Edward Blake: Leader and Exile (1881–1912) by Joseph Schull (review)

REVIEWS 499 McMasterUniversity. •: TheToronto Years. CHI^RLES M.JOHNSTON. Toronto, University of TorontoPress, •976.Pp.xvi,295,illus.$•5.oo The writingofuniversity andcollege histories in thiscountry passed some years ago from the stageof academic filiopietism to scholarly worksembracinginstitutional, curricular,ideological, andeventhesocial development of theeducational community . In all theseaspects Canadianhistoryhasbeenwell servedby a succession of authorswhohaveportrayedtheroleof highereducation in nationaldevelopment, and thislatestadditionto the genreof universityhistoryis no exceptionto the traditionsestablished byW.S.WallaceandC.B.Sissons. Foundedlike its sisterinstitutions in Canadato provide'a Christianschoolof learning,'andtoproduceaneducated clergy,McMasterwastheculmination of over half a centuryof Baptisteducational action,andit wasalsothestep-child of Liberal SenatorWilliam McMaster,a successful Toronto entrepreneur.Sixyearsafter the Toronto BaptistCollegeopenedin •88•, that seminarywastransformedinto McMasterUniversity,endowedwithMcMaster's nearmillion-dollarestate andofferingtheliberalartsin competition withitssecularized neighbour,the Universityof Toronto.Duringthenexttwogenerations spentinToronto,McMasterwasbeset bya varietyof problems. Baptistcongregations, especially rural ones,wereslowto providefinancialsupportbutveryreadytoattacktheinstitution in theBaptistConferenceto whichthe university wasanswerable. Constricting anti-intellectualism and denominationalism wasnot confinedto rank and file churchmembers- the •9•o 'unorthodoxy'caseagainstProfessorI.G. Matthews,proto-social gospellerand highercritic,showed thatthegrowingreactionto modernism waspresentat every leveloftheBaptist communion. The troublesome, egocentric T.T. Shields, if notthe greyeminence behindtheMatthews case, wasatleastmorethanaspectator andwas certainly preparingfor hisall-outattackon McMasterfor itssupposed theological liberalism (andothersins) twelve years later.Quitejustifiably Johnston devoted afull chapterto the protractedShields affair whichsplitthe Baptists and seriously damagedthe university.Ultimatelythe •927 decision to moveto Hamilton,firstbruited in 19•• when McMasterfound itselfunableto expand physically in its Toronto surroundings, musthaveindeedprovided 'afreshstart'for thetroubledinstitution. Effectivelyplanned,thoroughlyresearched, incisively written, and handsomely designed,thishistoryisa creditto itsauthor, to the publisher,and to McMaster University.Readers of thisfirstvolumewill awaitwith interestCharles Johnston's account of theHamiltonyears. JOHN MOIR University ofToronto EdwardBlake:LeaderandExile(•88•-•9•). JOSEPH SCHULL. Toronto, Macmillan, •976. Pp.xi, 266,illus.$•3.95. W.S. WallacepublishedTheMystery of EdwardBlakein •9•2. Sincethen a not inconsiderable quantityof materialhasbeenwrittenabouttheenigmatic manwho 500 THE CANADIAN HISTORICAL REVIEW dominated Canadian Liberalism during the •87os and •88os. Frank Underhill studiedhim asa liberalnationalist intellectual. MargaretBankspresented uswitha minutestudyof hiscareerin Irish politics. DanielLivermorehasanalysed hisearly career,and attemptedto explainhis unattractive personality and puzzlingbehaviour . Joseph Schull hasnowcompleted histwo-volume study ofBlake's Canadian career. EdwardBlakeisnotaneasy mantounderstand, butif his'mystery' hasnotyetbeen solved theproblemmightlie morewiththehistorians thanwiththemanhimself. Perhaps wehavein retrospect expected toomuchof Blake;perhaps wehaveasked the wrongquestions. Certainsalientfactsseemclearenough.He camefrom a talented,unstable, andaristocratic family.Blakewasabrilliantstudentandoutstandinglawyer whospecialized inchancery law,service topowerful corporations, andthe accumulation oflargequantities ofprofit.In politics hisorientation wastowards both theoracular andthepracticable. Hispolitical visions andpolicies wereusually vastly moreinspiringthanthepronouncements of moremundaneLiberalslikeBrown, Mackenzie, or Mowat.He wasnota majorintellectual force,norwasheaprofound politicalthinker,but he certainlyimpresses thestudentof latenineteenth-century Canadian politics asanobvious exception tothegeneral intellectual aridityofpublic life.At thepractical levelhissuccess wasmixed.He led the Liberalsto powerin Ontarioin •87•; in •872 he abandonedprovincialfor federalpolitics, but refused theleadership oftheparty.He also refused tobeloyaltoMackenzie ortovanish from thescene. Asaconsequence Blakebecame oneof several elements of instability that bedevilled theLiberals inthe •87os.In •88ohesucceeded totheleadership andtwice ledhispartytodefeat.Blakethenresigned asleaderandengineered theselection of Laurier as his successor. He reverted to his oracular role and until after the election of •89• wasagainathornin thesideof hisparty's leadership. HisCanadian career virtuallyendedin •892 whenheenteredtheImperialHouseof Commons asanIrish nationalist MP. Blake's behaviour hasalways fascinated historians. An oldergeneration ofscholars wouldhaveusbelievethatthismanwasanaustere intellectual whofailedin politics because hecouldnotadaptto corruption andbrutality. Thiswashardlythecase. Blake wasbrilliant, travelled, and cultured, but he sharedcharacteristics commonto hispoliticalcontemporaries. He wasveryprovincial, especially during hisearlier careerwhenheattacked bettertermsfor NovaScotia andagitatedontheRielissue. He is sometimes creditedwith bridging the gap betweenEnglish-and Frenchspeaking Canadians, andthereforewithpavingthewayto thelongLiberalascendancy after•896.Thereisanelement oftruthinthissuggestion, butevenduringthe •88oshewasverymuchanOntarianpolitician. He wasnotcorruptlikeMacdonald, although it mustbesaidthatheneverfacedSirJohn's temptations. Buthewasshifty andwas certainly willingtousepatronage creatively. Hisrelationship withE.B.Wood during the •87ossuggests marginalpoliticalmorality,and the composition of his provincialcabinetindicates a traditionalapproachto the detail of politics.As a federalleaderhe wasnot successful; he washardlyinnovativeand wasbitterly negative towards the government. Blakesufferedgravedisadvantages asa leader. RichardCartwright notedthathewas'absurdly sensitive tocriticism'; likemanysuch REVIEWS 501 men he wasin turn often boorishlyinsensitive to hiscolleagues andjuniors. In additionhewasunfriendly: J.C.DentsaidthatBlakepossessed' amannerasdevoid of warmthasisaflakeof December snow.' EdwardBlakewasalsogrossly irresponsibleonoccasion . Hisbehaviour duringthe 187os andlate 188os iswellknown.Schull citesanotherexample.In 1894,twoyearsafter he enteredthe Imperial Houseof Commons, hewrotetoJ.G.Bourinot:'It maysurprise youtoknowthatsocasual doI feel my situationI haveneverread the rulesof thisHouse.'It isincrediblethat he exercised astrong holdoverCanadian Liberals inspiteofnumerous andwell-known foibles. DanielLivermoremightbecorrect in hisanalysis of Blake's mentalproblems and behaviour. Hispolitical failurecan,however, beexplained moreprosaically. He was a brilliantman,but a conventional politician.He failedbecause he waspersonally unsuited topubliclifeandbecause hewasoutclassed byMacdonald, whowasavastly superiorpolitician.He wasalsounlucky.EdwardBlakeseemed tobeanintellectual, and certainlyactedlike an...