my part in the physical exercises, which I cannot say I have graced,
but have accomplished, is over, I have been asked to take also a part
in the intellectual exercises of this day by saying a few words to you.
When I first came to Canada, and afterwards at the time when
Confederation was coming into being, the first political lesson that I
learnt with regard to this country was that the Federal Government
would have nothing whatever to do with education. The earliest lesson
that I learnt, on arriving in Canada fourteen years afterwards, was
that the head of the Federal Government was frequently expected to
attend on such occasions as that on which we are assembled to-day,
which has certainly a great deal to do with education. Perhaps, however,
I may flatter myself by supposing that my presence here to-day has been
desired more in the capacity of a friend than as an official--(applause)
--and I hope that this may be the footing on which you will always
allow me to meet you and see what you are doing. I can assure you I
will never betray any of your secrets to my Ministers, except under the
advice of my honourable friend on my right (the Lieutenant-Governor
Robitaille), who is the natural protector and guardian of this
University, and of education in this Province. (Laughter.) I share most
heartily with you in the joy you must experience at the prospect of
possessing so fine a hall for the accommodation of the treasures which
are rapidly accumulating in your hands. That the necessity for a large
building should have been so promptly met by the sympathetic support
and far-seeing generosity of Mr. Redpath, proves that the race of
benefactors, illustrated by the names of Molson and M'Gill, has not
died out amongst us. (Loud applause.) The removal of the geological
collections belonging to the nation from Montreal to Ottawa, which has
been determined upon as bringing more immediately under the eye of the
Legislature and the knowledge of the Government the labours and results
attained by our men of science, necessarily deprives the residents of
Montreal, who are students, of the facilities hitherto afforded by the
presence in this city of those collections. It is satisfactory to know
that this loss will be palliated by such noble gifts as those which
have furnished you with other collections, which are now to find at
last a proper place for their display. (Applause.) You who have in your
Chancellor and members of Convocation such eminent and worthy
representatives of judicial attainment, of classical learning, of
medical and surgical knowledge, and of scientific research, will well
know how to give full value to the last of these subjects, namely, to
the culture of the natural sciences. (Applause.) Besides the direct
utility of a knowledge of zoology, botany, geology, and chemistry, and
of the kindred branches grouped under the designation of natural
science, the pleasure to be derived from them is not amongst the least
of the advantages of their study. (Hear, hear.) However forbidding the
country in which he is placed, however uninteresting the other
surroundings of a man's life may be, he need never miss the delights of
an engrossing occupation, if the very earth on which he treads, each
leaf and insect, and all the phenomena of nature around him, cause him
to follow out new lines of study, and give his thought a wider range.
This is enough to make a man feel as though in the enjoyment of a
never-dying vitality, and I doubt if any one amongst you feels younger
than your honoured Principal, although his studies have led him in
fancy over every region, and must make him feel as if a perpetual youth
had caused him to live through all geological time. (Laughter and
applause.) To parallel a saying, spoken of another eminent man, he
certainly has learnt all that rocks can teach, except to be hard-hearted.
(Renewed laughter.) It seems to me peculiarly appropriate that
he who first established the certainty of the "Dawn of Life" amongst
the Laurentian rocks of Canada, should here, through his untiring zeal,
officiate in launching into the dawn of public recognition the young
manhood of his country. (Applause.) It is your great good fortune that
in your Principal you have a leader who is an admirable guide, not
alone in the fairy realms of science, but also through those sterner,
and, to some, less attractive regions which own the harsher rule of the
exigencies of the daily life around us. (Hear, hear.) He has traced in
the rocks the writing of the Creator, and with the magic light, only to
be borne by him who has earned the power through toil of reason and of
induction, he has been able to see in the spirit and describe the
processes of creation. His knowledge has pierced the dark ages, when
through countless aeons the earth was being prepared for man; he has
shown how forests--vast as those we see to-day, but with vanished forms
of vegetation and of life, grew, decayed, and were preserved in altered
condition to give us in these days of colder skies the fuel we need. He
has been for his beloved Acadia the historian of the cycles when God
formed her under the primal waters, fashioned her in the marshes
teeming in His fervent heat, caused His fire to fuse the metal in her
rocks, and His ice to scourge the coasts, thereafter to be subjected to
yet more stupendous changes, and raised and made fit for the last and
highest of His works. (Loud applause.) But Dr. Dawson's great knowledge
and wide learning have not led him, as they might lead many, to live
apart in fastidious study and in selfish absorption, forgetful of the
claims and contemptuous of the merits of others. (Hear, hear.) His
wisdom in these difficult studies has not separated him from us; it has
only been a fresh cause for us to hail that public spirit which makes
him give all he has, whether of strength, of time, or of knowledge, for
the benefit of his fellow-citizens. (Applause.) Just as it was not for
Acadia alone, but in the interests of science, that his first labour
was undertaken; so now it is not for any especial locality, but for the
good of the whole of our country, that he is head of this place of
learning, whence depart so many to take their lot in the civil life of
Canada. Even in his presence it is right that this should be said of
him, here on this spot, where you are to raise a new temple of the
practical sciences, and now that he, with you, has become the recipient
of this gift, which is a tribute from one who has earned success in the
hard battle of life, offered to men who, with so much devotion, are
training other lives to win their way by knowledge through the
difficulties that may lie before them. (Loud applause.)
A fine statue of Colonel de Salaberry, by Mr. Hubert of Montreal, was,
in 1880, unveiled at Chambly. A large concourse of people, and
representative men from all parts of the Province of Quebec, were
present, and after eloquent speeches from Colonel Harwood and other
gentlemen, His Excellency said:--
Accept my thanks for your address, which records your patriotic desire
to honour in a befitting manner the memory of a patriot. I rejoice to
be able to take part with you in this commemoration of a gallant
soldier. We are here to unveil a monument dedicated to a man who
worthily represented the loyal spirit of his age. That spirit exists to
the full to-day. Should need arise, there are many among the Canadian
nation who would emulate his example and endeavour to rival his
achievements. This statue records a character typical of our countrymen.
Content with little for himself, content only with greatness for his
country--such was the character of De Salaberry; such is the character
of the Canadian to-day. At Chambly, in the Province where he had the
good fortune to have the occasion to manifest that valour which was the
proud tradition of his race, we place his statue. It is raised in no
spirit of idle boasting, but with a hope that the virtues shown of old
may, unforgotten, light and guide future generations. These virtues
were conspicuous in this distinguished man, whose military talents
enabled him to perform his duty with signal advantage to our arms. In
rearing this monument to him, let us not forget to pay a passing
tribute to his brothers. They, with him, in the hour of danger, took to
the profession of arms, we may almost say as a part of their nature.
Three of them perished in upholding the honour of that flag which is
to-day our symbol of unity and freedom. In this fair region, which was
his home, a contrast between our times and those in which he lived
comes forcibly before us. Where are now the wide tracts of fertile
fields and a country traversed by railways or to be reached by the
steamers on our rivers, De Salaberry and his voltigeurs, when they made
their gallant defence, saw only scattered clearings among great forests.
These, too, often concealed contending armies. While we cherish the
recollection of gallant deeds performed, where English and
French-speaking Canadians equally distinguished themselves, it is not
necessary to dwell on the bitter associations of those times. We are at
peace, and live in what we hope will be an abiding friendship and
alliance with the great and generous people of the south. They then
endeavoured to conquer us, but were in the end only enabled to
entertain for the Canadians that respect which is the only true and
lasting foundation of friend ship. We must be thankful and rejoice that
our rivalries with them are now only in the fruitful fields of commerce.
Our resources in these peaceful paths are daily supplying the sinews of
strength and the power to us in resources and population which would
make any war undertaken against Canada a war that would be a long and a
difficult one. They do not desire to invade us. We trust that such a
desire will never again arise, for nations do not now so often as of
old interfere with their neighbours when no faction invites
interference. If in 1812 Canada was dear for her own sake to Canadians,
how much more is she so now? Then possessed only of a small population,
enjoying liberty under the aegis of a narrow constitution, now we see
in her a great and growing people, self-governed at home, proud of the
freest form of constitution, and able to use in association with her
own representative the diplomatic strength of a great empire for the
making of her commercial compacts with other nations. With us there is
no party which would invite incursions or change of government. No man
has a chance of success in Canadian public life, no one is countenanced
by our people, who is not a lover of free institutions. In inviting
here the Governor-General you have an officer present, who as the head
of the Federal government is nothing but the first and abiding
representative of the people. It is, however, not only as an official
that I rejoice with you to-day. Personal feelings make it a joyful hour
for me when I can visit the cradle of so much worth and valour,
surrounded as I am by the members of the family of Monsieur de
Salaberry. The Princess and I can never forget the intimate friendship
which existed between Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, and Colonel de
Salaberry--a friendship between families which, I may be allowed to
hope, will not be confined to the grandfathers. The Princess asked me
to express the deep interest she takes in this celebration. She wishes
me to convey to you her sorrow that she is not here to-day with us. She
yet hopes to be able to see this monument, where for the first time
Canadian art has so honourably recorded in sculpture Canadian loyalty,
bravery, and genius.
In 1880, at St Thomas in Ontario, over 6000 men of Highland descent
were present at a meeting attended by the Governor-General, who spoke
as follows in reply to an address delivered in Gaelic and English:--
Highlanders and Friends from the Land of the Gael,--You do not know how
much pleasure you give me in coming forward, and in such a touching and
eloquent address as that to which I have just listened, giving me the
assurance of the unchangeable loyalty which animates your hearts, and
of the pride with which you look back upon the country of your
forefathers. (Applause.) It is not often that a man gets so many kindly
words addressed to him from so great a meeting of his countrymen.
Although it is for Canada as a whole that I work in this country, and
for her whole population of whatever race that my heart, as well as my
duty, urges me to strive, yet it is a peculiar delight that such
endeavours should be illustrated by meeting with those who are
descended from men at whose side, in the dark ages of trial and of
difficulty, my fathers fought and died. We have many ancient memories
in common. You tell me that these are rehearsed among you. I know that
among your cousins at home the tales of the deeds of the heroes of the
Feinn of Ireland and of Scotland, and the achievements of the great men
who have lived since their day, in successive centuries, are constantly
repeated. I would give nothing for a man who could place little value
upon the lives and times of his ancestors, not only because without
them he himself would have no existence--(laughter)--but because in
tracing the history of their lives, and in remembering the difficulties
they encountered, he will be spurred to emulate, in as far as in him
lies, the triumphs that have caused them to be remembered. (Cheers.) I
would give nothing for a French-Canadian who could not look back with
pride on the glorious discoveries and contests of the early pioneers of
Canada. I would give nothing for a German who in Ontario could forget
that he came from the race who under Hermann hurled back the tide of
Roman invasion; nor for an Englishman who forgets the splendid virtues
which have made the English character comparable to the native oak.
(Applause.) Such reminiscences and such incentives to display in the
present day the virtues of our ancestors can have none but a good
result. Here our different races have, through God's providence, become
the inheritors of a new country, where the blood of all is mingling,
and where a nation is arising which we firmly believe will show through
future centuries the nerve, the energy, and intellectual powers which
characterised the people of northern Europe. (Hear, hear.) And let our
pride in this country with reference to its sons not be so much seen in
pride of the original stock, as in the feeling of joy which should
arise when we can say, "Such an orator, such a soldier, such a poet, or
such a statesman is a Canadian." (Cheers.) Keep up a knowledge of your
ancient language; for the exercise given to a man's mind in the power
given by the ability to express his thoughts in two languages is no
mean advantage. I would gladly have given much of the time devoted in
boyhood to acquiring Greek to the acquisition of Gaelic. My friends,
let me now tell you how happy it makes me to see that the valour, the
skill, and the bravery which used to make you chief among your
neighbours in the strife of swords, is here shown in the mastery of the
difficulties of nature. Your lives are here cast in pleasant places.
The aspect of the fertility of your lands, of the success of their
cultivation, and of your prosperity in their enjoyment, is producing so
powerful an effect upon your brethren at home, that we have some
difficulty in persuading the most enterprising amongst them to remain
in the old country. (Laughter.) You know that economic causes have
forced much of the increasing population of Scotland to seek the towns,
and the change in the proprietorship of lands has united in a few
unfortunate instances with the love for hunting in tempting men, in
more modern times, to care more for their preserves of animals than for
the preserves they could point to as being filled with men. My family
has always loved, not for policy, but on account of their fellow-citizens,
to place in the balance, against the temptation for gain among the
people, the love of home; and have thus had many men on their
lands. In a small country, of poor climate as compared with Canada,
this must of course be regulated by the resources of the land. But I
visit always with a peculiar pleasure those districts at home where a
large population has been able to find a competent livelihood. One
island known to many of you, namely, Tiree, has upon a surface of
twelve miles long by about two in width over three thousand souls. At
the present day I find that some of those who have visited Ontario, or
who know from their friends what this land is like, now come to us and
say, "We are tempted to go to Canada, for each of our friends there has
for himself a farm as big as the whole island of Tiree." (Laughter.)
This is only an instance of how much the western Highlander has thriven
in these new and more spacious homes. (Cheers.) Some amongst you are of
my name. I find that the Campbells get on as well as anybody else in
this country. Lately a gentleman managed to praise himself, his wife,
and me by making the following speech. He said, "I am glad to see you
here as Governor-General. I always find that the Campbells in this
country manage to get most excellent places." He then pointed to his
wife, and proved his argument by the announcement, "My wife there is a
Campbell." (Renewed laughter.) That you, your children, and children's
children, may continue to prosper is the wish of my heart, and the
desire of all in the Mother Country, who see that here you are one of
the powers that constitute, in the new world, a community devoted to
the great traditions, to the might and enduring grandeur of our united
empire. (Loud cheers.) Had it not been so you would not have come to
meet me here to-day. Some time ago I visited Killin, in Perthshire, a
most interesting place. It is a rocky island covered with heather,
grass, and pine trees, placed in the centre of the foaming waters of
the river Dochart, which streams from Benmore. It was the ancient
burial place of the gallant race of Macnab, a clan which with its chief
came over to Canada and was illustrious in the history of this country.
Its chief, Sir Allan, became, not by virtue of descent, but by ability
and integrity, a leader in the public life of Canada. His son came to
Killin to see this last resting-place of his fathers, and was there
seen by a poet, who in some beautiful verses says:--
"Would a son of the chieftain have dared to invade
The isle where the heroes repose;"
Were it not, that as--
"A pilgrim he came to that place of the dead,
For he knew that the tenant of each narrow bed,
Would hail him as worthy of them."
He then asks how he and they had shown their metal, and in vindication
of their fidelity to their ancient fame, he imagines that the very wind
that waved the fir branches over the old tombs carries in rustling
whisper, or in strong breath of storm, among the boughs:--
"A voice as it flies,
From the far distant forest that fringes the deeps
Of the rushing St. Lawrence, replies:--
That, however to Albyn their name
Has become like a tale of past years that is told;
On the shores of Lake Erie that race is the same,
And as true to the land of its birth and its fame,
As their gallant forefathers of old."
May this be ever so with you, and may God prosper and bless you in all
your undertakings. (Prolonged cheers.)
On his return to Winnipeg, after his tour through the North-Western
Territories in 1881, His Excellency spoke as follows:--