England, Canada and the Great WarDesjardins, L. G. (Louis Georges)
History
England, Canada and the Great War
Desjardins, L. G. (Louis Georges)
Great Britain -- Colonies -- Canada; Imperialism; World War, 1914-1918; World War, 1914-1918 -- Canada
On Thursday, October 26, 1916, Archbishop Bruchesi, of Montreal, present
at a funeral service, in Notre-Dame Church, attended by many thousands,
for the glorious victims of the sacred duty of defending the cause of
the Allies, eloquently said in part:--
"_They (our heroes) had voluntarily enlisted. Two years ago, they
organized their Battalion, the glorious 22nd. They enlisted, conscious
that they were defending the most just of all causes, that of
Civilization, of Right, of Humanity. They enlisted with the conviction
that they would serve the interests of their country, for, when oversea,
they knew that they were defending Canada. They were young and strong;
one could not see them without admiration._
"_They have made their country's name and their own grand. They have for
all times immortalized themselves in History, and, by them, Canada has
been immortalized._
"_The war is not over; it goes on horribly, but our hearts are hopeful.
It is impossible that they should triumph the men who, during forty
years, have prepared for the greatest war and who, during two years,
have torn the world asunder and flooded the earth with blood.
Impossible that they should triumph the men who have declared this war
without a right to avenge, without a grievance to redress, without being
menaced in any way. Impossible that they should triumph those who have
torn, like a scrap of paper, a pact upon which the nations relied,
having faith in the pledged word. Impossible that they should triumph
those who have invaded the territory of valiant Belgium, whose only
fault was_: TO REMAIN TRUE TO HER HONOUR. _They shall not triumph those
who, on account of their military service, have made this war a carnage
and a butchery without precedent in History. I believe in God of all
Justice. Humanity wanted a suffering which purifies, but when mothers
shall have wept long enough, God will have His Divine word heard._
"_When this great work is accomplished, and when we shall sing the_ TE
DEUM _of thanksgiving, we will be able to say that Canada, that all the
Provinces of Canada, that our Province of Quebec, have deserved their
share of glory_."
On Tuesday, November 28, 1916, at a funeral service in the Quebec
Basilica, addressing the large audience rallied to pray for the dead
heroes, Reverend Mr. Camille Roy, one of the most distinguished
professors of the Quebec Seminary, said in part:--
"_They went, our officers and soldiers, to serve a great cause. Several
reasons, perhaps intermingled in their conscience, have inspired their
courageous decision...._
"_But dominating, penetrating them all, purifying what in them was too
personal and restricted, was the thought that in doing all this they
were going to fight with heroic brothers and employ their strength to
defend what is most venerable on earth: outraged justice._
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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