Commentary
It was in Picton, Ont., in 1834 that Canada’s most important prime minister first made a name for himself. A teenaged John A. Macdonald had arrived in town the year before to help his cousin run a legal practice. Amid the heated political atmosphere ahead of the Rebellion of 1837, however, Macdonald found himself in a nasty debate with a local doctor. It got so raucous that both were charged with assault. The doctor was later found guilty and fined a token amount. Macdonald defended himself and was acquitted, to much public acclaim.
As scholars observe today, the case marks the moment “John A. came of age,” proving “that he was effective in both the courts and the court of public opinion.”…