340 CANAUIAN NOMS-DE-PLUME IDENTIFIED. 



deed knowing what the sitviation of the country required, or whether 

 a sudden change, even from what might originally have been impro- 

 per, would not produce greater evil than that which it should be 

 intended to correct. His proper path had indeed been marked out 

 for him, and every obstruction and difficulty removed by Lord West- 

 moreland, whose labours, had they been turned to advantage, would 

 have enabled his successor to pursue, with perfect ease and safety, a 

 course at once consistent with his own honour and with the dignity 

 of his government. Yet these advantages were overlooked or despised 

 by the Earl, who, like some rulers in whom vanity has predominated 

 over judgment, disdained to govern in any respect according to the 

 prescription or example of another. In consequence, he was speedily 

 surrounded by men of principles avowedly inimical to the just and 

 long-established prerogatives of the Crown, who were the objects of 

 his peciiliar notice, and most graciously received at his table and his 

 court. Situations of trust and power were accumulated upon indivi- 

 duals unknown before in departments of State, and incapable as well 

 as regardless of the performance of their official duties ; while their 

 rapacity was so insatiable as to force from the unwilling Viceroy 

 himself the observation, that if England and Ireland were given to 

 them as estates, they would ask for the Isle of Man as a kitchen 

 garden. A viceroy, with the assistance of associates, dependants and 

 companions of so unusual a cast, it would be natural to expect would 

 differ in principle and in action from most representatives of royalty. 

 And the event fully justified the expectation. The conciliation of 

 the worthless became his primary object; and concession was con- 

 sidered the principal means." 



Nerva, whose letters, like those of "Veritas, were re-published in 

 a collected form, after their appearance in the Herald, was Mr. 

 Justice Gale, who died at Montreal in 1865. These productions 

 thus acq\iired a more than temporary circulation and influence. In 

 regard to the strictures of Veritas, we read among the miscellaneous 

 editorial matter of the Herald of August 12th, 1815, the following 

 item : " Persons living at a distance are informed that the whole of 

 the impressions of ' Veritas Letters ' are sold. We give this 

 notice in order to save correspondents the expense of postage. We 

 understand an edition is now printing at Halifax. Veritas was 

 uncommonly well received in that city." 



The editor and printer of the Herald were both prosecuted by the- 

 Government. In the number of that journal for March 11, 1815, 



