– by Valerie Green –
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to sit down and talk with some interesting characters from Greater Victoria’s past? If so, wonder no more. Although these conversations are merely creative figments of my imagination, they are all based on fact.
Born William Alexander Smith in 1825, de Cosmos changed his name in 1854 to Amor de Cosmos in order to reflect and pay tribute to the world he loved. Reformer, journalist, politician and intellect, he was also considered by many to be eccentric because of his fierce outbursts of temper and strange phobias. (“Interview” conducted in 1894.)
Should I call you Mr. Smith or Mr. de Cosmos, sir?
My name is Amor de Cosmos. Let’s get that straight right away! I am a lover of the universe!
I understand you were born in Nova Scotia and first became interested in politics and reform at the Dalhousie University while attending the debating club. Is that correct?
Yes, but eventually I headed west, first to California where I set up a studio taking photographs of miners. My brother joined me there and we became entrepreneurs. In 1858 we headed north to British North America as we wished to live under the British flag again. Victoria was booming at that time and I founded The Daily British Colonist (it still survives today as the Victoria Times Colonist).
I believe you owned and edited that paper until 1863 and made it your mission in life to criticize Sir James Douglas and the Hudson’s Bay Company rule.
I did indeed and I’m proud of it! Reform could never be achieved with a monopoly ruling. My two great causes in life were to see the union of Vancouver Island and British Columbia, and to ensure that British Columbia entered Confederation.
And so you left journalism and entered politics?
Yes, I became a member of the Legislative Assembly of Vancouver Island in 1863 and worked tirelessly to achieve my two goals. In 1871 British Columbia did enter Confederation and I became the leading force in the new province. Nonetheless, I was initially passed over for the job of premier until McCreight resigned in 1872. Then I was asked to form a new government as Premier. That was my opportunity to bring in a cabinet consisting of reformers, most of whom were born in North America. My agenda was political reform, economic expansion and the development of public institutions such as schools. We also focused on the completion of the transcontinental railway.
But you were criticized when you personally speculated in land and in the Texada Island Iron mines because you were a public official?
Yes, so that was the end of my time as Premier!
But you were re-elected as a Liberal Member of Parliament for Victoria?
I tried to do my best but . . . I lost in the federal election of 1882 and retired.
You were always a loner. Never married and had few friends. Why was that?
(Irritated) Just preferred it that way.
As he grew older, De Cosmos became more and more eccentric and his phobias increased. He often burst into tears for no apparent reason and was known to fear electricity. Near the end of his life, he became incoherent and in 1895 was declared insane. He died in Victoria at the age of 71 in 1897, three years after this interview.
Valerie Green is an author and historian and can be reached at valgee@shaw.ca.
