ified by the first-mentioned person had arrived. His
observations to me were revelations of an astounding nature; for he
thought that we were too near a republic to continue long under a
monarchy, and that, in fact, absurd titles, such as those borne by the
then governor, Sir Francis Head, alluding to his being merely a knight
bachelor, were likely to create contempt in Canada, instead of
affection. My friend, who, like the first-mentioned, was rather weak,
although acute enough when self-interest was concerned, was evidently
casting about in his mind's eye for a new order of things, in which to
secure _his_ property and _his_ official influence.

Lord Sydenham and Lord Durham saw and knew a great deal of this
vacillation among all parties in Canada. They saw that the great game
of the leaders was office, office, office; and when Lord Metcalfe had
had sufficient time to discover the real state of the country, he saw
it too. Hence arose the absolute necessity for removing the seat of
government from Toronto to Kingston. The ultra-tories were just as
troublesome as the ultra-levellers, and it was requisite to neutralize
both, by getting out of the sphere of their hourly influence. The
inhabitants of Kingston, a naval and military town, whose revenues had
been chiefly derived from those sources, were loyal, without
considering it of the utmost consequence that their loyalty should
form the basis of every government, or that the governor was not to
open his mouth, or use his pen, unless by permission. They were the
true medium party.

Then arose the desire to do justice to the Gallo-Canadians, who had
before been wholly neglected, and looked upon as too insignificant to
have any voice in public affairs, whilst they were mistrusted also,
owing to the Papineau demonstration.

The British government, superior to all these petty colonial
interests, saw at once that to ensure loyalty it was only proper to
administer justice impartially to all creeds and to all classes, and
that the French Canadians, whose numbers were at least equal to the
British Canadians, had a positive right to be heard and a positive
claim to be equitably treated.

There was no actual innate desire in the Canadian mind to shake off
the British domination for that of the democracy of the United States.
An absurd notion had gathered strength in 1837 that they were at last
powerful enough to set up for themselves, to constitute _la Nation
Canadienne_, for