Orangeism: The Canadian Phase by Hereward Senior (review)

190 THE CANADIAN HISTORICAL REVIEW North Americancolonial policywasconsistently rigid,uninformed andnarrowminded .The inquiryand reportof the parliamentary committee on the Canadasin x828isseen asa significant watershed whichwasfollowed, in the I83OS , by concerted efforts on thepartof theWhigsto appease colonial dissatisfaction in orderto retainthe colonies andalsoto promoteandprotectBritishinterests. Professor Burroughs extends hissurvey beyond thepointat whichMrs. Manning terminatedher studyto includean examination of the rebellions, Lord Durham'smission and hisreport,and the failureof the attemptto assimilate FrenchCanadabymeans of theUnionof 184 I. In doingsohemakes thevery interesting suggestion that greater insight intotherebellions mightbeattained if historians were to considerthem 'like the AmericanRevolution,as a dual conflict:a crisis in imperialrelations and an internal,socialstruggle.' He also shows that the anti-Frenchsentiments and policies of Britishauthorities with regardto the crisis in LowerCanadawasthe productof 'culturalchauvinism' rather than 'racism,'as somerecentwritershave claimed. One factual error should be noted. Charles Buller's account of the Durham missionindicatesthat beforeLord Durham arrived in Canada (not beforehe left asstated onpageIO 4) 'hehadmadeup hismindthatnoquartershould beshewn to theabsurd pretensions of race,andthathemustaim ... at making Canadathoroughly British.'The timingisimportant whenoneattempts to decidewhetheror not to acceptat facevalueDurham'soft quotedexpression of surprise at finding'twonations warringin thebosom of a single state.' Thoughonemightpointto instances of omission andover-simplification in thiswork,it wouldbeunjustto doso.It isanextremely difficulttaskto compress sucha complex subject into I It3smallpages. Professor Burroughs hasproduced a survey thatwill beveryuseful to those making theirfirstacquaintance with thesubject andthatwasobviously hisprimarypurpose. If those withsome detailedknowledge find the booklesssatisfying, theywill, nonetheless, hope that it portends a full lengthmonograph in the near future. WILLIAM ORM SBY • BrockUniversity Orangeism:The CanadianPhase.•ER•.WARD SENIOR. Toronto, McGraw-Hill Ryerson, I972. Pp.xii, IO7.$3.5 øpaper. Professor Seniorhasbeenimmersed in the studyof Orangeismfor manyyears. His superbmonograph on Orangeism in Ireland and Britain,and threearticles on aspects of CanadianOrangeism havepreparedusfor the forthcoming study. This slim volumeprovidesa usefuland provocativepreviewof the themes Professor Seniorsees asmostsignificant. The authorviewsOrangeism asa socialmovement, well suitedto the Canadian soil,drawn into politicsto achievesocialends.'Because Orangeism was basedon religionand monarchy, ratherthan raceand geography, it provided a patriotismeminentlysuitedto the needsof a colonialsociety'(p. 92). The OrangeOrder was,at root, a benevolent fraternalorganization cateringto the REVIEWS 191 needsof non-Catholicim•nigrants. It provideda sense of securityfor ordinary immigrantswho feared being treated as outsiders. Consequently, there was mutualassistance, eventually insurance andsocial welfare,for theless fortunate. Moreover,theorderprovidedfacilities for churchworship, politicaldiscussion, andsocial activityin pioneer communities thatdesperately needed them.In the final analysis, the concern for helpingimmigrants tookthe orderinto politics. This wasthe way to get land titlesconfirmed, roadsbuilt, and sympathetic publicofficials appointed. This immigrantdemocracy, asSeniortermsit, had very specific and variedconcerns whichpitted it againstboth the supporters andtheopponents of the FamilyCompact. It maybethat neithersidewanted Orangesupport, asit waspolitically dangerous tooffendCatholics. Morelikely, Orangesupportwasrallied onlylocally,exceptwhenissues of loyaltyto the monarchycouldbe raised,as in I836 and I844. Orangevotesand Orange shillelaghs were welcomewheneverthey were not political liabilities.The powerof theorder,Seniorargues, increased with thetendency towardpolitical decentralization, for it provideda link, forgedby its 'continuous contactwith thepeople,' between thepoliticianandtheelectorate. Without doubt,Professor Senioris correctto seethe OrangeOrder as primarily a socialorganization. Nonetheless, thereis needfor a morethorough analysis of the implications. What distinguishes the OrangeOrder from othe• immigrantorganizations suchasthe St Andrew'sSociety or TammanyHall? Precisely whatwasthebasis of itsappeal, andhowdid it varywith timeand place? How isitspoliticalactivityrelatedtoitssocial purposes? Professor Senior hasalreadysuggested interesting possibilities in answerto mostof thesequestions .Only whenthesesuggestions are placedin a widerframeworkand supportedby extensive evidence, will the interesting become informative. In the meantime,thisbookisessential readingfor students of nineteenth-century Canadiansocialandpoliticalhistory . ELWOOD JONES Trent University Histoire documentairede la Congrd,•,ation desMissionnairesOblats de MarieImmaculde dans l'Est du Canada. •e Partie: Dans la Seconde Moitid du XIXe Si•cle (•86•-•9oo), Tome x. o^s•'oN c^r•r•x[r•, o•. Ottawa, Editions de l'Universit•d'Ottawa, •97•. Pp.400. In this tenth volumeof his documentary historyof the Oblates,basedupon their ownrich archives, FatherCarri•re tellsthe storyof their activities in the United States from •86• to •9oo.Somehistorians, particularly those concerned with the Franco-Americans, will knowvaguelyof their work amongthe immigrantsfrom Quebecin New Englandand upstateNew York; but mostwill be surprised to find that their Americanoutposts rangedfrom Florida to Maine, and from Maine to Minnesotaand North Dakota. In the latter regiontheir work waslargelyan extension of that of their fellow Oblatesin the Canadian Northwest. As the chapters devotedto the Westreveal,theywerea continental ...