Humours of '37, Grave, Gay and Grim: Rebellion Times in the CanadasLizars, Robina
History
Humours of '37, Grave, Gay and Grim: Rebellion Times in the Canadas
Lizars, Robina
Canada -- History -- Rebellion, 1837-1838
This sympathy spread far afield in Europe. At the Russian Emperor’s
birthday fête at New Archangel the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian
Naval Forces gave a splendid banquet, at the close of which “a
collection was made for the unfortunate patriots of Canada.” Without
exception, every one present contributed, with a result of 22,800
francs; and what is more, this sum was forwarded to its destination
by the Admiral himself. We hope he had more definite geographical
ideas than had the nearer French. Given a letter to post to Quebec,
before rebellion had brought it and its people prominently forward, a
post-office clerk in Paris gravely asked if it should go _via_ Panama
or Cape Horn.
And then France remembered that those who had returned at the time of
the Conquest said “it was very cold over there.”
Gallows Hill.
“_Up then, brave Canadians! Get your rifles and make short work
of it._”
“_Canadians, rally round your Head,
Nor to these base insurgents yield._”
“_Sir Francis Bond Head’s entire government of Upper Canada was
one long, earnest, undeviating opposition to the instructions of
H. M. colonial ministers._”--BLAKE.
The winter of 1837, in England, was so severe that the mails were
conveyed in sleighs, even in the southern counties, a freak of nature
no doubt meant to put her in sympathy with the many million arpents
of snow by that time dyed in patches with good Canadian blood. In the
colony it set in stormily; but as December lengthened it became mild
and open throughout the country, until on the day of Gallows Hill that
month of storm had almost turned to the brightness and healthy beauty
of a Canadian June. The brilliant sunlight which was to burnish up the
arms of the men of Gore had power to convert the blackest landscape
into a thing of beauty--a scene peculiar to the land of shield of
crystal, golden grain and Italian sky. Straight from the Laurentian
Hills the sun turned his roses and purples on the bright tin spires of
parish churches, blazed in small squares of white-curtained habitant
windows, where weeping wives and mothers execrated the Dictator in
voluble patois, and glared on the blackened drama of Le Grand Brûlé.
The snow which made the background of that Lower Canadian picture
sparkled under the prismatic colours, and lit up the icy fragments like
the lustres of a chandelier. The mysterious bell of St. Regis sounded
its Angelus through the rosy atmosphere; the Caughnawagas, waiting but
a word to come forward in defence of their new Great Mother, grew a
deeper tint as, turned from the sunk sun, they knelt to their aves.
Farther on it touched on the cabins of Glengarry, where ninety-nine out
of every hundred men were variations of the name Macdonald, with only
a nickname--Shortnose, Longnose, Redhead or Mucklemou’--to distinguish
them; all busy furbishing up every available weapon, ready to follow
where they might be called. If one record profanes not their memory
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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