CARTIER-BRÉBEUF — THE LESSON TO BE LEARNED FROM THE CELE- BRATION

(From the Special Correspondent of the Toronto Mail?)

Quebec, June 25,

The great Cartier-Brébeuf monument celebration is over, but the sentiment of which it is the emblem will remain. To-day Quebec has resumed its dull routine after the excitement and national enthusiasm of yesterday. I have spent three days in the Ancient Capital witnessing the sights, conversing with the people, and hearing of their national aspirations. To one coming from the Province of Ontario, the sights were indeed novel, the aspirations were indec . strange. But let us be fair and candid towards this people—the French-Canadians. When their national aspirations are not interfered with, they are generous and warm-hearted, possessing many good qualities in the midst of many peculiar ideas. If the English cannot agree with them in their aspirations towards a distinct French-Canadian nationality, they must at least give them the credit of being bold and honest in the enunciation of their propaganda. The French-Canadian leaders have presented the issue plainly

(1) Voici cominent le Worning Uhronicle 4e Québec présentait à ses lecteurs l'article de M. Boyd que nous reproduisons sous le chiffre IT,

(The Morning Chronicle)

Quebec, Friday, June 25, 1889, “We print to-duy the report which Mr. Boyd sent to his journal, the Toronto Mail, of the St. Jean Baptiste celebration, or rather hi$ saumming up of the events which happened in connection with the late festivities. The report seems to be impartial in tone, and fair in spirit. Our readers will find it interesting reading, even at this late day, for it letls how a stranger was struck with the Way things are done iu this region of Her Majesty’s Dominions, on holiday occasions.”

and boldly to the people of Canada in connection with this celebration, and they cannot blame the English if they accept their words in their literal force and meaning. Their statesmen, their litérateurs, their clergy, and their journals tell us with no uncertain sound that it is their intention to build up ont he continent of America a distinct and separate French-Canadian nationality, an American France, that will in time dominate and control not only the Dominion of Canada, but even the American Republic. The Englishman, quiet and apathetic, is apt to smile at this and characterize it as a chimera and a dream; but is it a dream? Let him look at the maryellous natural increase of the French-Canadians, from a small band of sixty thousand at the time of the conquest to a compact and solid mass of nearly two millions and a half, scattered throughout the Dominion and in various parts of the States, and animated by one idea—the aggrandizement and increase of the French-Canadian people as a distinct nationality. They tell us that they are the masters of Quebec, that they have inaugurated their propaganda in Ontario, that they hold the balance of power in the Dominion, and.that it will not be long before they will dominate the country. Ifthe English accept their declarations and dare to protest against such a propaganda, they are to be branded by their statesmen and leaders as insolent fanatics, insulting their race and their religion. Abuse and rhetoric are substituted for argument and t reason. Such is the aspect of affairs presented by the

Cartier-Brebeuf celebration, and no better proof could

have been given of the ever increasing cleavage between

the two races.