New-York tribune., 1890-03-28
NEW PUBLICATIONS.

PICTURESQUE QUEBEC. Edited by 6. NJ Grant
illustrated. Pp. 14i. Chicago beioro' 0i''"o
Co. ,.,.
aPcturesquo Quebec, is the title Of collection
., historical and descriptive essays by several Cana
Alan WRITER'S whose studies of Montreal and quebec
and the French Canadian life of the Province are IN
troduced by Mr.. Julian Hawthorne ana Illustrate"
nv a large company Of artists 1t Is slhgularN
fascinating history with which these writers nave
IN deal and they may well be pardoned for their
often told tales of Cartier and Champlain OF Iaieh
and Blpot and Of Wolfe, Montcalm and Montgomery
xho,r effort has been to suggest the romance OF
nuebec's history, and their Sketches are well worm
readng The point of view is, of course, that OF
The Canadian, may often say that OF tle frehch
Canadian but equally matter of course the pooH
makes no claim to the rank of a final au'hori'y'
Two points are touched upon in this volume when
have an immediate interest These are
the possibility of annexation and inc
relations of the French and English Ill
Canada At the outset we find Dr. Grant sraVeV
arguing that the states would never unite to conquer
Canada for the sake of annexg it, proposition as III
disputabIe as superfuous. Regarding peaceful annex
alton he saws: No one has proved that such change
would be- even commercially. TO our advantage. We
would get closer TO fifty and be removed further rom
two hundred millions. Politically Canada would cease
10 exist She would merely as nakc-welsh1
to the Republican Democratic party. The French
Canadian element great factor actually ana Po-
tentlaly in our national life, would become nulllty
We would repent annexation only once and that
would be forever The ways of the Americans are
not our ways their thoughts. traditions. history are
not ours. The occasional cry for independence Is
more honorable but to break national continuity
in cold blood to cut ourselves loose from the capital
and centre of our strencth-to gain WHAT a thousand
possibilities Of danger. and not an atom OF addeu
strength DIR. Grants allusion TO the French'aia'
dian element is hardly apt. AT present TINS eiemen,
holds the balance Of power in Canada. In case ol
annexation, with our own political parueS nearly
equally divided, it might easily happen that the sofa
French Canadian vote could decide election, ana
therefore practically control the situation Inc
element which can do this is certainly anything but
nulity 1t is natural that the more serious aspects Oh
the race question should be lightly touched upon m
book so pOpuar in character but there are susEesuNo
allusfons here and there among charming descriptions
of the old seignioria customs and the quaint ie O inc
habant the descendant of the Norman peasant OF the
time of Louis XIV. Mr. Creighton emphasizes lhe
persistency of French nationality, which he aScDes
NOT so much to the formal guarantees OF the Treaty OF
Paris and the Quebec Act, as to :" the difference Ill
character between the French and English, which is
an radical and has been scduousy fostered by every
possible means" 10 the political freedom when al
lowed the realization OF the early perception that
"a individuals they would be without influence as
body all powerful: 10 the inherent merits OF ther
civil law, and TO the ideal of becoming the repre-
sentatives Of Roman Catholicism i'll America
cbapter ON Montreal brings out vvdly the division OF
the races "There is no fusion of in commercial
social or political life, the differences are Sharply o
fined and appear to be permanent" Again we are
reminded of the fact which visitors are prompt to note
that the main divisions Of the population of Montreal
are upon race lines. "Takng ST. Lawrence Maln-st
AS dividing lne all that is east of it is French ana
all that is west of it is English speaking Even at
Bonsecours Market the French huckser puts his price
down. for his neigrbors, and sells fairly 10 the
French from the East End. But those from the West
End the English, "mus pay full price" still, there
is good feeling Are they not citizens OF common
country even though the UltramOntane studiousy
characterizes those of ncsh speech foreigners "
Even In these slight sketches, designed to give the
most favorable view Of Canadian life,
IL has been impossible to avoid the
serious political, religious and questions which
confront our neichbOrs. There are few countries
which exhibit such a complete supremacy of the
Church as exists in Quebec
II mnst be said, however that these grave con
sideratons are suggested only incidentally in these
sketches, which are intended TO be personal and
descriptive and always graphic and entertaining. The
writers have performed their parts successfully, and
the artists have furnished most generous accompani-
ment Of Illustrations. Messrs Thomas Moran, +. b.
scheN L. Il. O'Biien and w. T. smcdley are among
the authors Of the drawings which have been engraved
and are now reprinted in this volume, where they
are certainly explanatory and sometimes pictorial.