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Wednesday July 19th, 1922,
the day set apart for the Celebration, dawned amid clouds and gloom. The
sky was overcast, and the sun refused to shine. It was not a day to allure
people from their homes, and yet from an early hour crowds wended their
way to Scotchfort, and it is estimated that not less than five thousand
persons were assembled on the grounds, at the hour set for the opening
Ceremony.
It was a striking proof of
the interest taken in the movement, by all classes and creeds, and
furnishes a wide margin for conjecture as to what would have been the
attendance, had the weather been more favorable. About eleven o'clock
heavy rain began to fall, and in consequence, the open air Mass had of
necessity to be abandoned. The rain continued till well up in the
afternoon; but the people remained through it all, apparently rooted to
the spot by the memories of the anticipations, which they had cherished
weeks and months prior to the day.
The best of good humor
prevailed on all sides. The promoters, themselves, though grievously
disappointed at the turn things had taken, made a virtue of necessity, and
accepted the situation with the utmost equanimity. Groups of persons
huddled together under dripping umbrellas vied with one another in
contests of wit at the expense of the weather, while many old saws anent
Scottish mists and Scottish drink were resurrected and filed anew, to help
cut down the tedium of the occasion.
Between two and three
o'clock in the afternoon, the sun suddenly broke through the clouds, and
its welcome rays inspired one and all with the hope, that the main feature
of the programme, the unveiling of the monument, might still be
successfully carried out. At three o'clock Mr. D. B. McDonald, President
of the General Committee, announced that the ceremony would at once be
proceeded with, and called upon Rev. John J. McDonald, P. P, of Summerside,
Chairman of the Monument Committee to preside. A platform had been erected
in front of the Monument, and from this point of vantage the Reverend
Chairman addressed the people, expressing his appreciation of the honour
of presiding on such an important occasion. He shared in the general
regret occasioned by the unfavorable weather, but said it symbolized very
faithfully the lives of the pioneers, whose coming to this country was the
occasion of the days celebration. They began their career in the Colony he
said, amid -loom and discouragement : but in course of time the clouds
rolled by and ;d sunshine and comfort came to them. Providence has its own
wise way of disposing of things, and no doubt when rain began to fall this
morning, there were many who felt discouraged and disheartened; but God's
sun is still in its sky, and the main object for which this celebration
v,-as conceived, may now be carried out in a manner, which I trust, will
prove satisfactory to all. He here called upon Right reverend James
Morrison, D. D., Bishop of Antigonish to dedicate the Monument. Bishop
Morrison stepping to the front of the platform began his remarks by a
reference to the object of the celebration and continuing said "We can all
feel satisfied that the pioneers have done their part in the upbuilding of
this great Country and if upon our part we commemorate their lives with
this Memorial, it is but the least that we can do to honour their memory,
not only as a debt to the past, but as an inspiration for the future. We
all stand in need of this inspiration. These pioneer settlers came to
Canada for freedom of conscience, and that word freedom must stand out in
our national life, if we are to prosper as we should.
While we erect this
Memorial to honour the Scottish Catholic settlers of one hundred and fifty
years ago, at the same time we are to remember, that these people came to
this country to cast in their lot with the rest of the future Canadians.
They did not come as a class, but to work together with the other citizens
of the Colony; and that should be the spirit of every Scotchman. It is
only by working together and systematically understanding one another that
we can fire the soul of Canada, and live up to that spirit that makes a
great Country.
A great majority of mankind
mean well, and it is by sympathetic action on our part, that we can bring
about results that make for progress.
In erecting this cross, the
symbol of Christianity as we Catholics look upon it, let it be for us a
symbol of Religion: for whatever material progress we shall make in any
country, there must be Religion behind it. Above all, there is a God that
we must recognize : and when these two ideals are kept co-ordinated, then
we have results ; and in this way we can accomplish the real good which
our Country surely expects of us. There should be no room for sectionalism
or sectarianism in this Canada of ours. A progressive spirit should be our
watchword, and in the discharge of our duties let us so act, that when
another one hundred and fifty years have rolled away, future generations
will remember with gratitude what we in our age have accomplished, and
will take inspiration from us.
It is with reverence and
pleasure therefore, that I dedicate this cross. Let it stand as a Memorial
of what is upright in this country; let it stand for what it stood for
from the time of our Blessed Lord."
At the close of Bishop
Morrison's address the Monument was unveiled by Mr. D. B. McDonald,
President of the Committee, the people surrounding it standing with
uncovered heads, while the League of the Cross band played "God Save The
King."
The Chairman next called on
Reverend Gregory J. McLellan, D. D., Rector of St. Dunstan's College, who
in the name of the Scottish Clergy spoke as follows:- Monument that has
just been unveiled, commemorates the first landing of Scottish Catholics
on Prince Edward Island, one hundred and fifty years ago. Its form, a
Celtic cross, carries us back well nigh fourteen hundred years, to the
Blessed Isle of Iona and to St. Columba who came thither, having the best
blood of the Kings of Ireland in his veins and the Faith and Charity of
Christ in his soul, and, from that holy isle as a centre with his faithful
co-laborers christianized the northern part of Scotland. Our forefathers
were ever loyal to the Faith delivered to them by St. Columba, and for its
sake became voluntary exiles in the wilds of America.
No higher motive ever
throbbed in human heart or moved human will than the one which prompted
those emigrants to come to these shores, for they sought and sought only
for freedom to worship God. Let us try to understand the sacrifices they
made for the Faith. Besides undergoing all the hardships incident to
pioneer life in those remote days there was the pang of parting forever
from their native land.
They left forever the land
of their birth, the land of the mountain and the flood, and to no other
heart is the parting from his native land such a sore trial, as to the
heart of the Gael. It was the land where their ancestors slept, hallowed
by their dust, with traditions and memories extending far beyond a
thousand years, faithfully handed down from father to son. Not a mountain
crag or glen or moor or loch or ford, but had its history, telling them of
their glorious victory in war and triumphs in peace. There were still the
remains of the temples, that the ages of Faith had built for the worship
of God. And now they must leave this land forever and face the unbroken
forests of the New World. How fittingly the feelings of these exiles in
their new homes, have been depicted by the poet:
"Fair these broad meads -
these hoary woods are grand:
But we are exiles from our fathers' land,
From the lone sheiling of the misty Island
Mountains divide us and the waste of Seas -
Yet still the blood is strong, the heart is Highland,
And we in dreams behold the Hebrides."
Inscribed on this Monument
is the name of Father James McDonald, the heroic Priest who accompanied
the immigration of 1772.
Ten years of his youthful
life was spent in Rome, the centre of culture, learning and Christianity,
where he completed his education and was ordained to the Priesthood. Then
he returned to Scotland. When the project of emigration was set on foot he
volunteered to accompany the emigrants to America. What a prospect lies
before him! His early education was in the sunny land of Italy, at the
source and fount of his religion, his daily associates Priests and
Religious, but now he is ready to forsake all this and go alone into the
wilds of America, with the prospect of never again meeting a brother
Priest; and indeed, save for the visit he paid to Quebec in 1773, we have
no certain knowledge that during the remaining twelve years of his life he
ever again met a fellow Priest. Tradition among the people for whom he
broke the bread of life, and for whom his young life was sacrificed fondly
relates the closing scene of his life. The end was nigh, no Priest was
there to give him the rites of his Church.
He lay still and motionless
and save for his breathing, which was slightly audible, he might seem to
have passed: away. His faithful people fully realizing that he was dying,.
and with no prospect of a Priest to succeed him, knelt and wept and prayed
by his bedside.
Suddenly he opened his eyes
and slightly raising himself he looked for the last time on his beloved
people at the same time uttering those memorable words.-"Keep the Faith,
keep the Faith !" or in the gentle accents of the Gaelic in which it was
spoken - "Cumibh an creidimh, Cumibh an creidimh !" Then he fell back and
died. The soul of the heroic Priest had gone to its Creator, who no doubt
rewarded his faithful servant for his heroic virtues and sacrifices.
This was Father James' last
sermon, the outpouring of his generous soul, which was at the same time a
prayer and an exhortation.
How has his prayer been
answered? I call to witness the multitude that has assembled here today,
hundreds of whom have come thousands of miles to be present on this
memorable occasion; and bear undying witness to the cause for which he
sacrificed himself. The glorious pages that the descendants of these
pioneers have written in the annals of this Diocese, bear testimony to the
efficacy of his prayer. The Hierarchy of Canada bears witness to it.
In the Province of New
Scotland, and in that part of it that projects farthest as it were, to
meet and break the billows of the mighty and misty Atlantic, there
presides over the Church in the person of Right Reverend James Morrison,
the illustrious Bishop of Antigonish, a descendant of those pioneers; and
again on the West, where the Pacific laves the golden sands, in the
Diocese of Victoria, whose Bishop, the Right Reverend Alexander McDonald
is another descendant of the exiles who, one hundred and fifty years ago
built the Church and worshipped on this Holy ground, whereon now stands
this Monument. These two Bishops, both descendants of these people, one at
the extreme East of this vast Dominion and the other at the extreme West,
stand guard and sponsor for the Faith and Church, for which their
forefathers became exiles in this land. Truly has Father James' prayer
been answered, and in him have the words of the Royal Psalmist been
fulfilled: -"Thou hast given him his heart's desire : and hast not
withholden from him the will of his lips." (Psalm XX, 3.)
"The other name, inscribed
on this monument, is that of Right Reverend Angus Bernard MacEachern,
first Bishop of the Diocese of Charlottetown. He came to Prince Edward
Island in 1790, and during forty-five years, thirtyone of which were spent
as a missionary priest, and the remaining fourteen as bishop, he laboured
incessantly for the greater glory of God, and for the spiritual and
temporal uplift of his fellow men. He exercised great zeal in the
cultivation of vocations for the priesthood, and raising up a native
clergy to supply the spiritual needs of his people. To help him in this
great work, he founded St. Andrew's College, the first institution for
higher education established in this Province, and in which many of the
first native clergy in the Maritime Provinces received their training. To
his energy, foresight and zeal, we owe in a large measure, the flourishing
condition of religion, which followed in this Diocese in the succeeding
years. By the spirit of tolerance, which he inculcated, was laid the
foundation of the broad sympathy and mutual understanding, which happily
exists among the different classes in this Province. He died full of years
and merit, having firmly established the Church in this Diocese and
leaving behind him the fragrance of a saintly life, spent in the service
of his Master, for the extension of God's Kingdom among his fellow men.
The descendants of the
Scottish Catholic immigrants of 1772 and after, have erected this
monument, as a permanent mark of their undying gratitude to the faith and
valor of their ancestors, who underwent such trials and sacrifices for
conscience's sake, and to transmit to the future generations the story of
their strong faith and heroic sacrifices, to serve as an inspiration for
noble deeds and generous resolves, to the generations who will come
after."
As Father McLellan, towards
the close of his address, fondly dwelt upon the spirit of the pioneers,
his mind carried away by that lofty theme, yielded to an inspiring impulse
of the moment, and suddenly, he broke forth in the virile accents of the
ancient Gaelic tongue. It was a real treat for many of his hearers amongst
whom, there were some, no doubt, who still regard the Gaelic as the
language of Eden. But whatever opinion we may choose to hold on this
latter point, it was certainly quite appropriate that it should be heard
on this occasion, for it was the language best known to the Scottish
pioneers, and the one, in which they gave expression to their feelings, as
they hailed, for the first time, the beautiful and picturesque shores of
Prince Edward Island.
The Honorable John H. Bell,
Leader of the Government having been introduced by the Chairman, spoke on
behalf of the Province.
He said:-"As Premier of the
Province, it is my privilege to extend to all visitors assembled here, and
especially to all visitors of the good old Highland stock a most cordial
welcome. The Province also extends a welcome. Our visitors will notice
that Dame nature-no doubt in honor of the occasion, has donned her richest
dress, her most attractive holiday attire.
Nowhere else on the face of
the Globe, will you find a land where the sky is so blue, the climate so
invigorating, the flowers so beautiful, the fields so green, the crops so
promising and the leaves on the forest trees so luxuriant.
And the people of the
Province also bid you welcome. This is the land noted above all others for
its hospitality. Prince Edward Island and hospitality are synonymous
terms. Here to our visitors from abroad the door of every home is open,
every hand extended to welcome you, every table spread for your
refreshment and every heart to be cheered and honored by your visitation.
Sometimes we are called upon to honor a distinguished visitor, and we
confer upon him the freedom of the City. Here we do more. We confer upon
all our visitors from abroad the freedom of every home and the welcome of
every heart.
This Province is deeply
indebted to the Highland immigrants. In his native land the Highlander
possesses certain characteristics and National virtues. These
characteristics and virtues he brought with him across the Seas and
implanted them and developed them in our midst.
He came to this
neighborhood a hundred and fifty years ago. He found it a wilderness
without a road, a bridge, a clearing, a dwelling, a school, a Church. With
indomitable energy he attacked and felled the forests, cleared and
cultivated the fields, built the dwellings, constructed roads and bridges,
established schools and erected Churches. These results of his labors,
these blessings of civilization he transmitted to his posterity, and
thanks to the Highland emigration we are in the enjoyment of these
blessings today.
The Highlander is a Patriot
in the highest sense; he has profound respect for duly constituted
authority. Before the Union with England he was devoted to the cause of
Prince Charlie; after the Union he is equally devoted to the British
Crown. Once he was proud of Bonnie Scotland. He_ is still proud. But after
the Union he became prouder of it, and of that Empire of which Scotland
forms so important a part, proud of that Empire, whose flag floats on the
seven Seas, whose drum beats reverberate around the World.
Is there difficult and
dangerous fighting to be done? the Highlander is usually selected for the
task. The Heights of Quebec must be scaled: the World held this
impossible. Yet the Highlander accomplished the impossible, climbed the
Heights, conquered Montcalm on the Plains of Abraham, and won for the
Empire Canada, the brighest gem in the British Crown.
Is fighting still to be
done? Is the very existence of the Empire at stake? Is there a hurried
call from across the Seas for help? Who responds promptly voluntarily
heroically? Not the old Highlander; the Highlander's sons. Prompted by the
Patriotic spirit of his race, he enlists, finds his way to the
battle-front, is the first over the top, ready ever ready to pour forth
his blood-nay to yield up his life for the Empire's cause.
Do you ask for proof ? Look
at the long list of McDonalds, and other Highland lads who never returned,
who sleep their last sleep beneath the poppies and the rows of white
crosses on the fields of France and Flanders.
The Highlander is
religious, is deeply devoted to his Church, honors the empty foundation of
it with a magnificient Runic Cross. Yes he is tolerant, has respect for
the religious convictions of his neighbours. It is this spirit of
toleration that has contributed so much to the neighbourliness and
concord, that happily prevails in this Province today.
Here is presented an object
lesson to the rest of the World. Here all classes, all sects, all
nationalities, the English, Irish, Scotch and French labor together
shoulder to shoulder, or as the man with the kilt would say-"Knee to knee"
for common interests and for the general welfare of our beloved Canada.
The Highlander has one fault, one weakness. The moment he removes from the
influence of his native hills and his highland home, that moment be
becomes unsettled, restless, disposed to wander wide over the face of the
Earth. You meet him everywhere. He migrates even from this fair Province.
You find him in Boston and in the New England States ; in the Canadian
West and on the Pacific Coast.
Happily the Scot has
betimes a homing instinct. The feeling is in the air. It becomes epidemic.
Under its influence, he despises long distance and loss of time, and great
expense. Back he comes by hundreds to the land of his birth, to the
Island, back to grasp the hands of old friends, back to the spot, where
his ancestors landed one hundred and fifty years ago, back to see where
their first Church was erected, back to the old Cemetery where the honored
bones of his forefathers repose, back to take a prominent part in the
erection and unveiling of this noble Monument.
Yes to all these visitors
from abroad we again extend the cordial welcome of the Government, of the
Province itself and of all the people of the Province."
Mr. Peter McCourt,
President of the Benevolent Irish Society spoke on behalf of the Irish
people of the Province. He said:-"The Committee in charge of this
celebration have displayed their goodwill towards the Irish Societies of
this Province, by inviting me as President of the Benevolent Irish
Society, to speak in their behalf on this occasion. At the outset I wish
to thank them for this mark of friendship, and assure them that I feel it
an honour and a pleasure to respond to their invitation. Speaking for the
Benevolent Irish Society as its President, I am able to bear testimony to
the cordial relations, which have always existed between its members and
the Scottish people of the Province. Indeed the same can be said with
regard to all other Societies. Doubtless there is stronger racial
sympathies between Celtic Societies than for others, as they have
descended from the original races that peopled Ireland, and can regard
each other as distant relatives.
In reference to this
celebration, I wish also to offer most hearty congratulations to the
Committee in charge and the Scottish people generally on the erection of
the costly and beautiful Monument just unveiled in honour of the Reverend
James McDonald and the lay Scottish Catholics, with whom he emigrated to
escape the religious persecution then rampant in their homeland. This
stately Celtic Cross will long stand as a Monument to their heroic spirit,
and as a reminder of their perilous journey, first across the trackless
ocean, and afterwards through the primeval forests, which awaited their
arrival here.
I need not repeat the eulogistic language of previous speakers respecting
the early struggles of those sturdy Highlanders, and the success achieved
by them in converting the forest into fertile fields. I can only say I
heartily endorse all that has been said. Father McDonald whose memory is
so deeply revered, proved a devoted Shepherd of his flock and labored
strenuously for a period of thirteen years, when it pleased his Master to
call him to his Heavenly Reward, at the age of forty-nine years. After the
lapse of one hundred and fifty years, we Islanders can understand the
bitter trial it was to those good people to be thus bereft of their
faithful guide and counsellor. To be forced to bid adieu to their
mist-clad mountains, bonnie glens and sunny braes-to sever the ties of
friendship and kinship and face pioneer life was, indeed, a hard
experience, but it was not to be compared with the loss of their beloved
Pastor. In this dark hour it would seem their prayers ascended to Heaven
that some day in the future a fitting tribute would be paid by their
descendants to the memory of their lamented Pastor. Their thoughts must
have been in harmony just then with the lines of Thomas Moore, in one of
his beautiful Sacred Songs which reads:
"As down in the sunless
retreats of the Ocean
Sweet flowers are springing no mortal can see
So deep in my soul the still prayer of devotion
Unheard by the world rises silent to Thee,
My God trembling to Thee."
The years sped on without a
Monument being erected until Rev. J. C. McMillan, D. D., in his History of
the Diocese of Charlottetown, broke the silence of the long vigil of their
descendants by calling attention in his first volume to their apparent
neglect, with the result that the "still prayer of devotion" was heard,
and blossomed out by the erection and unveiling on this hollowed spot, of
this beautiful and enduring tribute to the memory of a brave little
Colony, whose courage and steadfastness has since been, and will always
prove an inspiration to all who have heard or read their history.
Permit me to say a few
words on the Scots generally. We all know that Scotch men and women are
proverbial the world over for their hospitality. I need not quote history
to prove this. It is a matter of common knowledge. I did not reside in
Kings County for several years in the midst of the sons of the heather
without learning the truth of my statements.
Taking a broader view of
the subject, I think all will agree that the pages of history do not
furnish the names of braver warriors or abler Statesmen than Scotland has
produced. There is no great modern battle-field in the world that has not
resounded with the military tread of conquering Scots.
While all these claims are
freely admitted, I think if there is one thing more than another that
sheds glory on Auld Scotia, it is the patriotism of her sons. This in my
opinion is due to their language and their literature. Where can you find
such patriotic sentiments as are breathed in Burns' "Scot Wha Hae" or Sir
Walter Scott's anathema on the man without a country, Let me quote him:-
"Breathes there a man
with soul so dead,
Who never to himself hath said;
"This is my own, my native land!"
"Whose heart hath ne'er within him burned,
As home his footsteps he hath turned
From wandering on a foreign strand;
If such there breathe, go mark him well;
For him no ministrel raptures swell;
High though his titles, proud his name,
Boundless his wealth as wish can claim;
Despite those titles power and pelf,
The wretch concentered all in self,
Living shall forfeit fair renown,
And doubly dying shall go down
To the vile dust, from whence he sprung,
Unwept, unhonoured, and unsung."
This striking passage gives
us a clear idea of how an unpatriotic Scot is regarded by his fellow
countrymen, and tells us how they have been taught their well-known love
of Country."
Mr. McCourt then referred
briefly to the present turmoil in Ireland and predicted that it would soon
pass away and be followed by a new era of peace and prosperity. Ireland
was not alone in waging Civil wars. England has had her Civil wars in
plenty: France has had hers: Germany too, had many bitter family fights,
and the United States had her four long years of internecine strife. It
seems to he the fate of every country, that possesses a virile and
progressive population.
Concluding his Speech Mr.
McCourt expressed pride in the growing national sentiment of Canada and
her immense resources and assured prosperity. He also held that Canada has
a great advantage in being governed in her infancy as a Nation, by four of
the greatest races in the world - viz:-the English, the French, the Irish
and the Scotch, whose sons, if we may judge by their performances during
the Great War, are ready and able to take their part in defending the
Throne and Crown of Great Britain.
Mr. James McIsaac spoke in
behalf of the Scottish Catholic laity, who were particularly interested in
the celebration of the day. His address was as follows:-"The celebration
in which we participate today is of profound significance and sacred
character. We are assembled to commemorate, in a special manner, the
virtues, the labors, and the sacrifices of two apostolic men. After
inaugurating the day's celebration by religious exercises, prayer,
thanksgiving and fitting eulogy, we now assist at the ceremony of solemnly
dedicating a monumental shaft as a perpetual memorial of these illustrious
dead.
The holy Bishop and Priest,
whose names are inscribed on this monument, were born in Scotland, that
land described by the poet as, "Caledonia stern and wild." It is true that
Scotland is a land of rugged hills and heathery dales, of lochs and
firths, of mountain and glen; but Scotland can boast of much more than her
unrivalled natural scenery. In proportion to population, probably no
country of Europe has produced so many great men; whether in the
mechanical arts, or in the learned professions; in Scholarship and
Philosophy, in Literature and Statesmanship. It is a land of renowned
heroes and intrepid warriors, a land of romance, of poetry and of
chivalry.
Such was the birth-place of
those, whose careers constitute the central and essential phase of this
celebration. Amid the history, traditions and folk-lore of that country
they grew up, spent their youth and young manhood. Great as may have been
the attractions of worldly success that appealed to them, and alluring to
their youthful ardor as may have appeared the path-way to secular
eminence, these young men were evidently more impressed by the study of
the lives of Scotland's great and holy religious leaders. They evidently
chose to follow the example set by St. Ninian, St. Columba, St. Kentigern,
St. Cuthbert and other saintly Bishops and religious men of Scotland; so
they turned their faces against earthly ambitions and determined to enter
upon a life of self-sacrifice, self abnegation; to devote their talents,
their lives and their energies to the extension of the Kingdom of God on
earth, and the good of their fellow-men. Their choice of the
ecclesiastical vocation, quite possibly, was strengthened and encouraged
by what they saw around them. Here were, on one side or another, Iona,
Melrose, Dryburg, Scone, Jedburg, Cambuskenneth, and many other centres of
religion and piety, bearing eloquent testimony, in their ruins, to their
former splendor.
At this period there
existed several Colleges for higher education on the Continent, which had
been established through the generosity and the sacrifices of the Scottish
people. Paris, Rome, Bohemia, Vienna and Valladolid were the homes of such
Institutions. The young men, whose life work we are commemorating today,
were sent to the Scot Colleges at Rome and Valladolid respectively. In due
time, they returned to their native land, crowned with the academic honors
of their respective alma maters, and empowered to preach the gospel and
offer Sacrifice. For a few years both of them exercised the sacred
ministry in their native land before coming to America. It may not be
devoid of interest to dwell for a moment on some of the conditions in
Scotland about this period-one hundred and fifty years ago.
This was one hundred and
six years before the restoration of the Scottish Hierarchy. Bishop Hay had
been consecrated and had entered upon his Episcopal labors three years
previously; the poet Burns, was thirteen years of age, and had not yet
begun to sing, and Sir Walter Scott was but a child one year old. The
period was approximately synchronous with the rising under Prince Charles
Edward in 1745, and the disastrous culmination of that emprise at the
Battle of Culloden in 1746.
The Highlanders and
Islanders had the scourge applied to them pretty severely for their
devotion to "Prince Charlie." They did not stop to consider whether or not
what they were doing was wise or politic. They were actuated by one
sentiment ; they followed the "King of the Highland hearts, Bonnie Prince
Charlie."
Those young Priests now
turned their faces westward, and in vision contemplated our lonely Island,
as the place of their future missionary labours. The prospect was not
alluring: Here was a sparsely populated region, almost completely covered
with forests and enveloped for half the year in a mantle of snow. But they
had knowledge that some of their fellow countrymen and others in this
distant land, yearned for the bread of life and had no one to break it to
them. They set out on their mission with undaunted courage and apostolic
zeal, wearing the breastplate of justice, their feet shod with the Gospel
of peace, and bearing the torchlight of Faith, which illuminated their
path like a bright oriflame.
The story of their
missionary labours, their apostolic zeal and saintly lives in this Island,
has been eloquently unfolded to you, and I need not make any further
reference thereto. It is in every way fitting that the monolith, crowned
by the Celtic Cross, here erected to their memory, should be formed of the
granite of their native land, and should be fashioned by Scottish
artisans. The Poet Horace, contemplating what he had written, and
realizing the influence it was destined to exercise for all future time,
exclaimed:
"Exegi monumentum aere
perennius"
"I have erected a monument
more enduring than brass. With greater truth can this be said of those to
whose memory the monument we have today dedicated, is erected. The
monument of love, veneration and homage implanted in the hearts of all who
are the beneficiaries of their apostolic labors and sacred ministry, will
surely endure from generation to generation down the corridors of time.
I have no doubt this will
become a place of pilgrimage, and that the monument here erected will
continue a perpetual memorial of sacred duty well done; priceless service
generously rendered and purest self-sacrifice nobly consummated."
The next speaker to address
the audience was Honorable Aubin E. Arsenault, Assistant Judge of the
Supreme Court of Prince Edward Island. He spoke in the name of the Acadian
People of the Province, of whom a great number was present. His address
was as follows:- "I am much pleased, indeed, to be present on this
occasion, and to witness the enthusiasm, that accompanies this
celebration. I am particularly pleased at having been asked to take part
in the proceedings that mark with fitting solemnity, the unveiling of this
beautiful monument, and I desire publicly to thank the Committee, for
their kind and flattering invitation.
The celebration of this
day, though organized by the Scottish Catholic citizens of the Province,
is one that appeals to the sympathies of all classes and creeds. This is
abundantly shown by the great numbers, who despite adverse conditions,
have graced the occasion with their presence. I may say however, that it
possesses a special interest for us Acadians, because, there has existed
from early times, a strong bond of sympathy, between the Acadians and
their Scottish Catholic fellow-citizens, and as years go by, this spirit
of sympathy seems to grow in depth and intensity. In the old countries
across the sea we find the beginnings of this mutual sympathy, and it is
therefore, not surprising that it should have been transported across the
ocean, and cherished in this new land by the immigrants of both races.
Mary Queen of Scots, whose
meteoric career has tinged the history of Scotland with a glow of golden
romance, received her education at the Court of France, and when she
returned to her own Kingdom, French in sentiment, in language and culture,
she was able to win the love and admiration of her people, and she would
doubtlessly have continued to hold that esteem and affection, if it were
not for the fact, that she admitted to her councils, unworthy men, who for
selfish interests, were willing to betray their Queen and their country.
The Scottish Highlanders,
who fought under Wolfe at the taking of Quebec did conquer the French on
that day, but they in turn fell victims to the charms and fascinations of
the French Canadian maidens, and hence many of them married French
Canadian wives, settled down in Quebec, and became in course of time more
French than the French themselves.
It is easy to trace a great
similarity of experience between the Scottish Catholic immigrants and the
Acadian Pioneers of this Province. The early Acadian suffered sorely for
conscience's sake. He has borne persecution and exile in his steadfast
adherence to that Faith, that is dearer to him than all beside. A similar
lot befell the Scottish immigrants. They too, had to bear testimony to
their love of religion. They were forced to bid adieu to home and friends,
sever the ties of country and kindred, that they might preserve for
themselves and their children the priceless gift of Divine Faith. On their
arrival in this country they were welcomed with open arms, by the remnants
of the exiled Acadiants, who tendered them the hospitality of their
slender means, and many of them are sleeping their long last sleep, side
by side with their Acadian friends, in the old French Cemetery, almost
under the shadow of this Cross dedicated here today.
In the course of this
present summer, the Acadians of the Maritime Provinces have erected a
memorial Church at Grand Pre, on the site of the original church, which
had been burnt to the ground at the time of the Expulsion in the year
1755, and today the descendants of the first Scottish immigrants have
raised this Cross to commemorate the one hundredth and fiftieth
anniversary of the coming of their ancestors to this country, and with a
becoming regard for the fitness of things, they have placed its foundation
on the very spot, whereon stood the first church raised by the pioneers,
immediately after their arrival in this country.
Let us remember well,
however, that we erect these monuments, not to perpetuate the memory of
wrongs committed, nor of sufferings endured; but rather that we may learn
to admire the virtues of our ancestors, and be led thereby to imitate them
in their love of religion as well as their deep-seated patriotism, for
whilst they suffered persecutions, they never failed in their loyalty to
lawful authority.
The hardy Scottish pioneers
of Prince Edward Island are at present represented by descendants, who are
no less loyal to their Church and their King, and by their many excellent
qualities of mind and heart, they have been able to attain a high place in
the civil and religious life of the Country.
The foundations have been
well laid, and we look to coming generations to continue the work so nobly
begun by our ancestors. We look to them to go on progressing, giving to
the Church her priests and bishops, and giving to the State its
legislators, its governors and statesmen. The monument dedicated here
today to the memory of the past will thus prove a stimulant to the present
and future generations, to walk steadfastly in the path blazed by devoted
ancestors, and as long as they persevere in that path, they will of a
surety be a splendid factor in moulding the best destinies of Church and
Country.
Short speeches were also
delivered by Mr. Crosby, American Consular Agent at Charlottetown,
representing the United States, by D. A. McDonald, Esquire, representing
the Inter-colonial Club of Boston and John Sark of Lennox Island, Chief of
the Mic-Mac Indians. The last mentioned was dressed in the picturesque
costume of an Indian Chief, and presented a fine and imposing appearance.
He began his remarks in English and having spoken thus for a while ended
in the Mic-Mac tongue.
At the close of the
Speeches a goodly number began to wend their way homeward, whilst others
remained on the grounds until comparatively a late hour. After tea those
present were treated to an enjoyable concert by the pipeband of the
Caledonia Club and by the Band of the League of the Cross. As the shadows
of evening began to fall, Piper McKenzie of the Caledonia Club standing in
front of the monument played "Lochaber no more," the air usually played in
the old days on the docks of the old country, as the emigrants ships
released from their moorings, started on their melancholy voyage to the
New World; and as the plaintive strains of the old familiar air welled up
in the hush of the fading twilight, wood and clearing, hill and valley,
verdant bank and marshy fen grew resonant under the spell, and sent back a
thousand speaking echoes, that seemed to bridge the chasm of a hundred and
fifty years, and gently died away at the foot of the monumental block, so
recently hewn
"From the hills our fathers
trod."
Then the crowd finally
dispersed, and the celebration of 1922 took its place among the things of
the past, and went to swell the long list of Scottish Catholic
achievements in Prince Edward Island. |
