Page:Brock centenary 2nd ed. 1913.djvu/81

 THE SPEECHES

tary spirit ; we hope and pray and fully believe that this peace will ever exist between us and our American brothers. Our object in coming here to-day is to honour the name and memory of one who was chiefly instrumental in bringing about that blessed peace, and in preserving our country to enjoy it; and in the name of peace we say that the ground upon which we stand to-day is conse- crated and distinguished by the valour of our soldier hero, who gave up his life on this spot in the first great battle of the War of 1812 to purchase that peace which a grateful country has ever since enjoyed.

This monument under which we stand is a fit emblem of everlasting peace and at the same time it fittingly commemorates the glorious death of the man in memory of whom it was raised. We Cana- dians should ever be grateful to Divine Providence for having favoured us with such an able civil and military chief, because Brock was both the chief executive in our civil affairs and Commander-in- Chief of the forces. As Administrator of the Province of Upper Canada he was able and pru- dent; as Commander-in-Chief he was experienced and fearless. It remained, however, for the great chief Tecumseh to read the true character of the man as man. When they first met, Tecumseh turned to his fellow chiefs and allies, and, pointing to Brock, who stood by him, said, " This is a man !" The correctness of this opinion was borne out in both the life and death of Brock.

Our hero was ever dutiful. He always performed his duty and saw that others did likewise. The performance of duty was ever uppermost in his mind, and his ideals were always high, his aspira- tions noble. Permit me to quote here one of his first General Orders issued to the troops imme- diately upon his taking the field on the 4th of July, 1812 :

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