The Mail Who Won Canada

Horowhenua Chronicle, 15 March 1911, Page 4

The Mail Who Won Canada

LOiil) ROBERTS' TIMHUTIO TO WOLFE. Field-Marshal Lord Roberts, unveiling a statute of AYolfe at \Y esterham, in Kent, the biithplace of the victor of Quebec, said: "It always .strikes me tilvat. in raising a monument to one who has done well for. his country, wo- not only do honour to the individual man, but we provide an object-lesson of no slight value lor ourselves ol what our country and our Ivmpire should moan to us. J'lt i.s well for the people of every nation to ask themsei|ves_ whether th'ev are doing all in their power, not for their own personal advancement alone, 'but for tho honour and progress of their country ; and it is iw> exaggeration to say that it is o! infinitely more importance to us—members ol tliis great Empire—than to the. peoples of other nations to put this question to ourselves, '/or the various countries wind!) form our Empire are so widely scattered that we are apt to lose sight of the vital truth that, it is only on the well are and security of the whole that the proseprity of eacilu competent part depends. "It is to AVoll'e we are indebted lor the'greatest of the dominions. Mow. after" a prolonged and anxious examination of the locality in which Quebec is situated. Wolle lorined his daring plan and led his troops to yjt.'tory is one of the brightest pages in the history of our Empire. "The story ihas often been told, but it never loses its thrilling interest by repetition. Tie silent drifting down stream on the mighty St. Lawrence of the boats which convoyed the little army. The scaling of the

HEIGHTS OF AHR ATTAM in the dark. The impossibility of obtaining the k1 i«slitost knowdedge ol the position of the enemy's troops, or of the nature of the ground where the fighting would have to take place. The rapid)y-arri\ r ed-at decision to form up ih is infantry only two deep in order to save their flanks being turned by the superior numbers of the French showed YVolle to he a consummate comnuMKler. "This formation had never before been tried in our Army, and could only he justified on such an occasion bv tire firm belief Wolfe had in the courage a.nd discipline of his troops. It was the same grand feeling of trust in his men -a feeling reciprocated by the men towards their commander—which enabled Wolfe to order his soldiers to remain with their arms shouldered, and to reserve their fire until the French had approached within forty yards, and Wolfe himself had been severely wounded, that he gave that word. Tlio single volley t.-lieri lired shattered the enemy's forma (ion and decided the fate of Canada. \c wonder that Wolfe, as he lay mortally wounded, was able to murmur. 'I die content.' "