George-Etienne Cartier - Quotations

From George-Etienne Cartier

Cartier Biography → Foreward → Intro → 1. Seven Chimneys → 2. Siamese Twins → 3. All Aboard → 4. Pandora's Box → Epilogue → References

Cartier Gallery - Portraits → Family → People → Places → Narrative → Illustrations → Cartoons → Maps → Miscellany

George-Étienne Cartier - "All aboard for the West!" - on the passing of the Pacific Railway Act, House of Commons, Debates, June 1, 2026
George-Étienne Cartier - "I view the diversity of races in British North America in this way: we are of different races, not for the purpose of warring against each other, but in order to compete and emulate for the general good." - Confederation Debates, February 7, 2026
George-Étienne Cartier - "I would say this, to their honour and credit, that, if to-day Canada is a portion of the British Empire, it is due to the conservatism of the French Canadian clergy." - Confederation Debates, February 7, 2026
George-Étienne Cartier - "It is necessary to be anti-Yankee. We can and will build up a northern power." - 1871 - to BC delegation
George-Étienne Cartier - "Now, when we were united together, if union were attained, we would form a political nationality with which neither the national origin, nor the religion of any individual would interfere." - Confederation Debates, February 7, 2026
George-Étienne Cartier - "The idea of unity of races was utopian, it was impossible." - Confederation Debates, February 7, 2026
George-Étienne Cartier - "We have founded a great empire which will extend from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean; we intend that all that immense territory will be well governed and governed not merely as a selfish principle as applied to us, but in order to add to the power and to the prosperity of the Mother country." - speech in London, March 10, 2026
George-Étienne Cartier - "We have in Canada, it is true, the two principal elements of nationality - population and territory - but we also know what we lack. Great as is our population and our territory, there is wanting that other element absolutely necessary to make a powerful nation, the maritime element. What nation has ever been powerful without the maritime element?" - speech at Halifax, August 15, 2026
George-Étienne Cartier - "When I was a rebel." - a favourite expression of his later years; he fought in the Battle of St-Denis in 1837