no hope, no possibility ol educating together children of 
 different creeds, because conflicting cpiestions will constantly arise in 
 history, literature, in the arts and s< ience.s>\vhich even the most impartial 
 teacher cannot expound without incurring the risk ot wounding the 
 religious feelmgs of some of his pupils. We uiust then ask Mr. Meredith 
 to allow the discussion to cease, because religion will ntver be banished 
 from denominational schools. 
 
 'i'he Kipial Rights parly ac knowledge that they do not exp( cl to 
 attain then- object now, that it is only the beginning of a movement 
 which will in the distant future lake effect, that it is in keeping with the 
 progress and enlighienment of the age, and before such legislation is 
 adopted many other extraordinary chiinges may take place. 
 
 . As to the remoteness of the law there is every expectation, but as 
 being a step towards advancement no loyal man admits. I'Vom the 
 time when Christianity was first introduced into Britain down to the 
 present day the right of religious leaching in schools has always been 
 acknowledged by the ])eople, who by cc^nquest or by cession ruled the 
 destinies of our country or the lands which gave onr fathers birth. 
 Ciovernments and nations arose and fell but the right still remains. It 
 existed before Ontario was a recognized territorial division of our 
 Dominion, and there is every assurance it will continue after the i)ro- 
 vincial boundaries have disappeared. Jt was respected on the banks 
 of the Ottawa when the Iro()uois first learned his religious truths and 
 bowed before (Christian altars, and it may still exist in that remote and 
 distant future (-f extraordinary ( hanges after the zenith of Canada's 
 civilization is passed, when some traveller from the arctic circle shall 
 
8 
 
 pitrh his tent amid ihc ruins ol our Icgislalivc lialK on F'arliamcnt hill, 
 and surveying the awful desolation oJ the stately lenuiins oJ our one c 
 great and proud rapital wherein dwelt gotlless and good men, and in 
 the solenm Innohnoss of his surroundings he may iruthlully exclaim, 
 (), home (jf freedom of conscience, of teaching and of worshij), where 
 no man suffered lor his helief, and no altar was suhverted for the nun>- 
 l)cr or .ondition of its worshippers, nohly have you used liherty, that 
 last and best gift of (iod to man, and well tlone your duty. Such 
 admirable example has been the safeguard and guide ot successive 
 nations and peoples, (f.oud applause.) 
 
 A nation is judged by the so< ial and political history of its subjects ; 
 and according to their virtue and courage, truthfulness and self-sacrifice 
 will the foundation be more enduring for an adniirable structure of great 
 permanence and power, and tor the building up of national honor 
 and respect every one should concur in bringing into relief the promi- 
 nent traits and especial e;:cellen( ies of those among whom we dwell. 
 
 In (.!anada abf)ve all others the Krench Canadians de.serve the first 
 |)lace. (.\pi)iausc.) When none of us had the courage for the vastness 
 of the undertaking they won this country by perilous expeditions, by 
 hewing down the forest and con(juering the savage, and they crowned 
 their heroic efforts by surpassing all others in the success attained in the 
 cultivation of the highest intellectual tastes. 
 
 Yet this is the race which, still full of its priniitive vitality, Mr.Mer-. 
 etlith would have you believe an inferior people. This is the race which 
 gave patiiots like Ka|)ine:iu, I»arent and joly, which adorned the bench 
 with judges like Morin, Lafontaine and Donon, which gave poets like 
 Crema/.ie and l-'rechette, and orators like Chapleau and 1 auri'jr. 
 Have we among our I'Jiglish-sjjeaking |)eople historians as famous as 
 I'erland, (larneau and .Suite .^ Have we prose writers equal to Oerin 
 l.ajoie, Chauveau, .Abbe Casgrain, Abbe Verreau, Marinette and Faucher 
 de St. Maurice. Royalty in Europe has honored Mr. Haillerge as a 
 mathematician and Mr. 'i'ache has ac(|uired fame in architecture. 
 Pierre Voucher was knighted for his natural history, while Abbe La- 
 llainme, Abbe Proyencher and St. Cyr are among i)rominent scientific 
 writers. In paintinj; have we any superior to Hamal for portraits, 
 Plammandon for religious subjects, and I egare and Bourassa for studies 
 froiii nature and from life ; and in sculpture no one will cjuestion the 
 imrivalled excellence of Hebert, whole high talent has been lately 
 acknowledged by the French nation. And who can sing more ravish- 
 ingiy than .Mbani, or play more exquisitelly than Deseve ? 
 
 The French Canadian University of Laval has the mo4 notable 
 gallery o«" paintings in our Dominion and the rarest collection of manu- 
 s( ripts, and the Legislature of Quebec is alone among the provinces in 
 the publication of their archives. 
 
 If these be the contemptible people whom Mr. xMeredith despises 
 I would like to know what must be the degree of Flnglish insignificance 
 when compared with such excellence ? 
 
.hin ,'!'f",lf.°™" "''",'"" '•"' ';?'' """""K '*<"" ""d enjoyed >ho friend- 
 «hi|. of (he various classes and litard and invcsliisated for himself »^^JH 
 
 and s nl'lt""™"" ""'T "' """•"'hf'lness puCd by 'n r. wrhe^ 
 rlT' 'h^^f^e be more than French, Irish or Scotch „e r^us be 
 
 Sni J,o^^ett^^rci:■l■^ir »;kizt - - --- 
 
 thev nrofitV^'Notti". '?'' "^^ K°^ "^'^t ^^^" ^"^'^^'^^^"l «'hom would 
 
 only to affect the wave. ing uSls'^oS g ^ ;haps ?o'r the S;' 
 our Province m.ght he seduced into the Consfr^at™^^ 
 the movement end here and were it a mere party device it r^Lht not 
 occasion much alarm; but it is a political skirmish S the i^inm^e 
 object of a general onslaught , n the French Canadians and CathoHcs 
 o the Province and the attainn^ent of Protestant ascendency No 
 other conclusion can be drawn from the frequently repeated s^Lmfn 
 hat If it be not done by legislation now it 5ill be'aZmphshed In the 
 future by force of arms. This is the appeal rung out again and aVain 
 by which Mr Mered.th seeks to acquire power ; with wh^om gratitude 
 an abs trac of the past and expediency the promise of the^u^rl Bu 
 
 ^anS rlhh all TV'' ^^^^^""^' ''T'^"^ "^^ lasted and this i 
 
 diSs oT R tlh r °''' '"^ ";^?''' 7^''^ '' '' ^^^''^"^« ^'"h all tra- 
 ditions of British Government and fatal to the hope once entertained nf 
 building up a Canadian nation. (Applause) entertained of 
 
 But remember, Liberals, when your fathers ran up thf ir colors and 
 
Fit 
 
 10 
 
 fought for freedom and constitutional government it was not for civil 
 liberty alone but for civil and religious liberty, and only after a hard and 
 enduring struggle was the justness of their cause acknowledged. To- 
 day you are called upon to rally again and defend the compact for true 
 and equal rights for all then wrung by them Irom Tory oppressors even 
 at the cost of ancestral blood. You are asked to uphold the rights of 
 the minorities under the guidance of that great and noble leader the 
 Honorable Oliver Mowat (Applause) the man without fear and \yithout 
 reproach; to bury Mr.Broder in political oblivion and return to parliament 
 Mr. Alexander Robillard who has been your tried and faithtui represen- 
 tative in the past ; and when the glorious and auspicious day of the 5th 
 of June, 1890 v/ill break upon you recall the patriotism and dis- 
 interestedness of former years and unfurl once more the Liberal banner 
 of "Civil and Religious Liberty to all"— "Pi otection 10 the Minorities" 
 and in this sign, you shall conquer. (Loud cheering and applause) . 
 
 I