The burning of St. James's Cathedral in 1839, marks another phase of my
Toronto life, which is associated with many pleasant and some sorrowful
memories. The services of the Church of England were, for some months
after that event, conducted in the old City Hall. The choir was an
amateur one, led by Mr. J. D. Humphreys, whose reputation as an
accomplished musician must be familiar to many of my readers. Of that
choir I became a member, and continued one until my removal to Carlton
in 1853. During those fourteen years I was concerned in almost every
musical movement in Toronto, wrote musical notices, and even composed
some music to my own poetry. An amateur glee club, of which Mr. E. L.
Cull, until lately of the Canada Company's office, and myself are
probably the only survivors, used occasionally to meet and amuse
ourselves with singing glees and quartettes on Christmas and New Year's
Eve, opposite the houses of our several friends. It was then the custom
to invite our party indoors, to be sumptuously entertained with the good
things provided for the purpose.
Thus the time passed away after the rebellion, and during the period of
Sir George Arthur's stay in Canada, without the occurrence of any
public event in which I was personally concerned. Lord Durham came; made
his celebrated Report: and went home again. Then followed Lord Sydenham,
to whom I propose to pay some attention, as with him commenced my first
experience of Canadian party politics.
Mackenzie's rebellion had convinced me of the necessity of taking and
holding firm ground in defence of monarchical institutions, as opposed
to republicanism. It is well known that nearly all Old Country Whigs,
when transplanted to Canada, become staunch Tories. So most moderate
Reformers from the British Isles are classed here as Liberal
Conservatives. Even English Chartists are transformed into Canadian
Anti-Republicans.
I had been neither Chartist nor ultra-Radical, but simply a quiet
Reformer, disposed to venerate, but not blindly to idolize, old
institutions, and by no means to pull down an ancient fabric without
knowing what kind of structure was to be erected in its place. Thus it
followed, as a matter of course, that I should gravitate towards the
Conservative side of Canadian party politics, in which I found so many
of the solid, respectable, well-to-do citizens of Toronto had ranged
themselves.