Haliburton's life was in every sense a full one. In law, politics and literature, his bril liant intellect and forceful personality put him among the leading men of his generation. He was an ardent Imperialist, and at the time when the Little Englander had things all his own way in the British Parliament, he preached the doctrine of a Greater Britain, and blazed the way for a closer union between the mother country and her overseas dominions. As a Nova Scotian, he was a firm believer in the human and material resources of his native province, and used all the power of his virile pen to stim ulate the ambition of his fellow-countrymen and drive them out of the narrow groove of provincial self-sufficiency into which they had fallen. The influence of Haliburton's writings extended far beyond the boundaries either of his own province or his own generation.
Haliburton was the author of three works of an historical nature, 'Historical and Statistical Account of Nova Scotia' (1829), 'The Bubbles of Canada> (1837) and 'Rule and Misrule of the English in America> (1851). His lasting reputation, however, rests upon his works of fiction, or rather of humor. He has been called the "'father of American humor.' It is hardly too much to say that he was the greatest humor ist America has yet produced. He did not depend upon exaggeration to produce the effects he sought. His writings are marked by both wit and wisdom. His humor is always genial. His satire is kindly, constructive rather than destructive. He can be caustic enough when laying bare hypocrisy, but never loses sight of the generous purpose that actuated all his works. There is very little plot in any of his books, but his character drawing is inimi table. Sam Slick has been rightly described as "'among the best imaginative creations of modern times.' But Haliburton will probably be remembered chiefly by reason of the aphorisms and epigrams that abound in his works. Many of them have become part of our everyday speech. He indeed anticipated more than one famous saying of later writers. The remark of the country girl in 'The Clock maker,> ((I guess I wasn't brought up at all, I growed up,' appeared a dozen years before it was repeated in 'Uncle Tom's Cabin' ; and Sydney Smith's famous aphorism really belongs to Sam Slick, whom we find saying, ((Ain't this a hot day? I do wish I could jist slip off my flesh and sit in my bones for a space, to cool myself.' It would be idle to attempt to bring
together here, even if it were desirable, the many wise and witty sayings that Haliburton into nto the mouth of Sam Slick and.his other characters. Two or three examples will serve the purpose: "'The slc'n is nearer than the shirts; °power has a nateral tendency to cor pulency"• 'what people hope for, they think at last they have a right to': nod is as good as a wink to a blind horse'; °a man who is a slave to his own rules is his own nigger': 'a woman has two smiles that an angel might envy; the smile that accepts a lover before words are uttered, and the smile that lights on the first-born baby and assures him of a mother's love.' Haliburton's first book of humor was 'The Cloclanaker; or, The Sayings and Doings of Sam Slick of Slickville,> which first appeared in book form in Halifax, in 1837. It was followed by 'The Attaché> (1843 44) ; 'The Old Judge' (1847) • 'Wise Saws and Modern Instances' (1853) ; (Nature and Human Nature> (1855). There were several others, but these contain his best work. 'The Clock maker> was translated into German, and 'The Old Judge> into both French and German.
Putting aside several more or less feeble essays in Canadian history, we find in Christie's 'History of Lower Canada> (1848-55) the first noteworthy attempt, after Haliburton, to tell the story of a portion of British North Amer ica. Robert Christie (1788-1856) was, like Haliburton, a native of Windsor. He also practised law, and took an active part in the political life of his country. But there the resemblance ceased. As a writer he is almost unbelievably dull. Yet his history is valuable, for Christie was a careful and Impartial his torian, and made full use of the documentary material that he had collected, and much of which has since been lost.
Tohn Charles Dent (1841-88), in his 'Last Forty Years (1881), deals with the history of the country from the Union of 1841, where Christie leaves off, down to the year 1881. Dent was as conscientious and painstaking as his predecessor, and had the added qualification of a clear and attractive literary style. He also wrote 'The Story of the Upper Canadian Rebellion) (1885), an admirable work, though somewhat controversial in tone. Dent was no admirer of the fiery leader of the rebellion, William Lyon Mackenzie, and lost no oppor tunity of expressing his feelings.