Louis Riel

Years of exile

Exile and mental brittleness

During this time, Riel settles with Plattsburgh, New York, in the French-speaking village of Keeseville. It is there that he learns the death sentence from Lépine after his lawsuit for the murder of Scott. The Québécois press ignites, and the calls to leniency to Lépine and Riel multiply. Mackenzie, politically wedged between Québécois requests and opposed Ontarians, owes its safety only with the spontaneous intervention of the governor-general Lord Dufferin, which commutes the sorrow of Lépine in January 1875: on this basis, the Prime Minister obtains Parliament an amnesty for Riel, with load for this one to remain in exile during five years.

This period of exile for him is dominated by religious questions rather than political. Influenced by a Québécois catholic priest of its entourage, he is convinced gradually of his divine destiny of leader of the Mongrels. Its biographers speculated a long time that it could be a question of a psychopathological condition near to the Narcissisme. At all events, its mental health declines and, following a violent crisis, it is taken along to Montreal to be kept by his uncle, John Lee. After Riel had disturbed the behavior of a religious service, Lee makes it intern with the asylum of Long-Point the March 6th 1876 under a false identity ( Robert Louis David ). Fearing that he is not uncovered, its doctors transfer it shortly after to Beauport, close to Quebec under the name of Louis Larochelle . Although prone to sporadic crises, Riel continues its religious writings, its Pamphlet S theological mixing Jewish and Christian sets of themes. Thus it starts to be made call Louis David Riel, prophet of the New World. It does not end any less up being restored, and can leave asylum the January 23rd 1878. It turns over some time to Keesville, where it has an adventure impassioned with Evelina Martin known as Barnabé, sister of her friend the Oblat Fabien Barnabé. For lack of funds, it cannot marry it and is turned over from there towards the West, hoping that she would follow it. She however prefers to remain in her village rather than to try the life in the Meadow, which puts an end to their connection.

Montana and family life

To the autumn 1878, Riel is turned over from there to Saint Paul to re-examine his/her friends and his family. This period is rich in changes for the Mongrels of the Rouge river - the Bison S on which they depended make rarer, the colonists increasingly present, and, many which is those sold their grounds to speculators without scruples. Following the example many Mongrels leaving Manitoba, Louis Riel leaves towards the west in order to take a new departure: he becomes commercial and interprets in the area of Fort Benton, in the Territoire of Montana. He even tries to prevent the trade of the Whiskey, of which he sees the devastators effects on the populations Indian and mongrel.

He marries Marguerite Monet known as Bellehumeur (1861 - 1886), a young Mongrel, the April 28th, formalized union the March 9th 1882. The couple has three children: Jean-Louis (1882 - 1908), Marie-Angelica (1883 - 1897) and a boy still-born child the October 21st 1885, is less than one month before the characteristic died of Riel.

Louis Riel quickly takes party in the political life of Montana and, in 1882, conducts campaign for the Republican party. He goes until continuing the Démocrates in justice for electoral fraud, but itself is shown to have made vote British citizens . He retorts by asking the American naturalization, which to him is granted the March 16th 1883. Starting from 1884, it becomes teaching with the mission Jésuite district of Sun River, in the Montana.

The Rebellion of the North-West

Tensions in Saskatchewan

After the Rebellion of the Rouge river, many are the Mongrels to be settled more in the west, in the valley of Saskatchewan, in particular along the southern arm of the river, near the St. Lawrence mission (close to the current town of the St. Lawrence de Grandin). But, as of the beginning of the Années 1880, it becomes clear that the emigration towards the West is not the panacea with the problems of the Mongrels and the Indians of the plains. The collapse of stocks of bisons places the Cries and Pieds-Noirs (Blackfoot) at the edge of the famine, situation exacerbated by the reduction in the governmental assistance in 1883, like generally by the incapacity of Ottawa to fulfill its obligations under the terms of the existing treaties. Giving up hunting, the Mongrels put themselves at agriculture; this transition is however opposed by the same conflicts on the land ownership as those met in Manitoba. Moreover, the migratory pressure of the European and Canadian colonists being done stronger, those develop their own objections with respect to the administration of the territory. All the parts thus have serious reasons for dissatisfaction and, as of 1884, the communities english-speaking, Anglo-mongrel and mongrel start to address their complaints at a largely indifferent central government. The March 24th, about thirty mongrel representatives brought together in the village of Batoche vote to require of Louis Riel to return to represent their cause. The May 6th 1884, a “Union of the colonists”, bringing together mongrel and anglophone delegates of the town of Prince Albert decides to send an official delegation at Riel so that this one the assistance to present their complaints to the Canadian government.

The return of Riel

The chief of the delegation is Gabriel Dumont, a hunter of respected bison and chief of the Mongrels of the St. Lawrence, which already met Riel in Manitoba. This last is quickly convinced to join the mongrel cause - comprehensible reaction, is persuaded which it is of its destiny as a mongrel chief and its statute of prophet of a new Christendom. Another probable objective of Riel is to benefit from all new source of influence to solve its own land problems in Manitoba.

At all events, the group leaves the June 4th to arrive at Batoche the July 5th 1884. On its arrival, a series of speech, preaching moderation and a reasoned approach, gain the support to him of the populations mongrel and anglophone. The leaders cries Big Bear and Poundmaker them having also formulated during June various laments to transmit to the government, they meet shortly after with Riel to discuss a common step with the colonists. But, their requests being very different from those, no agreement is found. On proposal of Riel, Honore Jackson and others deputy start to put their written claims and, the July 28th, produce a program detailing the problems and objectives of the colonists. In the months which follow, a joint committee english-speaking-Mongrel (with Jackson as secretary) works to level the differences between the proposals of the communities, while at the same time the support for Riel starts to decrease: the content of its declarations moves away more and more from Roman Catholicism, and the clergy takes its distances with him gradually. The father Alexis André will officially disadvise until him mixing religion and policy. Lastly, the anglophone press, partly bribed by the lieutenant-governor and police chief with the Indian businesses Edgar Dewdney, adopts an increasingly critical position with respect to Riel. The work of the delegation does not continue any less and, the December 16th, Riel can send the text of the committee to the central government, requiring moreover that a delegation be able to be accommodated in Ottawa to begin from the direct negotiations. The text is received by Joseph-Adolphe Chapleau, Secretary of State of the Macdonald government, although this one had later denied ever to have read it.

Rupture with the Church

On standby of news on behalf of Ottawa, Riel thinks of turning over in Montana but ends up deciding to remain. Limited in its possibilities of action, it turns to the Prière in an obsessional way, attitude related to a relapse of its psychological disorders and which quickly tightens its bonds with the catholic clergy, its sermons confining more and more with the Hérésie.

The February 11th 1885, an answer is finally received: the government proposes to count population of the Territory of the North-West and to form a board of inquiry to study the various problems encountered by the local populations. The Mongrels, interpreting this gesture like a delaying tactics, accommodate the news badly: a faction is constituted quickly which preaches the armed revolt. This option is however rejected by the Church, the english-speaking and even the Mongrels gathered around Charles Nolin. But Riel, undoubtedly more and more under the influence of its Messianic visions, approaches on its side of the partisans of an violent action. The March 15th, it stops a mass with the church of Saint Laurent to present its arguments to it. Interdict of Sacrament S, it speaks more and more openly about its “divine revelation”. Disillusioned by the status quo ambient and galvanized by the charisma and the eloquence of Riel, many Mongrels remain to him however faithful, this in spite of its request that the bishop Le Bourget is named Pape and of its assertions according to which “ Rome fell ”. One of the ecclesiastics of Saint Laurent paid later:

“(...) in its strange and worrying madness, fascinated our Métis poor like the snake fascine its preys. ”

Revolt

The March 18th 1885, one learns that the garrison of the assembled Police stationed with Prince Albert will be reinforced. Even if only 100 men are sent to answer at the requests of the father André and of superintendant Territory L.N.F. Crozier, the rumor swells and they are quickly 500 heavily armed men who are announced. With end of patience, the men of Riel take the weapons, seize hostages and cut the telegraphic connections between Batoche and Prince Albert. A provisional government is named the March 19th, with Riel as spiritual political leader and Dumont as military chief. Riel names council, called Exovedat (Néologisme meaning “those which left the herd”), and sends emissary at Poundmaker and Big Bear. the March 21st, the representatives of Riel ask for the rendering of Fort Carlton, without result. The situation become critical, Dewdney sends the March 23rd a telegram to Macdonald pressing it to intervene militarily. It is at this time that a skirmish between a group carried out by Gabriel Dumont and a patrol come from Strong Carlton bursts. The police force is put in rout at the time of this Bataille of Duck Lake and, with the advertisement of this one, the Indians raise themselves at the sides of the Mongrels: the Rébellion of the North-West started.

Riel bets on the incapacity of the central government to answer in an effective way a revolt in the Canadian north-western distance, forcing it of the blow to sit down with the table of the negotiations. The same strategy had, in fact, functioned at the time of the rebellion of 1870. However, Riel in its calculation neglects an essential aspect: in 1870, the first troops had not arrived before 3 months, whereas from now on they can benefit from the network the Canadian incipient Pacific. In spite of a still incomplete transcontinental connection, the first regular troops and of militia, under the command of the Major-General Frederick Dobson Middleton, arrive at Duck Lake less than 2 weeks after the seizure of power by Riel.

Conscious that it cannot overcome the Canadians during a direct confrontation, Dumont put on long and exhausting countryside of Guerilla; the Battle of Fish Creek, the April 24th, is accordingly a modest but real success. Riel insists however so that the rebellious forces are concentrated around Batoche, “Town of God”. The exit of the Bataille of Batoche which follows of the 9 to the May 12th was not never any doubt, and the 15 it is Riel hagard which goes to the Canadian forces. Although the forces of Big Bear still resist until the Bataille of Loon Lake the June 13rd, the rebellion is a complete failure for the Indians and the Mongrels, the majority fleeing or making act of rendering.

The lawsuit for treason

Imprisonment

Shortly after its rendering with the assembled Police force, Riel is interned with the Canadian military camp installed close to Batoche, where it spends nine days under the guard of the Capitaine George Holmes Young, wire of the reverend George Young, who in 1870 had pled for the release of Thomas Scott. As of the 16, Adolphe-Philippe Charon, Minister for the Canadian militia, orders that Riel is sent to Winnipeg to be judged there. The convoy, travelling by rail, hardly reached Moose Jaw which it is redirected on Regina, the capital of the Territory of the North-West, always on order of Charon. Young and Riel are accompanied by an escort of sixteen men-at-arms and by a priest, Charles Bruce Pitblado. Pressures in high place push the government to organize the lawsuit with Winnipeg as of July 1885. Although several historians argued that this one was finally held with Regina by fear that is not in Winnipeg a too mixed and lenient jury towards the defendant, the historian Thomas Flanagan precise that an amendment with the North-West Territories Act (which gives up a provision imposing the judgment of punishable offenses of the capital punishment on Manitoba) allows simply that the lawsuit is held in the territory itself (where the crime had taken place). At all events, the displacement of the lawsuit is a good deal for the government: whereas the right of Manitoba guarantees the behavior of the lawsuit in front of an independent judge, the territorial law requires only the presence of a professional magistrate, i.e. a simple civil servant of named State following goodwill federal government. Moreover, one lawsuit in Manitoba would have required a jury of 12 men and the insurance of bilingualism, whereas in the Territory of the North-West, only the presence of six sworn is asked, no guarantee as for the protection of the French-speaking people being specifically envisaged.

The May 23rd 1885, Riel arrives finally at the prison of Regina, where it is connected with a ball and is locked up during nearly two months in a cell of hardly 3 m ² before being able to meet its lawyers, on July 1st. The inculpation of treason is not formally notified to him before the July 6th. The 14, Riel meets François-Xavier Lemieux and Charles Fitzpatrick, two young Québécois lawyers sent by the National association for the Defense of the Mongrel Prisoners , a Québécois organization, like Thomas Cooke Johnstone, Ontarian lawyer recently established with Regina.

The lawsuit

The Prime Minister John A. Macdonald had thus sliced in favor of Regina, where Riel would be judged by a jury made up of six Protestant English and Scottish, all the area. On the 36 people called to ensure the load of sworn, only one proves to speak French - and it cannot in any event be presented to the audience. The only catholic (a Irish) is disputed, and excluded, by the charge under pretext which it is not British ascent. The lawsuit begins the July 28th 1885 and lasts only five days.

Riel is accused for six new acts of treason the July 20th. These six inculpations are not, in fact, that three charges repeated in double, once against a subject of the Queen, and once against a foreigner (Riel being considered American). the councils of the defendant dispute for immediately, but this request is rejected. Riel then pleads not culprit with all the charges, and its lawyers ask for an additional time to convey witnesses. That their is granted, and the lawsuit begins the July 28th 1885.

The representatives of the Crown count among the most brilliant lawyers of the Dominion: Christopher Robinson, Britton Bath Osler, George Burbidge, David Lynch Scott, and Thomas Drives out-Casgrain, this last being the only French-speaking person of the group. Last nine witnesses for the prosecution are called: General Frederick Middleton, Dr. John Willoughby, Thomas McKay, George Born, George Kerr, John W. Astley, Thomas E. Jackson, Dr. A. Jukes, and the cousin of Riel, Charles Nolin. The cross-examinations carried out by defense try to show mental brittleness of Riel, but without success. July 30th, this attempt has its chance, defense producing five witnesses for the defense: Dr. François Roy of the psychiatric asylum of Beauport, Dr. Daniel Clark of the asylum of Toronto, Philippe Garnot, who was secretary of Riel during some time, as well as the priests Alexis André and Vital Fourmond, which all testifies to the insanity of Riel without to be understanding or present some extenuating circumstance. The pleading of defense lasts only one day.

Riel gives two long discourses before the Court, defending its acts and affirming the rights of the Mongrels. Rejecting the attempt at its lawyer to present it like mentally irresponsible, he declares:

“The life, without the dignity of the intelligence, is not worth to be lived. ”

The jury recognizes it guilty the July 31st, after only half an hour of deliberations, but request leniency. Richardson judge, who governs the debates, however condemns it to death, the date of his execution being initially fixed at the September 18th 1885. Fifty years later, one of sworn will declare that Riel was considered for treason and was hung for the murder of Thomas Scott.

The exit of the lawsuit is as much that decided by the government that resulting from the conflict enters the defendant and his defense. Riel had required to carry out the cross-examination of the witnesses for the prosecution, which its lawyers refused to him. In the same way, Riel disputed the nomination of those (all catholics and French-speaking people), not wanting that its lawsuit is that of the english-speaking against the French-speaking people. The councils of Riel not following obviously his instructions (they even threatened to give up it right in the middle of the audiences), one can wonder in the same way on which orders they acted.

Execution

Riel is reconciled with the Catholic church right before its execution, going until choosing the Father Andre like advising spiritual. Boulton wrote in its memories that with the approach of its execution, Riel started to regret its opposition so that its trial attorney the madness and vainly tried to prove that it was indeed insane. The Macdonald government is flooded catholic letters of Inhabitant of Quebec seeing in Riel the example of the French-speaking minority oppressed by the Protestant english-speaking. Prime Minister, Sir John A. Macdonald, which prevented that the sorrow of Riel was commuted or rejugée, declares at that time: “It will be hung, even if all the dogs of Quebec bark in its favor”. After several requests so that a new lawsuit takes place and that a call near the private Conseil of the Queen for Canada had been rejected, Riel is hung for treason the November 16th 1885.

Boulton, direct witness, wrote:

“(...) Father Andre, after having explained to Riel that the end was close, asked to him whether it were in peace with the men. Riel answered “Yes”. “Do you Forgive all your enemies? ” “Yes. ” Riel required of him then if it could speak. Père André recommended to him not to do it. It receipt then the kiss of peace on behalf of the two priests, and Father Andre Then tells him French “, go to the sky! ”. (...) The hood was put on to him on the head, and the trap door open under its feet whereas he requested. Death was instantaneous. The Pouls ceased beating 4 minutes later. A tomb was being dug to bury the body there when, on order of the Lieutenant-Governor this one was given to the Chapleau sheriff what was made the night-even. ”

Its body is transferred in his/her mother, with Saint-Vital, Manitoba, to be exposed there. The December 12th, Riel is buried in the cemetery of the Saint-Boniface cathedral after a mass of Requiem.

Heritage

Political heritage

The land requests of the Mongrels of Saskatchewan all are granted by the government before the end 1887, and registers it along the river rearranged according to their wishes. The Mongrels immediately do not seize the value of their new grounds, and those are quickly acquired at cheap price by speculators who draw some from very broad appreciations. With many the regards, worst feared of Riel are carried out - after the failure of the rebellion, French and Catholicism are marginalized more and more in Saskatchewan and Manitoba, as shows it for example the Question of the schools of Manitoba at the end of the century. The Mongrels are more and more often constrained with living on poor grounds or near Réserve S (but not in those, not having the statute of Amerindians). Saskatchewan becomes a Canadian province only in 1905, that is to say 20 years after the Rebellion of the North-West.

The death of Riel and the firmness of Macdonald caused durable disorders in Quebec, and influenced the Canadian political debate appreciably. Quebec, Honore Mercier benefits from local dissatisfaction to make reappear its national Parti, this last gaining the majority with the provincial elections of 1886 with depends on the Conservative party. The federal election of 1887 sees in the same way profits on behalf of the Liberal party, again at the expense of the conservatives: Wilfrid Laurier becomes Prime Minister after the general elections of 1896, prelude to the hegemony of its party on the Canadian policy of the 20th century.

The durable influence of Riel on the national policy will be shown when the November 16th 1994, the deputy Suzanne Tremblay of the Québécois Bloc proposes the law C-228, “Law cancelling the judgment of Louis David Riel”. The proposal is largely perceived in the anglophone part of the country like an attempt at mobilization of the Québécois nationalist forces to the approach of the referendum of 1995 on the sovereignty of Belle Province.

Rehabilitation

The popular image of a Louis Riel lunatic and treacherous to the nation, particularly widespread out of the communities mongrel and Canadian-Frenchwoman, enormously evolved/moved since the end of the 20th century. The majority of the Canadians consider it from now on as a hero who rose for the rights as of his vis-a-vis the racist policy of the government, while those which underline its mental brittleness regard it however as a political figure of importance. Riel does not remain about it less one human enigma, being at the same time, as underlines it historian J.M.S. Careless, a murderer and a hero. Its rather abrupt decision to carry out Scott can also be seen like a decisive turn in the history of its people: shortly after the Rebellion of the Red river, the government set up a cadastral program which allowed the colonists and speculators quickly to despoil the Mongrels of their grounds. The relations between the latter and Ottawa having been rather good until there, the Canadians could have been more rigorous in the application of their own laws. In the same way, the distrust between Mongrel and Canadians prevented the creation of Manitoba as a province administratively French-speaking (or at the very least bilingual, following the example New Brunswick), insulating a little more Quebec in its linguistic loneliness.

The euro-Canadian literature paradoxically grants a more important place to Riel than does it the mongrel literature, probably because it is about the only known character of the not-Mongrels. Although this point of view is far from being uncontested (and undeniable), several academics note the resemblance striking between the mystical attitude of Riel and certain worships millenarists which appeared at the same time. Others also underline its revolutionary side. In the Years 1960, the Front of release of Quebec went until baptizing one of its terrorist cells of the name of Louis Riel .

Monuments and topology

A statue of Louis Riel is set up on the Colline of the Parliament of Ottawa, and two others can be seen in Winnipeg. One of these last, works of the architect Etienne Gaboury and of the sculptor Marcien Lemay, depicts naked and tortured Riel. Inaugurated in 1970, it faced the legislative Assemblée of Manitoba during 23 years, before being moved towards the university College of Saint-Boniface: many were the voices (in particular of Mongrel) complaining about an unworthy and incorrect representation. The statue was replaced in 1994 by a creation of Miguel Joyal depicting Riel statesman.

Many communities and villages of Manitoba and Saskatchewan dedicated streets, schools and public buildings with the memory of Louis Riel. The studied center (and the university pub) of the Université of Saskatchewan to Saskatoon bear its name. The provincial highway 11 of the same province (which connects Regina and Prince Albert) at summer baptized of the name of Louis Riel Trail by the local government; the road passes nearly many important places of the rebellion of 1885.

Arts, literature, popular culture

The most famous representations of Louis Riel include the Téléfilm 1979 on the Rebellion of the Rouge river produced by Radio-Canada Télévision, as well as novel data base of Chester Brown appeared in 2003 Louis Riel the insurrectionist .

A opera in three acts entitled Louis Riel was ordered for the ceremonies of the centenary of the Canadian confederation in 1967. Composed by Harry Somers, with a booklet of Mavor Moore and Jacques Languirand, he was played for the first time by the National company of opera of Canada in September of the same year.

End of the year 1960 at the beginning of the Years 1990, the town of Saskatoon had its “Day Louis Riel”, an estival festival with relay race combining race on foot, with backpack, in Canoë, Escalade and horsemanship (the festival also included a contest of tasting of Chou stuffed). The event was cancelled thereafter for lack of financial supports.

A group Canadian Rock took the name of Exovedate in 1994, this one being the name of the Council formed by Riel in 1885. Billy Childish also wrote a song entitled Louis Riel .

The October 22nd 2003, CBC Newsworld and its French-speaking equivalent the Network of information diffused a simulation of the lawsuit of Riel: the televiewers were thereafter invited to vote “guilty” or “not culprit” by Internet. On the 10 000 received votes, 87 % decided in favor of leniency. The results of this popular vote renewed the calls to posthumous forgiveness. Same manner, the emission of Radio-Canada the greatest Canadian personality classified it on the basis of survey to the 11th rank of the largest historical characters of the country.

See too

Sources

Primary sources

Louis Riel, The collected writings off Louis Riel/Complete Writings Of Louis Riel , George Stanley ED., University off Alberta Near, 1985, Edmonton (ISBN 0888640919) ;
George Stanley, Louis Riel , McGraw-Hill Ryerson, 1963, Toronto (ISBN 0070929610) . La biography of reference of Louis Riel, and primary source of the present article.

Secondary sources

Boulton, Charles A. (1886) Reminiscences off the North-West Rebelled . Toronto. Online text

*Joseph Kinsey Howard (1965, 1970) " The Strange Worsens Louis Riel" off; , Swan Publishing CO. LTD., Toronto, ONE

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