oden pillar, with a cap of liberty on top, was
erected, and dedicated to Papineau. At the end of the proceedings
Papineau was led up to the column to receive an address. After this
all present marched past singing popular airs; and each man placed his
hand on the column, swearing to be faithful to the cause of his
country, and to conquer or die for her. All this, of course, was
comparatively innocent. The resolutions, too, were not more violent
than many others which had been passed elsewhere. Nor did Papineau use
language more extreme than usual. Many of the _Patriotes_, indeed,
considered his speech too moderate. He deprecated any recourse to arms
and advised his hearers merely to boycott English goods, in order to
bring the government to righteousness. But some of his lieutenants
used language which seemed dangerous. Roused by the eloquence of their
leader, they went further than he would venture, and advocated an
appeal to the arbitrament of war. 'The time has come,' cried Wolfred
Nelson, 'to melt our spoons into bullets.'

The exact attitude of Papineau during {67} these months of agitation is
difficult to determine. He does not seem to have been quite clear as
to what course he should pursue. He had completely lost faith in
British justice. He earnestly desired the emancipation of Canada from
British rule and the establishment of a republican system of
government. But he could not make up his mind to commit himself to
armed rebellion. 'I must say, however,' he had announced at St
Laurent, 'and it is neither fear nor scruple that makes me do so, that
the day has not yet come for us to respond to that appeal.' The same
attitude is apparent, in spite of the haughty and defiant language, in
the letter which he addressed to the governor's secretary in answer to
an inquiry as to what he had said at St Laurent:

SIR,--The pretension of the governor to interrogate me respecting my
conduct at St Laurent on the 15th of May last is an impertinence which
I repel with contempt and silence.

I, however, take the pen merely to tell the governor that it is false
that any of the resolutions adopted at the meeting of the county of
Montreal, held at St Laurent {68} on the 15th May last, recommend a
violation of the laws, as in his ignorance he may believe, or as he at
least asserts.--Your obedient servant,

L. J. PAPINEAU.

At St Charles Papineau was even more precise in repudiating revolution;
and there is