Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1889-04-25
THE CANADIAN TYPE.

Charles Dudley Warner Says 1t Is Neither
English Nor American.
I had been told that the Canadians are
secondhand Englishmen, writes Charles
Dudley Warner in Harper's Magazine. No
estimate could convey more erroneous
impression. A portion Of the people have
strong English traditions and loyalties to
institutions, but in manner and in expecta-
tions the Canadians are scarcely more En-
glish than the people of the United States !;
they have their own colonial development,
and one can mark already with tolerable
distinctness a Canadian type which is
neither English nor American. This is
noticeable especially in the women. The
Canadian girl resembles the American in
escape from purely conventional restraint
and in self-reliance, and she has, like the
English, q well-modulated voice and dis
tinct articulation. In the cities, also, she
has taste in dress and certain style which
we think belongs to the New World. In
features and action a certain modification
has gone on, due partly to climate and part
ly to greater social independence. 1t is un-
necessary to make comparisons, and only
note that there is a Canadian type OF
woman.
But there is great variety in Canada, and
in fact q remarkable racial diversity The
man of Nova Scotia is not at all the man OF
British Columbia or Manitoba. The Scotch
in old Canada have made distinct i'm
preston in features and speech. And 1t
may be said generally in Eastern Canada
that the Scotch element is leading and
conspicuous one in the vigor and push OF
enterprise and the accumulation OF fort
une. The Canadian men, as one sees them
in official life, at the clubs, in business, are
markedly a vigorous, stalwart race, well
made, Of good stature, and not seldom
handsome. This physical prosperity needs
to be remembered when we consider the
rigorous climate and the long winters I;
these seem to have at least one advantage
that of breeding virile men. The Cana
dans generally are fond OF outdoor sports
and athletic games, Of fishing and hunting
and they give more time to such recrea-
tions than we do. They are a little less
driven by the business goad. Abundant
animal spirits tend to make men good-nat-
ured and little quarrelsome. The Cana
dams would make good soldiers. There
was time when the drinking habit pre-
vailed very much in Canada, and there are
still places where they do not put water
enough in their grog, buttempersnce reform
has taken as strong hold there as 1t has In
the United States.
The feeling about the English is Illus
trated by the statement that there Is not
more aping of English ways in Montreal and
Toronto clubs and social life than in New
York, and that the English supercilious-
ness, or condescension as TO colonlsts, the
ultra English manner, is ridiculed in Can
ada, and resented with even more warmth
than in the United States. The amusing
stories of English presumption upon nos
pitality are current in Canada as wen as
on this side. All this is not inconsistent
with pride in the empire, loyalty TO its ira
ditions and institutions, and even consid-
erable willingness for human nature is
pretty mnch alike everywhere) TO accept
decorative titles. But the underlying fact
IS that there Is q distinct feeling Of nation
ality, and it is increasing.