The Irish standard., 1892-08-13

as Sir John was his in political tiness
and the management OF men. AS de
batter Blake never had al equal III tn
Canadian Parliament. though that bod.
has contained many geod debaters AM
several of the first rank. His opponent
were generally chary of crossing sword
with him, and in few Of them could n
have found foemen worthy of his steei
With the redoubtable Tupper, now Can
ada's High Commissioner IN England, n
had, in the days when they sat facing
each other at Ottawa, mahy tilt.
Blake has the two fundamental requl
sites Of the orator-a commanding pres
ence and magnificent voice. OF more
thai average size, with massive head
striking features, and face clean shaver
for struggling fringe Of whiskers on hie
cheeks. he would attract attention in any
surroundings. Though be does not cub
tivate the arts of the stump speaker, anc
seldom attempts any sustained flight ol
eloauence, he has the power of awakine
enthusiasm in his hearers, and is said tc
have found no difficulty in carrying his
Irish auditors in Longford with him
But it is in Parliament that Blake as at
his best. His speeches at Ottawa IN op.
position to Conservative policy are mas
terpieces of destructive criticism. They
are characterized by wealth of sarcasm
and show an absolute acquaintance with
his subject ia it's remotest aspects. In
fact. it they have fault it is that they
abound too much in detailed criticism
Mr.. Blake's lawyers habit and indefatig
able industry inc]ining him to cover the
entire ground himself instead Of leaving
minor points to his lieuteuants, His de-
livery is rapid and unhesitating, and he
finds his way through mazes Of involved
construction, inserting parentheses with
in parsntheses, with facility scarce y
second to that of MFR. Gladstone.
Two of the leading characteristics of
the Canadian statesman are his courage
in expressing his conviction and his
broad tolerance of view. A thorough
going Protestant, he is totally free from
religious bigotry. He was Home Rnler
long before Gladstone was converted to
that policy, and spoke from his seat at
Ottawa in support of Irish self govern
ment as far back as 1880. In 1882 be
made an eloquent speech III support OF
the motion for an address to the Imper-
ial Government urging the passage Of a
Home Rule measure He persistently
opposed the bill to incorporate the Or
ange body in Canada, believing that the
Government should extent no recogni-
tion to society SO foreign in it's spirit
and mischievous in it's operation. He
took his political life in his hand when
he censured the Government for execut-
ing Louis Riel, the French half-breed
leader of the Northwest rebellion of 1885,
and later when he opposed the disallow-
ance of the Jesuit Estates act passed by
the Quebec Legislature. His avowed aim
has been to meet the racial and religious
difficulties of Canada by broad policy
of conciliation and generosity to the mi
nority. and in it's pursuance he has cared
little for the maledictlons that Rome-ha-
ters and Franco-phobes have showered
upon him.
Mr.. Blake is a thorough going demo-
crat. He has set his face against every
attempt to introduce Old World ideas
and institutions into Canada, and empha-
sized his attitude by refusing the title
of knighthood offered him by the Queen.
Many of the former Liberal leaders
countrymen would be glad to know his
views on the future of Canada, but these
are shrouded in mystery. At the begin
ming of his career he advocated an imper-
ial federation, but he is believed to have
long since seen the futility of that pro-
iect. Later he was identified with the
abortive Canada First movement, the
logical outcome of which would have
been the erection of the Dominion into
an independent republic, though that
was not it's avowed motive. In famous
letter to his late constituents. published
just after the general elections last year
to explain why he dissented from the
new trade policy of the Liberal party, he
drew gloomy picture of the condition
to which twelve years of Tory misgov-
ernment had brought Canada, and de-
livered somewhat oracular judgment
which was believed by many to mean
that Canada would find the remedy for
her troubles in political union with the
United States. But in a subsequent let
ter Mr.. Blake declared his belief that
political union, though becoming Can
ada's probable, was ''not her ideal nor as
yet her inevitable destiny" !" and since
then he has maintained a sphynx-like si-
lence. Probably his discouragement with
the political situation in his own country
was not the least Of the motives that in