CANADIAN LOYALTY.

Samoa Times and South Sea Gazette, Issue 50, 14 September 1878, Page 3

CANADIAN LOYALTY.

(From tlio Times, June 14. iin tiic occasion of the Queen's birthday the Karl of Dufferin reviewed 3000 Hoops at Montreal, who Were assembled under the command of Lieutonant-Gone-iiii Sir Kdward Kelby Smyth, in the preKcnci' of upwards of 15,000 or 20,000 : spectators. A pleasing incident nf the day's proceedings was the presence on the ground of a company from a bottalion of United States Militia in the uniform of their corps, who asked permission , to form into line with the British troops , for the purpose of joining in the feu-de-joic tired in honour of her Majesty and iu the other manoeuvres of the day. After the inspection of tho line Lord Dufferin addressed them iu appropriate terms, complimenting them on their appearance. | In the evening Lord Dufferin made the , following speech at a military banquet ~ (»ivon by the ollicers of the Montreal tiri- | " Gentlemen, —1 thank yon most heart- i ily for the cordial manner inwhiehyou t have drunk my health. I should havo 1 felt I had lost ono of the pleasures to t which ray office legitimately entitles no > had I been compelled to leave Canada « without taking part in such a celebration i as the'present. During the whole term < of lev offlea 1 bavo never bad an oppur- i tunity of scciuir myself siinonndid by i the rcpreintetivOS of our ('.'inadiaii I force* It is tine 1 have had the good r fortUMtO dome into individual contact f with most of the distinguished officers of \ the Dominion, but until Bow I hAVB inner a keen tliem gathered round OH hi th.ir I corporate capacity. On m> arrival in c Ottawa, six ytai a;:" oue.yf mj tti I

•liiil.- na-i to ■■■, t.,.-,-..;.! a t „ ~.v i eu „, '' hut . ::,••!: until lohlm 1 i -ecinganj lulu-.' I«.,|\ of » j„ asscntl lod in I , hold. .My .\]..ii, ,„-,. of the military r Canada Ins licen confined li : u'i'ti'i • -rbono ur. l.aughtor.) Of the* I hayi! s.i-11 u greater number probablj and in a greater variety of places, thai tln< Sovereign of ilu< most military na lion in tin- w.irlil : anil though a civilian. I am mi;.- I |«,vu acquired aa goo i ai ' f ! «rii;-zi:;i» t|,i- ] •• 1 ii.il ;>. i u liar formation as inv frieqal the Lirutenn t-Ooncral himself. (Loud laughter. Li»t y.-ar 1 endeavoured to collect undei my n of at Ottawa as many officers ol our national army as 1 could lay mi hands on, but an unfortunate accident i I me receiving my guests in person. The sitfc-tado, however, I have witnosscd this morning—the scene whiel now meets my vi"\v inore lb m ■:■ pa) uie for my previous deprivations and illsappointments. Anything more admirabh arranged, more gratifying to the pride o'l Canadians and to nllfriends of Canada than the performance this morning cannot well bo conceived, from first to In i everything has passed nil' to my entin satisfaction, and I now beg to tender un liest thanks; and 1 render this ucknow"ledgnieiit, not only on inv own behalf, but mi behalf of my follow"-speotutors and of the conutrv at largo, to the LieutenuntCcncral who'has planned, to the Malitia ■ ■■<•■■ '■'!■ s v' - have - -gai'sed, and l the (.Hirers and men who, at great personal saerilice and inconvenience, have executed and carried out the triumphant ceb brut ion with which we have this morning saluted the birthday of our nio,t gracious .Sovereign. (Cheers.) It is not for me to indicate, even by praise, the professional excellencies '<f those maweuvros. That pleasurable task will be performed in due li by a more competent auth irity ; but there is one .eharacteristie of to-day's performances, at all. vents, which must have attracted cvcryon"'s attention -—that is, the magnificent appearance, the :■.". nn'.K. ■ittU :. \-,v n. Ar. s;:iiv:ed ilacntv the loyal sentiments which have been exhibited bv each and all of the regiments that have paraded before us. Though I v.; -II I, vrv f-'.r In u v.'!s.j>.i ip, : :'jopreeiate the elflvts of training and discipline in piodiiciugellieiency, we must all admit ■ - even tiie greatest martinets among us—that such a lively spirit of patiiotism. Mich a j lyous, such an oxubo- !. at alacrity in the performance of their mi it irv duties as have been exhibited by our soldiers is the li,-,{ step towards the , formation of victorious battalions, Hap|lily, the prospect of the Oouiinion being reipiired to array itself 'n defen if its homes and liberties is remote. We have but one nation for our immediate neighbour, and with that nation we are united by long tradition, by a community of in- ■-■ • li'' '■:.■ in'ol >■! !:■ til.. ivl.V.r. Tmi I cheers); while those foreigners who, in any unhappy circumstances, might attempt 1/ j assail us are remote and separated from our shores by leagues of sea. It is true, even so, we are still liable to invasion, and to-day we have witnessed how soldier-like and martial is the array of our southern neighbours. (Laughter!) Cut if th.y have forced the bulwarks of our land; if they have penetrated to tie; heart of our richest city; if they have established thorns Ives within the' precincts of our camp, it lias only been to give us a fresh proof of the kindly feelings entertained for us by themselves and their fellow-countrymen in the States (cheers), perhaps to lay seige to the hearts of our young ladies (loud laughter}, and to join with us in doing honour to our Gracious Queen. (Hoar, hear.) In tl amo, then, of all those who are present -of the Volunteer Army of Canada, of the people of Canada"—l bid thorn welcome; and, inasmuch as it is the habit of every polite Uoverument to extend to deeds of military daring substantial rewards, I hereby promise to every Ameaicun sol-dier-citizen who is now present, or shall ever tiffer lake part in our reviews,a free giant farm within the Arctic circle the day he takes the oath of allegiance (Loud laughter.) Hut though we have thus disposed,in tire most satisfactory manner of all possible foes within the circuit of our immediate vision, it is not the less necessary on that account that we should take those precautions which every nation since the world began has found requisil I for its safety. (Hear, hear.) Let us learn a lesson from the fate of the aboriginal inhabitants of this very continent. We read in the pages of LVcscott how happy and careless were their lives ; how destitute of fear iw they sported and slept beneath the umbrageous shelter of their tropical groves ; war with them had ceased to bean imaginable contingency—every possible foe had disappeared from the limits of their world. Vet suddenly. unexpectedly, coming whence none knew, there stood "upon their shores steel-clad men aimed with the thunderbollsof death, and in a few short yours that, harmless, (lower-crowned people were annihilated, their altars, cities, and temples laid waste and dosol.de. Happily, the ropitition of such a catastrophe in our case is iinpossibio ; but. for all that, a war-cloud seems to In' gathering in Kumpe which may involve the entire fmpire in its dreadful shadow. As members of that Empire,OS mcH of British descent, as .subjects of Queen Victoria, it may be necessary for u« to face tin) responsibilities which our natiiuiidity entails. Von have seen by the papeis the precautions the (iovenimeiit has taken to protect that, huppdy for us, ic-trit'ted portion of our .seaboard which is within reach of an enemy's assault ; but I inn pioml to think that the spirit ofCanadian patiiotism lias not rotili I ilscir inenlv to'those exertions .Mm., i evi \\ mail has brought, cither fo

to tlio I'iii ■ UhiUt< i ■■•■ '■• tinMini-' M • the ui'ost enthusiastic tho Huron's armies abroad in tho cvc-nl of foreign war. I id ili . is.; These nHoi-s have x\n<seutitl not nni. ]\ , nthushuuu of individuals, hut of whole regiments ami brigades of in. u. , licui wed ch-.r- . It his been my duty to transmit them to the Uorernmout unu to tbo foot of t|ic Throne; mil 1 should be failing in my ' iluty it i neyli ted I i ii II \ ~i that they j hare been duty appreciated no! only by the Queen's Minister, but by the Uueeu I hersi If. Pi ilonged cheering. It will I 1 undoubte lly require a great deal of con- ' isideratioii to determine to what extent, and iu what manner, advantage could lie taken of such noblesi If-dcvotion. il ippily, the titno has w>t yet arrived and I I trust to * ■ <•« I that it may never do so, t"i giving practical elfecl to the suggestions! which have b- :i received liut I feel thai [ could not hav« a better opportunity of recording and emphasizing fac > so indicativeof the martial and loyal ■ of the Canadian people as tie *-e 1 b;i\ indicated. Ni. ;entl :. , . ' ' ■ that in li y ■'...) the i) : • .: .. li .n i in--, j thro igh li.e 'j •! ii nni fields, antl the prosperous cities «i lai idu. But should the .". il day arrive, •! i lind us prepared and ready to d . m-duty. (Checrs.J il is 'no: by un levies, however enthusiastic, inai Hie problems of which can only he successfully dealt with by highly organised battalions and trained and scientific officers. Hear, i: ar Above nil, reme nbei things are I not with you as they were a few short years ago. British N'orth America is no longer a congeries of disconnected province*, destitute of am strong bond of sympathy or mutual attachments. Von are the defend, is and guardi ; half a continent,— of a laud of unbounded ' promise and predestinated reuown. I lChcer.s.) That thought alone should! make men aud soldiers of you all. Linwould scarseJy bu worth living unless il gave us something for the sake of whicli it was worth while to die. Outsida our domestic circl.i there are not many things (hat c c ii|i to that standard of value. ' But one of these you possess — a country of your own ; aud never should a Canadian forget, no matter what his station in life, what is origin or special envoironmeiits, that in this broad dominion he hasthat which it is worth while both to live for and to die for." Loud and long I continued cheers.i