At the turn of the century Robert Sellar, editor of the Huntingdon Gleaner in the Eastern Townships of Quebec, was the most-quoted rural newspaperman in Canada. His controversial opinions on Confederation, national policy, and especially French-Canadian nationalism sparked debate across Canada and around the world. Widely regarded as the authentic voice of the English-speaking minority, Sellar attempted to alert the rest of Canada to the threat of ultramontane clericalism and French-Canadian nationalism emanating from Quebec.