GENIUS OF EMPIRE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 261, 28 July 1908, Page 7

GENIUS OF EMPIRE.

. TWO GREAT FACES. A NOTABLE GATHERING AT QUEBEC. NAVAL REVIEW. DOMINION GOVERNMENT. SENDS £1000. (Bi TELEGRAPH—PRESS ASSOCIATION—COI'IRIOHT.) . (Reo. July 27, 10.30 p.m.) Ottawa, suly 27. Tho Quebec Tercentenary celebrations wero continued on >. Saturday, with a naval . roview: and historical pageant, at which tho : . Prince.of Wales was preset:t. This-was followed by a dinner given by •: tho Governor-General (Earl Groy) to tho representatives of the Colonies. A hundred of tho most prominent men in Canada were invited. ' " ■ '/ ■ Sir Wilfrid Laurier. : Tho Primo Minister, Sir Wilfrid Laurior, proposed "The .-Other'.-Self-Governing.'Col-onies,", referring to tho statesmen of each, whom he had met on different occasions. He. eulogised those •of the Commonwealth, and went on to criticise'in a friendly way Australian Federation as being based more on the American than on the Canadian system. He believed that was a mistake: ; Lord Ranfurly, formerly Governor of New Zealand, was reoeived with great applause on announcing that, ho was authorised to, hand , over £1000 as New-Zealand's contribution to the.battlefields fund. Lord Dudley. The Earl of Dudley (Governor-General of 'Australia), .on behalf of the Commonwealth, expressed great regrot 'at the inability of Mri Doakin to como to Canada for the Tercentenary celebrations. ■ The wonderful experiences they had been passing thfough this week would have provided a worthy theme for Mr. Deakin's eloquence, and tho distinguished company in Quebec would havo derived added • lustre from Mr. Deakin's presence. After eulogising the pioneers of Canada's greatness, Lord Dudley declared that Canada stood on strong foundations, a glorious and enduring monument to two great races, and to the beneficent effect of self-governing institutions. Loyalty of South Africa. ' The Right Hon. Sir Henry de Villiers, Chief Justice of Capo. Colony, referred most hopefully to the position in South Africa, and to Britain's'policy of trust. He predicted that if any foreign Power attempted to wrest South Africa" from" the Empire, Dutch and British would fight shoulder to shoulder for King and country. NEW ZEALAND'S CONTRIBUTION. The New Zealand donation of £1000 was made by the New Zealand Government, and was, the Prime Minister states, cabled from j here about a week ago. ' ' THE CONQUEST. Friday was the day of the dedication of the battlefields. In the afternoon the second • pageant was set down to take place. The first pageant was :to represent the time of . Champlain,-the pioneer; tho second was to represent the times of Wolfo and Montcalm, who fought on the Plains of Abraham for tho country which their fore-runner, Champlain, • .... had helped to found.' • Louis Joseph, Marquis Montealm-Gozon do Saint-Veran, was born in the south of France, - at tho chateau of Candiae, near Niines, on February 29, 1712. At fifteen years ho joined the French Army as an ensign, and two years later his. father bought him a captaincy. . He was ■ first under fire at. tho siege of Philipsbourg. By his marriage he had ten children, of whom only two,sons ■ and four daughters were living in 1752. He was pious in his so'ldiorly way, and ardently loyal to Church and King. Between 1740 and 174G he fought in the Bohemian wars and in Italy, where he received, in an engagement under the walls of Piaconza, five sabre-cuts —two of which were in tho head—and was made prisoner.- Ho was liberated by exchange, and on rejoining tho army was wounded by a musket-shot. In 1755 tho King of France chose him to command tho troops in North America. He arrived at Quebec, and soon'found that he was not welcome to the Govornor-Gonoral, Vaudrouil.' The antagonism rapidly increased. _ In tho great conflict with the .English, after Wolfe's, first l repulso, tho English General's ascent of the Heights of Abraham took Montcalm completely by surprise. His decision to attack Wolfe's army at o'neo has been much criticised. "His enemies," writes Parkman,' "declare that he was afraid lest Vaudreuil should arrive and take command; but the Governor was not a man to assume responsibility at su'cb a crisis.'. Others say that his impetuosity overcamo his botter judgment; and of this charge it is hard to acquit him." Parknian thinks that Montcalm, despite Vaudreuil's antagonism, might have obtained more reinforcements. 'In the rout that soon set in, Montcalm, borno with the tide of fugitives towards-Quebec, was shot '• through tho body. When within the town' a woman recognised him, and,.seeing tho blood, cried out in alarm. "It's nothing, it's nothing," replied the death-stricken man; ' "don't be troubled for me, my good friends." Montcalm, having no reserves, the French rout was completo, and Quebec fell. In the night of humiliation, when Vaudreuil - abandoned Quebec, • Montcalm was ' breathing his last within its walls. ' When told that ho had but a few hours to live, ho replied, "So much tho -better; I am happy that I shall, not live to soo the surrender of Quebec." .