Canada and the Canadians, Vol. 1Bonnycastle, Richard Henry, Sir
History
Canada and the Canadians, Vol. 1
Bonnycastle, Richard Henry, Sir
Canada -- Description and travel; Ontario -- Description and travel
On board a packet returning from England, we had several of the leading
characters of the United States as passengers. A very silly and
troublesome democrat, of the Loco-foco school, from Philadelphia, made
himself conspicuous always after dinner, when we sat, according to
English fashion, at a dessert, by his vituperations against monarchy and
an exhibition of his excessive love for everything American. The
gentlemen above alluded to, men who had travelled over Europe, whose
education and manners made them that which a true gentleman is all over
the world, were disgusted, and, to punish his impertinence, proposed
that a weekly paper should be written by the cabin passengers, in which
the occurrences of each day should be noted and commented upon, and that
poetry, tales, and essays, should form part of its matter.
They agreed to discuss the relative points and bearings of monarchy and
democracy; they to depute one of their number to be the champion of
monarchy; and we to chuse the champion of democracy from amongst the
English passengers.
Two drawings were fixed up at each end of the table after dinner; one,
representing a crowned Plum-pudding; and the other, Liberty and
Equality, by the well-known sign. The blustering animal was soon
effectually silenced; a host of first-rate talent levelled a constant
battery at his rude and uncultivated mind.
I shall never forget this voyage, and I hope the talent-gifted Canadian
lawyer who threw down the gauntlet of Republicanism, and who has since
risen to the highest honours of his profession which the Queen can
bestow, has preserved copies of the Saturday's Gazette of The Mediator
American Packet-ship.
The mention of this vessel puts me in mind of one more American
anecdote, and I must tell it, for I have a good deal of dry work before
me.
Crossing the Atlantic once in an American vessel, we met another
American ship, of the same size, and passed very close. Our captain
displayed the stars and stripes in true ship-shape cordial greeting.
Brother Jonathan took no notice of this sea civility, and passed on;
upon which the skipper, after taking a long look at him with his
spy-glass, broke out in a passion, "What!" said he, "you won't show your
b--d bunting, your old stripy rag? Now, I guess, if he had been a
Britisher, instead of a d--d Yankee, he would not have been ashamed of
his flag; he would have acted like a gentleman. Phew!" and he whistled,
and then chewed his cigar viciously, quite unconscious that I was
enjoying the scene.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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