PEOCEEDINGS FOE 1891. XXVII 



council are offering for sale a further portion of the grounds known as Burlington Heights Breast- 

 works, to be used for private purposes at the very time when petitions are before Parliament praying 

 for the erection thereon of a suitable memorial to commemorate the spot constructed in defence of 

 the country, from whence a handful of brave men utterly routed an invading enemy, numerically 

 four- times their own strength, and preserved the whole of the southern part of Ontario; and believing 

 that such action was taken without full knowledge of the historic value of those grounds, therefore 

 resolved that this executive council of the Wentworth Historical Society solemnly protests against 

 such action of the city council, and against any further encroachment upon those memorable 

 grounds." 



At a meeting of the city council subsequently held, a resolution was unanimously carried en- 

 dorsing the views of the society and declaring that no further disposition of the grounds in question 

 should be made. 



Petitions from the society have been forwarded to the Federal Government praying for the erec- 

 tion of suitable memorials on the Stony Creek battle grounds and on Burlington Heights, and the 

 society has fair reason for believing that the prayer of the petitions will be granted. 



The society has in possession many specimens, relics, manuscripts and biographies, altogether 

 forming a collection of considerable value. 



The membershij) of the society was materially augmented last autumn by the admission of ladies 

 to its councils, who, with Mrs. Isaac Buchanan as their vice-president, form an influential auxiliary 

 adjunct of usefulness in promoting the objects of the association. 



In conclusion, the society desires gratefully to acknowledge receipt of the ' Proceedings and 

 Transactions of the Eoyal Society of Canada,' since its formation, consisting of tive neatly bound 

 volumes. 



Extract from the inaugural address of the president, Mr. Geo. H. Mills, at the oj)eniug meeting 

 for the season of 1890-91, Tuesday evening, Nov. 18, 1890 : 



I may say at the outset that the inception of all associations with objects and aspirations similar 

 to ours, has been the legitimate offspring of what may be properly designated "patriotic sentiment." 

 That where these associations have proved successful the spread of this sentiment has been the chief 

 cause of success, and where they have ended in failure, a decline of that sentiment has been apparent. 

 Assuming this to be substantially true, it may be asked : " What, then, is patriotism ?" Our language 

 thus defines it: " Love of one's country, the passion which aims to serve one's country, either by 

 defending it from invasion or protecting its rights, and maintaining its laws and institutions in vigour 

 and purity ; patriotism is the characteristic of a good citizen, the noblest passion that animates a man 

 in the character of a citizen." Pioneer and historical societies formed and fighting under such a ban- 

 ner can be no discredit to any country. Tbey know no party, they simply love their country. 



The influence of such associations ought to promote manhood, furnish strength to the arm raised 

 in defence of right, and paralyze the designs of traitors. Nations draw their stability from the patriotism 

 of their subjects. It is, indeed, the keystone to the arch of national construction, and in a free country 

 the greatest safeguard to liberty, independence and progress, its decline a prelude to national degen- 

 eracy, its spread an indication of national vigour. "Without patriotism, Canada, with all her wealth 

 of resource and her almost boundless territory, may never hope to become an indejjendent nationality. 

 With it that destiny would seem to be inevitable. 



i|î *jC ^^ *P *1> ^jC 



If what I have stated be true, or even faintly approaching the truth, why should popular patriotic 

 histories of this grand Dominion not be encouraged ? Why should our common schools and our uni- 

 versuies be comparatively destitute of them ? Why should full knowledge of this priceless inherit- 

 ance, manfully acquired and heroically defended by our forefathers, be withheld from their children ? 

 Why, in a word, should Canadian history take any but a foremost place in all our educational 

 institutions ? 



