Amor de Cosmos 1874
Amor de Cosmos(or William Alexander Smith), founding editor of Victoria’s first newspaper the British Colonist and second premier of British Columbia, was well known by many British Columbians during his own lifetime and remains so to this day. This article by Islander writer Leonard W. Myers, provides some interesting snapshots of de Cosmo’s quirky, fascinating life and personality.
That Amor de Cosmos was a different breed of colonial political animal can hardly be denied. Even his name, translated as Lover of the Universe caused not a few eyebrows to be raised and gave rise to suggestions that he make it Amor Muggins Cosmos or Caesar Cosmos…a new personality with the unusual name of Amor de Cosmos burst like a comet burst like a comet upon his arrival in the British Crown Colony of Vancouver’s Island and its staid, reactionary colonial political scene. And then the fun began…before long the self-styled crusader, reformer and newspaper publisher de Cosmos was in the thick of it and the fur began to fly
de Cosmos’s strong opinions and clearly stated ill will toward certain aspects of the colonial establishment in Victoria quickly put him at odds with many of the government officials and colonial bureaucrats of the day. In one of his editorials, he lashed out against the governor of the colony, Sir James Douglas “The man who will not ask Her Majesty’s Government to remove Governor Douglas is a traitor to his country and unworthy of her protection-and blind to his own interests…” As a result of statements like these, he was often subject to physical abuse in the rough and tumble streets of downtown Victoria. When he was out walking, he had to use his cane to fend off attacks from his many adversaries. His confrontational nature also got him into trouble in the government’s house of assembly on a number of occasions. During one altercation
physical jousting between Amor de Cosmos and Doctor Ash…[broke out] after a heated exchange in the house. Venturing outside, the exchange of blows began, with de Cosmos being thrown off a bridge, but not before inflicting a few bloody injuries to the head of his adversary
de Cosmos’s fervent arguments and fiery editorials which damned the colonial regime were eventually effective. In his life time he was able to see the two colonies of Vancouver Island and the mainland into a single body, as well as the Province of British Columbia’s eventual entry in to Canadian Confederation in 1871.Despite his eccentricities, De Cosmos has managed to leave a lasting legacy, and is one of the Province’s most important and interesting political figures.
In the late 1960s, a bunch of idealistic and perhaps historically ignorant Victoria hippies named a food co-operative after this racist Nova Scotian drunk.
They must have been ignorant of his thuggish nature, or probably just liked the sound of his unusual pseudonym, I suppose.
He was undoubtedly quite a character, but not one that everyone one loved, apparently, as he called for the Chinese to be denied their rights.
I note with interest that there is an elementary school in Fairfield named after his nemesis, Sir James Douglas, but no public building bears the name of ‘Amor de Cosmos,’ and that is as it should be.
Gregory Hartnell (‘Goyo de la Rosa’)
With regards to the last part of your comment about de Cosmos, you may be interested to know that the author of the article lamented the fact that he was not commemorated by having a building named after him(the apartment block with his name spelled wrong not withstanding).
It’s definitely ironic, and gives you a pretty good idea of the disposition of most of the Islander’s columnists regarding all of our favourite significant historical persons.
Helmcken’s Memoirs // Aug 19, 2010 at 9:41 AM
[...] Helmcken was not a supporter of Amour de Cosmos, who was not a member of the Government at the time. In spite of this he provides some first-person [...]