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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 ''