SPEECHES AT THE BANQUET

I attended the great national banquet with which the demonstratici was closed, and listened attentively to the ‘peeches. The gathering was exclusively French-Canadian, and the utterances of some of the speakers were, to

say the least, not very complimentary to their English compatriots. One valiant colonel, dressed in the Queen's uniform, even made a covert “hreat that the French. Canadian militia would soon have to be called out to defend their institutions and their laws. The principal toasts in addition to the usual formal ones were ‘‘ France,” ‘“ Canada,” and the ‘“ Province of Quebec.” ‘ France,” whose glories and whose greatness were the principal theme of many of the orators, was honoûred with immense enthusiasm. Premier Mercier stepped to the front of the platform and led the cheering, which lasted for sometime. The reply of Mr. Wilfrid Laurier to the toast of ‘ Canada” was worthy of the distinguished orator. He rose above the narrow sectarian distinctive spirit of the gathering, and his discourse breathed a broad and generous patriotism. But it was noticeable that his liberal sentiments fell on deaf ears and evoked no enthusiasin. Every appeal for a generous union of the two people was received in silence, while the slightest allusion to the distinctiveness of the French race was received with rounds of applause. One could aot help being struck by the striking contrast between the oration of the Liberal leader and that of the Nationalist chieftain The one spoke as a statesman, the other spoke in the strain of a demagogue. Premier Mercier, to put it in the most charitable manner, unfortunately lost his temper, and substituting abuse for argument, launuched forth into a tirade against those whom he termed the Ontario ‘“ fanatics,” who were ‘'d up as insolent insulters of the French Canadian race and of the Cathoïic religion. Every such allusion was cheered to the echo. The Quebec Preinier’s rallying cry to bis compatriots was : Cessons nos luttes fratricides ; u.‘issons-nous (Let us cease our fratricidal strifes ; let us be united). United for what? To perpetuate a distinct and compact nationality in this country? Such was the object that the Nationalist leader held up to his comratriots as a laudable subject for their ambition and exeïtions. His words were perfectly clear, leaving no room for doubt. The other speakers took their cue from him and spoke on the same lines. One of them, a young member of the Quebec Legislature, named Dechene, said

450 FÊTE NATIONALE it would noi be very long before the French-Canadians would have the majority in the electorate of the Dominion, a sentiment that was loudly cheered.