Francis Cassidy

See also: Cassidy

Francis Cassidy (1827-1873) is a lawyer and a Canadian politician.

It had passed all its life in its office, working unceasingly, never not taking a moment of rest and the recreation; he wanted to be made a name in the bar, a honourable position in the company.

He had obtained all that he wanted, even as he had not hoped. He had become rich, honoured, liked everyone; the honors, testimonys of confidence and sympathy arrived to him on all sides, one did not find anything too high for him.

Named, in 1873, representing great western division of Montreal to the local room, it came to be elected mayor of Montreal unanimously. It started to like the life, to enjoy it; as a plant which one transports of the shade to the great outdoors, under the rays of the sun, it opened out, a new life seemed to come in him. Just at this time, he dies. It is well the case to say: “Vanity of vanities! ”

The father and the mother of Francis Cassidy came from Ireland. Obliged, like such an amount of Irishman, to leave their unhappy fatherland, they had come to Canada and had been established in St-Jacques the Black bass where they had bought a small ground. It is there that was born, in 1827, Francis Cassidy and that it grows modestly and poorly, but noticed, as of its, low age, for its excellent provisions and its intellectual promptness. It was a small Irishman with red sheet, the strong eye, with the mischievous, sharp air like a fish, with the early spirit. People of the place liked to make speak small Paddy, and the priest of St-Jacques the Black bass did not have in his parish of finer and more pleasant child.

Mrs Cassidy, mother of her Francis, wanted to make it inform; she put it at the Collège of the Assumption. Francis Cassidy was one of the most intelligent pupils and most pious of the college. Its course of studies finished, it was necessary to make the choice of a career. It did not have any more a father, and its mother Gives, who had lived in the deprivations to manage to make it inform, had exhausted the scanty means of a not very fertile ground. Not feeling able to provide for the expenditure of her son, if he studied a profession, she advised to him to be done made.

But the Francis young person had the instinct of his vocation; he wanted to be a lawyer and not another thing. Its plan was very traced; it left for Montreal, tie-beam in a good lawyer office, was supported, during its cléricature by making money of all, and, once received lawyer, all was well. Non-seulement it did enough money to live, but it rented some apartments and took along his old mother to remain with him. “What a happiness then! ” he said.

The mother smiled to the ideas of her son, but for it they was dreams, illusions of young man, and it was frightened with the thought to see her son, a child, to leave to only go to be established in a city where he had neither parents, nor friends; but it is rare that a mother resists a long time the plans for the future of a son whom she adores and whom she believes naturally worthy and able of all. She agree to separate from him, to let it leave. Mr. Cassidy took pleasure, in his moments of cheerfulness, to tell, in the middle of the bursts of laughter at those which listened to it, his voyage of Saint-Jacques-the Achigan on Montreal and his arrival in the city with his hat of pluche with long hair, breeches in corderoi with semi-legs and Redingote with broad collet whose end beat the heels to him.

To trust like a Spaniard in this odd getup, it had an air of cranery and independence which suited him to wonder. People showed it along the way, the ones with sympathy, the others to laugh. When it arrived in the city, the kids overpowered it Quolibet S; it is with its hat especially that they wanted some; two or three times even it succeeded with making him jump of top the head. Thus the poor small Irishman made his entry, in the big city of which it was to be later one of the citizens more distinguished breadths, the first magistrate, where one was to make him funeral which would resemble an ovation.

Who would have said that itself could think, perhaps, by compressing a sob, that one day one would not make fun of him, but it did not have to push the illusion until thinking that it would be never the first in a city where it arrived so sadly with an ecu in his bracket. Never let us scorn anybody. Who knows if this child with the weak air, with the torn dress, that one looks at passing with scorn, does not hide, under outside poor wretches, a large heart and an intelligence intended to lead the destinies of a nation?

Who knows if there is not a great man in this small child? Francis Cassidy could not live a long time with an ecu, it hastened to seek a place. It had fortunately one letter of introduction which recommended it to protection of a man of which very whole life lute devoted to the good hor and with the education of youth. This man was Mr. it professor Garnot. The friend of young people accepted with kindness this small Irishman, and, wanting to place it in one of better offices of lawyers of Montreal, led it at Misters Moreau and Leblanc. The next morning, Francis Cassidy entered as clerk lawyer this famous office which it illustrated, where it conquered fortune and the fame.

It had sixty piastres per year. As was not enough to live, it started to give French lessons. It could be thus made a small varying income from twelve to fifteen piastres per month. It was about what it needed to pay its pension; it got dressed with the remainder; however, as there remained to him almost nothing, he got dressed very little.

The seasons changed in vain, it did not change, not, him, clothing. Such one had seen it equipped in heats with the summer, such one re-examined it in cold winter; the prin time, it made like good king Dagobert. There is not a long time still, he told that he had spent one winter with pants of fabric, and that, Sunday, not to freeze in his poor Mansarde, he lay down. But it found in the study of the consolations and the hopes which made him support this screw of deprivations merrily. When he had worked all the day for his owners, and had given his lessons, he started to work for him, and, well late in lanuit, lalumière shone with the window of her room.

Thus it contracted this practice of the work which in made a lawyer if distinguished, but who unfortunately shortened his days. Its owners knowing to appreciate its talents and its successes offered to him, when it was accepted lawyer, in 1848, to keep it with them at a rate of hundred louis per year. It accepted. II practiced for some time and had pointed out themselves, when Mr. Lafontaine, who had just gone up to the capacity, offered to him a honourable employment in the department of the laws with wages of four hundred louis. This offer was tempting for an young man who up to that point had lived so poorly. Its owners had the good idea to commit it to remain in the profession. " You have future, Cassidy, in the profession, tells him Mr. Leblanc, continue to work as you started, and you will be glad one day to have refused the offer that one you fait."

This promise did not take time to be carried out, because Cassidy entered soon in company with Misters Moreau and Leblanc, and after having passed from the sixth to the quarter and the quarter to the third, it divided with Mr. Leblanc, at the beginning of Mr. Moreau, the benefit of customers from three to four thousand louis per year. With the criminal and the civilian it became one of the most brilliant lawyers of the Barreau of Montreal, one of those to which one entrusted the most important causes. Faithful to the good traditions of the bar, he wanted owe his successes only with work and the talent, that with honourable means.

Joining together in its person of quite various qualities, it could satisfy its conscience, its customers and its fellow-members, and gained the regard and the consideration of those same against which it pled. It was made forgive its successes through kindness, of benevolence and modesty. Full with promptness, liveliness and spirit, he was however always Master of his thought and his expression; he often abstained from a witty remark, retained on his lips the feature ready to leave than froisser somebody rather. He sacrificed the spirit to charity, the applause with the approval of his conscience. Its customers even often complained about its patience and reproached him of too much sparing their adversaries.

One was surprised to see it always so just, if calm and so moderate in the middle of the annoyances without number of a profession which naturally produces impatience and sourness. And however, like all the Irishmen, it had the sharp temperament, the corrosive spirit, hot blood. This moderation was thus not at his place the result of apathy, but of the reflection and the empire which he exerted on itself.

However, the men of merit are not those which are born and live cold, apathetic, indifferent to the good as with the evil, beautiful as with the ugly one, which is not annoyed anything because they do not feel anything, and are not interested in nothing, but those which having been born with a hot blood and a sharp imagination, can moderate their nature, do not carry themselves in connection with all and preserve their heat for things which are worth the sorrow of it. There are men who do as much noise in connection with a pane broken than of % reversed government.

It was often said that the true merit of the statesman was to know to combine honesty with the skill; one can say the same thing of lawyer. There are too many men, unfortunately, who in the policy and the bar, believe that the end always justifies the means, take the intrigue for the genius and believe that the talent consists in knowing to mislead its adversaries. Success is almost always easy in all things with that which delivers entire to art cheating. Mr. Cassidy was this lawyer honest and skilful at the same time, conscientious and skilful, devoted to his customers, just for his adversaries and liberal for his fellow-members. It is time to say that Mr. Cassidy had been born lawyer, as of others are born poets or musicians. He had brought while coming to the world the instinct of the right, what is called the legal direction. First glance, without study and preparation, it saw the point difïicilc of a cause, the Gordian knot. It went right in the middle of the question, dissipating in a few words the clouds of which it was surrounded, breaking saris effort, one by one, the wire of which its adversaries had surrounded it. Its pleadings were concise, nervous and substantial; he did not speak to speak, to produce effect on the audience, but only to gain his cause and to convince his judge.

One noticed in his speeches few erudite theories, philosophical essays, but facts, good sense, of natural logic, a tightened argumentation, a manner of saying the things clear, frank, prickly and original. " Sharp and careful in the attack, it was full with resources in defense; its prompt, subtle and flexible spirit provided him answers to all. If one compared the bar with an army, one could say that Mr. Cassidy did not apparteriait with large artillery, but with these light troops, if useful in the engagements by their address and the speed of their movements, that one sees on all the points at the same time, never not losing a ball, striking unceasingly at the weak place of the enemy.

It is easy to understand that with a judgment so right and a so sharp and so calm spirit, Mr. Cassidy was to have a great power of work. Also, it did in one day what others do in three days; it carried out face several businesses, and could thus suffice for “immense customers. The number of causes which it led and pled is enormous; and, among these causes, there are the famous ones. Let us quote in particular " Dorion and Dorion, " " Kicrzkowski and Dorion, " " Lemoine and Lionais, " " Guibord and the Marguillier S of the parish of Montréal."

One finds beautiful that Mr. Gassidy could gain a small fortune in the profession, but, it is little of thing for similar customers, for the work which it made. Lawyers who do in one year in the United States what Mr. Cassidy made in his whole life do not have more causes than it have did not have: they make hundred Louis where Mr. Cassidy was obliged to be satisfied with ten louis. A man who occupied such a brilliant position in the bar of Montreal was very “large to have necessarily opened in front of him the way of the political honors.

Contemporary and friend of Dorion, of the Papin, the Doutre, it naturally followed them under the liberal flag, but by far and with prudence. Decided to remain before any lawyer, it dealt with policy right what one needed for not froisser his friends. On several occasions, he refused to stand as a candidate for the room of assembly; in 1863, he did not even want (surface left as solicitant-general the administration McDonald- Sicotte. HE wanted to enter the policy only after his made fortune, to play there a part worthy of his reputation, to be independent, right and honest there as he had been in the bar.

He believed, in 1860, which he could not refuse a long time any more to go to the desires of the public opinion and the requests of his political friends. He accepted the candidature for Montreal-West and was elected by acclamation. There was not a man able to fight against him; the regard of which he enjoyed, personal sympathies which surrounded it were more tories that the bonds of party and the political opinions. Mr. Cassidy could have been made elect in five or six counties of Low-Canada. Its entry in the policy was greeted like a good fortune for Low-Canada, one treated it like a lord entering after a long absence its fields; all the barriers dropped in front of him, everyone, welcomed to him.

But the situation of that which enters the Parliament with a similar reputation is more pleasant than advantageous; one expects too much of his share. Because a man was a star of the bar, it is believed that while arriving in the room it must be an incomparable star, one thinks that a lawyer if distinguished must be necessarily a great man of State.

But the room and the law courts are two théâtresv quite different. Any political Ja does not consist in making laws on the administration of justice, to discuss an article of the code; she asks a training and special studies whose lawyer cannot do more that the other men, and that he could of less making as much that the preoccupations with its customers more completely absorbed every moment of its life.

Moreover one says the every day, while speaking about certain members of the Parliament: " He is too lawyer; " and one rightly; the practice to dissect a subject, of living in the " quibbles, legal subtleties, becomes a defect in a sphere where one needs especially overall pictures, general ideas.

Mr. Cassidy would have needed, more than very other perhaps, of a few years of study, reflection and experiment to be in policy what it was with the bar. Unfortunately it arrived tired, exhausted by the hard labors of the profession; the shade of death planed already on its life. Its first speech had a great success; it revealed the resources and the charms of this fine, railleuse, delicate and incisor, skilful eloquence to benefit from all, summarizing in a word a whole question.

It was about the arbitration. Mr. Gauchon had made a vehement speech against the claims of the High-Canada, and had finished by saying that it would have to be broken the confederation if the Low-Canada did not obtain justice. " Let us not break anything, took again Mr. Cassidy, but seek the legal means " to leave the difficulty where we are, " and continuing on this ton serious half, half airspeed indicator which suited him so well, it spoke in the middle of the applause and about the laughter of the room.

He says, some time afterwards, an excellent speech on education in connection with the inspectors of schools. " When it is about education, let us not haggle, says it, cut off the " useless expenditure, but let us increase the expenditure necessary; any measurement which will cause to improve education will have my support, and I will vote all are of money which I will believe necessary for cela." As of the second session, it was already too sick to take a considerable share with the discussion, to give the measurement of its capacity. Tirednesses which it had to support, like chair of the committee of the private bills, contributed much to worsen its disease.

Mr. Cassidy continued to be in room, which it had been all his life, liberal or rather oppositionist, because it was more preserving than much ministerial, but moderate the, independent one. In a country where the policy is primarily a polish tick of parties, a similar manner of acting appears moved; one allows a man never to separate C sound party and to make concessions of which adversaries then feels to profit. There is no doubt that Mr. Cassidy would have liked to be in policy what it was with the bar, friend with everyone, to never make sorrow with nobody and to be all the more polished towards the government which he would have believed to have to fight his policy. Nothing would have him taut rained to arrange the political matters by amicable agreement, to submit the question to referees.

It should not be forgotten that Mr. Cassidy was the associate of Mr. Leblanc, a man whom it was right well to estimate and look like a father, whom he had for friends and customers several of the most outstanding men and most active of the conservative party, that, consequently, he was constantly obliged to take care on his words, to respect the opinions of those with which he lived. He had contracted practices of conciliation and moderation of which he did not take the trouble to strip himself in the ordinary things of the life. But once completely main of itself, once launched in the fight, it would have deployed much strength and energy.

It had shown in various circumstances, in the Affaire Guibord for example, which it was not any more the same one opposite a principle, of a great religious or moral interest. Moreover its very whole life is a demonstration of courage, energy and character. Let us take guard to be unjust while reproaching a man what perhaps a serious defect often; , but sometimes also, a quality, the index of a good nature, the result of a reasonable philosophy, a Christian charity.

Mr. Cassidy was small of size, smaller than Misters Cartier and Dorion. One could guess by seeing it what it was. Its face indicated the width of ideas, the frankness and perspicacity, the spirit shone in the eyes, and the mouth always seemed to retain with sorrow some fine words, some fine joke; the whole of the figure offered a happy mixture of benevolence, simplicity and independence.

Not very neat in its toilet, it was hardly occupied to know if its jacket had passed from mode, if its tie were of through. It went nonchalamment, like a man occupied, but not very inattentive, and much in a hurry than of people who do not have anything to make, which, it should be said in passing, sonb always in a hurry. He addressed the word to everyone, greeted all those which he met and had a cordial and emphatic manner to put the hand at son* hat and to say: " Hello, monsieur."

He had the sound voice, the short and animated word; but its promptness came rather from the spirit that heart; it was more pleasant than moving, more skilful than deep. It was tender and sympathizing for the human sufferings, liked to render service, gave readily councils to young lawyers and made a crowd of secret alms. Its heart was as modest as its spirit, it had even less vanity of although it made that successes that it gained.

He always testified a great recognition with the rev. Mr. Normandin, old higher of the Collège of the Assumption, which had helped his/her mother much to make him finish her course of studies. He gave since years a pension of ten piastres per month to an old man who had shown much sympathy to his mother and money had often given him so that he could buy books.

When it could shake the yoke of the businesses, to escape the concern from the profession, it was most pleasant, merriest and most spiritual of the men; its speeches made the delights of the banquets and the meetings to which it assisted; nobody had more than him it word of the situation,

Is it astonishing, now, that a similar man is regretted, that its death is regarded as a so considerable loss for his/her friends, his family, the company? What couldn't one still await as well made heart, of a spirit also distinguished? For a long time his/her friends, realizing deterioration of its health, advised the rest to him; but, as all the men who delivered all their life to work, it could not separate from its office, it gave to later. When it decided to give up the profession, it was too late. Its disease threw the anxiety in all the hearts, but one could not believe that he would die.

Two weeks before his death, an old Irishman asked to see it. One led it to the room of the patient, by which the paleness and the exhausted air moved it immediately. But when Mr. Cassidy wanted to speak to him, the good old man was so much touched to see it whether oppressed that it melted in tears, and being thrown to knees, it exclaimed: " My God, thus return health to Mr. Cassidy, " and it left the house without being able to say a word moreover. But, calm and reflected to him, did not occupy itself, once he saw himself in danger, to die well. The thing was easy for him, because, for several years, it had had little thing to be reproached.

Having learned that its family made neuvaine for her cure, he says: " It is well, I do not refuse to live, but in the condition which I live well. Spiritual and original until in death, he said to Mr. Duhamel: " Eh well! my dear Joe, we did many exceptions and taken many calls in our life, but I from go away in a place where there are only final orders, it is sérieux."

Mr. Cassidy died unmarried; he regretted to be not married younger; he acknowledged that the marriage alone is the force of youth and the joy of the ripe age. However it is quite true that he died; the thousands of people who accompanied her remainders mortals to his last residence are pilot. By seeing this crowd in mourning pressing itself around his tomb, one thought with consolation, that even ici-bas it is a reward for the good citizens.

References

Biographies and portraits/L.O. David, Montreal, 1876

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