that the time had arrived for the Spirit of Freedom to assert
herself.

Among those who warmly sympathized with Mackenzie was Samuel Lount, of
Holland Landing, who, it will be remembered, had sat in the last
Parliament for Simcoe, and who had been beaten, as he believed, by
corrupt methods, at the last election. He had contemplated a petition to
the Assembly, but had been discouraged by the conviction that it would
be impossible to obtain an impartial inquiry. He now made common cause
with Mackenzie in promoting the establishment of a series of "Union
meetings," as they were called, in the various townships of North York
and Simcoe. These meetings were convened at irregular intervals for the
ostensible purpose of political organization. At first they seem to have
been conducted with a good deal of craftiness, for as a general thing
nothing was said which could in strictness be regarded as treasonable.
But there can be little doubt that the intention of the original
promoter of these assemblages was the spread of revolutionary ideas,
with a view to an ultimate resort to arms, and in a short time the mask
of political organization was completely thrown off. Those who had once
put their hands to the plough did not care to draw back, and, before
they were aware of what they were doing, they found themselves committed
to projects of which at the outset they had not so much as dreamed.

Lount's example was followed by most of the leading Radicals among the
farming community where he was best known. The Lloyds, Gorhams, Doans,
Fletchers and others had long been active advocates of Radical
principles, and had marked with ever-growing hostility the tactics of
Sir Francis Head. They saw right persistently violated by might. They
saw the respectful complaints and petitions of the people disregarded
and set at naught. They saw the Government in the hands of persons who
were not only devoid of sympathy with progressive ideas, but who seemed
to have no regard for the principles of plain right and wrong. They
found themselves of no account in the commonwealth. Their cherished
principles were held up to public scorn, and their chosen candidates for
Parliament were beaten by fraudulent means. They were utterly without
weight in public affairs. After a long and hard fight with the Family
Compact, they saw that clique more strongly entrenched in power than
ever before. The Tried Reformer who, in response to their long and loud
appeals,