e them, to inflict punishment. It is
unnecessary to explain in what manner a system of espionage begets
heart-burnings. It is to the public what tattle and malicious gossip are
to private society, with this essential difference, however, that the
tale of the slanderer is in time forgotten or refuted, whereas the
report of the spy is received in secret, placed in the confidential
archives of office, and referred to as a testimonial of character, in
which such set of testimonials can be applied with effect when the
occasion arises."

[87] Mr. Mackenzie, in his _Sketches of Canada and the United States_,
p. 419, denies that Captain Matthews called for these airs, as stated in
the text. But anyone who carefully examines into the Provincial events
of those times will not be long in arriving at the conclusion that Mr.
Mackenzie's unsupported testimony, more especially as to matters in any
way coming within the scope of politics, is of very little value. The
evidence as to the Captain's having called for "Yankee Doodle" is
conclusive. That his doing so constituted a serious offence is another
matter, as to which there will, at the present day, be very little
difference of opinion.

[88] _Sketches of Canada_, etc., p. 419.

[89] See Journal of Assembly for 1826-7, Appendix P. See also Journal
for 1828, p. 122.

CHAPTER VII.

THE NIAGARA FALLS OUTRAGE.

The case of William Forsyth--commonly known in the chronicles of the
time as the Niagara Falls outrage--differed materially from that of
Captain Matthews, not only in kind, but in degree. In the latter case
there was no gross violation of the decencies of life, or of the outward
forms of law. The mischief was effected by means of spies and secret
information, and the damage inflicted was incidental rather than direct.
The Forsyth case, on the contrary, was more in the manner of the type
riot. It was a violent and utterly unjustifiable exercise of brute
force. But in one important respect it was worse than the type riot.
_That_ display of ruffianism had been accomplished without the open
approbation of the authorities. The Niagara Falls outrage was committed
not only with the full assent, but by the express command, of the
Lieutenant-Governor himself. Not even the poor excuse that it was done
in a moment of anger or irritation could be made for it. It was done
deliberately, in cold blood, and was as deliberately repeated. It was a
simple case of Might _versus_ Righ