A Tour of the West

LETTERS BY VIATOR FOR THE BRITISH WHIG - 1847

LETTER NO. V

Norval:

This exceedingly pretty Village is charmingly situated on a beautiful flat at one of the heads of the Credit. The village is on one side of the stream, overlooked by majestic pines, which proudly lift their stalwart heads to Heaven, alike in defiance of summer's smile as winter's frown; - on the other side a neat and commodious place of worship, surmounted by a glistening spire, looks down on the village like a guardian angle, while the beautiful river, like a stream of molten silver, gracefully flows over a gravelly bed, through the centre of the village. The tout ensemble forms a perfect scene of rural felicity.

The village contains 500 inhabitants, a post office, one grist mill, with two run of stone; one sawmill, one distillery, an oatmeal mill, two stones; one Church of England, one Presbyterian Church,and last though by no means least, four Orange Lodges. Much as I was astonished to find so much comfort, improvement and taste so far in the back woods, I was quite amazed at finding such a focus of Orangeism centered here. I asked myself then and since, what object there could be in keeping alive such useless mementoes; I am satisfied there can be none which will in the remotest degree be productive of any good either to Orangemen of their adopted country.

Is it not to be lamented that any of those tiresome reminiscences should be at this day the cause of angry and excited feelings between fellow-countrymen. It is high time that demonstrations of every description, which tend to arouse religious enthusiasm of obsolete bigotry, should cease; forof all the unhallowed war fares men can be engaged is, a religious one is the most unholy, uncharitable and unjustifiable. This applies in an especial manner to this country. While in Ireland, Orangemen may have some shadow of excess for marching in military procession, because they there tread over the soil saturated with the blood of the stoic defenders of Protestation; but once here they ought to recollect that a new era has long since dawned; that the spirit of the age condemns such illiberal feelings as precessions generate; that their Roman Catholic fellow-countrymen might with as equal justice have their processions of the ...; and that above all, it is a source of no good, but of unquestionable evil. In fact, that it is only the resources of bigoted minds to annoy their fellow-men. But in Canada what excuse have Orangemen for importing these uncharitable demonstrations? In the name of all that is just, reasonable, good and true, I ask them, what is the object in perpetuating them? In Canada, all nations and creeds meet on equal footing; its pure air has never been tainted with the bigot's harangue; or its solid dyed with the blood of religious fanaticism. There is nothing in the country, its laws or its Government, to arose the slumbering feelings of superstitious fear, or awake the dormant energies of the crusader's zeal. All, all, is indicative of repose and happiness. On leaving the shore of our native Isle -- an Isle endeared to us by thousand endearing recollections -- to seek an independence in a land of civil and religious liberty, a land of beauty, plenty, and freedom, we ought to come to it unshackled by religious or party animosity, leaving every other feeling with national love, on the pebbly shores of our native land. This land we can retain in its purity, without having alloyed with the dross of an inferior metal. While we retain it in this state, it is beautiful and commendable, but when we mix it up with the obnoxious drug, Creed we lower its character, and forget our country in our faith.

Let the Orangeman look to Ireland's condition for years back, and he must acknowledge that religious animosity is one of the causes of its wretchedness. The worst feelings of human nature have been aroused by fanatic appeals from the sanctuary of peace, or violent declarations from the national orators. Nay, even the British Senate has re-echoed with the war-cry of Protestant Ascendancy. But yon, Orangemen, be not excited or influenced by such. Let our holy religion stand on its own intrinsic merits. A religion possessing within itself the principles of truth, should require no extraneous means of the nature I allude to, to prop it up. It should breathe Peace and charity to all men. But can there be peace whilst every anniversary day the streets of the different cities, towns and villages of the Province are paraded with marshalled bands, with flashing sabers and gaudy banners, and preceded with music of an irritating tone. Can that be called charitable which thus gloats over the overthrew of your fellow-men in one pitched battle. Which thus calls up the feelings of years, and compresses them within the compass of an hour; which nerves the hand to do deeds of weakness, which takes away the feelings of the man, and substitutes those ofa demon. These are only a tithe of the deplorable results which follow in the wake of those processions, and which it takes a length of time to cure, if an effectual cure can be wrought, whilst there is sure to be a recurrence of the causes of the disease. With the example of Ireland before your eyes, and more recently a terrible one in this country, can you, ought you, nay dare you, ifyou be men possessed of the commest feelings of humanity, persists to keeping up a custom which more properly belongs to savage tribes, than to enlightened Christendom. As I have already remarked, we come to this country to earn an honest independence; we are in daily need of each other's assistance, and, in the country especially, we are mutually dependent on oneanother; let no one then, do nothing at least which will mar the mutual good feelings which should be prevalent amongst us. We can each of us indulge in our religious belief, and worship God, inthe way we deem most accordant with His revealed will. I, as a Protestant, believe in a heaven and hell alone; my Catholic countryman believes in a place of purgation, where we shall bepurified throughly before entering the celestial regions. Well, am I to get furious in my zeal because of this belief. The Roman Catholic pities me, as much as I him; he wishes ardently and zealously for my conversion, I do for his; will you decide which of us is right. Speculative theorists have attempted to do so, but they have failed. Moral and Religious Philosophy have been drummed into our ears until we have grown dull of hearing. Religious dissensions have been so pregnant, and of so much harm that we indiscriminately rank those who emerge in them now, as either fools of madmen. How culpable then are we in perpetrating any demonstration which leads us to forget this sublime and moral precept, love your neighbor as yourself, and this other and better one -- love God and keep His Commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.

VIATOR

Township of Kingston, Sept. 21st 1847