
The narrator, a veteran lieutenant‑colonel and former member of both Quebec's legislature and the Canadian parliament, writes a passionate defence of Canada's role in the Great War. Prompted by requests for an English version of his earlier French work, he expands his arguments to address recent developments up to 1918, showing why the Allied cause was just and Canadian participation a matter of civilization and liberty.
Central to the narrative is a vigorous rebuttal of the nationalist viewpoint championed by Henri Bourassa, whose anti‑war stance the author depicts as dangerous to national unity. Using speeches, parliamentary debates, and battlefield reports, he shows how the war threatened both Europe and the Canadian home front. The text also explores the tension between French‑Canadian identity and loyalty to the British Empire, offering a contemporary perspective on the domestic struggle.
Written in a clear, persuasive style, the work gives listeners a snapshot of wartime politics and the moral arguments that shaped Canadian public opinion. It remains a valuable window into the debates that defined the nation at a pivotal moment.
Language
en
Duration
~10 hours (586K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Moti Ben-Ari and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net. (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive.)
Release date
2011-10-18
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1849–1928
A Quebec journalist, bookseller, and public figure, he spent decades shaping cultural life in the Bas-Saint-Laurent region. He is especially remembered for building a local newspaper into a lasting institution and for his service in provincial politics.
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