HONOR TO WHOM HONOR IS DUE

To the Editor of the Daily Telegraph,

Sir, — Having been a résident of this city for the last thirty years, I hâve had reason to notice, on more than one occasion, the interest taken by your ably edited, interesting, instructive and impartial journal, when the need arose of praising laudable actions, had they for author, either a very influential and wealthy citizen, or an almost unknown and poor fellow, who happened to fînd a favorable circumstance to display his generous manhood in some unforeseen occurrence.

306 LA MÉMOIBE DU DOCTEUR BARDY

This course of action, particularly in the nineteenth century, when the almighty dollar seems to be the impetus or " leit-motif," in every undertaking, could not fail to find an écho and a silent approbation in the minds of ail well-thinking men, — of whom our city could always boast many, — no matter what his creed, race or politics might be. Judging from the past, I hâve no doubt but the following remarks whieh hâve for object a récognition of the many services rendered to the population of this city in particular, and to the Canadian people in gênerai, by one of Québec able citizens now of happy memory, will find their proper place in your paper.

The 24th of June 1880, or as familiarly kaown, the great célébration of St-John the Baptist's Day, is a mémorable one in the annuals of our city ; since she then beheld her streets literaly alive with her children, who, at her call had hastened from the most remote parts of the Dominion and the United States, in fact, from far and near, to celebrate within her ramparts their own festival : the French-Canadians' National Feast.

Though the day itself is now a thing of the past, the salutary impression it must hâve made on ail those who had the enviable happiness of being eye-witnesses or participators in that great national démonstration, (one so nobly patriotic in its aim, having for its object the fostering and'furthering of anything and everything regarding their Holy Faith and cherished country), can never be entirely effaced from their memory.

In fact, who can forget that grand and imposing display of the thousands of Canada's fair sons and daughters assembled on the Plains of Abraham, headed

by tlieir ecclesiasiical and civil superiors, as they bcgan their public feast by offering through the ministry of their priests, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass to the Giver of ail good gifts, in thanksgiving for the many blessings already recel ved, as well as to implore His Divine protection on their présent célébration ? Did I say it was a nobly patriotic démonstration ? Yes ; and I, hère, repeat it. As true patriotism is invariably based on and guided by religion, their love of country deserves to be so called in the most extensive meaning.

A human action is realiy or nobly good only inasmuch as it has God for its object. What joy would not the fathers of the Canadian people, Champlain and Jacques-Cartier, expérience, were they hère to see for themselves that the little sapling of the Holy Faith which they hâve planted along the St-Lawrence, notwithstanding the rigor of the climate, did not die, but sprang forth into a large and healthy tree, the virtue of which is felt to-day in a sensible mariner throughout the entire continent of America !

Thanks, then, not to the climate; but to the warm and generous French-Canadian heart ! A tribute of honor to fathers and children : — to the former, for their genuine charity, coupled with an exampled constancy and persévérance which overcame every obstacle in the way of the propagation of God's holy religion ; to the latter, for the préservation and augmentation they hâve secured of that most precious treasure : Holy Faith ; as well as for the conservation and intelligent cultivation of their language ; and that, under a foreign power, — foreign to our religious principles, our sentiments of national sympathy and our vehicle of thought and expression.

Are not the children worthy of such good and Christian parents ? And who can help admiring both of them ?

Hère, I speak of the French-Canadians as a race. But the présent display is due to the St-John the Baptist Society, founded in 1842, in this city, by Dr Pierre Martial Bardy of happy memory. This selfmade man, founder and first président of this Society, was left an orphan at the âge of fourteen years, and then began his struggle for life. If I consider him as a boy at school, I will find him first in the philosophy class, thus verifying, in his after life, the words of the wise man : " Show me the boy and I will tell you what the man will be " ; and foreshadowing, in so tender an âge, his future depth of knowledge.

What can I say of his professional life which embraced a period of thirty years, if not— as those who remember him can testify as well as myself, but particularly those who were the objects of his spécial care, — that it was a life of devotedness, which seems to increase with his years as he sowed on ail sides consolation and happiness by his learned advice or friendly counsel ; many times accompauying both by money from his purse and thereby rendering them more efficacious.

In the stormy period of 1835 and 1836, we find him elected Honorable member for the Rouville County ; and, though not liking public life, still as he possessed the qualifications of a public man, and that in no ordinary degree, the services rendered by him to his country, at this critîcal time, cannot be gainsaid ; nor did they fail to call forth the admiration even of his opponents.

From the floor of the nation's guide, Parliament, we find our esteemed friend direction, during several years of the latter part of his life, by his learned, wise and enlightened supervision, — (having been a classical teacher before he began the study of médecine), — and with a most admirable devotedness, the educational interests of our district. Who can calculate the amount of benefit we hâve recei^ed from Dr Bardy as Inspector of Schools ?

And again, does not that living testimony of the heroism of the Canadian as a soîdier, which is worthy of those in commémoration of whose deeds it has been erected, — does not le Monument des Braves owe its entire and complète realization to the great energy brought to bear upon it by Dr Bardy, during the three years previous to its inauguration ?

His last deed of charity to his neighbor might be considered a compliment to those years, full of good works, already passed. A donation of $5000. to his poorer patients ! A grant to the poor ! How like his life, which was literaily consumed in behalf of his beloved Canadian fraternity !

How, I ask, can such a life be forgotten ? How can so many sacrifices be buried in oblivion ? How can the public be so insensible to so many services rendered ? How can the principal members of the St-Jean-Baptiste Society be si lent over the virtues and talents of their Founder and first Président, Dr Pierre Martial Bardy ?

Bosides has not God blessed his efforts for good ? And do we not see to-day that his work of prédilection, the St-Jean-Baptiste Society of Québec, is both numerically and financially, ail that the most exacting could désire ?

Honor, then, in the first place, to its worthy Founder, for that undying germ of vitality with which he imbued it, during its first and hardest struggles ; the development of which germ shows its power and strength, to-day, in the amount of permanent good accomplished by this Society in our midst ; and honor, secondly, to those who hâve so ably conducted it to its présent state of perfection !

So much, in passing, for the life and works of Dr Pierre Martial Bardy. Now, a word as to the debt of gratitude which is due him ; and my agréable task is accomplished, at least for the présent.

Why, on the one hand, hâve we places of confinement, under every government and every cliine, if not to incarcerate therein those members of society whose actions are a disgrâce to themselves, as well as a dishonor and a danger to the country ?

Why, on the other hand, hâve we such places of émolument, as Senatorships, Chief-Justiceships, Judgeships, &c, if not to give the country the benefit of well tried men and to repay tham, at least in part, for the sacrifices made in behalf of the community ?

Is not this laudable ? Is ifc not the offspring of civilization, particularly of a démocratie form of government, which rewards only great merits or past services ? And does it not coincide exactly with that great moral principle : " The good must be rewarded and the wicked must be punished " ?

Our prosperous neighbor, Brother Jonathan, could teach us a very instructive lesson in this regard.

Any native of the soil, no matter what may be his creed, race or extraction, can attain to the highest position in the land, provided he be otherwise qualified.

Thus we find even the Presidential chair occupied by tailors, tanners, farmers, &c. The same rule can be applied to positions of minor importance.

Now, do the American people forget their public men, though sometimes of so racy an extraction ? the coritrary is self-evident to any one having the most rudimental notions of the great family of that Republic.

In fact, they hardly know of any other history than that of their own country. Eut they know it well ; and it would seem that the child, the young man and the old vétéran vie one with ànother in acquiring a knowledge of the principal men who hâve taken an active part, in no matter what sphère, in building up their nation.

Such is the great love that they entertain, both individually and collectively, for their country and her distinguished children. Not to go further, witness their conduct in regard to the last Presidential assassination. What generosity in the grant made to Mrs Garfield by the most wealthy ! This is a public or gênerai action. Still the conduct is the saine as to those whose services are confîned to more humble sphères.

What a stimulant to every one to sacrifice himself for the public good, fully satisfied as he must be that his services will not be forgotten, but that they will be spoken of and commented upon, that he will be put forward as a model in that particular sphère in which he has played his part, and that his name will be handed down to posterity as one worthy of imitation ?

Is the same conduct pursued in Canada with regard to her public men, and particularly such men as Dr Pierre Martial Bardy, who has sacrificed whatever he held most dear for his country's welfare ?

No, undoubtedly. And since, from the above mentioned course of action, much good has been reaped, what, on the other hand, must be expected from that silence and cold sympathy, sometimes more deadly than the assassin's dagger, paralyzing as they do the most heroic actions and rendering stérile a life made up of praiseworthy deeds ; what must be expected, I repeat, but indifférence from the active operators now in our midst, and the expatriation of our naturally enterprisir.g and talented young men seeking their fortune among strangers ?

Let there be no delusions upon so vital a question. Sorrowful and irréparable conséquences must ensue. It is not my intention, nor do I prétend, to develop this important subject. I hope, however, that some other pen, more able and more authorized than mine, will treat it thoroughly ; so that nothing may be lef t undone to realize, at least, a dutiful récognition and just appréciation of the services of those members of society who, otherwise, become the victims of impaired gratitude, even of impaired remembrance.

I wish not to be misundestood. The best part of my life has been spent among the Canadians of this city. I hâve an intimate knowledge of their love of country, and know furthermore that sacrifices cost them nothing, when the honor of their country or of one of her members is at stake ; providing, however, that the necessity for such sacrifices be properly represented by those on whom they look as leaders. I could multiply examples to prove what I hère assert.

The sterling virtues of our dear departed friend, Dr Eardy, hâve long since, I hope, received their éternel reward. No dcubt but on caith he often er.coun-

tered ingratitude in payaient for his charitable endeavors ; but this did not slacken his ardent zeal ; wisely considering such patients under the pressure of disease, as more properly objects of pity than of resentrnent

Is it not suffieient that occasional ingratitude may hâve assailed his existence from those to whom he wished to do good ? Sliall we, now, behold the sad spectacle of oblivion from those to whom his memory would naturally appeal for defence and préservation; such oblivion extending down to the very tornb, the sacred abode of the dead ?

While admiring myfriend's line of condoct toward every one indiscriminatly, either grateful or ungrateful, I cannot now, in justice to his name and to my conscience, I cannot do the same. And this is why, Mr Editor, I take a signal pleasure in trying to revive the memory and virtues, though in a very unskilful mariner, of one whose devotedness to his country and countryrnen I always admired. I wanted to do this, as an act of gratitude due to himself ; also as an act of friendship due to his respected family ; discountenancing, thereby, as much as possible, the strange silence and coldness of any body, more or less exalted in position, who seems derelict to his particular duty in this regard. It is now, indeed, for ail lovers of justice quite impossible to view with the same eye of contentment, as would hâve done Dr Bardy, both the grateful and the ungrateful to his memory.

Respectfully yours,

A Champion of justice.