[An historical sketch of Canadian literature and journalism] Book

Edward Farrer is one of the most mysterious figures in Canadian journalistic history and arguably one of the most brilliant. He became a key figure in Sir John A. Macdonald's last election campaign in 1891, when the prime minister identified him as the author of a secret pamphlet that advised the United States on how to bludgeon Canada into union. In this biography Carman Cumming explores Farrer's annexation activities in the context of his entire career. An itinerant Irish writer who apparently fabricated a personal background, Farrer came to Canada about 1870. He worked for various newspapers until becoming the editor of the Toronto Mail in 1885. In that capacity, Cumming suggests, he exploited 'race and creed' troubles in the post-Riel era, first to detach the Mail from Macdonald's control, then to encourage the break-up of Confederation and annexation. Cumming also traces Farrer's close relations with senior members of the Liberal party during and after the pamphlet incident in 1891. He argues that Farrer's thoughtful, low-key writing style and his resistance to the pad press helped to alter permanently the nature of Canadian newspapers.