''The Montreal Witness'' was an

English-language English is a West Germanic language of the Indo-European language family, with its earliest forms spoken by the inhabitants of early medieval England. It is named after the Angles, one of the ancient Germanic peoples that migrated to the is ...

Protestant Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...

newspaper published in

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...

from 1845 to 1938.

Mission and Purpose

The ''Montreal Witness'' was founded in 1845, by John Dougall. In the December 15, 1845 edition of the ''Witness'', Dougall explained why he began his paper. Society needed a general religious and literary newspaper. His friends in various evangelical denominations assisted him in making the ''Witness'' a reality. The Journal intended to "witness for the truth in love." Dougall planned to focus on such topics as Christian Union, Missions, Education, the Efforts of Religious and Benevolent Societies, Public and Social Improvements, Immigration, and Cheap Postage. The ''Witness'' would lend its influence for the development of Canada's resources. Dougall's newspaper presented a variety of information. In the December 15, 1845 edition the lead article was entitled, "The History of the Reformation in the Sixteenth Century" by Dr. Merle D’Augbigne. This was followed by articles entitled, "Sabbath School Teaching" (a sermon); "Vestiges of the Natural History of Creation," ( a reprint from the Edinburgh Witness of the ‘Infidel’ work). Some of the articles were of general interest such as "The Fruit Trees of America," (An extract from the book by A. J. Downing mostly about 'The Apple.' The ''Witness'' also reported the news, sometimes with extensive commentary while other items were mentioned just briefly. The news of the December 15, 1845 paper included: a lengthy report of the 'Liverpool Conference on Christian Union', 'Partial Failure of the Crops', Railway Mania (Difficulties in the railway business), 'The War in Algiers', 'The New German Reformation', and 'The President’s Message' (re: Canada/USA relations and the Oregon dispute). There were sections for letters to the editor, birth and death announcements, etc. By 1886, the ''Montreal Witness'', was known as "the only religious daily." It was published as an evening newspaper. According to Argyll, the ''Witness'' wielded a powerful influence among the Protestant population of Montreal and the province of Quebec. It was respected by all classes and creeds in the community and was noted as a strong supporter of the temperance movement. Its circulation was said to be between fourteen and fifteen thousand daily.

The ''Witness'' and the Temperance Movement

Letitia Youmans Letitia Youmans (3 January 1827 – 16 July 1896) was a Canadian school teacher who became an activist for the temperance movement. Youmans founded and served as the first president of the Ontario chapter of the Women's Christian Temperance Union. ...

of Picton, Ontario mentioned that the ''Montreal Witness'' was one of their home papers in 1850. She said the ''Witness'' consistently supported the temperance cause.

The Protestant/Catholic Divide

The newspaper was intentionally Protestant. Its opposition to the teachings and practices of the

Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

were often frank and undiplomatic. For example, John Dougall persisted in blaming the

mayor of Montreal The mayor of Montreal is head of the executive branch of the Montreal City Council. The current mayor is Valérie Plante, who was elected into office on November 5, 2017, and sworn in on November 16. The office of the mayor administers all c ...

, Charles Wilson, for the

Gavazzi Riots The Gavazzi Riots were disturbances created in Quebec and Montreal in June 1853 by mobs which attacked halls in which ex-Catholic monk Alessandro Gavazzi was lecturing. Overview During the spring of 1853 Alessandro Gavazzi, an Italian patriot ...

. In the December 15, 1845 edition, one letter to the editor expressed intense anti-Roman Catholic sentiment. In the 1870s, the ''Montreal Witness'' published the lectures of Father Chiniquy, a Canadian Catholic priest who left the Catholic Church and became a Protestant. Chiniquy credits the owner of the ''Montreal Witness'', John Dougall, for helping him make the transition. In response to Chiniquy's lectures appearing in the ''Witness'', on March 26, 1875, the Catholic Church forbade the reading of the ''Montreal Witness''. The Bishop of Montreal issued a pastoral letter endorsed by the Archbishop of Quebec. The

Sacrament A sacrament is a Christianity, Christian Rite (Christianity), rite that is recognized as being particularly important and significant. There are various views on the existence and meaning of such rites. Many Christians consider the sacraments ...

was to be withheld from all who did not obey.The Family Treasury For 1876. Containing Contributions by Well-known Writers in all Departments of Religious Literature. London: Thomas Nelson and Sons, Paternoster Row; Edinburgh; and New York. "Vaticanism in Canada", p. 323
/ref>

Footnotes

References

QNA, ''Montreal Witness'' at Quebec National Archives, Online
Retrieved March 1, 2011 *

External links