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\y.u t; -m pi i-c t iti.ii fahnCjju&i ig oT , m ;., r - ... ; tin higheA commee,:,:- r\ W sicckM imtfd I > dw«v«?, i w4; blfcatfUfd : f;h[> trick pnl upon my father ; but ft was ?v fudtartificestjwt JMa leather »;.;i.itained his reputati w- Notwith!; pdwg the progrefi which I had ma4e In vice, Mi. Reckoner, I felt ahv^ya difljjftficd vvk'u myfelf, I ha.! f. eqtfently fits of rernoriV'"'! i-wen continued feveral mouths very c;rcu!n!*pcii,r.fuT 1 was introduced ro mv fetbrr'* cowftfog hewfe. Hkt virtu? to btf 'feeore mull be u.Jerliood, we mull be acquainted with principle, Of wecannot preferve our integrity ; iri\'-ll«tuincls gpadflp ally relaxed, artJ I fell into my former errore. AtthTsthtje 1 loft my mother, and l cannot fay cliat I regretted liei, us a cttQd ought to regret a parent, for fpoiled children are al¬ ways wicked, difabediertt, and ungrateful. I now po-l&i&d greater facilities than ever in gratifying my wicked propc nftties, and foon plung^i into a'l the dufipatwras of the town. My expenfes were nef:*:yed from my father's coStn, till at length the large funis which 1 conveyed away being miffed, I was fufpect- ed, watched, and the felfe keys found HI my pocket, by nuuns of which I had ftolcn the money. My fither now changed his In hilgence in¬ to feverhy, but it was too hie—1 refilled his authority, and left his houfe. After wan¬ dering nbont London for fume months, fome- times deftitute of the means of fubfiitence, and at other times preying upon the commu¬ nity, I engaged with the Hudfan's Bay company, and embarked fot America with¬ out being reconciled to my father, who was not indeed fo dtffiroUs of feeing me as I had expected, for having discovered tlie extent of my guilt, he defpaired of my amendment. He that is virtuous, Mr. Reckoner, may become depraved among the favages, but he that is vicious will never reform; I was quickly initiated in all the low degrading vices common in that wrUclud country, where no affe&ionate parent will ever fend his child, and being inattentive to my bufi- iie&i i was foon difraiflcd. This gave me no fort of uneafinefs, for the N. Well com¬ pany immediately engaged me, and altho' 1 v/as ftilj negligent, yet fo long as the oppo- fit/on continued, I found employment. ;..,i- i.;rii,ce, wevo o\. c. Si't'-JiV ' •- jjM't, mi lout*Iu in a fo-tigu laud >[ :-t cqiiifei.lt whid had be.cn denied t)'C-\ %t home. Pcrhupi too the terrfhk ■■'cngcancrc mfti&cd upon ihe ] I igftland «iv, ict.s alter the rebelHnn in i ;j j, and the u**vrelaw$ enaSed againft the own- . ■ ■ new and drefs otthe people, p iiiitiS&l a dil- ," . . - , a guil u Vch diSpared the eviis <-.. «Eife "The compamed with a x fdih i v)f Mr. M'Donell, pair thing of the feelings of his clan and anticipating many ad¬ vantages in this new ivoild, accompanied a co'ulidcrablc emigration from Glengary d- t.ue, i4 which he was one of the principal leaders. Mr. iVTO^ndl landed at Ncw- York with his father and a number of the fume nnme, in 1773> but the diiputes be¬ tween Greiit Britain r.nd the Colonies hav- ing affumed a very fevious appearance^ it was thought prudent to !.nd him into Canada.— Being dellgned £>r commtrce, he was pla¬ ced in a comoringdicufe, but, the war break¬ ing out, the lpiiit of his anceftors buril forth with an ardor which could not be leftraincd. He joined the royal Handard and v/as imme¬ diately appointed to an Enfigney in the 84th reyimenti In this fuborditote fitnation he did not fail :o dlttingmfh himfelf by his bra¬ very and good conduct, and on one fingular and trying occa{!o:i he exhibited the grtatelt mtrepidity and cooJnefs^' A Mr. Walker, a gentleman of Lower Canada, had the te¬ merity to bid defiance to Government, and to fortify his houfe againil any attack. En- figu M'Dnnell was fent with a party to take hi.n, a fervice of more danger than could have been fuppofed- Here his humanity was no lefs confpicuous than his courirge, for although he might have fet fire to the houfe, in which he would have been juftified from the raflmeis of the defence, he chofe rather to try every expedient to induce the culprit to furrender. Having in vain exhor¬ ted Mr. Walker to give himfelf up, and pointed out the folly of unavailing refinance, he commanded his party to brearf: open the door, which was accordingly done, hut a- ware of the defptration of the perfon whom tliey were attacking, the foldiers rcfufed to filter.—Mr. M'Donell fnatclviflg the lantern from one of them, (for the attack was made in the night) ilepped into the houfe, but the moment that he croifed the ihrefhold, the arm holding the lantern was Shattered by a fliiit from above. It was not till this defpe- rate a£t was committed that he threatened to fct fuc to the houfe unlefs Mr. Walker in- JZSiSgti* f--rc dM J? Q»* W KC-,1. . >Vc haw n<;w, U„deP j^ U Ju too much for His nv:A cociUua.on ^-certain it is, that ihis City htti k^ fatal to fcmal n-fpoaaMc charau-.s from tiw tioner Pmvlnce. He- caw^ht a fa*** com I'rovince. -0 bcgi'ntuogof No*ei»oer, 1809, ac- i.rk'iit COflgh i"1'! txprcl- OMtiflJi : he was not indeed thon-ht UnugfcT. oufly ill till within a fhofl time vt his death, but his feeble conltitntiort could rot lunp-.rt the cough and he expired en the twrnty firlh Such arc "flic fcauty materials whicli i h |v« been able to colhd refpeairig the life ot a moll ex lifnmct:t, a fch.s>' in which not only (},c^~ \ ndinientfl of education and our own langUa are Umght with grammatical accuracy- }** alio lite learned hiiig'.iagcs, geography, i^at^ tvnai :cs, aid rno'l uih:i ufeful branches of )u.:iaii"'e usually taught In publicfchookgj inerit and tfilUtt.^fao.n* ConJidcring the * fancy of tliia iuftutition, and the preir;oufl» torpid Hal e of learning among our youth • their |iro^ri;fs ii» ihe vari«iU8 branches of |;J t-rature will appear almoU incredible t6 thofe who are not accuItemed to obferve with what ctllent ofucer and honorable man— ficil^y attummeius in literature are made by xv-ho became dcaicr to his friends and acqu<*m- ajnveuile iniud ardent in its pursuits, when trmce the longer he was known to them.— under the dirc-clio^md foderiuginfliicnceof He was rather below fhe middle fee, of a fair complexion, and in his youth, uncom¬ monly ftrong and active. For fome time pail his appearance we's totally altered ; in- fomuch that thofc, who had not feen bun for many years, could not recognrze a tin¬ gle feature of t'se fwift and intrepid C^prain cf the Rangers. An acute dilcai'e made it frequently painful for him to move a limb, even for days and weeks together, but tho' his body fufFered, his mind wes aclive at?d benevolent, and hfe anxiety to promote the intercils of his friends ceafed only with his life, ' [Canadian C our ant. Wrnn the coalition rook place, I was turned adrift, and coining do\v:i to this country, prcfumed to engage myf.'if as a fehuolmalltr. My bud Iiabits had injured my hrnlth, and ftantly furrendercd, with which that gentle- For the Kingston Cjzztte. MESSRS. FOITORS, IN a former number of your ufeful paper, fome remarks were made on ourpref- |nt fchool eibblilhment, tending to excite ^neafinefs in the public mind with refpccT: to tjts utility. Thefe remai ks were fo well an¬ swered, and the wife provisions and fahnary ^ffeda of this inlhtution fo well explained by a fubfequent writer, that any further remarks v'onld fcem fnpeifluous, were it not under¬ wood that this act will be oppofed by a par¬ ty in the prefent Provincial Legiflature,with strenuous exeitions fur its repeal, I.'nder thefe circumflances, your readers will un- tiod)tedly coufidcr the futje<ft of fuiririent importance co merit their further attention*: and more particularly, as It involves in itfelf nothing lefs than the immediate welfare and political reputation of the province, the ame¬ lioration offociLty, and the intends and J.appinefs of every rational member cf the community. The legal eftabiilhment and appropriations of the fchool aft are correct tuiunn. Our public fchool can nr>w produce fcholars not only proficients in the ufeful branches of an En^Iifh education,but lome cap.'ibU* of cfiftmguifhmg ihemfdlves as acute and critical grarhmaiians. TheGrcek and Roman daffies are read by them with tolerable facility, and their pr^grefs in math¬ ematics may be deemed far fiom inconfidcr- able. The benefits which individuals derive from this eftabiilhment, however great, are comparatively fmall to thofe which it will ultimately yield the community in general. There is in the human mind an innate princi¬ ple, a curiofity or thiVft for knowledge, which, once excited, is not eafily reprefled. The li'.trary ardor in cur public fchool, ^ mounting almoll to enthufiafni, is already communicated to the youth in its vicinity? and if not damped by fome fatal blaft, will ultimately and'rapidly extend itfelf to there- moteft parts of the community. Hiilory and experience furnilh lamentable proofs of oppofition and mifgnided zeal a- gainft the (htrodudtion and eftabli^imect ot the befl inilitnlious ; aud there are very fev7 public elh.bliihmeiit's fo perfectly adapted to general ulefulneis and convenience, that the ingenuity and rancor of party opponents can¬ not point out fome defc£t, or alTign ihmc planiible niotive for impeaching thczn. But I muil confefa that I have not heard, nor can I perceive any objection to our prefent fchool eftJablifliment, whi< h a rational and candid mind would notblu'h to avow. The 1'alaty granted onvfacWrs togrthvr with the pCT- quilires of tuition frorn tlieir pupils, cannot at prefent be exorbitant, or even .unount to compenuition for their fervices. And liifi- gardly indeed muil he bf*,wh^ would retrench the comfortable iupport which is due to ft fondly mirfed—fo proudly attended in his infancy, he who might have been one of the fir ft merchants in London, lies gafptng on a little draw in the corner of a hovel. Yet 1 am not altogether forfaken ; a few Grangers weep around me, while I am dictating this letter ; they accept it as a iiucere pledge of repentance, and they think that its publica¬ tion may be a warning to many parents who are preparing their children, by their iudif- Cfiminate indulgence, lor a iimdar fate. Yours, VERNON. BIOGRAPHY, —ooo§ooo— BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH f)F Lieut. Colonel John My Don ell* Late of Glengary. THE fabjeQ; of this memoir was born in Glengary, in the Highlands cf Scotland, a- bout the year 1750. His father was a p. m- cipal tnekman on the eftate/ A tacksman is commonly a near relation of the Lairds and fuperior to an ordinary farmer—he leaks a number of farms, ufing the privilege of ful>- fctting them to others by which means he frequently obtains a verv conliderable reve¬ nue—the fitnalion of Mr. M'Donell was therefore fuch as to enable him to give his fou a good education, for which purpofe he lent him to the parifh fchool of Fochabers, in the Lowlands where he continued for feveral years. The fpirit of emigration pre¬ vailed very much in Scotland, and particu¬ larly it. the Highlands, a little before the commencement of the American war. A- hout this time a new method of farming was introduced into that part of the country : n»cep were fnbiKtuted for grain, and a few fhephcrds were made to fupply the place of a numerous and virtuous ptafantry.—Thfs c.Kinge in the mode of cultivation was adop. tfid by the Laird of Glc-nga.y, who began to prefer a greater rental to the vain parade Oi chieftam honors. Many of his tenants v.crc dilmilTcd from thcir habitation,, and numberaoffinajJ farms were amttdin one • r the purpof.-of making a fteep-walk, which wasg.vcn to a ftraoeer at a rack rent As their marches lay through pathlefs for- efts, they were frequently reduceB to ths grealeft neccflities, nor had they ever while on {firvice any of thofe comforts which are fo common in regular camps. In the many ex¬ peditions and contelh in which this regiment was engaged during the war, Capt. M'Don- fll bore a dilb'nguifhed part, but the great haidlhfps which he had to furmotiut, under¬ mined a conditution naturally excellent, a"nd entailed upon him afevere rheumatifm which embittered the remaining part of his life. During fome time he acted alio as Pay- mafler ot the regiment, and by his own care and attention, he found himfelf at the end of the war in the polTefTion of a fmall indepen¬ dency. This he coniidered equally the pro¬ perty of his father, brothers and fillers as his own, and proved By bis generofity, that his filial love and brotherly affection were e- qual to his other virtues. In 1794 when it was thought proper to levy a regiment in this country to remedy the great defertion which attended regiments fiorn Europe, he railed a company. In \j$ he was promot¬ ed to the Majority, and the regiment having been divided into.two battallions, he became Lieutenant Colonel of the 2d in 1796. He commanded at Niagara during the building of Fo,rt George, and in 1802 he a- gaiti retired on half pay, the Royal Canadi¬ an Regiments having been moll injudicoufiy reduced during the continuance of the e- phemeral peace of Amiens. While at Fort George he married Mifs Yate.«, a htdy from the States, whofe amiable and obliging man¬ ners gain the elteem of all why have I c lien¬ or of her acquaintance^ By thfl Wy, in whom the Colonel enjoyed a'l] that waslci be wiflied in a companion ai.d friend, he has a (on, a promifing boy.Avho, it is hoped, will inherit the virtues of his fuller___The Co¬ lonel's aftive benevolence was known to all, and experienced by ma% of his friends___ There was fomething fo generous, fo noble in Kw manner of doing a kiudnefs of this fort, as to give it a double value. In 1807 he was appointed Paymaller to ihe loth Royal Veteran Battalion, a lituation cdtuntv far .!V'4 ruV". l' J-^rrerous -o c'Herve a fe.ious refutation and but one o„h• ,0% ent.cled ,0 ro, chug Whk c ,; ; m- ,, • of merit and diftraction* With Few except • - - -r tion.^, the meannefs of our rommon fcfaools ^^tis^r^^^^ hh circumflranceb', w >ua aifpubtiufij were by fioiTit.-anS afflucnr, indued hi.n to a accept it. was reproachful to a proverb. They fur- iiiflit'l little corred loflruftion above the al- plvib^t. On\- youth feem.?d deUined to ar¬ rive at maturity in ignorance, or to fetk a- broad frr fchobftic aud Kterary aequiie- ments, not attainable in fcheit vfciufty. By this aft a pubu'c frhool is t ItablilTied In e^ich dirtricft in iheprovir.ee. Thcfc f^hoola weic undoubtedly dciigntd by our legiflacure to be feininaries or learniajr, fuuiccs from which our youth might derive a knowledge of mo ft of the branches of literature compriiVd iu a learned and ulcful edfication ; ;nd hi viewittj? the local fiti^ition ani!" extennveudV, of the province, the w/iclom of aur Jegiflature ap¬ pears confpicuous, in i\> difpofing tiicin zi to accommodate its inhabitants with theltftll poliible inconvenience and e.vpci;fc. The profperity of all fcHools and feroinariea of learning, and the diffufion of HteratiiTC in general, depend chieily on the fcbolallic en- dowmentj and well cultivated talents of HI- itru£tors, A miftaken economy in the felec- tion oi teachers in ouv common fchoola, is a fubjed of too general reproach, and the bane of all ufeful and com£fc inHrudiion. That our^public (cliools may be endowed with pre¬ ceptors of approved merit, a board of truf- tee« is appointed for each ni'llrict, whnfe du¬ ty it is to feletf and appoint fnch only as a good moral chara&er and learned education render eligible y and as a.« encouragement for the acquifui.jn of teachers ofdiftin^uUhi ed refpectability, the fum of zoo pounds is ansiially appropriated to each diitiic>, as a lalary in part eompenfatfon for the ievvtceq uf it, public inflrudW. The Uultees have alio djcret'onary powers relating to the cx- tenul arrnn^vmciitt* of the fchuu] ; fuel* as the a'SniijTi.in^fftliobn, 1 he terms of tuaion, ( aid tu fuch other regulation* as tl>c pairicu-f lar fiomtion of the fchouJ, or Convenience of' Wit dilh-iot may require. /n.eeiTeds of this initiation tl. 0:!icr .I,.'-. India of the proviiKre, I m\ in,t u'/!e lu li.-.e- frrct'tiy ; l>uiit.tl11^j,il.;;i,^f,l„raiy;;,. '•' >»c« m. / helicv,. tow cdtvioiii io nurd ai cuoiJ .ut j and under G.hi'ar mmg '*<*,] phm, who ha* not a church, a mill or a jafl at his (uvn door. The diilribuUonof the falajy monev tothfe ffipport of our common fchools, a- h^s b'.ea ur^ed by fome, would defeat completely th<* dcJigns and fuccefs of this eftabli/Ivre>it,witbb out aiToidinf; the Icaft comparative benefir. Our common fchools ind-ed iequire encouu agement'-ind fupport, and it is much to be i:opeJi!tit our legiflature will extend itsfoC t-.ring hand to thefe little nurfenes of learn-' iu§i and that our ipcreafed refources will be applied in fuch ways as rnay increafe their ul-"ili-,vf; and refpeftabih't). But X muft be allowed to-'sdd Qvcc Biore, that on no one circumitar.ee do tlie improvement and fncreaf- ing rafpec&bjlity of our common fchools fo ri.ch depend, a.> on thecontiuuaiion of our prcftfnt iytlem. From our diiiri*5t fchools, the SmSler w til derive their belt nourilhmcillj a"d fupport, Fr*Mn them vre may be footi lupplieJ with well educated teachers, with' whof': qualiiications and moials we m3y bi well acquainted. They will ultimately pre¬ clude theadm;?:ton and employment of itin- enr.t and illiterate pedagogues, who to iht diigrace of our corn'ry and the injury ofour^ youth, impofc themfclvcs as teachers, on tlie! community. Our dhlrlA fchools, coufulered as iHndards of regular trdut?tiort, will furnift to our common fchools a criterion by which tdellimate tluir own merits ; and will not' only afford them il>t means, but be the iirong- eJl incentives to improvement. The mure thw inrt'tution h eonfidered, the more ap^jrer: are tlie benefits accruing tout from its efrabiiilimcrt ; and I cannot help thinking that rue repeal of this aci of our *;giflatuie woul 1 be a paralytic llroke to tilt .fuproveireut of ovr fufani couu^r), and tt»o 4 ftuxejf filly t-iiiih .'.i the hud the germs «l literature which it i". i'u happily dilpofcJ w cheii'lh to Tn;itur:tv. An -'; idc'(jiic broke mo in Tciieiifirrtrf] in iviwn.k'i, atul '/toi" i i, *0O hihttbititf lofo died iii a few day*. Col Jimen Mcn'.nie, lute Minultr loGrw fiftl \ft9 itvCiiufrll Ouvetirai ul Vngim'o.