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
What did those irreconcilable "Nationalists"--so few in numbers as the
event ultimately proved--mean by their assertion that _Canada had done
enough for the war_? According to its literal wording, it must have
signified that no more sacrifices should have been incurred for the
triumph of the Allied cause. If it was so, the conclusion to be drawn
from such sayings was that, to put an end to any further Canadian
contributions, orders should be given to bring back the Canadian Army
from Europe, and to send home all the forces still on Canadian soil. It
is plain that even if the new Canadian Parliament had decided not to
increase our contribution of man-power, in order to maintain the
efficiency of the Canadian divisions at the front, large sacrifices
would have had to be made to keep on the theatre of war the forces which
were still in the field.
To refuse to participate in the war would have been deserting the flag
at the hour of danger, and a total misconception of our plain duty.
Giving up the fight, once engaged in the struggle, before triumphant
victory, or irremediable defeat, in the very thick of the battle so
heroically carried on by the Allies, would have been sheer
cowardice--bolchevikism of the worst kind.
Whether they meant it or not, those few "Nationalists" dared not openly
propose the recall of our troops. The solitary "Nationalist" candidate
who had the nerve to face the electorate was defeated by a very large
majority.
No better proof of the weakness of the hold of the doctrines of
"Nationalism," on sound public opinion, is required than the decision of
its most outspoken advocate and leader, Mr. Bourassa, to refrain from
being a candidate in any constituency, and to advise all his supposed
friends to do likewise. No one was deceived, with regard to this
decision, by the reasons, or rather excuses, given to explain it.
Evidently, if the "Nationalist" group and their leader had been
confident of the support of the large number of electors whose opinion
they pretended to represent, they would certainly not have lost the
chance to show their strength, and the opportunity to elect many
candidates of their persuasion to enter Parliament free from any party
allegiance but that of their own element. But any one somewhat posted
with the currents of public opinion in the Province of Quebec, knew very
well that if pure "Nationalist" candidates had been nominated in all
the constituencies of the Province, running between the regular party
nominees,--ministerial and opposition--the average number of ballots
cast for them would scarcely have reached ten per cent. of the French
Canadian votes, less than two per cent. of the whole Canadian
electorate.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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