Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine

Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine (Boucherville, October 4th, 1807 - Montreal, February 26th, 1864, is a Canadian politician, person in charge with Robert Baldwin, of the introduction of the responsible Gouvernement in Canada. It was with the head of the businesses of the country ten years, of 1841 to 1851.

Withdrawn of the political life activates in 1851, it became in 1853 judges as a chief for Low-Canada and was it until its death. With its funeral, on March 2nd, 1864, Mgr Le Bourget pronounced its funeral praise.

His/her father, Antoine Lafontaine, and the father of its father, Louis Lafontaine, had been captains of militia, which, in this time, constituted an important social situation. The father of its mother, Antoine Ménard, sat at the legislative Parliament of Quebec.

Louis-Hippolyte followed his course of secondary studies to the Collège of Montreal, under the direction of the Sulpiciens. In 1829, it was allowed with the bar. Two years later, in 1831, he married Adele-Amable, girl of Doctor Berthelot, of Saint-Eustace, of which it did not have children. Become widowed in 1859, he married in second weddings, in 1861, Jane-Mary Morrisson, widow of the captain Thomas Kinton, of which he had two wire, died both in low age. He thus did not leave a posterity.

Lawyer in 1829, at 22 years, Lafontaine deals at once with policy, and, as of October 1830, the voters of Terrebonne make of it their deputy with the Chambre of Parliament of Low-Canada.

Lafontaine followed initially Papineau and was, before 1837, one of the burning lieutenants of the famous powerful orator. With that, nothing astonishing. It is known, indeed, that Papineau, by the prestige of its talent and especially by the eloquence of its word, then attracted invincibly in its wake all that the small people Canadian-French counted of brilliant subjects. One of the consequences of its attitude was to be worth in Lafontaine the honor of going in prison, in 1838, for political offense. But it was soon released and in vain asked that him his lawsuit be made.

The events however, while turning to the tragedy, had it assagi and made more careful. " The shooting which ensanglanta the edges of Richelieu, has DeCelles writing, produced on Louis-Hippolyte the effect of a cool water jet on the vapeur." It was classified from now on, against Papineau, among the moderate ones, of which it was not long in becoming the chief and the guide. But, while being held within the limits of. legality, Lafontaine did not cease being tough as much as devoted as a combatant for the right to freedom of its compatriots. Its moderation even, by the play of the interests, did of the man of the opposition that it was initially, better than a man of government, a true chief. It was combined with Baldwin, chief of the patriots of High-Canada.

The Governor Sydenham, which recognized its force, having fought it in Terrebonne, personally, under the figurehead of Doctor McCullogh, in 1841, to some extent obliged it to give up aspiring to the votes of its voters to avoid bloodsheds. Baldwin made it at once elect in York, a county of High-Canada. Little time afterwards, it did itself to elect Baldwin in Rimouski. In 1843, the Bagot governor called them both to form a first ministry which was reversed in 1844. The two friends returned to the capacity and formed a new ministry, under Lord Elgin, in 1848.

This governor with the broad and tolerant spirit, which included/understood fortunately the requirements of the situation, inclined himself by the fact in front of the popular will. Supported by the public opinion, each one in its province, the two statesmen, clear-sighted and skilful as much as solved and energetic, who were complementary one and the other and could mean themselves, obtained to us thus, peacefully and without violence, our freedoms political, or, if one wants, the responsible government with the people. The history proclaimed it more once and it could not forget it. The administration Lafontai--Baldwin was not maintained, in the middle of many difficulties, until 1851. The policy is ungrateful, one knows it for a long time. She does not spare the men, even best and the best disposed ones.

Lafontaine, like so much of others before and after him, tested it painfully. Fought by adversaries which were vigorous and without scruples, discussed by his own friends, it ends up seeing division being introduced into its own party. Perhaps it took the things too in heart. Always is it that, after the failure of 1851, it gave up, at 45 years, the active fights of the public life and was withdrawn under its tent. Appointed judge as a chief of Low-Canada, it returned however still of invaluable services to the country until its death, which was sudden and unexpected, in February 1864. In 1854, it had been created baronnet the Fountain of Canada, in the Pairie of the United Kingdom, which gave him right under sir. He was the first French Canadian to carry this title. One invited it to sir Louis-Hippolyte.

In Lafontaine and its time, volume published in 1907, DeCelles left us of the great man the portrait that here: " Its physical aspect was imposing. Of a size below the average, broad of shoulders, with a square head, it had the vast face of the méditatifs and one read on the features of his figure the characteristics of energy and firmness. It had been difficult to say that its aspect was of any point attractive. It appeared, for that, too solemn and too above common humanity. One had said, indeed, a statue on a pedestal! ..."

In addition, the contemporaries of Lafontaine affirmed readily that it resembled to large Napoleon much, and the portraits which one has of him do not contradict this assertion. One told, on this subject, of the tasty anecdotes. In a visit of our great man to the Invalids in Paris, in 1853, of old man grognards, survivors of the wars of the Empire, would have said by seeing it: " Hold, but it is the emperor! " … Lady Bagot, the woman of the governor of this name, which had known Napoleon, would have exclaimed, by seeing in her living rooms for the first time the Canadian statesman: " Really, if I did not know that Bonaparte died well in Sainte-Hélène, I would believe that it is itself which has just entered ici." In any case, if it had the stature more or less of it and the breadth - rather more than less - Lafontaine had certainly, with moral, of famous Corsica, energy and the insurance. Like him, it proved it, it saw clearly and it could act.

The speculative spirits, one often noticed, usually do not make the best men of government. They are delayed too much to deliberate when it would be necessary to pass to the action. Such was not Lafontaine. Never he was mislaid in the forest of the theories and the dreams. The most beautiful plans of reform left it always cold, if he did not see them a practical range. Knowing to distinguish between the Utopia and the possible one, it took into account with the past of the people, manners which make failure with the best laws, since these laws oppose them. This is why its prestige and its influence were so considerable on its contemporaries. That it was with the capacity or that it was in the opposition, its authority was essential, a whole decade, dominating and inescapable. But, like all the authoritative ones, at the end it was broken.

It is to be noticed that, this prestige and this influence, Lafontaine especially did not have them with its talents of speaker. Its word, indeed, was short and sober. It was usually satisfied to express clearly and clearly its thought. Its manner did not have anything of this coloured eloquence, empoignante and involving of Papineau, or, later, of Chapleau, a Draper and a Bay-tree. Its speeches, it was a succession of syllogisms. Seldom, he addressed himself in the middle or to the feelings. He aimed convincing and at persuading, which is undoubtedly better for the effect of duration.

Sometimes, it should however be added, the occasion given, because it could benefit from the circumstances, whereas the circumstances were moving, he reached without seeking it with the highest eloquence. It is when, after the Union, speaking for the first time at the Room, it made this famous speech, where, so proudly, in the middle of the protests of fanatics, it French renvendiqua the rights of the French language, the language of his mother, said he, and that also of all his brothers Canadian-French. But, it was not its manner there of saying accustomed. It was rather like a flash in a generally calm and serene sky.

At the beginning of their alliance, about 1842, Baldwin returned in Lafontaine this testimony which explains many things and which the history must preserve: " I noticed in Mr. Lafontaine a so sharp direction of the right, a so prompt determination to affirm it, a so major distance of the intrigues and small artifices, which I was happy to give him my friendship and my confidence. I am proud to have it for guide and chief. I say it to the people of High-Canada, we could not find, in my opinion, as chief of the plain party of the reform, a man more attentive with our interests and more decided to give to our entire people an administration which can satisfy it… " " Lafontaine, wrote DeCelles, by finishing its strong study on the statesman of 1841-1851, was the greatest figure of the most beautiful period of our histoire."

At the summer of 1930 - hundred years ago this year that Lafontaine had been elected for the first time appointed at the Parliament of Quebec - one raised in this park, with his memory, a public building, which represents it in bronze on the basis of granite. The Bridge-Tunnel Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine, the Park Lafontaine and the Hôpital Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine are named in its honor.

References

AUCLAIR, Elie. Canadian Figures , Montreal, 1933.

See too

External bonds

Jacques Monet, “Louis-Hippolyte the Fountain”, in biographical Dictionary of Canada line.
Note biography of the National Assembly of Quebec
the Address with the Voters of Terrebonne, 1840

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