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' 
 
*' THE MENTAL OUTFIT OF THE NEW DOMINION. "' 
 
 (From ihc. Monhral Guzi:ll(\ Ndv.'yih, 1807.) 
 
 The third fortnightly meeting of the lecture ; 
 Roason at the Litenuy (^'hib took place Monday 
 evening (Nov. 4th.) J[ore thiin ordinary in- ' 
 terest was excited by thi! fact that the papei' to . 
 be read was by the Hon. T. 1). Mc(iee. His | 
 Hubjeet was ''Tlie Meiital Outfit of tlie New | 
 dominion," and a topie more interesting to tlie ! 
 literary pn))li(.', or appropriate to the present i 
 time could hardly have been selected by the i 
 lecturer. | 
 
 The chair was taken at 8 o'clock by the Pre- 
 sident of the club, the Kev. Dr. Jenkins, who 
 introduced the lecturt'r to the audience in a few ! 
 Weil-chosen Words. At tlie close the llev. Dr. I 
 Balch pronounced a high eulogiuni upon the j 
 paper, and moved, seconded by Mr. Murray, i 
 that the thank.s of the club be tendered to the | 
 lecturer for his able and eloquent address. The I 
 I'resident brought the meeting to a close with 
 the announcement that the next paper at the 
 club would be read by Mr. BilUngs on the sub- 
 ject of " Iteason and Instinct." 
 
 The follo\ving is Mr. McGoe's address : — 
 
 Mr. President and Gkntlemkn : I propose to 
 offer the Club a short paper, on ''The Mental 
 Outfit of the New Dominion.'' 
 
 Concerning the physical resources of the 
 united Provinces — their military ami maritime 
 interests — the changes r.nd iinprovfuneuts in 
 their laeans of intercourse — their most urgent 
 necessities in tlio way of legislation : of all 
 those tlier(j will bo occasions enough to speak 
 elsewhere. For the present iulyect, the present 
 time would seem most suitable, and this Club 
 the natural audience, to which to address what- 
 ever is to be said. It is true some mere politi- 
 cian may say, "let us look to Ottawa," a.^ to 
 the best collection of our mental pro«.luctions ; 
 or some much occupied citizen here, (m Mont- 
 real,) may interpose with, ''patience, friend, 
 we are building our city." I know the city must 
 be built, and I hope it will bo wisely and well 
 built ; I know tlio country must bo governed, 
 and I trust it will bo well and wisely governed ; 
 l)ut it can neither hinder the growth of the 
 city, nor distract the councils of the country, 
 to consider now, on the eve of our tirst Domin- 
 
 ion Parhann-nt, with what intellectual f'or.fK 
 and appliances, with wlrjt ijuantity and kind of 
 mental coninion stock, wc Mr(> aiioiu I'l set up 
 for ourselves, a di.stinct national exi-ti-ni-e in 
 North America. 
 
 ^^11 political observers are, I believe, now 
 agreed tliat all the forces of a jiatioM may bi* 
 class'd under the three hea<ls, of lunrid, mental, 
 and iihysical force. Jt needs no argument to 
 prove, that in this reading and writing age ; 
 " th(! age of the press " as it has licn called, 
 power must be wherever true intelligemc is. 
 and where most intelligence, most jiowcr. If 
 England conquers India l>y intelle<'t and bra- 
 very, s)ie can retain it only at the jirice of re 
 educating India; if a Cwu' Peter and aCzurinu 
 C'atherine, add vast realms to tlie Kussiiui Em- 
 pire, they too, inustsend out the sehoolmnst.Ts 
 to put up the fenc(>s, and break in thi^ wild 
 cuttle tht.-y have caught; if a I'liired Stales 
 reaches the rank of iirst powers, it must at the 
 same time, send its b(>st writers ;is am!)Mssadors 
 of its interior civilization. To tlii." er^d Bcnj i- 
 miu Franklin, Irving, Everett, PnuMing. IVui- 
 croft. Motley .and Marsh, have been selected 
 with the true instinct of mental ind.-iicndence. 
 to represent the new country at the old courts 
 of Christendom ; while J'ayne, Goodoiich, 
 Hawthorne, Mitchell, and other literary men, 
 liave filled important consular ollices, l)y ib>* 
 diot-ation of the same sentiment, of intellectual 
 selfaa.sertion. Kegartling the New Dominion 
 as an incipient new Nation, it seems to me, tint 
 our mental self-reliance is an essential conditi'in 
 of our political independence : I do not mean 
 a state of jiublic mind, puffed uji on sniall 
 things; an exaggerated opinion of ourselves 
 and a barbarian depreciation of foreignei's ; a 
 controversial ;-:tato of mind ; or a merely iniifa 
 five apish civilization. I mean anient;il cDndi- 
 tion, thoughtful and true ; national in its pre- 
 ferences, but cixtlioUc in its symi)atliies ; gravi 
 tating inward, not outward ; ready to lea; n Irom 
 every other peojde on one sole condition, that 
 the lesson when learned, has been worth 
 aiM^uiring. In short, we should desire to see, 
 Gentlemen, our new national character distin 
 guished by a manly modesty as much as by 
 
 0^ 
 
 ->,>Si 
 
 
 ^ 
 
1 s<»7 
 
 2 
 
 /( 
 
 iiH'Mt;il iinlc|)rii(ltii"o ; l>y tlif (!<)nsi'ifntious 
 cxoii'if'i' of tlic ciiticiil facultios, ns well as hj' 
 tlie zciil of tlif iiniiiirtT. 
 
 " J'iitioiK'c, frii'iiil, wc (ir(> biiililinjioiir eity ! " 
 With nil my lii-art— tiuiMiiwiiy. (iod sliced the 
 tiowfl iiii'l tlu' jiluiiililiiic, UH wll ii« till' loom, 
 the jilow aiiil th<> iiiivil. Hut iliciiin no(, ?iiy 
 ilciiiiicif-'hliour, I hilt ;.;rcatfitii'sari' liiilt I'hit'tly 
 liy Htoiiv miisoil>.. Let 1110 give yoii iiii illu.stra- 
 tioi) of the coutniry I'iK^t. Take Hostnn iiiid 
 Montieil. for eXiimiile, in thiMracliial ii-latioTis. 
 liostoii has some advantages in si/<^ a:ul wealth, 
 hut it lias another and a nohlor sort of HUpe- 
 riority : it is the vicinage of native poets like 
 Longfellow and J.owoU ; of orjitors like \Vend<>ll 
 I'hillips ; of ii sort of Leijpsic connm ree in 
 hooks, if not the largest in ((nantity, ilie most 
 vahudile in quality, of any ciuiied on in the 
 New World. Tak<' a thousand of the most 
 intelligent of our citizens, and yon will find tliat 
 Doston hooks and liostfm iitteratiees sway the 
 minils of one half of them ; while Monlr«'al is, 
 I fear, ahsolijtely unkn'nvn and nnfi-lt, as an 
 intollo(!tual eonmnmity in Bosiovj end else- 
 wlu>ro. I'ar he it from mo to dispu /jige out 
 own city : 1 eoi-diilly eomur in the honest j)ridc 
 of every inhahitant. in the stiong masoniy and 
 t;n(» style of our new ediliees ; iait if "'stone 
 walls do not a iirison make," still kss do thfry 
 7naki' a eai)ital — a ruling city — a seat of light 
 and gnidanee, and atifhoiity, to a nation or a 
 gfui-ration. When the Parliamentary huil 'ings 
 weift tinishcd at Ottawa, one of the lirst irob- 
 iems was to )egul(ite tlu? heating apparatus, in 
 short, to make them haldtahle for half the 
 year; and this preeisely is tlie problem with us 
 in relation to another an<l e(iually necessary 
 kinrl of jjlenishii-.g and furnishing, for town 
 and country. It remains for us to learn whethi.'r 
 wo liive the inteinal heat and light, to stan*.! 
 alone, and go alone — as go we nuist, eithei' 
 alone or with a mast<T, leading us hy (he hand. 
 
 Our next e<-nsus— in ISTn — will Knd us ovei' 
 •1,01)0,1111(1 of souls; educationally, as fai' as 
 vudimetUal leaining goi's, as well advanced as 
 '•the most favoured nations"' in that respect, 
 
 1 am iu(khte<l to Mr. (ii'ifflii, Depiuy-i'ost- 
 musterd'eneral, for valuable evidence, not only 
 of the (juantity of reatling and writing matter 
 distriliuted b,y post in < 'ntario and (Quebec dur- 
 ing the present yeai-, but also duiins the last 
 few years. Mr. Grittin sends me these figures 
 518 to the letters and newspajiers circulated 
 thi'ough the former Ujiper ai.d Lower Canada 
 offices liiim I8();i to ]f<t>7, inclusive ; 
 
 Letters, Newspapers, 
 
 ISGo 1 !,0(Kt,()U() 12,5<K),(XK) 
 
 j8(Vi ii,5()0',(i()u vi^mism 
 
 ]S6.') \'i:imxm ii,s(.hj,(j(K) 
 
 L%() i;i,tJtH),(XiO 12,.S(K.yX)0 
 
 1867 14,2t)(J,U(X) ]4,(J<)U,0()C> • 
 
 As to 186r)-6, •' 1 tliink it probable,"' sayu 
 Mr, Griffin, " that the Postuiastei's were not as 
 accui'iite in their returns, as they should have 
 
 been." The same gentleman adds that "of tho 
 fourteen niiUions of papers <'iicidi<ting this year 
 about eight millions ar(> Canadian, going direct 
 to subscribers from the offic(.>s of publication, 
 and the other six millions are made tipof I'nite(i 
 States and Enrojiean papers coming into the 
 coiuitry. Of the letters ther.; wer(> above ten 
 millions domestic and liuu' millions foi'eign. " 
 We are by this showing, oi' ought to be. a I'ead- 
 ingpi'oiile; and if a leading, why not also a 
 retlf'ctive jieojile '.' I'D we master what we 
 read '.' < 'r does our leading master us .' Qvu'S- 
 tions suiely, not untimely to \>v asked, and so 
 far . 'IS j)fissible by one man to be answered. 
 
 ( )ur reading supplier are, as you know, drawn 
 chiefly from two sources ; lirst, books, vvi;irli are 
 im|)0i t(Hl from the United States Engianrl, and. 
 Franee — a foreign su})ply likely long to con- 
 tinue foreign. The second source is our news- 
 paper literatm-e, chielly supj)lied, as vv(! have 
 seen, from aiu'iiig ourselves, but largely su|)- 
 plemented by .\nu'rican and English journals. 
 
 I shdl not be accused of flattering any one 
 wiien 1 .say that I consider our press tolerably 
 free fi'om tiie license which too ol'ten degrades 
 and enl'eebles the authority of the free press of 
 tho I'nited States. ( )urs is chiefly to blame for 
 the provincial narrowness of its views; for its 
 l(n',alisin anil egotism ; ft)r the absence of a 
 large and generous catholicity of spirit, both 
 in the selection of its subject-s and their treat- 
 ment ; for a. rather bervih"! dejiendance for \[.» 
 opinions of foieign att'ai''s, on the leailing news- 
 papers of XcAv York and Ijondon. MoriMivt-r 
 th(>i'e is irometimesan i\xagge)'ated jiretentious- 
 ness of shop superiority, with wliieh the ]iub'lie 
 ere troubled more than enough : for it i.s a 
 truth, however abb; editors may overlook it, 
 that the mucliendiuing reader does not, in 
 nine cases out of ten, care one jack-straw for 
 what this e<iitor thinks about that one, or 
 whether our contemporary round the corner 
 has or lias not resorted to this or t'other sharp 
 practice in order to obtain a paragraph of e.x- 
 elusive intelligent!!). The rea<ling pnlilic cor- 
 dially wish all able editors b(>tter feubjects than 
 each others faults or foibles ; and the fewer 
 professional pensonalities one finds in his new.s- 
 paper, tlu^ bt^tfer he likes it, in the long run. 
 
 This newspaper literature forms by nuich tin- 
 largest part of all our reading. There are in 
 the four Unite'l Provinces alx)ut ojie hundred 
 and thirty journals, of which thirty at least are 
 published daily. Of the total number of habi- 
 tual readers it is not possible to form a (dose 
 estimate, but they are probably represented by 
 one-half of tl\e male mlults of the population — 
 say 4<K),0(1() souls. However ei)hemeral the 
 form of the literature read ))y so many may bo, 
 the efteet must be lasting; and men of one 
 newspaper, especially, are j)retty much what 
 their favourite eilitors make them. The respon- 
 sibility of tlie editor is, therefore, in the precise 
 propoi'tion to the number and confidence of 
 
 ' Tho close approximution of the two sets of l^gurc.^ is very rcmiukiible. 
 
 S^S'U 
 
3 
 
 lii.s roadPiM. ll'tlify uro "i(M), or.'),<KHI, ()r.')0.(HHI, 
 i-.o is tho niornl ro8iioii>il.ilily nmlti]'lic(l npnn 
 liim. Ht' stnmts to li'iiiilrcils or fliotHMiiils, in 
 a I'i'litioM lis iiiliiuiitii IIS that ot the iitiysic'um 
 to hi- patient, op tlic lawyer to In- clii-nt ; and 
 only iu a degree less H.'iei'ei], than tliat ol' the 
 jia.stcr to his licoph'. He is llieir Jiarhinger of 
 light, theii' counsellor, tlieir diieetor : it is I'oi- 
 him to laiild up the gaps in theii- ediioatioiial 
 training; to <'iit luvay the pi'cjiidiees ; foeidarge 
 the syinjiathieH; to make ot' his readers men. 
 lionesl and brave, lovers of truth and lovers of 
 jiistii'e. Modern soeioty does not alfonl o(ln- 
 i-ated men any jio.sition. sliort of the pulpit and 
 th(^ altar, more honorable, more pownlul ''op 
 good or evil, mill more heavily responsible' to 
 society. The editorial eharaeter as we now 
 know it, isnot abovca eentin'v old ; that length 
 of time ago, correspondent^ addressed the (.mIi- 
 lislieroijirinter, Init never the editor. Original 
 views (in events and alKiirs were in those davs 
 ii.-ually given to the press in ))iinplilet form— 
 of whieh feiilidivision in literal ure Kiiglatid alone 
 has jirodiieed enough to fill many liliraries. 
 This iiami.hlet literature is now for the most 
 part a dead letter; as ejihemeral as old news- 
 papers ; unle.s.s when falling into the hands of 
 nun lik<' Swift, Addison, .lohn-on and jiurke, 
 tlie j<iililieatiori of a day in dealing with great 
 principles aiid great ihar,icter-i. ic^se to the 
 dignity and aiitiiority of a classic. There is 
 no insnperablo obstacle inijiecast', to prevent ^ 
 our new;-pa]ier writing iindeigoing a similar 
 improvement. The best English and Americin 
 journals are now written in a stylo ]ii>t inferior 
 in finish to tlic best books, and though ours 
 is the limited pitronage of a J'roviuce, it isnot 
 tmreasonalde that, in oiu' jiiincipal cities we 
 .should look for a high- toned, thoughtful, and 
 scholarly newspaper style of writing, in the 
 Au.stralian cohniiiis. where, by sheer force of 
 distanei>, mu'.'h smaller (^oinmunities than ours 
 are thrown more on their own miiUtal resources, 
 they produce new,-pai).^rs in all ri's]iet'ts, siipi^^ 
 rior; and even wiien they do borrow from their 
 jnitijiodean exchanges, they borrow only the 
 bestextraetvS. With us the scis.sors does nnich. 
 and does well ; but I would say with profound 
 deference to the editoiial scissors, to spare us. 
 on all occa.sion.s. what passes for Irish anecdote 
 tuTi.iss the border: and esj.ocially to avoid 
 naturalizing amongst us, those discourses or 
 narrations which are disfigured liy blasphemous 
 perversions, and parodies of the Sacred Scrip- 
 tiu-(;s. Such writings are too frei|Uent in an 
 infeiior class of Amerii'an prints ; they are b.ad 
 enough in their authov.s ; worse still in their 
 (Copyists in Canada. I.',ut while we ask for a 
 liigher style of newspaper, we must not forget, 
 that the I'ublic also have their duties towai'ds 
 the pres,s. My neighbour Cioodfellow says with 
 a selfgralified groan of resignation — •'! tiike 
 " in ten or twelve j)apcrs aweek— French iind 
 " English, — of all sides and shades in iiolitics 
 *' and religion.' Well I say to my neighbour, 
 "■ Don't take them. This uiiseellaneouis rabble 
 
 " of notions jioiired into your hopper eveiy 
 '• Week, is neither good for you, nor for any one 
 '' else. If there slioiild be a good or a betli-r 
 " ainiing them stick to that : taki- two or tleec 
 " copies of what yen tiiiiik the best iiaper: one 
 '■' for some other ( ioddli'lliiw at Xew Vork, o;- 
 '' (ila-gow, or Melli(aniie, lait don't din and 
 " deaden yoursell' with the elimoiir of so maiiy 
 •• (■•lut.radietoiy commentators, on mere events 
 '• of the day." If he took this ad\iee my 
 neighbour might escape niiK'h mentil dis.'-ipi 
 tion arising IVom too liedy mi.\ing his news 
 papers; he would jirobaldy ac(|uire instead a 
 certain stability of thought on imblie matters : 
 lii.^ iiillu'iice as a patron of the jncss, would be 
 felt; anil what he sent abro.id would probaldy 
 bring some credit to the country. 
 
 VMiile on this topic. 1 may observe that there 
 is a I'rr-.ss .A s,-o<iation —hitherto Hourisliinc 
 eliielly in Ont'irio- — which it may be hojied will 
 be extende<l to the wh>ile J)oniinion. In this 
 A'<.sociatir>n the publieare more interested than 
 they are aware of It is a liist attempt long 
 reiiiiired, to extend the laws of jiersonal cour 
 te.sy .and good faith to this all powerful frater 
 nity. If it succeeds it will l)e no longer possible 
 for'a m.tn to titter behind a piiiuing iiress, to 
 a thousand or ten lhousaii<l readers, what he 
 dare not take the jier.onal respon.-iliility of 
 st.uing in a jirivaie room, oranywhere else. It 
 it succeeds it abridges the jiiivileges of scotin 
 drelism. but it elevates the reputation of the 
 whole class. It will go far in pitcing tlieeditois 
 on the s;ime professional ]ihuie with tla; Faculty 
 and the Bar, and by enforcing on their own 
 profession their own laws, will obviate the 
 intervention of the civil power, always to be 
 legri'tted, even wlien rendered unavoidabl.-, in 
 relation to the press. 
 
 As to the otlu'r branch of supply, [ believe 
 our booksellers have ]iotliing to comjilain of. 
 'ITio .sale of books is on the inciease, though 
 not at all so largely as the sale of newspa)iers. 
 ( »ur books are mainly l^nglish, or Americin 
 repiints of English oi iginals. In point of price 
 the (M,litiiins aie not so far apart as they Were 
 on the other side of the < ,'ivil War. .-Vs to the 
 cla.sses of books most in request, I have been 
 informed by one of our members well informed 
 on the matter, that the sales may be divided 
 somewhat in these [iroporf ions ; religiotis l»ooks. 
 18 per cent; poetical works, 1(1 per cent: 
 books on historical, seientitic and literary sub 
 jecis, 28 p(U- ei'nt; and works of fiction 44 per 
 Cent. My oljligiiig informant, (Mr, Simuiel 
 Diiwson) adds in relatit-n to the comjiarative 
 nioiu\v value, of the several cLisses of books 
 most "in demand, that the historical, liteniry 
 anil scientific works would represent about 4;') 
 percent, the works of fiction -22, tl>e j>oeticaI 
 ; 15. and the religious 18 per cent of the whole. 
 AVe thus have this striking result, that wheroa.-; 
 the wc'iks of fiction ate in volume, nearly one- 
 : half ol all the reading done among us, in cost 
 they cume to less than one-fourth what is ex- 
 pendeil for other and better books. An accu 
 
rite Mil ily^i'^ of llirHc, hooks would lio iv v.iliinKlo 
 iii<l(>x to wli:it it mui'h (loiicoi-iis iik to know, 
 wliftlier ThdnxiK .1. Knii/ihi is still tlio hook 
 inoMt re'ul next to iIk- Hihlc (low iiiiiny of 
 Slriks|pf.n(', iiiiil how iimny of 'I'lijiju'r ;io tii(> 
 hniiilii'il : whc tiler the l'i/,/iim,s' I'loi/ronH is 
 honffla chiilly lis ;i rhilil's hook, illid wli<tlnl' 
 Kciilf's "( 'liii.-iti.m Vcnr'' n.'llsns well ophcttrr 
 tliiiii j)oii .111 in '.' " Tlio (Ii'iiuiikI lor novels" 
 mys my iiifovin int. '" is !if)t iieiiily so jtrrcat as 
 it w.w,'" ami this he traces to the ;;r'owiiig pri'- 
 lerenen I'oi' neWS|>:il)Crs and peliodii-als, (;(m- 
 tiiiiiiiji serial stories and romances in rh.ijiters. 
 t»n the jieneial suijci't i>r leiidinj^ fit'titious 
 work«, I hold hy a middle of)inion. I hoM that, 
 n had iiovfd is a had lhin<t, and a ^'ood oni^ a 
 ;.'ood thin;.'. That wo have many had novels, 
 ushered i'rom the \ivv<s evoryday isa lamentaijle 
 fact; ho)ks Just as vile and HixitioMs in spirit 
 as any of Mrs, IJehnn ahoininations ol a former 
 oeiilury. The very facility with which tlicso 
 hooks are pit tou'ethor liy their authors, nii;(ht 
 itself lie t:ik<-n as evidence, of their worth- 
 lessneHS. for what mortal genius evci' threw off 
 works of thuiittht or of art worthy of thi^ name 
 with such ste.nnon/^ino rapidity? It is trno 
 liOpez de N'ej^a could compose a comedy at a 
 sitting, and hafontaiiie, after Avritiiig loO senti- 
 mental storii's, was oliliged to restrain him.sidf 
 to two days' writing in the week, othi-rwiai} he 
 wiiuld have drowned out his piihlisher. But 
 you know wlnt li,is hecn said of " easy wilting " 
 generally. For my own part, though no enemy 
 to a good novel, 1 feel tlial 1 would fail of my 
 duty if 1 did not raise; a warning voice against 
 the pidiniscuoiis and exolu.'^ive reading of seii- 
 sitional and sensual hook.s, many of them 
 wiitten liy women, who ai'e the disgraet^ of their 
 sex. anil read with avidity hy those who want 
 finly tlie ojiportunity etjually to disgrace it. 
 NV(> must hattle had Ijooks with good hooks. 
 As oui' young perijde in this material age will 
 hunger and thirst for romantic relations, there- 
 is no ' ettei- corrective for iui excess of imagina- 
 tive reading than the actual lives and hooks of 
 travel of such ukmi a.s ]Iod--on, Burton, Speke, 
 Kane, l)u';haillu. Hue, and hivingitoue. Thes(> 
 hooks lead us through strange scenes, among 
 strange people, arc full of genuine romance, 
 Jiroving the ajihorisin. '' truth is strange — 
 stranger than tictitm." T.ut these are hooks 
 whi<'h enlarge our sympathies, and do not jier- 
 veit thinn: which excite our curiosity, and 
 sati.sfy it, hut not at the expense of morals ; 
 which give ciMtiinty and ]iopulatif>n to the geu- 
 grajiiiical and hisli)iical dreams of mir youthful 
 days; whicli huild up thi:^ gaps and s))aces hi 
 our knowl.'dge with new trutlis, certain tohar- 
 nioni/e spemlily with all old truth, — instead of 
 lilling our memories with vain, or perplexing, 
 or atrociou,s images, as the common nm of 
 novelists are every day doing. Then, there is 
 always as a I'oi'rectivo to diseased imaginations 
 the [look of hooks itself — the Hihle. .1 do not 
 speak of its peru.sal as a religious duty incuin- 
 hent on all (.'hiistians ; it is not my place to 
 
 inculcate religious duties; hut I speak of it 
 here as H family hook mainly^ and I say that 
 it is well for our new liominion that within the 
 I'each of eV(;ry one, who has learned to road, 
 lies this one hook, the rai'est and most un- 
 ei|iiilled as to matter, the cheai)(>s| of hooks as 
 to cost, the most nadahle as to arrangement. 
 11' We wish our younger gener;uion to catch tlie 
 inspiration of the highest elmiuence, where 
 else will they tind it '.' If we wish to teach them 
 h'ssons of patriotism, can we show it to them 
 under nohler foi in.* than in the maiilen cleliverer 
 who smote the \} rant in the valley of Hc^thnlia? 
 Ol' in the grief of K.sdnisashe poinded the foreign 
 king his wine at Siisa '.' or in the sadness heyond 
 the solace of song, which howed down the 
 exiles hy the waters of Tiahylon '.' Kvery 
 sjiecies of composition, and the highest khid in 
 each species, is found in tlu'se wondroiH two 
 Testaments, We have the c^jiie of Joh ; t)ie 
 idvl of Jliith; the elegie-s <A' .(eremias ; the 
 didactics of Solomon ; thesiK-red song of l)iivid: 
 the sernioiis of the greater and lesser frophets ; 
 the legislation of Moses; the i)arahles of the 
 tiospel; the travels of St. I'aul ; the first 
 oliaplers of tlie history of the Onindi. Not 
 only as the sjiiritual corrective of all vicious 
 reading, hut as the highest of histories, tho 
 truest of philosophies, and tho most eloi|uent 
 utterance of human orgiui.s, the Bihle should 
 he nv'id for the young and liy tho young, at all 
 (!onvenient seasons. 
 
 As to other correctives, 1 do not advocate a 
 domestic spy system on our young people ; hut 
 if one knew that a young friend or relative was 
 a(M(uiriMg a di.seased appetite for opii.ini-eating. 
 would we not interfere in .some way '.' And this 
 clanger to tlie mind is not le.ss jioisonous than 
 that other drug to the hody. "The woman 
 that hesitates,'" says the jiroverh, " is lost; " as 
 truly might it he said, " the woniiin who hides 
 her liook is lost."' And in this respect, though 
 Society allows a looser latitude to men, it is 
 douhtful if T{ea,son does; it is very <louhtfiil 
 that any mind, male or female, ever wholly 
 recovers i'rom the influence on character, of 
 even one had hook, fascinatingly written. 
 
 Jlention must be made, Cientleinen. of those 
 institutions of learning and those leained pro- 
 fessional classes which ought, and doubtle.«s do, 
 ! leaven the whole lump of our material pro- 
 j gress. We have already twelve TTniversitiesin 
 : the Porninion — perhajis more than enough, 
 I though dispersed at such long distances ; from 
 1 Windsor and Frederioton to Cobourg and To- 
 I ronto. Tho charters of these institutions, up 
 I to the cilose of the last deciide, were IJoyal 
 I charters, granted directly hy the Ciown with 
 i the concurrence, of (loiirse, of the Colonial 
 I authorities for the time iieing. In the order of 
 : time they range thus : King's < 'oHege, Windsor. 
 ] Nova Scotia, 1802; McG ill College, Montreal, 
 I chartered in 1825, actually commenced only in 
 i 1829; King's ('ollege, Fredericton, 1823; Laval, 
 I 1852; Lennoxville, 185,'!; St. Mary's, Montreal, 
 ' 1859; Queen's College, Kingston, 1841; Vic- 
 
torii Cull. I!.', r(,l.()ui>j, )n|| ; 'I'liiiity <'<illiv'''. 
 (furiiicrlv Kin;.'''*), Tni'iiMli), l,s4'J; 'ruroiilo ('ni- 
 VMi',«lty, ls()i»! (ittayva, l.^^CO; Kc^l.tpoli.-*, IHt'.tl, 
 All t.ln'i»ti iiiJ^titiitii'ii.M jKisHi'SH iind cxftrci.-u 
 I'liivcrKity jxiwoi^ in jrijuitin;,' doj^rt't^* lolli to 
 griuluiit<-!< nri'l " lntiii'i-i< t-mi.ia' " tli(Mi.Lt!i muiiic 
 
 of tlli'll) lllVi' IICVCI' h;li| nl'^iini/i'il (■.li|JM'>t in 
 
 »ii)r<^ tiiiin two lilt iiltir- — ]»iviiiitv iunl ArU; 
 Novii .Scutiii li.iM. I 1.1 lir\c, no nalivf M.'ilicjil 
 hhIjcidI ; Ni'vv Ili'iiii.-;wick. I tu'livvc, is Iniixitniliir 
 position : an<l sonu- ..1' unr < >ntiu'io and (^ih'Iic. 
 TlnivfisiticH liav..- hrtii ahvav- di'liciiMit in one 
 
 i.rt' oIIkM' of tlic Jnni' I'lKllllics. Ul tllil lUlcii'llt 
 
 *'n-i(', thcrcroi'c, nfan rnivrrsity bcin>; tht'sciit 
 ol' univciKul kiiij\vl<'(i>;i', wc havo no siioli insti 
 tiition : I. Ill it cannoi li.' siijiixmcd Cor a mo- 
 monl that tlio (^xistoncc, nt twelves ditl'i-rcnt 
 jxjints of oiu' iciiitoiy, of classi'N t'Vi'u in llic 
 Kinjjli' faculty of Arts, i>i not, in iisclf. ii cimso 
 of lliankfnlnc-'s. \Vc niij.dit Imvc haila lii^'lur 
 slaiK.lai'd. nilli fowcr iiiMtitmions, I'.Mild \v>'liuvi' 
 afii'crd iij.on till' s:unc ciiri'lculum of sindifs for 
 all om' yontli; l)iit. Ij.kin;^ tlifin as tln'V aio, 
 thoHo institutions wliicji lnvt- liad a I'l^asonaMi! 
 tiiiui to do It, /itici' woik lo hIiow lor tlicii tim(\ 
 Wt' havf.' nof had, <x<i'i>t in tli(> case <d"Mc(>ill 
 alone, largo l.o.jiK'st.s froiii t.rivato jicrsoiis, as 
 thi'y huv.' had in Ui.' Tnitcd Stales and in 
 Enplan.l, and a.- it is to he hoj.cd we, may linvt!, 
 rt.sw.> ineicasi' in wealthand putilio .sj.irit. Most 
 of our Industrial and Classical CollejiteH (of 
 which we liave some ten or twclvo in this I'ro- 
 vince of (inehec alou(i)owe their origin to soiiu' 
 such jirivate acts of heneticenee ; hut the 
 nniril)er of scholar^liijj.s foinidod liy W(!altliy 
 iriilividuaN, who hav.' made Ln%'e fortunes in 
 this country, tni^ihf, I lear, be re.'koiiedon the 
 lin|;ers of one hand. It were perhai.!^ to he 
 wisihod that this whole .suhject of superior edu- 
 cation had remained in sorne sort Buhject to 
 Federal caro and sui.erintendence, nndor a 
 F(HleraI Minister of Jvlucalion. capahle and 
 devi>ted to the task. ]'.iil tiie honouraMc 
 rivalries of local administi-nlions may he trust, d 
 its preventativi>s afrainst st;ifrnatio)i iiiid exclu- 
 sivenes'-^. If many I^wiss Cantons and third-rat.^ 
 (ierman States ai'f! uhle to isustain famous Uni- 
 vei'sitios, utihacked l.y high political patrouag.'. 
 we may hofie that, in thi.s niattoi-, Ontario, and 
 tiiii^hee. antl Acadia, may be found capable of 
 doin^' likewise. 
 
 Of tlio learned ])rofe!..siona which represent 
 in the woi'ld to a larj^e extent these native col- 
 logos and universities, there are probably in 
 the Dominion about 3,0tM) clerj-'vinen, 2,.")0(t 
 in<'<lie!d men, and })erhap.s (this is a guess) from 
 ■il HI tu 000 lawyers, say, aj .art from collegiate 
 jirofessors and pvilitical ]>ersonages, 6,tX)() es- 
 sentially " odncat.'.l men." Th ■ sjiecial ac:iuire 
 meiits of this largo b.idy of men, in languagoB, 
 law,-., Jnstory, dialec,tios, ohenii,stry, and lulhs 
 Ifltrc.i, ought surely iK;t be coi)tirie<l solely within 
 the rigid limits of professional occupation ; but 
 ought, at least occasionally, i^ow out in secular 
 channels for the beuolit of lay societies, and the 
 general elevation of the public taste? 
 
 special attainmi'Uts, it must be ii))iiarcnt that 
 there is a much more vivid ini.'lli'it.iial life 
 
 <M the medical liieiatiire of the I>nmini'.n. 
 I am wholly incapable ..f forming an opinion : 
 and with the iit.-mture of law, if vvc have of 
 late years produced liny, I am iinaci|uaint.'i|. 
 Hut even to one staiifhiig a|)art from loth tlies.. 
 highls j.iivilegeil professictnH, in other count lie.-, 
 so ilisimguishiMl tor their gener.il a.- well a,s 
 
 ' ' a))iiari'nt 
 iiu.'lli'it.iia 
 I among the l-'aiadty, tiian among members of 
 I till- Bar. 
 
 I (•)■ public libraries, I grii ve to say that we 
 I have not s.) far a.s I know, a singb' one, in tlie 
 whole Dominion, There is a S>ci(<ty Library, 
 I containing sonie good lio.iks, attjuelxM' : there 
 ■ are, of courBe, college libraries, niore <>r less 
 ini^om|ilete ; thi'i'.- are law libraries at < >sgonde 
 I Hall, and .■li'i where ; tliere is oium.wii exc.'il.'nt 
 ' l'arliam.'ntai;\ Library Csom.' C.n.OlHi chosen 
 volumes) nt Ottawa ; lilt no jxiblic library m 
 , any of our clii.'l towns. To Montreal 1 cer- 
 tainly must always consl.l.-r this u shamejnl 
 re|iroach : but I have spoki'ii so oi'ten of it el-ic 
 where, that I shall not dwell upon it again, at 
 I present. 
 
 : In enumerating specially ediicatod classes I 
 1 should not have omitted tliat v. 'ry considerable 
 ; body of architects, eiigin.'.'rs, and mirveyors. 
 i who take rank naturally with the le.'irn>>d j.ro- 
 fes,-<ions. And m this so<|uence, I may be al 
 I Ir.wed, perhaps, to refer to the subj.'.-t of a 
 i .ScliiMil of I)esi;.'n inourown cit} . When abroad 
 ! in tlie early i.oition of this year, 1 liad some 
 conversation on iliis subject with S\v. II. my 
 I Cole, .s^ecietary of the .Smth Ken>ington Insti- 
 I tntion, ti') whose assistance local schools of 
 i di'sign in tla; I'niteil Kingilom are so much 
 i indebteil. and although 1 found that the direc- 
 1 tors at Kensington had no authority to go out- 
 j side the iJritisli Islands, still J liave roason to 
 I believe, that if we once luid such a school here, 
 I we would get every facility that I'rovincial 
 : towns at liome have in obtaininu their mo.Iols 
 ! and supplies through the melropolitai\ insiitu- 
 I tion. 
 
 I Fri.m all these sources — our numerous read- 
 ing class — t.iurcoll,'gt>.'i — om' leariieil ])rofessions 
 — we ought lo bfi able to give a good aci'iuiit 
 of the mental outtit of the new Dominion. 
 Well, thou, ibr one ol' those expci'ted to say 
 what lie thinks in these matters, 1 must give it 
 as my opinion that we lia\o as yi^t but h'W pos- 
 sessions in tliis sort tliat wc; can call strictly our 
 own. We hav(' not iiroduccd in our Colonial 
 era any thinker of tlie reputation of .U^nathan 
 Edwards or I'eiijamm Franklin ; noi any nntive 
 poet of the rank of (iarsilaso de la Vega— the 
 .Spanish Aniera'an. The (..nly sustained poems 
 we liav"' of which the scenes are lai.l within the 
 Dominion are both by .■Vmerii;ans, Longfellow's 
 " Evangeline,"' and Mr. Street's •' Fiontenae" 
 — the latter much less read than it di\wei\es. 
 (Mie original humorist we have Iiad, liaidly of 
 the higliesL order, however, in the hit(> .hidge 
 Ihiliburton: one histoiian of an undoubtedly 
 high order, in the late Mi-, 'farneau ; one geo- 
 
 .::%i;.?Sajgg£.A.gjiaM«i^,Ariii».vJi; 
 
ft 
 
 Ingiht, Sir William I/>>tnii ; I'lit. rx yet, iin |H)ot. ! 
 Ill) Ki'jifur, 11(1 crilic, of citlicr Aiufiican nr i 
 Kur'i|i<Mii i>'|piit.itiiiii. Alioiif. II t'Miiliii V ii^o ail , 
 f'ltiiin'iit Kii'in'li writiT nii-*!'*! ii ilniild hm to 
 wht'tlifi' any tici'iiinii conlil lie ii Ijtcriiry I 
 uiiiii. Nut. iihIimmI, ti) iinswiT tlml doiilit hut j 
 from II cniiiliindtidii of many chuicm, uroHo uh I 
 u jiolilcn cloiiil, tli:it jtifti'd Micc»'HMi(in ofjMX'tn, I 
 oiitii''' ami Hclioliirs, wlioso wurkH imvf plui^fii ! 
 tlic <«i'nnan laii>;iia);i' in Hie viinj/uanl of iviMy i 
 iloiiiutiiioiit of Ininiiui tlioii^'lit. T'oity yoar^ ' 
 aj{o ft Hrili>li (^iiarti-rly H.ivicw askol, " W'lio ! 
 riiulM Mil American Imok?" Irving Imd an- ' 
 Hwcrt'il tliat loiinaj^o; ImiI roi,|i..r, I-oturfdlow, | 
 Kinf'i'soii, I'rcsrolt, Hawthorne, ainl inany ' 
 another, han niifworod the Lena tiiiimiihantlv i 
 ninety 'I'lio.Hc Amt-rii iris ini^ihl. in liirn, tiimit 
 n^< ("ilay with " Who rtiails a Ciuiadi.ui IxMik '.' ' ! 
 I shoiihl aiiswi'i fiiinkl,\, very fow. for (.'anadirin ; 
 liook^ aro exceoilin^'ly Mcarct). Still wo urn not ! 
 entnfly (h'stitiiti; of r»'r';<li'nt writerH. ]ir. I 
 I.>avvMon haw given the world a work on his j 
 fuvonrito Hcionco, whii-h has ustaKlishcd hin ! 
 nanio as an authority; ])r. Daniel VVilsonx 
 Hj)erul(iiionMunil rcieari'licHon I'ri •liihiorii' Man | 
 liave received tli.- a|i|>i<ival of hijL'li names ; Mr. 
 Alpheii.s T<iild lias f.'i\en ns a masterly oritrinal ! 
 treati.-e on I'urlianieiitary <iovernriient. which , 
 will l>e retid and ijiioted wlu-revor theri' is con- 
 Hlitiitional >,'overnnient in the world; Mr, h'en 
 nings Taylor has ><iven ns an excellent series of i 
 Bketi.hes, on eontemi>oriiry < Ainadians ; Heavy- | 
 st-ge. Siirif-'ster and Mdiiichlin aro not without 
 honour anion^r ]io('ts. An amiahln friend of i 
 mino, Mr-. J. l^eMoinei. of (Jneboc has given to 
 the world many Mnjih. Lntrrs worthy "(' all 
 praise — fho only tlioitMij.'h!\ < 'anadian liook, in . 
 ])oint oi siilijcct, which h.is a|ipeared of lato ' 
 days, and for which, I am ashamei.l to say. tho j 
 author ha.-- not leceived that encovuagi ineiit 
 his lat"inrs ilesiM've. If lie were jiof an <.'nthu- ' 
 sia.~t \iv. jiiight Well havobeconu;!! mis.iiithroiie. , 
 (IS to native literature, at least. Another most 
 doscrvin^j; man in a ilitl'ercnt walk a younger , 
 man. hut n man of iintiicil industry and very j 
 laudaMe amhition — Mr. Henry J. Jforgan, now . 
 of (.Ittawa, an)iounci's a new hook of rol'erenoe, I 
 the Jiibllot/hvo ('iiiia<k)i><-i.i, which I trust will 
 if'liay him tor tli(^ onornious lahour of tuich a ! 
 conipilati'in. These arc. it is iriie, hut streaks 
 on tiic horizon, ydt even as we watch others may 
 aviso; lait he they more or h.'.ss. I trust every 
 such hook will hi! I't'ceivod 'ly our public 1o.-*h 
 c«^ns(aiously than is .somotinu!!- tlie ease: that 
 if a nati\e l)ook should lack the finish of a 
 foreign otif. a.-i a novicn may w(dl bo less expt-rt 
 than an o'll iimd. yot if the liook b(> honestly 
 designed, and consciontiou.sly vvorkcil up, tho 
 author shall lie encourngod, not only for hi.s 
 own .sake, h\a T r tlio sake of the better thincs 
 which We look iV-rwai-d to with liojiefulness. J. 
 make this ph'.'i on belialf of those who venture 
 uiion authorship among us, because I believf- 
 the e.\i.-^tence of a rei'ogni/.ed literary class will 
 bye and bye be felt a.s a state and soiual neces- 
 sity. '1 he books that are made elsewhere, even 
 
 in Knirlmd, m-e not alway-t the bo-<( (itted for 
 us : they do not alw iy> run on the s ime nient.il 
 guage, nor connect with our ti'aiiis of ihought: 
 they do not take us no nl the bye -t ige.s of 
 enltiv,iti"n at which we hive arrived. an<l where 
 We are ■ mptied lortli as on a barren, paililess, 
 habitJitionle^.-. Iie.uh. They are book ■* of an' d her 
 st,'d<> of society, bearing traces of controvei-Tties, 
 or directed ag.iinsl errors or eviU, which for um 
 hardly exist, except in the jiages of tiiese exotio 
 books. < Ibserve. I do nut objei t to Mich l>ooks. 
 e>,peci;illy when truthfully WrittiMl; but it seems 
 to me we do mUi'h nee<i several othei' biioks. 
 calculated to our <>wn meridi in. and hitting 
 home our o\vii 'ociely, either where it is slug- 
 gish, or priggish. Ill' wholly defecti\e in it.» 
 present style of culture. 
 
 If linglish made bcoks do not moi tic(> clo.sely 
 with our ('oliiuid deticiciicies, still less do 
 Aitiei'ican national bonks. I speak not hereof 
 such literary universalisis as Irving, Kmi'i-son, 
 and Longl'ellow ; but of such .-Vnierican niv 
 tionalists as llawthoni"'', Mancroft. I'cownson, 
 |)raper. and their latter j)rose writers generally. 
 Witliin 'he last few years, especially since the 
 era of the civil war, there Ins b(>.'i) a i;riiving 
 desire t'> assert the nental imlependenct* of 
 America as against Ilngland ; to inriis<' an 
 American philo.sophy nf life, and philosophy of 
 government, into every American writing and 
 woi'k of art. Mr. Hancro|V,« oration on the 
 fleath of Mr. T.incoln \>;is an ('xamnle of this 
 new spirit ; and ])r. J>r.iper'8 "fivil Policy of 
 America" affords iinotlier illustration. It is a 
 natural ambition foi' them to endeavour to 
 .-\ineri<Mni/.e their literature more :ind more! 
 all nation liav.' felt tie.' .same ambition, eai'her 
 orlati'r; so Rome Wearied of bnn-nwing from 
 the (ir'.H'ks, and so (iermany revdted aci-ntury 
 ago, against French philosophy, [•"n-ncli I'o- 
 nrinces and a Frenchified drama . sii the.sce])tr<^ 
 of mind jiassed tor a time Irom Heilin t<> Wei- 
 mar, anil of late nnly by annexation ha-i it gone 
 back to iSerlin. No one complains of this 
 revolution. As long as justice. ntv\ eotu'tesy, 
 and maginnin.ity are not sacrifieetl to an in- 
 tolereiit nationalism, the growth of new literary 
 States must la; to the increas<* f>f the universal 
 ld>>iary rfpubiic. i'.nt vvlu-nnationalii-m stunts 
 the gp'Wth, and enibitters the generous spii'it 
 ■ wliieli alone ( .ui prodin e genei'ousand enduring 
 j fruits of liter.'iture. then it becomes a i-urse, 
 ; rather than a gain to the iieojile, .■uiiong whom 
 it niav lind liuoi : and to every other people 
 who may have relations with such a bigoted, 
 one-sided nationality. 
 
 It is (juite clear t" me, that if wo are to sue- 
 ; eeed with our new-J)ominion, it can never be by 
 ' uceepting ti ready-niade easy iiteralure^ which 
 ' assumes Bostonian culture to lie tho worship of 
 i the future, and tin American democratic .system 
 to be the niani*'esily destined form of govern- 
 ment for all the ciyilizi'd world. ni'W as vvi/ll as 
 old. While one can see W(?ll enough that 
 mental culture nmst become more and more to 
 many classes what ri-ligion alone oneo was to 
 
itll oiir iin<'>>HtnrH in iiulivitluiil and rainilv { 
 govcriiriH'ut— wliilo tlii> oiuvnril uimitIi of |)i)li- 
 liciil (li'iiiui-nicy \r{ a tMct (•(|iiull.v ii|i)iiir<'iU--il 
 in liy ti<> iiiiMiiH ilfiir' tn iny-o'lt', Cor nno, lliiit 
 rf1i>i'inii will wii'M iJiiiiiniHlicil jiuwoi' in tin- 
 |)i('Mt'ti('«' of a ffi'Miiini', nin<i('st. i|i'f|)sente<l 
 ••iiluiic ; f)r, thiit. iliP aristoii'iUic itirr|niiliti('H ' 
 inlu't't'Mr III imii frciiii tlicii- tnothci-s' tviiiiii>will . 
 nut iiMHt'i't iliciiiHi'lvcH HiicccsMfiilly in iiiiy ri'ully i 
 fit'i> St4itc'. In otlici' wiiidw, I rt'ly iipcin Nivtiiro ' 
 anil HcVflation against lnvdlinK ami i-yi-trin | 
 inoniri'linjz <if ilii< y\nioricaM, nv M»»y ntlicf kiri'l. 
 in Natiiff at\'l ill i{<>vi'l:itii)n «■(• i^lionM lay tin* i 
 ImimIh of iinr jMilitii'al, iiioral an<l miiitat pliilo | 
 wnphy aH a in'opU'; niiil oiu'c! i*o laid, thiiHt- 
 fnuiidatiMii.- will stand an tinnly ^(■l and I'ooti'd, 1 
 an any roi.k.s in tlni Htii'oniun or Ijiurentian 
 i"anj<«. 
 
 It in ii^iiiU to Hay of oiirsclvi'S, (li'iulimfii, 
 tliat we arc <'nt»'iin)» on a now friv. It niny \ni 
 HO, or it tuay ho fiidy tiic mirnj/o of an ora 
 imintcd oil an oxlialationof Hc!f<iiiinion. Siicli 
 t'niH, jirnvovor, liuvo coiuo for other civilized 
 StftteH, why not for us also? Then) oamo foi' 1 
 (if'iiiiatiy the Swahian era, tlie ira of Luther, j 
 and the. era of (ioi'the ; for niod(?rn Italy the 
 t\)io of I,co X; for Kranee tiio a^'o of Louis 
 WX. In our ovMi history there havo heen nn | 
 Eliwilielhaii and a (ieoi'j^ian era; and, perhai).-*, ' 
 there is ill liand an Aiiiericm era, in ideas, in j 
 niaiinei's, an<l in ])olitii's. Uow far we, who aro 
 to rej)re-ent Uritish ethii's and Rriti-^h enltuie 
 in .America — wo, whost new (Constitution 
 «*oleiiuily jiroclainiH "tliewcll understood jirin- 
 <ripleM of the Hritish Constitution ; " how far wo 
 are to make this jirobuhle next era onr own — 
 either by tidhesion or rosiwtiuioe — is wliat, (Jon- 
 tlcinen, wo must all determine for ourselves, 
 and so far forth, for the Dominion. 
 
 I shall venture in c(inolu<ling this merely 
 prelitiiinai'y jmper, to address myself directly 
 to the educated youn>; men of Canada, aH it 
 now e.xints. I invite them, as a true friond, not 
 to slirink from confronting tiie great i)rol)lems 
 presentod by America to tiie world, whether in 
 morals or in j;ovenmient. 1 propo.se to tliem 
 that th<\v should hold their ^wn. on tlieir own 
 Hoil. sacrificing notliingof their originality ; but 
 rejecting nothing, nor yet accepting anything, 
 meridy because it comes out of an cider, or 
 riolu.T, or greater country. That it should 
 always remain a greater country is partly fur us, 
 td.so, to determine ; for, at least tooiu' notions, 
 ancient fireoco was a greater country than the 
 Persian empire, a.s at this day, England proper 
 may be considered a greater coiuit' y than 
 Russia. But North America is emerging ; and 
 why not our one-third oP the N'orth rise to an 
 OfHial, even if an opposing altitude, with the 
 land conterminous ? Wliy not ? I see no rea- 
 son, why not ? What wo need are the three 
 levers — moral power, mental power, and phy- 
 sical power. Wi' know tolerably well what our 
 physical resoiu-cos are, and by that knowledge 
 we are cheered on ; (questions of purely moral 
 strength or weakness we may leave to their 
 
 appointed profossorw, the rPVfrfnd clergy; of 
 our existing nientiil wuyn ami nieiuiH, Ihavc 
 given a rapid irsiiiiif'. 
 
 To sui)ply a list of our dofieicncies, 1 )iavo 
 not undertaken, ^'et. as iheobject nf all inteb 
 lectiial pursuits, worthy of the naine, is the 
 nttainmeiit of Tnitfi , as this is tlie sacred 
 Temple to be built or rtf built ; as liiis is the 
 Ithacnof every I'lysses reallywi.se; | venture 
 humbly to suggest that We need more active 
 conscientiousness in our choice of books and 
 peiio(lieals, for ouriu Ives niid for our young 
 people; tliat tlie rpading nc.|uiremeiit which 
 moves, andenil»iacesand modifies, every faculty 
 of our immortal souls, i.s too fearful an agent 
 to be em|>loyed capriciously, or w.intonly, much 
 less wickedly, to the jieril of intei(>sts which 
 will not be covered ujj forever, by the Sexlon> 
 last shovel of cliurchyard daj . i venture to 
 suggest that We should look abroad, and see 
 with the aid of this nil poucrlul agent or 
 ac<|uirement, what other nations 'U'c doing as 
 intellectual forces in the worl<l ; not limiting 
 our vision to America or England, or France. 
 but extending eager, honest iinjuirers, beyond 
 th(i Ithine, and beyond the Alps. Fidin <ier- 
 many the export of ideas, .systems, and stan- 
 dai-ds of philosoj)liy, crili<Msiii, and beli(>(, has 
 not yet ceusod ; and from re-conf^lriu;ted Italy. 
 — so rij)e in all intelligence — a new mental 
 kingdom must come forth— if the new [loliticul 
 kingdom is to stand. 1 venture to invite the 
 younger minds of the l>oniinion to the study of 
 the inner life of other nations, not to inspire- 
 them with a weak affectation of imitating 
 foreign modi.'lH, but ratlier with a whole.sonie 
 and hearty zeal for doing something in theii 
 own right on their own soil, (.'n a pojiulation 
 of four millions we ought to yield m every 
 gonerution 40 eminent, if not illustrious men'; 
 that is to say, one man to every 1(W,(X.H> souls. 
 And favoured as we are, we should certainly do 
 80, if the luiltivation of the mind was pursued 
 with the same zeal as the goods of the body ; if 
 wisdom were value<l only as highly as mere 
 material wealth, and sought as streuuou.sly, day 
 by day. 
 
 I am well convinced that there do exist, in 
 the ample memories, the northern energy, and 
 the quick apprehensiveness of our young men, 
 I resources all unwrought, of inestimable value 
 I to society. I would beseech of that most im- 
 j portant class, therefore, to use th(.>ir time ; to 
 I exercise their powers of mind as well as l>ody ; 
 1 to acquire the mental drill ami disci])linc, which 
 ! will enable thorn to bear the arms of a civilized 
 state in times of peace, with honor, and advan- 
 tage. If they will pardon mo the liberty 1 
 take, I venture to address them an apostrophe 
 I of a poet of another country, slightly altered 
 to suit the case of Canada : 
 
 " Oh bravo young men, iiur hope, our pride, our 
 proiiiiso, 
 
 On you our hcarta arc snt, — 
 In manliness, in kinJliness, iu justice, 
 
 To uakc Canada a, uuliuu yet I ''