The Story of the Upper Canadian Rebellion, Volume 1Dent, John Charles
History
The Story of the Upper Canadian Rebellion, Volume 1
Dent, John Charles
Canada -- History -- Rebellion, 1837-1838; Ontario -- Politics and government
Peregrine's, but they are deserving of all the emphasis which
distinguishing type can give them, as exemplifying the way in which the
representative of Majesty in those days was not ashamed to secretly
vilify persons who opposed his policy: persons who, whether contemplated
from a moral or an intellectual point of view, were elevated so far
above him that it is impossible to institute any comparison between
them. Will it be believed that the gentlemen who were "not very
respectable in any sense" were John Rolph, Marshall Spring Bidwell, Dr.
William Warren Baldwin, and Robert Baldwin? Was it not an honour to be
disreputable in such company? Some of these, at least, were men whom no
pressure of outward circumstances could have induced to stab their
bitterest foe in the dark, as this eminently respectable vice-regal
assassin was in the frequent habit of doing in his despatches, and as
he did when he wrote the mendacious words above quoted. Judge Willis
doubtless associated with these men because he found them more to his
taste than anyone else with whom he became acquainted in York. And his
doing so was made much more of than the facts warranted. His
acquaintance with the persons named was not of such a nature as to be
called intimate. In his "Narrative," already quoted from, he has
recorded that to the best of his recollection he never conversed with
Dr. Baldwin, Mr. Rolph, Mr. Bidwell, "or any other person politically
opposed to Mr. Robinson" a dozen times in the course of his life; and in
a separate defence of his conduct written at Bath in December, 1828, he
says: "From what I know of Dr. Baldwin and his family, I must always
sincerely regret that I have not known more."[109]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account