. Life and letters of Sir Wilfrid Laurier . lake defeat came as a personal blow. He wasangered, chagrined, filled with doubts of democracyscapacity, doubts of his own powers of unwillingness wholly to sink his views onthe fiscal question rankled. Insomnia and failinghealth, due in part to overwork but more to nervousworry and ceaseless introspection, lessened his force forthe coming uphill fight. He determined to resign theleadership, and in a circular letter, written shortly be-fore parliament opened, he so informed his followers. It was not the first time Blake had res
. Life and letters of Sir Wilfrid Laurier . lake defeat came as a personal blow. He wasangered, chagrined, filled with doubts of democracyscapacity, doubts of his own powers of unwillingness wholly to sink his views onthe fiscal question rankled. Insomnia and failinghealth, due in part to overwork but more to nervousworry and ceaseless introspection, lessened his force forthe coming uphill fight. He determined to resign theleadership, and in a circular letter, written shortly be-fore parliament opened, he so informed his followers. It was not the first time Blake had resigned, much lessthe first he had threatened to resign. He had sub-mitted his resignation to caucus at the opening of thesession of 1882, but had been prevailed upon to than once the government press had accepted hisresignation; at intervals during 1885 the Mail fore-cast his retirement and the probable succession of Mo-wat to the federal leadership. But this was only partof the game of weakening the other partys morale, and 336. L WILFRID LAURIER Leader of the Liberal Party, 1887 (At forty-six) ] LEADER OF THE LIBERAL PARTY no more certain prophecy than the Globes jaunty butrather premature remark in 1857 that John A. isabout to jretire from politics, a thoroughly used-upcharacter. More to the point were occasional hintsthrown out by Blake himself. Replying during thecampaign to a taunt of Macdonald that he was de-voured with ambition, he had declared that nothingwould suit him better than to return to the ranks; it washis duty to strive for victory, but if the people gave anadverse verdict, he would for his part accept the deci-sion gladly and gratefully. Clearly this was the re-action of a sensitive nature to a foolish charge, and nota considered determination. It was hoped that hewould be content with giving an opportunity for theexpression of any criticism, and once more assume theleadership. But this time there was to be no drawingback. Blakes followers rec
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