Year: 1878




Lord Dunerin's Niagara Park.


Lord Dufierin's proposal to Governor
Robinson that the State of New York and
the Dominion of Canada unite in purchas-
ing sufficient area around the mighty
cataract and convert it into grand inter-
national park attests that beneath His
Lordship's attractive social qualities and
varied accomplishments he has the soul Of
poet.


But surely it is not Earl Duf'erin the
statesman, but only Earl Dufferin the
undeveloped poet, that has put this mag
nifcent idea into the minds of the Anglo
American people. It's effect would be to
make Niagara the great summer resort OF
the North American continent, equally
popular with the fashionable classes of the
Dominion and the fashionable classes of the
United States. But whenever Niagara be-
comes the great permanent seat OF summer
fashion the time will not be distant when
the two Anglo-American communities
will coalesce and mite. The an
nual interchange of views and senti-
ments between the leading minds Of
Cue TWO COmIuuulIleS WOuIQ tSAu "
convince the Canadians that their
interests would be best promoted by
making social intercourse stepping stone
to political Union. The social ties would
be strengthened year by year. Many
Canadian beauty, many Canadian heiress,
would secure a husband and home in the
United States and vice uersa. The two
communities would thus become knit to-
gether in sacred domestic and social ties,
and these increasing connections would
cause the influential minds on both sides
to listen with favor, or at least without
prejudice, to the arguments for breaking
down the barrier of separation and mingling
two great peoples into one.


If Lord Dufferins proposition should be
accepted by the Legislative authority of the
Dominion and of the State of New York
the plan of the Niagara Park will be-
come question of interest to cul-
tivated people. How will the park
be laid out? What should be its
characteristic features? For our part we
have no doubt on this interesting point.
The great object should be to restore the
immediate surroundings Of the Falls to the
condition in which they existed before the
successors of Columbus had penetrated
into the interior of the continent Most
enviable were the emotions Of the first pale
face Of taste and sensibility who looked
upon the great cataract when the banks OF
the river on both sides were covered with
dense primeval forests, and the whole set
ting Of the scene corresponded with its
matchless s,siimity. The solemnity Of
the green woods, stretching forth bound
less on all sides, must have deepened the
impression made by the wild and terrible
sublimity of the stupendous mass of pour
ing waters A park around Niagara should
aim to restore that primitive condition of
native wildness and solemn sublimity.
There should be nothing Of the cultured
trimness which is appropriate in our Gen.
trail Park, which is meant to express the
tastes of an advanced civilization. The
Niagara Park should come as near as
possible TO the undefaced grandeur of
primeval nature. 1t would admit of orna-
ments, but the ornaments should be in
keeping with sincere attempt to restore
the original picture. There should be
groups of statuary, but nothing should be
represented but scenes from aboriginal life.
Indian hunters just on the point of seizing
their game; Indian captives in the act of
running the gantlet; Indian weddings
faithfully represented; Indian burials, with
the deceased put in q sitting posture in the
still open grave; in short, all the known
modes Of aboriginal life should be truly
set forth by the hand of art and
kept as memorials of the state of the conti-
nent when the Iroquois and the Hurons
had not yet been intruded on by white ad-
venturers. A Niagara park thus adorned
would be an image of the Immortality which
the untutored minds Of the native inhabit-
ants represented to themselves in their
rude religion.


by midnight moons o'er moistening dows,


In vcetments for the chase arrayed


Tho hunter still tho deer pursues-


"a "a Mt and a shade.