e did not intrude his political
views further than to proclaim himself an advocate of Liberal ideas, and
upon the breaking out of the War of 1812 he took the oath of allegiance
to His Majesty. His ordinary pursuits were altogether insufficient for
his enthusiastic nature, and after the lapse of several years he removed
to Kingston, and took up his abode there. He found an outlet for his
superabundant energy through the medium of frequent contributions to the
press. Among the best known of his writings are a series of letters on
practical agriculture and political economy, originally contributed to a
Kingston newspaper, and subsequently republished in pamphlet form under
the title of "The Prompter." The series of historical and topographical
sketches forming the first half of the first volume of Gourlay's
"Statistical Account of Upper Canada" are also from Mr. Bidwell's pen,
and they are upon the whole the most valuable portion of the entire
work. He espoused Mr. Gourlay's cause with great fervour, and by his
written and spoken words did much to arouse public sympathy for that
unfortunate man, as well as to awaken abhorrence for the cruelty and
selfishness of his persecutors. From that time forward he began to take
a more conspicuous part in politics than he had been accustomed to take
since his arrival in Canada. From the hustings and elsewhere he
thundered against the Compact domination with an eloquence which
thrilled his audiences. He soon made himself felt as a power in the
land, and as one from whom the ruling faction had good reason to
apprehend more serious antagonism than they had ever had to encounter.

Such was the man chosen by the Reform element in Lennox and Addington,
during the summer of 1821, to represent its interests in the Provincial
Assembly. The ensuing campaign was an exciting one, but at its close
Barnabas Bidwell was the undoubted choice of a large majority of the
electors. This was a heavy blow to the Executive party. The Reformers
would now have a representative in the House who could not be cajoled or
bullied. His eloquence, aggressiveness, intelligence and shrewdness
could not fail to produce a decided impression on the House and on the
country. Would it not be well if he could be got rid of, as Thorpe and
Gourlay had been got rid of before him?

During the progress of the election campaign, some of the main facts
connected with Mr. Bidwell's migration from Massachusetts to Upper
Canada had