Page 36 - The Separatist Movement in Cape Breton

ISSUE : Issue 27

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1980/12/1

reprimand from the Colonial Office for dis? missing them, would have to re-appoint them again--they'd fight again. He'd get dismissed, or move away. You see, you get no leadership from the top. (Do we get any accomplishment?) Oh yes, things do start to get better. Desbarres is a forceful man who begins the settlement of the colony, and he does open the mines, against all op? position. Macarmick's period (1787 to 1795), the factionalism grows in the Execu? tive Council and the colony is really in a state of decline, because loyalists are moving out and you don't get any heavy in? flux of people. You get a few French from St. Pierre-Miquelon when the French Revolu? tion breaks out, but not a big population difference. (Does he keep the mines going?) Yes, and he takes a lot of the profit for himself to make up for the low salary that he's making. And when Britain writes and tells him he's not supposed to do that--he quits and goes home. Then you get a series of three Governors-- the last of these is Lieutenant-Governor Murray--who is a ruthless man. Comes in '99 and is only here till 1800. But he's ruthless in a positive way for the colony. He won't put up with the factions in the Executive Council. Dismisses them, throws them out of the colony--but he begins building roads, like to Coxheath and a- round the harbour, does a lot in the coal mines, puts a better man in charge, asks that land grants be regularized--and, un? fortunately, he was replaced within a year. This is typical. And I would say Murray, more than anybody, was the one who started to smash the factionalism. Now, Richard Brown's history makes Murray to be just a monster. Brown says the people finally pe? titioned to have him removed. But it wasn't the people--it was the enemies that he was firing. And Brown forgets that peo? ple like Ranna Cossit were in favour of his staying--they thought he was doing a fine job. After 1800, things began to change, all for the positive. First five years of the century are very important. The world sit? uation changes. The Napoleonic Wars are underway. The French Revolution broke out in 1789, Napoleonic Wars by 1800--France is fighting with England. By 1805 they are fighting with Napoleon--until Waterloo in 1815. And this has important effects on this side of the Atlantic. The U. S. falls out with Britain over this battle with Napoleon--the U. S. wants to remain a neu? tral, Britain won't let her. The U. S. takes vengeance on Britain which, among other things, eventually breaks out into the war of 1812. It's interesting. The War of 1812 is almost always written as a bat? tle of the interior--the invasion of Ontar? io by the Americans--but on this coast, we invaded the States, we burnt Washington-- there were Maritimers in that group that burnt the capital. That's a facet negle- ted in Canadian schools. I attribute anti- American sentiment in central Canada large- Edi(h has always been known for the stiff ones she pours. But the best hostess isn't the one who serves the biggest drinks. A good hostess knows that if her guests are driving what starts out as the "happy hour" could end up in grief. She realizes her responsibility to serve smaller and fewer drinks with more time between drinks. The best hostess is considerate. She remembers her guests have to travel home when the party's over; and too many "stiff ones" could make the party really over. Forever. Nova Scotia Department of Transportation Hon. Thomas J. Mclnnis Minister (36)

Cape Breton's Magazine